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[Book] Winners Never Cheat

2008-04-20T16:18:00.002+07:00

Something happen this week that makes me think about something; have you ever hear the term “white lies”? it’s mortal’s way of making lying more palatable for our moral-centric society. It’s a matter of how much are you willing to sacrifice your integrity to achieve something; at the end a lie is a lie. Telling a lie is addictive, you start with “small” lies then go up through a more sophisticated and elaborate lies.

I read a book once on this subject, and it’s an interesting book that I would recommend; I also found the summary of the book, for those who would like to know a little bit more about it before reaching down your pocket.

Software vendors are notoriously known to struggle with the issue of cheating. Recently I learnt that Microsoft Australia launches an “It’s Not Cheating” Program (www.itsnotcheating.com.au) together with Contiki (www.contiki.com.au) and Canvas Card (www.mycanvascard.com.au) to provide cheap Office suit for students at an extremely low price.

Don’t you wish all solution to cheating can be that cheap? Rather than finding out the hard way that, cheating doesn’t pay.

Worrying Makes You Cross the Bridge Before You Come to It - by Harvey Mackay

2007-12-14T09:16:00.000+07:00

Recently I saw a survey that says 40 percent of the things we worry about never happen, 30 percent are in the past and can't be helped, 12 percent concern the affairs of others that aren't our business, 10 percent are about sickness--either real or imagined-- and 8 percent are worth worrying about. I would submit that even the 8 percent aren't really worth the energy of worry.
Did you know that the English word worry is derived from an Anglo-Saxon word that means to strangle or to choke? That's easy to believe. People do literally worry themselves to death. . . or heart disease, high blood pressure, ulcers, nervous disorders and all sorts of other nasty conditions. Is it worth it?

Some folks seem to think this is a '90s phenomenon, but I've got news for you: advice about worry goes back as far as the Bible. We didn't invent it. We just need to find a way to keep it from ruling our lives.

I've been spending a lot of time in bookstores lately, in the middle of a 35-city book tour. From one coast to the other, north to south, some of the most popular self-help books concern worry, stress, and simplifying your life. I have a couple of favorite books to recommend.

First, an oldie. Dale Carnegie's "How To Stop Worrying and Start Living." It was first published in 1948, but the advice is just as fresh and valuable as it was then and is right-on for the new millennium. Being a chronic list maker, I found two sections that really knocked my socks off. Both were about business people trying to solve problems without the added burden of worrying. Carnegie credits Willis H. Carrier, whose name appears on most of our air conditioners, with these silver bullets:

Analyze the situation honestly and figure out what is the worst possible thing that could happen.

Prepare yourself mentally to accept the worst, if necessary. Then calmly try to improve upon the worst, which you have already agreed mentally to accept. Bingo! You can handle anything now. You know what you have to do; it's just a matter of doing it. Without worrying.

Another approach I like is a system put into practice at a large publishing company by an executive, named Leon. He was sick and tired of boring and unproductive meetings marked by excessive hand-wringing. He enforced a rule that everyone who wished to present a problem to him first had to submit a memo answering these four questions:

1. What's the problem?
2. What's the cause of the problem?
3. What are all possible solutions to the problem?
4. Which solution do you suggest?

Leon rarely has to deal with problems anymore, and he doesn't worry about them. He's found that his associates have used the system to find workable solutions without tying up hours in useless meetings. He estimates that he has eliminated three-fourths of his meeting time and has improved his productivity, health and happiness. Is he just passing the buck? Of course not! He's paying those folks to do their jobs, and he's giving them great training at decision-making.

Another little gem that's made its way to a #1 New York Times bestseller is Richard Carlson's "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff, and it's all small stuff." Of course, being an aphorism junkie and slave to short snappy chapters, I've found this book can improve perspective in 100 small doses. I love the chapter titles: "Repeat to Yourself, 'Life Isn't an Emergency,'" "Practice Ignoring Negative Thoughts," and my favorite, "Let Go of the Idea that Gentle, Relaxed People Can't Be Superachievers."

The point is you can't saw sawdust. A day of worry is more exhausting than a day of work. People get so busy worrying about yesterday or tomorrow, they forget about today. And today is what you have to work with.

I remember the story of the fighter who, after taking the full count in a late round of a brawl, finally came to in the dressing room. As his head cleared and he realized what had happened, he said to his manager: "Boy, did I have him worried. He thought he killed me."

Now that's putting the worry where it belongs.
Harvey Mackay

Source: From the Master, 12/14/2007 12:05 AM; fromthemasters@partner.beliefnet.com

FIX ON YOUR VISION, THEN PLOT YOUR COURSE by Bob Proctor

2007-10-17T13:53:00.000+07:00

This past summer, I had a wedding to attend in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I had a few days to spare, and my wife and I enjoy each other’s company, so I suggested to Linda that we drive instead of flying. She readily agreed and started collecting the maps we’d need for the trip. As we plotted the course, we would be driving from Toronto to Detroit, Detroit to Cincinnati, Cincinnati to Lexington, Lexington to Louisville and then into Gatlinburg.

We were plotting the vision, you see, to get us from Point A to Point B.

When we got in the car to begin the trip, which city was I thinking of? …Detroit. I had to get to Detroit first; if I missed Detroit, there’d be a good chance we wouldn’t find our way to the wedding at all.

Detroit was first on my list – that was my GOAL. After Detroit was accomplished, Cincinnati became my goal and so on … all the way to my final destination – Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

I’ve had people come up and tell me that they’ve given up on their big dreams because they never seemed to get closer, no matter what they envisioned or tried. The error they’re making is that they’re looking for their Gatlinburg, Tennessee while they’re still sitting in the driveway in Toronto. In many instances, they’re writing their Gatlinburg goal on a Goal Card I’ve given them, or they’re writing it in a journal somewhere. This is all well and good, but if you’re not also plotting your course to get from where you are to where you want to be … if you’re not figuring out the first goal for Detroit, then following that plotline forward in progressive order, you’re going to end up in Montreal instead.

You’ve GOT to plot the course. Figure out what you need to do between here and there and make those your goals.

Once you have the course plotted, though, there are three very distinct rules of thumb I want you to remember.

First, just because you’ve plotted the course doesn’t mean you can put your whole plan on auto-pilot. When pilots reach cruising altitude they’ll quite often put the plane on auto-pilot and let years of genius physics and calculus computations steer the plane toward its destination. But even with auto-pilot, you’ve got to manually get the plane in the air and manually land it. And even with auto-pilot, you’ve got to keep an eye on your instruments and pay attention to possible curve balls Mother Nature might toss your way.

You cannot rely on auto pilot to get you where you want to go. You have to be personally involved and focused on the process.

Second, don’t get so carried away with the details of plotting the action steps within your vision that you don’t ever get out of your driveway. You know what I’m talking about – you see people around you do it all the time. They get so caught up in planning and charting and graphing their future that they never BEGIN it. This is fear in disguise – that’s all it is. Your plan doesn’t have to be perfect. Get the foundational elements in place and get moving.

Third, don’t be so intent on motoring to Detroit that you miss the scenery along the way. You’re on purpose… you’re on your way… enjoy the journey, for heaven’s sake.

After all, that’s what you’re doing this for, isn’t it?

BELIEVE IT'S POSSIBLE by Vic Johnson

2007-03-23T18:27:00.000+07:00

"Belief is the basis of all action, and, this being so, the belief that dominates the hearts or mind is shown in the life." - Above Life's Turmoil

You will rarely attempt something you don't believe possible and you will 'Never' give 100% of your ability to something you don't believe in.

Some years ago I was listening to a friend speaking to a business audience. She quoted a teaching by David Schwartz from 'the Magic of Thinking Big' that rocked my life. She said, "The size of your success is determined by the size of you belief." Now that was the first personal development book I ever read and I've read it at least 20 times since. I'm sure that I had heard that concept many times before that night. But it impacted me so much that I wrote it down and must have looked at it a hundred times or more in the thirty days after that.

I spent the next few months focused on strengthening my belief in myself and in what I wanted to do. I took to heart what Wayne Dyer wrote in You'll See it When You believe It: "Work each day on you thoughts rather than concentrating on your behavior. It is your thinking that creates the feeling that you have and ultimately your actions as well." So I worked each day on my beliefs by constantly affirming myself using written and verbal affirmations. The years since have been an incredible rocket ride.

One of the best known stories about the power of belief is about Roger Bannister, the first person to run a mile in under four minutes. Before his accomplishment it was generally believed that the human body was incapable of such a feat. But as soon as he had done it, scores of others accomplished the same thing. Thousands have done so since and today it's not uncommon for it to be done by a talented high-schooler. Did the human body change so that this could be done? No. But the human belief system did!

Nightingale-Conant says Napoleon Hill is considered to have influenced more people into success than any other person in history. And his most quoted line from Think and Grow Rich describes the power of belief: "Whatever your mind can conceive and believe; it can achieve." Just believing that statement, truly believing it deep down inside, is a bold step toward living your dreams.

Lisa Jimenez, in her great book Conquer Fear! Writes, "change your beliefs and you change your behavior. Change your behaviors and you change your results. Change your results and you change your life."

And that's worth thinking about.
Vic Johnson

SOWING AND REAPING by Vic Johnson

2007-02-28T15:54:00.000+07:00

(Excerpted from Day by Day with James Allen)

"Good thought and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. This is but saying that nothing can come from corn but corn, nothing from nettles but nettles." - As A Man Thinketh

Most everyone understands the biblical concept of sowing and reaping because we can grasp the simplicity of the logic. If we were to plant corn in our backyard garden we wouldn't expect spinach to come up. But even thought we can grasp the logic, we don't always as if we understand the power of this principle. And we certainly don't act as if this principle will affect us.

An example: For many years my morning ritual began with a thorough reading of the newspaper, most days spending an hour or more before dashing off to the office. I did not know then that our minds are most impressionable immediately upon rising in the morning and just before sleep in the evening.

Fresh from the reading (and thoughts) of the day's murders, indictments, invasions by foreign dictators, and all other manner of "news", it shouldn't have come as a surprise to me that my sowing of these thoughts would reap an "attitude" toward the rush hour drivers who were "conspiring" to slow down my arrival at work. Thus, by the time I did arrive, I had set the tone for my day, and it was not a positive one.

I gave up my morning ritual ten years ago and replaced it with a ritual of reading and meditating on some works that will sow "good thoughts" and thus reap "good results." I wasn't aware at the time that this was some sound advice offered up by the Apostle Paul, who wrote, "Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about."

We always reap what we sow and that is especially true with our thoughts. As Emmet Fox writes, "The secret of life then is to control your mental states, for if you will do this the rest will follow. To accept sickness, trouble, and failure as unavoidable, and perhaps inevitable, is folly, because it is this very acceptance by you that keeps these evils in existence. Man is not limited by his environment. He creates his environments by his beliefs and feelings. To suppose otherwise is like thinking that the tail can wag the dog."

And that's worth thinking about.

Vic Johnson

TIME FOR YOU by Ron White (Issue for time-management)

2007-02-23T15:37:00.000+07:00

He was completely infatuated with her. It was all that he could think and talk about. Yet, every time that he asked her on a date it was the same reply. She told him that she would love to go out with him, however, her schedule of work, school and other commitments was just too hectic and it wasn't possible.

In his frustration, he came to me and asked me for advice. He wanted to know how he could creatively help her with some of her responsibilities and free up some commitments so that they could spend time together. When he made this suggestion to me, I sighed deeply and bit my lip. I was searching for a tactful way to break the news to him, yet, I have never reached tremendous success in my efforts to be tactful so I just let him have it.

'Man, when she tells you that she doesn't have time. She has time – what she means is that she doesn't have time for YOU. I suggest that you dress in black for a week and pretend like she is dead, because it isn't going to happen.'

My words seemed to have been a kick to his gut that sucked all the life out of his lungs. After a few seconds of silence, he raised his head as he came up for air. "Thanks, buddy – I needed to hear that", was his beaten reply to me. After our conversation, he left and I do believe that although he didn't dress in black for a week – he did take my advice and move on. I am sure that both he and the female are grateful for that.

You see, I have never seen a woman (or a man) who is head over heels in interest for someone yet, just can't find time to be with that person. If the interest is there – the time will be there.

In life, you often hear the excuse. "I wish I could – spend more time with my family, start my own business, chase a goal, travel, or volunteer… but, I just don't have the time." You have the time… you are simply spending it somewhere else. You are a human and will make time for what you see as a priority. The question is – are you prioritizing the correct things.

You have the exact same amount of time in a day that Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Copernicus and da Vinci had. You have the exact same amount of time in a day that Michael Dell, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey have. The question is not – Do you have the time? The question is – How are you spending the time that you do have?

