Your Future Equals Your Present Actions

"We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in the future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act."~Swami Vivekananda

Yes, YOU are responsible for who you are!  Not your parents, not your teachers, not your spouse or significant other.  We are also responsible for whoever we wish to be!  Do you realize that?  You ARE responsible for who you wish to be, how great is that?  It's your choice and it's always been only your choice.

We are now the results of who we have been in the past and so it follows that we can change who we will be by our actions NOW, in the present.  WOW, we can change who we will be by our current actions!  Who do you want to become?  Start now by changing your actions to be that person.  

Ralph Waldo Emerson said "Don't be too squeamish or timid about your actions.  All life is an experiment."  Ya gotta love Waldo.  See, your life is an experiment and you are the one in control, deciding what to do and be!

We have the power to make ourselves whoever we want to be.  Most people say that when they have, they will do and be.  That's wrong!  You need to BE, DO, then HAVE!  Make your present actions all about being who you want to become!

Know.  Be Known.  Make A Difference!

"We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in the future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act."

Wasting Time, Emotional And Spiritual Energy

"Stop the mindless wishing that things would be different. Rather than wasting time and emotional and spiritual energy in explaining why we don't have what we want, we can start to pursue other ways to get it."~Greg Anderson

Mindless wishing. What a great phrase!! That's what most of us do, Mindless wishing. I ask people about their goals and if they are written down. Sometimes they say, "Oh, I don't need to write them down, I have them in my head. I think about them all the time. Sorry, as Anderson says, that's just Mindless wishing.

Stop wasting time and emotional and spiritual energy in explaining why we don't have what we want. What is past is past and there is no use in creating a story why we didn't reach what we want. The key is to realize that right now, you can start finding other ways to get what you want! There are always more ways to do things that we originally think. Stretch your mind, think new thoughts, create new ways.

Write down your goals. Write down your goals. Write down your goals. Stop the Mindless wishing and start finding a new way to reach your goals!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Stop the mindless wishing that things would be different. Rather than wasting time and emotional and spiritual energy in explaining why we don't have what we want, we can start to pursue other ways to get it."

Are You Afraid To Go Too Far?

“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.  

T. S. Eliot said "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."  Are you willing to see how far you can go or will you stay safe, where you are?

If you are serious about becoming successful you will need to do three 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!!
3) Always Be Learning.  Join us this Friday and learn how to find out who your Ideal Clients are and how to find them.https://www.facebook.com/events/1655691841343576
/http://mkt.com/mentoring-your-success-2/am-attraction-marketing-your-ideal-client
Remember, success lies just beyond where you are now!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

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

Are You Preventing Yourself From Learning?

"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.  Learn how to market to them.  If you will do this for 30 minutes a day within 6 months, you will double your business!  It will also show that you are committed to growing your business and not just interested in it.

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. 

Are you aware that the top 20% of your clients are worth 16x more than yhe other 80%? How would you like to find more of your Ideal Clients? What this will do is allow you to work less and make more money. Join us Friday and learn the strategies to easily attract your Ideal Clients!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1655691841343576/http://mkt.com/mentoring-your-success-2/am-attraction-marketing-your-ideal-client

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

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

Change Your Level Of Thinking

“One very important aspect of motivation is the willingness to stop and to look at things that no one else has bothered to look at. This simple process of focusing on things that are normally taken for granted is a powerful source of creativity.” ~Edward de Bono

How willing are you at looking at things that no one else has bothered to look at? Are you willing to ask the question why do we do this that way? I hope so because it leads to the expansion of your mind and ideas. Think about that...the expansion of your mind. Are you willing to expand your mind or are you set in your ways and you "already know how to do that?"

Einstein said “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” Yet every day, we try to solve the problems that come our way without changing the level of thinking that created them. Are you guilty of this? I know that I am sometimes, but most of the time, I will try to add to my knowledge to deal with the problem that I created. Books, articles and mentors help.

Motivation...Every action, positive and negative comes from our motivation. Choose wisely, make that motivation a positive one. ASK! Always Seek Knowledge. Expand your mind daily!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“One very important aspect of motivation is the willingness to stop and to look at things that no one else has bothered to look at. This simple process of focusing on things that are normally taken for granted is a powerful source of creativity.”

