TIPS TO MAKE YOU LOOK PROFESSIONAL AND WIN WITH YOUR AUDIENCE (NOT) by Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE

Recently I had a conversation with author, speaker and consultant Jeff Davidson. Here are a few tips and guidelines we offer to help your next speech be an even greater success.

Fripp's Top Tips to Win with an Audience Every Time!

Have a personal relationship with the company whenever possible. I have been introduced by my bank account number and insurance policy number, or started with a story about doing business with the company.

Spend as much time before and after the talk with the audience. There is more business to be had from the connection with the audience members and contacts from the client organization than the greatest speech.

Tell a story in your talk that was obviously created for this audience. This is easily done if you ask you contact for a person who well illustrates one of your major points. Many of the stories I created for specific groups have become some of my classic 'signature' stories.

Make mention of something you read in the client's annual report and press release.

Jeff's Top Ways to Turn Off Your Audience

1. Tap or blow into the mike to see if it's working.

2. Take a long time to get to the meat of your presentation.

3. Spend little or no time researching the audience so that you speak over their heads, or speak down to them.

4. Make repeated reference to sports, especially football, especially when the audience is primarily female.

5. Read from notes, or better yet, from a script.

6. Fiddle with AV equipment in the middle of your speech, because you didn't check it out to begin with.

7. Dissipate your nervous energy by pacing even though it adds nothing to your speech.

8. Give an extended commercial about some products or services you have to offer.

9. Don't time your speech, and then run way overboard, or...

10. Notice that you only have ten minutes left, but still haven't made half your points, and rush your way through so that the audience feels thoroughly cheated.

11. Take questions from the audience, but don't repeat the question for people in the back row or out of audible range.

12. Put down the questioner because you didn't like the question.

13. Close abruptly, and with something un-dramatic such as "thank you."

14. Don't be available after the speech, maintain the mystique of the hard to reach expert.

..and from Dan Maddux, Executive Director of the American Payroll Association

15. Have your luggage at the door and run out immediately.

---

Patricia Fripp CSP, CPAE is a San Francisco-based professional speaker on Change, Teamwork, Customer Service, Promoting Business, and Communication Skills. She is the author of Get What You Want! and Past-President of the National Speakers Association.

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED TO ME ON THE WAY TO CLOSING A SALE by Jeffery Gitomer

Someone sent me a list of "sales closes" the other day. It seems they all have names. "The trail close," "The order blank close," "The Ben Franklin close," "The sharp angle close," and so on into the night (close, or is that clothes). Anyway, it struck me that cute-name closes rarely work. In fact they usually have the reverse effect.

Salespeople still living in the 19th century think that high-pressure sales tactics will work. They don't. Sounding like a salesperson, puts the prospect on the defensive.

When all else fails in sales, I have created an entirely new set of outrageous cute-name closes. These will not work on the prospect, but they are guaranteed to make you laugh at the process:

• The "I'll buy you lunch" close...You say, "Hey, you buy my product, throw in an extra 20 bucks, and I'll buy you lunch."
• The "impatient" close...You say, "Hey, I haven't got all day, are you buying or not?" (this is a variation of the New York close..."Hey, I haven't got all day, are you buying or not, you idiot.")
• The "physical action" close...The prospect decides he doesn't want to buy, you beat him to a pulp until he says "uncle," which is actually a Latin derivative word meaning "OK, I'll order."
• The "how could you be so stupid not to buy from me" close...Since you're already thinking this while walking out the door of a lost sale, you may as well try it a few times in front of the prospect.
• The "fear of loss" close...You tell the prospect his hair will fall out if he doesn't buy. This is a very real close. Someone tried it on me once. I didn't buy, and, well, the rest is history (so is my hair).
• The "insurance" close...Buy from me and nobody gets hurt. This close has worked in gangster movies for decades. I'm surprised no right thinking Fortune 500 company has adapted it to their sales practices, since they're already using it in customer service.
• The "number on the bathroom wall" close...Start writing the prospect's phone number on the walls of prominent area bathrooms with the slogan "for an indecisive time -- call..."
• The "car salesman" close...You act like you know everything and the customer is dumb. Then you insult the customer by using high pressure tactics because you're afraid that if they "walk" without buying, then some other car salesman will pressure them higher than you. This is called Lose-Lose selling because both the sales techniques and the people who employ them are losers.
• The "filibuster" close...You talk nonstop for three days, until the guy gets so frustrated that he agrees to double his original order if you'll just shut up and leave. (This close works better in the south where they invented the filibuster. In the north you're likely to be beaten or shot after the first day.)
• The "begging" close...You get on your knees, begin crying about your bad luck, and how much you need the money because your rent is past due -- you know, the truth.
• The "camp out" close...You bring food and a sleeping bag to the prospect's office. This is very effective for follow-up, since you're already there. If the person is very indecisive, you might want to take some socks and underwear.
• The "Pleeeaase, I'll be your best friend" close...It worked in grade school.
• The "lying" close...You tell the customer anything you want. You tell him anything he wants to hear, so you can make your sale -- hey, wait a minute, you're already doing that.

and finally...The "just be honest" close...Nah, that would never work.

Closing is only frustrating if you haven't identified customer needs, shown the right attitude, made a memorable presentation, and were perceived as genuine help. These closes are far fetched, indeed. But not as far fetched as trying to use the time-worn closes of yester-year on today's prospect.

And of course, funny is not just limited to closing the sale. Here's one for building rapport -- "You know, Mr. Johnson, I know I hardly know you, and we should build some rapport before the sale begins, so can I come over for dinner tonight?"

Next time we'll get serious. Kind of.

[laugh] English

the objective of the county government (Cianjur, Indonesia) is to tell their people to stay away from drugs; but apparently they choose the wrong word.

anyway, it's a good advise.

