January 6

How do you handle Failure?

We live in a competitive world that measures success by winners and losers, and insists that every victory creates a loss of equal dimension.

depression-panicIf one person wins, it seems logical that someone else must lose. In reality, the only competition that matters is the one in which you compete with yourself. When your standard of performance is based upon being the best you can be — for yourself — you will never lose. You will only improve.

Make it a practice to objectively review your performance from time to time. When you fall short, assess the situation and ask yourself: “Is there anything I would or could have done to change the outcome?” If the answer is “no,” if you are satisfied that you’ve done your best, don’t waste time reliving the past. Simply learn what you can from the experience, and then get into action again. If you consistently do your best, your temporary failures will take care of themselves.

Failure is a trickster with a keen sense of irony and cunning. It takes great delight in tripping one when success is almost with reach. Failure is not a disgrace if you have sincerely done your best.

puppyhamsterOne of the great mysteries of life is why some people who seem to have all the advantages — the right connections, education, and experience — never seem to amount to much while others who have had to struggle for everything they have reach incredible heights of success. It hinges on determination. If you have the will to succeed, you will somehow find a way, regardless of the obstacles you encounter.

Do you use all of your assets to achieve your goals, or are you handicapped by your lack of ambition? No other person can create in you a desire to succeed. With enough motivation, you will see things all around you that will help you reach your objectives, things that you may have overlooked many times before. 

A blind boy paid his way to a master’s degree at Northwestern University by taking notes on class lectures in Braille, typing them, and selling copies to classmates who had stronger eyes but weak ambition.

Truly, “thoughts are things,” and powerful things at that, when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a burning desire for their translation into riches, or other material objects.

Category: No Matter How, What is the Matter? | Comments Off on How do you handle Failure?
January 1

Mistakes repeat until we learn!

There’s an old adage that those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. So it is with our failures.

 Unless we learn from our mistakes, we are likely to repeat them until we learn from such experiences and correct our course — or give up and accept temporary defeat as permanent failure. Every setback you encounter in life contains valuable information that, if you study it carefully, will eventually lead you to success.

Without adversity, you would never develop wisdom, and without wisdom, success would be short-lived indeed. When you make a mistake, say, “That’s good! I’ve gotten that out of the way. I will never do that again.” You will no doubt make other mistakes, but they won’t bother you nearly as much when you treat them as learning experiences.

If you don’t know why you failed, you are no wiser than when you began.

One of the most common mistakes is making excuses to explain why we do not succeed. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people in the world — those who do not succeed — are excuse-makers. They try to explain their action, or inaction, with words.

When you succeed, accept the congratulations of others with good grace; when you fail, take responsibility for your actions, learn from your mistakes, and move on to more constructive things.

When your actions are appropriate in every circumstance, you will never feel the need to explain them with words. Your actions will say all that needs to be said.

 

Category: Matter of Perspective, No Matter How | Comments Off on Mistakes repeat until we learn!
December 31

All we really control is our actions!

You can’t control others’ acts, but you can control your reaction to their acts, and that is what counts most to you.

ahhhhhhhhNo one can make you feel any negative emotion — fear, anger, or inferiority — without your express permission. There will always be people who find perverse enjoyment in upsetting others, or who simply play upon your emotions so that they can use you for their own selfish purposes. Whether or not they are successful depends entirely upon you and how you react to their negative behaviors.

When you are forced to deal with such people, recognize from the outset that they are trying to upset you, not because of something you may have done to them, but because of some problem they have with themselves. Tell yourself, “This isn’t about me. I will not allow this person to upset me. I am in control of my emotions and my life.” 

This is a fine world for the person who knows precisely what he or she expects from life and is busy getting it.

i-did-itWe are happiest when we are striving to achieve a goal. When we achieve one goal, it’s a natural human tendency to set another, usually bigger, one. W. Clement Stone calls it inspirational dissatisfaction — the letdown one experiences after a goal has been achieved and before the next step toward a new one has been taken. When you begin to experience that nagging feeling, it’s time to get into action! Make sure you have a long-range plan in place so that when one short-term goal has been achieved, there is a natural progression toward the next.

Isn’t it peculiar that some people are so clever at inventing alibis and so dull at doing the job that would make alibis useless?

If folks did their jobs with half the effort and creativity they waste in a vain attempt to deceive others, they could achieve great success at anything.