Life Shapes Itself To Meet Our Expectations

"Life... It tends to respond to our outlook, to shape itself to meet our expectations."
~Richard M. DeVos

What are your expectations? Are they for your dreams or are they just enough to get by? Unfortunately, we have been taught to not expect too much because if we don't get it, we will be disappointed. We were taught that by well meaning people but guess what? You can't protect people from disappointment!! It's part of life and it allows us to grow. But most people keep their expectations low.

As a Sales Trainer, I always ask my students when they go to meet a client, if they expect to make a sale. Most of them say no. My answer to them is "Why bother going?" You create your reality with your expectations so always be expecting the best. Sure, you might be disappointed some times but more often than not, you will be rewarded for your expectations!

Just 4 words separate the most successful people in the world from those who struggle to just get by: Expect More ~ Execute Better. Are you expecting more and executing better? Sounds simple, but it's not easy. You have to train your brain to expect more and you also have to work on executing better. Those 4 words are what separate the most successful people from those who are struggling. Expect More ~ Execute Better. Start expecting more NOW!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

 

"Life... It tends to respond to our outlook, to shape itself to meet our expectations."

Your Present, Totally Unlike Your Past!

"To grow, you must be willing to let your present and future be totally unlike your past. Your history is not your destiny."~Alan Cohen

You do realize that your past does not equal your future, right? Right?? Just because you haven't done something doesn't mean that you can't do it now. This is the attitude to have...choose to have this attitude.

Here's another great attitude to have. Anthony D'Angelo said "If you have time to whine and complain about something, then you have the time to do something about it." If you complain about anything, then you do have the time to do something about it. Unfortunately, too many people have become victims and all they can do is whine and complain. Don't let that be you!  

Stephen Covey said "Live out of your imagination, not your history."  Far too many people are living out of their history, letting it repeat over and over and over.  Start living out of your imagination!  It's real easy to do...just let go of the past.

Don't allow your past to affect your future. You can become what you want to become. Stop complaining and whining and start changing the things that you are complaining about.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"To grow, you must be willing to let your present and future be totally unlike your past. Your history is not your destiny."

Focus, Saying No To Other Good Ideas

“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas." ~Steve Jobs

Wow!! Do you get the wisdom in that? As small business owners, it seems that we are always looking for the next whiz-bang thing that can take our company to greater heights...SQUIRREL!!! But Jobs is telling us to let them go. He is telling you to stop chasing the squirrel.

Did you know that Apple had the IPad ready for production 5 years before they released it? But Jobs kept it on the shelf until the IPhone was solid and all the apps built for it would then work on the IPad. Talk about saying no to a good idea. It really wasn't a no, but a not yet. Let go of the hundred good ideas and concentrate on only a few or the one!

When Michelangelo was asked about his sculpture of "David" he said "He was there already, I just had to take away everything that didn't belong there." Think about your business. Have you taken away everything that doesn't belong there or do you have some chiseling to do? I would bet that you have some chiseling to do. What are you waiting for? Get chiseling!!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!


“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. But that's not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas."

Comfort Zone? No, Familiar Zone!

“A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.” ~Denis Waitley

How often are you out of your comfort zone? Really? Think about it because I would bet that you are in it more than you think. What is your creative vision for your life? Does your creative vision allow you to feel comfortable outside of your comfort zone? If you are stuck in your comfort zone then you aren't growing. And if you aren't growing, you are shrinking. 

There is no middle ground, no status quo, no staying the same.

Here's another thing about our "Comfort Zone." It really ISN'T a "comfort zone." It is a FAMILIAR ZONE, because we are familiar with the pain. And the pain that we know is always less than the pain of something new, so we stay in our Familiar Zone.

Peter McWilliams said “To the degree we're not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control of us than we have over ourselves.” Has your comfort zone taken over your dreams and your life? Too often we don't even realize it until it's too late. Well, it's not too late! GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT/FAMILIAR ZONE!! START LIVING YOUR DREAMS! 
NOW! What are you waiting for?

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference

“A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.” 

