It is the people who make a country great. In every country, brave, compassionate people of action must be willing to assume the mantle of leadership and face the challenges to education, law, government, health care, the environment and human rights. If you live the Action Principles, this person is you. Even as one, your example can make a difference. Your strong moral stance can give courage to the many who may face the relentless evil intent of a few.
This is a call to action. Following the Action Principles will show you the clear path to peace and prosperity in your life and beyond. Pass it on.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Be A Mentor
If you want to learn first hand about a new subject and drastically shorten the learning curve, one of the best ways is to find a mentor. A mentor is an experienced person who is doing or has done what it is that you want to do and agrees to be your guide. Many successful people remember their own early struggles and gladly agree to serve as mentors, especially if you are an enthusiastic, appreciative novice. Besides sharing their knowledge, some mentors offer the additional bonus of sharing their contacts and networks. Imagine being able to consult with a senior partner who has been there and done that and whom you don’t have to pay.
As others are willing to help you, don’t forget your own potential role as mentor. This is what the Action Principles are all about; one person helping another who helps another. Even a small amount of time can make a big difference to a newcomer. Listen for the wise words of experience.
As others are willing to help you, don’t forget your own potential role as mentor. This is what the Action Principles are all about; one person helping another who helps another. Even a small amount of time can make a big difference to a newcomer. Listen for the wise words of experience.
Walk The Talk
When you live your life with concern and love for others, wonderful things will happen. You will be fulfilled. You will feel a warm pride from your selfless acts that will then allow you the grace of humility. To be first, you must put yourself last. The true leader goes to the end of the line. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Be sure your words match your deeds.
Can you give a dollar to a beggar? Can you lend an ear to one avoided by others? Can you work an extra shift for a parent who needs to be with a sick child? Can you visit a shut-in? Can you speak up and defend a poor soul being teased or bullied? Can you treat all people as your brothers and sisters? Your example may become contagious.
The greatest sorrow is to be lonely and unloved. Refuse to let this happen with your idle consent. Right now, the days of homelessness, hunger, and unsafe streets can be over if we make the commitment.
Can you give a dollar to a beggar? Can you lend an ear to one avoided by others? Can you work an extra shift for a parent who needs to be with a sick child? Can you visit a shut-in? Can you speak up and defend a poor soul being teased or bullied? Can you treat all people as your brothers and sisters? Your example may become contagious.
The greatest sorrow is to be lonely and unloved. Refuse to let this happen with your idle consent. Right now, the days of homelessness, hunger, and unsafe streets can be over if we make the commitment.
Promate The Action Principles
The Action Principles are yours. Toss this book into your pocket, purse or pack and when you have a free moment read a principle. The surest way for you to stay on your personal journey to peace and prosperity is to get involved. All the work that you do for us helps others and reinforces your own commitment to success.
Take action. Spread the word and help us help others. You can tell co-workers and friends about the Action Principles. Send them to Success.org to learn more. You can give a copy of this book to someone you care about. You can check that the public and school libraries in your town have copies of this book. If you are able, purchase and donate copies of the book to social or educational organizations. Most importantly, you can be the example. Share your success and your knowledge.
Take action. Spread the word and help us help others. You can tell co-workers and friends about the Action Principles. Send them to Success.org to learn more. You can give a copy of this book to someone you care about. You can check that the public and school libraries in your town have copies of this book. If you are able, purchase and donate copies of the book to social or educational organizations. Most importantly, you can be the example. Share your success and your knowledge.
Make Everyone Feel Important
Teach with enthusiasm and your love for your subject will spread. Sell your products or services with enthusiasm and your company will grow. Presume that your students and employees and customers are your equals because they are. Don’t teach or sell down to anyone. Speak with and not at or to your students or customers. Learn and use peoples’ names.
Make everyone you meet feel important. You can’t be selectively likable. If you try to like some people and not others, you will eventually be seen as a phony, and no one wants to do business with a phony.
When you talk down to people, you shift the focus from your subject or product to your condescending attitude.
Listen. Be patient. Pay attention. Don’t interrupt or fidget. Make eye contact. Smile and nod encouragement. Don’t try to top another’s story with your own heroic tales.
People love to be involved in projects which they helped design. Help others to identify and develop their strengths. Be quick to praise and slow to criticize. Look for opportunities to teach others about the Action Principles.
Make everyone you meet feel important. You can’t be selectively likable. If you try to like some people and not others, you will eventually be seen as a phony, and no one wants to do business with a phony.
When you talk down to people, you shift the focus from your subject or product to your condescending attitude.
Listen. Be patient. Pay attention. Don’t interrupt or fidget. Make eye contact. Smile and nod encouragement. Don’t try to top another’s story with your own heroic tales.
People love to be involved in projects which they helped design. Help others to identify and develop their strengths. Be quick to praise and slow to criticize. Look for opportunities to teach others about the Action Principles.
Read Read Read
There are few things that we can do that are more important than to instill a love of reading in our children. Reading is a lifelong gift. If you read, you can always educate yourself. It doesn’t matter if you are reading from a computer screen, a paperback or from a leather-bound classic. Rather than getting upset at life’s delays, A-B-A-B (Always Bring A Book) and put this time to profitable use.
Set the reading example in your home. Children only read when they see their parents reading. Keep plenty of books, magazines and newspapers in the house for everyone to read and discuss. Set family reading goals and provide children with incentives for reading. Set aside a time each week for reading aloud as a family. Take regular family trips to bookstores and libraries. Make sure children are involved in a summer reading program. Encourage all family members to give books as presents.
Set the reading example in your home. Children only read when they see their parents reading. Keep plenty of books, magazines and newspapers in the house for everyone to read and discuss. Set family reading goals and provide children with incentives for reading. Set aside a time each week for reading aloud as a family. Take regular family trips to bookstores and libraries. Make sure children are involved in a summer reading program. Encourage all family members to give books as presents.
Be Open To New Ideas
There is always more to learn. Your employees, family, friends, suppliers and even your competitors may all have suggestions that you can put to profitable use.
Be open-minded. Observe, read and listen. Be open to the fact that lots of people are going to have ideas worthy of your consideration. Welcome them. Incorporate the better ideas into your business and personal dealings.
Find new ideas in books, magazines, videos, audiotapes, newsletters, trade literature, and on the Internet. Find new ideas at conventions, seminars, lectures, and by taking evening courses. Seek new experiences and adventures. Who dares wins.
We must guard against being unchangeable or apathetic.
Be open-minded. Observe, read and listen. Be open to the fact that lots of people are going to have ideas worthy of your consideration. Welcome them. Incorporate the better ideas into your business and personal dealings.
Find new ideas in books, magazines, videos, audiotapes, newsletters, trade literature, and on the Internet. Find new ideas at conventions, seminars, lectures, and by taking evening courses. Seek new experiences and adventures. Who dares wins.
We must guard against being unchangeable or apathetic.
Ask A Lot Of Questions
The easiest way to get information is to ask a question and listen to the answer. Good parents, friends, students and leaders aren’t shy. If someone seems upset, depressed or anxious, ask why. Ask and get to the point and you may be able to correct a small incident before it becomes a big problem. If you are rejected, ask a question and you may learn enough to succeed on your next attempt. Let one question lead to the next. Questions are stepping-stones to self-improvement. The only meaningless question is the one not asked.
On the receiving side, remember that the truth fears no question.
On the receiving side, remember that the truth fears no question.
Work At Work
Work expands to fill the time available. Many people will work only up to expectations. Some work just hard enough to not get fired. Some people actually work as little as possible at work. No one likes the self-pitying whiner who slinks in the shadows while others do the work. These people create a window of opportunity for you.
Don’t worry about being obligated to work more hours to beat the competition. You probably don’t have to invest more time. Instead, if you work all the time you are at work, you will probably come out well ahead of your competition. Guard your time; discourage interruptions.
However, don’t become lulled into mistaking activity for accomplishment. Follow your prioritized to-do list. Live and appreciate every day as an important day.
Don’t worry about being obligated to work more hours to beat the competition. You probably don’t have to invest more time. Instead, if you work all the time you are at work, you will probably come out well ahead of your competition. Guard your time; discourage interruptions.
However, don’t become lulled into mistaking activity for accomplishment. Follow your prioritized to-do list. Live and appreciate every day as an important day.
Act With Boldness
Everyone admires the bold, courageous and daring; no one honors the fainthearted, shy and timid. Look around at what others have done and what you can also do. Everyone is afraid. The strong act in spite of the fear. The weak cower because of the fear. Timidity breeds doubt and hesitation that not only weaken but can be dangerous. The coward dies a thousand deaths.
There is a formula for personal development. It is the same formula for everyone. You must study. You must plan. You must practice. You must be tested. Some will shrink simply facing the task. Some will do the minimum and pass. Some will cut corners and pass. Instead, you must boldly welcome the challenge of honestly meeting the standards. Then and only then will you feel the true pride of accomplishment.
Make a personal decision to do what it will take to succeed. These principles are known to many but lived by few. Most people know what they should be doing. They lack the will or the self-confidence to test themselves physically and mentally by starting a business, making an investment or establishing a friendship. This is not the independent you. You are a person of action.
There is a formula for personal development. It is the same formula for everyone. You must study. You must plan. You must practice. You must be tested. Some will shrink simply facing the task. Some will do the minimum and pass. Some will cut corners and pass. Instead, you must boldly welcome the challenge of honestly meeting the standards. Then and only then will you feel the true pride of accomplishment.
Make a personal decision to do what it will take to succeed. These principles are known to many but lived by few. Most people know what they should be doing. They lack the will or the self-confidence to test themselves physically and mentally by starting a business, making an investment or establishing a friendship. This is not the independent you. You are a person of action.
Count The Time
How long does it take to exercise?
How long does it take to stay informed?
How long does it take to be well groomed?
How long does it take to read your child a bedtime story?
How long does it take to say a kind word or deliver a compliment?
How long does it take to clean up after a meal at a shelter?
How long does it take to complete the next entry on your to-do list?
How long does it take to vote?
Probably just minutes.
How long does it take to stay informed?
How long does it take to be well groomed?
How long does it take to read your child a bedtime story?
How long does it take to say a kind word or deliver a compliment?
How long does it take to clean up after a meal at a shelter?
How long does it take to complete the next entry on your to-do list?
How long does it take to vote?
Probably just minutes.
March The Long Road
On the long road, experience beats inexperience; smart beats uninformed; effort beats laziness; polite beats rude; generous beats selfish; fit beats fat and interested beats bored. Be patient. Your time is coming. With time, everything passes from old hands to young.
On the long road, time will reward the prudent investments you make today.
On the long road, you accept the physical, mental and financial blessings that you enjoy from following the Action Principles as you continue throughout your life to improve yourself and to give back to your family and society.
On the long road, time will reward the prudent investments you make today.
On the long road, you accept the physical, mental and financial blessings that you enjoy from following the Action Principles as you continue throughout your life to improve yourself and to give back to your family and society.
Run The Short Road
The short road leads you to physical fitness. If you work out three or four times a week, in three to four months you will probably be in good shape. This is a short road to a notable accomplishment.
The short road leads to financial independence. If you offer a quality product or service and you appreciate your customer and you keep improving, you will earn enough money not to have to worry about it. This is a short road to a notable accomplishment.
The short road leads to strong personal relationships. If you smile at, listen to and are generous with family, employees and the public, you will be rewarded with many friends. If you are courteous, you will be welcomed anywhere. This is a short road to a notable accomplishment
Focus On Your Strength
Rely on your strengths. To know your strengths, you must first acknowledge and then compensate for your weaknesses. Ask your friends and mentors: What am I good at? In what areas should I improve? What do you do better than most people? Don't be afraid to ask for advice or help and don’t be afraid to listen to the answers. Reflect and learn. Knowing yourself allows you to plan your days for peak performance.
In business, solicit comments on your products and services. Customer and employee compliments and complaints are important tools to improve efficiency. Who knows you better?
Accept your limitations. Accept your circumstances.
Following the Action Principles, you should have more than enough of everything to succeed. Be the best you can be on the inside, and your beauty and confidence will be reflected on the outside.
Hold Sacred
… your religious faith.
… your family.
… your good name.
… your given word.
… your moral code.
… your self-reliance.
… your positive attitude.
… your healthy lifestyle.
… your self-improvement.
… your love of learning.
… your willingness to share
… your family.
… your good name.
… your given word.
… your moral code.
… your self-reliance.
… your positive attitude.
… your healthy lifestyle.
… your self-improvement.
… your love of learning.
… your willingness to share
Look In The Mirror
Look at yourself as your family, co-workers, customers, students and the general public may be seeing you. Endeavor to like and admire what you and they see.
Don’t kid yourself and fall victim to self-deception. Success means nothing if you are a professional athlete on drugs. Success means nothing if you are a doctor who is abusive at home. Success means nothing if your sole aim is to make your own life easier.
You can’t honestly judge others if you can’t honestly judge yourself. You cannot build a stronger self if you rely upon what may be the self-serving false appraisal and expectations of others. Do yourself a favor and be honest with yourself. Are you doing all you can do? If you are not honest with yourself, doubts and fears will haunt you. During your quiet time each day, quickly contemplate the thought: Is this the way that I want to be thinking and acting? Make self-reflection a daily habit. Pay close attention to yourself. This is character building.
Don’t kid yourself and fall victim to self-deception. Success means nothing if you are a professional athlete on drugs. Success means nothing if you are a doctor who is abusive at home. Success means nothing if your sole aim is to make your own life easier.
You can’t honestly judge others if you can’t honestly judge yourself. You cannot build a stronger self if you rely upon what may be the self-serving false appraisal and expectations of others. Do yourself a favor and be honest with yourself. Are you doing all you can do? If you are not honest with yourself, doubts and fears will haunt you. During your quiet time each day, quickly contemplate the thought: Is this the way that I want to be thinking and acting? Make self-reflection a daily habit. Pay close attention to yourself. This is character building.
Enjoy Quiet Time
Everyone needs quiet time in their day when they can just be with their own thoughts. This isn’t daydreaming. The serenity of quiet time can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. It can be traditional Zen or transcendental meditation, but it can also be taking a walk, gardening, making a pot of tea or taking a long, hot shower. You may wish to pray. Each day, take twenty minutes to stop, reflect and enjoy being who you are. Think about the past, present, future or nothing in particular. Relax by yourself and you will feel renewed. Tranquillity will re-energize you. Without trying, you will be amazed at how your subconscious mind releases so many good ideas. As you reflect upon the true sense for your existence, you can better deal with hardships.
Just as the time you spend exercising strengthens the physical you, quiet reflection strengthens the spiritual you. Quiet time also gives you the opportunity to practice minding your own business. Take a deep breath and continue to breathe slowly and steadily. Look around. Use all your senses. You will find contentment in the solitude.
