Focusing On What Matter’s – Page 9 – With the wisdom of the Matter Meter

Do you stick like a Stamp?

The most interesting thing about a postage stamp is the persistence with which it sticks to its job.

The tiny, insignificant postage stamp is a good example of what it is possible to achieve if you stick with the job until it is finished. Inconspicuously stuck on the corner of the envelope, it provides the impetus to keep moving until the entire packet reaches its ultimate destination.

The influence you may have upon your company, your church, your family, or any organization is incalculable if you have the persistence to pursue your goal until you achieve it. It is an absolute certainty that you will encounter obstacles in any worthwhile endeavor. When you do, remember the inconsequential little postage stamp and stick with the job until it is finished.

Those who do no more than they are paid for have no real basis for requesting more pay because they are already getting all they deserve to earn.

If you look around you, it will be apparent that there are two types of people in the world. There are those who say, “When this company decides to pay me what I’m worth, then I will do what they want me to do.” The second is the person who says, “I’m going to be the best I can be because that’s the kind of person I am. I also know that if I consistently give more than expected, I will eventually be rewarded for my efforts.” It is easy to see that the positive person contributes most to the organization. Yet, very few people are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve success. Make sure you’re a member of that group.

You may trick yourself into believing that you are only playing devil’s advocate or searching for weaknesses in apparently good ideas, but in the end negative thinking always produces negative results. Just as your mind will work tirelessly to translate your positive thoughts into their physical equivalent, it will work equally hard to create negative results when all of your thoughts are negative.

True wisdom is shown through modesty, silence and persistence.

Category: Matter of Patience | Comments Off

August 10

Your attitude changes your World!

Change your mental attitude, and the world around you will change accordingly. One sound idea is all that one needs to achieve success.

Your world will become what you choose to make it. You can reach great heights of success, or you can settle for a miserable life that is devoid of hope. The choice is yours.

When you choose a positive course, you set in motion an unstoppable force that will allow you to have a fulfilling career, the love of your family and friends, good physical and mental health, and all of the other true riches of life. To change your world, you must change it from the inside out. You must begin with yourself. When you choose the course that puts your life on a positive track, you will change your life for the better, and you will also positively influence the people with whom you come in contact.

The two kinds of people who never get ahead are those who will not do what they are told and those who do only what they are told.

It’s hard to say which would be more discouraging: drifting from job to job because you’re always the first to be laid off, or laboring in monotonous obscurity at the same job. The first results from not doing what you are told to do, the second from doing only what you are told to do. You can “get by” for a time following either approach, but you will never get ahead.

Personal initiative is more important in today’s enlightened, high-tech workplace than it was during the Industrial Age, when the ability to follow orders was a critical skill. As technology makes many supervisory functions obsolete, every one of us is expected to do more with less, determine what needs to be done, and do it. Don’t wait to be told. Know your company and your job so well that you can anticipate what needs to be done — then do it! Stop explaining and start doing!

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August 4

Be Careful…Worry makes it Worse!

There are few things in life that are as bad as they seem at first.

Dealing with adversity begins with analyzing and accepting your situation for what it is. When you realize that things are not nearly as bad as they might have been, you have taken the first step toward working your way through the problem. It is a truism that you will never be asked to carry a heavier load than you can bear, but it sometimes helps you better appreciate that fact if you volunteer some of your time to help those who are less fortunate than you are.

When adversity overtakes you, it pays to be thankful it was not worse instead of worrying over your misfortune.

The only constraints that you have on your income and advancement potential are those you place upon yourself. If you don’t like your position, or if you are unhappy with your salary, do something about it.

–What can you do to make yourself more valuable to your department or your company?

–What tasks have not been completed because no one has the time or the inclination to take care of them?

Look around and identify things that need to be done. Don’t wait to be asked. If you make it a habit to seek out opportunities, to take on new tasks, you will increase your knowledge about the organization and become such a valued employee that your company can’t afford to lose you.

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July 28

What do you see in the Window?

Life is your Mirror…..are you seeing what you wish to see?

If not, try this process of programming your thinking for success.

By repeating something over and over to yourself, your subconscious mind will eventually begin to accept it as fact. When something has been accepted as truth by your subconscious mind, it will work overtime to transform the idea into physical reality. You can take advantage of this by programming your mind to think positive thoughts.