Creation and Intuition Nourishes Intention by Ellie Drake

Are you allowing yourself to be creative and intuitive? Creation and Intuition nourishes Intention.

Self expression frees our life force to move and therefore this flow of energy allows us to tap into a warm peaceful state of being. This state might be similar or different for people according to the difference in our creativity. Learning to follow our intuition with creation involves taking chances. This is the only way to learn not only what works, but also how to learn to trust our instincts whether it is in performing a personal project or connecting with other people.

One of the bigger intuitive moves I have ever made was when I was 15 years old. I remember sitting in a large room at the American Embassy when we were hoping to receive a visa to come to America. I could hardly speak any English, although I had tried to study English on my own, and had even taken a few classes. But learning a few words is obviously not enough to make a conversation, especially a conversation that would perhaps determine the course of your life. When our number was called to go to the consulate and be interviewed, I had a sudden intuitive feeling. I remember my Mom was about to bring a translator into our interview area with us when I told her that I wanted to speak to the consulate myself. She looked at me like I had lost my mind. Intuitive feelings fuel our intention. So when she felt my intention, she agreed although I remember she shook her head all the way to the interview booth as if she had lost her mind to agree with my proposal. But in most cases, loosing our mind is the reason why we hear our intuition. My intuition inspired me to want to speak to the consulate myself. Had I known that the conversation would be a mostly one way conversation, I might have allowed fear stop me, by getting back in my mind. It turned out although my answers to the questions that the consulate was asking sounded very similar one after the other, but I guess he must have felt the intention. My part of conversation was mostly comprised of two words. "Repeat Please?" But as we have already heard, it's not only the words, it's also the music.

Creativity allows us to be more intuitive, and less analytical. Be light, be joyous, make a difference in how another feels by perhaps changing the way you feel. Creativity is a state of consciousness in which a person aligns their inner energy and vibration with the pure universal energy which is the source of all creativity. A creative person is not one who has had creativity as a personality trait, or a genetic factor. It also does not mean that a creative person is only an eccentric type of individual who is into arts and music. Although that certainly can be true, but creativity is a source of energy that all who would like to tap into it, have the ability to do so.

Creativity is accelerated when the person is following their passion. This is a more natural state for the person and therefore to tap into creativity in the areas that are more intrinsic, facilitates the connection to and therefore the flow of creative energy and ideas. For example, I can be creative in what I am passionate about, which is speaking, much more than I will ever be creative in what is not my passion and therefore not a part of my purpose -- like being a Chef! I know! It's a good excuse! In other words, I can sing my Song much more naturally than if I were to sing yours.

When creativity flows, we must simply acknowledge that we were open to the flow of it from the universe by expressing gratitude. Not being aware of this source, and crediting our creativity with our own intellectual capacity simply means that we have credited our ego not the universe! The ego can in turn block the flow of creativity. Therefore, if the universe is to be credited with our experience of creativity, doesn't that simply mean that creativity is abundantly available for all of us? Since it is not a personality trait or a genetic factor, doesn't that mean that we can connect to creativity? To access a state of being creative, is it a calculated science or a connective art? Is it essential to have external circumstances in order, or vital to have internal emotions in harmony?

Creative experiences occur through a shift in paradigm. A shift in paradigm takes place through the evolving of our consciousness. Creativity is a fruit of consciousness. The source of all consciousness is the universe. Therefore, creativity is an infinite form of energy available to all who will allow it by being in harmony with the universe. An attitude of gratitude will encourage the flow of creativity. It is neither the genes nor the IQ, it is merely the willingness of one to be open.

Are you open?

PLEASE DO THESE 3 THINGS by Ron White

PLEASE DO THESE 3 THINGS by Ron White

I am extremely leery of any quick fix solution or overnight formula for success. In my opinion, they don't exist. With that said, the following formula is one that I have recently shared with 2 members of my family to encourage them to break through the rut they are in and experience success. Therefore, if I would share it with my family, I must believe in the principles. I suggested that they begin to regularly do these three things:

1. Surround themselves with positive people who believe that this life is not all that there is. Personally, I find this at my local church. This email goes out to thousands of people all over the world. I know we don't share the same faith in all cases. This message is not about my faith. It is about you finding a group of people who regularly meet together and have a belief that there is more to life than what we see. This is the first step to a positive outlook on life.

2. You must exercise weekly in order to stimulate endorphins and maintain an energetic life. The exercise of walking to the kitchen or curling 12 ounces does not count as exercise. I run 1 mile twice a week and 2-3 days a week do strength training. This is nothing difficult but it makes a major difference on my attitude.

3. You MUST educate yourself through reading. The average CEO in America reads 4-5 books per month. The average America reads one book per year and 60% of us don't get past the first chapter! Make a promise to yourself to read at least one book per month. Read anything!

Regardless, of what you read....develop a passion for reading and learning and you will see your attitude and outlook on life begin to change. Any person who faithfully invested their time in these three areas may not break world records in levels of success. However, everything in me believes that they would see dramatic improvements. I believe in those three things so much, I encouraged my family to invest their time in these areas.

-- Ron White
Source: Believe.NET Thu 4/20/2006 11:34 PM

THE SEVEN C'S OF SUCCESS by Chris Widener

Get ready to sail the Seven C's - the Seven C's of Success that is. Learn to navigate your ship of destiny in these seven "C's" if you want to be a total success. Here they are, in alphabetical order:

1. Caring - I believe that to be a true success in this world we must have a bigger vision than simply accomplishing a goal for ourselves or simply lining our own pockets. I believe that successful people have a deep caring for others. Yes, they are aggressive, but they are not aggressive to the point that they run roughshod over others.

Question: What is your care factor? Have you placed people in their proper place, as people worthy of dignity, respect, and proper treatment? Or have you begun to treat others as a means to an end for yourself?

