Food for thought

Steve Jobs was profoundly flawed, to the degree that I don't
think I would have liked him. But he also had a powerful down-
to-earth imagination that he applied to practical, every day
problems. He could see the future and insisted on making it
happen. He saw problems as opportunities, and at a time when
computers were grey metal boxes for hackers and tinkerers, he
imagined tools that you and I can use to change our world.
We should learn from that!

How to go from Nothing to Everything

Today I received an inspiring mail and decided to share.... She wrote that since she has no 

money, recommendations to attend seminars are unreasonable,

that "it takes money to make money." She says that artists

are often unappreciated and under paid. She complained that

she had no contacts and no resources, so my "advice is a

sham." Unfortunately, she's probably not the only one who

feels that way. Read more after the cut.....

Food for thought

Everything starts with an idea. Thomas Edison started with
ideas. Bill Gates started with ideas. Oprah Winfrey started
poor and alone, but she had some ideas. And all of them took
action. Share your best ideas with a "master mind" group of
friends, and ask great questions. Find the answers and take
action. Everything in life starts as an idea, a glimmer or
a dream. The difference is that successful people follow a
strategy and persist until their ideas become reality.

What Do I Look For in A perfect Date

I saw this today and thought I will share it with all my teaming viewers. Do you think she is being realistic or is she just going over the top.........you be the judge.

I`m a simple girl looking for a man who can make me smile. It is not very hard, I don`t expect anything materialistic, just honesty, respect and the effort to make things happen. I prefer African American men.

Food for thought

For winners, winter is an amazingly time of year. While 
nature (and most of the competition) is sleeping, winners 
use the winter to stay focused and achieve greatness. What 
will you accomplish this winter? What magnificent goals will 
you achieve? Decide to make this your most productive season 
ever, then get to work. Make it happen. "Git 'er done!"

The "daily doing" enables the System to Beat any Goal set, all the Time

I recently wrote that "systems in place beat goals, all the time."

That sparked considerable interest and requests to 

say more about this. The key is that goals are a 

"destination" or target in the future. Systems involve 

repeated daily actions to get us there. It's important to 

strive for a future goal, but the secret of success is more 

in the "daily doing" than in the "big dreaming." Read more after the cut.

TRUE LOVE

I saw this today and decided to share......

Read more after the cut.......

Coping with Over-Whelm

Every business owner or manager has far more to do than 

anyone can accomplish in the time available. We all have 

marketing and research to do, meetings to attend, people to 

supervise or a website to build. It’s easy to feel over-

whelmed.

What’s a leader to do?

Failures succumb. They let themselves get over-whelmed and 

have the feeling that it’s "too much," or that they "can’t 

do it all." 

Winners, on the other hand, accept reality. Of course you 

can't do it all! No one could! That’s the way life, and 

business, is. You can’t fight it.

Winners employ three simple steps, and I highly recommend 

them.

1.  They say, No! They understand that some of the have-to's 

are simply unrealistic and they say no, even if it would be 

nice if they could do them. Some of the things on any 

manager's list simply won’t get done, at least not today. 

Delegate or out-source as many things as you can. When 

necessary, just say No.

2.  They Sequence. This is another word for prioritizing. A 

few things must be done now, or soon. Others must be done, 

but can wait until tomorrow or next week, perhaps even until 

next year. Do the things of most importance, leave 

everything else until it’s turn.

3.  They Focus. Successful leaders do one thing at a time, 

and each individual item, at that critical moment, gets 

their full attention. When you’re in a meeting that you’ve 

decided is the most important thing at the moment, BE THERE! 

Pay attention. Be alert. Stay focused.

How to sell more

This week, I was reminded of a quote from one of my mentors,
Thomas Leonard, who observed that, "People love to buy
things, but almost no one wants to be sold."

Thousands of people are eager to buy what you sell. They
want the benefits, the convenience, the comfort or prestige
that you can provide. Human beings are an "acquisitive"
bunch. We want stuff!

Of course, consumerism can be abused, but buying and selling
is the process that creates the life (and the lifestyle) we
all want. The "desire to acquire" goes deep, and it's a good
thing.