Watch to see if circumstance change for the better and tweak your thinking further to accelerate the changes you seek. Use self-motivators or affirmations to persuade your subconscious that you are capable of doing anything you wish. Repeat the self-motivator several times a day until it becomes an automatic reaction to recall a positive phrase whenever you begin to doubt yourself. Replace “I can’t” with “I will!”

The good book has a great foundation theory …. Do Onto Others as you Wish to Receive.

The con man works harder and pays more for what he gets out of life than any other person, but he kids himself into believing he is getting something for nothing.

There is a fundamental rule in business: You must sell yourself first before you can effectively sell others. If you can’t believe in the value of your products or service, no one else will either. If you are conning others into an unfair deal, you must work mightily to overcome your internal resistance to doing something wrong. A deal is a good one only when it is good for everyone involved.

When each participant has an equal opportunity to profit and the risk is shared among partners who care about one another’s welfare, not only is the likelihood of success far greater, but the journey toward it will also be much more enjoyable.

The surest way to promote yourself is to help others get ahead.

When you go out of your way to help others get ahead, it is inevitable that they will reciprocate. When you genuinely wish others well, even though you may feel a little envious that they are advancing faster than you or gaining more recognition, they will respond accordingly.

Your good deeds will encourage them to do likewise. You may never know how many people have recommended you for a job, or a promotion, or helped you in some other way because you aided them when they needed it most.

The Mirror does not lie to you!

Its your job to really SEE what it is showing and CHOOSE to change if you do not like what you see.

Category: Matter of Focus | Comments Off

July 27

Challenge creates Greatness!

Making life “easy” for children usually makes life “hard” for them in adulthood.

Del Smith, the millionaire founder and chairman of Evergreen International Aviation, has often said, “Thank God I was born poor; I learned how to work.” Like many others who made it to the top on their own, Smith believes that the greatest gift that can be given to a child is to teach him or her the value of work. It is a gift that can never be lost or stolen.

It’s a natural desire of parents to give their children material things they didn’t have as children. Such generosity, however, often deprives children of the greatest gift you can give them: confidence in their ability to take care of themselves. When you make life “hard” for your children by requiring them to learn the value of work, they will have a far greater likelihood of success as adults. The going is always hard on the road to greatness.

Anyone can quit when the going is hard, but a thoroughbred never quits until he wins. If success were easy, everyone would achieve it. NFL All-Pro lineman Brian Holloway recalled that when he was playing for the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Raiders, there wasn’t a single day when he didn’t feel like giving up because the road was too tough and the sacrifices were too great. He didn’t quit, of course; he was willing to pay the price because he was determined to succeed.

True thoroughbreds never quit. Competition only spurs them, and obstacles merely reinforce their determination to succeed. If you have not yet achieved greatness in your life, it is because you have been willing to settle for less. You may not cross the finish line first every time you try, but if you stay in the race, you will eventually prevail.

No man is ever whipped, until he quits — in his own mind.

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July 25

Have Trouble Making Decisions?

The first question to ask yourself is – What am I trying to do with my life – Do I know my lifes Purpose?

Chances are very good that is you have a fast answer to this question….making decisions is easier for you.

When life throws an issue at you and you must make a choice, ask yourself how each choice affects your life’s purpose? This process typically makes it easier to know the right decision.

For example, if your lifes purpose is to be a great parent …. decision making should get easier since every choice would be based on what is best for your family.

On the flip side, living without a definite major purpose promises nothing but a scant living. You may get by in life without a Definite Major Purpose, but you will never get ahead. Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. Financial goals in particular should be specific, definite, and measurable. You should know what you plan to earn, by when, and how you plan to do so.

The greatest advantage of financial security is the peace of mind that comes from knowing that, whatever challenges life brings, you are equipped to deal with them. You will be better at whatever you choose to do because you can focus on opportunities instead of struggling to eke out a living.

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July 23

Think your way in/out of anything!

No action takes place unless it is preceded by thought.

If you’re unhappy with the circumstances in which you find yourself, you can improve your situation through the power of thought, just as surely as you can destroy a positive life with negative thinking. Success begins with an honest analysis of your present condition, acceptance of responsibility for your own life, and the development of a workable plan to achieve what you desire.

Many successful people have found opportunities in failure and adversity that they could not recognize in more favorable circumstances.

You may have found that your mind seems sharpest when you are faced with the greatest difficulties. Desperation often proves you really are better than you think. But with the exception of an immediate threat to your life or health, there are few situations that require instantaneous action.