2. Character - Becoming a success is more than increasing the digits in your bank account. In fact, I believe ANYONE can increase his or her bank account with a simple plan. Financial development is the easy part. Character development is the hard part, letting each and every experience shape and mold us as we experience them, always moving toward our goal and never allowing negative circumstances to destroy us but make us better people. This is what true success is about!

Question: How is your character? Are you becoming a better person with each passing experience? Are you becoming a rock of wisdom and experience, deepening your foundation of character?

3. Choice - Eisenhower reminded us that our histories are written by choice, not by chance. Every movement you make toward your ultimate success and destiny will be because you choose to move toward it. The actions that you choose, each and every day will add up, over the long-term, to your final destination. The power we have as humans to choose is one of the greatest gifts known to mankind.

Question: Do you choose success with each and every choice you make? Each choice you make either moves you toward your goal or away from it. Which do you choose?

4. Concentration - Often those who fail do so because they lose their concentration. Something else comes along and becomes their newfound fancy. They move from whim to whim, tossed to and fro by the strong blowing winds. The successful person however, stands firm, with their eyes transfixed on the goal. One of my favorite posters as a boy was of George Brett of the Kansas City Royals Baseball Team. The picture was taken just as the bat was hitting the ball. Where were George's eyes? Straight down the barrel of the bat, looking at the point where the ball and bat came together. Now that is concentration!

Question: How is your concentration? Do you stick to your goal and focus firmly on it, or do you let your mind and heart wander from whim to whim?

5. Confidence - Success comes to those who have the confidence to try, and more than that, the confidence to win. Confidence is something that you can grow in your mind and heart. Each passing victory that you achieve builds more and more confidence in you to draw from the next time you go to fight another battle on your journey to success. Do what you can to build confidence inside of yourself so you will be able to dip deeply into that well when you need it!

Question: How is your confidence? Do you believe that you can achieve what you conceive? Are you winning victories that you can then draw on later?

6. Consistency - People who become a success realize that to a great degree, success is a formula. At the very least it is sticking to doing the right things for a long enough period of time for them to create their destiny. This is consistency. They consistently do the things that will bring them their success. Tiger Woods hits hundreds of practice balls each and every day. He doesn't do 100 one day, then two days off, then 500 balls, then a day off, then 300 balls, then three days off. No, he knows the power of consistency and has achieved a level of success that that consistency formulated for him.

Question: How is your consistency? Are you consistent? Are you doing the things you need to do each and every day that will bring your goal to you?

7. Courage - Successful people are brave people. They know that even success has its challenges, yet they face them head on and move forward anyway. No mountain is too high, nor river too wide, nor foe too large for the person who will choose to live out their dreams! They are courageous people who continue on even when others have quit. And for that they receive their reward!

Question: How about you? Are you courageous? Are you willing to face the obstacles and move forward in spite of the fear that may try to well up within you? Be courageous and you will succeed!

There they are, the Seven C's of Success. Set sail today!

Caring
Character
Choice
Concentration
Confidence
Consistency
Courage

FAILURE IS THE LINE OF LEAST PERSISTENCE by Dr Tony Alessandra

There likely will be setbacks and occasional self-doubts on the road to maximizing your charisma. You're going to need patience and persistence. But it's important to keep moving toward your goal.

I'm reminded of a friend who had a life-changing experience in a cross-country ski race in Minnesota. He had moved there not long before. In an enthusiastic, if not realistic, effort to adapt to the local culture, he bought some skis, practiced a bit, and entered an advanced competition. He took off like a flash at the sound of the starter's gun. But after the first quarter-mile in near-zero temperatures, he knew he was in over his head, hopelessly outclassed by other competitors swiftly gliding past him. He was soon alone in a frozen wilderness, and his thoughts turned gloomily to fatigue and defeat.

He had initially hoped to finish in a couple of hours. But as the cold seared his lungs and the exertion weakened his arms and legs, he all but gave up on his goal. If there had been a way to surrender, he would have. But being in deep snow in the middle of the woods, his only way out was to ski out. So he pushed aside the pain and pessimism, and kept skiing.

He imagined a lodge with a roaring fire that might be just around the bend-but wasn't. He imagined a rescue vehicle slicing through the drifts to pick him up-which didn't. He even imagined a helicopter dropping down to whisk him away-but, of course, that never materialized.

So on and on he skied until, at last, he came to a sign: FINISH LINE, 1/4 MILE. He couldn't believe it! Energized, he sprinted that last quarter mile and finished in a time not far from his original goal.

My friend often repeats that story, the winds more frigid and his muscles more aching with each retelling. It's become a part of his self-identity, and the memory of his endurance and ultimate triumph has gotten him through other of life's difficult scrapes and struggles. The moral, as he sees it, is that if you keep slogging ahead, refuse to give up, and stay as positive as you possibly can, you'll accomplish your goal, or something very close to it.

I could hardly argue with that. So even if you have trouble imagining success, keep moving along that snowy path in the woods. And before you know it, you'll have success beyond your imaginings.

TODAY IS YESTERDAY'S TOMORROW by Jim Rohn

(Excerpted from the book The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle)

The problem with waiting until tomorrow is that when it finally arrives, it is called today. Today is yesterday's tomorrow. The question is what did we do with its opportunity? All too often we will waste tomorrow as we wasted yesterday, and as we are wasting today. All that could have been accomplished can easily elude us, despite our intentions, until we inevitably discover that the things that might have been have slipped from our embrace a single, unused day at a time.

Each of us must pause frequently to remind ourselves that the clock is ticking. The same clock that began to tick from the moment we drew our first breath will also someday cease.

Time is the great equalizer of all mankind. It has taken away the best and the worst of us without regard for either. Time offers opportunity but demands a sense of urgency.

