THE FOUR P's OF PERSUASION

Perception Is Everything
There are four "Ps" that will enhance your ability to persuade others in both your work and personal life. They are power, positioning, performance, and politeness. And they are all based on perception.
Develop Personal Power
The first "P" is power. The more power and influence that a person perceives that you have, whether real or not, the more likely it is that that person will be persuaded by you to do the things you want them to do. For example, if you appear to be a senior executive, or a wealthy person, people will be much more likely to help you and serve you than they would be if you were perceived to be a lower level employee.
Shape Their Thinking About You
The second "P" is positioning. This refers to the way that other people think about you and talk about you when you are not there. Your positioning in the mind and heart of other people largely determines how open they are to being influenced by you.In everything you do involving other people, you are shaping and influencing their perceptions of you and your positioning in their minds. Think about how you could change the things you say and do so that people think about you in such a way that they are more open to your requests and to helping you achieve your goals.
Be Good At What You Do
The third "P" is performance. This refers to your level of competence and expertise in your area. A person who is highly respected for his or her ability to get results is far more persuasive and influential than a person who only does an average job.Commit to ExcellenceThe perception that people have of your performance capabilities exerts an inordinate influence on how they think and feel about you. You should commit yourself to being the very best in your field. Sometimes, a reputation for being excellent at what you do can be so powerful that it alone can make you an extremely persuasive individual in all of your interactions with the people around you. They will accept your advice, be open to your influence and agree with your requests.
Treat People Politely
The fourth "P" of persuasion power is politeness. People do things for two reasons, because they want to and because they have to. When you treat people with kindness, courtesy and respect, you make them want to do things for you. They are motivated to go out of their way to help you solve your problems and accomplish your goals.Being nice to other people satisfies one of the deepest of all subconscious needs, the need to feel important and respected. Whenever you convey this to another person in your conversation, your attitude and your treatment of that person, he or she will be wide open to being persuaded and influenced by you in almost anything you need.Perception Is RealityAgain, perception is everything. The perception of an individual is his or her reality. People act on the basis of their perceptions of you. If you change their perceptions, you change the way they think and feel about you, and you change the things that they will do for you.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action:
First, think continually about the impression you want to make on others and then make sure that everything you do or say is consistent with that perception.
Second, be nice to people. Practice the Golden Rule in your interactions with others. Always be polite and make others feel important.The more people like you, the more open they are to being influenced by you.

WHAT WE THINK ABOUT ALL DAY LONG

There is great wisdom in the idea that "we become what we think about most of the time". The human brain is a goal-seeking, problem-solving machine, and the things we think about, focus on, and worry about inevitably shape our destiny. We all know this, and yet most of us completely fail to see (or seize) the opportunity.Our world is filled with joy, with glorious literature, endless opportunity and boundless love, and yet too often, our minds are consumed with bad news or the anxieties of life. Recently, it seems I hear about how awful the economy is and how scared we should be! My friends, life is too short for that!Of course, the economy is down and for some of us that will have significant negative impact. But it also creates opportunity for growth, innovation, and initiative. I love how "necessity becomes the mother of invention" and some people will find reasons for hope and joy (after all, children still play and lovers still hold hands) even in the worst of economic times.This week I've been contemplating the things most of us "put in" our lives. As I get older, there does seem to be an amazing amount of garbage in our society. Last week I came across a music "awards show." Sorry, I honestly didn't note which one it was, but I'll say this: the music and off-color jokes were, not to be too harsh, awful! I kept wondering, Do their mother's know what they do for a living? Do real people actually listen to this stuff? And, do we really need more of it in our lives? Yeah, I know, one more old guy grumbling about the music tastes of the young, and yet I come back to the central point:We are in charge of what we watch, listen to and think about, and for better or worse, every bit of it shapes our lives and predicts our future. We can surround ourselves with the best ideas and the best resources ever created - and we should! Recently, I've had several conversations with people who inspire me. I talked with a man who is leaving a lucrative law practice to teach high school math. He'll earn less, but as he said, "I can contribute more by teaching than by spending my life in Court." He's pursuing a grand dream, and my guess is he'll have the best (and perhaps some of the worst) days of his life! And every single day, one thing is certain: he'll know he's alive!
This week, I also read Fred Howard's biography of Wilbur and Orville Wright and was struck by his statement that whenever they started a new project, "their natural first step was to research it at the library." They did not invent the airplane by accident. It was the result of focused thought and hard work over several years. Eventually, what they thought about inevitably became reality.Several years ago, Michael Clark, gave me a wonderful phrase. He said, "When you do what you love, you'll never work another day the rest of your life." I love that, and have usually found it to be true.Sure, some days I still frustrate myself, but over-all, doing what we love and what we enjoy changes everything!
In my opinion, if you truly desire to live well, to achieve much and (perhaps) make some real money, consider these two propositions:
1. Refuse to fill your time, your life or your brain with garbage. Read the best stuff. Talk with the healthiest, wisest, smartest, most challenging people you can. Attend the seminars and learn from the experts! Listen to great music and to the whisperings of your heart. Laugh a lot. Worship often, and be grateful.
2. Do what you love. You will make your biggest contribution when you passionately pursue your talents and use your strengths. Martin Luther King, Jr. did many great things, but perhaps his greatest moment came in Washington when he proclaimed, "I have a dream!" We all remember that, and millions have been inspired by it. What's your dream? If you want time and support to clarify your dreams, set goals and (most importantly) develop exquisite strategies to actually achieve the life you truly want.