Begin to keep a journal and log the time you spend everyday. Do this for at least two weeks. Track the time you spend getting ready for work, in your automobile, at the office, eating out, reading, in entertainment, watching television, surfing the internet or simply doing nothing. You may be surprised at the amount of time that you spend on unproductive matters. It is very often shocking at the time each day that we squander and will never get back.

Zig Ziglar penned a term called automobile university and it is the answer to everyone who says that they don't have time to learn a new skill, a foreign language or gain an education on the mysteries of the day. Ziglar suggest that if you simply listen to audio programs as you drive everyday you can successful use the time to gain a new skill or education. This is effective time management.

Life can often become so overwhelming that as we get caught up in the rat race – we are not aware of how we are spending our time. It may be time for a time inventory of your life. First begin by journaling what is most important to you in your life. Then track how your time for two weeks. It could be very eye opening.

Remember you have the same amount of time in a day that Einstein, Henry Ford and da Vinci had. The question is – are you using your time as effectively as they did. Therefore, you have no cause to complain for your lack of time, only your management of that time. Time plays no favorites – it will either be its slave or it will be yours. You make time every day for what you value. What do you value?

-- Ron White

THE ROSE by Jim Rohn

2007-02-15T15:25:00.000+07:00

Lifestyle is style over amount. And style is an art - the art of living. You can't buy style with money. You can't buy good taste with money. You can only buy more with money. Lifestyle is culture - the appreciation of good music, dance, art, sculpture, literature, plays and the art of living well. It's a taste for the fine, the unique, the beautiful.

Lifestyle also means rewarding excellence wherever you find it by not taking the small things of life for granted. With Valentine's Day approaching I wanted to illustrate this with a personal anecdote:

Many years ago my lady friend and I were on a trip to Carmel, California for some shopping and exploring. On the way we stopped at a service station. As soon as we parked our car in front of the pumps, a young man, about eighteen or nineteen, came bouncing out to the car and with a big smile said, "Can I help you?"

"Yes," I answered. "A full tank of gas, please." I wasn't prepared for what followed. In this day and age of self-service and deteriorating customer treatment, this young man checked every tire, washed every window - even the sunroof - singing and whistling the whole time. We couldn't believe both the quality of service and his upbeat attitude about his work.

When he brought the bill I said to the young man, "Hey, you really have taken good care of us. I appreciate it."

He replied, "I really enjoy working. It's fun for me and I get to meet nice people like you."
This kid was really something!

I said, "We're on our way to Carmel and we want to get some milkshakes. Can you tell us where we can find the nearest Baskin-Robbins?"

"Baskin-Robbins is just a few blocks away," he said as he gave us exact directions. Then he added, "Don't park out front - park around to the side so your car won't get sideswiped."

What a kid!

As we got to the ice cream store we ordered milkshakes, except that instead of two, we ordered three. Then we drove back to the station. Our young friend dashed out to greet us. "Hey, I see you got your milkshakes."

"Yes, and this one is for you!"

His mouth fell open. "For me?"

"Sure. With all the fantastic service you gave us, I couldn't leave you out of the milkshake deal."

"Wow!" was his astonished reply.

As we drove off I could see him in my rear-view mirror just standing there, grinning from ear to ear.

Now, what did this little act of generosity cost me? Only about two dollars - you see, it's not the money, it's the style.

Well, I must have been feeling especially creative that day, so on our arrival in Carmel I drove directly to a flower shop. As we walked inside I said to the florist, "I need a long-stemmed rose for my lady to carry while we go shopping in Carmel."

The florist, a rather unromantic type, replied, "We sell them by the dozen."

"I don't need a dozen," I said, "just one."

"Well," he replied haughtily, "it will cost you two dollars."

"Wonderful," I exclaimed. "There's nothing worse than a cheap rose."

Selecting the rose with some deliberation, I handed it to my friend. She was so impressed! And the cost? Two dollars. Just two dollars. A bit later she looked up and said, "Jim, I must be the only woman in Carmel today carrying a rose." And I believe she probably was.

Can you imagine the opportunity to create magic with those around you, and all for the cost of a few dollars, some imagination and care. Remember, it is not the amount that matters but the thought and care that often has the greatest impact upon those you love.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF EMPOWERMENT by Jerry Clark

2007-02-09T17:33:00.000+07:00

I just picked up a message from my voicemail from one of my students asking me a question. The question was so fascinating that I thought it deserved a little reflection in answering it; and, I thought it would be good for all of you to hear my answer.

Here’s the question, "Jerry, how do I eliminate attrition in my network marketing business?"

Here’s my quick, sarcastic answer to that question: Quit… Ok, since that’s not an option for you, here’s another answer.

The best way to eliminate attrition is to stop thinking that you’re going to eliminate it. Once you stop thinking about eliminating it, you actually spend less time thinking about it altogether. When you start thinking less about it, you actually give it less power. The less power it has in your consciousness, the less power it has in your business. Whoa… Pretty deep eh? (I said eh for all of my Canadian friends)…

Ok, let me break it down for you. First of all, attrition is a natural part of life – both personal and professional. People come and people go – in life and in business. Let’s not get caught up with this part of nature… It’s called, as Jim Rohn says, the way it is.

Ok… Now that you realize that you’re not going to completely eliminate attrition, let’s focus on the thing we can eliminate… Any disempowering attitude you may have toward it… One way to make sure you maintain an empowering attitude toward attrition or anything else for that matter is to create a Consciousness of Empowerment… You do this by making sure you consciously choose to engross yourself with positive and empowering material via the friends you have, the audios you listen to, the books you read, the seminars you attend, and the people you model yourself after… That’s been one of the secrets that have allowed me to increase my income by over 500% within the last few years alone… I know that it can make a similar difference (and better) in your life as well…

So once again, as you embark into this New Year, be sure to have one of your major focuses in obtaining a Consciousness of Empowerment… If you do, attrition, rejection, disappointment, frustration, and even fear will all be used as a catalyst for your success instead of an excuse for your failure…

Here are some things to reflect on as you enhance your Consciousness of Empowerment:

The greatest joy -- Making a Difference
The most satisfying act -- Giving
The most powerful internal gift -- Allowing Yourself the Ability to Receive
Our greatest natural resource -- Laughter
The most motivating word -- A Word of Encouragement
The most prized "state of mind" -- Peace of mind
The most powerful force in the Universe -- Love
The world's most Magnificent Computer -- The Brain
The two most Self-Perpetuating words of Creation -- "I AM"
The most valuable part of any attire -- A SMILE!
The most catching emotion -- Enthusiasm
The most endangered natural resource -- Gratefulness
The most powerful tool of manifestation -- Faith

Reflect on these ideas and make them a part of your life, and notice how your Consciousness of Empowerment develops exponentially…

So what have you resolved to manifest in this year?

Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s going to require a Consciousness of Empowerment in order to pull it off…

Until next time,
Go, Go, Go and make it happen!
Jerry "DRhino" Clark

THREE KEYS TO GREATNESS by Jim Rohn

2007-02-09T17:02:00.000+07:00

Eight years ago I went into the studio and recorded a 56-minute video for teenagers called, "Three Keys To Greatness." Although my focus was for teenagers, the principles I shared certainly apply to adults as well.

Recently I was asked to list these three things using one to two sentences for each. Now for your benefit here they are again.

1) Setting Goals. I call it the view of the future. Most people, including kids, will pay the price if they can see the promise of the future. So we need to help our kids see a well-defined future, so they will be motivated to pay the price today to attain the rewards of tomorrow. Goals help them do this.

2) Personal Development. Simply making consistent investments in our self-education and knowledge banks pays major dividends throughout our lives. I suggest having a minimum amount of time set aside for reading books, listening to audiocassettes, attending seminars, keeping a journal and spending time with other successful people. Charlie Tremendous Jones says you will be in five years the sum total of the books you read and the people you are around.

3) Financial Planning. I call it the 70/30 plan. After receiving your paycheck or paying yourself, simply setting aside 10% for saving, 10% for investing and 10% for giving, and over time this will guarantee financial independence for a teenager.

If a young person, or for that matter an adult, focused on doing these three simple things over a long period of time I believe they will be assured success!

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

OBSTACLES ARE THE STEPPING STONES OF SUCCESS by Harvey Mackay

2007-02-09T16:59:00.000+07:00

A man was walking in the park one day when he came upon a cocoon with a small opening. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It looked like it had gotten as far as it could, so the man decided to help the butterfly. He used his pocketknife and snipped the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily, but something was strange. The butterfly had a swollen body and shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected at any moment the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and deformed wings. It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to emerge was natural. It was nature's way of forcing fluid from its body into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives.

If we were allowed to go through life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly.

History has shown us that the most celebrated winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats.

My good friend, Lou Holtz, football coach of the University of South Carolina, once told me, "Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I'll show you someone who has overcome adversity."

Beethoven composed his greatest works after becoming deaf. George Washington was snowed in through a treacherous winter at Valley Forge. Abraham Lincoln was raised in poverty. Albert Einstein was called a slow learner, retarded and uneducable. If Christopher Columbus had turned back, no one could have blamed him, considering the constant adversity he endured.

As an elementary student, actor James Earl Jones (a.k.a. Darth Vader) stuttered so badly he communicated with friends and teachers using written notes.

Itzhak Perlman, the incomparable concert violinist, was born to parents who survived a Nazi concentration camp and has been paralyzed from the waist down since the age of four.

Chester Carlson, a young inventor, took his idea to 20 big corporations in the 1940s. After seven years of rejections, he was able to persuade Haloid, a small company in Rochester, N.Y., to purchase the rights to his electrostatic paper- copying process. Haloid has since become Xerox Corporation.

Thomas Edison tried over 2,000 experiments before he was able to get his light bulb to work. Upon being asked how he felt about failing so many times, he replied, "I never failed once. I invented the light bulb. It just happened to be a 2,000-step process."

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, elected President of the United States for four terms, had been stricken with polio at the age of 39.

Persistence paid off for General Douglas MacArthur. After applying for admission to West Point twice, he applied a third time and was accepted. The rest is history.
In 1927 the head instructor of the John Murray Anderson Drama School, instructed student Lucille Ball, to "Try any other profession. Any other."

Buddy Holly was fired from the Decca record label in 1956 by Paul Cohen, Nashville "Artists and Repertoire Man." Cohen called Holly "the biggest no-talent I ever worked with."

Academy Award-winning writer, producer and director Woody Allen failed motion picture production at New York University (NYU) and City College of New York. He also flunked English at NYU.

Helen Keller, the famous blind author and speaker, said: "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved. Silver is purified in fire and so are we. It is in the most trying times that our real character is shaped and revealed."

Mackay's Moral: There is no education like the university of adversity.

SEVEN TECHNIQUES FOR OVERCOMING THE TENDENCY TO PROCRASTINATE by Dr. Denis Waitley

2007-02-09T13:59:00.000+07:00

The science of physics recognizes two kinds of inertia - both of which can be related to procrastination. The first law states, "Standing objects tend to remain stationary." The second law is the inverse: "Moving objects tend to stay in motion."

Procrastination is stationary inertia. We aren’t moving, and we therefore don't move!

Procrastination overcome, however, moves us into the arena where the law of motion takes over. We frequently find that once we've started a project or process, we stay with it until completion. One of my favorite sayings from my friend Dr. Robert Schuller is posted on my word processor: "Beginning is Half Done!" (I've modified it to say, "Beginning is Half Won!")

Here are seven techniques to overcome procrastination:

1. Take five minutes to identify what you are putting off.
On a blank sheet of paper, note several important activities that you realize you are delaying or have put on hold.

2. Look at your list of tasks and do one of them right now.
Put the energy you've been directing toward excuses into the activity you've been avoiding. You'll discover that action eliminates anxiety.

3. If getting started is the hard part for you, set a designated time slot in the day to work on the list.
Set aside thirty minutes of your lunch hour for work specifically on one job, project, or personal goal that you've been avoiding or find difficult to start.

4. Don't worry about perfection.
What counts is quality of effort, not perfect results. Don't let yourself get bogged down with a preoccupation for perfectionism.

5. If what you are putting off involves other people, consult with them.
Your reasons for delaying action may be imaginary. Lack of communication often turns molehills into mountains.

6. If you fear the consequences associated with the action you've been avoiding, ask yourself, "What's the worst thing that could happen If I did this today?" The worst-case scenario most likely would be a minor inconvenience or a temporary setback.

7. Finally, Vividly picture how you'll feel once the task is done.
Freedom from anxiety. Freedom from nagging pressures. Freedom from self-doubt. Accomplishing put-off tasks will give you a great boost of confidence and energy!

Ground breaking requires TNT. To blast your way out of apathy and overcoming procrastination. Remember what TNT means: Today! Not Tomorrow!