So, if you aren't making as many sales as you would like,
let me suggest that the problem is not with your customers,
but with you. The problem is likely one of the following:

1.  Not enough potential customers know about you or that
your product could enrich their lives. This is a marketing
problem, and as a business leader it is your job to solve
it. Let people know! Get out there and get in the game!

2.  Or, the other possibility, is that you're trying too
hard to "sell."

Personally, I have a deep-seated aversion to being "sold"
anything. I see websites that seem manipulative or
dishonest. I see sales techniques that fail to build trust
or credibility, and definitely do not attract me.

But people are eager to buy benefits! They buy solutions to
their problems. They buy things that make their lives
better, easier, simpler, healthier or more comfortable. They
buy stuff that makes them happy. And they buy from people
they know and like and trust.

If enough people "know and like and trust" you, they will
listen when you offer a product or service that will make
their lives better. If they "know and like and trust" you,
they will flock to your door and you'll make all the sales
you need.

hoW HARD should U wORK

For years, there’s been a drum-beat on the internet and
among coaches that we should work less and make more. The
theory is that by being smarter and more efficient, we
should make more sales, and have more profit for every hour
we work.

I like the theory. I’m not sure it’s that simple.

The reality is that the those who work hardest often seem to
make the most money. Beyond that, it seems to me that the
world actually prefers LOW prices, and that Sam Walton
(founder of Walmart) did alright by lowering prices and
making a bit LESS on every sale.

Now, obviously, we all want to be efficient, and we all
think we’re just a bit smarter than the next competitor. We
are all looking for an edge to get ahead, and I think that's
a good thing and I hope it never changes. But I also think
there is an obvious edge we tend to over-look.

Customers actually LIKE businesses that go the extra mile!
They PREFER companies that answer their phone. They do
business with people who give SUPERIOR service, and who seem
to care about customer satisfaction -- actually, I like
companies that refuse to "satisfy" me and seem determined to
AMAZE me! And all of that requires hard, hard work.

Here’s an old secret of success: focus on the life-time
value of a loyal customer. Focus on the value of a customer
who sees him- or herself as your partner, rather than as
just a shopper. When your customers refuse to deal with
anyone else, your fortune is assured. How hard should you
work? About that hard.

How an American leader reacts to an all IMPORTANT news

Success Nuggets: Read on

Every business owner or manager has far more work to do than anyone can accomplish in 24 hours. We all have marketing and research to do, meetings to attend, people to supervise or a website to build. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Then comes along a leader who seems to be on top of his game and then the question comes what do they do differently?

Failures succumb to the pressures of work, they let themselves get over-whelmed and have the feeling that everything is “too much” or as bad as it may sound I often hear the words “I can’t do it”. That’s a defeatist mindset which should be avoided as much as possible. To be candid nothing and I repeat nothing is impossible if you just believe that you can do any and everything that you are supposed to do through Christ that strengthens you in addition to a well thought out plan.

Everybody you have seen that succeeded genuinely accepted the reality of things. Of course you can’t do it all! No one could! That is the way life and business is. You can’t fight it. Read on after the cut to get to know three simple and proven steps that I highly recommend:

To earn more, serve more

Recently, I talked with an entrepreneur whose sales, 

production and profits have all been flat or falling in the 

past 18 months, and he’s feeling desperate. He feels the 

pressure of "having" to make more money!

He told me he’s tried giving his staff more training. He’s 

tried giving more incentives (bonuses) and he’s fired some 

To become popular doesn't really take hard work. Read this: Hon Patrick Obahiagbon Reacts To Fuel Subsidy Remo...

Hon Patrick Obahiagbon Reacts To Fuel Subsidy Remo...: I have read with acatalectic disgust, governments asinine and puerile ratiocinations attempting to justiceate the proposed removal of su...

