Friday, May 28, 2010

Your Wildest 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."

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

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

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Expanding Your Imagination

“All I’m saying is that to liberate the potential of your mind, body and soul, you must first expand your imagination. You see, things are always created twice: first in the workshop of the mind and then, and only then, in reality. I call this process ‘blueprinting’ because anything you create in your outer world began as a simple blueprint in your inner world.”~ Robin Sharma

Do you liberate the potential of your mind, body and soul? Really? Most people are just happy to exist, with never giving a second thought to expanding the mind, much less the body and soul...

To expand your mind it all starts with imagination. Imagination. Remember when you were 5 years old and you could be anybody and do anything? Why have you lost that imagination? Sure, there are some creative people out there who never lost their imaginations, but most of us had our imaginations beat out of us by well meaning parents, teachers and friends.

Before you can make anything happen in your reality, you need to make it happen in your imagination or in your mind. Did you realize that? Do you understand that? Start creating the world you want on the inside and it will be created on the outside. Start seeing the things you want on the inside.

You can change your reality at any moment...Make it NOW!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“All I’m saying is that to liberate the potential of your mind, body and soul, you must first expand your imagination. You see, things are always created twice: first in the workshop of the mind and then, and only then, in reality. I call this process ‘blueprinting’ because anything you create in your outer world began as a simple blueprint in your inner world.”

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Abundance and Opportunity

"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, 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.

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.

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."

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

What are Your Expectations?

"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. 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."

Monday, May 24, 2010

The Reality of Your Life is Temporary

“People talk about the reality of their life as if it is important. And we want you to understand, it’s only the temporary indicator. Do you go to the gas station-your gas gauge is on empty-do you go to the gas station and look at your gas gauge in horror? “How did this happen? [Fun] Why, why, why did this happen to me?” Do you lay your head on the steering wheel and just sob? “Oh, look what it’s come to. [Fun] I’m finished. I’ve lived all of this life, and look where I am.” Or do you just fill up.”~ Esther & Jerry Hicks

The reality of your life is only temporary. Do you understand that? Really? Some people just don't get that at any time, they can change and become what they want to be. They can change where they are at, what they are doing and who they are doing it with...

The Hicks's point this out in a funny way. What do you do when your gas tank is running low??? You go to the gas station. Well, when you are running low, where do you go? Do you have "mates" that you can talk to? Do you go to God or a higher power? Or do you go to the local bar and "drown your sorrows" there? We all go somewhere...

You need to surround yourself with people who care about you. Who have your best interests at heart and are willing to go to bat for you and help you when you need it. That's what friendship is all about. That's what community is all about.

Who are you that person for? Anyone? If not, start thinking who you can help, who you can be that person for. We have become so technological that we have forgotten the human aspect of our lives...

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

“People talk about the reality of their life as if it is important. And we want you to understand, it’s only the temporary indicator. Do you go to the gas station-your gas gauge is on empty-do you go to the gas station and look at your gas gauge in horror? “How did this happen? [Fun] Why, why, why did this happen to me?” Do you lay your head on the steering wheel and just sob? “Oh, look what it’s come to. [Fun] I’m finished. I’ve lived all of this life, and look where I am.” Or do you just fill up.”

Friday, May 21, 2010

What Other People Think

Many people allow their need for other people's approval to control their lives. They spend their lives worrying about what others think of them.- Rick Warren

Do you have the need for other people's approval? Do you let that control your life? Too many people are controlled by the need for approval from someone other than themselves.

One of my favorite quotes is "It's none of my business what you think of me." That quote is freeing and restrictive at the same time. It tells me that I don't have to worry about what others think of me and that's the freeing part. The restrictive part is that I have to keep reminding myself that it is none of my business!!

Don't spend you life worrying about what other people think about you. Want to know why??? It's simple, really...OTHER PEOPLE AREN'T THINKING ABOUT YOU!!! They are too caught up in their own crap to be thinking about you and your crap.

Go be who you were meant to be and don't worry about what anyone else thinks. You are the only one who matters. It is your choice. Choose!

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

Many people allow their need for other people's approval to control their lives. They spend their lives worrying about what others think of them.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Only You Can Stop You

"Obstacles can't stop you. Problems can't stop you. Most of all, other people can't stop you. Only you can stop you." ~Jeffrey Gitomer

Are you letting obstacles or problems stop you? Why? Are you letting other people stop you? Why? Here's the thing, and you all know this to be true. Only you can stop you. Only you are stopping you. Why are you stopping yourself?

