Winning On Purpose. "The purpose of life is a life of purpose." - Inspirational quote by Robert Byrne - "Each of us has a fire in our heart for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and keep it."  We do indeed hold a special something inside us all – a special something that is unique to each of us. That special something gives our lives a sense of meaning and direction. That special something inspires us, excites us and makes us feel alive. That special something is capable of taking us anywhere we have ever dreamed of going and making our lives the exciting adventures they should be. "Where your talents and the needs of the world cross lies your calling." - Quotation about purpose by Aristotle - What is this "special something" we are talking about here? It is your purpose in life – the thing or things you were born to do. "Every calling is great when greatly pursued." - Inspirational quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes Every one of us possess a variety of talents, interests and gifts that are decidedly unique in nature. The most successful people in the world have always been those individuals that discovered their purpose in life – then pursued that purpose like their very lives depended on it. These self made champions took those things they loved to do, those activities that they loved so much that they would gladly do them for free, and then fashioned a lifetime of achievement around them. These winners learned how to win "on purpose" and so must we if we’re going to start making our dreams come true. "The great thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving." - Inspirational quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes - What about you? Have you too tapped into your purpose? Are you living the life you’ve always imagined, filled with happiness, excitement and fulfillment? You can still unleash the immense potential stored inside of you and ignite a spark that can take your life to unimagined heights, when you start living your life with purpose -- passionately pursuing those special things that turn you on and turn you loose. By simply following your heart, you can easily identify your purpose in life. "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." It is never too late or too early to discover your distinctive purpose in life. Finding your true purpose or calling is a simple process, yet we are often so busy doing what we have to do that we leave precious little time to do those things we love to do. Instead of living the lives we love and loving the lives we live, we all too often needlessly put our hopes, dreams and aspirations on the back burner as we wage life’s daily battles. "Each of our acts makes a statement as to our purpose In order to live the life you were destined to live, you must find your unique niche in life – and then fill it. Simply put, you need to identify what you love to do and then find a way to make it your life’s work. "There are two great days in a person’s life – the day we are born and the day we discover why." Regardless of whether you know it or not, you have already uncovered your purpose in life. Yes, you have! After all, deep down inside you hold a special something that brings a smile to your face, a skip to your step and a song to your heart, don’t you? Come on, isn’t there one or two things that turbo-charge you with emotion and make you feel happy and fulfilled? Absolutely! This is your purpose calling out to you, begging for the chance to make your life the exciting adventure it can be. "Success demands singleness of purpose." Your life’s adventure, where your fondest dreams can come true, begins the moment you take that bold first step and fulfill your purpose. You have a beautiful song inside of yourself that desperately needs to be sung. It’s your turn – and your time – to live the life you have longed to live every day since your birth. You have now arrived and your future awaits. Mother Theresa advised us, "Life is a promise. Fulfill it." Indeed we must. Og Mandini, once said "I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy." When you decide once and for all to boldly step up and forcefully rededicate yourself to a lifetime of winning, you will reawaken and unleash that powerful purpose inside of you. You can turn your life around. You can start living life on your terms. You can have anything and everything you have ever dreamed of having. Yes, you can – when you start winning on purpose. Your new life, a positively charged life where there are no longer any limits on how far you can go and how high you can fly, begins right here and right now. Cheryl Young  DFH Realtors Sidney B.C   How Do You Spell Success? "Success depends on your backbone, not your wishbone."  Today we’re going to explore the success secrets of some of history’s greatest success stories in our article entitled How do you spell SUCCESS?   "The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes." So how do you spell success? I guess it depends on who you ask. Success, it seems, means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Benjamin Disraeli seemed to spell success p-r-e-p-a-r-a-t-i-o-n, reminding us of the importance of being ready when opportunity presents itself. That’s seems like a good spelling lesson, since success has often been defined as the moment preparation meets opportunity. And Henry Ford, one of America’s greatest success stories concurred, saying, "Before everything else; getting ready is the secret of success."   "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." It looks like Dr. Schweitzer spelled success h-a-p-p-i-n-e-s-s, suggesting that pursuing our passions in life – doing the things we love to do – is the true path to prosperity and achievement. It makes sense, doesn’t it? After all, whenever you’re actively engaged in a project that stirs your soul and makes you come alive, you're much more likely to throw your entire heart into the effort. And it’s precisely that type of all out commitment to excellence that ultimately insures your success. David Frost seconded the good doctor's spelling of success when he said, "Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally." Are there other ways to spell SUCCESS? Let's take a look!   "The real secret of success is enthusiasm." - Walter Chrysler -   "Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success." - Dale Carnegie -   "Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." - Sir Winston Churchill -   Hey, these aren’t half bad either. After all, enthusiasm is the cornerstone of success, often providing that much needed spark to propel us down the path to greatness. Without enthusiasm, there isn’t a whole lot we can accomplish in life. On the other hand, with enthusiasm on our side, there’s not much we cannot achieve. Enthusiasm encourages us to go farther, push harder and reach higher than ever before. No doubt about it – it’s hard to spell success without e-n-t-h-u-s-i-a-s-m.   "Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture." - Norman Vincent Peale - "Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success." - Dr. Joyce Brothers -     The good doctors above emphasize the importance of holding a powerful, positively charged picture of yourself succeeding in your mind. They believed that s-e-e-i-n-g yourself succeeding – in your mind – paves the pathway to success. When you consistently hold a crystal clear mental picture of yourself enjoying a rich and rewarding life, your mind will get busy putting together a game plan to turn this dream into reality. After all, seeing is believing, isn’t it?   We're not quite through wih our spelling lesson. Here are a few more ways to spell S-U-C-C-E-S-S: P-e-r-s-e-v-e-r-a-n-c-e. "Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go."  "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." D-e-t-e-r-m-i-n-a-t-i-o-n. "Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome." - Booker T. Washington - "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing." - Abraham Lincoln - O-v-e-r-c-o-m-i-n-g A-d-v-e-r-s-i-t-y. "I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom." - General George S. Patton - "People fail forward to success. - Mary Kay Ash - C-o-n-f-i-d-e-n-c-e.  "Self-trust is the first secret of success." - Ralph Waldo Emerson -  Success can certainly mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but one thing is for certain. The only place in the world where success comes before w-o-r-k is in the dictionary.   Want to be super successful? Then roll up your sleeves and get to work! And always remember this: God gave us two ends. One to sit on and one to think with. Success depends on which one you use; heads you win — tails, you lose. Here’s wishing you a super successful day – every day – for the rest of your life. Cheryl C Young    DFH Realtors in Sidney     Stop, Look and Then Really Listen "Listening, not imitation, may be the greatest form of flattery." -- The importance of listening quote by Dr. Jo Listen up, I've got something important to tell you. Hey, I'm talking to you. Yes, you! OK, are you listening now? Wait a minute, you are still not paying attention, are you? I want you to stop what you are doing because I'm only going to say this once. Listening is a lost art today. What do you mean you didn't get it the first time? Yes, I will say it again, but this time you really need to hear what I say. Ready? Are you sure this time? All right - here goes. Listening is a lost art today. What's that, you want me to say it one more time? Come on, get the peanut butter out of your ears and listen up. OK, one last time. Listening is a lost art today! Good grief. It seems to get harder and harder to effectively communicate with people every day.   "I only wish I could find an institute that teaches people how to listen. Business people need to listen at least as much as they need to talk. Too many people fail to realize that real communication goes in both directions." -- Listening quotation from Lee Iacocca -- The biggest problem with communication, regardless of whether the breakdown occurs at home, in the workplace or somewhere in between, is that people have lost their ability to listen to others. That is why it is important for us to recondition ourselves to listen, listen and listen some more. Being a "good listener" requires that we take the time to listen to what people say and what people mean when they say it. When you begin to really listen to what others are saying, you will be in a much better position to respond to what they are saying.   "The greatest compliment that was ever paid to me was when one asked what I thought, and attended to my answer."  