Let The New Come To You

"Embrace fully your capacity to create, To think in unlimited ways  and to pursue everything that you have been wanting. Be flexible, open and willing to let the new come to you. "This can be the most prosperous, and creative time of your life."~Sanaya Roman and Duane Packer 

Have you embraced your capacity to CREATE? Have you learned to think in UNLIMITED ways? Are you pursuing EVERYTHING you have been wanting? Why not??? You have an unlimited capacity to create (even though that art teacher in 7th grade said you couldn't). How many people believed the teacher that said something like that about your creativity? Don't believe it! We ALL have the ability to create.

Are you pursuing everything you have been wanting? Too many people put off what they truly want, Thinking that they need to wait for the good things they want. Now is the time to go after what you want. There's no need to wait. Go for it NOW!

Have you learned to think in unlimited ways? Really?? Many people have learned one way to think and that's the only way they think. Don't get stuck in that trap. There are many ways to think, you just need to get out of your own brain. Learn to think differently. Challenge you thinking. Expand your mind.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference

"Embrace fully your capacity to create, to think in unlimited ways, and to pursue everything that you have been wanting. Be flexible, open and willing to let the new come to you. "This can be the most prosperous, and creative time of your life."

Abraham Lincoln

"The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next."~Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War—its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. In doing so, he preserved the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the federal government, and modernized the economy.

I realize that if you were educated in our government schools you probably spent about 15 minutes studying Abraham Lincoln  Here are a few of the things that he said that should give you pause to make you think about where we are going as a country and as a civilization.

"We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution."


"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time."

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."


"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."


'You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."


"My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again be seen as the last best hope of earth."


Just think about what's happening to these United States.  I guess the old saying is true, those who refuse to learn from history are bound to repeat it.  Then again, you probably were never taught anything about Lincoln...

Know.  Be Known.  Make A Difference!

"The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next."

Benjamin Franklin

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."~Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A renowned polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, freemason, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. As an inventor, he is known for the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove, among other inventions. He facilitated many civic organizations, including Philadelphia's fire department and a university.

I realize that if you were educated in our government schools you probably spent about 10 minutes studying Benjamin Franklin  Here are a few of the things that he said that should give you pause to make you think about where we are going as a country and as a civilization.

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."

"Lost time is never found again."

"Money has never made man happy, nor will it, there is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more of it one has the more one wants."


"Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out."


"The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is a knowledge of our own ignorance."


"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."


"You may delay, but time will not."

Just think about what's happening to these United States.  I guess the old saying is true, those who refuse to learn from history are bound to repeat it.  Then again, you probably were never taught anything about Franklin...

Know.  Be Known.  Make A Difference!

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."

George Washington

"The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves."~George Washington

George Washington (February 22, 1732– December 14, 1799) was the first President of the United States (1789–97), the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He presided over the convention that drafted the current United States Constitution and during his lifetime was called the "father of his country".

I realize that if you were educated in our government schools you probably spent about 10 minutes studying George Washington  Here are a few of the things that he said about the United States that should give you pause to make you think about where we are going as a country and as a civilization.


"The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon."

"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."


"Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder."


"To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace."

"It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one."


"Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light."


Just think about what's happening to these United States.  I guess the old saying is true, those who refuse to learn from history are bound to repeat it.  Then again, you probably were never taught anything about Jefferson...

Know.  Be Known.  Make A Difference!

"The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves."

Thomas Jefferson

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." ~Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and the third President of the United States (1801–1809). He was an ardent proponent of democracy and embraced the principles of republicanism and the rights of the individual with worldwide influence.

I realize that if you were educated in our government schools you probably spent about 10 minutes studying Thomas Jefferson.  Here are a few of the things that he said about the United States that should give you pause to make you think about where we are going as a country and as a civilization.

"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."  

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."

"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." 

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

"To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." 

Just think about what's happening to these United States.  I guess the old saying is true, those who refuse to learn from history are bound to repeat it.  Then again, you probably were never taught anything about Jefferson...

Know.  Be Known.  Make A Difference!

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

What Are You Seeing?

“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”~Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 1900 – 1944

Think about that...
The last time you looked at a pile of rocks, did you see the image of a cathedral?  Or anything other than a pile of rocks?  Probably not, and that's too bad.  Have you ever created something out of nothing?  Oh sure, as a kid, you probably did this all the time.  Have you done it recently?  Why not?  

de Saint-Exupery also said “Life has taught us that love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.”