Quotes of the Week
"There's no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love. There is only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen." -- Wayne Dyer
"It is our duty as men and women to proceed as though the limits to our abilities do not exist." -- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
"The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for."
-- Maureen Dowd
"The man who comes up with a means for doing or producing anything better, faster or more economically has his future and his fortune at his fingertips." -- John Paul Getty

THE SEVEN DEADLY ROADBLOCKS TO SUCCESS

When traveling down the road it is always good to beware of roadblocks! You don’t want to crash and burn do you? The same is true in our journey toward success. We need to beware of those things that will keep us from our destination!
What are the most common? Here they are:
Fear.
Fear is one of the worst enemies of success. When fear wraps its tentacles around you and keeps you in bondage, you will never be able to reach for your dreams. We must confront our fears, see them for what they are, toss them to the side, and pursue our dreams with relentless passion. Conquering fear and stepping forward to reach new lands and new ideas is what makes success possible. What are you afraid of today? What fear must you conquer to be able to achieve your dream? When you realize what it is, take an action that is diametrically opposed to that which you fear. This will confront and conquer the fear by giving you the first step in the right direction.
Lethargy.
Quite frankly, what keeps most people from success is that they simply don’t have the energy, or make the energy, to do what it takes to move to the next level. They get to a point that is comfortable and then they settle in for a nice, life-long nap! Don’t get lethargic; get going! Force yourself to wake up from the slumber and move!
Lack of perseverance.
Often times the race is lost because the race is not finished. Success is often just around the sharpest corner or the steepest hill. Persevere. Keep going. One more hill. One more corner! In real estate they say the three most important things are “location, location, location.” In success the three most important things are “perseverance, perseverance, perseverance.”
Pessimism.
The saying is that you can achieve what you believe. Ask yourself what kinds of beliefs you hold. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? If you don’t believe that you can achieve than you won’t. Your pessimism will prove yourself right every time. You will find that you subconsciously undermine yourself. Develop your optimism. Look for ways to believe that you can achieve success.
Not taking responsibility.
I am the chaplain for the local police department. The other day I went with an officer as he took two prisoners to court. Time after time the prisoners made excuses as to why they hadn’t yet done what the judge had ordered (she didn’t buy it, by the way). After dropping the prisoners off, I said to the officer that unsuccessful people and prisoners have the same bad habit – they won’t accept responsibility for their lives. You are responsible. When you accept that, you are on the road to success.
Picking the wrong people to hang out with.
We can easily become products of our environment. This is why it is essential to hang around people who will spur you on not hold you back! What about the people you have surrounded yourself with? Are they quality people who will encourage you and strengthen you in your quest for success? If not, move on!
No vision.
Those who succeed always see their success months and years before they live it. They have the ability to look ahead, see the future, imagine the good that can and will come from their lives, families and work. To not have vision is a tremendous roadblock. Sit down and work on seeing the future – and make it good!