Just as the time you spend exercising strengthens the physical you, quiet reflection strengthens the spiritual you. Quiet time also gives you the opportunity to practice minding your own business. Take a deep breath and continue to breathe slowly and steadily. Look around. Use all your senses. You will find contentment in the solitude.
Follow Your Code Of Honor
As a follower of the Action Principles, you adhere to a strict code of honor regarding your personal behavior. Your honor becomes your shield.
You do not need to prove your might at the expense of others.
You do not need diplomas, awards or the acclaim of others to know who you are.
You do not need an audience to do the right thing.
You do not need a lot of money or many physical possessions to be happy.
You do not need to stand first in line.
You do not need lessons to act civilly.
You do not need prompting to help someone in need.
You do not need to prove your might at the expense of others.
You do not need diplomas, awards or the acclaim of others to know who you are.
You do not need an audience to do the right thing.
You do not need a lot of money or many physical possessions to be happy.
You do not need to stand first in line.
You do not need lessons to act civilly.
You do not need prompting to help someone in need.
Have Faith
Look around the train, the classroom or the office and you will probably see ordinary people who are going to live ordinary lives. There is nothing wrong with this choice. But you feel differently. You read this book and you feel empowered. You go to Success.org for more training. Your mind fills with ideas. You find mentors. You research. You dare. You persist. You make money. You save. You invest. You succeed. You put your free time and extra money to good use. Many around you could have done exactly the same thing. They didn’t. You did. Why?
You can’t easily answer all of life’s questions. You must have faith. Thank God for making you extraordinary. Thank God for helping you see so many possibilities. Thank God for making you a person of action.
You can’t easily answer all of life’s questions. You must have faith. Thank God for making you extraordinary. Thank God for helping you see so many possibilities. Thank God for making you a person of action.
Retire Early
If you didn’t have to worry about earning a living, you could concentrate on your personal potential and being of service to others.
You don’t have to be a millionaire to retire early. In fact, if you had savings of half that amount, invested prudently, you could retire and earn an annual income that exceeds the annual income of 75% of the people in the United States. Over half of the people in the United States have less than $10,000 saved for retirement and live from paycheck to paycheck. They have no definitive financial plans. You are different. You now have a financial goal: to retire early.
Consider this: After 20 years of saving 20% of your income, you may create the choice of not having to work for a living.
Consider this: As an alternative to saving 20%, can you earn 20% more if you work 10 hours a day rather than 8, or 6 days a week rather than 5?
You don’t have to be a millionaire to retire early. In fact, if you had savings of half that amount, invested prudently, you could retire and earn an annual income that exceeds the annual income of 75% of the people in the United States. Over half of the people in the United States have less than $10,000 saved for retirement and live from paycheck to paycheck. They have no definitive financial plans. You are different. You now have a financial goal: to retire early.
Consider this: After 20 years of saving 20% of your income, you may create the choice of not having to work for a living.
Consider this: As an alternative to saving 20%, can you earn 20% more if you work 10 hours a day rather than 8, or 6 days a week rather than 5?
Invest In Your Future
Today, investors sacrifice and spenders enjoy. Tomorrow, investors enjoy and spenders keep working. If you buy a house today, you may have to work two jobs to make the mortgage payments now but you may own the house without debt in twenty years. If you give up TV tonight, you can take an evening course and in six years earn a college degree. If you start training today, you may be sore tomorrow and a black belt in four years. Invest in yourself.
Most wealthy people save between 15% and 20% of their income. Invest in fields in which you have a specialized knowledge. If you sell cars, invest in the auto industry. If you are a real estate broker, buy income properties. Be sure to diversify your holdings by investing in a retirement plan and a no-load mutual fund. There is a time value to money, so the earlier you start investing the better. Invest in things that appreciate rather than spend on things that depreciate. Secure your own retirement.
Most wealthy people save between 15% and 20% of their income. Invest in fields in which you have a specialized knowledge. If you sell cars, invest in the auto industry. If you are a real estate broker, buy income properties. Be sure to diversify your holdings by investing in a retirement plan and a no-load mutual fund. There is a time value to money, so the earlier you start investing the better. Invest in things that appreciate rather than spend on things that depreciate. Secure your own retirement.
Relax Yourself
In your personal dealings, remain loose and light. Eliminate stress. There is rarely need to be tense and hardheaded. Much can be accomplished through calm reason and a soft voice.
Most physical movements should be loose, light, fluid, agile and flexible, rather than tense, hard, rigid and stiff. Slow, deep breathing will calm anxieties, lower your heart rate and allow for concentration. Massages, steam baths, saunas and whirlpools also help the muscles to rest. Make sure you get your rejuvenating 6-8 hours of sleep per night.
At any time, start counting backwards from 100 as you breathe deeply. Let the air fill your belly as you inhale and exhale, more slowly and more fully with each breath. Quiet your muscles and relax.
Most physical movements should be loose, light, fluid, agile and flexible, rather than tense, hard, rigid and stiff. Slow, deep breathing will calm anxieties, lower your heart rate and allow for concentration. Massages, steam baths, saunas and whirlpools also help the muscles to rest. Make sure you get your rejuvenating 6-8 hours of sleep per night.
At any time, start counting backwards from 100 as you breathe deeply. Let the air fill your belly as you inhale and exhale, more slowly and more fully with each breath. Quiet your muscles and relax.
Stay Fit And Healthy
Be prepared to succeed both physically and mentally. You do not know when you will be called upon to defend with a block, a blow or a word. You can swim, run, or rollerblade. You can take a walk. Staying fit also helps to prevent injury and helps you deal with stress and fatigue.
If you want to be thinner, start putting out more calories than you take in and you will lose weight. Start now. If you want to be healthier, add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Drink a lot of water. If you want a strong heart, do twenty minutes of vigorous calisthenics each day. If you want to look good and feel strong, work out with weights three times a week for thirty minutes. You don’t need fancy gym equipment to be fit. You don’t need a lot of time. You just need the will to start and persist.
If you want to be thinner, start putting out more calories than you take in and you will lose weight. Start now. If you want to be healthier, add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Drink a lot of water. If you want a strong heart, do twenty minutes of vigorous calisthenics each day. If you want to look good and feel strong, work out with weights three times a week for thirty minutes. You don’t need fancy gym equipment to be fit. You don’t need a lot of time. You just need the will to start and persist.
Avoid Negative People
You have one life to live. You want to be happy and to make your life meaningful. You haven’t got time to waste with negative people. They will drain your energy. When they find a willing audience, they won’t let it go. They may have justifiable concerns but too often get involved in minor matters. They blame and look for excuses. Even when blame can be justified it serves no productive good. They are usually negative because they have ceded control of their happiness to others — the boss, the neighbors, the kids, the politicians, the police.
Be polite and encouraging to negative people. You can be compassionate, but still be strong enough to walk away. Everyone has problems, but not everyone allows those problems to rule them. You can offer a temporary safe haven without becoming a permanent home. You do not have to sacrifice your life to the problems of another.
Be polite and encouraging to negative people. You can be compassionate, but still be strong enough to walk away. Everyone has problems, but not everyone allows those problems to rule them. You can offer a temporary safe haven without becoming a permanent home. You do not have to sacrifice your life to the problems of another.
Communicate With Ease
Can you talk your way out of most tough situations? Can you talk your way through to decision makers to build up your sales? Can you talk to the media and garner positive press for your business? Can you talk to 500 people and win converts to your cause or position?
Being an effective communicator can take you a long way and is a skill worth developing. Be yourself. Believe in your own words. It doesn’t matter if you are talking to one person or one thousand. If you want people to like what you say, persuade with modesty and build your audience up.
Listen to good communicators and model yourself after them. How do good interviewers ask questions? How do good public speakers work? How do good salespeople sell? To communicate well, you can’t get stuck on transmit. Pause before you speak. You must listen and speak with purpose. Get to the point. Create interest with visual aids. Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them. Sit down.
Don’t let technology leave you behind. Learn to communicate via e-mail and the Internet.
Being an effective communicator can take you a long way and is a skill worth developing. Be yourself. Believe in your own words. It doesn’t matter if you are talking to one person or one thousand. If you want people to like what you say, persuade with modesty and build your audience up.
Listen to good communicators and model yourself after them. How do good interviewers ask questions? How do good public speakers work? How do good salespeople sell? To communicate well, you can’t get stuck on transmit. Pause before you speak. You must listen and speak with purpose. Get to the point. Create interest with visual aids. Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them. Sit down.
Don’t let technology leave you behind. Learn to communicate via e-mail and the Internet.
Venture Outside The Box
It would be nice if there were logical step-by-step instructions for every step on your success journey. But, there aren’t. You learn from your own experiences and by studying the experiences of others, and then you often have to find your own way. To find an answer, you may have to go outside the box.
If all graphic designers are offering computer-generated work, maybe your niche is hand drawing. If all your day care center competitors are strict about pick-up times, maybe your niche is to be flexible. If none of the other landlords in your area allow pets, maybe you do. Being a little different can be profitable.
If you can’t earn a degree full time, perhaps you can take evening or correspondence or on-line courses. If you are worried about starting a business, you can consider buying an existing business or a franchise. If you can’t exercise because you have to baby-sit, how about taking the kids for a walk or run with you? Don’t give up. At times, you may have to improvise and be creative. Quitting or not trying isn’t an option.
If all graphic designers are offering computer-generated work, maybe your niche is hand drawing. If all your day care center competitors are strict about pick-up times, maybe your niche is to be flexible. If none of the other landlords in your area allow pets, maybe you do. Being a little different can be profitable.
If you can’t earn a degree full time, perhaps you can take evening or correspondence or on-line courses. If you are worried about starting a business, you can consider buying an existing business or a franchise. If you can’t exercise because you have to baby-sit, how about taking the kids for a walk or run with you? Don’t give up. At times, you may have to improvise and be creative. Quitting or not trying isn’t an option.
Accept Hard Work
Great accomplishments come from hard work. Luck accompanies hard work. If necessary, be prepared to endure temporary hardship. At times, the work is going to be hard to do and you would prefer doing something easier. Accept this. Put enthusiasm into your work and you will reduce boredom. Commit yourself to hard work and be thankful that you aren’t lazy. Laziness makes all work difficult.
From day one, you accept the premise that by following the Action Principles, you will work hard and give much. Don’t cheat, or look for the easy way out. Bask in the feeling of exhilaration and accomplishment that few will experience. If you work hard, you will never go hungry. In the end, you will discover that all the hard work was worth it. Work hard and don’t wish that your life were any other way. Get accustomed to doing what others can’t or won’t.
From day one, you accept the premise that by following the Action Principles, you will work hard and give much. Don’t cheat, or look for the easy way out. Bask in the feeling of exhilaration and accomplishment that few will experience. If you work hard, you will never go hungry. In the end, you will discover that all the hard work was worth it. Work hard and don’t wish that your life were any other way. Get accustomed to doing what others can’t or won’t.
Do What Others Cant
Most people can’t give two nights a month to volunteer at a hospice. You can.
Most people can’t get up at 6:00 AM and jog two miles. You can.
Most people can’t give up their lunch hour to solve a customer’s problem. You can.
Most people can’t help to clean up other people’s messes. You can.
Most people can’t help a friend deal with destructive behavior. You can.
Most people can’t give five percent of their money to charity. You can.
You are following the Action Principles.
Most people can’t get up at 6:00 AM and jog two miles. You can.
Most people can’t give up their lunch hour to solve a customer’s problem. You can.
Most people can’t help to clean up other people’s messes. You can.
Most people can’t help a friend deal with destructive behavior. You can.
Most people can’t give five percent of their money to charity. You can.
You are following the Action Principles.
Develop Winning Habits
If becoming a success were easy, everyone would do it. It isn’t. They don’t. As a follower of the Action Principles, you can. You can develop winning habits while identifying and working to eliminate your bad habits. Be patient. Psychological studies have shown that it takes about 30 days to begin to form or begin to rid yourself of a habit.
You can keep your word even though this may not always be easy. You can write and focus on your goals and objectives and your to-do list. You can exercise when you’re tired. You can read business materials. You can volunteer. You can give a little extra money to charity. You can give a little extra time to family members, students and customers. You can pick up litter on the jogging path. You can delay gratification. You can do a lot while others are idle.
You won’t always want to do these things. You will feel that you are doing more than your share. You are right. Work on your habits. You are tough.
You can keep your word even though this may not always be easy. You can write and focus on your goals and objectives and your to-do list. You can exercise when you’re tired. You can read business materials. You can volunteer. You can give a little extra money to charity. You can give a little extra time to family members, students and customers. You can pick up litter on the jogging path. You can delay gratification. You can do a lot while others are idle.
You won’t always want to do these things. You will feel that you are doing more than your share. You are right. Work on your habits. You are tough.
Be Persistent
Modern life can make you soft. The status quo may become comfortably familiar. You can actually begin to believe that you are doing all that you can, or that doing more isn’t worth the effort. Challenge yourself. You must start the positive momentum in your life and then you’ve got to stick with it day to day.
You don’t need someone else to tell you not to smoke. If today, you smoked a pack, tomorrow smoke 18. The next day, 17. Improve. If you haven’t read a book recently, read one. If you don’t exercise, take a walk around the block. If you’re shy, say to five new people: "Good morning!"
You know yourself. You know what improvement you need. You don’t need anyone to tell you not to jump from a fifty-story building, so why would you need someone to tell you not to do drugs, to exercise more, eat a sensible diet, talk to your kids, or compliment your employees? You know what to do.
Keep going. No one can say that you failed until you do. Keep taking small steps toward your goal. Challenge the you who is content with yesterday’s accomplishments. Take a deep breath. Changes that last a lifetime begin in a moment. With persistence, only time stands between you and your goal.
You don’t need someone else to tell you not to smoke. If today, you smoked a pack, tomorrow smoke 18. The next day, 17. Improve. If you haven’t read a book recently, read one. If you don’t exercise, take a walk around the block. If you’re shy, say to five new people: "Good morning!"
You know yourself. You know what improvement you need. You don’t need anyone to tell you not to jump from a fifty-story building, so why would you need someone to tell you not to do drugs, to exercise more, eat a sensible diet, talk to your kids, or compliment your employees? You know what to do.
Keep going. No one can say that you failed until you do. Keep taking small steps toward your goal. Challenge the you who is content with yesterday’s accomplishments. Take a deep breath. Changes that last a lifetime begin in a moment. With persistence, only time stands between you and your goal.
Devlop Your Special Talent
You were born with a special talent. It may be to sing, write, teach, paint, mentor, preach, defend or befriend. You have something special to offer the world, something you can do better than 10,000 others. You must keep learning and trying new things to find your special talent. The world needs your gift. Be aware that even a special talent can go stale if you don’t keep using and honing it. Endeavor to keep your talents and all your skills up to date.
