Danger and Opportunity

"Wherever there is danger, there lurks opportunity. Wherever there is opportunity, there lurks danger. The two are inseparable. They go together."~Earl Nightingale

Are you stuck looking at the danger instead of the opportunity? Or do you only see opportunity and not the danger?

It all depends on your perceptions. Because "the reality of life is that your perceptions - right or wrong - influence everything else you do." Do you realize that? Your perceptions influence everything else that you do...So what are your perceptions? When was the last time that you examined your perceptions?

Have you ever examined them or do you just go about your day having them and reacting to them? If you have examined them, how often to you go back and examine them again? this needs to be a constant examination, but most of us prefer to just live life without thought or examination.

I can hear you saying, 'An examination was something we had to take in school, I'm done with that stuff.' If that's the case, then there will be no growth, no stretching beyond where you are now. You'll get to stay in your comfort zone and simply react to life rather than responding to life.

Take another look at your perceptions and make sure that they work for you rather than against you.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Wherever there is danger, there lurks opportunity. Wherever there is opportunity, there lurks danger. The two are inseparable. They go together."

Greatest Power Is Always In The Present

"What's the good of dragging up sufferings which are over,of being unhappy now
just because you were then." ~Seneca

Your greatest power is always in the present moment. When you re-live past misery in the present you are committing an act of violence against yourself. When misery from the past enters your consciousness you have the power to choose how to view it. What choice do you make?

Here are a couple of self confronting questions to bring you into the present: "What am I trying to accomplish today?" "What one thing am I not doing --that if I did do, would greatly improve my life six months from now? Think ahead, not behind.

Take some time and answer those questions. I know that the answers will give you the direction and power to make it happen.

Finally, two thoughts to take with you today. Your greatest power is ALWAYS in the present moment and the choice is YOURS to make.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!


"What's the good of dragging up sufferings which are over,of being unhappy now just because you were then."

See The Positive

“People deal too much with the negative, with what is wrong... Why not see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom?”- Thich Nhat Hanh

Is that you? Dealing too much in the negative? Most people like to think that they are positive people but think about it. How much time do you spend thinking about what you have or can do versus thinking about what you DON'T have and what you CAN"T DO??? Our brains naturally go to the negative and it is a trained mind that can flip that switch from the negative to the positive. Is your mind trained? I hope so.

Here's the thing...it's kind of like golf, you can never master it and you need to constantly work on it. Are you constantly working on your positive thinking?  Not if you are filling your mind with all the things you DON"T want.  That only gets you more of what you don't want.

One way to do that is through gratitude. The more you are grateful, the more things you see to be grateful for? Melody Beattie said "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more." Wow, how powerful is that?!? It turns what we have into enough, and more!! It is the Law of Attraction at work. The more we focus on gratitude, the more things we have to be grateful for.
What are you grateful for today?

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

  “People deal too much with the negative, with what is wrong... Why not see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom?”

"I Already Know That"

"It is what we think we know already that often prevents us from learning." ~ Claude Bernard

I hear people all the time that say "I already know that." Those are the worst words ever put together if you are interested in growing and learning. What happens in your brain is that when you say that or even think that, learning stops. Your brain actually limits learning from taking place because of your thoughts. That is the worst thing that can happen to anyone, they stop learning.

What have you learned this week? Anything? Most people stop learning as soon as they get out of school. Sure, they learn how to do a job, but once in that job, learning stops. If you are interested in growing your business, spend 30 minutes a day learning more about your industry, who you sell to, why they buy from you and what makes you different from all the other people that do the same thing you do.

Keep learning new things. Keep stretching your horizons and getting out of your comfort zone. It is there that real growth and learning takes place. Join us tomorrow and keep learning new things.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"It is what we think we know already that often prevents us from learning."

Make No Little Plans

“Make no little plans. They have no Magic to stir Men's blood.”~Daniel H. Burnham
How big are your plans? Are they real big or are they just normal size? Why? I work with clients and ask them to come up with a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) and usually, without fail, they come up with a goal that is reachable with a little more effort, but not one that would require too much work to achieve.

Average plans will not cause you to do whatever you need to do to accomplish it. You will quit on average plans because your reason for doing it doesn't stir your soul...oh, sure, it stirs your soul you say...right. Be honest with yourself.

If you are serious about making big plans, join us this Friday and learn how:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/342845849144650/

The world is waiting for you to play big, not small. Your average plans will keep you right where you are...average. I suppose that you could say that in being mediocre, you are always at your best...but that's a backhanded compliment that's not worthy of you. Do you realize that you are worthy of playing big? Yes, YOU are worthy to play big, so show the world what you are here to show the world. Don't hide behind anything, step out and claim your greatness!
Know. Be Known. Make A Difference
“Make no little plans. They have no Magic to stir Men's blood.”

