3,153,600

"Whether we want them or not, the New Year will bring new challenges; whether we seize them or not, the New Year will bring new opportunities."~Michael Josephson.

Seize Your Opportunities and deal with your challenges. It's ALWAYS your choice!

"Get inspired by life. Get inspired by the possibilities for friendship, love, achievement and fulfillment." 365 Days, 8760, Hours, 52600 Minutes and 3,153,600 Seconds. That's 2013 in time. What do you plan on doing with your time? 

Get excited about the opportunities for growth and rich experience that come with every turn of events. But be sure that you are looking for the growth and rich experience. See it. Live it. Get excited about living in a world that's filled with abundance in every direction. Can you see the abundance around you? If not, look around again. It's there, you just have to open your eyes to it.

Get passionate about making a difference in your own life and in the lives of those you can affect. Get passionate about expressing and fulfilling those dreams that are uniquely yours. Stop playing small, it serves no purpose to the world to play smaller than you are supposed to.

Give meaning to each moment. Be in each moment. Don't be thinking about the past or the future. Be in each moment. Give the best of yourself to everything you do.

Know.  Be Known.  Make A Difference!

"Whether we want them or not, the New Year will bring new challenges; whether we seize them or not, the New Year will bring new opportunities."

Start At The End

“’Begin with the end in mind’ is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There’s a mental or first creation and a physical or second creation to all things.” ~Stephen Covey

Do you realize this and understand this? Do you think this way?

As we are coming to the end of this year and we are looking forward to next year, 

start out 2014 by beginning with the end in mind. 'How do you do that,' you ask. Glad you asked. Take the time to envision yourself coming to the end of 2014 and you were able to do everything that you planned to do this year. What would that feel like? Where would you be? What would you be doing to celebrate your successes?

Stay in the moment and write everything that you are feeling and experiencing down as this will become part of the process. How are you different from last year? How are you the same? What new habits have you developed? What old habits did you drop? Who are you hanging around with? What are you reading?

The more you "begin with the end in mind," the more the physical creation creates it. Start using that incredible super-computer that you have called a brain. You'll be shocked at what it can do for you.

“’Begin with the end in mind’ is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There’s a mental or first creation and a physical or second creation to all things.”

New Possibilities

"There are always plenty of possibilities, with new ones being born every moment. On a regular basis, pick a new possibility and explore it fully. Turn down a road you've never traveled before, and find out what's there. Be curious, and let your curiosity lead you in the direction of new discoveries."

Step out of your comfort zone once each week and create over 50 additional opportunities for excitement, challenge and possibility each year. What a great goal

or resolution!

Inject some fresh, new experiences into your life. Challenge yourself and add richness to your life by stepping outside your regular routine. Surprise your senses with things you've never experienced before. Wake up your spirit by uncovering previously hidden treasures in your world.

The good things in your life are yours now because there was a time when you chose to find them. Explore some new possibilities, and there is much new value you can find."

Know.  Be Known.  Make A Difference!

Get Inspired By Life

"Get Inspired By Life.  Get inspired for the possibilities for friendship, love, achievement and fulfillment." 

Get excited about the opportunities for growth and rich experience that come with every turn of events. But be sure that you are looking for the growth and rich experience. See it. Live it. Get excited about living in a world that's filled with abundance in every direction. Can you see the abundance around you? If not, look around again. It's there, you just have to open your eyes to it.

Get passionate about making a difference in your own life and in the lives of those you can affect. Get passionate about expressing and fulfilling those dreams that are uniquely yours. Stop playing small, it serves no purpose to the world to play smaller than you are supposed to.

Give meaning to each moment. Be in each moment. Don't be thinking about the past or the future. Be in each moment. Give the best of yourself to everything you do.

Know.  Be Known.  Make A Difference!

"Get Inspired By Life. Get inspired for the possibilities for friendship, love, achievement and fulfillment."

Merry Christmas

"I have always thought of Christmas time as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely." ~ Charles Dickens

"Instead of being a time of unusual behavior, Christmas is perhaps the only time in the year when people can obey their natural impulses and express their true sentiments without feeling self-conscious and, perhaps, foolish. Christmas, in short, is about the only chance a man/woman has to be himself." ~ Francis C. Farley

Merry Christmas!

Life is Best When It Is Shared

"Life is best when it is shared. At no time is that more evident than on Christmas day.

All the various customs and traditions of the season serve to bring people together in a spirit of joy and celebration. It's a powerful reminder of how good it can feel to connect with others in a genuine, personal and heartfelt way.

Though we have many differences, we also have much in common. Though there is great value in our diversity, that value exists because we are able to connect with each other in ways that are positive and fulfilling.

Even the most accomplished, self-sufficient, independent people have an inherent desire to share life's experience with others. Though there is much we can accomplish as
individuals, there is far, far more that we can experience by connecting and cooperating with each other.

This is a special, beautiful day. It is made even more beautiful by the opportunity to share with others.

On this day, and every day, live the joy and share the joy. Celebrate the connections that give life so much meaning and richness."~Ralph Marston


"Life is best when it is shared. At no time is that more
evident than on Christmas day.