When the game of life I finally over, there is no second chance to correct our errors. The clock that is ticking away the moments of our lives does not care about winners and losers. It does not care about who succeeds or who fails. It does not care about excuses, fairness or equality. The only essential issue is how we played the game.

Regardless of a person's current age, there is a sense of urgency that should drive them into action now - this very moment. We should be constantly aware of the value of each and every moment of our lives - moments that seem so insignificant that their loss often goes unnoticed.

We still have all the time we need. We still have lots of chances - lots of opportunities - lots of years to show what we can do. For most of us, there will be a tomorrow, a next week, a next month, and a next year. But unless we develop a sense of urgency, those brief windows of time will be sadly wasted, as were the weeks and months and years before them. There isn't an endless supply!

So as you think of your dreams and goals of your future tomorrow, begin today to take those very important first steps to making them all come to life.

THE FINANCIAL EQUATION THAT WILL SET YOU FREE! by Chris Widener

I have a good friend who works in an area of the US that has more than its share of poverty. He called me the other day with a very broken heart. He was feeling badly for the people around him who simply do not allow themselves to get set free financially. I could feel the pain he was feeling because I too, very often wonder why it is that some people experience financial independence and others do not. It really is a mystery.

But how to get financial independence is not a mystery!

Rather, financial independence is a very simple thing. Truly! It is hard work and takes time, but the process is very simple! In fact, financial independence can come from following a very simple plan. All of the books on financial independence can ultimately be boiled down to this basic equation. It is an equation that is as simple as it gets. In fact, it isn't even a multiplication problem, it is an addition equation! And we all learned addition in the first grade! Just as 1 + 1 = 2, so does this POWERFUL yet SIMPLE equation add up to your financial independence!

What is this equation? Get ready, your life is about to change forever if you will allow yourself to understand and live by the simplicity of this equation. Here it is:

Smart Decisions + Good Math = Financial Independence

Let's break it down and take a closer look. First the Smart Decisions, then the Good Math.

Smart Decisions:

Go to college. Get educated. I know that somebody will say, "Yeah but most of the people on the Forbes 400 never went past high school." Well so did most of the people on the welfare line! Most people aren't Bill Gates or Sam Walton. Most people who earn between $100,000-$150,000 a year are college graduates. "But I'm forty! I can't go to college." Yes you can. You will be 44 when you get out and have 21 years of a much better income. The fact is that most good jobs and careers go to those who have educated themselves. It is still the surest way to a long-term large income. Still don't want to go to college? See the last item under smart decisions.

Note: In Indonesia, it's not very hard to convince people the importance of education; the problem is; our students’ generations (and possibly ourselves) take education for granted, they lack the motivation to learn well. “Learning” becomes the process to hunt a good teacher, not adjusting our own attitude to learn and to be teaching. In the era where we can know more than the person who teaches us, we lack the spot that glittering gems underneath the mud. No one teacher is perfect; it’s up to us to teach ourselves.

Get better training. At the very least go get some training in your specific area of expertise. The promotions will go to those who are the best trained, so become the best trained! Take a course, even if your employer won't pay for it, because eventually they WILL pay you for it!

Work hard. I have found that the many hundreds of high achievers who I know personally who have become and are becoming financially independent are hard workers. Every one of them works long hours. They sacrifice for the security they are shooting for and have attained. I know, we all get emails that say, "Financial Independence in 10 hours a week." Let me ask you, do you know anybody like that? I don't. No one. Even the success stories you here in the get rich quick industries show you that they worked HARD!

Develop yourself. Become a better person. Better people get better jobs and get paid better dollars! Make sure that every day you are becoming a person who is on the growth track, raising yourself to a higher and higher level with each and every passing day! Eventually your development will catch up with you and your income will soar!

Note: I have a small program called a book a week :D where I force my self to read a book at least a week, any topics, even a novel; you don’t know how much you can learn from a single silly novel. Once you are up to it add more books, until you spend a fraction of your time each day to read.. any books, ebooks, physical books, bible, whatever (even audio book, if you feel you are an auditory learner). Wisdom materials are out there, you need to read them before you can internalized.

Stay out of debt. This is the smartest decision you will ever make. NO Debt! You know what? I have ONE bill I have to pay every month. That is my mortgage. But that's a debt! Well, without getting into an argument, I consider it a forced investment with the added benefit of providing me and my family with shelter! I do not consider a mortgage a debt. I mean car debt, stereo debt, and consumer debt of all kinds. It is possible. It can be done. And it will provide you with financial freedom!

Own your own business if you can. So you don't want to go to college. Okay. Or maybe you did go to college and you just want to make sure that you make as much as you can. Well, the smart decision is to own your own business. Most millionaires in America are the people who own their own businesses. It will take a lot of risk, a lot of hard work, and many ups and downs, but owning your business gives you the opportunity to accumulate great wealth, because the profit is all yours. There are plenty of opportunities to own your own business and I would encourage you to strongly consider the alternative for many reasons, of the best of which is the opportunity to achieve financial independence.

Note: tough, i am not here yet :D anybody can share their experience in this?

Good Math:

Spend less than you earn. One plus one equals two. We learn that very early on. Eventually, we learn negatives and we learn that one minus two equals negative one. Simple right? Yet many people live their lives in such a way that they spend more than their income and destroy their opportunity for long-term financial independence. There are two things you can do to make this "good math" work for you. You can increase your income so that it outpaces your spending, or you can decrease your spending. You increase your income by making the smart decisions listed above. You decrease your spending by making hard choices. One of these must be done if you are going to achieve the kind of long-term financial independence you desire.

Put money away into investment vehicles on a regular basis. If you are going to achieve financial independence, you will have to put away money regularly. This is the math principle of addition. Don't laugh: most people don't get this. Or if they do, they don't practice it! Whether it is every paycheck, or the first of the month, or quarterly, or however you can do it - DO IT! When you hit 65 years of age, you will be glad you did. And if you put away enough and into the right investments, you may just be thankful a lot sooner than that!