Bring The Future To The Present

“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now”~Alan Lakein
Do you have your plan for success for 2013? Is it written down? Really?? Only 3% of people have their plans written down. Only 3%!! There are a lot of reasons that people won't write their goals down but it's my belief that the main reason is that people don't want to have to take responsibility for the plans that they make. Why? Fear of failure, of letting themselves down, fear of success, change. Take your pick. Which one is it for you?

Most people don't plan,they just react. Is your life and business organized or is it scattered? Have you planned for your success or do you just think that it will happen? When you make a plan, you cultivate optimism. You'll feel that you are growing in a meaningful direction which will help you rise above day-to-day setbacks and deal with all those reasons why you haven't planned.

If you haven't Created Your Success Plan for 2013, NOW is the time. Join us this Friday.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/288170344629133/

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now”

Escape Is Easier Than Change

"I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they do their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change.”~Jim Rohn

How true is that statement? If you don't have a plan for your life, someone else will, and guess what? They really don't care about you!!

Most people spend more time planning their vacations than planning their work and personal life. Jim also said "You should never start your day until you've finished it on paper." I'm sure that he would allow for PDA's or mobile tech stuff as well. But the question is, 'How often to you start your day with no idea of what is in store for you?

I started planning my day the night before a long time ago and it's amazing how during sleep, answers and thoughts leading to issues that were to be faced that day would come to me. I don't know how it works, I just know that it works.

If you haven't started planning your days, what are you waiting for? Permission? I GIVE YOU PERMISSION! If you have not put your plan together for success in 2012, join us on Friday. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?http://www.facebook.com/events/342845849144650/

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!
"I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they do their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change.”

Circumstances Fit In

"When plans are laid in advance, it is surprising how often the circumstances fit in with them."~Sir William Osler

Have you created your Success Plan for 2012? Really? Is it written down? Only 3% of all people have a plan that is written down. So, are you part of the 3% or part of the 97%? To learn tricks to making your plan one that will allow the circumstances fit them, join us on Friday October 26th.  See https://www.facebook.com/events/342845849144650/

It shouldn't be surprising how often the circumstances fit in with the plans you make (and write down). We create what we think about, so it only makes sense that when we have planned, the circumstances fit like they were meant to. A lot of people tell me that they don't have to write down their plans, because they have them in their head. The problem with that is that sometimes you don't remember things. When you have your plan written down and in a place where you can see it, it reminds you of what you want as opposed to thinking about what you don't want, which is what most of us do.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said "To map out a course and follow it to some end requires courage." It does require courage because when you make a plan, you then become accountable to working on the plan. Most people are not willing to become accountable...even to their own goals and plans.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"When plans are laid in advance, it is surprising how often the circumstances fit in with them."

Created In Order To Make A Difference

"How far forward would we need to go in your life to show the difference you make? There are generations yet unborn whose very lives will be shifted and shaped by the moves you make and the actions you take today. And tomorrow. And the next day. And the next.

EVERY SINGLE THING YOU DO MATTERS.

You have been created as one of a kind. On the planet Earth, there has never been one like you…and there never will be again. Your spirit, your thoughts and feelings, you ability to reason and act all exist in no one else. The rarities that make you special are no mere accident or quirk of fate.

YOU HAVE BEEN CREATED IN ORDER THAT YOU MIGHT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

YOU HAVE WITHIN YOU THE POWER TO CHANGE THE WORLD.

Know that your actions cannot be hoarded, saved for later, or selectively used.

By your hand, millions – billions – of lives will be altered, caught up in a chain of events begun by you this day.

The very beating of your heart has meaning and purpose.
Your actions have value far greater than silver or gold.

Your life…And what you do with it today…MATTERS FOREVER."

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

Thank you, Andy Andrews!

Self-Confronting Questions

"Some self-confronting questions: 'Where do I want to be at any given time? What do I have to do to get myself from where I am to where I want to be? What's the first, small step I can take to get moving?' "~George A. Ford

If you ask these questions of yourself, they can be intimidating, scary and challenging. Here's part of the key in answering them...you must have total clarity of what you want and where you want to be. See, must of us have a general idea of what we want, but not a crystal-clear vision of what we want. “If you are clear about what you want, the world responds with clarity."

"What do I have to do to get myself from where I am to where I want to be?" Ask and ANSWER that question now. Oh, you can think about it, but until you seriously ask yourself that question, you will never be able to get to where you want to be. It takes steps. Figure out what steps you need to take to get you started towards where you want to be. You don't have to see the whole path, just get started.