Appreciate What You Have

“Appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic good of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder and even excitement, however stale these experiences may have become to others.”~Abraham Maslow

At this time of the year, do you appreciate the things that you have?  Do you realize that you are in the top 3% of people in the world as far as the things we have?  How often do you view what you have with pleasure, wonder or even excitement?

Do you appreciate the basic good of life? With awe, pleasure and wonder? Really, or are you more caught up in the day-to-day life that only allows you to see the challenges? In our 'microwave society' it seems to always be about the next thing that we have to have or our life won't be complete with out...

Paul Coelho said "You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle." Are you paying attention to the daily miracle in front of you? Do you see it? It might be a new flower, a new friend, a new opportunity to serve others...

Realize that good is present in your life right now and more will be added to you. We have become a society of whiners, complainers and generally grumpy people because we don't see everything as a miracle.

Know.  Be Known.  Make A Difference.

“Appreciate again and again, freshly and naively, the basic good of life, with awe, pleasure, wonder and even excitement, however stale these experiences may have become to others.”

Difference Between Discipline and Devotion

"People think I'm disciplined. It is not discipline. It is devotion. There is a great difference."~Luciano Pavarotti

Are you disciplined or devoted? Really?? I believe that most people are a little disciplined and only a few are devoted, but as Pavarotti says, there is a great difference. Do you see the difference?

If you are disciplined, you will get the job done, (usually) no matter what. If you are devoted, you will get the job done because. Because you love what you do, because it's not really work to you and because it is what you are on the earth to do.

It seems to me that great workers are disciplined, while those who are devoted are great workers and also the ones who really enjoy life and all it has to offer. Does this mean that those who are disciplined don't enjoy life or that those who are devoted aren't disciplined? No, not at all, but I think you can tell the difference between the two.

The devoted ones are the ones who always play big, always stretch for bigger and better things and dream more. Can you say that you are devoted to your job or are you disciplined in your job? The mere fact that 78% of people hate their jobs in the US leads me to think that most are just somewhat disciplined and not devoted (and maybe not even disciplined, but know how to show up to get a paycheck...)

Be devoted. Play Big. 
Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"People think I'm disciplined. It is not discipline. It is devotion. There is a great difference."

Don't Allow Circumstances To Dictate Your Happiness

"If we allow our emotions to be tied to the events in our lives, we have given the power of our happiness to the changing tides of circumstance."~Allen Cohen

Do you allow your emotions to be tied to the events in your life? I think we all do to some extent, but Cohen is saying that we are giving away our power and the power of our happiness if we do. Think about that. When we simply react, we are giving away our power.  You would be far better to respond rather than react.

Here's the thing. Happiness is a choice. It's not tied to anything. You can choose to be happy or you can choose to be sad or mad. Too often we tell ourselves that when this happens, then I will be happy. Sure, we're happy for a few minutes, but then the happiness fades and we need to look for the next thing to make us happy.

Too many people are waiting for someone or something to make them happy. Why? When we do that it doesn't work and we've given away our power. Happiness is YOUR CHOICE!!! Don't give it away. CHOOSE to be happy, today! You can do it! CHOOSE to be happy today!!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"If we allow our emotions to be tied to the events in our lives, we have given the power of our happiness to the changing tides of circumstance."

Meant-To, Didn't-Do, Might-Have-Been

"Mr.Meant-To has a friend, his name is Didn't-Do. Have you met them? They live together in a house called Never-Win. And I am told that it is haunted by the Ghost of Might-Have-Been."~Marva Collins

Now, I'm sure that you don't fall into one of these descriptions, right? Oh really??? Hmmm. How many times do we tell people that we "meant to" do something, but didn't? How many times have we just "didn't do it?"

To me, they should live in the house of "Never Will" instead of "never win" although they won't win at anything either.

Here's our challenge...when we start using excuses and reasons why we didn't do something, we are not holding ourselves accountable, to ourselves, never mind the person who we told we would do it.

"You have reasons or results." That's it. Results or reasons, and reasons don't count. Am I saying that your results will always be what you want? No way, but you will have a result and you can change the result by doing it over better. You can't change a reason and make it better...

Oh, "what might have been." Don't stay stuck there. "It's never too late to be who you were meant to be." So start today, leave the reasons behind and become who you were meant to be. The world is waiting for you!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Mr.Meant-To has a friend, his name is Didn't-Do. Have you met them? They live together in a house called Never-Win. And I am told that it is haunted by the Ghost of Might-Have-Been." 

The Courage To Succeed

"To dream anything that you want to dream, that is the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do, that is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself, to test your limits, that is the courage to succeed."~Bernard Edmonds

What are your DREAMS? Are you following after them or are you stuck? Most people have great dreams...but aren't doing anything to get them other than wish for them. Why? What story are you telling yourself that is keeping you from making it happen?

How strong is your WILL? Can you do ANYTHING you want to? Really? Why not? What is the story that you are telling yourself as to why you can't? The strength of your will will determine whether or not you achieve your dreams.