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

2006-08-25T18:52:00.000+07:00

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

2006-06-14T12:26:00.000+07:00

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

2006-05-10T14:45:00.000+07:00

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

2006-05-05T10:18:00.000+07:00

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

2006-04-21T12:28:00.000+07:00

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

2006-03-21T20:13:00.000+07:00

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

2006-02-21T19:06:00.000+07:00

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

2006-02-02T20:35:00.000+07:00

(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

2006-01-30T20:58:00.000+07:00

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

2006-01-27T19:06:00.000+07:00

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

2006-01-17T17:21:00.000+07:00

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

2006-01-16T02:17:00.000+07:00

"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?

2006-01-13T17:11:00.000+07:00

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

2006-01-11T19:36:00.000+07:00

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

2006-01-11T19:32:00.000+07:00

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

2006-01-11T19:29:00.000+07:00

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

2006-01-11T19:28:00.000+07:00

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

2006-01-11T19:26:00.000+07:00

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)

2006-01-11T19:22:00.000+07:00

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

2006-01-11T17:21:00.000+07:00

(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.

LEARNING FROM EINSTEIN'S CREATIVITY by Ron White (editted)

2005-12-30T16:08:00.000+07:00

One of the most famous quotes of Einstein is when he said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Einstein was putting value on creativity here. His theories and ideas were all about creativity. When he made a working boxcar for his son out of shoestring and some boxes, that was creativity. When he was down and out and needed money and posted an ad for tutoring lessons; that was creativity in making money.

Since Einstein accomplished some of the greatest thoughts of our time, an argument could be made that he was one of the most creative people of all time. You can know more about your product than anyone and have more degrees than anyone you know, but if you don't have a little bit of creativity to take advantage of what you have, then it is useless. Credentials and knowledge will do you little good if you lack the creativity to take advantage of them.

So you may ask yourself, "What is creativity?"

That is an excellent question -- let's go straight to the source to answer it. Einstein said, "CREATIVITY is seeing what other see and THINKING what no one else has thought."

Robert Kennedy said the same thing this way, "I look at things that are and I ask why? I look at things that never were and ask why not?" Robert Kennedy was talking about creativity, just as Einstein was.

So how do you do it? How do you model the creativity of Albert Einstein?

First of all, we need to address the idea of the limiting belief that you are not creative.

There is a prevailing belief that creativity is an inborn trait - you are either creative or you're not. Well, while creativity is an inborn trait, we are all born with a creative brain (your right cerebral hemisphere) and have many creative skills. Children are naturally curious and eager to explore the world around them and spend hours playing with toys, making up imaginary friends and pretend games. But as we get older, we begin to lose some of our natural creativity as we learn and use more left-brain thinking skills in school and at work. Research shows that our propensity to generate original ideas reduces from 90% at age 5, to 20% at age 7 and even further to 2% as adults! However, unless you have suffered brain damage in your right hemisphere or had it surgically removed, you still have a creative brain; so you are still creative. It's just that maybe you don't use your creativity skills as much as you used to.

Now for the good news! You can reawaken your creative brainpower.

What would Einstein tell you in regards to increasing your creativity? Well, we don't have to guess on that one, because he did tell us. He said, "The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."

Develop the curiosity of a child. Leonardo Da Vinci, who is said to be one of the greatest geniuses of all time, also had this creativity. I don't think that it is a coincidence that Leonardo and Einstein were both extremely creative and that so many years after their deaths we are still talking about them.

Let me give you a few of Da Vinci's credentials:

500 years ago he:

- drew blue prints for the worlds first helicopter
- drew blueprints for a submarine
- built an extendable ladder that is still being used by fire departments today
- built the world's first hydraulic jack
- built a rotating stage
- and 500 years ago he built a water powered alarm clock!

Those are some pretty amazing credentials if you ask me.

Curiosity might have "killed the cat" but it can help you think like a genius. Leonardo Da Vinci had a book of questions. In this journal of sorts he would write down questions as fast as they would pop into his head. He would write down questions such as:

why do birds fly?

why do they slow down as they land?

what do their feathers do?

The interesting thing is that he didn't worry about the answers. He simply wrote down the questions because he knew something about the power of the human mind. He knew the subconscious mind was powerful and if he wrote down the questions his subconscious mind would continue to work on the answers.

Creativity is defined by Webster as "creative ability or intellectual inventiveness." This is a skill that everyone has to some extent. There are ways to improve your ability to create and generate new ideas. Not everyone can be a great artist or a creative genius, but it makes sense to make the most of the potential we are given.

Brainstorming is an extremely good way at practicing creativity. A brainstorm can work with an individual or a group. This technique requires the generation of as many ideas as quickly as possible to solve a problem.

It does not matter how outlandish an idea might be, all ideas are written down. The ideas need to be written down, and a time limit should be imposed for accepting ideas. If this is a group brainstorm, an individual should be appointed as recorder to write down the ideas. If this is an individual project, the person should write as the thoughts come. Remember the less judgment of ideas the greater the number of ideas generated. Although many of the ideas may be unreasonable and ineffective, they may lead you to the idea that will really work. It is helpful to set a goal for the number of ideas you wish to generate. This will give you something to work toward, and may unleash the perfect solution.

Journal your thoughts for future use. This includes writing down dreams, insights, experiences, quotes, problems with friends, and any other information that is pertinent to you. This should have some kind of organization so you can look back on it periodically. You may find the answer to a problem in last month's dream, so remember to review these personal logs frequently. This system will compliment the complex subconscious mind, and allow you to retrieve from this boundless resource.

Allow your ideas to develop and follow through on them. It is said that a good idea is worth fifty cents, and the plan to implement that plan is worth millions of dollars. It has been said another way as well: Anyone who has ever taken a shower has had an idea. It is the man who gets out of the shower, dries off and does something about it that changes the world.

As you learn about creativity and the techniques that work best for you, a whole new world will open up to you. Creativity can be helpful in problem solving, dealing with people, and creating success in all areas of your life. Take the time to tap into your greatest power, the power of the imagination and increase your creativity in all areas of life.

Sometimes when we face a problem we struggle with our thoughts so much, our energy is spent. The stress that comes with this kind of problem solving also affects how we think. If the anxiety level becomes too high, parts of the brain will shut down and it is impossible to generate the ideas needed to deal with the problem. When faced with too much stress the mind goes into the "fight or flight" mode. This allows the mind to deal with only two alternatives, fighting the opponent or fleeing the danger.

You can avoid these mind numbing emotions by altering your environment. When you feel yourself getting stressed out or you begin losing your focus, walk away from everything for a change of scenery. Allow yourself to focus on another task. Some people, golf, juggle, or exercise to get away from their mind blocks. When you return to this important task, you will have shifted from your stressed out mind set to a new relaxed and ready to conquer attitude.

Blaise Pascal said, "Almost all of the problems of mankind arise from the inability to be alone with oneself in a room for any period of time."

Getting away from the problem allows your subconscious mind to problem solve, while your conscious mind is occupied with other things. Sometimes you will find the solution to your problem in your sleep. This is when the subconscious mind is most active. Basically, all your experiences and learnings are stored in this part of the brain. This is where your creativity gets turbo-powered. If you can tap into this force you will have creative powers beyond your wildest expectations.

Another good way to help your creativity is to read. That is right, read.

You see when you read your subconscious mind is automatically creating pictures whether you like it or not. So develop a passion for reading and watch your creativity increase. Both Einstein and Da Vinci were avid readers. Model this behavior and watch your creativity increase.

Einstein said that he would simply imagine it so and then go about to prove it. In other words the creative process occurred before the experiments.

POTENTIALIZE YOUR OPPORTUNITIES by Mark Victor Hansen

2005-12-22T21:10:00.000+07:00

I remember watching the movie "Dead Poet's Society" when it was first released in the theatres. Robin Williams's character is a professor who wants his students to think for themselves, so he makes them stand on top of their desks to view things in a different way. That really stuck with me.

When you think about it, people hardly ever look at the world through their own eyes. They get their information filtered through the eyes of others, whether they're the eyes of the media, politicians, friends or family. But what looks like one thing to someone may look totally different to someone else. To really see what's going on in the world, to see what opportunities exist for us, we have to see the world through our own eyes in our own way.

We all need to recognize and potentialize opportunities when we see them. What do I mean by potentialize? When something has potential it has power, it expresses possibility, it is influential and effective.

As we go through each day we should be on the lookout for any situation that expresses possibility. Any situation. To attain the success you desire you have to recognize possibility everywhere and then stretch and flex your mind to create million-dollar ideas. And you're not limited to just one. The more you practice seeing the possible in daily life, the better you will become. Then you take those small possibilities and potentialize them and create great monetary abundance. (or non monetary abundance, depending on your needs)

We all have the ability to potentialize opportunities and create phenomenal physical/emotional wealth. And the amazing thing is that there are multiple possibilities for potentalizing in every situation! Just because someone comes up with a new way to do something doesn't mean that there isn't yet another way to do it. We have each been blessed with individual characteristics and abilities that no one else has. We each have our own special way of doing things. And that means we each have the ability to potentialize in our own unique way.

'Be grateful for your problems, for they stimulate an 'I-can-solve-it' new attitude.'

7 KEYS FOR JOYFUL LIVING! by Chris Widener

2005-12-22T21:05:00.000+07:00

Here are some thoughts for finding and experiencing joy in your life. If there were one thing I could wish upon my family, friends and the readers of this Ezine, it would be joy in everything they do!

Know your purpose. Nothing will bring you joy more than knowing what it is that you are about on this earth. Not knowing brings sadness, wondering, fear and lack of fulfillment. Above all, find out what your unique purpose is here on this earth - then fulfill it! As you do, you will experience joy!

Live purposefully. This is a follow up to number one. It is one thing to know your purpose, but then you need to live according to that purpose. This is a matter of priorities. Let your actions and schedule reflect your purpose. Don't react to circumstances and let them cause you to live without your purpose fully in site. Living without your purpose will cause frustration. Living purposefully will bring you deep satisfaction and joy!

Stretch yourself. Don't settle into the status quo. That will leave you unfulfilled. Always look to stretch yourself. Whatever you are doing, stretch yourself to do more! Stretching yourself will break the limits you have set for yourself and will cause you to find joy in your expanded horizons!

Give more than you take. It brings happiness to accumulate. It brings joy to give away. Sure, getting the car you worked hard for will bring you a sense of satisfaction and even happiness. But it won't bring you joy. Giving something away to the less fortunate will bring you deep, abiding joy.

Surprise yourself and others too. The words here are spontaneity and surprise! Every once in a while, do the unexpected. It will cause everybody to sit back and say, "Wow, where did that come from?" It will put a little joy in your life, and theirs.

Indulge yourself sometimes. Too much indulgence and you are caught in the happiness trap; looking for the next purchase, celebration, etc., to bring you a little "happiness high." But if you will allow yourself an infrequent indulgence as a reward for a job well done and a life well lived, you will appreciate the indulgence and experience the joy of it.

Laugh a little - no, a lot! Most people are just too serious. We need to laugh a little - no, a lot! Learn to laugh daily, even if you have to learn to laugh in bad situations. This life is to be enjoyed! The next time you go to the movie rental store, get a comedy and let loose! Let yourself laugh!

Joy can be yours! Look for it, pursue it and enjoy it!

Being Before Doing - by John C. Maxwell

2005-09-20T19:38:00.000+07:00

Live right, and you will eat from the life-giving tree. And if you act wisely, others will follow. Proverbs 11:30 (cev)

I believe people tend to think of leadership only in terms of action. But leadership is so much more than just that. Leadership is not just something you do; it's something you are. And that's one of the reasons good leaders have such strong magnetism. People are attracted to who they are.

All leaders desire results, but being must precede doing. To achieve higher goals, you must be a more effective leader. To attract better people, you must be a better person yourself. To achieve greater results, you must be a person of great character. A common problem occurs when a leader's real identity and the desired results don't match up. But when leaders display consistency of character, competence, and purpose, it makes a powerful statement to the people around them-and it draws those people to them.

If you desire to do great things with your life, then seek to become a better person and a better leader. Nothing great can be achieved alone. Any task worth doing requires the help of others. And if you want to attract good people, you've got to become a better person yourself. If you're willing to do that, then you can leave the results to God.

From the book: "The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader's Day" by John C. Maxwell

How to hanle Conflict

2005-09-04T16:09:00.000+07:00

DON'T LET CONFLICT KEEP YOU FROM SUCCESS by Chris Widener

Anytime you are making ground and moving toward success, there will inevitably be the opportunity for conflict. That is just a fact of life. You put two people or more in a group and there is potential for conflict - and conflict, improperly handled, can destroy your ability to continue on and achieve your goals.