ATTITUDE VS APTITUDE

Overcome A Major Fear
A major source of stress in your life is the "fear of rejection" or "fear of criticism." This fear of rejection manifests itself in an over-concern for the approval or disapproval of your boss or other people. The fear of rejection is often learned in early childhood as the result of a parent giving the child what psychologists call "conditional love."
Rise Above the Need For Approval
Many parents made the mistake of giving love and approval to their children only when their children did something that they wanted them to do. A child who has grown up with this kind of conditional love tends to seek for unconditional approval from others all his or her life. When the child becomes an adult, this need for approval from the parent is transferred to the workplace and onto the boss. The adult employee can then become preoccupied with the opinion of the boss. This preoccupation can lead to an obsession to perform to some undetermined high standard.
Avoid Type A Behavior
Doctors Rosenman and Friedman, two San Francisco heart specialists, have defined this obsession for performance as "Type A behavior." Experts have concluded that approximately 60% of men and as many as 30% of women are people with Type A behavior.
Don't Burn Yourself Out
This Type A behavior can vary from mild forms to extreme cases. People who are what they call "true Type A's" usually put so much pressure on themselves to perform in order to please their bosses that they burn themselves out. They often die of heart attacks before the age of 55. This Type A behavior, triggered by conditional love in childhood, is a very serious stress-related phenomenon in the American workplace.
Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to deal with the fear of rejection, criticism and disapproval.
First, realize and accept that the opinions of others are not important enough for you to feel stressed, unhappy or over concerned about them. Even if they dislike you entirely, it has nothing to do with your own personal worth and value as a person.
Second, refuse to be over concerned about what you think people are thinking about you. The fact is that most people are not thinking about you at all. Relax and get on with your life.

THREE OVER-LOOKED ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESS

This week I spoke to a group of professionals about achieving their goals and making more sales despite the recession this year. They wanted to focus on the "missing links" that prevent them from achieving the results they desire in business, and in life. It was a challenging presentation because these are not "ordinary" people! They know all about written goals. They know about motivational seminars and using competitions to increase performance. And yet, like most people, they were frustrated. Like most of us, they have "tried" and they have "done the right things" and yet often fail to cross the finish line. What are the missing pieces? After briefly reviewing the fundamentals of written goals, a clear strategy and intermediate benchmarks or "baby-steps" to move yourself forward, I gave them three suggestions to fill in the missing links and achieve their dreams:
1. Focus on Personal Development. I love Jim Rohn's quote that "everything changes when you change!" And I also note the corollary: "nothing changes until you change." To live a different life requires that you become a different person. There is no short-cut or exception to this rule. Our lives always reflect who we are, what we value, what we know (or don't know), and what we do with our time and energy. If you want different results, it's never enough to focus only on the mechanics! We all know stories of people who win the lottery or have other huge changes in external circumstances, but within a short time their lives look remarkably the same. To achieve your goals, you must first become the person you want to be!High achievers read different books. They watch different shows. They use time differently. They walk and talk and think differently. And so should you.
2. Change Your Eco-System. To a remarkable degree, we are creatures of our surroundings. It may sound odd, but our lives reflect our furniture! We all know our behavior changes in a fancy restaurant, or when visiting the boss, or our in-law's. We become a different person at a funeral compared to a ball game. Our behaviors are always a perfect reflection of our environment. To achieve your dreams, create a world that supports you. Whether it's your office, your car or your kitchen, live in a world that reminds you of your priorities, a world that energizes you and pulls you forward. This doesn't necessarily require a major investment, but it does require attention to detail.
3. Choose the Right Mentors. Over time, we become like our friends. Consciously and unconsciously we model our behavior after the people we admire and respect. Again, I've written an entire book on MasterMind groups and their power to transform our lives. Work with mentors! The way to learn new skills is to get around someone who can teach you! Learn from your friends, from colleagues, from competitors. By reading biographies, you can even learn from dead people! Winners hang out with and learn from winners. Surround yourself with wise and accomplished mentors!
Thousands of books have been written on goal-setting, motivation and achievement, but most of them focus on the easy part--developing written goals, setting deadlines and so forth. Unfortunately, they neglect the "human" components of personal development, supportive environments and the need for mentors. Too often goal-setting becomes an exercise in failure. Don't do that to yourself! Want to hang-out with winners in a magnificent environment while focusing on your goals and the skills to achieve them? Of course you do! So take action!