Do you TRUST yourself? Test your limits? The fear isn't that we are inadequate, the fear is that we are powerful beyond measure and will not know how to deal with it. Most people have just enough trust in themselves that they know that they aren't where they ought to be, but not enough TRUST to step out of where they are and become who they were meant to be.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"To dream anything that you want to dream, that is the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do, that is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself, to test your limits, that is the courage to succeed."

Think Long Term

"Do not measure success by today's harvest. Measure success by the seeds you plant today."~Robert Louis Stevenson

Are you measuring your success by today's harvest? Why? Is it that need for instant gratification? Our society has become one that seems to nee instant gratification.  The "Microwave Society" I like to call it.  What is driving that measurement of today? Stevenson says to measure your success by the seeds that you plant today. There used to be something called delayed gratification...and it was even better than instant gratification.

Are you planting seeds for tomorrow, or are you only concerned with today? That's another challenge for our microwave society. We don't even want to think long-term, only how can I get it now??

Only 3% of you will plan you 2014.  Why?  The old saying is that if "you fail to plan, you are planning to fail."  Most people will just keep on doing what they are doing because "they've always done it that way."  How stupid is that?  How long would it take to you plan?  Too long?  No, 10 minutes spent planning saves you 2 hours down the road.  Imagine what you could do if you planned out your whole year??  Most people will spend more time planning their 2 week vacation than will spend planning their life...how sad is that?!?

It's been said that we can learn from watching nature. Well, in nature, there is always a gestation period, for plants, trees, animals and even humans. Live in the present but Stop living for the right now. Start planning for the future. "I am planning for the future," you say. Really, I ask? Really??

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Do not measure success by today's harvest. Measure success by the seeds you plant today."

Everything You Do Matters

"When you know that everything matters, that every move counts as much as any other, you will begin to live a life of permanent purpose.”~Jones

Do you realize that EVERYTHING you do matters? Do you really understand that? Most people go through life with the attitude that what they do has no bearing on anyone else...but they are wrong.  We are all connected whether you know it or not.  And if you think that there are coincidences, well, sorry, there are NO coincidences.  The people you meet and the things that you do are not by chance!

When you realize and think about everything you do, then you are living a life of permanent purpose. What is your purpose? Do you know?

Mother Teresa said "We have not come into the world to be numbered; we have been created for a purpose, for great things." So I ask you again, what is your purpose? Are you doing great things or are you playing at 50%. Why? Play full out. Play BIG! Don't leave anything in the tank!

If you are not living your purpose, then the world is denied what you were to bring the world. If you don't bring your purpose, no one else will. So, find your purpose and then Live Your Purpose!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"When you know that everything matters, that every move counts as much as any other, you will begin to live a life of permanent purpose.”

A.S.K. - Always Seek Knowledge

“Whatever we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone else, if even in the tiniest way. Why, when a housefly flaps his wings, a breeze goes round the world; And it's much the same thing with knowledge, for whenever you learn something new, the whole world becomes that much richer.” 
~Norton Juster

What are you learning? Do you realize how what you learn affects other people? Even in the tiniest way? Everything we do makes a difference, some for good and some for not so good.

Do you know what The Butterfly Effect is?  It states that a butterfly can flap it's wings in Africa and the end result could be a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. The Butterfly Effect used to be thought of as a urban legend, until the scientific community came to the conclusion that it was authentic, accurate and viable. In fact, it has been accorded the status of "law" and is known as "The Law of Sensitive Dependence Upon Initial Conditions."

When you learn something new, the whole world becomes richer. But what are you learning? Most people are "too busy" to spend any time learning anything. Do you know that if you worked ON your business 30 minutes a day, after a year, you will DOUBLE your business? Stop working IN your business and spend some time ON it.  If you don't know where to start, email me or call me.  A.S.K.  Always Seek Knowledge!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“Whatever we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone else, if even in the tiniest way. Why, when a housefly flaps his wings, a breeze goes round the world; And it's much the same thing with knowledge, for whenever you learn something new, the whole world becomes that much richer.”

How Wild Are Your Expectations?

"Nobody succeeds beyond his or her wildest expectations unless he or she begins with some wild expectations."~Ralph Charell

Are your goals beyond your wildest expectations? Why not? Really, why not? Most people make their goals something that they think they can achieve, not something that would be beyond their wildest dreams. See, we have been taught that we shouldn't have wild dreams because we will be disappointed when we don't reach them...What a crock!

It all does come back to your expectations. Are your expectations really big or are they just big enough to make you work a little harder to get, but not your wildest dreams??? Start trying to reach beyond what you think you can do...You'll be amazed as you start doing some great things.

St. Francis of Assisi said it this way "Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." Here's a real easy way to do the impossible. Go out and do it.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Nobody succeeds beyond his or her wildest expectations unless he or she begins with some wild expectations."

Life Is Largely A Matter Of Expectation

"The world is full of abundance and opportunity, but far too many people come to the fountain of life with a sieve instead of a tank car... a teaspoon instead of a steam shovel. They expect little and as a result they get little."~ Ben Sweetland

Do you realize that the world is full of abundance and opportunity? It is. Stop living in your victimhood and see your abundance and opportunity. Sure, you say, I see my abundance. The challenge is that you don't see all the abundance that's there for you, you only see a small portion that you feel comfortable with, not total abundance. You are coming with a teaspoon vs. a steam shovel. There is total abundance available for you, but you have to claim it. What is stopping you from claiming it?