This is true in many areas of life, from the boardroom to the schoolroom. It can happen in marriage and it can happen between friends and business associates. And when conflict goes bad, success doesn't happen. The good news is that conflict can be healthy and can actually move you closer to success. Success is based on relationships and relationships offer the chance of conflict, so to get success, you must master conflict. So with that in mind, here are some ideas for handling conflict.

A. When you are the one who is confronting the problem with someone else:

1. Don't assume. Don't assume the worst. Don't assume that they meant what you think they did. Don't assume they know any better. Don't assume they did it on purpose. The fact is that most of the time our assumptions are incorrect and all our assumptions do is cause us to get out of a deeper hole.

2. Ask questions. Since you can't assume anything, you must begin your confrontation by finding out the facts as that person sees them. Here are some questions to ask: What was your intention in saying or doing that (Maybe they had good but misguided intentions)? What were the thoughts behind those words or actions (Maybe they actually have a well thought out position that you hadn't thought of)? Are you aware of how that might have been perceived (Maybe they just missed how that would be seen. Everybody is entitled to blow it)?

3. Tell them how you perceive things, or how you feel, rather than what they did. It is never good to start out with telling somebody, "You did this!" Instead, you can say something like, "I feel like your action may have been better if you would have..." Or, "I think that the way that came across may have been..."

4. Deal with one issue at a time. If they battle back a bit, you may be tempted to say, "Well, that isn't all! As a matter of fact, a number of us here think that you also need to work on..." If there is another issue, then deal with it at a separate time. Too many conflicts go around and around and don't end up solving the original issue. Stick to one point and see it through to understanding.

B. When someone is confronting you:

1. Don't take it personally. Worst-case scenario, you blew it. But that doesn't make you a bad person. So don't act like they have accused your character (unless they have, in which case you should try to get the conversation back to the facts). When we take things personally we become even more protective and we tend to become defensive and in the end escalate the conflict even more.

2. Don't counterattack. This gets back to dealing with one issue at a time. Don't try to justify or hide from the conflict the person has with you by showing him or her their problems. If they have a problem, great, talk about it later. Don't muddy the waters with debate about who is better, or as the case may be, less guilty. As hard as it may be, let the conversation run its course until it is solved.

3. Ask for some time to give it objective reflection. One way to stop conflict from escalating is simply to ask for time to consider it. Most of the time when people confront us, we had no idea it was coming. Our natural tendency is to fight out of reaction. If we go and think about it, we can be objective and approach the situation objectively, or at least more so.

4. Set a time to get back with them and discuss the issue. Let the person know that you take their concern seriously and that you want to deal with it in a timely manner. Set a time, no more than three days away, to get back together. You will keep from reacting, and they may even find that they had confronted too soon themselves.

C. Either way:

1. Keep your eye on the big picture. Is this the hill you want to die on? Determine how important this issue really is. Most things simply aren't worth getting too upset about, or so upset that the relationship breaks down. Is a productive business relationship worth sacrificing over the fact that you partner wears too much cologne or their spouse talks loudly at parties? Of course not, but some people go to war over those things. Is your husband worth giving up on because he leaves his underwear on the floor? Now, for the sake of argument, the reverse is true: The other person could wear less cologne or pick up their underwear, because that is an easy way to make the other person happy. Ask yourself if this is really a big deal. If it is, proceed.

2. Always respect the other person as a person. No matter what they have done, they are a person of value and deserve to be treated that way. They are not summed up and defined by their mistake. They have hopes and dreams, fears and worries, strengths and weaknesses. Take some time to picture them outside the office, playing with their kids or doing something fun. This will personalize your issue and keep you from going overboard.

3. Be solution oriented. Whatever you do, don't focus on the problem. Ask yourself and the other person to approach the issue with the idea that you are both working for a solution that will be mutually beneficial. Rather than ask, "Why in the world did you do that stupid thing? What were you thinking?" Ask, "Okay, what is done is done - what can we do to fix this again?" That is much more productive. The goal is to get things going again, not continually punish the other person.

Conflict doesn't have to end in a bad way. In fact, it can cause you to develop a deeper and more trusting relationship with the person you have had conflict with. So the next time you have to confront, or you are being confronted, follow the advice above and you will be much further along toward getting through your conflict in a positive way.

Integrity 101 #1

2005-09-04T15:21:00.000+07:00

"Integrity" seems to be an interesting word lately, it keep popping-up around me. From friend's talk about his concerns at work, or chitchat in the cafe discussing the recent news, etc, all seems to be rooted in the word "integrity".. So it's only befitting when I read the Daily Devotional email from John C. Maxwell, which I found it interesting, and share it in my blogger.

Are You a Whole Person?
by John C. Maxwell

A person with integrity does not have divided loyalties (that's duplicity), nor is he or she merely pretending (that's hypocrisy). People with integrity are "whole" people; they can be identified by their single-mindedness. People with integrity have nothing to hide and nothing to fear. Their lives are open books. V. Gilbert Beers says, "A person of integrity is one who has established a system of values against which all of life is judged."

Integrity is not what we do, so much as who we are. And who we are, in turn, determines what we do. We are all faced with conflicting desires. No one, no matter how "spiritual," can avoid this battle. Integrity is the factor that determines which desire will prevail. We struggle daily with situations that demand decisions between what we want to do and what we ought to do.

Integrity establishes the ground rules for resolving these tensions. It allows us to predetermine what we will be regardless of circumstances, persons involved, or the places of our testing. It frees us to be whole persons no matter what comes our way.

God hates cheating in the marketplace; He loves it when business is aboveboard. Proverbs 11:1 (The Message)
[Taken from Daily Devotional by John C. Maxwell]

WHY WEIGH, COUNT AND MEASURE? by Jim Rohn

2005-08-24T20:15:00.000+07:00

Three key words to remember: weigh, count and measure. Now why weigh, count and measure? To see what your results are from your activity, your attitude and your philosophy. If you find that the results are not to your liking there are only three places to look. Your philosophy needs to be fine-tuned; your attitude needs to be strengthened or your disciplines need extra skill. But that's it. Activity, attitude and philosophy create results.

Now on results I teach that life expects you to make measurable progress in reasonable time. But, you must be reasonable with time. You can't say to someone every five minutes, how are you doing now? That's too soon to ask for a count. Guy says, "I haven't left the building yet, give me a break!" Now you can't wait five years - that's too long. Too many things can go wrong waiting too long for a count to see how you're doing.

Here are some good time frames:

Number one - at the end of the day. You can't let more than a day go by without looking at some things and making progress. Old Testament says - if you are angry; try to solve it before the sun goes down. Don't carry anger for another day. It may be too heavy to carry. If you try to carry it for a week, it may drop you to your knees. So some things you must get done in a day.

Here's the next one - a week. We ask for an accounting of the week so we can issue the pay. And whatever you've got coming that's what you get; when the week is over. Now in business there are two things to check in the course of the week. Your activity count and your productivity count. Because activity leads to productivity we need to count both to see how we're doing.

My mentor taught me that success is a numbers game and very early he started asking me my numbers. He asked, "How many books have you read in the last ninety days?" I said, "Zero"; he said, "Not a good number." He said, "How many classes have you attended in the last six months to improve your skills?" And I said, "Zero." He said, "Not a good number." Then he said, "In the last six years that you've been working, how much money have you saved and invested?" I said, "Zero" and he said, "Not a good number." Then here's what he said, "Mr. Rohn, if these numbers don't change your life won't change. "But" he said, "If you'll start improving these numbers then perhaps you'll start to see everything change for you."

Success and results are a numbers game. John joins this little sales company. He's supposed to make 10 calls the first week just to get acquainted with the territory. So on Friday we call him in and say what? "How many calls?" He says, "Well." You say, "John, 'well' won't fit in the little box here. I need a number." Now he starts with a story. And you say, "John, the reason I made this little box so small is so a story won't fit. All I need is a number because if you give us the number we're so brilliant around here we could guess the story." It's the numbers that count. Making measurable progress in reasonable time.

Here's the best accounting. The accounting you make of yourself. Don't wait for the government to do it; don't wait for the company to do it. But you've got to add up some of your own numbers and ask, "Am I making the progress I want and will it take me where I want to go now and in the future?" You be the judge!

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

THE "BEN FRANKLIN METHOD" FOR WINNING PEOPLE OVER by Bob Burg

2005-08-24T19:56:00.000+07:00

So often in this ezine we talk about giving before getting, and that is certainly a very important aspect of helping a person to feel comfortable with you, and want to do for you. Whether in social relationships or sales, being the first to reach out is an extremely effective human relations strategy, as well as just a generally nice way to be. But we learn from one of America's more well-known founders, Benjamin Franklin, how taking the opposite approach can have excellent results as well.

In his book, "Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and Other Writings", the inventor, statesman, and diplomat tells of an incident with a man who opposed his being re-chosen as Clerk of the General Assembly of the Pennsylvania House. Although he did manage to keep the office, Ben knew that this person, whom he described as "a gentleman of fortune and education with talents that were likely to give him, in time, great influence in the House," could be trouble later on. He aimed to insure that didn't happen by making, of an enemy, a friend.

Let's let Ben tell us how he did it:

"I did not, however, aim at gaining his favour by paying any servile respect to him, but after some time took this other method. Having heard that he had in his library a certain very scarce and curious book, I wrote a note to him expressing my desire of perusing that book and requesting he would do me the favour of lending it to me for a few days. He sent it immediately - and I returned it in about a week with another note expressing strongly my sense of the favour. When we next met in the House, he spoke to me (which he had never done before), and with great civility. And he ever afterwards manifested a readiness to serve me on all occasions, so that we became great friends, and our friendship continued to his death.

"This is another instance of the truth of an old maxim I had learned, which says, 'He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another than he whom you yourself have obliged.' And it shows how much more profitable it is prudently to remove, than to resent, return, and continue inimical proceedings."

Understand that both ways work (giving first and getting first); it's just a matter of judging the method that will work best depending upon both the situation and the other person involved. Either way, what Ben said in his final sentence makes a whole lot of sense. To paraphrase: We're better off making a friend than keeping an enemy.

Have an awesome WINNING WITHOUT INTIMIDATION week!

Note: never disrespect to the kindness a person have given to you, you may need more from them than you anticipate :D

THE BILLIONAIRE'S STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS by Brian Tracy

2005-08-24T19:31:00.000+07:00

The key principle of success discovered by the world's richest man and how you can use it in your own life.

John Paul Getty became the richest man in the world by practicing a few basic principles of risk-taking and reward throughout his life.

In this newsletter you will learn his key insight to risk reduction and success and how you can apply it to any decision you have to make. You learn a series of additional ideas that can help you to make better decisions and reduce the risks associated with success.

How To Assess A Decision

Whenever John Paul Getty was considering a business decision, he would ask, "What's the worst possible thing that could happen in this situation?"

Then, when he was clear about the worst possible outcome, he focused all his attention on making sure that it didn't happen.

You should apply this technique to every risk situation or investment you ever make.

The Billionaire's Strategy for Success

Remember Murphy's Law: "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." There are several secondary laws to Murphy's Law, such as "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong at the worst possible time" and "Of all the things that can go wrong, the most expensive thing will go wrong at the worst possible time."

Another sub law is "Everything takes longer than your best calculation." In advising businesspeople, I suggest that they take their very best estimate of break-even for any business venture and then triple it to arrive at a more realistic number. Whenever businesspeople follow this advice, they are amazed to find that, in spite of their best initial calculations, it indeed takes about three times longer than they thought it would to start making money.

Always Add A Fudge Factor
Another sub-law is "Everything costs more than you can possibly anticipate in advance." In minimizing risk in any venture, always add a "fudge factor" to account for the degree of uncertainty. Whenever I do a business plan, I always add 20 percent to the total of all costs that I can identify, to come up with the probable cost. Anything less than this, whether in business or your personal life, is likely to be an exercise in self-delusion and open you up for some unhappy surprises.

Once you have identified the worst possible things that could go wrong, make a list of everything that you could do to offset these negative factors. Engage in what is called "crisis anticipation." Look down the road, into the future, and imagine every possible crisis that could arise as the result of changing external circumstances.

Be Intensely Realistic

Men and women who have achieved a high level of success are intensely realistic. They do not put their trust in luck. They carefully calculate every possible risk, and then think about what they would do should it occur. They always have a backup plan in case things do not go as they wish them to. They have a "Plan B" and options to that plan that take all kinds of variables into consideration.

Do The Things You Fear

One of the very best ways to develop your ability to take intelligent risks is to consciously and deliberately do the things you fear, one step at a time.