Note: see Robert Kiyosaki's 4 Quadrant's 4th Quadrant.

Let your interest accrue. This is compounding and it is powerful! If you earn twelve percent on your money every year, do you know how soon it will be until you have twice as much as you started with? At first thought you may assume that it is one hundred divided by twelve, or eight and a third years. Not true. There is an investment rule that is called the rule of 72. That is, divide 72 by what average interest you make and that is how many years it takes to double your money. In this case, at twelve percent, your money doubles every six years! This works because you earn twelve percent on not only the original amount but the interest you earned as well. Start with $100 and the next year you have $112. If you take the $12 out then you will only make twelve percent on $100 again. If you let it accrue, you will make twelve percent on $112. This will cut almost two years off of the time it takes to double!

Where the real power comes in is over longer periods of time. Let's say grandma dies and leaves you $25,000 when you are eighteen. You can do any number of things with that money.

1. Buy a snazzy car. Not a good idea, though most eighteen year-olds would do just this.

2. Invest the money and take out the interest every year. This is nice. It throws you $3000 every year and over forty-two years you make $126,000 for doing nothing and you still have $25,000!

3. Here is the real deal! You leave the money alone for forty-two years at twelve percent (about the long-term average for the stock market). At the end of that time you decide to retire and go to the investment summary to see how much you have. What do you find? You find that your money doubled seven times and that leaves you with 3.2 million dollars! Can you retire on that? You bet you can.

You can achieve financial independence. You can live the life you have always dreamed of. You can have a life where you have enough at all times, especially in the end. It is possible. You just have to make smart decisions and use good math!

As a refresher, here they are again:

Smart decisions:

Go to college.
Get better training.
Work hard.
Develop yourself.
Stay out of debt.
Own your own business if you can.

Good math:

Spend less than you earn.
Put money away into investment vehicles on a regular basis.
Let your interest accrue.

BE COMMITTED TO KEEPING YOUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE IN BALANCE by Denis Waitley

It is so important to be living in prime time, rather than watching TV in prime time. On your way to success make certain you grow friendships, not just bank and mutual fund accounts. Life is a collection of memories, not of material things. The Egyptian pharaohs were buried with all their treasures, and were mummified in hopes that they could enjoy their bounty in the next life. But we are only caretakers of possessions. There is a big difference between standard of living and quality of life. Standard of living is based on income earned. Quality of life is the enjoyment of the millions of minutes in between accomplishments.

Having money is only one aspect of wealth. To the sick person, wealth is health. To the lonely person, wealth is someone to talk to and share with. To the estranged person, wealth is hearing words of love and forgiveness.

Borrowing the free verse style from Brother Jeremiah's classic poem, I'd Pick More Daisies, here are a few things I'd do, the second time around.

I'd laugh at my misfortunes more. Spend more time counting my blessings than my blemishes. Spend more time playing with my children and grandchildren and less time watching performers in the arena. More time enjoying what I have, less time thinking about the things I don't have. If I could live my life again, I'd walk in the rain more without an umbrella and listen less to weather reports. I'd spend more time looking at trees and climbing them, less time flipping through magazines made from dead trees. I'd spend more time fully involved in the present moment, less time remembering and anticipating. I'd smile more, frown less.

And most of all I'd be more spontaneous and active, less hesitant and subdued. When some spur of the moment idea came up to go hiking, playing Frisbee, coloring Easter eggs, singing in a chorus, going kayaking, or watching an eclipse, I'd be less likely to sit in my chair objecting, "It's not in our plan."

I'd be inclined to jump up and run out the door next time and say, "Yes, we can!" Although I can't live my life again, I'm still going to live the new way every day any way. I'll never have all the moments I've missed, but I do have all the time remaining.

Action Idea – Choose one activity this month that you really want to engage in, but that you have been putting off because it isn't a priority. Schedule that activity in your planner, as if it were a "must do" business or financial commitment. When you have done it, while you are still feeling good, schedule one for next month, and do it as long as you live.

Creating a Climate for Developing Leaders

All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart,to make David king over all Israel; and the rest of Israel were of one mind to
make David king. 1 Chronicles 12:38

We can conclude from the list of warriors who joined David in Ziklag that his ragtag team was diverse, loyal, and hungry for victory. So what did David do to reproduce his leadership in them?
1. He was relational: David's personable and approachable manner enticed hundreds of misfit volunteers to serve him. David accepted anyone.

2. He was resourceful: David made use of every situation and got the best out of it-even in the wilderness. He resourced his team to become all it could be and enabled it to succeed.

3. He was rewarding: David quickly shared both rewards and recognition for victory. He affirmed his men and motivated them with words of encouragement and spoils from battle.

4. He was respectable: David modeled a leadership style that others wanted to imitate. Friends and foes alike respected him; people saw in David an example of good leadership.

Love People, Reward Performance

"Well done good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." Matthew 25:23

Educators in the United States have been seeking ways to increase students' test scores. One popular theory states that the best way to improve children's ability is to puff up their self-esteem because high-achievers tend to have high self-esteem. However, researchers have found that simply building children's egos breeds many negative traits: indifference to excellence, inability to overcome adversity, and aggressiveness toward people who criticize them.

Now, I place high value on praising people, especially children. But I also believe that you have to base your praise on truth. Here's the approach I use to encourage and lead others:

Value people
Praise effort
Reward performance

I use that method with everyone, including myself. And no matter where I fail or how many mistakes I make, I don't let it devalue my worth as a person. As the saying goes, "God uses people who fail-cause there aren't any other kind around."

Taken from: "Failing Forward" by John C Maxwell.

What Makes Followers Love to Serve?