It gets back to your expectations. YOUR expectations. If you expect little, you get little. If you expect abundance, you get abundance. So, what are you expecting? I sure hope it's a BIG expectation.

Horace said "Life is largely a matter of expectation." What is your expectation? I sure hope its as big as you can make it. Don't play small anymore.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"The world is full of abundance and opportunity, but far too many people come to the fountain of life with a sieve instead of a tank car... a teaspoon instead of a steam shovel. They expect little and as a result they get little."

Your Expectations Hold the Key

"Your expectations, opens or closes the doors of your supply. If you expect grand things, and work honestly for them, they will come to you. Your supply will correspond with your expectation." ~ Orison Swett Marden

How often do you think about your expectations? Too much, not enough, just right? Where do those expectations come from? Past history, other people, you mind? How do you know the expectation you hold is the right one?

According to Marden, your expectations hold the key to your success or failure. Do you believe that? Why or why not? I know that when I'm in a sales situation, that if I don't expect to make the sale, I never do. Wayne Gretzky said "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." I like to equate that to expectations. You miss 100% of the expectations that you don't have for yourself.

Winners expect to win. Losers hope to win. There's a huge difference in those two words, expect and hope. When I played basketball in college, we had a pretty good team.  Several times before games, players on the other team would come up to us and say "Hey, take it easy on us, ok?"  Now, were they expecting to win or just hoping to?  Are you hoping to be successful or are you expecting to be successful? As always, the choice is yours and yours alone. Nobody can make it for you.

Start your day off with great expectations and watch them come true. Great expectations will equal great results.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Your expectations, opens or closes the doors of your supply. If you expect grand things, and work honestly for them, they will come to you. Your supply will correspond with your expectation."

How Do You See Your Future?

“The future has many names: For the weak, it means the unattainable. For the fearful, it means the unknown. For the courageous, it means opportunity.”~Victor Hugo

How do you see the future? What name do you give it? Unattainable, Unknown or Opportunity? Now that you've thought about it, why did you name it what you did? What was the deciding factor in how you see your future?

Most people see the future as Unattainable or Unknown because they have yet to decide what they really want out of life. Oh sure, they think they know what they want, but they really only have wishes and don't really know what they want. They are not clear on what they really want. That is why the universe doesn't give them what they want...because they can't decide what they want. Decide NOW. Be crystal-clear and it will start to appear!

The courageous see the future as an Opportunity. And while their goals may be unattainable now, or their path is unknown, they refuse to be kept back by those thoughts and choose to see only Opportunity!

Ralph Waldo Emerson said "People only see what they are prepared to see." What are you prepared to see? The Unattainable, the Unknown or the Opportunity? If it's not the Opportunity, maybe we need to talk...

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“The future has many names: For the weak, it means the unattainable. For the fearful, it means the unknown. For the courageous, it means opportunity.”

Stop Wasting Energy

"Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition, is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have."~Dale Carnegie

Wow, leave it to Carnegie to call people out of their victimhood!!! He would be considered un Politically Correct because he doesn't "care" enough for people going through problems. But really, look at the quote again...what does feeling sorry for yourself accomplish? It might make you feel better, but other than that brief feeling, it accomplishes nothing!

Feeling sorry for your "present condition?" Think back a year. What conditions were you dealing with that you thought you would never be able to deal with or get over. The key is that all of our issues are "present" but are subject to change. Know that it will change...usually for the better.

"The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken."~Samuel Johnson.  Don't get into the habit of feeling sorry for yourself, because as Johnson says..."they are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken." Think of the habits that you have developed, both good and bad. Now, start thinking how you can get rid of the bad ones and only do the good ones.

We fall into habits like that all the time. The key is to realize it and break them while they are still weak and not wait to break them when they have become too strong.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition, is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have."

Are You Prepared?

"Prepare yourself for something wonderful to happen; when you do, it probably will."

Are you prepared for something wonderful to happen to you? No? Why? Are you always thinking that bad things are going to happen to you?  Are you beat down by life and circumstances? Have you lost hope for things to get better for you?

There’s a lot to be said about self-fulfilling prophecy. Do you remember making that call to the client who you just knew wasn’t going to buy? And did they? I doubt it. But what about that call when you knew that they were going to buy? I bet they did! Whenever you start thinking that good things are going to happen to you, they usually do and by the same token, when you start going down that negative/victim/woe is me route, what do you get? That’s right, more of the same. The universe responds to the vibrations of energy we send out...and if those vibrations are negative, we get more negativity from the universe, but if those vibrations are positive, we get more positivity from the universe! You have already done it before. Just realize that this time, you are doing it because of an intention.

Gary Zukov said "Every intention sets energy into motion. Whether you are conscious of it or not." Do you realize that you are setting energy in motion? Are you conscious of whether it is positive energy or negative energy. You can set negative energy in motion just as easy as setting positive energy in motion. But it is up to you. You decide which energy you are going to set in motion.