Quotes of the Week
"We are what we repeatedly do." -- Aristotle
"What we see depends mainly on what we look for." -- John Lubbock
"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind!" -- William James
"Success is neither magical or mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying the basic fundamentals." -- Jim Rohn

THE MYTH OF WHAT WE MANAGE

Perhaps it is merely semantics, but an underlying problem I find that people have as it relates to the success in their life lies in a proper understanding of what exactly it is that we manage. Think about it. We have time management (In fact I have a seminar on this very topic, some of which is excerpted below), and financial management, and relational management, weight management, career management, and many, many more.
The fact is though, that we don’t manage any of those things. What we do manage is ourselves, as they relate to those things. We don’t manage time. Time clicks by, second by second, whether we do anything or not. What we do is manage ourselves, and our activities, as the time passes. We make choices as to what we will do and be involved in. The problem as well as the solution lies not with time, but with us.
We don’t manage money. A pile of money will sit there forever if left alone. It won’t grow or shrink. What we manage is ourselves and the decisions we make in regard to how we will spend the money. Getting the idea?
So as we live our lives and pursue success, one of the keys to grab on to is the idea that the most important thing we can manage isn’t a thing at all – it is our self!
How then can we manage ourselves? Here are some thoughts.
Make sure that the above is firmly engrained in your thinking: I only manage myself. I can choose how I will act and react in every situation.
Dwight D Eisenhower said that “The history of free men is not written by chance, but by choice, their choice.”
Know your priorities. Do you know from top to bottom what your priorities are? Have you decided what the top ten things you want to spend your time on are? How about the same with your money? Only after you know these things can you properly manage yourself into choosing to live your priorities.
Learn to say “no” with a smile on your face. Here is where most of us fail. We do not choose to say “no” to those things that are not a matter of priority (the reason “why” is another newsletter article and probably a few counseling sessions at that!). Someone calls us up and asks us to do something for them (usually because they haven’t managed themselves and would like our help picking up the pieces) and we say “Uh, I guess so.” Then what? We usually kick ourselves for the rest of the day. “Why did I ever say yes?” Instead, practice this, “Gee, I am really sorry but I am not going to be able to be involved this time. I am sure you will be able to find somebody though.” Go ahead and try it right now. Weird, isn’t it? That is because we don’t say it very often.
Schedule your priorities into you schedule or budget or whatever structure governs that area of your life. For example, do you have a financial budget that you yourself set? Then do you first and foremost spend your money in that way, say at the beginning of the month? If you do, you will eliminate even the opportunity to blow your money on impulse decisions and expenses because your money has already been committed into your priorities.
Remember, one of the greatest gifts God gave us is the ability to choose. And we can choose to manage ourselves appropriately and according to our priorities. As we do, we will find ourselves feeling less and less of the personal pain and frustration that we feel when we are out of control.
Get goin’!

SUCCESS EXPERIENCE

I've also had the chance to talk with dozens of people who've had the most remarkable stories of change while their lives were IMPACTED. It's thrilling, because unlike the kind of change that politicians talk about, the kind where you're asked to put your trust in organizations you've never been able to trust before, the changes that people are experiencing with is one that starts and ends with you, the user. Because, you see, here's the thing. Most of the biggest, most incredible, stories of success come from people who've never showed any inkling of what they finally were able to do...Most come from people who'd been beaten down by life for so long and so completely that they had no belief in themselves to do much.
And then, something happened... an event, a tragedy, an awakening that showed them that they could... or an event that forced them to get up and get done what they'd never been able to get done before... or a realization that helped them to finally start enjoying themselves, able to shed old hurts, old fears, old beliefs that kept them small and unimportant. But life is too short to wait for someday. Our time here is too brief to wait for some tragedy to make us realize that we have extraordinary powers to feel how we want to feel and to do what we want to do.The technology exists now that can help anyone to change their emotional patterns and thus their outer action habits to be like the most effective, happy, most successful people in every arena of life.