A very good way to overcome the fear of risk taking is to set clear, written, measurable goals for yourself, and then to review those goals regularly.

When you have clear goals and plans, and you continually work on them and evaluate your progress each day, you will see what you're doing right and how you could improve your performance. You'll feel more competent and capable and better about yourself. You'll become more thoughtful and reflective and willing to take on even greater challenges. You'll feel like the "master of your fate and the captain of your soul." And your likelihood of success will become greater and greater.

Action Exercises

Now, here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, take any worry situation in your life today and ask, "What is the worst possible thing that could happen?" Then go to work to make sure it doesn't occur.

Second, look into the future in your life and determine the worst things that could happen. Engage in "crisis anticipation" regularly and continually be taking steps to guard against them.

Third, work from clear, written goals and detailed plans. Review them regularly. Consider alternatives and always look for ways to increase the likelihood of your success.

Note: well, I am not 100% on the author this time, but on some cases, he got a strong points which may have a wisdom in it. so i just publish it here for you to judge. don't shoot the messanger :D

ABANDONMENT IS TREMENDOUS by Charlie "Tremendous" Jones

2005-08-24T19:04:00.000+07:00

There just isn't time to do all you want to do and all that you need do. It is easy for us to teach abandonment to others, but the leader knows the price of abandonment, beginning with his own thought processes.

What do you think about? Let's go a step further, what do you talk about? Someone once said that little people talk about things, medium sized people talk about people, and big people talk about ideas. Which kind of people do you like to be around?

How are your reading habits; how many books have your read this year, how many are you reading now, how many of the ideas you've received from the books have you shared? The power of a single book at the right time in a life is unlimited.

The leader leads the way, showing that leaders are readers. You should not only keep a flow of books for yourself, but give them away. Paperbacks are inexpensive and popular. I share a book list that points out the books that have been the most influential of my life.

The leader is constantly learning to abandon the things that come naturally, like DISCOURAGEMENT. Discouragement is, without a doubt, the most expensive luxury we can afford. When I become wealthy, I plan to get discouraged for a week at a time, but I can't afford but a few minutes a day right now. Most people I know must really be wealthy now, for all the discouragement they seem to be enjoying. Sometimes I'm asked if I ever get discouraged, and I reply, "Yes, often." But I never let anyone know about it, because if I allow you to know how discouraged I am, you'll become discouraged, you'll discourage me more than I am, and I can't hardly stand how much I have now. So abandon discouragement and all the other attitude killers as you become the leader you are meant to be!

Tremendously,
Charles "T" Jones

WE GOT PROBLEMS by Ron White

2005-08-15T20:36:00.000+07:00

One of my friends is in the Navy. He recently shared a story with me that I thought had implications for the business world. The story he relayed was of a uniform inspection.

A few days before an upcoming inspection, he found a cover (or hat) that is normally white but this one was light blue. It was obviously a gag and being sold in the store on base. He bought it and then placed it in his locker. On the day of the inspection, he was getting ready with a friend and he opened up his locker and acted surprised. He said, "Oh No!" His friend could sense the distress in his voice and urgently asked, "What's wrong?"

Without saying a word, my friend pulled the light blue hat out of his locker and held it up. The sailor he was playing the joke on instantly stated, "We got problems." My friend did his best to contain his laughter and let the prank go on as long as he could.

What is the lesson here? What did the sailor say when he thought his fellow sailor was about to fail the inspection? He said, "WE got problems." Not, "YOU got problems." You see, this sailor saw a problem in his unit as his problem.

John Maxwell tells us that if we have been with a company for longer than one year every problem in our department is our problem. Don't sit around and wait for problems to be solved because it isn't currently your problem. I assure you of this, if you allow problems to go unchecked because you believe it is not under your job description, eventually the problem will grow and it will become your problem. At this point, solving the problem is going to be a greater challenge.

Remember...It is about team work. If your co-worker has a problem then..."We got problems."

TAPROOT OF TRUST by Stephen R. Covey

2005-07-18T17:55:00.000+07:00

Efforts to empower employees and to align systems will be forever frustrated in cultures of low or no trust.

I have long advocated a natural, gradual, day-by-day, step-by-step, sequential approach to personal and organizational development. My feeling is that any product or program whether it deals with losing weight or mastering skills that promise "quick, free, instant, and easy" results is probably not based on correct principles. And yet virtually all advertising uses one or more of these words to entice us to buy. Small wonder many of us are addicted to "quick fix" approaches.

In this article, I suggest that real character and skill development are irrevocably related to natural laws and governing principles; when we observe these, we gain the strength to break with the past, to overcome old habits, to change our paradigms, and to achieve primary greatness and interpersonal effectiveness.

Of course, we do not live alone on islands, isolated from other people. We are born into families; we grow up in societies; we become students of schools, members of other organizations. Once into our professions, we find that our jobs require us to interact frequently and effectively with others. If we fail to learn and apply the principles of interpersonal effectiveness, we can expect our progress to slow or stop.

And so we must also acquire the attitudes, skills, and strategies for creating and maintaining trustful relationships. In effect, once we become relatively independent, our challenge is to become effectively interdependent with others. To do this, we must practice empathy and synergy in our efforts to be proactive and productive.

Very early in my life, at age twenty, I was assigned to manage the work of others and to train men and women more than twice my age in the principles and skills of effective management and leadership. It was a humbling, frightening experience.

Like me, most people once on their own soon find themselves in some sort of "management" position. Often these responsibilities come before we are ready for them. But we learn by doing and by making mistakes, and overtime we gain some degree of competence and confidence.

When we become leaders of organizations, we encounter a whole new set of problems. Some of these are chronic others acute. Many are as common to Fortune 500 companies as they are to families, small businesses, and volunteer groups: certain conditions of organizational effectiveness apply across the board.

No leader can afford to forget that personal and organizational integrity are closely intertwined. Nor can any leader afford to lose sight of the mission and shared vision the constitution of the corporation.

Personal Dilemmas

Throughout history, the most significant breakthroughs have been breaks with the old ways of thinking, the old models and paradigms. Principle-centered leadership is a breakthrough paradigm a new way of thinking that helps resolve the classic dilemmas of modern living: How do we achieve and maintain a wise and renewing balance between work and family and between personal and professional areas of life in the middle of constant crises and pressures? How do we adhere to simplicity in the thick of terrible complexity?
How do we maintain a sense of direction in today's wilderness where well developed road maps (strategies and plans) are rendered useless by rapid change that often hits us from the blind side?

How do we look at human weakness with genuine compassion and understanding rather than accusation and self-justification?

How can we be genuinely happy for the successes and competencies of another?

How do we replace prejudice (the tendency to pre-judge and categorize people in order to manipulate them) with a sense of reverence and discovery in order to promote learning, achievement, and excellence in people?

How can we be empowered (and empower other people) with confidence and competence to solve problems and seize opportunities without being or fearing loose cannons?

How do we encourage the desire to change and improve without creating more pain than gain?

How can we be contributing members of a complementary team based on mutual respect and the valuing of diversity and pluralism?

Where do we start, and how do we keep recharging our batteries to maintain momentum for learning, growing, and improving?

Management Dilemmas

Principle-centered leadership will also help you to resolve the classic managerial and organizational dilemmas: How do we maintain control, and yet give people the freedom and autonomy they need to be effective in their work? How can we have a culture characterized by change, flexibility, and continuous improvement and still maintain a sense of stability and security?

How do we get our people, the culture, aligned with the strategy so that everyone in the organization is as committed to the strategy as those who formulated it?

How do we unleash the creativity, resourcefulness, talent, and energy of the vast majority of the present work force whose jobs neither require nor reward such use?

How do we clearly see that the dilemma of whether to play tough hardball to produce a bottom line or to play softball to "be nice" to people is based on a false dichotomy?

How do we serve and eat the lunch of champions (feedback) and then the dinner of champions (course correction) within the context of the breakfast of champions (vision)?

How do we turn a mission statement into a constitution the supreme guiding force of the entire organization instead of a bunch of nebulous, meaningless, cynicism-inducing platitudes?

How do we create a culture where management treats employees as customers and uses them as local experts?

How do we internalize the principles of total quality and continuous improvement in all our people at all levels of the organization when they are so cynical and fatigued from the disillusionment in the wake of all the past programs of the month?

How do we create team spirit and harmony among departments and people who have been attacking, criticizing, contending for scare resources, playing political games and working from hidden agendas for years?

Perhaps you have asked yourself one or more of these questions as you have grappled with real-life challenges in your personal life and in your organizations. As you gain an understanding of the basic principles of effective leadership, you will be empowered to answer these and other tough questions by yourself. Without this understanding, you will continue to use hit-and-miss, seat-of-the-pants approaches to living and problem solving.

Four Levels, Four Principles

Principle-centered leadership is practiced from the inside-out on four levels:

1) personal (my relationship with myself);
2) interpersonal (my relationships and interactions with others);
3) managerial (my responsibility to get a job done with others); and
4) organizational (my need to organize people to recruit them, train them, compensate them, build teams, solve problems, and create aligned structure, strategy, and systems).

Each level is "necessary but insufficient," meaning we have to work at all levels on the basis of certain master principles.

Trustworthiness at the Personal Level.

Trustworthiness is based on character what you are as a person and competence, what you can do. If you have faith in my character but not in my competence, you still wouldn't trust me.

Many good, honest people gradually lose their professional trustworthiness because they allow themselves to become "obsolete" inside their organizations. Without character and competence, we won't be considered trustworthy. Nor will we show much wisdom in our choices and decisions. Without meaningful on-going professional development, there is little trustworthiness or trust.

Trust at the Interpersonal Level.

Trustworthiness is the foundation of trust. Trust is the emotional bank account between two people, which enables two parties to have a win-win performance agreement. If two people trust each other, based on the trustworthiness of each other, they can then enjoy clear communication, empathy, synergy, and productive interdependency. If one is incompetent, training and development can help. But if one has a character flaw, he or she must make and keep promises to increase internal security, improve skills, and rebuild relationships of trust. Trust or the lack of it is at the root of the success or failure in relationships and in the bottom-line results of business, industry, education, and government.

Empowerment at the Management Level.

If you have no or low trust, how are you going to manage people? If you think your people lack character or competence, how would you manage them? When you don't have trust, you have to control people. But if you have high trust, how do you manage people? You don't supervise them they supervise themselves. You become a source of help. You set up a performance agreement so they understand what's expected. You overlap their needs with the needs of the organization. You have accountability, but they participate in the evaluation of their performance based on the terms of the agreement. People are empowered to judge themselves because their knowledge transcends any measurement system. If you have a low-trust culture, you have to use measurement because people will tell you what they think you want to hear.

Alignment at the Organizational Level.

If you have a low trust culture with a control style of management, you will have a hierarchal organization with small spans of control. You will resort to "go-fer" delegation and prescribe and manage methods. Your information system will gather immediate information on results so you can take decisive corrective actions. Your motivation system will be the carrot-and-stick. Such primitive systems may enable you to survive against soft competition, but you are easy prey for tough competitors.

If you have a high trust culture, your organization can be very flat and extremely flexible with large spans of control. Why? People are supervising themselves. They are doing their jobs cheerfully without being reminded because you have built an emotional bank account with them. You've got commitment and empowerment because you have built the culture around a common vision on the basis of certain bedrock principles, and you are constantly striving to align strategy, style, structure, and systems with your professed mission (your constitution) and with the realities out there in the environment (the streams).

My challenge is this: when you find something out of alignment, work on it developmentally at all four levels from the inside out on the basis of the four master principles.

Dr. Covey is the author of several acclaimed books, including the international bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.© 1996, 2005 Covey Leadership Center and FranklinCovey. All rights reserved.

THE ANT PHILOSOPHY by Jim Rohn

2005-07-08T20:51:00.000+07:00

Over the years I've been teaching children about a simple but powerful concept - the ant philosophy. I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy, and here is the first part: ants never quit. That's a good philosophy. If they're headed somewhere and you try to stop them; they'll look for another way. They'll climb over, they'll climb under, they'll climb around. They keep looking for another way. What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where you're supposed to go.

Second, ants think winter all summer. That's an important perspective. You can't be so naive as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering in their winter food in the middle of summer.

An ancient story says, "Don't build your house on the sand in the summer." Why do we need that advice? Because it is important to be realistic. In the summer, you've got to think storm. You've got to think rocks as you enjoy the sand and sun. Think ahead.

The third part of the ant philosophy is that ants think summer all winter. That is so important. During the winter, ants remind themselves, "This won't last long; we'll soon be out of here." And the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they'll dive back down, but then they come out the first warm day. They can't wait to get out.

And here's the last part of the ant philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All that he possibly can. What an incredible philosophy, the "all-that-you-possibly-can" philosophy.