Make it positive energy and those around you will thank you for it!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Prepare yourself for something wonderful to happen; when you do, it probably will."

Relax...I Give You Permission

"Beware the barrenness of a busy life." ~Socrates

Wow...beware the barrenness of a busy life! Take a look at your life. Are you always busy?  Is it barren?  Are you running from meeting to meeting, driving like a maniac banchee to get to where you need to be next...without any consideration of others?  How's that working for you?

Socrates, 2500 years ago saw the barrenness. Do you? REALLY?? Our society has programmed us to WANT MORE, NEED MORE, GET MORE...But is that all there is? More?

More recently, Mahatma Gandhi said "There is more to life than increasing its speed." Yet, that is all we seem able to do. Knowledge is doubling every 6 months...Computers that you bought 6 months ago now could almost be obsolete. There's so much new information coming at us, we can't keep up (and that's tough for us recovering perfectionists...lol)  In fact, according to Google, there is more information posted online every 48 hours than was known from the beginning of time to 2004!  According to YouTube, 100 hours of video are posted there every MINUTE!!

It has been said that "The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." Take a few moments today, stop your hectic schedule, put away the IPad,  I-Phone and I-RELAX!!!!! Go ahead, do it. Turn technology off fo 5-10 minutes.  You can do it.  OK, you say that you need permission...I GIVE YOU PERMISSION...to relax for 5-10 minutes today. That's all, 5-10 minutes. It will change your day, your week, your month...maybe even your life!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Beware the barrenness of a busy life."

Accept Complete Responsibility

"William Henley said, 'I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.' Once you believe this (I mean, really believe it,) nothing will hold you back. Something unexplainable happens when we accept complete responsibility for our behavior and our results. But it's not an easy thing to do."~Mac Anderson

Are you the master of your fate? Or are you just letting life happen to you?? Do you believe that you make the choices of the things that happen to you or that you have no choices? Why?

Get out of your victimhood and allowing circumstances to rule your thinking.  You need to start thinking differently, start acting differently, live in gratitude and become a person of increase. Accept responsibility NOW!

Something unexplainable happens when we accept complete responsibility for our behavior and our results. Have you accepted complete responsibility for your behavior and your results? Not an easy thing to do...especially when our society almost demands that we blame something or someone.  Here's what happens when you blame someone or something...you give away YOUR power!  You give away YOUR responsibility!

Break away from that crap. Take responsibility for your choices and actions. Know that you always have a choice and that YOU get to make that choice, no one else can make it for you.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"William Henley said, 'I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.' Once you believe this (I mean, really believe it,) nothing will hold you back. Something unexplainable happens when we accept complete responsibility for our behavior and our results. But it's not an easy thing to do."

Take Things For Granted Or With Gratitude?

“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” ~G. K. Chesterton

Do you take things for granted or with gratitude? I hate to say it, but most people take things we have here in America for granted. And then we are only grateful on holidays, for a short time and then we go back to taking things for granted.  Here's an example, we just celebrated Thanksgiving here in The United States.  Today is "Black Friday" when we stuff ourselves full with buying things that we really don't need.  But, you say, "we've always done that."  So what?  Are you expressing gratitude for your job when you are spending the money you make at it?  I highly doubt it, more along the lines of taking it for granted!

Do you realize how lucky we have it here in America? 50% of the world's population doesn't have running water or indoor plumbing. If you live in America, no matter what your economic situation, you are part of the top 3% of wealthy people in the world.

Most people just take that for granted, because they had the fortune of being born here.  Now a certain type of individual believes that they are "entitled" to have these things.  Get real folks!

Action:
Start taking things with gratitude and not for granted. Start to realize that we who were born here or have come here are the luckiest people on earth. Start showing your gratitude, produce it and discharge it!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”

Gratitude Unlocks The Fullness Of Life

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~Melody Beattie

Are you grateful? Not just because it's Thanksgiving, but are you grateful for EVERYTHING that happens to you in your life? Many people aren't. Look at the quote again and all the good things that gratitude does for us...you would think we would live perpetually in gratitude...but we don't.

It takes work to be grateful. It's not our natural thought pattern. It's a challenge to our normal way of thinking. But it's worth it! Gratitude is a vibration that's one of the highest vibrations that we can have. Gratitude allows the Law of Attraction to work almost effortlessly in our lives.

William Faulkner said “Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and
discharged and used up in order to exist at all.” You can't keep gratitude bottled up, you must discharge it. It's a great cycle, produce - discharge, produce again - discharge again. The more you discharge, the more you will have to be grateful for!

Action:
Make today a gratitude day and have gratitude for EVERYTHING that happens today. Feel that vibrational high and stay there as long as you can! Produce gratitude and then discharge it, over and over.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

Be Nobody But Yourself

"To be nobody-but-yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you somebody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting."~e. e. cummings

Are you nobody but yourself? Really? Think about it, are you yourself? Well, "Of course" you say, but look deeper. Is that really you saying that or is your parents, your teachers, your buddies? The world is trying to make everybody the same. Even the government is trying to make sure that everybody has equal results, rather than equal opportunity. Don't be someone else! Be You!

Be Yourself! Why? Cause everybody else is taken!!! Dr. Seuss said "Why fit in when you were born to stand out?"