An advantage isn’t an advantage unless you use it. Find ways to use your advantages to set and reach your goals. Likewise, you should recognize and then try to minimize the impact of your limitations. Remember that not all advantages are transferable. Just because you are talented in one area doesn’t mean that you will be talented at everything you try. The successful real estate investor can easily lose her money opening a restaurant. Stick to your advantages and don’t stray from them without reasoned justification.
An advantage isn’t an advantage unless you use it. Find ways to use your advantages to set and reach your goals. Likewise, you should recognize and then try to minimize the impact of your limitations. Remember that not all advantages are transferable. Just because you are talented in one area doesn’t mean that you will be talented at everything you try. The successful real estate investor can easily lose her money opening a restaurant. Stick to your advantages and don’t stray from them without reasoned justification.
Be Prudent
Just because you deserve victory doesn’t mean that you will win every fight, game or argument. Someone else may have the tactical advantage. Have the self-confidence to know when not to fight. Perhaps the smartest course of action is to retreat and reflect upon your options. Can you return to the challenge on another day better equipped, more experienced and stronger?
The non-action of the wise man is not inaction. It is not studied. It is not shaken by anything. The heart of the wise man is tranquil. It is the mirror of heaven and earth … emptiness, stillness and tranquility. Wise men don’t fight each other.
The non-action of the wise man is not inaction. It is not studied. It is not shaken by anything. The heart of the wise man is tranquil. It is the mirror of heaven and earth … emptiness, stillness and tranquility. Wise men don’t fight each other.
Demonstrate Your Love
From the Bible, we learn that love is patient and kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking; it is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. It is responsibility and a willingness to work out problems.
Love is too wonderful and too powerful to be kept bottled up. Let it out with your smiles, your voice, your manner, your enthusiasm and your continuing acts of kindness. For love, you can risk being vulnerable.
When you find love, cherish and safeguard it. A loving marriage and family is worth all your efforts.
Love is too wonderful and too powerful to be kept bottled up. Let it out with your smiles, your voice, your manner, your enthusiasm and your continuing acts of kindness. For love, you can risk being vulnerable.
When you find love, cherish and safeguard it. A loving marriage and family is worth all your efforts.
Practice Forgiveness
Anger, hatred, bitterness, resentments and thoughts of revenge are heavy weights that slow a person down. Allowed to fester, these negative feelings can consume increasingly larger portions of your life. Liberate yourself. Let it go. The forgiving person is always stronger. Be like the rock in the stream and let the thoughts of revenge flow by you.
As a person of action, improving yourself and helping others, you will make lots of mistakes. You will do foolish things. Learn the lesson.
You practice forgiveness for yourself. Consider those whom you may have offended or injured and ask for their forgiveness. Can you say, "I’m sorry and I apologize if I offended you."? If you ask and your request is rejected, you have lightened your burden in trying. Continue to encourage efforts at reconciliation.
As a person of action, improving yourself and helping others, you will make lots of mistakes. You will do foolish things. Learn the lesson.
You practice forgiveness for yourself. Consider those whom you may have offended or injured and ask for their forgiveness. Can you say, "I’m sorry and I apologize if I offended you."? If you ask and your request is rejected, you have lightened your burden in trying. Continue to encourage efforts at reconciliation.
Show Loyalty
Be a stand-up person. You stand for your family, country and friends. When and if trouble comes, let others have no doubt that they can count on you for help and support. Your commitments don’t waver with the moods of the moment. You don’t hesitate to act.
At work, you build customer loyalty by concentrating on service with an attitude clear to everyone that customer retention is very important to you. You don’t run a business solely dependent on finding new customers.
You are consistent, devoted, faithful and true. You stand for your beliefs and values. You aren’t afraid to pledge allegiance to what is right. This is loyalty.
At work, you build customer loyalty by concentrating on service with an attitude clear to everyone that customer retention is very important to you. You don’t run a business solely dependent on finding new customers.
You are consistent, devoted, faithful and true. You stand for your beliefs and values. You aren’t afraid to pledge allegiance to what is right. This is loyalty.
Show Loyalty
Be a stand-up person. You stand for your family, country and friends. When and if trouble comes, let others have no doubt that they can count on you for help and support. Your commitments don’t waver with the moods of the moment. You don’t hesitate to act.
At work, you build customer loyalty by concentrating on service with an attitude clear to everyone that customer retention is very important to you. You don’t run a business solely dependent on finding new customers.
You are consistent, devoted, faithful and true. You stand for your beliefs and values. You aren’t afraid to pledge allegiance to what is right. This is loyalty.
At work, you build customer loyalty by concentrating on service with an attitude clear to everyone that customer retention is very important to you. You don’t run a business solely dependent on finding new customers.
You are consistent, devoted, faithful and true. You stand for your beliefs and values. You aren’t afraid to pledge allegiance to what is right. This is loyalty.
Become Grateful
Life isn’t exactly the way you want it to be. You will have your ups and downs and crosses to bear. You will have opportunities to practice holding your tongue and exercising patience. Yet, because you are focused on the larger picture, you will be able to keep everyday events in perspective.
Be grateful for all you have. Acknowledge and accept compliments. In the larger scheme of things, you may wish to be grateful for good health, a supportive spouse, a rewarding profession, obedient, healthy children, conscientious employees, prosperity, religious faith, loyal friends and even winning sports teams. You add and choose. Why not write letters to people in your life who have made a difference and thank them? You will both feel good.
When you can look forward and be thankful, you can help others do the same. Hold the burning candle from which others can light their candles.
Embrace gratitude.
Be grateful for all you have. Acknowledge and accept compliments. In the larger scheme of things, you may wish to be grateful for good health, a supportive spouse, a rewarding profession, obedient, healthy children, conscientious employees, prosperity, religious faith, loyal friends and even winning sports teams. You add and choose. Why not write letters to people in your life who have made a difference and thank them? You will both feel good.
When you can look forward and be thankful, you can help others do the same. Hold the burning candle from which others can light their candles.
Embrace gratitude.
Develop Your Sense Of Humour
In all areas of life, a quick wit, a hearty laugh, a smile and a warm sense of humor are appreciated. To be a good joke teller, tell jokes often. Practice. Model your delivery after comedians you admire and funny friends. Start a joke file.
Always be absolutely sure that your material is clean and non-offensive. Stick to a universally funny subject — you. Most of the best humor is self-deprecating. That is, you have to learn to laugh at yourself. On your road to success, there will be many stumbles and fumbles, providing many opportunities for you to turn the unexpected into stress-reducing laughter. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Laugh about it. Be affable. Humor will add to your attractiveness.
Always be absolutely sure that your material is clean and non-offensive. Stick to a universally funny subject — you. Most of the best humor is self-deprecating. That is, you have to learn to laugh at yourself. On your road to success, there will be many stumbles and fumbles, providing many opportunities for you to turn the unexpected into stress-reducing laughter. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Laugh about it. Be affable. Humor will add to your attractiveness.
Appreciate Your Appeal
Following the Action Principles makes you an appealing, charismatic person. Students will want to learn from you, bosses to promote you, banks to lend you money and customers to buy your products or services.
Your allure will be your genuine selflessness in wanting to help them to achieve their objective, whether it is to become a black belt or buy a car. By not trying to be a salesperson, but a true customer service person, you will make more sales. Charisma isn’t painted on the outside. It comes from the inside. Be honest. Be yourself. Adopt this attitude and you will be liked by many — immediately.
Your allure will be your genuine selflessness in wanting to help them to achieve their objective, whether it is to become a black belt or buy a car. By not trying to be a salesperson, but a true customer service person, you will make more sales. Charisma isn’t painted on the outside. It comes from the inside. Be honest. Be yourself. Adopt this attitude and you will be liked by many — immediately.
Act As You Feel
When you feel in the mood to do something, this is the best time to do it.
If you feel happy, smile.
If you feel daring, act.
If you receive good service, compliment.
If you feel energetic, do something positive.
If you know a good joke, tell it.
If you feel generous, give.
If you are interested in becoming wealthy, save and invest.
If someone needs help, lend them your strong hands or soft voice.
If you give your word, keep it.
If you want to make things better, vote.
If you feel happy, smile.
If you feel daring, act.
If you receive good service, compliment.
If you feel energetic, do something positive.
If you know a good joke, tell it.
If you feel generous, give.
If you are interested in becoming wealthy, save and invest.
If someone needs help, lend them your strong hands or soft voice.
If you give your word, keep it.
If you want to make things better, vote.
Maintain Your Presence
Your contented presence shows an air of simple elegance and refinement in attitude and form. You appear physically, emotionally and spiritually strong, yet you seem to have even greater strength in reserve. You are poised, coordinated and balanced. You command with effortless, assured confidence. Be calm. Be deliberate. Feel assured and alert. Look good. Feel good. Keep your head up and your shoulders back. Keep your eyes forward. Breathe deeply. Speak with a soft voice in a thoughtful manner. Rarely interrupt. Be brief. Walk with a purpose. Don’t rush. Have a firm handshake. Your eyes are friendly. Your demeanor is respectful. Let your smile begin in your mind. You exhibit both style and class. First impressions are lasting.
The things you want drawn to you will come as a result of your good nature and determined persistence. Pause and savor the moment. Begin your work.
The things you want drawn to you will come as a result of your good nature and determined persistence. Pause and savor the moment. Begin your work.
Forget Everybody
Not everybody wants to do business with you. Not everybody wants to be your friend. Not everybody wants world peace. Not everybody wants to work hard. Not everybody wants to be president.
Not everybody is smart enough to be a rocket scientist. Not everybody is fast enough to run in the Olympics. Who is helped by pretending otherwise?
Trying to accommodate everybody is a trap. It can’t be done. Be yourself. People know their own problems better than you do. Not everybody will listen to reason or even act in his or her own best interest. You can.
Not everybody is smart enough to be a rocket scientist. Not everybody is fast enough to run in the Olympics. Who is helped by pretending otherwise?
Trying to accommodate everybody is a trap. It can’t be done. Be yourself. People know their own problems better than you do. Not everybody will listen to reason or even act in his or her own best interest. You can.
Forget Everybody
Not everybody wants to do business with you. Not everybody wants to be your friend. Not everybody wants world peace. Not everybody wants to work hard. Not everybody wants to be president.
Not everybody is smart enough to be a rocket scientist. Not everybody is fast enough to run in the Olympics. Who is helped by pretending otherwise?
Trying to accommodate everybody is a trap. It can’t be done. Be yourself. People know their own problems better than you do. Not everybody will listen to reason or even act in his or her own best interest. You can.
Not everybody is smart enough to be a rocket scientist. Not everybody is fast enough to run in the Olympics. Who is helped by pretending otherwise?
Trying to accommodate everybody is a trap. It can’t be done. Be yourself. People know their own problems better than you do. Not everybody will listen to reason or even act in his or her own best interest. You can.
Love Many Things
You proportionally increase your chances for happiness by increasing the number of things that you love doing. Love many things and your happiness will escalate into an enthusiasm for life, which will have a positive effect on you and those around you. Seek and enjoy those things that give your life value and purpose.
To love many things, you must be adventurous. A boring life is your own fault. Try new things. Be excited and passionate about life. Feel good. You must be able to see beauty in the grand scheme of things as well as in details.
Discover: music, art, books, food, T’ai Chi, karate, theater, travel, movies, sunsets, exercise, friends, gardens and the Internet. Open your mind. Find your preferences. Make your home, office and dojo beautiful places to love. Keep going …
Remember how lucky you are to have so many interests. Happiness may not be a result of financial success. Happiness is a result of loving many things and appreciating what you already have.
To love many things, you must be adventurous. A boring life is your own fault. Try new things. Be excited and passionate about life. Feel good. You must be able to see beauty in the grand scheme of things as well as in details.
Discover: music, art, books, food, T’ai Chi, karate, theater, travel, movies, sunsets, exercise, friends, gardens and the Internet. Open your mind. Find your preferences. Make your home, office and dojo beautiful places to love. Keep going …
Remember how lucky you are to have so many interests. Happiness may not be a result of financial success. Happiness is a result of loving many things and appreciating what you already have.
Stay Centered
In the battles of life, you will take punches. Some may hurt. This too will pass. You are the center of your universe. Take care of your own needs first. Then go to your family, then to friends, neighbors and employees. Move on to the larger communities. Don’t use saving the world as an excuse to forget your family. Don’t allow others to rush or pressure you to act before you can decide what is right. The most important thing that a father can do for his children is to love their mother.
Stand with your knees slightly bent. Head up. Breathe deeply from your belly. You are a very small part of the grand scheme of things. You are one with the universe. You are everything and nothing. Remain calm, balanced and aware.
Stand with your knees slightly bent. Head up. Breathe deeply from your belly. You are a very small part of the grand scheme of things. You are one with the universe. You are everything and nothing. Remain calm, balanced and aware.
Embody Integrity
As a follower of the Action Principles, you are proud, strong, friendly, generous and successful. Many will seek your counsel. People will depend on you. Have faith and a belief in your cause. Know what you will fight for and what you won’t. Do not compromise what is right. Stick to your convictions and principles as you allow your ethical values to direct your decision-making. Integrity goes beyond self-interest to moral courage. Lying only leads to more lying.
Keep your promises. Fulfill your commitments. People want to know where you stand and for what you stand. People respect honesty and sincerity, but hate hypocrisy. Be consistent. Speak in clear precise facts. Be sure your words match your deeds. Do what you say and your credibility builds. You cannot speak stronger words than, "I give you my word."
Keep your promises. Fulfill your commitments. People want to know where you stand and for what you stand. People respect honesty and sincerity, but hate hypocrisy. Be consistent. Speak in clear precise facts. Be sure your words match your deeds. Do what you say and your credibility builds. You cannot speak stronger words than, "I give you my word."
Be The Warrior
The warrior is tough in loyalty, intensity, determination, bearing, initiative, endurance, courage and strength of will. The warrior is soft in calmness, self-confidence and compassion. The warrior is frequently called upon to step forward when most gladly step back. Warriors exist on the battlefield and in daily life.
People may react to you rudely, selfishly and with malice. Be courteous anyway.
Those you help may whine and offer no thanks. Help them anyway.
Your honest words may be challenged and ridiculed. Speak anyway.
Success may involve many mistakes and disappointments. Succeed anyway.
Your donations may seem too small to matter. Give anyway.
A warrior is a master, ever prepared to improve and to be of service to others.
People may react to you rudely, selfishly and with malice. Be courteous anyway.
Those you help may whine and offer no thanks. Help them anyway.
Your honest words may be challenged and ridiculed. Speak anyway.
Success may involve many mistakes and disappointments. Succeed anyway.
Your donations may seem too small to matter. Give anyway.