Wow, what a great seminar to attend - the ant seminar. Never give up, look ahead, stay positive and do all you can.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

DEVELOPING A GREAT CHARACTER by Brian Tracy

2005-07-08T20:41:00.000+07:00

Being the Best in Every Area:
What is character? Your character is the degree to which you live your life consistent with high, life-enhancing values. A person who lacks character is one who compromises on higher order values in favor of lower order expedience, or who has no values at all. Your adherence to what you believe to be right and true is the real measure of the person you have become to this moment.

Define what "Excellence" Means to You:
Let us say that one of your values is "excellence." Your definition of excellence could be, "Excellence means that I set the highest standards for myself in everything I do (define what?). I do my very best in every situation and under all circumstances (be specific). I constantly strive to be better in my work, and as a person in my relationships (itemized). I recognize that excellence is a life long journey and I work every day to become better and better in everything I do." (update your list from time to time)

Organize Your Actions:
With a definition like this, you have a clear organizing principle for your actions. You have set a standard by which you can evaluate your behavior. You have created a framework within which you can make decisions. You have a measuring rod against which you can compare yourself in everything you do. You can continually grade your activities in terms of "more" or "less." You have a clear target to aim at and organize your work around.

Notes: text in italics are additional comments

Jangan berkata "tidak" sebelum Anda pernah mencobanya

2005-06-16T11:23:00.000+07:00

Seorang pembuat jam tangan berkata kepada jam yang sedang dibuatnya. "Hai jam, apakah kamu sanggup untuk berdetak paling tidak 31,104,000 kali selama setahun?"

"Ha?," kata jam terperanjat, "Mana sanggup saya?"

"Bagaimana kalau 86,400 kali dalam sehari?"

"Delapan puluh ribu empat ratus kali? Dengan jarum yang ramping-ramping seperti ini?" jawab jam penuh keraguan.

"Bagaimana kalau 3,600 kali dalam satu jam?"

"Dalam satu jam harus berdetak 3,600 kali? Banyak sekali itu" tetap saja jam ragu-ragu dengan kemampuan dirinya.

Tukang jam itu dengan penuh kesabaran kemudian bicara kepada si jam. "Kalau begitu, sanggupkah kamu berdetak satu kali setiap detik?"

"Naaaa, kalau begitu, aku sanggup!" kata jam dengan penuh antusias.

Maka, setelah selesai dibuat, jam itu berdetak satu kali setiap detik. Tanpa terasa, detik demi detik terus berlalu dan jam itu sungguh luar biasa karena ternyata selama satu tahun penuh dia telah berdetak tanpa henti. Dan itu berarti ia telah berdetak sebanyak 31,104,000 kali.

Ada kalanya kita ragu-ragu dengan segala tugas pekerjaan yang begitu terasa berat. Namun sebenarnya kalau kita sudah menjalankannya, kita ternyata mampu. Bahkan yang semula kita anggap impossible untuk dilakukan sekalipun.

Jangan berkata "tidak" sebelum Anda pernah mencobanya. (Anonim)

:: Mr. Suryadi, a friend of mine who send me the article you read before, have this saying in the signature of his email "You never know if You can Fly, unless you spread your " Wings.", reminding us to exhaust our effort to test our abilities to seek the border of your potentials, because if you miss that opportunity, you may feel the same way as Les Brown put it in the following passage:

Promises of Youth - Les Brown

An elderly man, in the final days of life, was lying in bed alone. He awakens to see a large group of people clustered around his bed. Their faces are loving, but sad. Confused, the old man smiles weakly and whispers, "You must be my childhood friends, come to say good-bye. I am so grateful."

Moving closer, the tallest figure gently grasps the old man's hand and replies, "Yes, we are your best and oldest friends, but long ago you abandoned us. For we are the unrealized hopes, dreams, and plans that you once felt deeply in your heart, but never pursued. We are the unique talents that you never refined, the special gifts you never discovered. Old friend, we have not come to comfort you, but to die with you."
Les BrownI Believe in YouCompendium, Inc.

http://www.concentric.net/~Conure/youth.shtml

A Story about Eagle, Turkey & Opportunity

2005-06-03T15:57:00.000+07:00

Konon di satu saat yang telah lama berlalu, Elang dan Kalkun adalah burung yang menjadi teman yang baik. Dimanapun mereka berada, kedua teman selalu pergi bersama-sama. Tidak aneh bagi manusia untuk melihat Elang dan Kalkun terbang bersebelahan melintasi udara bebas.

Satu hari ketika mereka terbang, Kalkun berbicara pada Elang : "Mari kita turun dan mendapatkan sesuatu untuk dimakan. Perut saya sudah keroncongan nih!". Elang membalas : "Kedengarannya ide yang bagus". Jadi kedua burung melayang turun ke bumi, melihat beberapa binatang lain sedang makan dan memutuskan bergabung dengan mereka.

Mereka mendarat dekat dengan seekor Sapi. Sapi ini tengah sibuk makan jagung, namun sewaktu memperhatikan bahwa ada Elang dan Kalkun sedang berdiri dekat dengannya, Sapi berkata : "Selamat datang, silakan cicipi jagung manis ini".

Ajakan ini membuat kedua burung ini terkejut. Mereka tidak biasa jika ada binatang lain berbagi soal makanan mereka dengan mudahnya. Elang bertanya : "Mengapa kamu bersedia membagikan jagung milikmu bagi kami?".

Sapi menjawab : "Oh, kami punya banyak makanan disini. Tuan Petani memberikan bagi kami apapun yang kami inginkan".

Dengan undangan itu, Elang dan Kalkun menjadi terkejut dan menelan ludah. Sebelum selesai, Kalkun menanyakan lebih jauh tentang Tuan Petani.

Sapi menjawab : "Yah, dia menumbuhkan sendiri semua makanan kami. Kami sama sekali tidak perlu bekerja untuk makanan".

Kalkun tambah bingung : "Maksud kamu, Tuan Petani itu memberikan padamu semua yang ingin kamu makan?".

Sapi menjawab : "Tepat sekali!. Tidak hanya itu, dia juga memberikan pada kami tempat untuk tinggal."

Elang dan Kalkun menjadi syok berat!. Mereka belum pernah mendengar hal seperti ini. Mereka selalu harus mencari makanan dan bekerja untuk mencari naungan.

Ketika datang waktunya untuk meninggalkan tempat itu, Kalkun dan Elang mulai berdiskusi lagi tentang situasi ini. Kalkun berkata pada Elang : "Mungkin kita harus tinggal di sini. Kita bisa mendapatkan semua makanan yang kita inginkan tanpa
perlu bekerja. Dan gudang yang disana cocok dijadikan sarang seperti yang telah pernah bangun. Disamping itu saya telah lelah bila harus selalu bekerja untuk dapat hidup."

Elang juga goyah dengan pengalaman ini : "Saya tidak tahu tentang semua ini. Kedengarannya terlalu baik untuk diterima. Saya menemukan semua ini sulit untuk dipercaya
bahwa ada pihak yang mendapat sesuatu tanpa imbalan. Disamping itu saya lebih suka terbang tinggi dan bebas mengarungi langit luas. Dan bekerja untuk menyediakan makanan dan tempat bernaung tidaklah terlalu buruk. Pada kenyataannya, saya menemukan hal itu sebagai tantangan menarik".

Akhirnya, Kalkun memikirkan semuanya dan memutuskan untuk menetap di mana ada makanan gratis dan juga naungan. Namun Elang memutuskan bahwa ia amat mencintai kemerdekaannya dibanding menyerahkannya begitu saja. Ia menikmati tantangan rutin yang membuatnya hidup. Jadi setelah mengucapkan selamat berpisah untuk teman lamanya Si Kalkun, Elang menetapkan penerbangan untuk petualangan baru yang ia tidak ketahui bagaimana kedepannya.

Semuanya berjalan baik bagi Si Kalkun. Dia makan semua yang ia inginkan. Dia tidak pernah bekerja. Dia bertumbuh menjadi burung gemuk dan malas. Namun lalu suatu hari dia mendengar istri Tuan Petani menyebutkan bahwa Hari raya Thanksgiving akan datang beberapa hari lagi dan alangkah indahnya jika ada hidangan Kalkun panggang untuk makan malam. Mendengar hal itu, Si Kalkun memutuskan sudah waktunya untuk minggat dari pertanian itu dan bergabung kembali dengan teman baiknya, si Elang.

Namun ketika dia berusaha untuk terbang, dia menemukan bahwa ia telah tumbuh terlalu gemuk dan malas. Bukannya dapat terbang, dia justru hanya bisa mengepak-ngepakkan sayapnya. Akhirnya di Hari Thanksgiving keluarga Tuan Petani duduk bersama menghadapi panggang daging Kalkun besar yang sedap.

Ketika anda menyerah pada tantangan hidup dalam pencarian keamanan, anda mungkin sedang menyerahkan kemerdekaan anda...Dan Anda akan menyesalinya setelah segalanya berlalu dan tidak ada KESEMPATAN lagi...

Selalu ada keju gratis dalam perangkap tikus - Pepatah kuno

(book) The Purpose Driven Life - [Christianity]

2005-05-21T17:33:00.000+07:00

Anda Diciptakan untuk Sebuah Misi

Allah sedang bekerja di dunia, dan Dia ingin Anda bergabung dengan-Nya. Tugas ini disebut misi Anda. Allah ingin Anda memiliki pelayanan di dalam Tubuh Kristus dan juga misi di dunia. Pelayanan (ministry) Anda merupakan pelayanan (service) kepada orang-orang percaya (Kolose 1:25; Korintus 12:5), dan misi Anda merupakan pelayanan (service) Anda kepada orang-orang yang belum percaya. Memenuhi misi Anda di dunia adalah tujuan kelima Allah bagi kehidupan Anda.

Misi kehidupan Anda bersifat bersama dan spesifik. Sebagian dari misi tersebut merupakan tanggung jawab yang Anda pikul bersama semua orang Kristen lainnya, dan sebagian lainnya merupakan sebuah tugas yang khusus bagi Anda.

Kata misi berasal dari kata Latin untuk "mengutus". Menjadi seorang Kristen berarti diutus ke dunia sebagai wakil Yesus Kristus. Yesus berkata, "Sama seperti Bapa mengutus Aku, demikian juga sekarang Aku mengutus kamu." (Yohanes 20:21)

Yesus dengan jelas memahami misi kehidupan-Nya di dunia. Pada usia 12 tahun, Dia mengatakan, "Aku harus mengerjakan urusan Bapa-Ku" (lihat Lukas 2:49) dan 21 tahun kemudian, sementara menjelang ajal di atas kayu salib, Dia berkata, "Sudah selesai" (lihat Yohanes 19:30).

Misi yang Yesus jalankan ketika ada di dunia, sekarang menjadi misi kita karena kita merupakan Tubuh Kristus. Apa yang Dia lakukan dengan tubuh fisik-Nya harus kita lanjutkan
sebagai tubuh rohani-Nya, yaitu Gereja. Apakah misi itu? Menuntun orang-orang kepada Allah! Alkitab berkata, "Melalui Kristus Allah membuat kita berbaik kembali dengan Dia, lalu menugaskan kita supaya orang-orang lain dimungkinkan berbaik juga dengan Allah." (2Korintus 5:18)

Allah ingin menebus manusia dari Iblis dan mendamaikan mereka dengan Diri-Nya supaya kita bisa memenuhi kelima tujuan yang untuknya Dia menciptakan kita, yakni: mengasihi Dia, menjadi anggota keluarga-Nya, menjadi serupa dengan Dia, melayani Dia, dan memberi tahu orang lain tentang Dia. Begitu kita menjadi milik-Nya, Allah memakai kita untuk menjangkau orang lain. Dia menyelamatkan kita dan selanjutnya m engutus kita. Alkitab mengatakan, "Jadi kami ini adalah utusan-utusan Kristus." (2Korintus 5:18) Kita adalah pembawa berita tentang kasih dan tujuan Allah bagi dunia.

Pentingya Misi Anda

Memenuhi misi kehidupan Anda di dunia merupakan bagian penting dari hidup untuk kemuliaan Allah. Alkitab memberi alasan mengapa misi Anda begitu penting.

Misi Anda merupakan Kelanjutan dari Misi Yesus di Dunia

Sebagai para pengikutnya, kita harus melanjutkan apa yang telah dimulai oleh Yesus. Yesus memanggil kita bukan hanya untuk datang kepada Dia, melainkan juga untuk pergi bagi Dia. Misi Anda begitu penting sehingga Yesus mengulanginya sampai lima kali, dengan lima cara yang berbeda di Alkitab (Matius 28:19-20; Markus 16:15). Seolah olah Dia berkata, "Aku sungguh-su ngguh ingin agar kamu menerima misi ini!" Selidikilah kelima amanat agung dari Yesus ini dan Anda akan mengetahui rincian dari misi Anda di dunia, yaitu kapan, di mana, mengapa dan bagaimana.