You have a unique gift to give to the world. If you don't give your gift to the world, the world will never get that gift, because only you can give it to the world. Don't deprive the world and your circle of influence the gift you have to give.

This is the biggest fight that you will ever have and it will be against the world and yourself. The key is to never stop fighting the battle to be you. You will want to sometimes just give up, but that is when you are almost there. Never stop fighting the battle to be you. Don't let the world win.

"To be nobody-but-yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you somebody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting." 

Who Are You?

“Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, "This is the real me," and when you have found that attitude, follow it.” ~William James

What is that mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive? Have you ever thought of that before? Probably not, because we are not taught to do a lot of self-examination...and when we do, it's because of something we've screwed up! But I ask the question again, What is that mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive?

James says that when you find what that is, you need to follow it because that is "the real you." Do you know who the "real you" is? Sad to say, most people don't have a clue. They are what other people say they are. There are who other people want them to be. They have taken Shakespeare literally when he said "All the worlds a stage," and they are just playing parts, just acting, but not being real, not being who they really were meant to be.

If you are not deeply and vitally alive, then you are not being who you were meant to be, you are playing small and the world does not benefit from you playing small. The world does not benefit from you keeping your talent hidden from view. We need more people who are ALIVE!!! Most people just survive from day to day, hardly anybody really lives anymore...

Be the real you...because everybody else is taken. Play Big. Play to Win!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, "This is the real me," and when you have found that attitude, follow it.”

The Questions We Ask Ourselves

"In order to be more effective with others -- the most important thing we can do is make sure we're in the right frame of mind to begin with. To that end, the questions we ask OURSELVES make all the difference in the world." ~David Levin

Are you in the right frame of mind when you are dealing with people? Do you even think about it or do you just go and do it? Your attitude tells people far more than you words, so it might be something to start thinking about. What frame of mind do you want to have? Helpful? Inquisitive? Confrontational? Educational? There are many more, but have you thought about it? Sometimes the best thing to do is reschedule a meeting, especially if you aren't in the right frame of mind.

Here's something to consider as well...what frame of mind is the person you are meeting with in? Can you tell? It's a talent that most people haven't developed yet. If they are in a frame of mind that is anything but receptive or open, it might be best to ask them to reschedule.

What are the questions you are asking yourself? Are you asking yourself any questions at all? Some people might but most people just go through the day without ever asking themselves the questions that will help them get to where they want to go. It is all about the questions that we ask ourselves.  As Tony Robbins said "Questions are the answer."

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"In order to be more effective with others -- the most important thing we can do is make sure we're in the right frame of mind to begin with. To that end, the questions we ask OURSELVES make all the difference in the world."

Are You Still Looking At What You Lost?

"Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost." ~Robert H. Schuller

We all go through change. Sometimes the problem is that when we do, we keep our focus on what we lost, rather than what we still have or what can now come to us from the change. Have you done that? I'm sure that we all have. The trick is to look at what we have left.

One of my favorite quotes is "The place for what you want is currently occupied by what you have settled for." When you lose something, know that it will be replaced by something even better. But what have you settled for? Why?

If you want new things to come into your life, you need to get rid of the things that you settled for. Open up that space and it will be filled. That's just the way it works. The other thing to keep in mind is that whatever happens in your life, to be grateful about it and you will get more things to be grateful for!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost."

The First Step To Something Better

"What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better." ~Wendell Phillips

Is that the way your view Defeat or Failure? It's not that way for most people. I had a chance to experience this first hand...as someone objected to my posts and reported me to Facebook. Interesting...it has required me to re-write this post and make it even better!

Defeat is nothing more than an education. It is nothing more than a learning experience. Do you see that when things don't go your way? Do you see that when you experience the thing that we call failure? I hope so. Henry Ford said that "Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently." Now that's the way to look at defeat/failure. Don Shula said, "Failure is never final." Do you look at failure that way?  Too many people give up when they face failure and giving up is THE ONLY WAY to failure!

Defeat is nothing more than the first step to something better. Wow, can you look at defeat that way?  I'm sure that is the way that Edison looked at his invention of the light bulb. He focused on what it would do for the world and not that it took him so many times to figure it out.  What are you focusing on, the defeat or the learning experience?

How do you look at defeat or failure? If you are having trouble overcoming a past defeat, realize that something better awaits you...only if you are looking for it. We get what we are expecting and what we look for. If you get bad stuff and it keeps happening, STOP looking for and expecting it. Change your focus!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better."

Are You Remarkable?

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”~Harold Whitman

What makes you come alive? Your work? Only if you are a part of the 22% that like/love what they do...as 78% of Americans hate their job. Wow, what a depressing statistic. 78% of people hate their jobs!!! My question to those of you that do...WHY? Why are you still doing what you hate to do? To pay the bills? To keep up with the neighbors? To get that next toy? Is it really worth it???

Do what makes you come alive!!! The world needs more people who have come alive and are willing to share it with the world. I talk with people all the time who say they can't do what they want to do because of this reason or that reason. The main reason is fear (thought they won't say that) and it's holding them back and keeping them stuck where they are. You will either have excuses or results.  So sad.