Success is Three Rules and a Big IDEA

I am convinced that significant success in life, from
learning to ride a bike, to building a business, to
maximizing income or changing spending habits, basically all
successful change, is built on three Principles, and a big
IDEA. The three Principles are:

IDEA

Random action won't achieve your most important goals. Hard
work, by itself, won't do it no matter how hard you try!
Short bursts of effort won't do it. Only INTELLIGENT (smart,
well-thought-through), DAILY (persistent, continuous),
EFFECTIVE ACTION will get you there! 

Regrets only

I saw this on the internet and decided to share and besides we all need to know these things it helps in our decisions in life.

Regret is feeling sorrow for things we did or didn't do.  We don't need to live a life of regret when we "ignite the power within us."  When we activate our God-given gifts to make a difference in the lives of others, we protect ourselves from the uselessness of regret.   A life lived by "regrets only" destroys the potential and ability living inside of us.  If we allow our gifts and talents to remain inactive, our life will be filled with the regret of never doing what we were meant to do.  We have the ability to fill every moment with opportunity rather than waste it with regret.   Keeping our focus on the Word of God is a catalyst to ignite the power within us.   By doing this, we will leave a legacy of impact instead of a legacy of regrets.

Remember:  We can use the power within us to either hinder or release the hand of God in our life.  Regret is a companion of unused potential; fulfillment is a companion of faith, belief and action.

Blackberry Outage

Blackberry goes gaga.....hiccups.........some sanity in the air as everybody seems to have become natural again. No more pinging on the move. RIM please try and restore your services cos some people have not been the same since your outage today.

On a lighter note

Shameless Pun


I got these puns and jokes earlier today. I love this sort of word play and I hope they bring you as many chuckles as they gave me. Enjoy!

* I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger.  Then it hit me.

* Police were called to a daycare, where a three-year-old
was resisting a rest.

Food for thought

"The first 30 years of your life you make your habits
while the last 30 years of your life your habits make you"
                                                   
                                                    -Old hindu proverb

On a lighter note

I hope this word play make
you smile!


If it weren't for Venetian blinds it would be curtains for
everybody.

We painted our floor with luminous paint. Now the florescent
what it used to be.

Food for thought

Think differently was one of Steve Jobs trademark sayings and looking forward while connecting the dots from the past. Have we ever asked ourselves this simple question which is: how we can think differently to create more profits from our existing clients?

One of my favourite inspirational videos of all time

Steve Jobs

RIP Steve......

Foolish Speed or Tragic Delay?

The English language is full of clichés, but few are more
confusing than the conflict between "Fools rush in" and
"Those who hesitate are lost." How do we balance the "need
for speed" with the advice to "look before you leap?"

Food for thought

"A woman is like a tea bag, you never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water" Eleanor Roosevelt

Funny Video

http://youtu.be/EWBvdZa_Nno

Food for thought

Use clearly defined, written goals to create your future and
reach your dreams, but never confuse future achievements
with living each day of your life! Life happens today. It
happens right here, right now. Ready or not, this is your
life, and it must be lived to the full. Use goals; live
life. Never confuse the two.

Food for thought

"Readers are Leaders". Author unknown.

Winners Choose Optimism Over Realism

What is the biggest, most important key to success in life?
Philosophers, coaches, teachers, preachers and consultants
have wondered about that since the dawn of time.
Fortunately, I think I have the answer!

I'm not claiming to have discovered it by myself. I'm not
sure I can even claim to fully understand how it works. But,
I do know what it is: Attitude!

Remember the old saw that "Your attitude determines your
altitude?" I'm convinced it's true.

I was reminded of it this week when I spent several hours
driving to some appointments. I ended up scanning radio
stations, listening to unhappy people of various
descriptions. Unemployment claims were up this week. The
government is spending too much, taxing too much, and
generally doing lots of things people do not like, while
failing to do things they would very much prefer. Even the
weather was too hot, except where it was too rainy.

Bottom line: There's a lot of unhappiness on the radio!

Clearly, this is a troubled world and there are lots of
problems out there. We can't deny that. But it's also true
that, "what we focus on, expands." And, "we become what we
think about most of the time."