Here's something that you most likely have never given any thought to.  We don't see with our eyes, we see with our brains!  Yes, our eyes allow us to see images, people, things however it's the brain that interprets that for us!  In other words, you can train your eyes/brain to see better things.  You can even retrain your brain to see the same things differently!

The problem then is that way too many people are stuck seeing with their eyes and not their brains.

I'll leave you with one last quote, this from Marcel Proust:
"The real voyage of discovery consists, not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes."  Have new eyes today.  See the cathedral in the pile of rocks.  Look outward together in the same direction.

Know.  Be Known.  Make A Difference!

“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”

Be Here NOW!

"We look backward too much and we look forward too much, thus we miss the only eternity of which we can be absolutely sure -- the eternal present for it is always now."~William Phelps

Are you stuck in looking back or looking forward too much? Why? While it is helpful to look back and look forward, don't forget about being present! Being present is the only place where you can make a difference. In the present, you can change your future. The eternal present is always now!

Can you look around in awareness? Can you be present? Most people are thinking about what's next instead of thinking of what's NOW! Be present. It will help you grow your business. It will help you develop better relationships. It will allow you to be you. There's a reason it's called being "present," because it's a gift you give to yourself!

Fight the thoughts of what's next and think about what's now. Work on it every minute of the day and stay present!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"We look backward too much and we look forward too much, thus we miss the only eternity of which we can be absolutely sure -- the eternal present for it is always now."

Offspring Of Thought

"There are no limitations to the mind other than those we acknowledge, both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought."~Napoleon Hill

What limitations have you acknowledged? Why? Did someone tell you you couldn't do it so you agreed with them? Did you try once and it didn't work so you quit and said, "I can't do that?"  How many times and about how many things did you say "I can't do that" and quit?

Do you agree that the only limitations to your mind are those that we acknowledge? Why or why not? Both poverty and riches are offspring of our thoughts. Do you believe that? Why or why not?

When we acknowledge our limitations, we give them more power than they should have.  There are NO Limitations, only those that we acknowledge and if that's the case, why haven't you done what you have always wanted to do?  Are you letting the excuses become your limitations?

Go about your day today and think of NO LIMITATIONS! Can you do it? Even for an hour? Half a day? The whole day? Just try it!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"There are no limitations to the mind other than those we acknowledge, both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought."

Put No Trust In The Morrow

"Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero." Means "Seize the day, put no trust in the morrow."~Horace

We've all heard "Seize the day," but most people don't include the rest...which might be even more important. For several reasons.

"Put no trust in the morrow." Here's the deal. Tomorrow is promised to no one! But most of the time, we proceed as if we are going to live forever and never think about it. There's another quote that says "Put off until tomorrow only what you want to leave unfinished if you die tonight." (Or something like that) We are mortal beings and we can go at any time. Kind of makes you at some things differently, doesn't it.

Action:
"Seize the day." Be present now. Be in the moment, only in this moment and your world will expand exponentially. Most of us find it difficult to be in the moment, we are either thinking about what has already happened (and we can't do anything about) or thinking about what's to come (which we can only prepare for). When you are in the moment, you are truly living.

That being said "Put no trust in the morrow."  Stop putting off the important things in life and get doing them!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero." Means "Seize the day, put no trust in the morrow."

The Tyranny Of Immediacy

"I will not be governed by the tyranny of immediacy."~Mary Anne Radmacher

Are you governed by the tyranny of immediacy? Do you allow others immediacy to govern you? Why? What do you get? Take control your life and stop that NOW! Here's an example; email. Do you keep it open and look at it as soon as they come in??? I hope not.

In today's microwave society, we want everything 2 minutes ago. We have lost the ability to have delayed gratification and are constantly seeking immediate gratification. Why?

The problem with immediate gratification is that as fast as it comes, it's gone again that fast and then we need to  find another source of gratification. It's a vicious cycle that never ends until we step back and slow down and stop the tyranny of immediacy.

Very often it's our friends and clients who try to impose the tyranny of THEIR immediacy on us. We need to learn to politely tell them that that we run our own life and that their issue while important, it doesn't rise to OUR immediacy level. Don't allow them to give you their issue.

Here's a challenge for today, don't allow the tyranny of immediacy to win even once today.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"I will not be governed by the tyranny of immediacy."