If you are doing what you love, congratulations. Are you remarkable doing it? I hope so, because the world needs remarkable people and each of you are unique and if you don't bring that uniqueness to the world, the world will never see it...because only you have it to bring to the world!

If you are not remarkable, then maybe we should talk. Remember, being remarkable doesn't mean being remarkable to you...it means being remarkable to others. Are you remarkable to others??

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

Winning And Losing Are A Byproduct

"How you run the race-your planning, preparation, practice, and performance-counts for everything. Winning or losing is a byproduct, and aftereffect of that effort." ~John Wooden

How are you running the race? How is your planning, practice and performance? Do you plan daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or do you just do what you've always done and get by doing that? Are you practicing your performance? Really? When was the last time you practiced your sales presentation? When?

See, winning takes place in the preparation, not in the presentation. All those years that Wooden coached UCLA, he never spoke about winning and losing, only about maximizing his players abilities. His success proves that the winning is in the preparation.

Winning or losing is a byproduct, and aftereffect of that effort. Do you realize that? Most people don't see it that way. It's your preparation that allows you to win or causes you to lose.  Are you spending enough time preparing or are you just winging it?

So I will ask again, how is your preparation? Stop worrying about making the sale and prepare like a champion for the presentation and you will win as often as Wooden did.  (for those of you too young to remember Coach Wooden, he won 10 NCAA Men's Basketball Championships in 12 years)

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"How you run the race-your planning, preparation, practice, and performance-counts for everything. Winning or losing is a byproduct, and aftereffect of that effort."

Are You A Penguin Or A Peacock?

"The two words 'information' and 'communication' are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through." ~Sydney J. Harris

Do you think that you are a good communicator? Why? What most people call communication is no more than exchanging information, not communication. Do you see the difference? Let me explain...

Let's say you are at a networking event and you meet someone and you start talking about your job and what you do. They are nodding their head, and speaking at the right times and at the end of the conversation, you think that you were communicating...SORRY...all you were doing was giving information, not communicating!

Communicating is getting through, being understood and remembered! Are you memorable? Most people aren't. Why? Because they've been programmed to be just like everybody else...Boring...Penguins...all together...staying safe with the group.

So, who are you? No, not what do you do, but who are you? When you are able to answer that question and communicate it, you will start to stand out and be unique. Be a first rate version of yourself rather than a second rate version of someone else.

http://www.perrythepeacock.com/

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"The two words 'information' and 'communication' are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through."

Ready To Change Or Not?

"It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not." - James Gordon

Are you ready to change? Some people are, some aren't. I actually disagree with the first part of the quote because there are people who have will power and there are those that don't...but it does come back to being ready to change, so I will ask again, Are you ready to change?

Now, some of you are thinking to yourself that "I don't need to change." Really? How's your life working for you now? Got everything you want? Done everything that you wanted to do? Do you live a life of leisure or do you slave away at your job every day?

Here's a formula for you. Your CZ will equal your WZ. "Your Comfort Zone will equal your Wealth Zone. By expanding your Comfort Zone you will expand the size of your Income and Wealth Zone." A better way to explain it is your Familiar Zone, because the only reason it is comfortable (and it really isn't) but you think it's comfortable because it's what you know. And what you know seems better than what you don't know. So, are you ready to step out of your Familiar Zone?

Are you ready to expand your Wealth Zone? Really? Step out now!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!


"It's not that some people have willpower and some don't. It's that some people are ready to change and others are not."

Improve Your Strengths!

“I do not believe that you should devote overly much effort to correcting your weaknesses. Rather, I believe that the highest success in living and the deepest emotional satisfaction comes from building and using your signature strengths.” ~Martin Seligman

Are you devoting too much time to your weaknesses as opposed to building up your signature strengths? It is a problem that most of us have, wanting to improve where we are not strong, when we should be improving our strengths! What are your strengths and what are your weaknesses? I bet you could tell me your weaknesses before you could tell me your strengths!

I was in a Mastermind group and we took a test that measured our strengths and weaknesses, but listed only the top 5 strengths. The funny thing was that a few people wanted to see what their weaknesses were...almost to confirm that, "ya, those are my weaknesses." Like it was something to be  proud of...WRONG!! They were proud of the fact that they were working so hard on their weaknesses...but they had it backwards.

One of your Signature Strengths should be you "Personal Brand." Your personal brand is what will separate you from your competition and everyone else. Revel in your uniqueness!

Your deepest emotional satisfaction comes from building and using your signature strengths.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“I do not believe that you should devote overly much effort to correcting your weaknesses. Rather, I believe that the highest success in living and the deepest emotional satisfaction comes from building and using your signature strengths.”

Stop Putting Fences Around Your Dreams

"No Limit Thinking...As children we believe that we might become president, a great artist or a great explorer. But as adults we begin to put fences around those dreams." ~Tom Asacker

No limit thinking...what did you want to be when you grew up? Why didn't you do it? Why? Did you or someone else put a fence around those dreams and tell you that you couldn't do that?

Stop putting fences around who you want to become. Become who you were meant to become! Tony Robbins asks a great question, “Who will you have to become to achieve all you want?” Have you ever thought about that? Really?