 

Category: No Matter How | Comments Off on All we really control is our actions!
November 26

Good Reputation is Earned!

Going the extra mile can give you insight and a good reputation, both of which attract opportunity.

Many obvious opportunities are found in places no one else has bothered to venture. If you put in the extra effort to make a good project an even better one, or you get to know your equipment better than anyone else on your shift, you will see things others overlook and be in a position to make use of them.

Leaders who need a job done think first of people they know who will do it well. If other people respect you for the quantity and the quality of your work, you will find yourself advancing past others who regard their jobs as drudgery. For all the extra service that you’ve rendered, you’ll find yourself more than amply compensated by opportunities others never grasp.

Envious people sometimes attribute success primarily to luck. Nothing could be more wrong. As coach Darryl Royal once observed, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Success occurs when you have a definite purpose for your life and you take the initiative to follow through with action. You may make mistakes occasionally — everyone do. Have the confidence to take actions and strengthen your decision making skills. Willpower is the outgrowth of these persistent action….the Will to wait for success!

Category: No Matter How | Comments Off on Good Reputation is Earned!
November 24

Get it done – NOW!

If something needs to be done….do it NOW. Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.

funny_procrastination For an achiever, perhaps the most dangerous, most destructive habit of all is procrastination, for it robs you of your initiative. When you put things off once, it’s easier to put them off again, until the habit is so firmly ingrained that it cannot be easily broken. Sadly, the effects of habitual procrastination compound.

If you start doing things NOW … You will be surprised how quickly you begin to feel better about yourself and your situation when you get going on something — anything. As British prime minister and author Benjamin Disraeli said, “Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action.”

e-for-effortMost failures could have been converted into successes if someone had held on another minute or made more effort.

When you have the potential for success within you, adversity and temporary defeat only help you prepare to reach great heights of success. Without adversity, you would never develop the qualities of reliability, loyalty, humility, and perseverance that are so essential to enduring success. Many people have escaped the jaws of defeat and achieved great victories because they would not allow themselves to fail. When your escape routes are all closed, you will be surprised how quickly you will find the path to success.

Category: Matter of Action, No Matter How | Comments Off on Get it done – NOW!
November 11

When does 2 + 2 = 4+? . . .

You can tap into unlimited power when you connect your thoughts and actions with others in a spirit of perfect harmony for the attainment of a definite purpose.

A Master Mind alliance involves two or more people working together in perfect harmony toward the attainment of a common purpose. Such a partnership creates a superpower that enables each of its members to do far more than either would have been able to achieve separately.

Choose your Master Mind partners carefully. Align yourself with people whose strengths complement yours. If you are a right brain person, for example, a logically-driven left brain person may be a perfect counterbalance to your creative bent. Above all, choose to associate only with people who share your positive values and your commitment to similar levels of achievement.

Any job contains opportunities for personal growth if you approach it as a positive learning experience. Just as every business is required to adapt to new technologies, new competitors, and countless other changes that routinely occur, so is every individual. If you are not learning and advancing, you are stagnating and falling behind. It is impossible to stand still.

View each day as an opportunity to learn something new, to improve yourself, and then do one thing better than you have ever done it before. In a dynamic organization, it is impossible to master every task; just when you think you have everything figured out, things change.

Accept such changes as a necessary aspect of business, one that makes life interesting and exciting. You will find your job much more enjoyable when you do, and you will indeed find that it does more for you than you do for it. If you devote yourself to making small decisions promptly, you will find it much easier to be decisive when the stakes are much bigger. Most important, you’ll find making decisions and acting on them far easier if you act promptly.

Category: No Matter How | Comments Off on When does 2 + 2 = 4+? . . .
October 30

Achievement is born in struggle!

Our strength grows out of our weakness, said Ralph Waldo Emerson.

tree“Not until we are pricked and stung and sorely shot at, awakens the indignation which arms itself with secret forces.” Strife and struggle can inspire you to overcome adversity and to propel yourself to real achievement. View every struggle as an opportunity for personal growth. It is the struggle itself, not the result that builds character. If you know you are right, stay the course even though the whole world seems to be against you and everyone you know questions your judgment. When you prevail — and you eventually will if you stick to the job — they will all tell you that they knew all along you could do it.

