Tuesday, May 25, 2010

something to ponder

"To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."

~Anatole France

"Our emotions are powerful motivators, and more than almost anything else in our lives they will drive our behavior. Sometimes our greatest challenge is to get inside our own heads to understand what makes us tick. Why do we feel and behave the way we do?"

~Mac Anderson

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength;
loving someone deeply gives you courage.
--Lao Tzu
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

Live out of your imagination, not your history.
--Stephen Covey
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

I paint objects as I think them, not as I see them.
--Pablo Picasso

Excerpt from:
Simple Truths of Life,
by Linda Ellis

Dash of Hope

My poem, The Dash, is based on that little line on a tombstone, between the dates of birth and death. Ultimately, that dash is a symbol which represents every day we've spent alive on earth. Therefore, how you spend your "dash" is all that really matters. Following is an amazing story about someone whose dash truly made a difference.

Recently I heard about a little girl named Hope Stout. After learning more about her life, I couldn't help but feel it was not by coincidence, nor happenstance, that she had been named "Hope." It had to be attributed to fate. The compassion and generosity housed in her young heart made a lasting impression on me and countless others, and her legacy of love continues to bless lives every day. Though I never had the opportunity to meet her, I wish I had. It seems as though she was wise beyond her tender years and very, very special. When I tell people her story, I always say, "if this doesn't inspire you, I don't think there's much that could..."

Hope was a twelve-year old girl who was offered a "wish" in early December 2003 by the "Make-A-Wish" Foundation after being informed that she had a rare type of bone cancer. However, when she found out that more than 150 children in her area were waiting for their wishes to be granted, she unselfishly used her wish to ask that those children have their wishes granted. She also asked that it be done by January 16, 2004. Unfortunately, however, the organization informed her that her noble request could not be granted as the funds were simply unavailable. They calculated that they would need to raise more than one million dollars in thirty days in order to grant her wish. Disappointed, but not discouraged, she turned her dismay into an enthusiasm that inspired caring individuals to spearhead fundraising to help grant the wishes of the other children, and eventually hers as well. Newspaper columnists and reporters for radio and TV stations shared the story of this caring young girl who had touched the hearts of so many and as word spread, the community was challenged. Committees were formed and schools, corporations and various organizations assisted in raising money to help bring Hope's dream to fruition.

Though she lost her battle in 2004, knowing that her wish was going to come true, Hope lives on. Her heartfelt efforts were not in vain as they continue to help others, not only physically, but spiritually and emotionally as well. At the initial fundraiser and gathering to celebrate her life, "A Celebration of Hope" on January 16, 2004, the announcement was made that they had indeed received donations totaling more than one million dollars on behalf of Hope Stout. Her wish had been granted!
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"It is easy to choose a path in life that has been well traveled by many before you and crowded by many walking beside you. There is safety in knowing the obstacles ahead, comfort and warmth from the companionship of others and certainty in the destination. Embarking on a journey into unknown territory requires steely courage, an adventurous spirit, a deep belief in oneself and simple hope for a better tomorrow."
~Marcy Blochowiak
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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

We don't see things as they are;
we see things as we are.
--Anais Nin
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

The most important thing about goals is having one...
--Geoffrey Abert
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

Life is 10 percent what you make it
and 90 percent how you take it.
--Irving Berlin
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"Success is not measured by what a person accomplishes, but by the opposition they have encountered, and the courage with which they have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds."

~Orison Swett Marden
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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

Nothing can add more power to your life than concentrating
all of your energies on a limited set of targets.
--Nido Qubein
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

The first law of success is concentration - to bend all
the energies to one point, and to go directly to that
point, looking neither to the right nor to the left.
--William Mathews
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

When every physical and mental resource is focused, one's
power to solve a problem multiplies tremendously.
--Norman Vincent Peale
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SOME THOTS FOR U

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
To the world you may be just one person,
but to one person you may be the world.
--Brandi Snyder
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
Success seems to be connected with action.
Successful people keep moving. They make
mistakes, but they don't quit.
--Conrad Hilton
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
How you respond to the challenge in the second half
will determine what you become after the game,
whether you are a winner or loser.
--Lou Holtz

An Excerpt from
The Strangest Secret
by Earl Nightingale

George Bernard Shaw said, "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, they make them."

Well, it's pretty apparent, isn't it? And every person who discovered this believed (for a while) that he was the first one to work it out. We become what we think about.

Conversely, the person who has no goal, who doesn't know where he's going, and whose thoughts must therefore be thoughts of confusion, anxiety and worry - his life becomes one of frustration, fear, anxiety and worry. And if he thinks about nothing... he becomes nothing.

How does it work? Why do we become what we think about? Well, I'll tell you how it works, as far as we know. To do this, I want to tell you about a situation that parallels the human mind.