A warrior is a master, ever prepared to improve and to be of service to others.
Be Decisive
You don’t have to wait for permission to do the right thing. Be decisive. Take the initiative. Get the facts. Do it now. If you don’t have time to send a letter to a sick friend, send a card, a fax or an e-mail. If you can’t visit your mother, call her. If you see a gift that a friend would love, buy it for him or her. If you can’t go to the gym or dojo for ninety minutes, go for forty minutes.
Avoid not doing things because you can’t get them done exactly as you’d originally planned. Be bold and get in the habit of doing something. Walk down one block. Pay three bills. Spend fifteen minutes with your children’s homework. Give five dollars to charity. Small efforts done continually can yield significant, positive results. Do it now while it’s on your mind. You don’t have to be perfect to live the Action Principles. Just be a person of action. You must have more than good intentions to succeed. You must act. Get it done. Start it now.
Avoid not doing things because you can’t get them done exactly as you’d originally planned. Be bold and get in the habit of doing something. Walk down one block. Pay three bills. Spend fifteen minutes with your children’s homework. Give five dollars to charity. Small efforts done continually can yield significant, positive results. Do it now while it’s on your mind. You don’t have to be perfect to live the Action Principles. Just be a person of action. You must have more than good intentions to succeed. You must act. Get it done. Start it now.
Be Proud
Take pride in who you are and in those values and beliefs for which you stand. Be proud of your education, work and personal accomplishments. Be proud of your spouse, children and extended family. Be proud of your home and neighborhood. Be proud of your country. Be proud of your body, personal grooming and your manners. Be proud of the sports teams and cultural organizations that you support. Be proud of your government officials when they stand selflessly for the public good.
Don’t be afraid of who you are, since you act with courage and compassion. Tell others, and bask in the feeling of being your best. Teach others, so they, too, may be proud.
Don’t be afraid of who you are, since you act with courage and compassion. Tell others, and bask in the feeling of being your best. Teach others, so they, too, may be proud.
Think Win - Win
Thinking win-win is a frame of mind that seeks mutual benefit and is based on mutual respect. It is about bargaining fairly, and being open-minded and reasonable to all parties. It is about compromise and a sincere desire to find agreements that occupy the middle ground. Win-win is not taking advantage when it is understood that you are being trusted to act with honor.
It’s about thinking in terms of abundance. There is an ever-expanding ‘pie,’ a cornucopia of opportunity, wealth, and resources, not scarcity and adversarial competition.
It’s about thinking in terms of abundance. There is an ever-expanding ‘pie,’ a cornucopia of opportunity, wealth, and resources, not scarcity and adversarial competition.
Remain Adaptable
In daily life, through a love of many things, it is possible to remain adaptable. If it starts raining on the way to the beach, you’ll enjoy going to the movies. If you are kept waiting for an appointment, don’t get angry. Make a few calls or work on your schedule. If you get stuck in traffic, enjoy your favorite motivational audiotape, radio station or CD. Always have a book with you and you will never be alone. The small stuff can’t get you down if you are ready to substitute one good thing for another.
Dont Be A Perfectionist
Trying to be perfect takes too much time and effort. It creates too much stress and is impossible anyway. Instead, strive to relax at the 90% level. This is the personal mastery level. Following the Action Principles, reaching the 90% level in most of your financial and social endeavors will be something that you don’t even have to think about. It will happen through your persistence, determination, hard work and nice personality.
Right now, learn about the income and the lifestyle level of those in the top 10% of your profession. If you aren’t content earning more than 90% of your co-workers, choose another profession.
It is possible to try too hard in business, exercise and relationships. Overwork can produce stress and anxiety, which is the opposite of the inner peace you seek. Your best is good enough. Live to a high standard, not to an impossible obsession.
Right now, learn about the income and the lifestyle level of those in the top 10% of your profession. If you aren’t content earning more than 90% of your co-workers, choose another profession.
It is possible to try too hard in business, exercise and relationships. Overwork can produce stress and anxiety, which is the opposite of the inner peace you seek. Your best is good enough. Live to a high standard, not to an impossible obsession.
Face Fear
Knowledge, practice and courage are your weapons against fear.
One person can step out of an airplane door at 2,000 feet without hesitation. Another can stand before an audience of 2,000 and give a speech without breaking into a sweat. Fears can be rational or irrational, but they are always personal and real. Everyone fears something.
To diminish a fear, you must first face it. The one hundredth skydive or speech won’t be as traumatic as the first. The best way to deal with first fears is through a combination of logic and bravery. Logically, most people who jump from planes or give speeches don’t die. They succeed through preparation. If your equipment is right and your training is complete, you are ready to jump. If your speech is carefully crafted and practiced, you are ready to speak.
Associate with confident people. You have seen many who have already done what you fear doing. Now, do what they have done. Courage grows with action. Fear is learned and must be unlearned. After facing that fear, you will feel exhilarated. Without fear, there can be no courage. Fear provides the opportunity to be brave.
One person can step out of an airplane door at 2,000 feet without hesitation. Another can stand before an audience of 2,000 and give a speech without breaking into a sweat. Fears can be rational or irrational, but they are always personal and real. Everyone fears something.
To diminish a fear, you must first face it. The one hundredth skydive or speech won’t be as traumatic as the first. The best way to deal with first fears is through a combination of logic and bravery. Logically, most people who jump from planes or give speeches don’t die. They succeed through preparation. If your equipment is right and your training is complete, you are ready to jump. If your speech is carefully crafted and practiced, you are ready to speak.
Associate with confident people. You have seen many who have already done what you fear doing. Now, do what they have done. Courage grows with action. Fear is learned and must be unlearned. After facing that fear, you will feel exhilarated. Without fear, there can be no courage. Fear provides the opportunity to be brave.
Listen To Your Instincts
"I don’t feel comfortable here. I don’t like the sound of this. This doesn’t look right to me."
With regard to your body or surroundings, your instincts are your best early warning system. Listen to the inner voice. Listen to that gut feeling. Go to the doctor. Leave the party. Get away from these people. Quit this job. Don’t open that door. Duck into that store. The world is an imperfect place. There are dangerous places and people.
Every once in a while, your instincts may be off and you may feel foolish. Err on the side of safety and your instincts may save you from danger. Give yourself time or space to consider your options. It is foolhardy to do otherwise.
With regard to your body or surroundings, your instincts are your best early warning system. Listen to the inner voice. Listen to that gut feeling. Go to the doctor. Leave the party. Get away from these people. Quit this job. Don’t open that door. Duck into that store. The world is an imperfect place. There are dangerous places and people.
Every once in a while, your instincts may be off and you may feel foolish. Err on the side of safety and your instincts may save you from danger. Give yourself time or space to consider your options. It is foolhardy to do otherwise.
Control Conflict
Remain calm and detached. Allow others to rage while you consider the appropriate response. Should you reason, agree, apologize, fight or leave? Which is to your benefit and to the benefit of those you must protect? Arguing often makes the other party become more defensive and determined to prevail. Let go of your anger. It only clouds the issue and draws you into a quick response. Whenever possible use kindness as your weapon against evil. Neutralize shouting with soft words. Answer threats with serene confidence. Speak plainly. Don’t use foul language or sarcasm. Breathe deeply with long exhalations. Let the anger wash over you. Maintain your presence. Don’t exaggerate. Don’t lie. Attack the argument and not the person.
Long term relationships are almost always more important than short-term problems. Be an active peacemaker, building bridges of understanding.
Lead By Example
Start acting immediately as the person you will be, a person of character with a sound reputation. Your words, your manner, your attitude, your dress, your posture and your actions are all reflections. In modern society, people are constantly bombarded with visual and auditory messages. People need cues to sort good from bad and to find order so that they can make decisions. In many different aspects of your daily life, you are giving off cues that can be positive or negative. If you speak well, dress appropriately, smile, are courteous, work hard, volunteer and don’t complain, you give people short cuts to view you in your best light.
You must never expect others to do what you would not do. You must be fair, firm, friendly and dependable. If you have to correct someone, do it in private. You have succeeded as a leader when your team works just as well in your absence. Be constantly on the lookout for heroes in your own life to admire and emulate. Adopt their styles. Then, lead by example.
You must never expect others to do what you would not do. You must be fair, firm, friendly and dependable. If you have to correct someone, do it in private. You have succeeded as a leader when your team works just as well in your absence. Be constantly on the lookout for heroes in your own life to admire and emulate. Adopt their styles. Then, lead by example.
Give Yourself The Gift Of Self Reliance
If there is one gift that you can give yourself that will enhance the overall quality of your life, it is self-reliance. You already possess everything you will need to succeed. You can work on your own schedule toward your own goals without feeling pressured by the demands of others.
When you are self-reliant, if you lose your job, you’ll get another. If you lose that job, you’ll start your own business. You can make more money as a self-employed handyman applying the Action Principles to your work than a lazy lawyer will ever earn. You need the will, the self-confidence and a realistic plan. As a follower of the Action Principles, you will have them. Life just can’t get you down because you are in control of yourself.
When you are self-reliant, if you lose your job, you’ll get another. If you lose that job, you’ll start your own business. You can make more money as a self-employed handyman applying the Action Principles to your work than a lazy lawyer will ever earn. You need the will, the self-confidence and a realistic plan. As a follower of the Action Principles, you will have them. Life just can’t get you down because you are in control of yourself.
Applaud The Beginner
You walk into a karate school for a first visit and see kicking, punching, blocking, chopping and flipping. It can be intimidating if you’ve never done these things. Or, you may look and feel awkward learning to snow ski or rollerblade or taking a foreign language. But persist; this is your first day and there will never be another first day.
Any new endeavor may be tough in the beginning. Accept this. You must believe in yourself. Initially, critics may feel free to ridicule your ideas and goals as foolish and unrealistic. When you ultimately succeed, everyone will claim to have been on your team from the beginning. Take action and persist. Applaud those who try, because the first step is often the toughest. Welcome the newcomer.
Any new endeavor may be tough in the beginning. Accept this. You must believe in yourself. Initially, critics may feel free to ridicule your ideas and goals as foolish and unrealistic. When you ultimately succeed, everyone will claim to have been on your team from the beginning. Take action and persist. Applaud those who try, because the first step is often the toughest. Welcome the newcomer.
Spread Your Enthusiasm
Putting the Action Principles to work in your life will elevate your soul and lift your spirit. You will feel a zest for life. You will live full, enriched days. This will happen because you will have taken the quiet time to think, organize and prioritize your days. You will love many things and these things will become part of your day. You will be in control. Every day you will do good things for yourself and others. Words like boring, bland and uneventful will rarely describe your work or your relationships.
Listen to your favorite CD. Call a friend. Read a good book. Smile. Hear. See. Feel. Smell. Take a walk and look at all the wonders of your world. Let everyone in your life know that life is worth living.
Be known as a motivator. Ask others about their goals and how you can help them. Make people feel part of a successful team. Solicit their input. Keep everyone informed and involved. Establish performance incentives. Look for opportunities to praise and reward. Enthusiasm is contagious.
Listen to your favorite CD. Call a friend. Read a good book. Smile. Hear. See. Feel. Smell. Take a walk and look at all the wonders of your world. Let everyone in your life know that life is worth living.
Be known as a motivator. Ask others about their goals and how you can help them. Make people feel part of a successful team. Solicit their input. Keep everyone informed and involved. Establish performance incentives. Look for opportunities to praise and reward. Enthusiasm is contagious.
Master Success
There is a master inside you. It is an ideal. It is you at your best. Keep working.
You are calm, thoughtful, patient and confident.
You are honest, trustworthy, responsible and reliable.
You are loyal and proud.
You are humble and reverent.
You are tough, self-reliant, persistent and hard working.
You are organized, neat and poised.
You are inquisitive and teachable.
You are healthy, vibrant and enthusiastic.
You are kind, friendly, helpful and generous.
You are brave and daring.
You are moral and ethical.
You are calm, thoughtful, patient and confident.
You are honest, trustworthy, responsible and reliable.
You are loyal and proud.
You are humble and reverent.
You are tough, self-reliant, persistent and hard working.
You are organized, neat and poised.
You are inquisitive and teachable.
You are healthy, vibrant and enthusiastic.
You are kind, friendly, helpful and generous.
You are brave and daring.
You are moral and ethical.
Accept Differences
See each person as an individual and not as part of a group. All humans from all countries and cultures are equal without regard to race, color, creed or gender. Believe with confidence and trust that the vast majority of people whom you meet, befriend or do business with are more similar than different from you.
People are inherently good. Most people act in good faith. They mean you no harm and would assist you in time of need. Don’t waste your time thinking otherwise. Do not become a party to rumor or gossip.
Reject stereotypes and the divisive and demeaning policies that group people into categories. Be the first to build bridges of tolerance and understanding.
Pass The Test
Life is a test and the points on that test are earned by how much attention you give to improving yourself and helping others. When your test is graded, to what will you attribute your success: study, hard work, personality, talent, skill, opportunity, connections, patronage or luck? No amount of material success earned and kept will be awarded credit. The greater your blessings, the greater your obligation to share your good fortune.
Use your special talents to serve the common good. Let your actions be motivated by a commitment to charity and justice. Be compassionate, kind and considerate. Free yourself from your attachment to things. The Action Principles are your ideals. Right now is the time to consider your blessings. Start scoring points.
Use your special talents to serve the common good. Let your actions be motivated by a commitment to charity and justice. Be compassionate, kind and considerate. Free yourself from your attachment to things. The Action Principles are your ideals. Right now is the time to consider your blessings. Start scoring points.
Cause Change
The status quo may be comforting, but for there to be growth, there must be change. Since you seek growth, you must seek change. You must see yourself and your environment not only as it is, but also as it could and should be. You seek the changes necessary to reach the better you so that you can play your part in making a better world.
First, you change yourself. Can you change your day and spend more time with your family? Can you change your standard lunch routine and take a walk? Can you change your drive home and stop at a nursing home for twenty minutes and see someone who may have few visitors? Can you change your office habits and find the time to make five more phone calls? What are the possible consequences of not changing? Realize that many people don’t make plans because they don’t want to risk any change. Doing little with your life is much easier and safer than taking risks, but then you will be a small person. Instead, seek the changes which will allow you to be all that you can be.
First, you change yourself. Can you change your day and spend more time with your family? Can you change your standard lunch routine and take a walk? Can you change your drive home and stop at a nursing home for twenty minutes and see someone who may have few visitors? Can you change your office habits and find the time to make five more phone calls? What are the possible consequences of not changing? Realize that many people don’t make plans because they don’t want to risk any change. Doing little with your life is much easier and safer than taking risks, but then you will be a small person. Instead, seek the changes which will allow you to be all that you can be.
