• Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
• When in doubt, just take the next small step.
• Life is too short to waste time hating anyone…
• Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch with them.
• Pay off your credit cards every month.
• You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
• Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
• Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
• When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
• Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
• It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
• Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
• If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
• Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
• Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
• Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
• Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
• It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
• When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
• Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
• Over prepare, then go with the flow.
• No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
• Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’
• Always choose life.
• Forgive everyone everything.
• What other people think of you is none of your business.
• Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
• However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
• Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
• Believe in miracles.
• God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
• Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
• Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
• If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s,we’d grab ours back.
• Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
• The best is yet to come.
• No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

Now go upgrade!

I was reviewing some of my notes from a seminar I attended a few years back. One of the speakers was a man named Les Brown and he was amazing. I will share a link to a clip of one of his speeches. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uekdv8SiTec

Les talks about something that interested me for a long time. Can you truly be satisfied with less than you are capable of? Obviously there are those out there who are! Now please don’t take me the wrong way here, I am not degrading anyone on their situation or circumstances. I am however wondering what the mechanisms that drive me and not them are. What is it inside of me or you for that matter that will not settle for what you have? What makes you desire more? Do we all have this mental army inside of us wanting to conquer more and get more? Perhaps some of us have thrown in the white flag and given up. Maybe some have been mentally, physically or emotionally beaten down so much that the drive is over.

If you are one who is in high gear, great-keep the accelerator down! If you are one who is methodically working your plan taking chunks at a time, I applaud you! If you are the one who has given up, cannot find the way out, does not know where to turn, put the flag away and listen up! Think about something for a moment for me. Think about five things in the past 6 months that you have accomplished. This could be that you have learned to speak Spanish or you have finished a new book for example. Now think about five things that you have failed at in the past six months. Possibly you missed an opportunity for a raise or let your anger distance you from a friend. Okay, now that you have identified a few things you have failed at, look back and figure out what you could have done differently each time to create a different outcome. Maybe you could have held your temper, or consulted a friend for an opinion. Maybe you could have been proactive and prevented a bad outcome from a situation at work. Now that you have identified some situations in which you could have responded differently, LEARN FROM THEM. Yes I said it, learn from your past actions and grow from them. I know what you are thinking, “You mean you want me to forget about what Timmy said and quit gossiping about him all day at work?” “You mean I would be better off helping a customer who smarted me off 5 minutes ago” “Read a book, what do you mean read a BOOK”

Okay, back on track now. Next task is for you to select three to five short term goals that you can accomplish in the next month, maybe reading a new self-help book or learning Excel. Part two is to select three to five goals to accomplish by the end of the year like seeing the ocean or learning to fly an airplane or even not missing any work for a year. And finally I want you to pick two five year goals that you want to achieve. Get a new degree or start a business would be good examples. Write them all down somewhere where you will see them frequently. Remind yourself of what you want to accomplish. Reward yourself when you reach your goals. And finally set new goals.

You can only control two things your attitude and your activity.

Remember, there’s nothing more constant than change.
Experience is the one thing you can’t get on easy payments.

All play and no work, does not work.
A goal is a dream with a deadline.

The only place success comes before work is the dictionary.
Glory comes from daring to begin.
The greater part of progress is the desire to progress.

Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Destiny is not a matter of chance it’s a matter of choice.
Each of us has two ends a sitting end and a thinking end, Success depends on which we use.

Many spend half the time wishing for things they could have if they didn’t spend half the time wishing.
For every person who climbs the ladder of success there are a dozen waiting for the elevator.

To succeed do the best you can, where you are, with what you have.
Wisdom is what’s left over after we smarten up.

Many people quit looking for work when they finally get a job.
Don’t wait for your ship to come in swim out to it.

I cannot express how true these are. When we stop looking at someone successful and saying they are lucky or they had it handed to them, which is not the case. Mimic what they did to achieve greatness, learn from them. The road will be different, but the destiny can be the same. This is a nice video to see also!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tWLqFmaNdQ

Finally I say to dream big, find a mentor, and always be truthful, never quit, and never stop learning.

