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." 

Listen to Your Inner Voice

“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.”

Questions Are The Answer

"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."

Focus On 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."

Nothing But 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." 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."

Do 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. 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 or Losing is 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.

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.

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."