Dalam Amanat Agung Yesus berkata, "Karena itu pergilah, jadikanlah semua bangsa murid-Ku dan baptislah mereka dalam nama Bapa dan Anak dan Roh Kudus, dan ajarlah mereka melakukan segala sesuatu yang telah Kuperintahkan kepadamu. Dan ketahuilah, Aku menyertai kamu senantiasa sampai kepada akhir zaman." (Matius 28:19-20) Amanat ini diberikan kepada semua pengikut Yesus, bukan hanya kepada para pendeta dan misionaris saja. Inilah misi Anda yang diberikan oleh Yesus, dan ini bukanlah pilihan. Kata-kata Yesus ini bukanlah saran agung. Jika Anda merupakan anggota keluarga Allah, misi Anda merupakan kewajiban. Mengabaikannya berarti ketidaktaatan. Anda mungkin tidak sadar bahwa Allah mengangap Anda bertanggung-jawab atas orang-orang yang belum percaya yang hidup di sekitar Anda. Alkitab mengatakan, "Kalau Aku berfirman kepada orang jahat: Engkau pasti dihukum mati! -- dan engkau tidak memperingatkan dia atau tidak berkata apa- apa untuk memperingatkan orang jahat itu dari hidupnya yang jahat, supaya ia tetap hidup, orang jahat itu akan mati dalam kesalahannya, tetapi Aku akan menuntut pertanggungjawaban atas nyawanya dari padamu." (Yehezkiel 3:18) Anda merupakan orang Kristen satu-satunya yang pernah dikenal oleh beberapa orang, dan misi Anda ialah memperkenalkan Yesus kepada mereka.

Misi Anda merupakan Hak Istimewa yang Mengagumkan

Sekalipun merupakan tanggung jawab yang besar, dipakai oleh Allah juga merupakan kehormatan yang luar biasa. Paulus ber kata, "Allah telah memberikan kehormatan kepada kami unutk mengajak semua orang supaya menerima anugerah-Nya dan diperdamaikan dengan Dia." (2Korintus 5:18) Misi Anda meliputi dua hak istimewa besar: bekerja bersama Allah dan mewakili Dia. Kita menjadi rekan Allah dalam menjadi membangun kerajaan-Nya. Paulus menyebut kita "teman-teman sekerja" dan berkata, "Kami bekerja bersama-sama dengan Allah." (2Korintus 6:1)

Yesus telah menjamin keselamatan kita, memasukkan kita di dalam keluarga-Nya, memberi kita Roh-Nya, dan selanjutnya menjadikan kita alat-Nya di dunia. Hak istimewa yang luar biasa! Alkitab mengatakan, "Jadi kami ini adalah utusan- utusan Kristus, seakan-akan Allah menasihati kamu dengan perantaraan kami; dalam nama Kristus kami meminta kepadamu: berilah dirimu didamaikan dengan Allah." (2Korintus 5:20)

Memberi Tahu Orang Lain Bagaimana Mereka bisa Memiliki Hidup Kekal merupakan Hal Terbesar yang bisa Anda kerjakan bagi Mereka.

Kalau teman Anda menderita kanker atau AIDS dan Anda tahu obatnya, merupakan suatu kejahatan kalau Anda menahan informasi yang bisa menyelamatkan nyawa itu. Yang lebih buruk lagi ialah merahasiakan jalan menuju pengampunan, tujuan, damai sejahtera, dan kehidupan kekal. Kita memiliki kabar terbesar di dunia dan menyebarkan kabar itu merupakan kebaikan terbesar yang bisa Anda tunjukkan kepada semua orang.

Salah satu masalah yang dimiliki oleh orang-orang yang sudah lama menjadi Kristen ialah bahwa mereka lupa betapa sia-sia rasanya hidup tanpa Kristus. Kita harus ingat bahwa tidak peduli seberapa puas dan berhasil tampaknya manusia, tanpa Kristus mereka benar-benar terh ilang tanpa harapan dan menuju perpisahan abadi dengan Allah. Alkitab mengatakan, "Hanya melalui Yesus saja orang diselamatkan." (Kisah Para Rasul 4:12) Semua orang membutuhkan Yesus.

Misi Anda Memiliki Makna Kekal

Misi tersebut akan mempengaruhi masa depan abadi orang lain. Itu lebih penting, ketimbang pekerjaan, keberhasilan, atau tujuan apa pun yang akan Anda raih selama kehidupan Anda di bumi. Hasil dari misi Anda akan berlangsung selamanya, sementara hasil dari pekerjaan Anda tidaklah kekal. Tidak ada apa pun yang Anda kerjakan yang akan bernilai sebanyak menolong orang memiliki hubungan kekal dengan Allah. Karena itulah, kita harus bersungguh-sungguh dengan misi kita. Yesus bersabda, "Kita harus mengerjakan pekerjaan Dia yang mengutus Aku, selama masih siang akan datang malam, di mana tidak ada seorangpun yang dapat bekerja." (Yohanes 9:4)

Jam berdetik terus menuju saat dimulainya misi kehidupan kita, jadi janganlah tunda sampai hari berikutnya. Mulailah misi Anda untuk menjangkau orang lain sekarang! Kita akan memiliki seluruh masa kekekalan untuk dirayakan bersama orang-orang yang telah kita bawa kepada Yesus, tetapi kita hanya memiliki waktu seumur hidup untuk menjangkau mereka.

Ini tidak berarti bahwa Anda harus menghentikan pekerjaan Anda untuk menjadi seorang penginjil purna waktu. Allah ingin Anda membagikan Kabar Baik di mana pun Anda berada. Sebagai seorang pelajar, ibu, guru TK, wiraniaga, atau manajer, atau apa pun yang Anda kerjakan, sebaiknya Anda terus-menerus mencari orang-orang yang Allah tempatkan di jalur Anda dengan siapa Anda bisa membagikan Injil.

Misi Anda Memberi Makna bagi Kehidupan Anda

William James berkata, "Pemanfaatan terbaik dari kehidupan ialah menggunakannya untuk sesuatu yang berlangsung lebih lama daripada kehidupan itu sendiri. Yang sebenarnya ialah hanya Kerajaan Allah yang akan berlangsung selamanya. Pada akhirnya, segala sesuatu lainnya akan binasa. Karena itulah kita harus menjalani kehidupan yang memiliki tujuan, yaitu kehidupan yang diserahkan untuk penyembahan, persekutuan, pertumbuhan rohani, pelayanan, dan pelaksanaan misi kita di dunia. Hasil dari kegiatan-kegiatan ini akan bertahan
selamanya!

Jika Anda gagal memenuhi misi pemberian Allah di dunia, Anda tentu menyia-nyiakan kehidupan yang Allah berikan kepada Anda, Paulus mengatakan, "Hidupku sama sekali tidak berharga kecuali jika memakainya untuk mengerjakan pekerjaan yang ditugaskan Tuhan Yesus kepad aku, yaitu pekerjaan untuk memberitakan Kabar Baik kepada orang lain tentang kebaikan dan kasih Allah yang ajaib." (Kisah Para Rasul 20:24) Ada orang-orang di planet ini yang hanya Anda yang bisa menjangkaunya, karena tempat Anda tinggal dan karena untuknya Allah telah menciptakan Anda. Walaupun hanya satu orang yang akan masuk surga karena Anda, kehidupan Anda tentu membuat perbedaan bagi kekekalan. Mulailah melihat ladang misi pribadi Anda dan berdoalah, "Tuhan, siapakah yang telah Engkau tempatkan dalam kehidupanku agar kepadanya aku bercerita tentang Yesus?"

Bahan diedit dari sumber:
Judul Buku : The Purpose Driven Life
Judul Artikel: Diciptakan untuk Sebuah Misi
Penulis : Rick Warren
Penerjemah : Paulus Adiwijaya
Penerbit : Yayasan Gandum Mas
Halaman : 309 - 316

ARE YOU IN IT - TO WIN IT? - by Chris Widener

2005-04-16T02:43:00.000+07:00

Have you ever heard this? "It isn't whether you win or lose. It is how you play the game." I am sure you have. But do you know who said it? Some guy who came in second place!

You see, I have a problem with that statement. It presupposes, or at least strongly suggests that winning and playing the game "right" are mutually exclusive propositions. Perhaps we ought to have this as our goal as we pursue success: We want to win, while playing the game right! I totally disagree with the statement that we should win at all costs. Instead, we should do everything good that we can to win at this game we call life. And we ought also do all that we can to help others win.

With all of that...here are some thoughts on being in the game - to win!

Any "game" worth playing is a game worth pursuing a win in. If I get into a game, I play to win. What nobility is there is playing like a slacker? What virtue is purposeful mediocrity? None! I live my life to be a winner - Spiritually, financially, physically, emotionally, relationally - every area of my life! If it is worth doing, it is worth playing for the win!

It is good to win. We live in an age now where people have reacted to sore winners by saying that we shouldn't strive for winning. Many of our schools have abandoned the idea of competition, and our educational scores show that. Kudos to all of the teachers out there who still tell their kids that they can be winners! It is good and noble to win! It is something to strive for. It is good to push ourselves, to stretch and reach for victory. It is a grand thing to want to win!

There doesn't have to be a loser in life. Yes, in teamed competition, there are always losers (but more on that in a bit), but in life, you can all win! We can all strive for the best and give it our all to win.

Winners are the ones who move families, businesses, organizations, cities and countries ahead. Winners are the ones who push progress. You don't think that couch potato is the one who will cure cancer or open up the next great technology do you? No - it will be a person who has chosen to be a winner!

Losing can mean winning. Just because your score in a game or contest is the least at the end of the game doesn't mean all is lost. You can still be a winner in that you gave it your all, you competed at your highest level, you learned new skills and strategies, and you became a better player and person. That is winning in my book!

Winners help others win. That is right, good people, people who pursue winning by excellence, are also people who stop to help others so that they, too, can enjoy the spoils of victory. Pursue the win, but help others achieve all that they can as well! Winners make everyone better. When I get into athletic matches I want to play against the best. Yes, I may come up short in the score, but I will be better because that winner will make me grow in every area of my game! Winners stretch the losers so they can become winners too!

Questions for reflection:

Are you afraid of winning?
Do you think it is wrong to win?
Are you living each area of your life as though you are a winner?
Are you enjoying your wins?
Are you helping others win with you?

Friends, we need to be in the game of life full force! We need to be in it, and we need to be in it to win it!
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Sources: DailyInbox: From the Masters - 04-05-05

SET UP A LEARNING RESOURCE AT HOME - by Denis Waitley

2005-04-11T12:10:00.000+07:00

SET UP A LEARNING RESOURCE AT HOME AND AT YOUR PLACE OF BUSINESS WITH BOTH PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MATERIALS
by Denis Waitley

Every office conference, lunch, exercise, and recreation room should be filled with personal enrichment materials including videos, audios, books, magazines, newsletters, and software.

Convert a special area of your home into a learning center, especially if you have children. The trend globally is to combine a coffee house like Starbucks, with bookstores like Barnes and Noble, to create a relaxing learning environment. In the twenty-first century, gaining knowledge will blend into our lives as part of our leisure time. There are several ways to create more of an ongoing learning environment at your place of business. Many companies are asking employees to volunteer to read a specific trade or business magazine and clip or scan articles relevant to the organization. Regular e-mail dispersal and fax dispersal are also popular.

In today's fast-forward, knowledge-based world, if you're not moving ahead you are falling behind.

Action Idea: Make two files in your computer: one for personal development and one for professional development. Download articles and e-mails that educate and inspire you in these files. You also can scan articles from magazines into these files. Look at these files at least once per week.
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Source: DailyInbox: From the Masters

Change Management Learning Center - Key activities for change management leaders, sponsors and executives

2004-12-13T21:32:00.000+07:00

Change Management Learning Center - Key activities for change management leaders, sponsors and executives

Managing an IT project usually is about managing changes, the page shows a survey result about change management from the user's perspectives. We may be able to understand our user's concern better the next time.

HOW TO GO FROM THINKING TO LIFE CHANGE By Dr. John C. Maxwell

2004-11-19T05:23:00.000+07:00

Step #1: When you change your thinking, you change your beliefs.

I am going to work you through a six-step process of how to change, and it begins with thinking. It begins with the mind. Beliefs are nothing more than a by-product of what you have thought long enough about that you have bought into--always remember that. What you believe is a collection of continual thoughts that have formed themselves into a conviction."Although not all change is the same, there is one common element to change, and that is thinking." That is a great truth. That is not mine; it's out of a book called, The Seven Levels of Change. When you break down the process of thinking into manageable number of steps, you reduce the perceived risk associated with change. Being creative is when you think about your thinking, being innovative is when you act on your ideas.

