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.