Obstacles can be overcome. Problems can be solved. Other people can be left behind, lost or ignored. So it come back to you, as it always has...You can have reasons or results, and reasons don't count.

If only you can stop you, what are you waiting for? An invitation to become who you were meant to be? Permission to become what you want to become? Acceptance? If you are waiting for any of these things, it's going to be a long wait. (ok, I will give you permission, an invitation and acceptance...feel better?)

Stop stopping yourself. Start playing big, playing to win and not lose, become who and what you want to become. The world is waiting for you and if you don't do it, nobody will. Your uniqueness is waiting to be expressed. Stop waiting. "It's never too late to become who you were meant to become."

Goethe said "Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least." What matters most is you stopping yourself; what matters least are obstacles, problems and people who don't have your best interests at heart.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Unattainable, Unknown or Opportunity?

“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 do 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.

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.”

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Feeling Sorry For Yourself

"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 PC 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."

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."

Monday, May 17, 2010

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

"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 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/whoa is me route, what do you get? That’s right, more of the same.

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."

Friday, May 14, 2010

The Barrenness of a Busy Life

Beware the barrenness of a busy life. ~Socrates

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

Socrates, 2500 years ago saw the barrenness. Do you? REALLY?? Our society has programmed us to WANT MORE, NEED MORE, HAVE 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)

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 I-Phone and RELAX!!!!! Go ahead, 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.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Captain Of Your Soul?

"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?

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.

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."


Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Be 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!!!

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.

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.

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"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."

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

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.”

Monday, May 10, 2010

Your Frame of Mind

"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.

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."

Friday, May 7, 2010

What You Have Left

"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."

Thursday, May 6, 2010

What is Defeat?

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 just 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." What a great way to look at things.

Defeat is nothing more than the first step to something better. Wow, what a great way to look at things. 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.

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."

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

You Have Reasons or Results

"Waiting is a trap. There will always be reasons to wait. The truth is, there are only two things in life, reasons and results, and reasons simply don't count."
~ Dr. Robert Anthony


What are you waiting for? Really, what are you waiting for? Waiting for the economy to improve? Waiting until you get enough money? Waiting till it "feels right?" STOP WAITING!!! It's a trap. There will always be reasons to wait...

"The truth is, there are only two things in life, reasons and results." Reasons and results. What are you producing? Reasons why it didn't work or, Results of how it did work? When you look at everything in it's simplicity, we only have reasons or results. The results aren't always going to be successful, but you will know what you have to change to make it work when you get unsuccessful results.

Reasons. Wow, are we good at coming up with reasons...We can reason away almost any mistake, right? What are some of the reasons that you are using now? Bad economy? Lousy boss? Lousy products?

Here's a challenge for the rest of the week...whenever you are doing something and you decide to use a reason for why it didn't work or wasn't as successful, DON'T USE THE REASON!!! Just say, "This result wasn't what I was looking for, I'll improve on it and bring it back to you later." Now, doesn't that sound better than whining???

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"Waiting is a trap. There will always be reasons to wait. The truth is, there are only two things in life, reasons and results, and reasons simply don't count."

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Listen

"One friend, one person who is truly understanding, who takes the trouble to listen to us as we consider a problem, can change our whole outlook on the world." ~ Dr. E. H. Mayo

Who are you "that friend" to? Anyone? I sure hope that you are, at least to one person. It can change their whole outlook. It should be something that we strive for in all our relationships...to give them the time and respect that they deserve.

You can change your outlook in a flash. You can change someone elses outlook with a little time and a little listening. "It is never too late to become who you were meant to be." The same holds true for your friends...help them see that and show them the way. They will be forever grateful to you. I have friends like that, I'm sure that you do to.

How well do you listen? Really? I sometimes wonder if anyone is listening at all, with all the shouting and yelling about every thing that we disagree on. Robert Frost said "You are educated when you have the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or self-confidence."

Think about that the next time you are having a discussion...

Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!

"One friend, one person who is truly understanding, who takes the trouble to listen to us as we consider a problem, can change our whole outlook on the world."

Monday, May 3, 2010

What Makes You Come Alive?

“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. 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.

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.”