For most people, optimism is in rather short supply. We are
in a recession, and recessions are bad. We are concerned
about world peace, terrorism, climate change, unemployment,
and buying all the stuff our kids need for school. On a
personal note, during that trip I learned my truck needs a
new "serpentine belt" that will cost over $300! (Some of us
remember when fan belts were $4.99 and you changed them
yourself on Saturday afternoon.) There's a world of trouble
out there!

The good news--and it is truly Good News--is that there has
never been more good news all around us. Most of us are
healthy and are likely to stay that way. We can communicate
with anyone, any place in the world, usually for free! We
can read great books, listen to audio programs, or interview
the most talented, successful people who ever lived! We have
more "stuff' and access to more wealth than any people in
history!

Even in tough times, we are rich beyond measure! And yet the
news is almost uniformly bad, bloody and painful. We worry
all day long--at least some of us do. People are angry,
discouraged, and actively practicing their "victim" approach
to life. How sad is that??

High achievers refuse to live with negativity! Winners have
always looked for the good, emphasized hope, and found
opportunity where others see only problems.

Successful people reason that if money is tight, folks are
looking for bargains. Many of today's richest families got
that way because a couple generations ago, Grandpa (or
Grandma) made some very smart moves in the midst of the
Depression. Winners note that if there is less money, there
might be more time as a family. What if the family went on
more hikes, picnics or visited more art galleries this fall?

Optimism comes naturally and easily to only a few. Perhaps
they are "lucky" or simply wired differently, I don't know.
But for the majority of people, optimism is a learned skill,
a chosen approach to life. It's a conscious decision to see
"the glass half-full." It's a habit of "whistling while you
work" and giving cheerful compliments to everyone you meet.
It's something to be practiced (fake it if you have to),
until it becomes automatic.

There are lots of good reasons to be pessimistic, but what's
the point? Even if it is more "realistic," does it give you
any advantages? I prefer optimism. Even foolish,
unrealistic, exaggerated optimism. If I'm wrong, I may be
briefly disappointed but I figure my "incurable optimism"
will give me the momentum to keep on going, no matter what.

Optimism, trying stuff, doing stuff, learning stuff,
constantly moving forward is the most fundamental, critical
trait of life's happiest, most successful people. I highly
recommend it.

My top 10 secrets of being happy

One of my favourite songs is Bobby McFerrin’s refrain, "Don’t Worry, Be Happy". I recently had the opportunity to observe people’s reactions when a highway was closed because of an accident ahead. As we waited, I watched as some listened to radios, a few began tossing a Frisbee, others seemed to be working or reading and some opted for a quick nap. But, there were also a handful that was clearly agitated and angry. Pacing about, swearing, and upset, they decided that the best response to this event, which none of us could control, was to be very unhappy. I was reminded of Abraham Lincoln’s comments that, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." The following are my Top 10 Tips to increase happiness in your life:

1. Decide to be a happy person.
As Lincoln observed, most people, most of the time, can choose how stressed or happy, how troubled or relaxed they want to be. Choose to be happy.

2. Watch and Read less news.
As a recovering news addict, I know this can be difficult because the stock market fluctuates, politicians politic, and sports teams compete. But, most of the time, you don’t need the stress. So, just don’t watch. I think it was Henry Thoreau who noted that if you’ve ever read about a train wreck, you understand the principle and don’t need to know any more about it.


3. Practice the Attitude of Gratitude. We all have so much to be grateful for. Just thanking the many people who assist us, encourage us, teach us and open doors for us could take all day!

4. Take Time.
My dog has taught me much about loyalty, about noticing the sights, sounds, and smells in the yard, about being relaxed and about play. Eat when you’re hungry, nap when you need it. Get your ears scratched whenever possible!

5. Laugh every day.
Hear a joke, tell a joke, laugh at yourself, and laugh with your friends and family and co-workers. There are very few medicines as powerful as laughter, and I don’t think you can over-dose, although it is addicting!

6. Love well.
Express your affection, appreciation, friendship and warmth to those around you, and they will almost always respond in the most amazing ways! Be generous…it pays great dividends!

7. Work hard.
This one comes as a bit of a surprise, but there is tremendous satisfaction in being competent, and joy in completing our assigned tasks. One of the great sources of happiness is to do work that is worthy of you, and to do it well.