Go fly!

Jeff

Les talks about something that interested me for a long time. Can you truly be satisfied with less than you are capable of? Obviously there are those out there who are! Now please don’t take me the wrong way here, I am not degrading anyone on their situation or circumstances. I am however wondering what the mechanisms that drive me and not them are. What is it inside of me or you for that matter that will not settle for what you have? What makes you desire more? Do we all have this mental army inside of us wanting to conquer more and get more? Perhaps some of us have thrown in the white flag and given up. Maybe some have been mentally, physically or emotionally beaten down so much that the drive is over.

If you are one who is in high gear, great-keep the accelerator down! If you are one who is methodically working your plan taking chunks at a time, I applaud you! If you are the one who has given up, cannot find the way out, does not know where to turn, put the flag away and listen up! Think about something for a moment for me. Think about five things in the past 6 months that you have accomplished. This could be that you have learned to speak Spanish or you have finished a new book for example. Now think about five things that you have failed at in the past six months. Possibly you missed an opportunity for a raise or let your anger distance you from a friend. Okay, now that you have identified a few things you have failed at, look back and figure out what you could have done differently each time to create a different outcome. Maybe you could have held your temper, or consulted a friend for an opinion. Maybe you could have been proactive and prevented a bad outcome from a situation at work. Now that you have identified some situations in which you could have responded differently, LEARN FROM THEM. Yes I said it, learn from your past actions and grow from them. I know what you are thinking, “You mean you want me to forget about what Timmy said and quit gossiping about him all day at work?” “You mean I would be better off helping a customer who smarted me off 5 minutes ago” “Read a book, what do you mean read a BOOK”

Okay, back on track now. Next task is for you to select three to five short term goals that you can accomplish in the next month, maybe reading a new self-help book or learning Excel. Part two is to select three to five goals to accomplish by the end of the year like seeing the ocean or learning to fly an airplane or even not missing any work for a year. And finally I want you to pick two five year goals that you want to achieve. Get a new degree or start a business would be good examples. Write them all down somewhere where you will see them frequently. Remind yourself of what you want to accomplish. Reward yourself when you reach your goals. And finally set new goals.

You can only control two things your attitude and your activity.

Remember, there’s nothing more constant than change.
Experience is the one thing you can’t get on easy payments.

All play and no work, does not work.
A goal is a dream with a deadline.

The only place success comes before work is the dictionary.
Glory comes from daring to begin.
The greater part of progress is the desire to progress.

Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Destiny is not a matter of chance it’s a matter of choice.
Each of us has two ends a sitting end and a thinking end, Success depends on which we use.

Many spend half the time wishing for things they could have if they didn’t spend half the time wishing.
For every person who climbs the ladder of success there are a dozen waiting for the elevator.

To succeed do the best you can, where you are, with what you have.
Wisdom is what’s left over after we smarten up.

Many people quit looking for work when they finally get a job.
Don’t wait for your ship to come in swim out to it.

I cannot express how true these are. When we stop looking at someone successful and saying they are lucky or they had it handed to them, which is not the case. Mimic what they did to achieve greatness, learn from them. The road will be different, but the destiny can be the same. This is a nice video to see also!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tWLqFmaNdQ

Finally I say to dream big, find a mentor, and always be truthful, never quit, and never stop learning.

Go fly!

Jeff

There are 20 main things that most employers want you to learn in college. Do you know what they are? Well then you are in luck because I am in the mood to share that information with you today. Think about this, a college degree and a dollar will get you four quarters. Four quarters, now how else are you going to get a deal like that? Okay, I will stop cutting up and get to the juice. The following list is the top 20 things (in order) that most employers look for from you.