A DOUBLE EDGE SWORD OF FEAR

I get a lot of questions from around the world from people who are successful in their careers in terms of money. They make a lot of it. They are driven to do well in the business world. Many of these "successful" people are driven because they are so afraid of falling on their keysters and having other people know about it.You see, fear can create retreat or it can force you try even harder to succeed (or not fail). For those whose fears have motivated them, many turn into not very nice people, angry people, separated if not physically, then emotionally from others.Here is a story sent by a good man who had some very unsupportive beliefs that drove him to succeed, but separated him from other people and the true essence of success. Here is his story and how he overcame it.
I am from a middle class family with a father who retired from the police but the ways of police never left him. He brought us up with an iron hand. In the process, my self esteem and confidence took abashing and I became an extremely shy young person. I entered college and kept much to myself at school. In my sixth form, I was made a Prefect and the routine demanded for the prefects to hold assemblies in the morning and the outcome can only be imagined. I stood before the whole school, tried to utter some words but they wouldn't come. I stuttered, trembled, looked at the crowd and became even more frightened. When a few junior boys giggled, I became foolish and confused and had to be helped out. It was extremely difficult to continue after that, but, I had to finish my entire 1 year term. The stress can only be imagined. I read any self help books I could lay my hands on, virtually any one I could find in the market including Ralph Waldo Trine's 'In tune with the Infinite'. With these books, I had to absolutely believe I could do it and with fear already in my system and heart palpitating, it failed me at crucial moments.I left college absolutely dejected and when the book 'Intune with the Infinite' put my mind on auto control, I took it and burnt it. With no help whatsoever, I entered the University and took solace in drinking. The ladies avoided me as much as I avoided them. My social life was greatlyhampered and I could only function or go out to meet people with alcohol in my system. I never took drugs. I had constant palpitation of the heart and the Adrenaline would flow at any slight indication of 'danger' which to me was a gathering of people. Though a first class student, I passed University with average grades and got married. In my place of work, I managed to maintain a high standard of work, but my social life was nothing to write home about. Going home after work was always terrible and with the constant quarrels' at home, my first wife fled when she could no longer bear it. My fear of public places continued when I formed my own office. On a certain day, my staff, about 20 of them were all in the General when I, the Director entered. They all chorused a greeting, but, the director who at that moment experienced a ceaseless flow of Adrenaline fled to theBoardroom. The confused staff quickly retreated to their various offices and avoided the General office as much aspossible. At this stage I went to the internet for help. I got intouch with Think right now and ordered "Releasing Fear of Failure!" - http://www.thinkrightnow.com/a/rfof.asp as well as aboutnine other titles in quick succession.The result was amazing. My confidence came back, my relationships improved. I stopped drinking alcohol and my family can not stop wondering what has come over their father. I don't run away from people again including my 'staff'and you could sense the happiness both at home and in the office.
-Mr. Harold, Nigeria
Excellent. Being human, we all err. Now, as always, mistakes can be costly. But what is more costly, the stress we feel from the need to be perfect, or making mistakes, being imperfect and being criticized for it? The evaluation of a person that he or she is "down to earth" or "genuine" is one of the highest compliments any of us could be given. It's shocking to many when they meet a well known, successful person and find them to be very nice, calm, disarming. Many people expect successful people (in their careers) to be a-holes. Yes, many are. But many are not. An idea that I try to live by is one from the old basketball coach John Wooden. His definition of success is that success is the joy you feel in doing your best. He doesn't say in being the best. He doesn't say that success is when you win. He makes it clear that when you do the best that you can, that must be enough. That is a big reason why he won 10 national titles in 12years. Funny that he began coaching UCLA in 1948 but didn't win his first national title until he'd coached the Bruins for 15 years. Then, 10 titles in 12 years. Obviously, he learned a few things while he and his teams were failing. And not just failing, but failing very publicly, with people in the stands booing. With writers writing about his team's failures... and writing about his poor decisions. Wooden is one of the people I studied and why it is so effective at instilling the mindset found in people who are courageous when they must be.Want to be loved, to be more successful, and to succeed without the stress that fear creates? Then get and use 'Releasing Fear Of Failure Now!' It will rewire your brain and help to make you impervious to the things that send shivers up your spine now. Get it now. You will be happy you did.