Get Tough
Tough means that you are willing to stand tall and persevere. Even when your mind and body signal perfectly good reasons for giving up, you go on. This tough is obvious. But tough can be seen every day if we choose to look. Tough may be a patient undergoing cancer treatments or a single mother struggling to raise children. Tough can be an alcoholic ready to face rehab or an athlete living in a wheelchair. Tough can be rejecting false praise and honestly accepting you and your children for who and what you are. Tough is an ability to make the best from what you are given. Tough is making the decision to replace self-pity, complaints and dependence with self-reliance, independence and action.
You’ve got to be tough to do the big things in life like taking risks, admitting mistakes, and changing bad habits. You’ve got to be tough to do the little things like biting your tongue, waiting your turn and putting up with fools. Self-reliance and self-confidence will demand your toughness. Then, you must temper toughness with kindness, realizing that many times it will be tough to be kind. Be kind anyway.
You’ve got to be tough to do the big things in life like taking risks, admitting mistakes, and changing bad habits. You’ve got to be tough to do the little things like biting your tongue, waiting your turn and putting up with fools. Self-reliance and self-confidence will demand your toughness. Then, you must temper toughness with kindness, realizing that many times it will be tough to be kind. Be kind anyway.
Risk Failure
Be ready. There is no better time to start taking positive action than right now. You research and you have confidence in your preparations. You don’t allow yourself to become paralyzed by indecision. You realize that a time comes when you must act. If you hesitate too long, doubts will linger and turn into fears. Yes, you may stumble. Yes, you may be rejected. Yes, you may fail. This is life. Life’s winners accept that in trying they may have to adjust and even start again and again. The difference between successful people and others is not whether you make mistakes or even temporarily fail, but how you respond.
Many people look for guarantees before taking independent action. Yet, in seeking assurances, they frequently receive cautions, which can easily be used as excuses for inaction. Be aware that those who love you the most may be the loudest in warning you not to risk.
Many people look for guarantees before taking independent action. Yet, in seeking assurances, they frequently receive cautions, which can easily be used as excuses for inaction. Be aware that those who love you the most may be the loudest in warning you not to risk.
Maintain A Possitive Mental Attitude
A positive mental attitude results from a life dedicated to self-improvement and service. With a personal commitment to doing your best today, you don’t have to be overly concerned about tomorrow. You can be confident that good things will happen and be equally confident that if trouble comes you will have the strength and skills to cope, take control and then conquer. You are tough. You stay at it. You don’t allow your doubts to destroy your dreams. Hope does spring eternal.
You are thankful to have the curiosity to keep learning. You are grateful to see opportunity knock so often. You are thankful to have the personality to keep making new friends. Your mind can only hold one thought at a time so make that one thought positive. Count your blessings. The way is clear. The world is a better place because you are in it.
You are thankful to have the curiosity to keep learning. You are grateful to see opportunity knock so often. You are thankful to have the personality to keep making new friends. Your mind can only hold one thought at a time so make that one thought positive. Count your blessings. The way is clear. The world is a better place because you are in it.
Use The Power Of Patience
You can handle most problems because you know that only a little time stands between you and your goal. It may take twenty calls to make a sale. Be patient. It might take you five attempts to quit smoking or lose weight. It might take ten applications to get the job you really want. The point is that you try and keep trying until you succeed. Most people quit too soon. Be persistent. Be patient. Concentrate on your major goal until you have achieved it. It is not what you did yesterday. It is not what you may be doing today. It is what you are prepared to do every day. That one cold morning when you want to roll over but instead get up and go to the gym, is a defining moment.
Remember that all wealth, all businesses, all real estate and all treasures eventually pass from old hands to young. Be prepared. Your time is coming
Remember that all wealth, all businesses, all real estate and all treasures eventually pass from old hands to young. Be prepared. Your time is coming
Record Your Thoughts
Carry index cards, a hand-held computer or a small notebook. Borrow napkins to write on. As you become an action-oriented person, positive thoughts will occur with increasing regularity. Write down your ideas. You will have good ideas because you will have many ideas. Review your notes before your quiet time or before bed. You will become your own best therapist. You will see the ways to solving your own problems, finding your own route to happiness and realizing your own dreams. Spend most of your time thinking about solutions and not problems. Get back to recording your thoughts.
Make Today Special
Many people enjoy using the first few minutes of the day for their reflective time. How did yesterday go? What do you want to accomplish today? What will be most important? This, of course, becomes your prioritized to-do list. How will today vary from your usual routine? Can you think of any small things that you can do? Perhaps there is something that you’ve been avoiding, that, if you do it, would make you feel especially proud of yourself.
Give each day a specific purpose. For unsuccessful, unhappy people, there is often a sameness to their days. Is it Monday or Thursday? Is it March or November? Is it 3 o'clock in the afternoon or 10 o'clock in the morning? They’re in a rut and it doesn't matter.
Everybody has the same amount of time each day. How are you going to spend your 24 hours? Plan in advance. Make lists. Lists are your road map to personal accomplishment and balanced living. Always carry paper and pen. What are
you doing today to ensure a better tomorrow for yourself and your family?
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Be Frugal
Separate your wants from your needs. You want to work for all you need, not necessarily for all you want. You do not have to sentence yourself to a lifetime of hard labor for the false trappings of status. Living on less can eventually yield much more. The simpler you make your life, the easier it will be to maintain. Think in terms of moderation. It is easier to buy things than to sell them. You can make a comfortable life for yourself by finding contentment in the things you already have and holding reasonable expectations.
Be pragmatic. To build an investment bankroll, you can work more or you can spend less. Many people who write and stick to a household budget find that the simple act of thinking and organizing before spending can yield savings of between 10% - 15% of their earnings without seriously compromising their lifestyles. Give yourself a raise by being frugal.
Be pragmatic. To build an investment bankroll, you can work more or you can spend less. Many people who write and stick to a household budget find that the simple act of thinking and organizing before spending can yield savings of between 10% - 15% of their earnings without seriously compromising their lifestyles. Give yourself a raise by being frugal.
Commit To A Never Ending Improvement
Constantly seek ways to do things better in all areas of your life. The Japanese have a word for the concept of never ending improvement, kaizen. Progress and ultimate success come to those who train and keep training. If you choose to stop and become aware, you can become a better spouse, son, daughter, friend, employer, employee, athlete and citizen.
Commitment comes from the inside out and is tested often. Measure yourself against the best. Most others will choose to be average. This is what average means. You won’t know your limits if you don’t keep trying. Reject the idea of good enough. Commit to excellence. Take each of your goals and think of how you can improve one percent each month. Success is a journey. It is not a quick fix. The joy is in the doing. Think of success not as a peak to be climbed but a high plateau to be walked.
Always encourage children or employees to do their best and to keep going. Set the bar high for yourself and them. You will all be the better for it.
Commitment comes from the inside out and is tested often. Measure yourself against the best. Most others will choose to be average. This is what average means. You won’t know your limits if you don’t keep trying. Reject the idea of good enough. Commit to excellence. Take each of your goals and think of how you can improve one percent each month. Success is a journey. It is not a quick fix. The joy is in the doing. Think of success not as a peak to be climbed but a high plateau to be walked.
Always encourage children or employees to do their best and to keep going. Set the bar high for yourself and them. You will all be the better for it.
Dont Complicate Matters
Don’t complicate your life. Think before you act. Look for the simple ways or answers first where less can go wrong. Work from your basics. Make sure that you understand the assignment or the problem before you begin. What are the time and performance expectations that will indicate satisfactory completion? Reexamine how you are doing things. Is a task consuming all of your time? Is it worth the time you are investing? Do you have the necessary resources? Can it be delegated? If so, is the right person assigned to complete the job? Your research, your quiet time, your commitment to teamwork and your prioritized to-do list should all help. Pare away the unnecessary. Even the philosophy underlying these Action Principles can be stated very simply. Improve yourself and help others.
Submit To A Higher Power
Look at the big picture. You build your life upon your faith. You cherish your faith. You aren’t afraid to tell others of your beliefs. You stand for positive values. You are ethical in your dealings. You pray and meditate to have the courage to face your fears. You pray and meditate to have the strength to accept, endure and triumph over the hardships and small daily annoyances that the path to success will present. You celebrate the good that you find in the world.
With humility, submit. You are but one fragile, fallible human. Every religion has prayers. A prayer is your conversation with God. Your success and happiness is God’s answer. Your selfless good works in helping others are your prayers put into action.
With humility, submit. You are but one fragile, fallible human. Every religion has prayers. A prayer is your conversation with God. Your success and happiness is God’s answer. Your selfless good works in helping others are your prayers put into action.
Follow Through
Follow through to make sure that you’ve done the job right. Follow through to say thank you and offer new ideas. Follow through to ask for more business. You earn respect by saying what you’re prepared to do and then doing exactly that. Follow through shows that you are a person of your word and someone who cares. It shows that you are accessible and that you want to keep the lines of communication open. You may make mistakes and follow through gives you the opportunity to correct and to learn from those mistakes. Personalize your follow-up with handwritten notes and phone calls. Small gifts, tickets and lunches may also be appropriate follow-up incentives. Check up on yourself and reap the rewards. Follow through amplifies your effectiveness.
Write A Personal Mission Statement
Create for yourself an evolving document that outlines your purpose in life. Who are you? What are your values? What do you intend to do with your time to make your one life meaningful? Excepting acts of God, it is you who determines your future. You don’t have to listen to those who say you are too old, too young, too poor, too unattractive, too uneducated or the wrong color, gender or nationality. They are not speaking of someone following the Action Principles.
When you read inspirational passages in other books, magazines or newspapers, write them down or clip them out. Put everything together in a folder or box. This will serve as your motivational reserve and will help you create a personal mission statement.
Your mission statement only has to be a few sentences or paragraphs. Refer to your mission statement periodically and don’t be afraid to change it as you grow. A mission statement will help you to establish a foundation upon which you can build your dreams and goals and from which will flow your objectives and daily to-do list.
When you read inspirational passages in other books, magazines or newspapers, write them down or clip them out. Put everything together in a folder or box. This will serve as your motivational reserve and will help you create a personal mission statement.
Your mission statement only has to be a few sentences or paragraphs. Refer to your mission statement periodically and don’t be afraid to change it as you grow. A mission statement will help you to establish a foundation upon which you can build your dreams and goals and from which will flow your objectives and daily to-do list.
Divide And Conquer
A common denominator among the successful is that they are focused on the immediate accomplishment of specific objectives. Separate the important from the urgent and allow time for both. Break down any large task into a series of small tasks and start taking action. In the beginning, don’t be too concerned with how you will achieve your goals. With commitment, research and patience, the means will come. Answers materialize when the facts have been collected. Your goals will evolve into a set of action-oriented objectives, which will become a series of to-dos.
Now prioritize. If you don’t prioritize your day’s activities, everything is of equal importance. Whether one thing gets done or not doesn’t matter. You want your activities to be important, to have had a clearly defined purpose. Write your to-do list every day. Prioritize it. Make at least one of your daily objectives a challenge. At the end of each day, you’ll be able to relax and bask in that wonderful feeling of accomplishment.
Now prioritize. If you don’t prioritize your day’s activities, everything is of equal importance. Whether one thing gets done or not doesn’t matter. You want your activities to be important, to have had a clearly defined purpose. Write your to-do list every day. Prioritize it. Make at least one of your daily objectives a challenge. At the end of each day, you’ll be able to relax and bask in that wonderful feeling of accomplishment.
Set Goals
Unless you shape your life, circumstances will shape it for you. You have to work, sacrifice, invest, and persist to get the results you want. Choose them well. You can’t start your planning until you know where you want to go.
You are the sculptor of your own image. Have others already done what you want to do? Study them and do what they did. Start anywhere, at anytime, and persist. Stop worrying what others think about what you can or can’t do. Believe in yourself and your abilities. Have the self-confidence to challenge your current situation. This is your life to live; it’s day by day and step by step.
Write down your goals. Only three percent of people have written goals and only one percent review those written goals daily. Be in that elite one percent. Visualize the attainment of your goals often. Goals are dreams with dates attached. You will only become as great and as happy as the goals you choose.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
5 WAYS TO FIGHT PESSIMISM
Some people are naturally pessimistic and are happy being so. They view themselves as pragmatic and as having a better sense of reality. Then there are those of us who feel weighed down by negativity and wish that we could be more optimistic. This is completely possible. It all lies in the way we perceive things...
1. Stress management
When we conceal our anxieties, they only build. Each concern can snowball into a feeling of being overwhelmed. Each person has their own way of letting off steam. This varies from exercise, to listening to music, to reading a good book. More of us are beginning to realize how important proper stress management is to both our physical and mental health.
2. Constant reality checks
It is sometimes necessary to debate the validity of your concerns to determine whether they are rational or not. This is called self-rationalization and one of the most recognized methods is the worst case scenario. This is when you consider the worst possible situation, then go on to consider whether it is likely to happen. For example, a loved one said they would call once they arrived by subway to a certain destination. They should have reached that destination 15 minutes ago. You may dream up scenarios of there being a train accident or some other frightful incident took place. But after a little thought, you find that it's more probable that they either have yet to reach their stop or they will simply call you when it is convenient for them. You never want to leap to conclusions and cause yourself unnecessary stress.
3. Support of friends and family
Friends and family are usually more than willing to provide you with a much needed reality check. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have close friends and family members to confide in though. It is detrimental to find some type of support when you are feeling extremely confused or overwhelmed. This support may have to come from a trusted co-worker or a member of a support group. Sometimes all it takes is another person's point of view to put things into perspective.
4. Own your feelings
Accept that you have complete control over your perceptions and internal responses. You may not have control over what happened on your commute to work that upset you. But you are able to decide whether you become relieved when the day is finally over, or frustrated, claiming you are always being dealt a bad hand.
1. Stress management
When we conceal our anxieties, they only build. Each concern can snowball into a feeling of being overwhelmed. Each person has their own way of letting off steam. This varies from exercise, to listening to music, to reading a good book. More of us are beginning to realize how important proper stress management is to both our physical and mental health.
2. Constant reality checks
It is sometimes necessary to debate the validity of your concerns to determine whether they are rational or not. This is called self-rationalization and one of the most recognized methods is the worst case scenario. This is when you consider the worst possible situation, then go on to consider whether it is likely to happen. For example, a loved one said they would call once they arrived by subway to a certain destination. They should have reached that destination 15 minutes ago. You may dream up scenarios of there being a train accident or some other frightful incident took place. But after a little thought, you find that it's more probable that they either have yet to reach their stop or they will simply call you when it is convenient for them. You never want to leap to conclusions and cause yourself unnecessary stress.
3. Support of friends and family
Friends and family are usually more than willing to provide you with a much needed reality check. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have close friends and family members to confide in though. It is detrimental to find some type of support when you are feeling extremely confused or overwhelmed. This support may have to come from a trusted co-worker or a member of a support group. Sometimes all it takes is another person's point of view to put things into perspective.