1. Communication skills
2. Honesty/Integrity
3. Teamwork skills
4. Interpersonal skills
5. Strong work ethic
6. Motivation/Initiative
7. Flexibility/Adaptability
8. Analytical skills
9. Computer skills
10. Organizational skills
11. Detail oriented
12. Leadership skills
13. Self-confidence
14. Friendly/outgoing personality
15. Well mannered/polite
16. Tactfulness
17. GPA (3.0 or better)
18. Creativity
19. Sense of humor
20. Entrepreneurial skills/risk taker

Wow, what a list! How can you be expected to have all of these qualities fresh out of school? What can you do to start preparing to meet these expectations? Don’t sweat it, I am here to help. Over the next 127 weeks and a small fee of $175.00 per lesson online, I will personally get you where you need to be. NOT! I can’t do this for you. You have to have the desire and drive all by yourself. I know it is a big list but look at it this way; at least you have a list to start finding your weaknesses and strengths. Oh, and even if you didn’t go to college, or maybe your are getting up in age a little, most of this list still applies to you too.

I think I will leave it right where it is for now. Who knows, I may post a blog on each of these subjects later on. We’ll see if anyone asks for more…

Quote to leave with comes from Peter Drucker and I like it a lot…

“The best way to predict your future is to CREATE it!!!”

Don’t forget to study tonight

Jeff

Fort Minor has a song called “Remember the Name” Link is attached here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpWWxgwBeIM

So I have this song blasting on my IPOD and for me it reminds me that you have little pieces of input into each success you have. So let’s review the main chorus behind the song.

Luck is the first thing mentioned and it accounts for 10 percent of whatever it takes to succeed.  I agree there is sometimes luck involved in being able to accomplish something. Even Thomas Jefferson was quoted as saying “I’m a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” Imagine that, luck and hard work having something in common.

Skill, this accounts for 20 percent of the input for success. Let me see, who says it best in this situation, oh, I know Arthur Conan Doyle, Sr. said “Skill is fine, and genius is splendid, but the right contacts are more valuable than either.” Now this explains why skill is only 20 percent. My first thought was skill would play a much larger role in success. I don’t think that so much now.

Concentrated power of will accounts for 15 percent of success. Okay, will power can add to you success’s and accomplishments. Let’s take a look at the great Vincent T. Lombardi and see what he had to say about will. He is perhaps one of the most inspirational figures I know and he says “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.” Lack of will can make a difference? Darn straight it can! What is going to get you past the sticking points, what is going to make you believe you can do anything and then do just that? You know where I am going here.

Pleasure, okay I’ll bite here. Pleasure is 5 percent of success, um maybe not in my eyes. I know I get great pleasure from my successes and from other people’s success. I love to see people win especially if it is me!!! Aristotle said “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”  Maybe there is this unremarkable relationship between pride and pleasure. And maybe that would explain why only 5 percent is given towards pleasure.

Ah, look here; PAIN is at 50 percent. 50 percent of success is about the pain in doing something. Maybe I should drop a quote here now.  Winston Churchill said “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.” Pain calls attention to the unhealthy state of things. Picture that, the world has a way of calling attention to something of importance. Not only that, but it is in such a way that it cause you pain. I think this is where weak people will quit and strong people will endure. This is the place where you are uncomfortable but also the same place where maximum growth can and will occur. I suggest you recognize it and welcome it. Pain can be your friend.

So let’s wrap this up and thanks Fort Minor for letting us know what it takes to succeed and giving us the opportunity to see the different areas that attribute to it.

“This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!”

Here is to wishing you luck, skill, will, pleasure, and pain…..

Oh, and don’t let them forget your name……

Jeff



Well I am glad you have asked this question, because a month ago I wasn’t really aware of the actual rule that existed. Maybe I need to read some different things, oh well. Okay, the rule reads like this: When you are 18, you constantly worry about what everyone is thinking about you. I am past this stage, I sure do remember having the worries of fitting in, looking good, being attractive, etc. That is a hard time for people of that age. Please read on… When you are 40 (hence, the second number in the rule) you really don’t give a hoot what people think or quite frankly what they think. You have survived the first part and you are now tired of trying to meet the “standards” so when people do talk about you it will be good. At 40, you have lived it, done it, been it, and had it, so what-right! Okay I have dabbled in two of these sections and they are pretty accurate for me. Now the last stage says that when you reach the grand age of 60, you realize that no one really worries about you. No one really put much thought into how you looked, how you felt, how you acted because they were all going thru the same stages. Now that put a new twist on things doesn’t it?