And David said with longing, "Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the
water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" So the three mighty men
broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem
that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would
not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord.2 Samuel 23:15-16

It was just a casual remark. Yet the moment David's men heard their leader mutter the words, they immediately broke through enemy lines and braved Philistine swords and spears to retrieve a cup of the precious liquid.

Such astonishing loyalty doesn't come from a mere job description. Loyalty like this comes only through modeling. David got this kind of "second-mile" effort because he had long modeled such loyalty for his men.

And it is that loyalty that drove him to do what he did next. David honored their sacrifice by presenting it to the Lord rather than drinking it. Who wouldn't go the extra mile for a leader like that?

The Maxwell Leadership Bible

REAPING A MULTIPLE REWARD by Jim Rohn

For every disciplined effort, there are multiple rewards. That's one of life's great arrangements. In fact, it's an extension of the Biblical law that says that if you sow well, you will reap well.

Here's a unique part of the Law of Sowing and Reaping. Not only does it suggest that we'll all reap what we've sown, it also suggests that we'll reap much more. Life is full of laws that both govern and explain behaviors, but this may well be the major law we need to understand: for every disciplined effort, there are multiple rewards.

What a concept! If you render unique service, your reward will be multiplied. If you're fair and honest and patient with others, your reward will be multiplied. If you give more than you expect to receive, your reward is more than you expect. But remember: the key word here, as you might well imagine, is discipline.

Everything of value requires care, attention, and discipline. Our thoughts require discipline. We must consistently determine our inner boundaries and our codes of conduct, or our thoughts will be confused. And if our thoughts are confused, we will become hopelessly lost in the maze of life. Confused thoughts produce confused results.

Remember the law: "For every disciplined effort, there are multiple rewards." Learn the discipline of writing a card or a letter to a friend. Learn the discipline of paying your bills on time, arriving to appointments on time, or using your time more effectively. Learn the discipline of paying attention, or paying your taxes or paying yourself. Learn the discipline of having regular meetings with your associates, or your spouse, or your child, or your parent. Learn the discipline of learning all you can learn, of teaching all you can teach, of reading all you can read.

For each discipline, multiple rewards. For each book, new knowledge. For each success, new ambition. For each challenge, new understanding. For each failure, new determination. Life is like that. Even the bad experiences of life provide their own special contribution. But a word of caution here for those who neglect the need for care and attention to life's disciplines: everything has its price. Everything affects everything else. Neglect discipline, and there will be a price to pay. All things of value can be taken for granted with the passing of time.

That's what we call the Law of Familiarity. Without the discipline of paying constant, daily attention, we take things for granted. Be serious. Life's not a practice session.

If you're often inclined to toss your clothes onto the chair rather than hanging them in the closet, be careful. It could suggest a lack of discipline. And remember, a lack of discipline in the small areas of life can cost you heavily in the more important areas of life. You cannot clean up your company until you learn the discipline of cleaning your own garage. You cannot be impatient with your children and be patient with your distributors or your employees. You cannot inspire others to sell more when that goal is inconsistent with your own conduct. You cannot admonish others to read good books when you don't have a library card.

Think about your life at this moment. What areas need attention right now? Perhaps you've had a disagreement with someone you love or someone who loves you, and your anger won't allow you to speak to that person. Wouldn't this be an ideal time to examine your need for a new discipline? Perhaps you're on the brink of giving up, or starting over, or starting out. And the only missing ingredient to your incredible success story in the future is a new and self-imposed discipline that will make you try harder and work more intensely than you ever thought you could.

The most valuable form of discipline is the one that you impose upon yourself. Don't wait for things to deteriorate so drastically that someone else must impose discipline in your life. Wouldn't that be tragic? How could you possibly explain the fact that someone else thought more of you than you thought of yourself? That they forced you to get up early and get out into the marketplace when you would have been content to let success go to someone else who cared more about themselves.

Your life, my life, the life of each one of us is going to serve as either a warning or an example. A warning of the consequences of neglect, self-pity, lack of direction and ambition... or an example of talent put to use, of discipline self-imposed, and of objectives clearly perceived and intensely pursued

PUT SOME FIRE IN YOUR DESIRE by Chris Widener

One of the keys to success is staying motivated because it is being motivated that keeps us going out the door every day to change the world and reach our destiny! It is our desire for a better life, for change in us and others, and for personal growth and fulfillment that moves our mountains! Desire!

Desire sure is a word with much more richness to it than the word "want" though they are essentially the same. "Want," though, sounds like you could take it or leave it. "Desire" says, "I have to have it!" Desire, is "want" with a fire under it!

Unfortunately, we tend to ebb and flow from want to desire, even with the same goal! One day we may be passionate about building our business or growing our relationships and then, the next day, we find ourselves simply in the "want" camp again. The key to keeping on is to re-light the fire under want so it roars into a raging fire of desire! Then, and only then, will we see the passion needed to be tenacious pursuers of our dreams! Keeping the fire lit is what will see you through the mountains and valleys of life and the journey you are on to your success!

So what do we do? We light the fire! Here are a few thoughts to help you build the fire of your desire!

The wood:
Keep a clear mental picture of the goal. This is imperative. The picture of the goal is like the wood in a fire. It is the raw material. Know what your goal is and what it looks like.

The fuel:
Keep a list, if simply just a mental one, of all of the benefits of pursuing and reaching your goal. Make them as "sense" oriented as possible. "See" the benefits. "Hear" them. "Touch" them. This is like the fuel that we add to a fire to get it going. Now all we need is a match.

The match:
Keep yourself active! This is the match: Action! Even when you don't feel like it, get yourself to act and soon you will see the fire burning because you have again ignited the dream! The more desire you have the more the fire burns.

Eventually the fire will begin to die out. Here is where you throw the wood on again, pour on some fuel, and if need be, strike another match. I would encourage you to not let the fire go out though, because it is easier to continually throw wood and fuel on an already burning fire than it is to start one up again!