8. Learn something new, everyday.
To be happy, most of us must also be growing, expanding, learning and challenging ourselves. Read, listen, adapt and stretch to accommodate new ideas and new information.

9. Use your body as it was designed.
Walk and run, stretch, throw things, and lift things. Dance! Exercise is good, but so is making love, mixing up a batch of cookies, or exchanging backrubs. You have a body and it can be either a source of joy, or a source of aches and pains. Your choice!

10. Avoid toxins.
I prefer writing positives (things to do) rather than negatives (things to fear), but reality says there are negative people and there are bad chemicals, stressful noises, and unsafe places. Don’t go there! Avoid poisons whenever possible. It seems to work out better that way.

Food for thought

"The test of your world view is not how you act during the good times but how you act during the funeral" - Rick Warren.
Very deep!

Richard St. John's 8 secrets of success | Video on TED.com

Richard St. John's 8 secrets of success | Video on TED.com

Just saw this on a friend's wall on facebook and decided to share

People are meant to be loved and things are meant to be used, but we seem to do the reverse, we use people and we love things. At the end of our walk in life and on our death beds, we will not want to be surrounded by things, (land, houses, Cars, Money, etc). We will only want to be held by people. Loving God and other people is our main purpose on earth, and every thing we do should revolve around this truth.

Food for thought

Don’t be too concerned with the risk of loss — be more concerned with the risk of missed gains.  It’s what you don’t know and what you don’t do that will hurt you the worst.

What Have You Learned Lately?

We live in the information age and what you know and who you
know are the twin paths to success. I believe that, and yet
I'm constantly amazed at how little responsibility people
take for up-grading their skills.

Recently, I learned that the garage where I have my car
repaired requires their employees to spend more hours (and
more dollars) per year on continuing education than most
states require for doctors, lawyers, or other professionals.
Think about that the next time you take your car in for
repairs--or the next time you talk with your physician!

I try to "practice what I preach" and this week I'm flying
across the country to spend 4 days with friends and
colleagues to learn more about doing business online. We'll
look at best practices for serving more customers and doing
it better, smarter, faster and easier. We'll have plenty of
time for networking and fun, but the key is that we are
committed to building our businesses by working smarter and
providing better service to our customers.

Periodically I hear frightening accounts of how few books
the average person reads, or how few classes they take after
they leave school. I remember hearing a friend say that if
her employer wanted her to get more education, "they’ll have
to pay me for it." What a tragic attitude!

Increasingly the keys to success are being able to do more,
quicker and better than your competition, and most of the
time that means KNOWING more than the next person. It means
knowing more about language and culture, knowing more about
your industry and having better contacts. It means knowing
HOW to learn, and using that knowledge to your advantage.

As Brian Tracy has said, read the books. Attend the
seminars. Take the classes and expand your world. Jim Rohn
put it this way: "Work harder on yourself than you do on
your job."

To "work less and earn more" you’ve got to know more than
your competitors. This week, sign up for at least one
seminar. Check a book out of the library. Sow the seeds for
your future.

Change can be hard but.....

Change can be hard, but it's not all that hard. We change 
and grow, we learn new things and become new people all the 
time. When the change we desire is specific, the costs and 
benefits are clear, and we have the support of people who 
love us, change is almost easy. And definitely more fun! You 
can do this! The key is to plan wisely, start today, and 
stay the course.

The pursuit of Happiness

You are entitled to "the pursuit of Happiness!" But
happiness, in our anxious, fast-paced world rarely happens
by accident. It is the result of conscious intentions and
smart choices that create happiness in your life. Plan well.
Live a quiet, orderly life. In general, do fewer things but
do more of the things that make you happy. This isn't hard,
but it does take discipline and intention.

Definition of Happiness

My own definition of happiness refers to "Consistent
feelings of satisfaction or joy when remembering the past,
living in the present and considering the future." Happiness
is about living with integrity, purpose and meaning.
Happiness is about living your own life, in your own way,
and knowing that your life has meaning.