What does this mean for you?

If you are in your upper teens thru the late 20’s, relax because you are okay just the way you are. (I am in no way saying to drop hygiene here). It’s good to look good and feel good, just don’t obsess about it all the time.

If you are in second group, relax because you are okay. Some of you should revert back to the first stage because of the way you are. I feel that not giving a darn what others think can be very isolating for you. Oh, and another thing, life is too short to really feel this way. Do you really not care or are you relieving yourself of personal feelings and responsibilities?

Okay, now to move on to the wisdom stage. Really? Who would have thought that all of these years of caring and not caring really didn’t matter so much? No one really worried about me? Well, we cannot say no one, but we can place about 75 to 85 percent of those people, who we assumed thought about us in this category of (they really didn’t think about us).

Really? That is so not fair. The getting ready, all of the primping, buying the right things, really didn’t matter as much as we thought. That is interesting to me and as long as you are not 80, it should interest you too.

Insert quote from a good friend of mine “I have lived a long life and had many troubles, most of which never happened.” – Mark Twain

Yep, he said it, I have lived it, and I am guessing you have too.

What does this mean? Well, let’s think about it like this, all the time you are killing worrying about what other people think about your ideas, your goals, your clothes, your hair, your car, and your home could all be better spent on thinking about and doing the things that will carry out more important goals. I know I am guilty here, but I am changing things for me. I am going to focus on being the best me I can be for me.

Say this with me; WHAT OTHERS THINK ABOUT ME IS NONE OF MY BUSINESS.

Now get on with your more productive life and thank me later…

Jeff

1: a favorable juncture of circumstances

2: a good chance for advancement or progress

One of my favorite quotes

“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger – but recognize the opportunity. “J.F. Kennedy

Is there any danger in stepping out of your comfort zone? Sure is! I am not taking about going out on a limb and risking everything on an intuition. What I am talking about is being prepared for an opportunity. In my past experiences, I have come to realize that the really good opportunities only come around every so often. If I was not prepared, the opportunity didn’t stop and give me an extra 10 minutes to get ready. It was gone, never to return (at least not the same situation). Sometimes someone else took advantage of the situation (they were ready for it) or it may have just fizzled away.

I am asking you right now, if a real opportunity were to walk up to you and introduce itself to you, are you ready? Again, are you REALLY ready? Could you make a presentation this evening which would get you noticed by some of the leading firms in your area? If you are offered a job at twice your current wage, are your resume, portfolio, and contacts prepared? If your manager quits today and your company looks to you as a person of interest, are you really ready?

Now if you are a person of excuses and frequently uses lines like “There is just not enough time to prepare”, “I just don’t have enough knowledge”, or “They wouldn’t choose me anyways” then you are missing out on opportunities!!!!!!

Remember this, the perfect arrangement between the availability of opportunity and your preparedness rarely occurs. You need to be ready when opportunity knocks, because most times, it only knocks once and you need to get to the door. So get your things in order, know what you really want, keep your eyes open and get prepared for your opportunity. The next time you hear your knock at the door, you won’t have to ask “Am I ready?”

Get yourself ready!

Jeff

Have you ever been in this situation? How did you fare? You see, there are many people around us who do not want us to succeed. Those people often are unwilling to better themselves, unmotivated, disgruntled and plain miserable.

Solution: run from these people and don’t look back. Just kidding here, but a Mark Twain quote fits very well here and I will share it with you.

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.“
— Mark Twain

So there you have it, finding the people who can help you become great while avoiding those who wish to see you keep your present status may be your first step to success.

Wishing you success and happiness

Jeff