George Bernard Shaw said "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." Start creating the life that you want, NOW. Remember, it's your choice, no one elses. Stop looking and start creating. It all starts with your thoughts!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

 

"Some self-confronting questions: 'Where do I want to be at any given time? What do I have to do to get myself from where I am to where I want to be? What's the first, small step I can take to get moving?' "

What Are You Emphasizing?

"The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same." ~Carlos Castaneda

What are you emphasizing? Are you spending your time on things that matter or things that don't matter? Most people start out working on the things that matter and then are distracted and end up emphasizing the wrong stuff. Then we end up miserable because we don't understand that we are concentrating on things that don't matter. What is it that you are emphasizing?

What are you concentrating on? What you want or what you don't want. Unfortunately, we spend way too much time thinking about what we don't want and that only brings more of what we don't want. Focus on what you want!

Susyn Reeve said "When you focus your attention on the people, places, things and activities that you bring you pleasure - pleasure is what you experience." This is part of the reason that we need to doing something that gives us pleasure for our jobs. 75% of workers today HATE their jobs! Is that you? I hope not, because it is a choice. Your choice! You don't have to stay in that job, it's your choice to stay or leave.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same."

Intuitive Mind Is A Sacred Gift

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift."~Albert Einstein

Wow, even back then, Albert got it! Think about our society today and how many ways we have done this...

Our government schools train people to be factory workers, robots, all with the same viewpoint. "When everybody is thinking the same thing, no one is thinking." Yet that is the way we are teaching children today, still. We stifle creativity out of kids, make them sit still and memorize answers so they can pass a test that tells us how "smart" they are.

Think about that for a while...

Our society celebrates celebrities simply for being a celebrity. I mean really, how has Paris Hilton affected your life? Really? What about the Kardashians? Why are they celebrities? What about all these "reality shows?" Reality??? They are the farthest thing from reality!

Maybe we've become the "Fantasy Nation." Remember Fantasy Island with Ricardo Montolban and Herve Velasquez? We've become Fantasy Island on steroids, we are the Fantasy Nation. Let's go back to when people were celebrated for their accomplishments, not vilified!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift."

Dominant Forces and Talents Come Alive!

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations and your consciousness expands in every direction. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.~Patanjali

Are you inspired by some great purpose? Some extraordinary project? What is it? Or are you not really inspired at all and have no extraordinary projects to work on?? If you don't know or can't say what your great purpose is, that's ok. It's never to late to find your purpose, your extraordinary project. The key is to be searching within yourself to find it. It will not be outside of you. You already have it.

Here's what happens when you do find your great purpose...Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be. Dominant forces, faculties and talents become alive! Have you ever experienced that? It's so cool when it does. The other thing that happens is that you discover yourself to be a far greater person than you ever dreamed yourself to be! When you find that purpose, all that negative self-talk disappears.

Challenge yourself this week to make sure that you are inspired by your great purpose. I dare you!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations and your consciousness expands in every direction. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.

Limitations and Expectations

“Our limitations and success will be based, most often, on your own expectations for ourselves. What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon.”~Denis Waitley

What are your expectations? Or better yet, what are your intentions? Have you ever thought of them seriously or are they something you think about in passing? Unfortunately, most people just think about them in passing. What would happen to your life and business if you always had great expectations and intentions?

What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon.” And the universe bring about. We've all heard about "what we resist, persists." And we also know that what we focus on we bring about. So, wouldn't it make sense to start having great expectations and intentions? People say, 'don't have high expectations, you will only be disappointed.' So what of that? Have you never dealt with disappointment before? It's not fun, but it's part of life. Get over it!

Don't let your limitations be part of your expectations! You can create your expectations without limitations. Do it NOW!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“Our limitations and success will be based, most often, on your own expectations for ourselves. What the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon.”

Stop Selling Yourself Short

"The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short."~ Abraham Maslow
I see this every day. People dragging themselves to jobs they hate because they sell themselves short as to what they really could do. They are stuck in life and afraid to break out. They sell themselves short as to what they could do or accomplish if they only decided to. How many people do you know that are selling themselves short...way too many!

It's said that 80% of people hate their jobs. Is this you? Why are you still there? Do something about it, either change how you feel about your job or get a new one!

Dr. Seuss said “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” Don't ever let anyone make you believe that you cannot do anything you want to. You can steer yourself in any direction YOU CHOOSE! It's YOUR choice, no one elses.

Stop selling yourself short...NOW! It's YOUR choice!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference

"The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short."

Don't Wait!

"Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along." ~Napoleon Hill

Are you waiting? If you are, what are you waiting for? Why? "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life! But there was always some obstacle, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business." Are you dealing with the obstacles and not allowing life to begin? It's real easy for us to do and we get caught up in dealing with things that before you know it, another year has passed.