BACK TO BOOT CAMP

You know, whenever you are going to make a major change and begin to undergo a different lifestyle, it is probably good to make a massive move in that direction. Think about it. As the old saying goes, “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always got!” So if you keep on living the way you are living, you will keep right on with the life that in many ways you wish was changing! So how do you change your life? You change what you are doing!
This is the basic idea behind the military’s Boot Camp. You know the drill. This is where they take a bunch of 18-year-old kids who think they are in pretty good shape, both physically and psychologically and they put them through six weeks of misery! But the misery is intentional!
All of the hard work and physical and mental exercise they put the young folks through is to strengthen them and to prepare them for the jobs they will be performing later on. Could you imagine if the military took a lackadaisical approach and greeted every new recruit with, “Welcome to the Army. We are going to work you easy into your new lifestyle. You can get up tomorrow around ten and brunch will be served at eleven. Come as you are.” No way! They get them accustomed to drastic and massive change because they want them to have drastic and massive change in their lives. The only time they ever got up at four a.m. before was to go fishin’! Now it will be every morning!
So what about a life boot camp? Is it possible? Is it something we could, or should, try? I think for many people, the idea of a six-week period of drastic change would be great for them. Even if they didn’t live that way the rest of their lives they would still probably make a major shift in the direction they want to go and would be happy with the results they would receive.
So here are some thoughts on ways you could go through a life boot camp. Give it a try for six weeks, just like in boot camp, and see if it doesn’t make a difference in your life. As always, if you are going to do something physically, contact a doctor and if financially, contact your financial advisor before beginning anything.
Health. Try getting up a half hour earlier and going for a walk or a run every day. Perhaps you just skip a half hour of television at night and do it then. Try cutting out desserts or other favorite fattening foods.
Emotions. Make contact with a broken relationship and begin to get together with them to restore your friendship. Take time each day, even if just for fifteen minutes to sit quietly in silence or with some soft music just to quiet your spirit.
Finances. Don’t make any new purchases that aren’t essential for six weeks. Take any extra money you get and pay it all toward your debt. Every nickel!
Spiritual. Attend your local family of faith for six weeks in a row. Take time each day to listen to some spiritual music or read good faith building literature. (This can probably be combined with the time you take for emotions)
These are just some thoughts for you. I am sure you can come up with some of your own. The idea is to make a drastic step in the right direction. Maybe you do all of them; maybe you combine just a few. The goal, however, is to put yourself into a life boot camp situation. That is what will help you change and make you strong!
Come on soldier, the trumpet is blowing!

CLOSING TECHNIQUES: THE "I WANT TO THINK IT OVER"

Saving the Lost Sale
There is a powerful technique you can learn called the "I Want To Think It Over Close." This is the only way I know to save this kind of lost sale. You know by now that when the customer says, "I want to think it over," he is really saying "good bye." You know from your own experience that customers do not think it over. They do not sit there carefully studying your brochures and price lists with a calculator and a pen.
People Are Often Ready to Buy
On the other hand, as many as 50 percent of the people you speak to are probably ready to buy at this point. They just need a little push. They need some help. A buying decision is traumatic for them. They are tense and uneasy, and afraid of making a mistake. They may be right on the verge of saying "yes" and they need the professional guidance of an excellent salesperson. But if you accept the "I want to think it over" at face value and depart, you will probably never get a chance to see them or to sell to them again.
Be Agreeable and Prepared
This is how you use it. When the prospect says, "I want to think it over," you appear to accept it gracefully. You smile agreeably, and begin packing your briefcase and putting your materials away. As you do, you make conversation with these words: "Mr. Prospect, that's a good idea. This is an important decision and you shouldn't rush into it." These words will cause the prospect to mentally relax. He sees that you are on your way. His resistance will drop as soon as you stop presenting and trying to sell.

COACHING FOR PROFITS

Over the years, Michael Gerber has become famous for his recommendation that business leaders "work on their business more than they work in their business." This week I saw a classic example of that problem! Successful entrepreneurs are absolutely passionate about their business! They love it. They love making sales. They love the opportunity, and they will do whatever it takes to be successful.They do everything except maintain perspective.
Remember the old dictum that "if you fail to plan you are planning to fail?" This week I talked with a wonderful guy who's business is doing pretty well. He's making money and the business grew about 15% last year. Not bad. Except he's swamped. He's stressed and frustrated and he knows he needs a coach. So he called me. During our 40-minute call, he was interrupted and put me on hold three times! When we talked about coaching, he told me he didn't think he would have the time for it. He desperately needs to make some changes, but he's too busy! He's drowning and doesn't have time to learn to swim.
When you're busy, you need a coach! Athletes spend more time with their coaches DURING the season, than during the off-season, right? The time to pause, close the door and talk with your coach is when things are hectic, when things are going well, when you're busy! If you're working too much, if you're working long hours, and know things "should" be better, send me an email. Let's get on the phone and talk about it. There really is a better way! When you're ready for a change, please contact me. My email is: yommy68us@yahoo.com

LIVING THE LIFE OF YOUR DREAMS

What does a GREAT life mean to you? That is one of the most important questions an adult can ask - and answer. No one wants to live a life of misery, but in many ways I think it's even more important that we refuse to live a life of boredom, repetition, or a life filled with "partly cloudy" days. Too many of us settle for safety or comfort or convenience instead of actually living our own unique and wonderful lives. I think it was Henry Thoreau who said he did not want to find, when it was time to die, that he had not truly lived. Too many of us fantasize about having great wealth or fame or power, or owning a house in the Hamptons, but we never seriously decide exactly what our one and only, unique, life should look like! Rather than fantasize about the unlikely, why not actually create an life that is truly your own?
We all know that a great life does not happen by accident. A great life is not easy and it does not come with a diploma, a promotion, getting married (or divorced), having kids or retiring early. It cannot be inherited and it never comes packaged with the "goodies" of life. Sure, money, a penthouse apartment, political power or winning the Nobel Prize are wonderful things.But none of them will guarantee a great life.It seems to me that a GREAT life has a grand purpose, a central theme and a unifying vision. A great life is a lifestyle that is chosen "on purpose" and is lived in the service of a vision greater than itself. A great life is living "a life of one's own" and it is invested, not merely spent.Second, it seems to me that a GREAT life makes a contribution. A great life uses its talents and abilities to make at least one small corner of the world a better place. A great life stands up, speaks out, and gets things done. A GREAT life makes a difference and leaves the world better than we found it. Third, it seems to me that a GREAT life leaves a path for others to follow. It is good to do great things; it's even better to do great things and teach others to follow your lead. A GREAT life leaves a legacy. A GREAT life inspires the next generation to go further, reach farther, dream bigger and achieve more. I am convinced that every one of us has the right to a GREAT life. Greatness is not reserved for a lucky few, for the rich or the powerful, for the artistic or for any small category of people. Living a GREAT life is the birthright of every human being, whether we express greatness in designing tall buildings, or by teaching children to stand tall.
Greatness is your birthright!
I love the story of the "star thrower," about a man walking on a beach after a storm, throwing starfish back into the ocean so they won't die on the shore. Someone criticizes him for wasting his time, noting there are millions of starfish and the few he saves won't make much difference. The man silently bends over, throws a starfish into the surf and replies, "It made a difference for that one."Set it as your minimum standard to live a GREAT life, to make a difference and have some fun! Eventually, down the road one day, each of us must look back and assess our life, and when that time comes we want to smile, knowing we did it right. Set that as your standard, and go for it!