[Leadership] Read the Need, Then Lead

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you. Proverbs 25:21-22

Leaders need to respond to individuals based on their needs rather than their faults. The Lord encourages us to see what others need-even our enemies-and respond accordingly.

Good leaders do this well. They don't lead out of a predetermined package of behaviors, but size up every situation and discern what must happen to reach the desired goal. Like a quarterback who reads the defense, then calls an audible from the line of scrimmage, good leaders remain flexible and may change their response, based not on what a person deserves, but on what they need to succeed. Good leaders follow this path in difficult situations:

They need-They aren't afraid to admit they need to listen and get understanding.
They read-They evaluate what has happened and what steps are best to take.
They feed-They communicate what they've observed to key players.
They heed-They act on the basis of their discovery, even if it means change.
They lead-They provide direction to those involved.

The Maxwell Leadership Bible

WHY ACCEPTING CHANGE IS VITAL TO YOUR PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS by Connie Podesta

Like it or not, change is an integral part of today's business climate. Those employees who embrace and initiate change will thrive, while those who complain and fear change may be headed for the unemployment line.

Employers feel strongly about the need to have employees who are successful change agents for their team and their organization as a whole. What exactly is a "change agent?" An agent is someone who represents the interests of another person or organization, and his or her job is to take care of business and make sure everything goes smoothly. Thus, a change agent helps take care of an employer's business by facilitating change.

Are you a change agent for your organization? Can others count on you to make sure things go smoothly? Do you continue to take care of business in the midst of change?

Although some employees have been conditioned to fear change, we must not lose sight of the fact that change is normal, and most of us will experience unpredictable changes in both our personal and professional lives. In the workplace, changes can occur as a result of new thinking, advances in technology, innovation and progress, knowledge and communication, as well as mergers, takeovers, layoffs, and downsizing. These organizational changes can directly affect our professional lives as well as our personal lives. They may also lead to feelings of sadness, frustration, grief, and anger, especially when jobs are lost or worse, when an entire organization ceases to exist. So let's discuss how we can make this normal life experience-change-as positive and beneficial as possible.

What's Wrong with Change?

Employers want commitment to change when it's necessary. Knowing that, then, why are so many people resistant to it? The number one reason is fear, although very few people are willing to admit it. None of us want to acknowledge that we doubt our ability to integrate new ideas, use new technology, or adapt to new organizations. We don't even want to think about what's ahead: new management, new ways of doing things, new terminology, new titles, and new job description. Fear can have several components:

1. Fear of the unknown: What will happen to my organization, my job, my life, as I know it now? How secure is my future?

2. Fear of not being in control: What should I do? Should I just wait around while they make decisions that could seriously affect my life?

3. Fear of being inadequate: I know how to do this job now, but will I be able to do it as well as they expect me to when everything has changed? And if I can't, what happens then?

4. Fear of moving outside your personal comfort zone: I've been doing my job this way for years, and I'm very good at it. Why do we have to change what has worked so well for so long?

No matter which category your fear falls in, one thing is for sure. The more we fight and resist the change, the more painful and frightening the changes will be. Resisting doesn't keep a new idea from taking hold; it simply makes the process longer and more painful. Change will happen no matter what. We will handle it better when we learn to move with the change-not against it. Plus, this is definitely not the time to drag your feet because managers are not inclined to take employees by the hand and lead them through the change process.

Communication is Key:

There is no doubt that employees often view change from a different perspective than their supervisors. Many employees believe that management doesn't understand their side of the story, and managers often feel it is the employees who don't understand why the change is necessary. This is why communication is so vital during any change circumstance.
It's been said that lack of communication is the number one reason why personal relationships can develop problems, and the same holds true for relationships between employers and employees. Change will require open communication on both sides. Unfortunately, fear has the power to freeze employees in their tracks and prevent them from expressing their ideas and opinions.

When faced with change we must always ask ourselves this important question: Does my resistance to change have anything to do with my own fears? That's a tough question and one that's not easy to answer honestly. It's natural to fear the unknown and lack of control. We know that we won't be quite as proficient at our tasks while we're in the process of learning to do things a new way. We know we will have to work a lot harder. Are we willing to let go of the present to embrace the future? We may not know what the future will bring, but we are responsible for what we bring to the future.

The Positive Side of Change

If you routinely describe your current job as boring, mundane, or menial, then perhaps a change is good for you. One of the most positive aspects of change is that it is never boring. On the contrary, it can create passion. And passion-and the excitement, creativity, and energy that accompany it-is the spark that keeps us going.

Passion could be called the charge for our life's batteries. Without that charge, it's hard to get our engines revved up. That igniting charge is sparked by the challenge of change-learning new things, meeting new people, growing as professionals, and taking risks that push us to reach our potential. None of that can happen unless and until we are willing to experience the fear that inevitably arises when we move out of our comfort zones. No risk, no fear; no fear, no passion; no passion, no fun.

If we want passion back in our lives, we must be willing to meet the challenge of change. What might that mean for you? Perhaps it might involve going back to school, learning how to work with a computer, working with a team, taking on new responsibilities, or redefining a career path. If you want to remain employable, you may have to change more than just your attitude and your reaction to change. You may have to change some of your ideas and goals to create a better future for yourself.

Embrace Upcoming Changes:

Many people are content to live their lives by playing it safe. If fear, pain, and hard work are prerequisites of change, it's easier to understand why some people are so dedicated to resisting it. They might be good at giving all the best-sounding reasons why this particular change is not right for the department, the organization, the team, or the customer. However, their underlying concern may be their fear about how the change will affect them-their job-their lives.

If you've been reacting negatively to change, it's important to modify your attitude and your behavior before it's too late. Think about what you really want. Comfort at all costs? The status quo? The good old days? If those are the aspects you desire-if that's what you're waiting for-then you will probably soon be out of a job. If, instead, you want challenge and welcome change, you will always be employable.