What is getting in the way for you? Do you need to make a change? Don't allow those things to keep you from living the life that you want.

Start now with whatever you have. Stop waiting for whatever you think you need and just do it. Better tools will come along the way. START NOW! As Goethe said there is boldness in beginning!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along."

What Your Potential Is

"Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!” ~Anne Frank

YES. Inside you, right now is good news. You don't realize how great you can be, what you can accomplish, what your potential is! You are the Undiscovered Country! Don't fear it, find it! Create it! Be it! The only thing holding your greatness back is YOU. Do you realize that? Sure you say, but I've got to do this and that, the economy sucks and the boss hates me. SO WHAT? You are the one in charge of you, no one else is. You get to decide what to do and who to become, only you!

Marjorie Brody said "Never allow others to define your potential." Too many of us have allowed others to define our potential...our teachers, parents, friends, whoever. Don't let them, only you can define your potential and what you can become. And it's never too late to become who you were meant to be. So start right now!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!”

Inspired By A Great Purpose

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations and your consciousness expands in every direction. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be."~Patanjali

Are you inspired by some great purpose? Some extraordinary project? What is it? Or are you not really inspired at all and have no extraordinary projects to work on?? If you don't know or can't say what your great purpose is, that's ok. It's never to late to find your purpose, your extraordinary project. The key is to be searching within yourself to find it. It will not be outside of you. You already have it.

Here's what happens when you do find your great purpose...Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be. Dominant forces, faculties and talents become alive! Have you ever experienced that? It's so cool when it does. The other thing that happens is that you discover yourself to be a far greater person than you ever dreamed yourself to be! When you find that purpose, all that negative self-talk disappears.

Challenge yourself this week to make sure that you are inspired by your great purpose. I dare you!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations and your consciousness expands in every direction. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.

It's Never Too Late To Be...

“There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge” ~Napoleon Hill

What limitations are you accepting and acknowledging? How often do we talk ourselves out of doing the thing we want because of our supposed limitations? Too often, we are our worst critic and we constantly sabotage our efforts because we don't think that we deserve it.

Richard Bach said “Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours.” How often are you arguing for your limitations? Stop doing that. Now!! Start being who you were meant to be. Stop living life at less than you were designed to live it. It's never too late to be who you were meant to be!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge”

Quit Imitating Someone Else

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.”~Judy Garland

Are you a first rate version of yourself or are you a second rate version of someone else? Really, think about it! My feeling is that we start out as trying to imitate someone (a second rate version) and sometimes we break away from that, but sometimes we are stuck in it because we are never able to be as good as the original. What do you think?

While it's good to have role models and people that we can follow, it's imperative that we become who we were meant to be. To bring our unique gift to the world, for the world will never see it unless we each bring it. Too many people have shrunk from who they could have been and are just living to survive or until their "ship comes in." Guess what? That ship is never coming. It's never too late to be who you were meant to be.

Terry Josephson said “Stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities” That's the challenge for us today and from now on. Think in terms of YOUR possibilities! Wow, do you see how empowering that is? Your possibilities are limitless! You do realize that, don't you?

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else."

We Cannot Become What We Need To Be...

“We must never be afraid to go too far, for success lies just beyond.” ~Marcel Proust

Are you afraid to go too far? A lot of people are. They are not content where they are at but fear making a change that could bring them success. So they settle for what they have. Are you settling for what you have so that you can stay safe in your comfort zone? Success lies just beyond your comfort zone! Too many people in their comfort zone who don't want to be there stay there either out of fear or by settling and not taking a chance.

Max Du Pree said "In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining who we are." Wow, "We cannot become what we need to be by remaining who we are!" How powerful is that? Do you realize this? It's called GROWTH! And it takes us out of our comfort zone and allows us to become what we need to become.

If you are serious about becoming successful you will need to do two things:
1) Not be afraid of going too far, and
2) Not remaining who you are. That is your challenge for today and from now on!!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“We must never be afraid to go too far, for success lies just beyond.”

Remaining Bound

"Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound." ~James Allen

Wow, was Allen right about that!! But I would want to make a slight change to his quote. I would say that people are willing to improve themselves, but they are unwilling to do the work involved in improving themselves. In our society, we want instant answers, instant riches, instant health and most of us are unwilling to do what we KNOW we should do to get those things. Just give me a pill...

For every person who climbs the ladder of success, there are a hundred still waiting for the elevator to show up. Are you a stair climber or are you waiting for the elevator? Be a stair climber. Make things happen, take action, improve your circumstances, improve yourself.

Take a moment today to improve yourself. Then do it every day. You will be amazed at your growth and the positive change it will make for you and your business.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound."