IT'S TIME TO USE YOUR PERSONAL POWER

Most of the world’s truly great people will never be known.
You and I will not hear of them and no one will write their
biographies. Fortunately, fame and greatness are not the
same thing.
Most of us will never be famous and it’s unlikely anyone
will write our biography. But that has nothing whatever to
do with greatness! All of us want to achieve. Whether our
goals are to make more money, to have more time with loved
ones or to achieve some other goal, the thing my readers

have in common is the desire to be, do and have
more than today.
And, of course, we all have greatness within us. Every one
of us is born to make a difference, to play our part, and
transform our corner of the world. We all--every single one
of us--has the potential to live with joy and gusto and
greatness. Why do so many of us settle for small problems,
and small lives?
I think we fail to use our personal power.
Because we are not powerful on the world stage, we forget
that we have tremendous power in our choices. We may not be
rich or famous but we have the power to live with dignity
and integrity and ambition. We have the power to smile, to
try, to persist. We have the power to read and learn, to
pick ourselves up and try again, perhaps in a new and
smarter way. We have the power to be loving, to be kind,
and the infinite power to create.
We have the power to choose how we live our lives.
My sense is that it helps to have a big dream. My father
always told us that if we were going to dream, we might as
well dream BIG dreams. I think it matters what we expect in
life. I think it helps to imagine the best and focus our
thoughts, our attention and our intention on big dreams.
But I also think it’s vital that we not be distracted by
our own dreams. It's helpful and fun to aim for the sky, so
long as we realize that even the biggest dreams happen one
step at a time. The world's tallest skyscrapers are build
one rivet at a time. Oprah Winfrey built her empire one
interview, one decision at a time. "A journey of a thousand
miles starts with a single step."
Both Nelson Mandela and Marianne Williamson have been
credited with the insight that our greatest fear is not
that we are powerless, but that (in fact!) we are powerful
beyond measure. Whoever said it first, it's true.
We are powerful beyond measure! We have the power to change
our world any time we choose. Use your power! Give a smile
to someone who needs one. Get up a bit earlier, or work a
bit longer, stand a bit taller.
High achievers use their personal power. They get up early.
They exercise. They make key phone calls. They read great
books. They monitor their time, their nutrition, their
investments, their relationships. And so can you! These are
the "little things" that create big results!
Use your power every single day! Hug someone one, or call a
friend. Do it today, not tomorrow or "someday." Use your
power to take a hike, read to a child or make one more
sales call. Set aside an hour to read a book, practice a
new skill or invite a mentor to lunch. Today, initiate some
action that, if repeated over time, will take your life in
the direction you want to go.
For the month of August, make a promise that you will use
your power every single day. Choose a few key areas and
commit that each day you will take specific actions to move
forward. Remember the clich�that "mighty oaks from tiny
acorns grow." The world’s strongest athletes started with a
few sit-ups or push-ups. The world’s great fortunes often
began with one small investment. Use your power! Whatever
you have and wherever you are, begin and persist.