Step #2: When you change your beliefs, you change your expectations.

Belief is the knowledge that we can do something. It is the inner feeling that what we undertake, we can accomplish. For the most part, all of us have the ability to look at something and know whether we can do it. So, in belief there is power: our eyes are opened; our opportunities become plain; our visions become realities. Our beliefs control everything we do. If we believe we can or we believe we cannot, we are correct. Accomplishment is more than a matter of working harder; it is a matter of believing positively. It's called the "sure enough" factor. If you expect to succeed, "sure enough," you will; if you expect to fail, "sure enough," you will. We become outside what we believe inside.

Step #3: When you change your expectations, you change your attitude.

I love Ben Franklin's quote: "Blessed is the one who expects nothing, for he shall receive it." I heard a story the other day about a man who went to the fortuneteller who looked in the crystal ball and said, "Oh, my. This is not good. I look in this ball and see that you will be poor and unhappy until you're 45 years old." The guy said, "Oh, that's terrible. Well, then what's going to happen?" The fortuneteller said, "You'll get used to it."Your expectations are going to determine your attitude. Most people get used to average; they get used to second best. Nelson Boswell said, "The first and most important step toward success is the expectation that we can succeed."

Step #4: When you change your attitude, you change your behavior.

William James was right when he said, "That which holds our attention determines our action." When our attitude begins to change, when we become involved with something, our behavior begins to change. The reason that we have to make personal changes is that we cannot take our people on a trip that we have not made. Too many leaders try to be travel agents instead of tour guides--they try to send people where they have never been. We give them a brochure and a "Bon Voyage!" And off they go and we wave to them, and we ask them to tell us how it was when they come back. A tour guide says, "Let me take you where I've been. Let me tell you what I have gone through. Let me tell you what I know. Let me show you what I've experienced in my life."

Step #5: When you change your behavior, you change your performance.

Leroy Eims said, "How can you know what is in your heart? Look at your behavior. There is no better sign of the heart than the life." The truest test of where a person is going is their behavior.Unfortunately, most people would rather live with old problems than new solutions. We would rather be comfortable than correct; we would rather stay in a routine than make changes. Even when we know that the changes are going to be better for us, we often don't make them because we feel uncomfortable or awkward about making that kind of a change.Until we can get used to living with something that is not comfortable, we cannot get any better.

Step #6: When you change your performance, you change your life.

Change makes a person feel alone, even if others are going through it. You say, "Oh, man! Goodness! I know the others are changing, but I don't think they're having the difficulty I'm having." There is something about the awkwardness and the time that it takes to make proper changes that just seems to isolate you from everyone else, even when a group is going through it together. You just kind of feel, "But my situation's a little bit different, and I think I'm just not quite as fast as the other ones," and there's a tendency to feel isolated, lonely, and withdrawn when you're going through this change.It is easier to turn failure into success than an excuse into a possibility. A person can fail and turn around and understand their failure, make it a success; but I want to tell you--a person who makes excuses for everything will never truly succeed. I promise you, when you excuse what you are doing and excuse where you are, and you allow the exceptions, you fail to reach your potential. Don't you know some people who just have an excuse for everything? Why they could not, should not, did not, would not, have not, will not. If "ifs" and "buts" were candies and nuts, we would all have a Merry Christmas. It is impossible to turn excuses into possibilities.Hope is the foundational principle for all change. People change because they have hope. If people do not have hope, they will not change. You are responsible for the changes that you make in your life, but the good news is, you can make the changes you need to make in your life.

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It is by no accident that John Maxwell has come to be known as a leader of leaders and mentor to thousands ? his path and his purpose have been a single, straight thread since childhood. From the pulpit to the boardroom, his focus has always been to equip and inspire leaders at all levels. Source: taken from the inspirational message from the masters August 13, 2004

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Summary:

Step #1: When you change your thinking, you change your beliefs.
Step #2: When you change your beliefs, you change your expectations.
Step #3: When you change your expectations, you change your attitude.
Step #4: When you change your attitude, you change your behavior.
Step #5: When you change your behavior, you change your performance.
Step #6: When you change your performance, you change your life.

So if you want to change your life, start thinking.

YOU ARE A POWERFUL MEDIUM by Nido Qubein

2004-11-19T05:21:00.000+07:00

If you want to send a powerful, positive message to the people with whom you work, or to whom you sell, follow the principles in this article. A sure formula for success!
You can't find a more powerful medium of communication than yourself -- your character, your personality and your principles.
If you want to send a powerful, positive message to the people with whom you work, or to whom you sell, follow these principles:

(1) You manage the process, but you LEAD people.
An organization runs smoothly when its people function smoothly. Dealing with problems in engineering, production, marketing and sales without dealing with the human element is like dealing with a flat tire without dealing with air. The finest steel-belted radial is worthless without the air that holds it up. The finest engineering, manufacturing, marketing, sales and servicing systems are worthless without the people who keep them functioning.
In an interview with Harvard Business Review, Robert Haas, chairman of the board of Levi Strauss, called production-management "the hard stuff" and people management "the soft stuff."
Under the old philosophy at Levi Strauss, he said, "The soft stuff was the company's commitment to our work force. And the hard stuff was what really mattered: getting pants out the door. What we've learned is that the soft stuff and the hard stuff are becoming increasingly intertwined."
So pay careful attention to the human side of your business.

(2) Inspire people, don't just drive them.
We can inspire people by showing them how to be their very best. Ed Temple, the Tennessee State track coach who worked with some of America's top women's track stars, liked to say, "A mule you drive, but with a race horse, you use finesse." Treat your people like Thoroughbreds instead of like mules. They'll get the message and respond.

(3) Be easy to respect and look up to.
You don't gain respect by sitting in an ivory tower and looking down on the work floor. Be accessible to employees and let them see your human side.
Employees are turned off by executives who pretend to be infallible. Observe high standards of personal conduct, but let your employees know that you're human. Talk to them about your bad decisions as well as your good ones. When you blow it, grin and admit it. Your employees will respect you for it.

(4) Be easy to like and get along with
Employees like leaders who are human -- who make mistakes and acknowledge them. It's all right to let them see your vulnerability. If you made a bad decision, talk about it with the people you lead. Let it be a lesson for them as well as for you.
Don't feel that you have to know everything. Acknowledge that the people you lead may know much more than you do about certain things.

(5) Help people to like themselves.
Robert W. Reasoner, a California school superintendent, who headed a statewide task force on self-esteem, identified five basic attitudes that foster self-esteem. They are:
A sense of security.A sense of identity.A sense of belonging.A sense of purpose.A sense of personal competence.
Secure people are comfortable with who they are and with what others think about them. They know their roles in the organization and are confident that they can fill them.
People with a sense of identity know how they fit into the work place and how the work place fits into their lives. To them, work takes its place among family, friends and community as an important and fulfilling component of their lives.
When employees have a sense of belonging, they identify with the company's vision and goals, because these things have personal meaning for them. They personally share in the success and the prestige of the company.
Employees obtain a sense of purpose from knowing the company's goals and knowing how their efforts contribute toward those goals. Management needs to take employees into its confidence and give them a role in planning and goal setting. You can give employees a sense of personal competence by educating them for their jobs and giving them the freedom to succeed or fail on their own.

(6) Help people to believe that what they're doing is important.
My friend Stew Leonard, the grocery-store wizard from Connecticut, once told me that he refused to use job titles that he perceives as demeaning. Once he noticed a job listed as "popcorn maker." He immediately ordered a more dignified title.
"How would you feel if someone asked you what you did for a living and you had to answer, 'I'm a popcorn maker'?" he asked me.
Are there any demeaning titles in your organization?
Medtronic, Inc., has a heartwarming way of dramatizing the importance of what its employees do. Each year at Christmas time, the company holds a party for employees. Guests of honor are people whose lives have been prolonged by Medtronic cardio-pulmonary devices.
Can you think of ways of dramatizing to your employees the importance of what they do?

(7) Be responsive to people. Listen to people. Read people. Respond; don't react.
Leaders should be accessible to the people they lead. Let your staff and associates know they can come to you with problems, concerns, ideas, suggestions or complaints. If they bring you usable ideas, adopt the ideas and give the employees credit.
Welcome bad news as well as the good. What you don't know can hurt you. Don't ignore complaints. Listen to them. Find out what you can do to rectify matters, let the employees know what you plan to do -- and do it.
If you put these principles into practice, you will be constantly sending out a powerful and positive message: Yourself.
Humans have a variety of ways to send messages. We "speak" with our eyes, our facial expressions, our posture, our clothes, our grooming, our lifestyles, and many other aspects of our persons. But the most familiar and most explicit form of communication is with words.

Source: taken from the inspirational message from the masters July 16, 2004

From MOTIVATION to MOTIVE-ACTION by Denis Waitley

2004-11-19T05:18:00.000+07:00

With the passing of every new year, each of us needs to understand the magnitude of social and economic change in the world. In the past, change in business and social life was incremental and a set of personal strategies for achieving excellence was not required.

Today, in the knowledge-based world, where change is the rule, a set of personal strategies is essential for success, even survival. Never again will you be able to go to your place of business on autopilot, comfortable and secure that the organization, state or government will provide for and look after you. You must look in the mirror when you ask who is responsible for your success or failure. You must become a lifelong learner and leader, for to be a follower is to fall hopelessly behind the pace of progress. The power brokers in the new global arena will be the knowledge facilitators. Ignorance will be even more the tyrant and enslaver than in the past.

As you look in the mirror to see the 21st Century you, there will also be another image standing beside you. It is your competition. Your competition, from now on, will be a hungry immigrant with a wireless, hand-held, digital assistant. Hungry for food, hungry for a home, for a new car, for security, for a college education. Hungry for knowledge. Smart, quick thinking, skilled and willing to do anything necessary to be competitive in the world marketplace. Working long hours and Saturdays, staying open later, serving customers better and more cheerfully. To be a player in the 21st Century you have to be willing to give more in service than you receive in payment.

These are the new rules in the game of life. These are the actions you must take to be a leader and a winner in your personal and professional life. By mastering these profoundly simple action steps, you will be positioned to be a change master in the new century.

Action Step Number One - Consider Yourself Self-Employed, But Be a Team Player.

What this means is that you are your own Chief Executive Officer of your future. Start thinking of yourself as a service company with a single employee.
You're a small company that puts your services to work for a larger company. Tomorrow you may sell those services to a different organization, but that doesn't mean you're any less loyal to your current employer. Taking responsibility for yourself in this way does mean that you never equate your personal long-term interests with your employer's.
The first idea is resolving not to suffer the fate of those who lost their jobs and found their skills were obsolete. The second is to begin immediately the process of protecting yourself against that possibility ? by becoming proactive instead of reactive.
Ask yourself these questions:
How vulnerable am I? What trends must I watch? What information must I gain? What knowledge do I lack?
Again, think of yourself as a company. Set up a training department in your mind and make certain your top employee is updating his or her skills. Make sure you have your own private pension plan, knowing that you are responsible for your own financial security.
Entrusting the government or an employer, other than yourself, with your retirement income is like hiring a compulsive gambler as your accountant.
You're the CEO of your daily life who must have the vision to set your goals and allocate your resources. The mindset of being responsible for your own future used to be crucial only to the self-employed, but it has become essential for us all. Today's typical employees are no longer one-career people. Most will have five separate careers in their lifetimes. Remember, your competition is a hungry immigrant with a laptop.

Action Step Number Two - Be Flexible in the Face of Daily Surprises.

We live in a time-starved, overstressed, violent society. Much of our over-reaction to what happens to us every day is a result of our self-indulgent value system, where we blame others for our problems, look to organizations or the government for our solutions, thirst for immediate sensual gratification and believe we should have privileges without responsibilities. This condition is manifested in the high crime rate and in the increase in violence in the work place where employees blame their managers for threatening their security.
I have learned how to be flexible in the face of daily surprises, which is one of the most important action traits for a leader. I really haven't been angry for about 17 years. During that time, no one has tried to physically harm me or someone close to me. I've learned to adapt to stress in life and reserve my fear or anger for imminently physically dangerous situations. I rarely, if ever, get upset with what people say, do or don't do, even if it inconveniences me. I do react emotionally when I see someone physically or emotionally abusing or victimizing another. But I've learned not to sweat the small stuff.
The Serenity Prayer, "Grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.", is a valuable measuring tool we can apply to our lives. Simple yet profound words to live by.

Source: taken from the inspirational message from the masters August 2, 2004