When the world seems to be conspiring against you and nothing is working out right, pause for a few moments to think the situation through — then develop the most appropriate plan of action, the one that has the greatest likelihood of success.

You can think your way into or out of almost any circumstance, good or bad. Your friends will be what you make them. If you are the kind of friend who freely gives of your time and always shows consideration for others, your friends will be generous and kind.

But, if you are the kind of person who takes your friends for granted, neither giving nor expecting much in return, you will attract friends who exhibit the same qualities. In friendship, like attracts like. Assess your behavior occasionally to determine what kind of friend you are.

Are you the kind of person you would like to have as a friend? Do you freely give more than you expect in return, or are you always asking and never giving? Do you take the time to stay in touch, to remember friends’ special occasions? When you become so consumed with your own interests that you forget about your friends, you are well on your way to becoming friendless.

All achievement, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea! If you are ready for the secret you already possess one half of it; therefore, you will readily recognize the other half the moment it reaches your mind.

Category: Matter of Perspective | Comments Off

July 20

Do you See Opportunity?

Opportunity has a amazing way of finding the person who can recognize it and is ready to embrace it.

It is a curious quirk of human nature that some people can see opportunities, while others only see problems. When you train your mind to seek out opportunities, you will find that every day literally presents you with more opportunities than you can take advantage of. They will be all around you. Instead of your seeking opportunities, they will seek you out if you are patient. Your biggest problem will be choosing the best ones.

The first step in making sure you are ready to recognize opportunities when they occur is to make sure you have a clear understanding of your own core competencies. Realistically assess your strengths and weaknesses as though you were reviewing the credentials of a total stranger. Identify what areas you’re best in and those where you need improvement. Work on your weaknesses and build upon your strengths so that when you recognize opportunities you are prepared to capitalize upon them.

Drifting, without aim or purpose, is the first cause of failure.

Without a plan for your life, it is easier to follow the course of least resistance, to go with the flow, to drift with the current with no particular destination in mind. Having a definite plan for your life greatly simplifies the process of making hundreds of daily decisions that affect your ultimate success.

When you know where you want to go, you can quickly decide if your actions are moving you toward your goal or away from it. Without definite, precise goals and a plan for their achievement, each decision must be considered in a vacuum. Definiteness of purpose provides context and allows you to relate specific actions to your overall plan.

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July 19

NOW Here or NO Where?

What do you see when you read these letters – NOWHERE?

You can tell alot about yourself based on how you answer this question.

If you read NO WHERE, it might signify a propensity for negative thoughts to dominate your thinking. If you tend to see the glass half empty, life might appear to be more difficult than it needs to be since you are looking for issues. Many people successfully protect themselves by always seeing problems before seeing opportunities, so do not be hard on yourself if this is your nature. Please just be aware that your have predetermined your mindset this way. Give yourself the chance to at least consider the opposite opportunities.

If you read NOW HERE, it might signify a propensity to see the positive in every situation. This person tends to be very light with life and does smile more often. They also, however, tend to have the hardest falls because they get blind sided by situations they never expected….and this is the issue. If you tend to see positives first, please become aware of this propensity and at least consider the opposite to prepare for all possibilities.

Instead of your seeking opportunities, they will seek you out. Your biggest problem will be choosing the best ones.

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July 18

Are you dependable to yourself?

People of character do what they say they will do, when they say they will do it, and according to agreed-upon conditions.

They are the leaders, the individuals to whom others turn for guidance, because they have demonstrated that they care, that they can be trusted. If you respect yourself enough to keep commitments even when it’s inconvenient to do so, others will come to respect you too.

Dependability, like any other character trait, is a habit. Begin today to develop the dependability habit. If you procrastinate or find it difficult to meet your commitments, start small. Promise yourself that you will be on time, for example, and manage your time so that you are. Soon you will find that it’s easier to keep other commitments as well.

Dependability is the first foundation stone of good character.

There’s an old folk song about a thirsty traveler who comes across a pump in the desert. An attached note explains that there’s a jar of water buried nearby to prime the pump. You’ve got to give before you get, the note says. It is up to the traveler to decide whether to drink the water from the jar or take a chance that the small amount of water invested will result in an unlimited supply of cold, clear water.

So it is with going the extra mile. You’ve got to give before you get. You cannot expect to receive generous rewards and then decide what to give in return. You must give freely and have faith that the rewards will eventually come. As clergyman Frank Crain once said, “You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you do not trust enough.”

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