Communication can never be a one way street. Effective communication is always a give and take between the parties involved, where the interaction flows - back and forth. Regardless of whether the communication is an informal exchange of information or a private expression of feelings, it is imperative that all parties participate. In order for us to effectively interact with others, not only do we need to get good at talking, we also need to improve our listening skills as well. Anyone can talk, but great communicators are the winners who have mastered the fine art of listening.   "It is the province of knowledge to speak. And it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.-- The better you become at listening to what your coworkers, friends and family have to say to you, the better your relationships with these people will become as well. If you are having a difficult time communicating with someone else, maybe, just maybe it is time for you to STOP talking so much. After all, shouldn't you let the other person share in the conversation too? You should also get in the habit of looking people in the eyes when you talk to them and looking them in the eyes when you listen as well. People trust a person who looks them in the eyes. And finally, learn to LISTEN, LISTEN and LISTEN some more. You will be astonished at how much you can learn from other people and how much you can learn about other people when you have your mouth closed. Stop, look and listen. Now you're talking!"Talking is the natural way to do business. Writing is great for keeping records and putting down details, but talk generates ideas. Great things come from our luncheon meetings, which consist of a sandwich, a cup of soup and a good idea or two." -- Effective communication quotation from T. Boone Pickens -- A good communicator learns early on the importance of letting others talk and also learns how to effectively listen as well. Without question, talking is our primary way of expressing ourselves and exchanging information with others. We need to talk and communicate with others in order to lead a productive life. Our relationships with others depend on our ability to effectively communicate what we think and how we feel. If you truly want to enjoy the best life has to offer, I will give you some "sound" advice to follow. It is time for you to break the sound barrier. You must learn how to open up and project your feelings, your emotions, your thoughts and your personality. You should break down walls that prevent or impede productive interaction and communication with others. You should look for chances to build people up, not tear people down. When you have something to say to others, make sure the "something" that comes out of your mouth is positive and constructive, never negative or destructive. We should commit to improving our lines of communication and removing any and all sound barriers once and for all. As you systematically break one sound barrier after another, you will find your interpersonal skills and relationships with others improving dramatically as a result. As an added bonus, you will find that breaking the sound barrier will provide you some nice sound "effects" as well.   "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." -- Effective communication quotation from Winston Churchill -- Here's hoping you break the sound barrier today! Avoiding Double Trouble.   "Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week." Spanish Proverb   There are some things that just seem to naturally go together. They work hand in hand and are almost inseparable. How could you have baseball without hot dogs? When you think of Ginger Rogers, you just naturally also think of Fred Astaire. And of course there is always mom and apple pie.   It just seems as though the minute you think of one, you think of the other. The list of these dynamic duos goes on and on. But there is yet another duo that is not so dynamic. In fact, they are a destructive duo. When you find one, you can bet that the other is sure to be lurking in the shadows.   This double trouble duo work in tandem to wreck havoc and leave devastation in their wake. They pilfer the dreams of would-be winners. They choke off creativity before it has time to blossom. They fill people with feelings of confusion, disillusionment and doubt. The sole purpose of these despicable bullies is to knock you down and then kick you again and again to make certain you stay down for keeps. Who are these dastardly, sinister, rotten to the core villains? Fear and procrastination, that's who! They are double trouble and if you are not careful, they'll be looking for you.   Fear and procrastination. Procrastination and fear. You rarely find one without the other. Regardless of which one you write down first, they spell big time T-R-O-U-B-L-E. One of the biggest problems they create is they seem to literally paralyze their victims from head to toe. Once fear and procrastination set their hooks in you, it becomes doubly difficult to get anything done.     "If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done." Author Unknown   As soon as you become afraid to do something, you immediately put it off. Once you put it off, then they have you right where they want you. You wait and wait and wait. As you wait, fear weaves its insidiously evil web inside you. It becomes harder and harder for you to summon up enough courage to complete even the simplest of tasks. You are frozen by the fear of failure.   The longer you wait, the greater the fear factor inside you becomes. As the fear grows, the longer you wait. This is not a pretty picture, but it is a harsh reality that cripples the creativity of millions upon millions of people every day. Is there a way to defeat this unsavory couple? You bet there is.     "Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears." Les Brown   Turning fear into fuel. If you don't stand up and conquer your own fear, it will show no mercy. It will not stop until it put its death grip around your throat and chokes the life out of you. Its sole purpose is to take absolute control over you and it will if you let it. But do not fear. You can turn your fears into high octane fuel once you realize that fear is only an emotion and you can control your emotions.   You simply need to get your emotions working for you, not against you. You'll discover that fear is in reality only false evidence appearing real.     "Fear is a darkroom where negatives develop." Usman B. Asif   The biggest fear most people have is the fear of failing. Rather than try something that may result in failure, many people opt instead to not try it at all. There is a huge difference between not trying because you think you might fail and giving it your best shot and failing.   While failing is never fatal or final, refusing to give it your best shot can be. Hey, let's face it, we all fail. Nobody likes to falter or fall short and that includes winners. But winners are never afraid of failing and that is the key. They keep plugging away, getting better and better with each successive failure.   Winners look at failing as a necessary "growing pain." None of us likes pain and sure, it hurts when you get knocked down. But let me ask you a couple of questions. How much pain have you and your family already endured because you lacked the courage to take a chance and give it your best shot? How much more pain are you willing to suffer by continuing to allow fear and procrastination to rule your life?   You probably answered that first question with "Too much." I hope you answered the second question with "No more." Without question, not giving yourself a shot at doing your best and being your best is the biggest failure of all. How can we ever expect to get better if we don't give it all we have to give? Winners get really good at channeling their emotions by turning their fears into FUEL.     "You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith." Mary Manin Morrissey   A friend of mine used to say he ate fear for breakfast. Boy, did he have the right attitude or what? Instead of caving in to the temptation to quit, he challenged himself to turn those feelings of fear around and use them as a source of ongoing strength and motivation. You and I can learn a lot from the example he set. Fear is an emotion that we can control or we can allow to control us. We can effectively overcome our fear emotions when we replace them with a fear not attitude.     "Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday." Don Marquis   Put in on - don't put it off. Now that we have discussed how to overcome the "fear" component of the double trouble equation, let's see what we can do to get procrastination out of our lives too. Procrastination is one of those rotten habits that tends to sneak up on you. You know how the story goes. About the time you realize that you have that nasty old habit, it is already too late and the habit has you.   Procrastination, when working in concert with fear, is like a thief in the night. This tenacious twosome has silently stolen the dreams and aspirations of far too many people around the world. Instead of just going out and doing what they need to do, procrastinators dawdle and dilly dally away one day after another. "Why do it now when we can put it off until tomorrow?" seems to be the motto of procrastinators nationwide. Unfortunately, their laissez faire approach of putting things off indefinitely inadvertently hurts both themselves and their families.   Why do people procrastinate? There are several reasons. Some people tend to put off things that are not really all that important to them. Others choose to procrastinate because they feel it is the easy way out. Another possible explanation for why people drag their feet when they know they need to do something is because procrastinating requires no commitment or effort.   The would-be winners put their feared items on the bottom of their "to do" list or worse yet, refuse to do them at all. Winners condition themselves out of the habit of putting things off. One sure fire way to eliminate procrastination is to always put the things you fear the most at the top of your to do list and then do them first and get them out of the way!     "We first make our habits, and then our habits make us." John Dryden   Like any good habit, it will take a little while for you to get totally comfortable with doing your feared things first. When you get in the habit of doing the things you fear first, you simultaneously vanquish fear and procrastination from your life. The minute you get rid of these two trouble makers once and for all, then anything and everything you have ever wanted is once again possible. Before you know it, you'll be eating fear for breakfast just like my friend does.   