4. Own your feelings
Accept that you have complete control over your perceptions and internal responses. You may not have control over what happened on your commute to work that upset you. But you are able to decide whether you become relieved when the day is finally over, or frustrated, claiming you are always being dealt a bad hand.
4 POWERFUL STEPS TO FIRE UP UR MOTIVATION!!!!!
It's so difficult to go on when everything seems to fail, isn't it? Are there times in your life when you really want to callit "quits" because you just can't see any good results from allthe hard work you've done?
Hold your horses!
Never ever think of giving up. Winners never quit and quittersnever win. Take all negative words out of your mental dictionaryand focus on the solutions with utmost conviction and patience.The battle is never lost until you've abandon your vision.
But what if you're really exhausted physically, mentally, andmost of all emotionally? Here are some sources of motivationto prompt you in reaching the peak of accomplishment.
1) The Overwhelming Feeling of Attaining your Desired End
How would you feel after accomplishing your mission? Of courseyou will feel ecstatic. You might be shedding tears of joy. Letthis tremendous feeling sink in and encourage you to persist despite all odds.
When I was studying for the Board Exams, I used this technique to motivate me. I would envision the sweetness of folks callingme a CPA. It would command respect. People will look up tome as a higher level of authority. And I would have betterchances of finding a good job. I absorbed all these greatperceptions into my inner being in order to achieve my ultimategoal.
2) The Reward System
How would you feel if you've entered a contest, but there are no prizes for the winners? It's not very encouraging, isn't it?
The same principles apply to your vision. Reward yourself afteraccomplishing a goal. Set a particular incentive for every objective.
Let's say if you've achieved a particular task, you'll treat yourself to your favorite restaurant. When you've finisheda bigger task, you'll go on a vacation.
Got the idea?
Just set something gratifying to indulge in after completinga certain undertaking.
3) The Powerful Force of Humanity
If you want to succeed, surround yourself with the right kind of people who will support and encourage you all the way.
Be with people who have the same beliefs and aspirations asyours. Positive aura is generated by this fusion of collective energy from people of "like minds."
On the contrary, being with people who oppose your ways ofthinking may trigger a negative, yet very powerful, kind ofmotivation.
Has anyone ever said to you that "You'll never get anywhere"or "You're wasting your time with what you're doing?"
Didn't it made you furious and determined enough to prove tothem how wrong they were? This is what I'm talking about.
When aggravated, you will do anything to make those who areagainst you swallow their words. But of course, your mainfocus should be on the acccomplishment of your goal and notfor the purpose of revenge. Never let your emotions towardothers alter your main objective.
4) Take Care Of Your Health
Exercise regularly. Fill your brains with enough oxygen toallow you to do your daily tasks with more vigor and energy.
Take regular breaks if time allows. Having the will power to continue despite all hardships is extremely important, but you should still know your limits.
If you don't take enough rest, you will not be able to thinkclearly and you will not be able to do your tasks properly.In the process, you will just get more frustrated.
Take sufficient sleep and recharge yourself after a hard day'swork. Never, ever ignore your health. I've learned my lessonwhen I sacrificed my health for the sake of success. I've worked very long hours everyday and just got minimal sleep.As a result, I became ill.
It's not worth it. Success won't matter if you don't havegood health to enjoy it.
Fire up your motivation and live life to the fullest!
Hold your horses!
Never ever think of giving up. Winners never quit and quittersnever win. Take all negative words out of your mental dictionaryand focus on the solutions with utmost conviction and patience.The battle is never lost until you've abandon your vision.
But what if you're really exhausted physically, mentally, andmost of all emotionally? Here are some sources of motivationto prompt you in reaching the peak of accomplishment.
1) The Overwhelming Feeling of Attaining your Desired End
How would you feel after accomplishing your mission? Of courseyou will feel ecstatic. You might be shedding tears of joy. Letthis tremendous feeling sink in and encourage you to persist despite all odds.
When I was studying for the Board Exams, I used this technique to motivate me. I would envision the sweetness of folks callingme a CPA. It would command respect. People will look up tome as a higher level of authority. And I would have betterchances of finding a good job. I absorbed all these greatperceptions into my inner being in order to achieve my ultimategoal.
2) The Reward System
How would you feel if you've entered a contest, but there are no prizes for the winners? It's not very encouraging, isn't it?
The same principles apply to your vision. Reward yourself afteraccomplishing a goal. Set a particular incentive for every objective.
Let's say if you've achieved a particular task, you'll treat yourself to your favorite restaurant. When you've finisheda bigger task, you'll go on a vacation.
Got the idea?
Just set something gratifying to indulge in after completinga certain undertaking.
3) The Powerful Force of Humanity
If you want to succeed, surround yourself with the right kind of people who will support and encourage you all the way.
Be with people who have the same beliefs and aspirations asyours. Positive aura is generated by this fusion of collective energy from people of "like minds."
On the contrary, being with people who oppose your ways ofthinking may trigger a negative, yet very powerful, kind ofmotivation.
Has anyone ever said to you that "You'll never get anywhere"or "You're wasting your time with what you're doing?"
Didn't it made you furious and determined enough to prove tothem how wrong they were? This is what I'm talking about.
When aggravated, you will do anything to make those who areagainst you swallow their words. But of course, your mainfocus should be on the acccomplishment of your goal and notfor the purpose of revenge. Never let your emotions towardothers alter your main objective.
4) Take Care Of Your Health
Exercise regularly. Fill your brains with enough oxygen toallow you to do your daily tasks with more vigor and energy.
Take regular breaks if time allows. Having the will power to continue despite all hardships is extremely important, but you should still know your limits.
If you don't take enough rest, you will not be able to thinkclearly and you will not be able to do your tasks properly.In the process, you will just get more frustrated.
Take sufficient sleep and recharge yourself after a hard day'swork. Never, ever ignore your health. I've learned my lessonwhen I sacrificed my health for the sake of success. I've worked very long hours everyday and just got minimal sleep.As a result, I became ill.
It's not worth it. Success won't matter if you don't havegood health to enjoy it.
Fire up your motivation and live life to the fullest!
GETTING WHAT U REALLY WANT
Everyone wants something in life, love, money, success, recognition ... Yet too many people fail to realize their desires, and nearly all of them for the same reason. They seem to go whichever way the wheel turns, as if they have no control over their situation. If their vehicle takes them to places they never intended to be, or crashes into the brickwall of utter despair, that's just the cruelty of fate.
Don't get me wrong, I realize that truly horrible things do happen to folks, and through no fault of their own. Gigantic obstacles are placed in our way sometimes, that seem absolutely insurmountable. Generally speaking, however, getting what you really want out of life is a matter of three (possibly four) simple steps.
Firstly - and this may seem like a no-brainer - you have to decide what it is you want the most. Decide what to aim for, with some specificity. Don't make a laundry list of wishes, but focus on one thing at a time. If you're not sure about where you want to go, there's no point in getting into the vehicle in the first place.
Secondly, create an action plan. This will be your map for getting from point A, where you are now, to point B, where you want to go. You know what you want, what steps are you going to take to get it?
Some things are obvious. If you want a better job, start with skills assessment and maybe some additional training. Then you'll need to sell yourself and your skills either to your present employer for a promotion into the new position you want, or to a new employer.
Other goals will require a bit more thought. Some will really leave you stuck without a clue of how to get there. Not to worry, though, no matter where it is you want to go, someone, somewhere has probably already been there. So what did they do to get there, what road did they take? Books, biographies and such, can be a real help with this. So hit the library if you're in need of guidelines.
Get ideas, get advice, create a good map for yourself, and know where you're going. Write it down, and make sure you can read it every day.
The third and final step is execution. Do what you planned. Take the steps you outlined on your road map and be persistent. If you run into naysayers, simply ignore them. Everyone who ever did anything great always ran into naysayers.
Never take your eyes off the goal. Keep pushing. Whatever you do, do not give up until you have what you desire in your hands. Never, ever give into the notion that you 'can't get there from here.'
Decide - Plan - Execute. It is really that simple.
About that fourth step. Sometimes your action plans may not get you to where you want to be. Maybe something is missing, maybe some step is not quite right. If you find this is the case, after exercising your full patience and persistence, you simply must rework your plan.
Look at it, figure out what's missing, and get back at it. It's just like following a map through a place you've never been before. If you find taking a particular road takes you to the wrong town, rather than turning around and going home, giving up, you take a second look at your map, figure out where you made the wrong turn, and get back on the road.
Whatever you do -- Keep your hands on the wheel!
Don't get me wrong, I realize that truly horrible things do happen to folks, and through no fault of their own. Gigantic obstacles are placed in our way sometimes, that seem absolutely insurmountable. Generally speaking, however, getting what you really want out of life is a matter of three (possibly four) simple steps.
Firstly - and this may seem like a no-brainer - you have to decide what it is you want the most. Decide what to aim for, with some specificity. Don't make a laundry list of wishes, but focus on one thing at a time. If you're not sure about where you want to go, there's no point in getting into the vehicle in the first place.
Secondly, create an action plan. This will be your map for getting from point A, where you are now, to point B, where you want to go. You know what you want, what steps are you going to take to get it?
Some things are obvious. If you want a better job, start with skills assessment and maybe some additional training. Then you'll need to sell yourself and your skills either to your present employer for a promotion into the new position you want, or to a new employer.
Other goals will require a bit more thought. Some will really leave you stuck without a clue of how to get there. Not to worry, though, no matter where it is you want to go, someone, somewhere has probably already been there. So what did they do to get there, what road did they take? Books, biographies and such, can be a real help with this. So hit the library if you're in need of guidelines.
Get ideas, get advice, create a good map for yourself, and know where you're going. Write it down, and make sure you can read it every day.
The third and final step is execution. Do what you planned. Take the steps you outlined on your road map and be persistent. If you run into naysayers, simply ignore them. Everyone who ever did anything great always ran into naysayers.
Never take your eyes off the goal. Keep pushing. Whatever you do, do not give up until you have what you desire in your hands. Never, ever give into the notion that you 'can't get there from here.'
Decide - Plan - Execute. It is really that simple.
About that fourth step. Sometimes your action plans may not get you to where you want to be. Maybe something is missing, maybe some step is not quite right. If you find this is the case, after exercising your full patience and persistence, you simply must rework your plan.
Look at it, figure out what's missing, and get back at it. It's just like following a map through a place you've never been before. If you find taking a particular road takes you to the wrong town, rather than turning around and going home, giving up, you take a second look at your map, figure out where you made the wrong turn, and get back on the road.
Whatever you do -- Keep your hands on the wheel!
TEN STEPS TO CREATE MORE LIFE OF YOUR LIFE!!!
When people begin to investigate career change, often they don't want a new career at all. They love their career -- but they also want time for creating a life outside work. As a lifetime leisure-seeker, I've created ten tips to help you get started on the quest for "more time in your life -- and more fun."
1. Decide where leisure ranks on your list of values. Are you working to pay for something that you don't value very much?
2. Seize moments during the day, evening, lunchtime and weekend. Time management guru Alan Lakein calls this the "Swiss cheese method:" using the holes. Think "fun" in fifteen-minute segments.
3. Buy leisure time. Hiring a teenager to mow your lawn may give you an hour or more, depending on the size of your property. Get even more creative. For a price, your pet-sitter might be persuaded to take Fluffy to the vet and Fido to the groomer.
4. Stop doing things that nobody will miss.
I once worked with someone who stopped answering requests for reports from "senior management." When a vice president asked, "Where is your report?" he would prepare one on the spot. Most of the time, nobody noticed!
Same goes for housekeeping: do you need the "cleanest house in town" award?
5. Set limits and set them again. Saying "no" to invitations is a beginning. You can also define your scope: "I will be happy to help as long as I can do the work on Saturday."
I've role-played scenarios with clients who think the earth will cave in if they say "no." Often they're amazed to find nobody missed them.
6. Stop losing energy to procrastination or fear. If you dread making that call or put off changing that light bulb, do it now and enjoy leisure, guilt-free.
7. Ignore the pressure of, "Everybody else is participating." Chances are everybody else is miserable -- or isn't doing any more than you are.
Ten Tips to Create More Life for Your Life, Motivation, Motivation articles, Motivation information, about Motivation, what is Motivation, Motivation Information
Ten Tips to Create More Life for Your Life
When people begin to investigate career change, often they don't want a new career at all. They love their career -- but they also want time for creating a life outside work. As a lifetime leisure-seeker, I've created ten tips to help you get started on the quest for "more time in your life -- and more fun."
1. Decide where leisure ranks on your list of values. Are you working to pay for something that you don't value very much?
2. Seize moments during the day, evening, lunchtime and weekend. Time management guru Alan Lakein calls this the "Swiss cheese method:" using the holes. Think "fun" in fifteen-minute segments.
3. Buy leisure time. Hiring a teenager to mow your lawn may give you an hour or more, depending on the size of your property. Get even more creative. For a price, your pet-sitter might be persuaded to take Fluffy to the vet and Fido to the groomer.
4. Stop doing things that nobody will miss.
I once worked with someone who stopped answering requests for reports from "senior management." When a vice president asked, "Where is your report?" he would prepare one on the spot. Most of the time, nobody noticed!
Same goes for housekeeping: do you need the "cleanest house in town" award?
5. Set limits and set them again. Saying "no" to invitations is a beginning. You can also define your scope: "I will be happy to help as long as I can do the work on Saturday."
I've role-played scenarios with clients who think the earth will cave in if they say "no." Often they're amazed to find nobody missed them.
6. Stop losing energy to procrastination or fear. If you dread making that call or put off changing that light bulb, do it now and enjoy leisure, guilt-free.
7. Ignore the pressure of, "Everybody else is participating." Chances are everybody else is miserable -- or isn't doing any more than you are.
8. Prioritize your time for energy boosters and time expanders? Meditation, journal writing and exercise will increase your energy and miraculously add hours to your day.
9. Grab a large block of time each week to do exactly what you want. Two hours? A whole afternoon? An afternoon in an art museum (or an evening at a basketball game) will often unravel the knots that keep you working late.
10. Call for outside help if you're still trapped by the "should" monitor. Find a friend, counselor or coach -- someone who can offer you an objective insight and clarify priorities.
Bonus tip: Remind yourself every day: Very few people on their deathbed say, "I wish I'd spent more time at the office," or, "I should have done more dusting." Will you be one of the few?
1. Decide where leisure ranks on your list of values. Are you working to pay for something that you don't value very much?
2. Seize moments during the day, evening, lunchtime and weekend. Time management guru Alan Lakein calls this the "Swiss cheese method:" using the holes. Think "fun" in fifteen-minute segments.
