"Mediocrity is a form of madness, a dream embraced by the masses because it makes just getting by an acceptable -- sometimes applauded -- social art form." ~Guy Finley
Have you embraced mediocrity? Really? Are you excellent in every thing? Do you always strive to be the best that you can be, or do you sometimes slack off...just a little?
We have become a society that makes getting by an art form. Working for the man, doing enough to not get fired, but not going all out to stand above the crowd. Too many people are playing small. The world is not served by your playing small...PLAY BIG!!!
Look at the things you do. What are you an expert at? What are you good at? Where have you settled on being mediocre? I'm sure there are not any places that you would say you are terrible, so let's make mediocre as the bottom rung.
How can you move out of mediocrity? Do you even want to? Or does that frighten you too much? You were meant for so much more, go for it!!!
Let's take a look at settling. One of my favorite quotes says "The place for what you want is currently occupied by what you have settled for." Is that you? Have you settled on mediocrity? I sure hope not...
Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!
"Mediocrity is a form of madness, a dream embraced by the masses because it makes just getting by an acceptable -- sometimes applauded -- social art form."
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Failure Should Be Our Teacher
"Failure should
be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay not defeat. It is a
temporary detour, not a dead end." ~Denis Waitley
When did failure start being something to be avoided? As far back as I can remember, it was always something to be avoided as opposed to being something to view as experience and learned from. Most people view failure as a dead end rather than a temporary detour.
Thomas Watson, founder of IBM said "If you want to succeed, fail faster." What a great way to look at things! Failure is OK!!! In fact, the best way to deal with failure is to re-frame it as delay or a temporary detour or just as a learning experience.
Don't be afraid to fail. Henry Ford said "Failure allows you to begin again more intelligently." Nice, failure allows you to being again more intelligently! Start now. Fail your way to success.
Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!
"Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end."
When did failure start being something to be avoided? As far back as I can remember, it was always something to be avoided as opposed to being something to view as experience and learned from. Most people view failure as a dead end rather than a temporary detour.
Thomas Watson, founder of IBM said "If you want to succeed, fail faster." What a great way to look at things! Failure is OK!!! In fact, the best way to deal with failure is to re-frame it as delay or a temporary detour or just as a learning experience.
Don't be afraid to fail. Henry Ford said "Failure allows you to begin again more intelligently." Nice, failure allows you to being again more intelligently! Start now. Fail your way to success.
Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!
"Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end."
Friday, January 6, 2012
Your Most Important Job: Be You!
"Your most important job is
to be you. There are contributions you can make, and gifts you have to give,
that no one else can duplicate." Ralph Marston
You have a perspective that is unique and valuable. No on else has your unique viewpoint! No one else has the same valuable insights that you have. Share the insights and energy that come from that perspective.
You have feelings and longings that flow from the core of who you are. Express those feelings and fulfill those longings in your own special way. The world is waiting to hear those feelings and longings. Don't deprive the world of that opportunity to learnfrom you because if you don't bring it to the world, the world will never see it!
There is great treasure in your authenticity. Your authenticity is what brings the world to your doorstep. There are beautiful possibilities that spring from the genuine person you are. Don't hide them, let us all share in those possibilities.
Through you, life experiences itself in a way that is unique and special. If you don't share it with the world, that unique and special experience dies with you, never to be shared. Don't cheat the world from your uniqueness!
Use this opportunity to make a difference in a way that only you can do.
Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!
"Your most important job is to be you. There are contributions you can make, and gifts you have to give, that no one else can duplicate."
You have a perspective that is unique and valuable. No on else has your unique viewpoint! No one else has the same valuable insights that you have. Share the insights and energy that come from that perspective.
You have feelings and longings that flow from the core of who you are. Express those feelings and fulfill those longings in your own special way. The world is waiting to hear those feelings and longings. Don't deprive the world of that opportunity to learnfrom you because if you don't bring it to the world, the world will never see it!
There is great treasure in your authenticity. Your authenticity is what brings the world to your doorstep. There are beautiful possibilities that spring from the genuine person you are. Don't hide them, let us all share in those possibilities.
Through you, life experiences itself in a way that is unique and special. If you don't share it with the world, that unique and special experience dies with you, never to be shared. Don't cheat the world from your uniqueness!
Use this opportunity to make a difference in a way that only you can do.
Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!
"Your most important job is to be you. There are contributions you can make, and gifts you have to give, that no one else can duplicate."
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Are You Living Your Life Backwards?
"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want."~ Margaret Young
Are you living your life backwards? Our society kind of pushes us to live it backwards doesn't it. We are constantly bombarded with ads that tell us that if we just buy this product, we will get what we want. Buy more products and you will be happy! Easy, right? NOT!! See, happiness doesn't come from things, it comes from who you are and what makes you tick.
First, you must be who you really are. Are you who you really are or are you playing a role that you created or someone gave you? WHO ARE YOU??? Really, who are you...down deep. Are you doing what you were created to do? Are you sure? Most people aren't, they are just playing a role, just existing...really, just taking up space.
Most people live their lives in a Have-Do-Be mentality when they need to be living from a Be-Do-Have mentality. Before you can Do and Have, you need to Be. Who are you???
Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!
"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want."
Are you living your life backwards? Our society kind of pushes us to live it backwards doesn't it. We are constantly bombarded with ads that tell us that if we just buy this product, we will get what we want. Buy more products and you will be happy! Easy, right? NOT!! See, happiness doesn't come from things, it comes from who you are and what makes you tick.
First, you must be who you really are. Are you who you really are or are you playing a role that you created or someone gave you? WHO ARE YOU??? Really, who are you...down deep. Are you doing what you were created to do? Are you sure? Most people aren't, they are just playing a role, just existing...really, just taking up space.
Most people live their lives in a Have-Do-Be mentality when they need to be living from a Be-Do-Have mentality. Before you can Do and Have, you need to Be. Who are you???
Know. Be Known. Make A Difference!
"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want."
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
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."
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."
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Has Your Comfort Zone Taken Over?
“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.
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 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.”
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.
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 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.”
Monday, January 2, 2012
Focus Means Saying No!
“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 ago? 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.
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."
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 ago? 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.
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."
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