Wishing you a super sensational day! Plugging Into Some Prime Time Power I'd like to welcome you to The Motivational and Inspirational Corner Newsletter. This month we're going to talk about plugging yourself into some prime time power, thereby enabling you to move towards your established goals in a faster, smarter and more efficient fashion. So if you're ready to power up, let's get started. "We are what we repeatedly do." - Self improvement quote by Aristotle - Each of us are different. We all have varying interests, aptitudes and strengths and it is those differences that make each of us unique in our own right. Yet winners, whose collective diversity and talent levels run the entire gamut, do have one thing in common that distinctly separates them from everyone else. That common denominator or characteristic is this: they all use both their time and their God given talents and gifts wisely. The manner in which we use or abuse our time, talents and gifts will determine the direction of our lives. Winners know where they want to go and realize that they must get the most out of what they have been given to get there. They manage to get ahead and then stay ahead of the rest of the pack by effectively utilizing their precious assets. They use their "prime time" wisely by staying motivated, focused and committed to the task. "Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life, no matter what may be one's aim." - Motivational message by John D. Rockefeller - How do you spend your prime time? In order to answer this question open and honestly, you must first determine exactly when your prime time happens to be. Some people are morning people and are at their best early in the day. There are others who seem to perform better in the middle of the day. Then there are the night owls, who seem better suited for the night time. Again, all of us are different and must clearly define our own prime times. Truth be told, we all have a lot more prime time available than we realize. It's how we use this time that in large measure determines how quickly we reach our goals or if we ever reach them at all. "Our nettlesome task is to discover how to organize our strength into compelling power." - Motivational quote from the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. - Were they doing what they truly love to do all day long? Is their present work getting them where they want to go and allowing them to live the life they have always dreamed of living? If not, then the only way to turn things around is to ... turn things around -- right here and right now. As we cover throughout the Power Performance Program (c), the only way for any of us to live the lives we love and love the lives we live is to persistently and consistently pursue our dreams with purpose and passion (click Power Performance Program (c) to find out more about this life changing 30 day course). "Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it." - Motivational quote by Lou Holtz - How about you? Are you using your prime time wisely? Could your life get better, maybe even a whole lot better, than it is today? Then why not unplug that TV and plug into some prime time power each and every day? "You don't get in life what you want; you get in life what you are." - Self improvement quote by Les Brown - It's time for you to take charge and take off. Once you begin plugging into some prime time power every day, you'll be ready for a prime time performance before you know it. Benjamin Disraeli once said, "Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think." Dare to dream big dreams, exciting dreams, life changing dreams - and then dare to go out there and live them every day of your life. "If you can dream it, you can do it." - Self improvement quote by Walt Disney - Don't wait for someone else to make your life terrific. Go out and do it yourself. There's no doubt about it, you've got the power!   Wishing you a super sensational day! How many people you know come home from work (a job that they hate nonetheless) and plop down on the couch and proceed to watch hours of so-called prime time television? Could this time be better spent, say reading or listening to motivational material or perhaps working on a worthwhile project? Sure it could. Now I'm sure some of these folks would argue that after a full day's work, they're entitled to some down time. Fair enough, but I've got a couple of revealing questions for them to answer. How to Motivate to Massive  Action "It's the action behind the attraction that makes the wish come true" Powerful motivation comes in understanding that you can achieve anything you truly desire in your heart. It is the knowledge that you are destined to fulfill your every goal, which drives you to change. The decision is the first step towards change. Regardless of the decision, every change requires some form of action. Do you find it challenging at times to motivate yourself in taking action? Sometimes, I catch my mind making excuses, and occasionally I 'succeed' in avoiding the action all together. Here are some pointers I have personally found helpful in motivating myself: * What & Why? - "Start with the end in mind." To achieve a goal, it's important to define clearly what that goal is. How do you know when you've achieved it? Define a measurable end. Once you have your goal, it's important to understand the Why - why you are doing it? Ask yourself what are the motivating factors behind it? For your family? For your kids? Why? Why must you succeed? * Break it down to small achievable tasks - It is very easy,and human, to be overwhelmed by the sheer effort and energy involved in achieving a big goal. Especially if the goal consists of many unknowns or a long-drawn process. We tell ourselves it's impossible or it's too much work, and then wegive up even before we take any action towards a goal. I've found it very helpful to always split the main goalinto several milestones. Then breaking each milestone into aseries of steps to achieve that milestone. For each step, break them down further into smaller, measurable and achievable tasks that can be achieved in a few hours or less. This will make the goal appear manageable. Achieving one task after another builds confidence and momentum, and before you know it, the end result will be insight. Personally, I feel rewarded and more motivated just by crossing tasks off with a black marker as I complete them. * Take a Small Step - Even the smallest first step will help create momentum towards change. "Start doing the thing to have energy to do the thing" -Bob Proctor. When I heard this, a light bulb went off in my head. So now, whenever I don't want to do something that I know will help me, I would trick myself into thinking 'I'm just gonna start it, it'll only take a few minutes.' And once Istart it, I typically will finish the task. I have this quote written on a cue card, taped on the wall across from my bed, serving as a daily reminder. * Rewards & Celebration - Give yourself small rewards for each completed step or task. Then celebrate when you reach each Milestone! I use ice-cream, Chai, reading and internet browsing time as rewards for myself. Look back at what you've done, enjoy it, embrace it, and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done! I like to exaggerate this step by doing a "happy dance": very silly moves I do, that tend to make other people (and myself) laugh. This way, my body moves, I'm smiling and my mind will create positive associations with achieving milestones to being happy. * Pain vs. Pleasure - Have you noticed that you are more inclined to avoid pain, than to gain pleasure? For example, we all know the benefits of eating healthy and exercising, but this benefit alone often is not enough to motivate us to action. But, if your doctor tells you that you must live a healthier lifestyle or in 6 months you will contract a life-threatening illness, you are more likely to make the change. Here's a visualization technique I picked up from a Tony Robbins 'Unleash the power within' seminar: o Visualize yourself in 5 years without taking the actions to reach your goal. See yourself in pain. Do this for a minute, and then intensify the feeling. Feel the heaviness on your back. Do this for a few minutes, and then relax. o Now visualize yourself having achieved your goal. What do you look like? How are you celebrating? See and feel the benefits it's provided. Now, let that feeling intensify. Do this for a few minutes as the feeling intensify some more. * Inspiration - Being around motivating people really helps to inspire us into action. People who are consistently aligning their decisive actions towards their goals. Being around these people can be infectious, and their energy will impact you. If you don't have such people in your life? Get a cd or dvd of a motivational speaker. Just listening to an outstanding speaker's voices, can create enough energy to pump you up. I recommend, "Anthony Robbins", "Les Brown" and "Bob Proctor". ____________ "Today I will embrace all that is good in my life. I will keep clearly in mind that what I choose to focus on tends to grow -- and for thin I will guard against getting stuck in negative thinking. Today I shall let my greatness shine for all the world to see." * The Seven C's Of Success   After having studied top achievers and peak performers over the past 25 years, I've concluded that these unique men and women have, in most cases, mastered what I call the Seven C's of Success.  Clarity - Eighty percent of success comes from being clear on who you are, what you believe in and what you want.   Competence - You can't climb to the next rung on the ladder until you are excellent at what you do now.   Constraints - Eighty percent of all obstacles to success come from within. Find out what is constraining in you or your company and deal with it.   Concentration - The ability to focus on one thing single-mindedly and see it through until it's done takes morecharacter than anything else.   Creativity - Flood your life with ideas from many sources.  Creativity needs to be exercised like a muscle, if you don't use it you'll lose it.  Courage - Most in demand and least in supply, courage is the willingness to do the things you know are right.   Continuous learning -- Read, at the very least, one book a week on business to keep you miles ahead of the competition.   