3. Buy leisure time. Hiring a teenager to mow your lawn may give you an hour or more, depending on the size of your property. Get even more creative. For a price, your pet-sitter might be persuaded to take Fluffy to the vet and Fido to the groomer.
4. Stop doing things that nobody will miss.
I once worked with someone who stopped answering requests for reports from "senior management." When a vice president asked, "Where is your report?" he would prepare one on the spot. Most of the time, nobody noticed!
Same goes for housekeeping: do you need the "cleanest house in town" award?
5. Set limits and set them again. Saying "no" to invitations is a beginning. You can also define your scope: "I will be happy to help as long as I can do the work on Saturday."
I've role-played scenarios with clients who think the earth will cave in if they say "no." Often they're amazed to find nobody missed them.
6. Stop losing energy to procrastination or fear. If you dread making that call or put off changing that light bulb, do it now and enjoy leisure, guilt-free.
7. Ignore the pressure of, "Everybody else is participating." Chances are everybody else is miserable -- or isn't doing any more than you are.
Ten Tips to Create More Life for Your Life, Motivation, Motivation articles, Motivation information, about Motivation, what is Motivation, Motivation Information
Ten Tips to Create More Life for Your Life
When people begin to investigate career change, often they don't want a new career at all. They love their career -- but they also want time for creating a life outside work. As a lifetime leisure-seeker, I've created ten tips to help you get started on the quest for "more time in your life -- and more fun."
1. Decide where leisure ranks on your list of values. Are you working to pay for something that you don't value very much?
2. Seize moments during the day, evening, lunchtime and weekend. Time management guru Alan Lakein calls this the "Swiss cheese method:" using the holes. Think "fun" in fifteen-minute segments.
3. Buy leisure time. Hiring a teenager to mow your lawn may give you an hour or more, depending on the size of your property. Get even more creative. For a price, your pet-sitter might be persuaded to take Fluffy to the vet and Fido to the groomer.
4. Stop doing things that nobody will miss.
I once worked with someone who stopped answering requests for reports from "senior management." When a vice president asked, "Where is your report?" he would prepare one on the spot. Most of the time, nobody noticed!
Same goes for housekeeping: do you need the "cleanest house in town" award?
5. Set limits and set them again. Saying "no" to invitations is a beginning. You can also define your scope: "I will be happy to help as long as I can do the work on Saturday."
I've role-played scenarios with clients who think the earth will cave in if they say "no." Often they're amazed to find nobody missed them.
6. Stop losing energy to procrastination or fear. If you dread making that call or put off changing that light bulb, do it now and enjoy leisure, guilt-free.
7. Ignore the pressure of, "Everybody else is participating." Chances are everybody else is miserable -- or isn't doing any more than you are.
8. Prioritize your time for energy boosters and time expanders? Meditation, journal writing and exercise will increase your energy and miraculously add hours to your day.
9. Grab a large block of time each week to do exactly what you want. Two hours? A whole afternoon? An afternoon in an art museum (or an evening at a basketball game) will often unravel the knots that keep you working late.
10. Call for outside help if you're still trapped by the "should" monitor. Find a friend, counselor or coach -- someone who can offer you an objective insight and clarify priorities.
Bonus tip: Remind yourself every day: Very few people on their deathbed say, "I wish I'd spent more time at the office," or, "I should have done more dusting." Will you be one of the few?
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
ARE U A CREATIVE PERSON!!!
It may surprise you, but the answer is "NO"
Pretend for a moment that you live on an isolated island where there are no modern conveniences such as television, phones, faxes, computers, books, etc. However, you have an extremely fine set of art supplies (presumably left there in previous years by a passing trade ship.)
You've always liked to paint scenes from your island ... the birds, trees, people, clouds, etc. Finally, you decide you need a new challenge so you go into a deep meditation and you see a vision. Its beauty and power excite you and you work on your painting for days and weeks in a joyful frenzy.
Finally it's finished and you show it to your friends and family. They are stunned and call you a creative genius. The painting is hung in the most prominent place on the island and people start calling you to paint pictures for them. You become rich and famous ... at least on your island.
One day, a ship lands and some people come ashore and happen by where your painting hangs. You step closer, eagerly anticipating their acclaim, then you hear, "Hey, look! Someone has copied the Mona Lisa."
What happens to your status as a creative genius? (It probably plummeted with the islanders and never existed at all with the visitors.)
Did it have anything to do with you as a talented artist or original thinker? (No ... it only had to do with the viewers' perceptions of your work.)
So, when we say you're not a creative person, it's because no one can be a creative person, he or she can only be perceived as a creative person.
According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his new book Creativity, there are three requirements for creativity:
Field: A field of endeavor such as art, music, science, business, architecture, etc., which has a set of rules or norms.
Work: Something (book, painting, product, etc.) which goes beyond the rules or norms of the field.
Judges: A group of people who know the rules and norms of the field, see the work created, and judge it novel and worthy.
There are many ways to fail the creativity test that have little to do with you or your work:
1. If your field doesn't have accepted rules or norms or has rules and norms that are highly inflexible, it's hard to be deemed creative. Street sweepers, lettuce pickers, crossing guards, sales clerks, nurses, stock brokers, accountants, etc., have a very limited range in which to be creative in their fields. If they move outside that range, they're not perceived as creative, they're probably fired.
2. If your work is not seen by the judges. We honor Da Vinci's creativity because we can see his artwork and his drawings of helicopters and other futuristic devices. We do not recognize the creativity of the hermit in Iowa who fills volumes of notebooks with possibly brilliant but unread or unreadable scrawls.
3. If the judges do not consider your work novel and worthy. This is highly subjective and time-sensitive. The creative work of one generation may be considered quaint or passe by the next, only to be rediscovered and praised as creative by a future set of judges.
When people talk about someone as being "such a creative person," they are generally referring to that person's originality. The person is always doing something new or has a certain flare about them. Originality is an important part of creativity but it doesn't automatically make someone creative. Only the judges who perceive the work as novel and worthy can do that.
It may surprise you now, but the answer is "Yes!"
Look around you and identify the most joyful people you know ... the people who radiate life and goodwill. Chances are excellent that you'll find them expressing themselves in significant ways.
You'll find:
a teacher connecting with students in a powerful, transforming way
an entrepreneur working long hours building a business
a dancer learning a complicated routine
a rock climber inching up a challenging crevass
a parent planning a birthday party
a lawyer researching an obscure case
a jazz pianist composing
a cook experimenting with an unusual seasoning
a fisherman trying to outsmart a wily trout
a designer sketching a fashion layout
a minister writing a sermon
a poet capturing a metaphor
an engineer tinkering with a problematic device
a twelve-year-old kid "playing" endlessly with graphics software
What all these folks have in common is that they're learning, exploring, breaking through barriers, generating ideas, rejecting ideas, solving problems, identifying opportunities, making judgments, receiving input from others and their senses, experimenting, trying, failing, trying again. In other words, they're creating ... creating works of art, experiences, inventions, pictures, words, relationships, music, recipes, fun, and self-fulfillment.
Every one of them is exercising creativity, because that's what we do. It comes with the territory of being a human being. We create. We are creative beings. We create because it helps us survive and it feels good ... it brings us joy.
When we don't create, when we don't learn and grow, it brings us pain. It deadens us. When this innate urge to create is thwarted or stifled, we turn to unhealthy substitutes such as drugs, alcohol, crime, violence, etc. to lessen the pain.
So the answer to the question of "Are you creative?" is an overwhelming "yes!" All of us have the need to create and it has nothing to do with whether or not someone else labels us "creative." To eliminate part of the confusion about creativity, perhaps we should use "Creativity" (big-C) to mean the kind of creativity that is recognized by a group of judges and "creativity" (small-c) to mean the innate drive each of us have to express ourselves.
Our focus should be on small-c creativity because that's all we can control ... and that's where the fun is. As we learn more and more ways to generate ideas and express our unique combination of talents, skills and life experiences, we might earn a big-C Creativity label but that is a side-effect, a cherry on top of the life-sundae ... nice, but not the main event.
Pretend for a moment that you live on an isolated island where there are no modern conveniences such as television, phones, faxes, computers, books, etc. However, you have an extremely fine set of art supplies (presumably left there in previous years by a passing trade ship.)
You've always liked to paint scenes from your island ... the birds, trees, people, clouds, etc. Finally, you decide you need a new challenge so you go into a deep meditation and you see a vision. Its beauty and power excite you and you work on your painting for days and weeks in a joyful frenzy.
Finally it's finished and you show it to your friends and family. They are stunned and call you a creative genius. The painting is hung in the most prominent place on the island and people start calling you to paint pictures for them. You become rich and famous ... at least on your island.
One day, a ship lands and some people come ashore and happen by where your painting hangs. You step closer, eagerly anticipating their acclaim, then you hear, "Hey, look! Someone has copied the Mona Lisa."
What happens to your status as a creative genius? (It probably plummeted with the islanders and never existed at all with the visitors.)
Did it have anything to do with you as a talented artist or original thinker? (No ... it only had to do with the viewers' perceptions of your work.)
So, when we say you're not a creative person, it's because no one can be a creative person, he or she can only be perceived as a creative person.
According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his new book Creativity, there are three requirements for creativity:
Field: A field of endeavor such as art, music, science, business, architecture, etc., which has a set of rules or norms.
Work: Something (book, painting, product, etc.) which goes beyond the rules or norms of the field.
Judges: A group of people who know the rules and norms of the field, see the work created, and judge it novel and worthy.
There are many ways to fail the creativity test that have little to do with you or your work:
1. If your field doesn't have accepted rules or norms or has rules and norms that are highly inflexible, it's hard to be deemed creative. Street sweepers, lettuce pickers, crossing guards, sales clerks, nurses, stock brokers, accountants, etc., have a very limited range in which to be creative in their fields. If they move outside that range, they're not perceived as creative, they're probably fired.
2. If your work is not seen by the judges. We honor Da Vinci's creativity because we can see his artwork and his drawings of helicopters and other futuristic devices. We do not recognize the creativity of the hermit in Iowa who fills volumes of notebooks with possibly brilliant but unread or unreadable scrawls.
3. If the judges do not consider your work novel and worthy. This is highly subjective and time-sensitive. The creative work of one generation may be considered quaint or passe by the next, only to be rediscovered and praised as creative by a future set of judges.
When people talk about someone as being "such a creative person," they are generally referring to that person's originality. The person is always doing something new or has a certain flare about them. Originality is an important part of creativity but it doesn't automatically make someone creative. Only the judges who perceive the work as novel and worthy can do that.
It may surprise you now, but the answer is "Yes!"
Look around you and identify the most joyful people you know ... the people who radiate life and goodwill. Chances are excellent that you'll find them expressing themselves in significant ways.
You'll find:
a teacher connecting with students in a powerful, transforming way
an entrepreneur working long hours building a business
a dancer learning a complicated routine
a rock climber inching up a challenging crevass
a parent planning a birthday party
a lawyer researching an obscure case
a jazz pianist composing
a cook experimenting with an unusual seasoning
a fisherman trying to outsmart a wily trout
a designer sketching a fashion layout
a minister writing a sermon
a poet capturing a metaphor
an engineer tinkering with a problematic device
a twelve-year-old kid "playing" endlessly with graphics software
What all these folks have in common is that they're learning, exploring, breaking through barriers, generating ideas, rejecting ideas, solving problems, identifying opportunities, making judgments, receiving input from others and their senses, experimenting, trying, failing, trying again. In other words, they're creating ... creating works of art, experiences, inventions, pictures, words, relationships, music, recipes, fun, and self-fulfillment.
Every one of them is exercising creativity, because that's what we do. It comes with the territory of being a human being. We create. We are creative beings. We create because it helps us survive and it feels good ... it brings us joy.
When we don't create, when we don't learn and grow, it brings us pain. It deadens us. When this innate urge to create is thwarted or stifled, we turn to unhealthy substitutes such as drugs, alcohol, crime, violence, etc. to lessen the pain.
So the answer to the question of "Are you creative?" is an overwhelming "yes!" All of us have the need to create and it has nothing to do with whether or not someone else labels us "creative." To eliminate part of the confusion about creativity, perhaps we should use "Creativity" (big-C) to mean the kind of creativity that is recognized by a group of judges and "creativity" (small-c) to mean the innate drive each of us have to express ourselves.
Our focus should be on small-c creativity because that's all we can control ... and that's where the fun is. As we learn more and more ways to generate ideas and express our unique combination of talents, skills and life experiences, we might earn a big-C Creativity label but that is a side-effect, a cherry on top of the life-sundae ... nice, but not the main event.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
FIVE WAYS TO USE MONEY
If you think about it, there are really only five things you can do with money:
earn it
spend it
save it
invest it
give it
That may sound simple. But when it comes to actually doing it, all sorts of questions arise, such as:
“How much money do I need to earn?”
“How much should I save?”
“How much should I spend?”
“Where should I invest it?”
“How much should I give?”
The following Scriptures and advice will help you to begin thinking through these issues:
Earning
Most people have to earn an income some way or another. Some people do this by working at a job, others own their own business, and still others earn their living through more unconventional means, such as investing in real estate or the stock market. Whichever way you earn your money, a key decision in this area is determining how much money you actually need to survive.
Many people fall into the trap of working more than they need to, simply because they can’t say no to the extra money. They put in overtime at work, thus depriving themselves, their family, their friends, their church, and their community of time they could spend investing in other types of capital, such as social and spiritual capital. Other people don’t work enough, thus depriving their family of the things they need and enjoy and causing others to have to pick up the slack. The key is to find the balance so you are able to earn a comfortable living without falling prey to the pitfalls of either extreme. Ask God to guide you in this area.
Spending
The first rule of spending is to always spend less than you earn. The minute you start spending more than you’re taking in, you incur what is called negative margin or deficit. Deficit is different from a loan in that deficit adds continually to your debt and are unable to pay it back. As you keep overspending each month, your debt just keeps growing and growing. Before long, you and your entire family will become a slave to it.
The way to avoid debt and live within your means is to create a monthly budget with different categories for things like shelter, food, clothing, transportation, and so on. A financial planner can help you develop a budget that’s right for you. But simply creating a budget won’t solve your financial problems. You have to stick to it. Be disciplined. When the money is gone from a certain category, that’s it until next month. Don’t borrow against your future, because the future is always uncertain.
If you’re already in debt, you’ll have to take this into consideration when you create your budget. There are plenty of actions you can take to reduce your debt, such as using some of your margin to pay it off, paying off your high interest loans first, consolidating all of your loans into a single, low interest, monthly payment, cutting back to a single credit card and paying off the balance at the end of each month, and simply learning how to delay gratification so you don’t get into this mess again. Once again, a financial planner can help you work through these options.