To achieve all that you want, who will you have to become? Are you ready to become that person or are you content to stay small, not bringing to the world your uniqueness.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"No Limit Thinking...As children we believe that we might become president, a great artist or a great explorer. But as adults we begin to put fences around those dreams."

Get Ahead Of Yourself

"Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves -- to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterday by our today."~ Stewart B. Johnson

Are you getting ahead of yourself or are you trying to keep up and get ahead of your neighbors and friends? See, our society has made it a game about keeping up with the Joneses. All the advertising is directed at making you feel as if you need everything to keep up. And if you don't, well, you might be thrown out of Scottsdale!! I mean, come on, we have a reputation to uphold here...

How shallow have we become to buy into that crap? I sure hope that we are finding our way out and just worrying about keeping ahead of ourselves. That's where growth is! That's where change is! That's where happiness is!

Take a moment to think about how you can 'outstrip your yesterday by your today.' What would it take to make today a better day than yesterday? That's all you have to do...consciously think about how you can make today better than yesterday...and then do it!

When you realize that even the poorest American is in the top 97% of people in the world as far as wealth goes it might change your thinking. Or that 60% of the world doesn't have running water or indoor plumbing, or that 50% has never made a telephone call, you will realize that our job is just to get ahead of ourselves and not anyone else.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves -- to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterday by our today."

Stop Conforming!

"I have no need to conform to the stereotypes others have defined for me."~Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Are you conforming to the stereotypes that others have defined for you? Why? I mean really, why? Were you told that you needed to be this way or that way and you did it? What were you thinking?  Too many people conform to what others have defined for them!

Here's a favorite quote of mine, "It's none of my business what you think of me." See, if I make it my business what you think of me, then I change who I am to gain your acceptance, trust, love, whatever. But to really live that quote, you need to be confident in who you are, and know who you are!

“Don’t be pushed by your problems. Be led by your dreams.” Too many people today are only pushed by their problems and aren't led by their dreams. Be led by your dreams! But make sure that they are your dreams and not someone elses...

You, and only you, get to choose how you spend each precious moment of your life. Choose carefully and well. It is always your choice.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"I have no need to conform to the stereotypes others have defined for me."

You are Creating Struggle and Success

“Believe that you are the one who creates your success, that you are the one who creates your mediocrity, and that you are the one creating your struggle around money and success.”~ T. Harv Eker

I know that you believe that you create your success, but do you believe that you also create your mediocrity? Well guess what? Hate to break it to ya, but YOU DO! Too often we blame others, parents, teachers, spouses, the economy, when it is our responsibility, our choices, our decisions.

Don't give your power away by blaming others, because that is what you are doing. Take responsibility for you actions and create the life that you want. Your "personal brand" should be all yours, not someone elses.

You are in charge of EVERYTHING that happens in your life. EVERYTHING. Take back you power today, right now, this moment. You create your success, you create your mediocrity. It is your choice!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“Believe that you are the one who creates your success, that you are the one who creates your mediocrity, and that you are the one creating your struggle around money and success.”

Leave A Trail

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Why is it so hard to follow Emerson's advice? Because it is easy to follow the path rather than creating your own path. It's easy to do what everyone else is doing, but at what cost? The cost you pay is that you become another me-too person or a me-too business!! Is it worth it to you to break away from the me-toos?

Go instead where there is no path and leave one. Be the trailblazer! Roger Bannister was a trailblazer. He broke the 4 minute mile when scientists said that it was impossible for the human body to be able to run that fast. Here's the thing, everyone after him that has set the record in the mile has just been faster...but not a trailblazer. Think about that for a while.

Where can you be a trailblazer? Have you ever thought about that? I challenge you to challenge your imagination and come up with a way that you can be a trailblazer! Albert Einstein said "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere else!" Are you ready to go everywhere else?

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

It Has Something To Do With Belief

“When you believe something is impossible, your mind goes to work for you to prove why. But when you believe, really believe, something can be done, your mind goes to work for you and helps you find the ways to do it.” ~David J. Schwartz

Our brain is the greatest computer ever designed. It is a million times more powerful that the most powerful computer and when you believe something, you mind will bring the things to you that validate your thinking. Henry Ford said "Whether you think you can or think you can't you're right." If you believe something is impossible, then guess what...IT IS impossible...FOR YOU. But it is not impossible for someone who believes is it possible.

Here's another view on possible and impossible “If it is possible, it is done; if impossible, it shall be done.”~Charles Alexandre de Calonne.  Wow, is that powerful? If it is impossible, IT SHALL BE DONE. Do you think this way? Can you think this way? Break out of your self-imposed mediocrity and attempt the impossible.

And don't let the realists stop you, you know who they are, the ones who are always saying, "Oh, be realistic." See, a realist is really a pessimist in disguise. Go for it. Attempt the impossible and when they come to ask you how you did it, just say "It's a secret...but it has something to do with belief..."

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“When you believe something is impossible, your mind goes to work for you to prove why. But when you believe, really believe, something can be done, your mind goes to work for you and helps you find the ways to do it.”