The best recommendation is the one you give yourself by rendering superior service — with the right mental attitude.

success-businessmanWhat others think of you is important, as long as it coincides with what you think of yourself. If you are recognized by others as a positive person who always makes an important contribution, you will be in demand, for there are never enough such people in any organization. Your co-workers will value you, your customers will appreciate you, and your boss will recognize and reward you if you stick with it. You may not become an overnight success, but neither will you fail instantly and permanently. Your achievement can be no greater than your plans are sound.

Make it a habit to go the extra mile with a Positive Mental Attitude.

Category: No Matter How | Comments Off on Achievement is born in struggle!
September 26

Are you decisive!

Opportunity never sneaks up on those who straddle the fence of indecision.

straddlefenceSuccessful people are decisive people. When opportunities come their way, they evaluate them carefully, make a decision, and take appropriate action. They know that indecision wastes time that could be spent on more productive tasks. They also avoid unnecessary risks by implementing their decisions gradually. They don’t attempt to make every decision at the beginning. Each action is contingent upon the success of the one that preceded it.

2directionsBenjamin Franklin, one of America’s wisest men, is said to have used a simple method to make difficult decisions. He drew a line down the center of a sheet of paper, and on one side he listed the “pros” of the decision; on the other, he listed the “cons.” In addition to simplifying the decision-making process, the list also served as a graphic illustration of the advantages and disadvantages of any decision, regardless of its complexity. The impact of the decision could then be quickly and easily assessed.

No individual has sufficient experience, education, native ability, and knowledge to ensure the accumulation of a great fortune, without the cooperation of other people.

Category: No Matter How | Comments Off on Are you decisive!
September 20

Positive minds just get it done.

A positive mind finds a way it can be done. A negative mind looks for all the ways it can’t be done.

depressionSomeone once said, “There are no truths; there are only perceptions of truth.” Whether or not you accept this statement, whatever you believe to be true will become your reality. Your subconscious mind will believe anything you tell it — if you repeat the words often and with conviction. When you are faced with a daunting task that you’ve never attempted before, focus on the potential for success, not on the possibilities for failure. Break the job down into smaller elements and tackle each one separately. The only difference between success and failure in any job is your attitude toward it.

boy-rollingIt is a peculiarity of human relationships that it is virtually impossible for one individual to have a lasting positive influence upon members of a group of negative thinkers. Usually, it works the other way. You cannot maintain a positive, productive attitude if you spend all your time with negative people. Those who have wrecked their own lives (and usually blame their misfortune on others) are not the kind of people who will help you achieve success in your own life.

Choose your friends and associates carefully, and refrain from complaints about your job, your company, or any individual. Spend your time with positive, ambitious people who have a plan for their lives. You will find that their optimism is infectious.

If you don’t want your life to be “messed up,” don’t fool around with those who have messed up theirs.

Category: Matter of Action, No Matter How | Comments Off on Positive minds just get it done.
August 31

How do you define failure?

Edison failed 10,000 times before perfecting the incandescent electric light bulb. Don’t worry if you fail once.

Arguably America’s greatest inventor, Thomas Edison had an extraordinarily positive perception of life that greatly enhanced his ability as an inventor. When others might have been hopelessly discouraged after failing thousands of times in an attempt to develop an electric light, the great Edison simply viewed each unsuccessful experiment as the elimination of a solution that wouldn’t work, thereby moving him that much closer to a successful solution. We could all take a lesson from Edison.

Stories abound about inventors who quit trying and gave up too soon or miners who struck gold just a few feet beyond where someone else quit digging. There are few obstacles in life that will not succumb to consistent, sustained, intelligent, positive action. When you are discouraged after you’ve failed at something, remember Edison’s 10,000 failures before he arrived at the solution that forever changed the world.

We often discover that people we view as “overnight successes” have in fact labored for years in obscurity before they were finally recognized and rewarded for their contributions. Success is a cumulative effort; the journey to the top in any field is usually long and requires careful planning.

If you want to climb the first rung on the ladder of success, you must always take the initiative to get the job done, even when you find it less than challenging or even unpleasant. Eventually, you’ll earn your reward. You will become the boss, the leader, because you have developed the habit of taking the initiative to get the job done. You will get the best jobs because you’ve proven that you are dependable by accepting responsibility for your actions and your future.

The best job goes to the one who can get it done without passing the buck or coming back with alibis.

Category: Matter of Action, No Matter How | Comments Off on How do you define failure?