ACHIEVING YOUR DREAMS by Jim Rohn

While most people spend most of their lives struggling to earn a living, a much smaller number seem to have everything going their way. Instead of just earning a living, the smaller group is busily working at building and enjoying a fortune. Everything just seems to work out for them. And here sits the much larger group, wondering how life can be so unfair, so complicated and unjust. What's the major difference between the little group with so much and the larger group with so little?

Despite all of the factors that affect our lives - like the kind of parents we have, the schools we attended, the part of the country we grew up in - none has as much potential power for affecting our futures as our ability to dream.

Dreams are a projection of the kind of life you want to lead. Dreams can drive you. Dreams can make you skip over obstacles. When you allow your dreams to pull you, they unleash a creative force that can overpower any obstacle in your path. To unleash this power, though, your dreams must be well defined. A fuzzy future has little pulling power. Well-defined dreams are not fuzzy. Wishes are fuzzy. To really achieve your dreams, to really have your future plans pull you forward, your dreams must be vivid.

If you've ever hiked a fourteen thousand-foot peak in the Rocky Mountains, one thought has surely come to mind "How did the settlers of this country do it?" How did they get from the East Coast to the West Coast? Carrying one day's supply of food and water is hard enough. Can you imagine hauling all of your worldly goods with you... mile after mile, day after day, month after month? These people had big dreams. They had ambition. They didn't focus on the hardship of getting up the mountain.

In their minds, they were already on the other side – their bodies just hadn't gotten them there yet! Despite all of their pains and struggles, all of the births and deaths along the way, those who made it to the other side had a single vision: to reach the land of continuous sunshine and extraordinary wealth. To start over; where anything and everything was possible. Their dreams were stronger than the obstacles in their way.

You've got to be a dreamer. You've got to envision the future. You've got to see California while you're climbing fourteen thousand-foot peaks. You've got to see the finish line while you're running the race. You've got to hear the cheers when you're in the middle of a monster project. And you've got to be willing to put yourself through the paces of doing the uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable and until you realize your dreams.

Whole-Hearted Devotion (December 21)

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.Colossians 3:23 (niv)

Experts spend a lot of time trying to figure out what makes people successful. They often look at people's credentials, intelligence, education, and other factors. But more than anything else, passion is what makes the difference.

Take a look at four truths about passion and what it can do for you as a leader:

1. Passion is the first step to achievement-Your desire determines your destiny. The stronger your fire, the greater the desire-and the greater the potential.

2. Passion increases your willpower-There is no substitute for passion. It is fuel for the will. If you want anything badly enough, you can find the willpower to achieve it.

3. Passion changes you-If you follow your passion-instead of others' perceptions-you can't help but become a more dedicated, productive person. In the end, your passion will have more influence than your personality.

4. Passion makes the impossible possible-Human beings are so made that whenever anything fires their soul, impossibilities vanish.

A fire in the heart lifts everything in your life. A leader with great passion and few skills always outperforms a leader with great skills and no passion.

Reference: The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader, by John C Maxwell.

ESTABLISHING DREAMS AND GOALS by Jim Rohn

(Excerpted from Week Six of the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan)

One of the amazing things we have been given as humans is the unquenchable desire to have dreams of a better life, and the ability to establish goals to live out those dreams. Think of it: We can look deep within our hearts and dream of a better situation for ourselves and our families; dream of better financial lives and better emotional or physical lives; certainly dream of better spiritual lives. But what makes this even more powerful is that we have also been given the ability to not only dream but to pursue those dreams and not only to pursue them, but the cognitive ability to actually lay out a plan and strategies (setting goals) to achieve those dreams. Powerful! And that is what we will discuss in detail this week: How to dream dreams and establish goals to get those dreams.

What are your dreams and goals? This isn't what you already have or what you have done, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down and thought through your life values and decided what you really want? Have you ever taken the time to truly reflect, to listen quietly to your heart, to see what dreams live within you? Your dreams are there. Everyone has them. They may live right on the surface, or they may be buried deep from years of others telling you they were foolish, but they are there.

So how do we know what our dreams are? This is an interesting process and it relates primarily to the art of listening. This is not listening to others; it is listening to yourself. If we listen to others, we hear their plans and dreams (and many will try to put their plans and dreams on us). If we listen to others, we can never be fulfilled. We will only chase elusive dreams that are not rooted deep within us. No, we must listen to our own hearts.

Let's take a look at some practical steps/thoughts on hearing from our hearts on what our dreams are:

Take time to be quiet. This is something that we don't do enough in this busy world of ours. We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us. The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to peer deep within. It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams! Schedule some quiet "dream time" this week. No other people. No cell phone. No computer. Just you, a pad, a pen, and your thoughts (you get to do this in the workbook exercises this week).

Think about what really thrills you. When you are quiet, think about those things that really get your blood moving. What would you LOVE to do, either for fun or for a living? What would you love to accomplish? What would you try if you were guaranteed to succeed? What big thoughts move your heart into a state of excitement and joy? When you answer these questions you will feel Great and you will be in the "dream zone." It is only when we get to this point that we experience what Our dreams are!

Write down all of your dreams as you have them. Don't think of any as too outlandish or foolish - remember, you're dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.

Now, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not just dreaming.

Here is the big picture: Life is too short to not pursue your dreams.

Someday your life will near its end and all you will be able to do is look backwards. You can reflect with joy or regret. Those who dream, who set goals and act on them to live out their dreams are those who live lives of joy and have a sense of peace when they near the end of their lives. They have finished well, for themselves and for their families.

Remember: These are the dreams and goals that are born out of your heart and mind. These are the goals that are unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. Your specific goals are what you want to attain because they are what will make your life joyful and bring your family's life into congruence with what you want it to be.