It seems like incurring some debt is inevitable today, especially when it comes to purchasing costly items such as vehicles or a home. But it’s not always necessary, particularly for expendables, such as furniture, appliances, or electronic equipment. However, before you incur any debt of any size, spend time in prayer and evaluate the spiritual, economic, psychological and personal ramifications of that decision. If you stick to doing things on a cash-only basis, you may have to wait a little longer to purchase what you want, but it will definitely be worth it in the long run.
A final area of spending we should mention is taxes (cf. Luke 20:25; Romans 13:7). In this case, you need to strike a balance between your civic duty and paying more than you need to. Cheating on your tax return seems like a victimless crime, and it’s easy to let your ethics slide in this area. But honesty is crucial to everything you do—particularly in the little things. So be honest on your tax return, but don’t pay more than you have to. A good steward endeavours to reduce taxes as much as is legally possible. Studies have shown that a dollar in hand of an individual consumer is much more effective than it is in hands of government. So by reducing your taxes, you’re actually helping out the economy! Plus, you can use the money you receive from your tax return for other things, such as reducing your debt or adding to your giving or savings budgets.
Saving
The extra money you have left over (or should have left over) at the end of each month after paying your living expenses, taxes, debts, and meeting your giving budget is called savings or margin. Your savings should always be planned and regular. Determine what percentage of your income you can save each month, and then divide that amount into short-term and long-term savings. Use the short-term savings for things like family vacations and acquiring smaller items, such as a stereo or new appliances. Long-term savings should be set aside for a new vehicle or other expendables that require a significant amount of funds. You should also set aside a contingency fund, usually 3-6 months of income, in the event that you temporarily lose your ability to earn income.
While saving money is prudent and wise, there is a fine line between saving and hoarding. A good way to tell the difference is to ask yourself whether you’re putting your trust in your savings or in God. As your savings account grows, make sure your faith in God’s provision grows along with it!
InvestingInvesting your money wisely is crucial to getting the most return on your time and effort. After all, you’ve worked hard for your money. Isn’t it time it did some work for you?
Investing
It is just like any other financial decision. First, you should pray and ask God how much he wants you to invest and where he wants you to put it. Any financial planner will tell you that your portfolio should contain a mix of low, medium, and high-risk investments. How much is allocated to each area depends on your risk tolerance and your financial goals. Areas to invest include government bonds, GICs, real estate, mutual funds, and individual stocks. We strongly urge you to consult with a financial planner prior to making any major decisions in this area. The last thing you want to do after earning your money is to watch it all drain away through a poor investment strategy.
Giving
As with saving, your giving should always be planned and regular. Choose your charities wisely, and make sure they’re putting as much of your money as possible into their primary work rather than miring it all in overhead. It’s also okay to keep some money aside in a contingency fund for those “spur of the moment” donations. However, regular giving allows you to budget from month to month. It also enables you to take full advantage of the tax credits available, thus increasing your margin. You can use this extra money for additional giving, to defray living expenses or to reduce your debt.
Although tithing or giving one-tenth of your income is a good place to start, it is by no means mandatory - and you definitely don’t have to limit yourself to this amount! Ask God where he would like you to direct your giving, and revisit the amount you give each year. Remember: All money is God’s money; you are the stewards so don’t hold on to it too tightly when he is trying to teach you to live generously. As the Bible says, those who sow generously will also reap generously.
earn it
spend it
save it
invest it
give it
That may sound simple. But when it comes to actually doing it, all sorts of questions arise, such as:
“How much money do I need to earn?”
“How much should I save?”
“How much should I spend?”
“Where should I invest it?”
“How much should I give?”
The following Scriptures and advice will help you to begin thinking through these issues:
Earning
Most people have to earn an income some way or another. Some people do this by working at a job, others own their own business, and still others earn their living through more unconventional means, such as investing in real estate or the stock market. Whichever way you earn your money, a key decision in this area is determining how much money you actually need to survive.
Many people fall into the trap of working more than they need to, simply because they can’t say no to the extra money. They put in overtime at work, thus depriving themselves, their family, their friends, their church, and their community of time they could spend investing in other types of capital, such as social and spiritual capital. Other people don’t work enough, thus depriving their family of the things they need and enjoy and causing others to have to pick up the slack. The key is to find the balance so you are able to earn a comfortable living without falling prey to the pitfalls of either extreme. Ask God to guide you in this area.
Spending
The first rule of spending is to always spend less than you earn. The minute you start spending more than you’re taking in, you incur what is called negative margin or deficit. Deficit is different from a loan in that deficit adds continually to your debt and are unable to pay it back. As you keep overspending each month, your debt just keeps growing and growing. Before long, you and your entire family will become a slave to it.
The way to avoid debt and live within your means is to create a monthly budget with different categories for things like shelter, food, clothing, transportation, and so on. A financial planner can help you develop a budget that’s right for you. But simply creating a budget won’t solve your financial problems. You have to stick to it. Be disciplined. When the money is gone from a certain category, that’s it until next month. Don’t borrow against your future, because the future is always uncertain.
If you’re already in debt, you’ll have to take this into consideration when you create your budget. There are plenty of actions you can take to reduce your debt, such as using some of your margin to pay it off, paying off your high interest loans first, consolidating all of your loans into a single, low interest, monthly payment, cutting back to a single credit card and paying off the balance at the end of each month, and simply learning how to delay gratification so you don’t get into this mess again. Once again, a financial planner can help you work through these options.
It seems like incurring some debt is inevitable today, especially when it comes to purchasing costly items such as vehicles or a home. But it’s not always necessary, particularly for expendables, such as furniture, appliances, or electronic equipment. However, before you incur any debt of any size, spend time in prayer and evaluate the spiritual, economic, psychological and personal ramifications of that decision. If you stick to doing things on a cash-only basis, you may have to wait a little longer to purchase what you want, but it will definitely be worth it in the long run.
A final area of spending we should mention is taxes (cf. Luke 20:25; Romans 13:7). In this case, you need to strike a balance between your civic duty and paying more than you need to. Cheating on your tax return seems like a victimless crime, and it’s easy to let your ethics slide in this area. But honesty is crucial to everything you do—particularly in the little things. So be honest on your tax return, but don’t pay more than you have to. A good steward endeavours to reduce taxes as much as is legally possible. Studies have shown that a dollar in hand of an individual consumer is much more effective than it is in hands of government. So by reducing your taxes, you’re actually helping out the economy! Plus, you can use the money you receive from your tax return for other things, such as reducing your debt or adding to your giving or savings budgets.
Saving
The extra money you have left over (or should have left over) at the end of each month after paying your living expenses, taxes, debts, and meeting your giving budget is called savings or margin. Your savings should always be planned and regular. Determine what percentage of your income you can save each month, and then divide that amount into short-term and long-term savings. Use the short-term savings for things like family vacations and acquiring smaller items, such as a stereo or new appliances. Long-term savings should be set aside for a new vehicle or other expendables that require a significant amount of funds. You should also set aside a contingency fund, usually 3-6 months of income, in the event that you temporarily lose your ability to earn income.
While saving money is prudent and wise, there is a fine line between saving and hoarding. A good way to tell the difference is to ask yourself whether you’re putting your trust in your savings or in God. As your savings account grows, make sure your faith in God’s provision grows along with it!
InvestingInvesting your money wisely is crucial to getting the most return on your time and effort. After all, you’ve worked hard for your money. Isn’t it time it did some work for you?
Investing
It is just like any other financial decision. First, you should pray and ask God how much he wants you to invest and where he wants you to put it. Any financial planner will tell you that your portfolio should contain a mix of low, medium, and high-risk investments. How much is allocated to each area depends on your risk tolerance and your financial goals. Areas to invest include government bonds, GICs, real estate, mutual funds, and individual stocks. We strongly urge you to consult with a financial planner prior to making any major decisions in this area. The last thing you want to do after earning your money is to watch it all drain away through a poor investment strategy.
Giving
As with saving, your giving should always be planned and regular. Choose your charities wisely, and make sure they’re putting as much of your money as possible into their primary work rather than miring it all in overhead. It’s also okay to keep some money aside in a contingency fund for those “spur of the moment” donations. However, regular giving allows you to budget from month to month. It also enables you to take full advantage of the tax credits available, thus increasing your margin. You can use this extra money for additional giving, to defray living expenses or to reduce your debt.
Although tithing or giving one-tenth of your income is a good place to start, it is by no means mandatory - and you definitely don’t have to limit yourself to this amount! Ask God where he would like you to direct your giving, and revisit the amount you give each year. Remember: All money is God’s money; you are the stewards so don’t hold on to it too tightly when he is trying to teach you to live generously. As the Bible says, those who sow generously will also reap generously.
ELEVATE UR HAPPINESS WITH THESE 10 KEYS!!
Use these Ten Keys for Finding Happiness in Your Life
1. Live on purpose. Joyful aliveness connects you with your purpose. Learn the skills you need to create happiness. Discover the activities and pursuits that make your heart sing! These engaging activities provide clues to your purpose and will assist you in finding happiness.If you want to maintain desperation and unhappiness, then believe that life has no purpose.
2. Find Happiness right now. No other time exists for experiencing happiness. Only the present moment contains the spark of life!You may also create misery by constantly wanting to speed ahead to some other time. Most people live their lives wanting to exist elsewhere and elsewhen.
3. Accept total responsibility for your life! You create your reality and your emotions. Your power and focus exceed your wildest dreams. See this short video about finding happiness through creating reality.You can choose to blame and whine, pretending that your life situation came from without, rather than from within. As within, so without. Accept total responsibility for all.
4. Act in boldness. Take on challenges and pursue lofty goals. Overcoming difficulties and obstacles provide some of the most exquisite joys in life.To create misery, play it totally safe. Never do anything scary or risky. Follow your fears and let them guide your actions. For happiness and joy - feel the fear, and do it anyway!
5. Expect happiness. Hope consists of a perfect expectation of desirable things to come. Picture desirable things to come. You choose what to think about, and what to visualize in your mind's eye! Imagine yourself finding happiness.Despair consists of a perfect expectation of undesirable things to come. To increase despair, simply imagine in detail terrible things that may happen to you. The better your imagination, the deeper the despair. You get what you truly expect, so expect happiness.
6. Increase your awareness. Feel your emotions consciously. Identify your core beliefs. Constantly learn and grow from the inside. Your unhealthy attitudes, habits, and behaviors will start to drop away like fall leaves. Watch this quick video on identifying emotions.To maintain apathy and misery, just remain unaware. Allow clarity to flee from you like a deer from a hunter. Remain in unconsciousness and cloudiness - afraid to explore your beliefs.
7. Build your connections. Our relationships give life meaning and happiness. All of us truly connect to one another in the inner world. Building connections in the physical world builds on this inner reality and helps us in finding happiness.To create misery, simply separate yourself from others. Think that you exist as an independent entity, and other people merely drag you down. Insist on separateness and division. Deny the truth of connectedness and pursue unreality.
8. Learn and read daily. We grow in large measure due to the people we meet and the books we read. Did you read 52 books last year? Did you foster more friendships? We create happiness when we grow and increase our wisdom.To prevent happiness, try not to meet any new people this year, and don't read any new books either. Simply stay just the same person with the exact same ideas. For optimal joy, go for optimal growth and learning!
9. Serve other people. Truly recognize other people as real people, with needs and wants just like your own. Think how you can bring a smile to someone, and then do it! Give increased life in every encounter. Service is a huge key for finding happiness in your life.To create misery, ignore other people and totally concern yourself with your own needs. Don't think of other people as real.
10. Prioritize your actions. Know your goals and purposes, and put power and faith into every action. Do each action with focus and purpose, and know why you choose the activities you expend your energy on.If you want to decrease joy, simply do as many things as you can each day. Never think of which tasks connect with your goals, simply busy yourself with work.
Enjoy the Ten Keys to Finding Happiness!
1. Live on purpose. Joyful aliveness connects you with your purpose. Learn the skills you need to create happiness. Discover the activities and pursuits that make your heart sing! These engaging activities provide clues to your purpose and will assist you in finding happiness.If you want to maintain desperation and unhappiness, then believe that life has no purpose.
2. Find Happiness right now. No other time exists for experiencing happiness. Only the present moment contains the spark of life!You may also create misery by constantly wanting to speed ahead to some other time. Most people live their lives wanting to exist elsewhere and elsewhen.
3. Accept total responsibility for your life! You create your reality and your emotions. Your power and focus exceed your wildest dreams. See this short video about finding happiness through creating reality.You can choose to blame and whine, pretending that your life situation came from without, rather than from within. As within, so without. Accept total responsibility for all.
4. Act in boldness. Take on challenges and pursue lofty goals. Overcoming difficulties and obstacles provide some of the most exquisite joys in life.To create misery, play it totally safe. Never do anything scary or risky. Follow your fears and let them guide your actions. For happiness and joy - feel the fear, and do it anyway!
5. Expect happiness. Hope consists of a perfect expectation of desirable things to come. Picture desirable things to come. You choose what to think about, and what to visualize in your mind's eye! Imagine yourself finding happiness.Despair consists of a perfect expectation of undesirable things to come. To increase despair, simply imagine in detail terrible things that may happen to you. The better your imagination, the deeper the despair. You get what you truly expect, so expect happiness.
6. Increase your awareness. Feel your emotions consciously. Identify your core beliefs. Constantly learn and grow from the inside. Your unhealthy attitudes, habits, and behaviors will start to drop away like fall leaves. Watch this quick video on identifying emotions.To maintain apathy and misery, just remain unaware. Allow clarity to flee from you like a deer from a hunter. Remain in unconsciousness and cloudiness - afraid to explore your beliefs.
7. Build your connections. Our relationships give life meaning and happiness. All of us truly connect to one another in the inner world. Building connections in the physical world builds on this inner reality and helps us in finding happiness.To create misery, simply separate yourself from others. Think that you exist as an independent entity, and other people merely drag you down. Insist on separateness and division. Deny the truth of connectedness and pursue unreality.
8. Learn and read daily. We grow in large measure due to the people we meet and the books we read. Did you read 52 books last year? Did you foster more friendships? We create happiness when we grow and increase our wisdom.To prevent happiness, try not to meet any new people this year, and don't read any new books either. Simply stay just the same person with the exact same ideas. For optimal joy, go for optimal growth and learning!
9. Serve other people. Truly recognize other people as real people, with needs and wants just like your own. Think how you can bring a smile to someone, and then do it! Give increased life in every encounter. Service is a huge key for finding happiness in your life.To create misery, ignore other people and totally concern yourself with your own needs. Don't think of other people as real.
10. Prioritize your actions. Know your goals and purposes, and put power and faith into every action. Do each action with focus and purpose, and know why you choose the activities you expend your energy on.If you want to decrease joy, simply do as many things as you can each day. Never think of which tasks connect with your goals, simply busy yourself with work.
Enjoy the Ten Keys to Finding Happiness!
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