And just as you eat and bathe, organize your time so you spend 30 minutes a day exploring e-mail, sending messages, going through web sites, because like exercise, it's the  only way you can keep on top of technology. If you get away from it, you'll lose your edge.  Here's a positive affirmation you may wish to write down and recite to yourself...   "I am fully committed to being a life long learner. Through the study and application of what I learn I am positioning myself to achieve expert status in my area of interest. In  doing so I am positioning myself to achieve personal greatness."  -- It's your life, LIVE BIG! There Is An "I" In Team. "A team with a star player is a good team, but a team without one is a great team."   Welcome to The Motivational and Inspirational Corner Newsletter. It is our commitment at the Motivational and Inspirational Corner to bring you a high octane motivational newsletter each and every month - a positive powered newsletter that's sure to re-energize your internal motivation. So let's get this show on the road. How many times have you heard the familiar expression, "There's no 'I' in team?" If you have ever played organized sports, I can almost guarantee you that every coach that you ever had made that statement more than a few times. These coaches had a job to do and that was to build a team where "together everyone achieves more." Since they were coaching a team sport, it was vitally important to the success of the team to meld all of the talents of each team member. Ball hogs and glory hounds tended to take away from the overall team effort, not to mention the dissension that predictably occurred when one member tried to steal the thunder from the rest of the group. Vincent Lombardi, the late Hall of Fame Football Coach once said, "Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." But he also said, "The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual." Well it looks like there definitely is an 'I' in team after all. Each team member depends on each of the others to pull his or her own weight. If any team member fails to do his or her job, then the entire team suffers as a result. Team building is just what it says it is - pulling a group of individuals together to work as a cohesive unit. That means there's a lot of "I's" working together, doesn't it? You bet! Coach Lombardi knew a thing or two about team building. His Green Bay Packer football teams won six division titles and five championships in his nine years as head coach (including the first two Super Bowls played). He took over a moribund team that had only won one game the year before and molded them into champions through hard work, gritty determination and an unyielding will to win. He insisted that each and every team member do his part, each and every play. His teams prepared to win - emotionally, mentally and physically. Second place finishes and second rate effort were not part of the game plan. How about you? Do you do whatever it takes, whenever it's needed, to help your teams both at home and at work? Are you ready, willing and most of all, able to pitch in to make your team a winning one? It's absolutely crucial that you dig in and do your part. Your teammates need to know that they can count on you to give a 110% effort each and every time, especially when the going gets a bit rough. Winning isn't a once in a while thing. No, it's really an all consuming attitude that all winners possess - all of the time. Each of us were born to win. It's up to you to make sure that you do your part to make winning a way of life for your entire team as well. Muhammad Ali, certainly a world champion in his own right, once said, "Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: A desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have late minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill." Players win games. Teams win championships.       Wishing you a super sensational day! Follow the Leader "A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not." - Author Unknown -   We'd like to welcome you to another power packed issue of the Motivational and Inspirational Corner Newsletter. This month we're going to focus our time together on the importance of developing those leadership traits within you. Yes, you do have and hold the temperament and tenacity requisite of all leaders down inside of you. As is always the case here at the Motivational and Inspirational Corner, we're going to incorporate a number of inspirational sayings and quotations throughout our newsletter this month. Inspirational sayings and motivational quotes can stir our souls and move us to action. Action has long been the difference between the movers and shakers and the also-rans of life. Not coincidentally, leadership has many times been defined as action. Your ability to lead will depend in large measure on what you do and when you do it. In others words, your willingness to take action. Vincent Lombardi once said, "Leadership is based on a spiritual quality; the power to inspire, the power to inspire others to follow." He also had this inspirational message to say on the topic, "Having the capacity to lead is not enough. The leader must be willing to use it." This world desperately needs more leaders - to show the way and to light the fires of others. The world opens its doors to those unique individuals who have the courage and strength to boldly step out of the shadows and indelibly etch their names in the history books. Are you up to the challenge?   "The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it." - Theodore Roosevelt. The above inspirational quote tells us that we must lead but not dominate. We must set an example rather than set the rules. When everyone gets to share in the glory of a job well done, the likelihood of success grows exponentially. Henry Ford said this about leadership and team building: "Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success." Mr. Ford knew a thing or two about success, wouldn't you agree? Mr. Ford believed in his people and in turn, built one of the greatest success stories in America. To fully illustrate this point, please allow me to share a few more inspirational leadership quotes from Henry Ford.   "You can take my factories, burn up my building, but give me my people and I'll build the business right back again." "Don't find fault. Find a remedy." "Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right." Henry Ford believed in himself, his people and their collective ability to be the best. He was the personification of leadership. While we're at it, here are a few more leadership quotes.   "You do not lead by hitting people over the head. That's assault, not leadership." - Dwight D. Eisenhower "A leader is a dealer in hope." - Napoleon Bonaparte "Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile." - Vincent Lombardi "Leaders don't create followers, they create more leaders." - Tom Peters Maybe, just maybe, we can take the wisdom of these inspirational quotes and mold our own inborn leadership qualities around them. Leadership requires the vision to see what others cannot. Leadership requires the commitment to do what others will not. Leadership requires determination to find a better way, a faster way and smarter way to do those things that need to be done - every single day. Are you ready to unshackle yourself and take the reigns? Are you prepared to lead by setting a good example and then share in the credit when the task has been successfully completed? Are you ready to lead? When you are, you'll discover that there are plenty of people who are ready to follow your lea Wishing you a super sensational day Motivation Begins and Ends with Mo-tion "Never mistake motion for action."   Welcome to The Motivational and Inspirational Corner Newsletter. Each month we bring you our newsletter loaded with motivational and inspirational quotes and commentary centered around a motivational topic that's sure to energize your internal motivation. This month we're going to talk a little about the importance of infusing motion, motion and a lot more motion into your daily routine. Effective, efficient, productive motion is the key to the attainment of all of your hopes and dreams.   "It is always your next move." --Action quote by Napoleon Hill - There's an old adage that says most people quit looking for work the moment they land a job. In fact, a lot of underachieving people seem to uncover a myriad of innovative ways to avoid work after they have a job. Work, at least to their way of lazy way of thinking, is something to avoid like the plague. Doing the bare minimum and heading for the house at quitting time is all they have on their minds. They set the bar for achievement really low, then crawl under it to boot. Is this any way for a winner to think, let alone act? I think not.   "Opportunity is missed by most folks because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." -- Motivational motion quote by Thomas A. Edison -- Most of us miss far more opportunity than we realize, simply because we do not recognize opportunity when it presents itself. We are so busy, either avoiding work or working inefficiently, that we often fail to open our eyes to the abundance of opportunity that exists in America.   "Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it." -- Action quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson -- I used to work with an individual who was always busy as a bee. He was busy over here and busy over there. As a matter of fact, he seemed busy all of the time and everywhere. If you didn't know any better, you would have thought he was setting the world on fire with all of his seemingly frenetic activity. But at the end of each day, he rarely had accomplished much of anything throughout the whole day. How was this possible? Although he was busy - he was not very productive. Being busy should never be confused with working in an efficient, productive manner.   "If there's a way to do it better ... find it." -- Action quote by Thomas A. Edison -- While motion, motion and a lot more motion will without a doubt create a good deal of commotion, we need to make sure we work in an effective manner as well. We not only want to be busy, but even more importantly want to be productive. But action is still the key to success and achievement. Will we make mistakes when we take action? Sure we will. Will we get knocked down from time to time when we're out there giving it our best shot every day? There's no doubt about it. But as long as we keep working to find a better way, a smarter way and a faster way to do it - we will find it.   "Ideas without action are worthless." -- Action quote by Harvey Mackay -- Many believe that motivation precedes action, but in reality the reverse is probably even more accurate. When you take action on an idea and get positive results, you become more motivated to make even better things happen in your life. Theodore Roosevelt reminded us to get busy making good things happen when he said, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Ideas are funny little things, aren't they? You see, they don't work until we do. "Action may not always bring happiness, but there's no happiness without action." All the so-called secrets of success will not work, unless you're more than willing to carry your fair share of the load. Benjamin Franklin once said, "Nothing preaches better than the act." Sounds like we need to get busy, doesn't it? And not just busy, but productive as well. So how about it? Are you ready to demand the best from yourself so that you can begin getting the best out of life? Sure you are, in fact you were born ready. The only thing standing between you and the life you long to live is ... action.   "If you keep thinking about what you want to do or what you hope will happen; you won't do it and it won't happen." -- Motivational action quote by Joe DiMaggio -- Motivation does indeed begin and end in motion - and motion begins and ends with you. When you get in the habit of doing what you need to do, when you need to do it -- you'll soon have everything you have ever dreamed of having.   "If you rest, you rust." -- Action quote by Helen Hayes -- "Do it now. Then It's done." "Do it! Move it! Make it happen! No one ever sat their way to success."   -- Action quote by Benjamin Disraeli -- Wishing you an action packed day!   Never Fear "Become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid." - Motivational Quote by Lady Bird Johnson -   Welcome to The Motivational and Inspirational Corner Newsletter. Each and every month we bring you a motivational topic that's designed to energize that winning spirit you hold deep inside of yourself. After all, winning comes from the inside out. This month's topic is a particularly hot one, since it deals with overcoming fear. So hold on to your seat and let's get started. Let's go ahead and clear the air right up front. Fear can be a frightful thing; paralyzing us from our heads right down to our toes -- and everywhere in between. Fear can stifle our creativity, impede our progress and place seemingly insurmountable obstacles in our paths. Fear is far and away the biggest obstacle any of us will ever have to overcome on our trip to the top. Regardless of whether we're talking about the fear of taking chances, making choices, implementing changes or the really big one - the fear of failure, fear can hammer us into submission.   "Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is." - German proverb - Whenever fear happens upon the scene, it invariably brings its nefarious companions - feelings of worry, self doubt, anxiety, overwhelm - along for the ride. These feelings tend to impair the would-be winners' ability to cope, thereby knocking them down and if they're not careful - knocking them down for good.   "When you fear something, learn as much about it as you can. Knowledge conquers fear." - Inspirational quote by unknown author - Fear also has a bosom buddy that it works in tandem with and that sidekick is called procrastination. Fear and procrastination, procrastination and fear. Now those two teamed up together spells double trouble. One is certainly bad enough, but together they can have a truly devastating effect on a would-be winner's life. Wherever you find one, you're more likely than not to find the other varmint lurking as well. Think about it for a moment. The moment you fear something, there's always a tendency not to do it. Then by not doing it, your fear increases off the charts. Fear and procrastination can and will steal your dreams if you allow them to do so. Here's my advice to you -- don't let them. It has been said that fear is only "false evidence appearing real." I really like that definition and here's why. Nine times out of ten the reason we fear something is because we're unsure of the unknown. This unknown component causes us to worry and fret. But come on, isn't worrying about something that may not ever happen a lot like paying interest on money you never borrow? Sure it is. "There is nothing that wastes the body like worry and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed to worry about anything whatsoever." - Inspirational quote by Mahatma Gandhi - "Feed your faith and your fear will starve to death." - Inspirational quote by unknown author - So what in the heck causes us to have these feelings of fear? As a rule, the prospects of failing or falling short causes these feelings of fear to emerge. The good thing about fear it that it is only a feeling - and winners have learned that they can condition themselves to control their feelings. Winners mitigate any impending feelings of fear by fully focusing their efforts on what they can do to make the situation better. These winners have conditioned themselves to have absolute faith and trust in their God given talents and abilities. They know they can have what it takes to overcome any adversity and it is this supreme faith that counteracts any feelings of fear. This powerful confidence separates the winners from the pretenders. When the going gets tough (as it is sure to get from time to time), the winners get going and get the job done - while the pretenders get lost. "The tests of life are not meant to break you, but to make you." "It takes struggle, a goal and enthusiasm to make a champion." - Inspirational quotes by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale - Winners never back down and never back up. They know, I mean really know deep down where it counts, that they have what it takes to get the job done. They overcome any feelings of doubt and despair by developing an indefatigable self assurance about themselves. They never cower or hide when fear comes knocking. They face their fears head on and defeat them. Their eternally positive outlook allows them to literally eat fear for breakfast. Their faith provides them the needed boost to see them through the challenging times they encounter. They refuse to allow fear to overrun and overwhelm them. Faith is the key.   "Do the thing you fear most and the death of fear is certain." - Inspirational quote by Mark Twain - "Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are stiffened." - Inspirational quote by Reverend Billy Graham - How about you? When fear shows its face, do you pound it into submission or does fear do the pounding? Any and all fear can be systematically eliminated when you choose to focus on making the situation better. You have what it takes to put fear in its place - and always have. Finally, we should take heed of Franklin D. Roosevelt's sage advice when he said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." When you show the steadfast courage to staunchly refuse to give in to your fears, then and only then will you be able to realize your abundant potential on earth. Fear not -- and you'll conquer your fears.       Wishing you a super sensational day! Quit Is A Four Letter Word "Obstacles are those frightful things we see when we take our eyes off of our goal." - Henry Ford -   I 'd like to extend a power packed welcome to you as we share this month's Motivational and Inspirational Corner Newsletter together. I hope you're ready to enjoy a super sensational day today; I know I'm raring to go. It has been said that our outlook determines our outcome. Since we control our outlook on life, then shouldn't we make today a day we'll never forget? Now that sounds like a winning game plan, wouldn't you agree? OK, that settles it. There's no doubt about it, we're going to have an absolutely amazing day today. I can just feel it. Can you feel it too? Today is going to be quite a day indeed. Today is the day we can make some positive contributions in both our lives and in the lives of others as well. Today, right here and right now, is the day we can go out there and make a difference in the world we live. Talk about being in the right place at the right time! In order to make today a day we'll never forget, it's imperative that we play to win all day long. This "playing to win" commitment insures us a positive powered day - all day long. This playing to win mindset separates the winners from the pretenders. Playing to win - with purpose, passion and a zeal for living - is the only way to play the game of life. Winners only know one speed and that's playing at full throttle. Winners love life and life in return showers them with health, wealth and happiness. But not all of us are winning in America. Instead of playing to win, these folks elect to play it safe. Taking chances or taking risks scare the heck out of these would-be winners. When they come face to face with those all important make or break moments in life, these people fold their tents and head for the hills. Before they even give themselves a chance to succeed, they quit. Rather than give it their all, they instead choose to give up.   "Failure doesn't mean you are a failure ... it just means you haven't succeeded yet." - Robert Schuller - Why do these born winners, who hold inside of themselves the awesome God-given talents to achieve and succeed and become one of the very best this country has ever seen, elect to throw in the towel without giving it their very best shot? Conditioning is the answer. To be more precise, negative conditioning. As we cover extensively in our highly acclaimed Power Performance Program (c), these individuals have been conditioned to fail. Some American made winners have been conditioned to believe the best life has to offer is simply not in the cards for them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Since these would-be winners don't truly believe that the good life and the good times are in store for them, they are quick to run up the white flag and quit when the going gets a little rough. Instead of toughing it out, they sadly consign themselves to the also-rans of life. Quitting slowly but surely becomes a way of life. Excuses, complaints and procrastination begin to rule their lives. They begin believing that there is no reason to take a chance or lay it all on the line anymore - so they don't. Quitting becomes their middle name and as a result, they never come close to realizing the tremendous potential within. Can there be a greater tragedy on earth? "Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat." - F. Scott Fitzgerald - How about you? Are you letting that born winner inside of you win? Are you always ready, willing and able to put it all on the line each and every day and give life your absolute best shot? Are you prepared to do whatever it takes, whenever it is needed - right here and right now? Sure you are. In fact, you were born ready. Each of us were put on earth to fulfill our abundant potential - to pursue life with all of the purpose, passion and enthusiasm we can muster. In order to bring out your very best, remember to always play to your strengths. By this I mean you should focus your efforts on uncovering the things that you love to do - those things that excite and inspire you so much that you would do them for free - and then fashion your life's adventure around them. The best excel in their chosen professions because they pursue their dreams. All of us hold within ourselves those super special things that we truly love, the things that give our lives meaning, purpose and direction. We need to tap into these special talents and gifts daily. We then need to embrace them with every ounce of energy we can muster and fashion our lives around them. We encourage you to keep your eye on the prize and to always remember that anything and everything you have ever dreamed of having or doing is well within your reach. God would never have given you the ability of having great dreams if you didn't have everything you need to make them come true. Dare to dream big dreams, exciting dreams and inspiring dreams - then go out make them come true for you every day of your life. When you do, every single day can be the best day of your life - a day you'll never forget. And one last thing before we go. Winners never quit - and quitters never win. Never, ever let quit have the last word in your life. "It's always too early to quit." - Inspirational quote by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale -       Wishing you a super sensational day! The Danger of Doing Nothing. Winning Isn't Everything - Or Is It? "The world is filled with willing people; some willing to work, the rest willing to let them." - Robert Frost -   Welcome to The Motivational and Inspirational Corner Newsletter. Each month we'll bring you a high octane motivational topic that's designed to energize that winning spirit you hold deep inside of yourself. While each of us were born to win, we could all use a little motivational pick me up from time to time to spur us to action and to encourage us to do our very best. That's what the Motivational and Inspirational Corner Newsletter is all about. Today let's spend a little time talking about the danger of doing nothing. While few can argue that doing nothing requires little effort on our part, the very act (if you can really call doing nothing an "act") of doing nothing is a lot harder than it looks. Why? Because each of us was born to win, to achieve and make a difference in the world around us. Winning is in our blood. Doing nothing, and by that I mean not doing those things that move us closer to our dreams, goes against everything we as winners stand for. We were put here to make things happen, not to sit on the sidelines and twiddle our thumbs. Winners readily acknowledge that action, sustained effort in the face of turmoil and trouble, paves the way to the top. "The best way to get something done is to begin." - Motivational quote by author unknown - Simple but true. The only way to get something worthwhile accomplished is to get the ball rolling in the first place. That said, then why in the world would born winners shoot themselves in the foot and not put forth the effort to do their best daily? In a nutshell, they are afraid of failing. They are so worried about making mistakes or looking bad that they elect to do nothing at all. In an ill fated attempt to play it close to the vest, the would-be winners pay the biggest price of all - a lifetime dominated by worry, fear and underachievement. As we cover extensively in our acclaimed 30 day personal achievement program (click the Power Performance Program to learn more about this life changing course), winners truly believe that it is actually harder to do nothing than just go out there and do it. When you think about it, would-be winners in reality have to work overtime to submarine or throttle back their inborn winning spirit. They have to really work at holding back their creative imagination. They have to really work to thwart their innate need to succeed. They have to really work at placing a governor on themselves when God blessed them with a supercharger. Sure sounds like a lot of work to me.   "The more you venture to live greatly, the more you will find within you what it takes to get on top and stay there." - Motivational quote by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale - In reality, these would-be winners aren't really doing nothing, in fact they're quite busy - busily conditioning themselves to fail. This incessant negative conditioning saps their strength, zaps their energy and traps them in a life devoid of true happiness and fulfillment. As Zig Ziglar, one of America's greatest motivational speakers, appropriately says, these folks are suffering from "stinking thinking" and need a "check-up from the neck up." How about you? Are you maximizing your talent or are you playing it safe instead?   "There is real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment." - Motivational quote by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale - We must make sure that we never get snared into this "doing nothing" mentality. We need to get excited about the immense possibilities that present themselves daily and then get busy making our dreams come true. The late Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, one of my all time favorite motivational and inspirational speakers and a man we've already quoted a few times in this newsletter, had this to say about possibility thinking: "Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things may seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see possibilities - always see them, for they're always there." He also said this: "When you wholeheartedly adopt a 'with all your heart' attitude and go out with a positive principle, you can do incredible things." None of us can afford to be guilty of doing nothing. There is just too much opportunity looking for a place to happen to ever give less than our very best. We all have dreams - fabulous dreams about all of the wonderful things we can do, have and be - and it is our responsibility as born winners to make these dreams come true right here and right now. Not sooner or later or somewhere down the road, but right now. Remember, some day is not a day of the week. Anything and everything is possible when you do what needs to be done right now. In closing, don't wish for it - work for it. When you believe in yourself and your virtually limitless God given abilities and then expect a miracle each and every day - then that's exactly what you'll find. Let's now go out there and make today a day we'll never forget. Wishing you a super sensational day! "To dilute the will to win is to destroy the purpose of the game. There is no substitute for victory." - Douglas MacArthur -   Welcome to this month's issue of the Motivational and Inspirational Corner Newsletter. This month we're going to talk about a subject near and dear to the heart's of all winners - and that topic is winning. General MacArthur's motivational quote above says it all as far as a winner is concerned. If you're going to play, then you've got to play to win. Zig Ziglar, one of America's premier motivational speakers, had this to say about winning. "Winning is not everything, but the effort to win is." Winners set the table for winning by expecting to win in advance. They prepare to win, expect to win and then go out and play to win each and every time. Vincent Lombardi, the Hall of Fame football coach, was quoted as saying, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing." Did Coach Lombardi overstate the case? Let's take a closer look. It's oh so easy to say that winning doesn't matter -- until you lose. Then all of a sudden that winning side of the equation looks a heck of a lot better than your losing side. Winners fully realize that they're simply not going each and every time out. Whenever any of us takes a chance of laying it all on the line, there's always the possibility of suffering defeat in our quest for glory. But it's those taking of chances that makes life exciting and helps meld us into the winners we are destined to become. If you want to become a success, then you must exhibit the courage to encounter failure along the way. Whenever a winner gives it his or her best shot and comes up a bit short this time around, the winner is renown for displaying good sportsmanship and congratulating the victor. The winner then immediately starts working to win the next time around. After all, winning is the goal. Simply because the winner lost this time around doesn't mean that he or she will lose the next time out. Winners accept setbacks and failure as temporary bumps on the road to the top. They see their failures as merely stepping stones to success. The possess a single-minded will to win - nothing less will suffice. Losing sticks in a winner's craw, to say the very least. It's one thing to be a good sport when you lose, but it's quite another thing to become a good loser. Winners are never good losers. Gracious losers, yes. Good losers - never. Abraham Lincoln, who overcame a staggering number of resounding defeats before becoming one of the greatest Presidents in the history of the United States, once said that "success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." When a winner gets knocked down, he or she picks himself or herself up and goes back to the drawing board. Winners ultimately come out on top because they dare to win. The greatest victory you'll ever experience in life is the unparalleled feeling of accomplishment that comes when you successfully accomplish something that everyone told you couldn't be done. I know what I'm talking about here, since I have experienced this "high" on a number of occasions. In spite of the fact that virtually everyone I knew kept telling me that I was wasting my time or that I didn't stand a chance, I persevered and pushed on because I believed in myself and my God given abilities. I truly believe that by winning the struggle within, you've already won 95% of the battle. General George S. Patton encouraged all of us to tap into our inner strengths when he said, "Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory." If you have ever conquered the seemingly insurmountable odds and have come out on top, you know firsthand what this unbelievable emotion feels like as well. There's no better feeling, is there? In fact, nothing even comes close. The greatest victory you'll ever experience is winning when those around you say you can't. Winning isn't a once in a while thing, you need to make it a full time passion. You were born to win. You were put here to thrive and make a worthwhile contribution. It is up to you to take your abundant talent and go out there and make a difference. Please never allow anyone or anything to hold you up or hold you back any longer. Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get. Believe you me, there is a song inside you that desperately needs to be sung. Don't concern yourself with getting knocked down on your trip to the top. Just vow to get up, get better and get going again each and every time you get bounced around. When you do, your date with destiny will be secured.       Wishing you a super sensational day Who, What, When, Where ... and Why? "A pessimist sees only the dark side of the clouds and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides and shrugs; an optimist doesn't see the clouds at all - he's walking on them." - Leonard Louis Levinson -   We'd like to welcome you to another power packed issue of the Motivational and Inspirational Corner Newsletter. This month we're going to focus our time together on the five "W's" of goal setting. These five important goal setting ingredients for making sure your dreams do come true are who, what, when, where and why. Let's start with the "who' part of the equation for establishing powerful, motivating and action oriented goals for ourselves. The who we are talking about in this instance is you. The only person who can set stimulating, motivating and inspiring (or for that matter, unexciting and boring) goals for yourself is you. No doubt about it, effective goal setting always begins and ends with you. Now that fact can be very exciting and move you to action or very unsettling and cause you to hide, depending on your level of self confidence and self esteem. Winners want the ball at crunch time. They are the ones who are quick to make firm commitments and then follow up their commitments with resolute action. These winners readily accept the personal responsibility that comes with super achievement. They maintain control of their lives by controlling their own actions and decisions. They set goals for themselves - and then set out to make these goals a reality. "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." - T.S. Eliot - Would-be winners, on the other hand, want nothing to do with making important decisions and they shun personal responsibility like the plague. They don't want to make decisions, they don't want to take actions and they don't want to take chances. Not surprisingly, they rarely make history either. Accepting personal responsibility for who you are and where you're headed puts you light years ahead of the rest of the crowd. By boldly taking on the challenges you encounter daily and moving relentlessly towards the attainment of your goals, you have the "who" part covered. Next on our list is the "what" part of effective goal setting. This "what" component is crucial. The what gives specificity to the goals you are setting. Ask yourself the following questions. What do you want to achieve? What is it going to take to get where you want to go? What kind of obstacles are you likely to encounter on your trip to the top? Once you get the "what" portion of our goal setting equation covered, you should then move on to the "when". When should be fairly obvious, shouldn't it? After all, there's never been a better time and a better place than right now to do your best and be your best. By asking yourself the following questions, you'll get a clear indication of your readiness to make your dreams come true. When are you going to get started? When will you begin implementing your plan? When will you begin demanding the best from yourself? The answer, if you haven't guessed it already, is always right now. You've got to be ready, willing and able to put our very best to the test every single day. If you're not ready to get the ball rolling right now, when will you be? In order to get where you want to go, you've got to get started right now. Speaking of where you want to go, do you know exactly where you want to go in life? All of us have at one time or another held in our hearts and our minds a crystal clear picture of the life we long to live. There, deep inside of us - we could see it, touch it, feel it and live it. Winners realize that they could never conceive of a picture perfect future in their minds without having the capability of living it as well. Winners know that if they can conceive it in their minds and believe it in their hearts, the can achieve it in every day action. This "where" factor is the driving mechanism of goal setting. By regularly painting a sensory rich future in their minds, winners light the fire to make these dreams come true. Winners know exactly where they're going and they want to get there as quickly as possible. Last but certainly not least, the "why" of goal setting should never be understated. People do things for reasons. Winners have their reasons or "why" and so do the would-be winners. The reason why would-be winners never realize their tremendous God given abilities is fairly simple when you think about it. These born winners have been conditioned to fail. They are so caught up in squeaking out a living and doing whatever they can to simply survive that they never focus on the bigger picture. They don't see themselves winning in life. They don't see themselves making a difference. They don't see the ample opportunity that avails itself to them every day of their lives. The would-be winners of life are so worried about avoiding pain, making mistakes and taking chances that they rarely if ever think about setting positive, worthwhile and motivating goals for themselves and their families. They don't see why they should make the effort and as a result, many go to their graves with their songs still in them. What a needless tragedy! How about you? Do you have a compelling "why" in your life? Sure you do, we all do. The "why" is the cable that ties everything together. Think about it for a moment. Why should you do your best - and then do it even better? Why should you make today the best day you've ever experienced in your life? Why should you set challenging, exciting, life changing goals? You know why, don't you? Always remember that opportunities are never lost; some one will take each and every one you miss. Life is about accepting responsibility, taking chances and making choices. By incorporating the five "W's" into your daily goal setting routine, your life is sure to be the unbelievably rousing success story you've always believed it would be. Who, what, when ,where and why? Get busy answering these five "W's" goal setting questions and we'll see you at the top.     Wishing you a super sensational day! Effort Beats Excuses Everyday "The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will." -- Motivational action quote by Vincent Lombardi -- Welcome to The Motivational and Inspirational Corner Newsletter. We're really pleased to have you join us as we talk about this month's topic - how effort beats excuses every day of the week. Some of the most destructive actions (or in reality -- lack of action) known to mankind are all of the excuses we casually toss out each and every day. Most of us make far too many excuses; generally way more than we ever realize. We have an excuse for not doing this and a reason for not starting that. We have an excuse (or two or three or four) for why we didn't get this and dozens more for why we didn't get that. Excuses, excuses and more excuses. Why in the world do we make so many excuses? I guess because they are easy to make and let us off the hook to boot - or do they?. "The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small amount of fire makes a small amount of heat." -- Action quotation by Napoleon Hill -- When you get right down to it, there are only two times in which you can start living life on your own terms - now or never. Which do you choose? Winners choose to make things happen, while the would-be winners make excuses. The winners get to live their dreams each and every day, while the would-be winners continue to just dream about them. "People begin to become successful the minute they decide to be." -- Action quotation by Harvey Mackay -- Taking action and turning our lives around requires that we make choices and then take some chances along the way. These "make or break" moments of truth, when you decide once and for all to give it everything you have and go for the gold, are precisely those moments when the players are separated from the pretenders. A winner is quick to do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done while the would-be winner looks for a way out. A would-be winners whines about the way the cookie crumbles and offers up yet another in an endless string of excuses -- while the winner just goes about his or her business and proceeds to make history. "I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of a man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor." -- Action quotation by Henry David Thoreau -- How about you? Are you willing to give life your very best shot each and every day? Are you willing to stop making excuses and start doing your absolute best instead? When you've finally had enough of second place finishes and a second rate lifestyle and decide once and for all to take full responsibility for who you are, where you are and where you are going; then and only then will you finally give excuses the heave ho and clear the path for your trip to the top. "At first, dreams seem impossible, then improbable, and eventually inevitable." -- Determination quote by Christopher Reeves -- Henry Ford once said, "You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." Nobody cares about what you're going to do or for that matter, what you can't do. No, all they want to know is what you're willing to do -- right now. When you're willing to go out and give your very best effort day in and day out and kick excuses out of your life once and for all, you'll soon find yourself living that life you've always dreamed of living. Here's wishing you a power packed, excuse free day!

A Goal is a Many Splendored Thing.

"I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it."
-- Motivational quote by Thomas Jefferson --

 

Welcome to The Motivational and Inspirational Corner Newsletter. We're really pleased to have you join us as we talk about this month's topic - the importance of setting and achieving life changing goals.

Goal setting is not a new topic. Winners have long endorsed the importance of having a well defined set of written goals. Setting a goal or group of goals is a fairly easy process. Saying you're going to do something and doing it can in many instances be on the opposite ends of the spectrum. People make and immediately break all sorts of goals all of the time. New Year's resolutions are a prime example of how people set a goal but fall off the wagon shortly thereafter. The there are the folks who have a variety of goals -- lose weight, stop smoking, make more sales and the like - but ultimately never attain the goals they have set for themselves.

Why do these people, many of which are well intentioned, fall short in the pursuit of their goals? In a word, their goals lacked power! Winners set big goals, exciting goals, goals that challenge them and move them to action. Only these kind of soul stirring goals can motivate an individual to action.

 

"A dream is just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and deadline."
-- Goal setting quote by Harvey Mackay --

Obviously, there's more to this goal setting business than simply setting the goal. In order to set and then attain a goal, the goal needs to be 1) well defined and in writing, 2) attainable in the person's mind and 3) important to the individual setting the goal. In addition, the goal setter must have a well defined plan of action to achieve the goal and there has to be an established timetable for the completion of the goal.

 

"The reason people most people never reach their goals is that they don't define them, learn about them, or even seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way and who they will be sharing the adventure with them."
-- Goal setting quote by motivational speaker and author Denis Waitley --

First things first. The initial step in goal setting is to define the goal and write it down. The act of reducing the goal into writing cannot be overemphasized. Specific, well defined goals, written goals have the highest potential for achievement and make the goal seem attainable to the goal setter.

 

"Goals. There's no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There's no telling what you can do when you believe in them. And there's no telling what will happen when you act on them."
-- Goal setting quote by motivational speaker and author Jim Rohn --

The individual setting the goal must do so for the right reasons. Trying to lose weight because someone else wants that person to do so is doomed right from the start. Unless the goal setter wants to lose the weight and is committed to the effort, the attempt will soon fall by the wayside. In order for the goal to have real staying power, the goal must be important to the person setting the goal.

 

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing."
-- Goal setting quote by Abraham Lincoln --

There needs to be a game plan for the realization of the goal. Tom Landry, the long time coach of the Dallas Cowboys had this to say about goal setting: "Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan." Effective goal setters work overtime in devising game plans that work and then put them into action, knowing full well that they will need to make adjustments on the fly. Just like Coach Landry during a football game, goal setters amend their plans as the game progresses. They don't wait for the perfect plan or the perfect time to implement them either. They simply put together a solid game plan and jump in with both feet.

 

"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble."
-- Goal setting quote by Helen Keller --

Finally, a timetable for the achievement of the goal must be clearly defined. The timetable should be aggressive enough to push the individual, but not to the point that the goal setter becomes overwhelmed by pressure and time constraints. There you have it. The ABC's of goal setting. We encourage you to set big, exciting, life changing goals and then work them relentlessly, with purpose and passion, until you turn them into reality. Paul J. Meyer, who founded the Success Motivation Institute, had this to say about the value of goal setting: "Success is the progressive realization of predetermined, worthwhile goals."

Follow these ABC's and every dream you've ever conceived in your mind and believed in your heart -- can become a dream come true.

 

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today."
-- Motivational goal setting quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Here's wishing you a power packed, goal oriented day!

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek."
- Inspirational quote by Mario Andretti -

 

We'd like to welcome you to this month's Motivational and Inspirational Corner Newsletter. In today's Motivational and Inspirational Corner Newsletter, we're going to have a little fun as we talk about motivation and you. Few can argue that the hardest part of completing any project is the "getting started" part. You know how the story goes, you know you need to get started but find one reason after another to put off the project indefinitely. How many would-be winners live their lives in this put it off until tomorrow fashion? Way too many, that's for sure. This could have, should have, wished they would have crowd never get their engines fully revving and not surprisingly, never reach their full potential either.

Life is somewhat akin to a car race. Regardless of whether you're talking about life or a day at the racetrack, nothing really happens until the participants start their engines. Think about it for a second. If you or the race car driver don't start your own respective engines, neither of you are going to win any prizes, are you?

Can you for a moment imagine how the fans in the grandstands or watching at home on TV would feel if most of the drivers in the race put off starting their engines until tomorrow? It wouldn't be a pretty picture, would it? Why? Because the fans came to the track or tuned in to see the drivers compete. They want to see these drivers putting themselves to the test, competing with the other elite drivers.

Nobody came out or tuned in watch a bunch of parked cars - they could have gone to a local shopping center if that's what they were looking for. No, the purpose of the race is to take home that first place prize. These drivers not only need to start their engines, they've got to put the pedal to the metal and push themselves and their cars to the absolute limit and beyond to have a chance against the rest of the pack.

 

"Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal. Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowlwedge and adding to your experience, so that you can make the most of opportunity when it occurs."
- Inspirational quote by Mario Andretti -

How about you? Does someone have to push and prod you to get you to even start your own engine? Then once your engine is started, do you plod along in low gear or do you forcefully put the hammer down? Are you content to poke along in the slow lane with the rest of the crowd or do you instead push beyond your boundaries and test yourself against the best of the very best every day?

 

"If things seem under control, you are just not going fast enough."
- Inspirational quote by Mario Andretti -

Oh sure, the slow lane is fairly safe and secure - or is it? While you may not make as many mistakes putting along in slow poke lane, you're never going to make history either. We were put on earth to make a difference and we're sure as heck never going to do so if we don't push beyond our present boundaries. To get where we have always dreamed of going, we've simply got to accelerate to full throttle daily. If we veer off course or crash on occasion, we just need to get up, get back on the track and get going again.

 

"Circumstance may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal. Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowledge and adding to your experience, so that you can make the most of opportunity when it occurs."
- Inspirational quote by Mario Andretti -

You need to focus on where you're going and how you're going to get there. The best rarely if ever use their rear view mirror in life, because they know that whatever that's behind them doesn't really matter. It's only what's in front of them that counts. You've got to not only push yourself, but once you get it rolling, you still need to keep up the momentum every single day.

 

"You get out in front - you stay out in front."
- Inspirational quote by A. J. Foyt -

Once you get your life rolling at full throttle, you'll never, ever want to get back in that slow poke land again. You'll pleasantly discover that winning is quite contagious. After you've landed the first place prize just one time, you'll want to do it again and again.

 

"No one wants to quit when he's losing and no one wants to quit when he's winning."
- Inspirational quote by Richard Petty -

We encourage you to start your engine each and every morning, rev it up to full throttle and then peel out and make something happen all day long. Kyle Petty once said, "Success is being happy with yourself." No one could have said it any better.

Cheryl Young  DFH Realtors Sidney B.C

Famous Quotes From Military Leaders