Suppose a farmer has some land, and it's good, fertile land. The land gives the farmer a choice; he may plant in that land whatever he chooses. The land doesn't care. It's up to the farmer to make the decision.

We're comparing the human mind with the land because the mind, like the land, doesn't care what you plant in it. It will return what you plant, but it doesn't care what you plant.

Now, let's say that the farmer has two seeds in his hand- one is a seed of corn, the other is nightshade, a deadly poison. He digs two little holes in the earth and he plants both seeds-one corn, the other nightshade. He covers up the holes, waters and takes care of the land...and what will happen? Invariably, the land will return what was planted.

As it's written in the Bible, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap."

Remember the land doesn't care. It will return poison in just as wonderful abundance as it will corn. So up come the two plants - one corn, one poison.

The human mind is far more fertile, far more incredible and mysterious than the land, but it works the same way. It doesn't care what we plant...success...or failure. A concrete, worthwhile goal...or confusion, misunderstanding, fear, anxiety and so on. But what we plant it must return to us.

You see, the human mind is the last great unexplored continent on earth. It contains riches beyond our wildest dreams. It will return anything we want to plant.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

SOME THOTS FOR U

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Once you choose hope, anything's possible.
--Christopher Reeve
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.
--John Powell
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
Joy is not in things; it is in us.
--Richard Wagner

When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us."

~Alexander Graham Bell

"Middle-class performers operate like there is an endless amount of time in a day, week, month, year and life. The world class is extremely sensitive to time. The great ones have a sense of urgency because they are operating at a level of awareness that constantly reminds them the present moment is all any of us really have. The world class is on a mission to fulfill a dream, and they know the clock is ticking."
~Steve Siebold

"I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do."

~Leonardo da Vinci
Peter Drucker, the legendary management consultant and author says this about teamwork:
"The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say "I." And that's not because they have trained themselves not to say "I." They don't think "I." They think "we;" they think "team." They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don't sidestep it, but "we" gets the credit...This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done."
The bottom line is that it's easy for any organization to say..."we value teamwork." However, saying it versus committing to the principles to grow it can be two different things.



Excerpt from
Pulling Together....The 10 Rules for High Performance Teams,
by John Murphy


At the center of every high performance team is a common purpose - a mission that rises above and beyond each of the individual team members. To be successful, the team's interests and needs come first. This requires "we-opic" vision ("What's in it for we?"), a challenging step up from the common "me-opic" mind-set.
Effective team players understand that personal issues and personality differences are secondary to team demands. This does not mean abandoning who you are or giving up your individuality. On the contrary, it means sharing your unique strengths and differences to move the team forward. It is this "we-opic" focus and vision - this cooperation of collective capability - that empowers a team and generates synergy.
Cooperation means working together for mutual gain - sharing responsibility for success and failure and covering for one another on a moment's notice. It does not mean competing with one another at the team's expense, withholding important data or information to be "one up" on your peers, or submitting to "groupthink" by going along so as not to make waves. These are "rule breakers," that are direct contradictions to the "team first" mind-set.
High performance teams recognize that it takes a joint effort to synergize, generating power above and beyond the collected individuals. It is with this spirit of cooperation that effective teams learn to capitalize on individual strengths and offset individual weaknesses, using diversity as an advantage.
Effective teams also understand the importance of establishing cooperative systems, structures, incentives and rewards. We get what we inspect, not what we expect. Think about it. Do you have team job descriptions, team performance reviews and team reward systems? Do you recognize people by pitting them against standards of excellence, or one another? What are you doing to cultivate a team-first, cooperative environment in this competitive, "me-opic" world?
To embrace the team-first rule, make sure your team purpose and priorities are clear. What is your overall mission? What is your game plan? What is expected of each team member? How can each member contribute most effectively? What constants will hold the team together? Then stop and ask yourself, are you putting the team first?


An Excerpt From Pulling Together
by John Murphy


Consistent application of the 10 rules of high performance teamwork ultimately generates trust, respect, unity and power within any team. Conversely, consistent violation of any one rule destroys this bond. While the author of the following is unknown, "Lessons From the Geese" is a powerful illustration from nature of the rules of high performance teamwork. As you read about the natural unity that exists among this species remember - this same unity can exist in your organization!
As geese flap their wings, they create an uplift for the bird following. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if any bird were to fly alone. If we share a common direction and a sense of community, we can get where we are going more quickly and easily because we are traveling on the thrust of one another!
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front. If we have as much sense as geese, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go, and we will be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to others.
When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another goose flies at the point position. If we take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership as with the geese, we become interdependent with one another. The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. If we "honk," we need to make sure it is positive and encouraging.
When a goose gets sick or wounded or is shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. They then launch out on their own, with another formation or catch up with the flock.
If we have as much sense as geese, we too will stand by each other in difficult times, as well as when we are strong. Let us all try to fly in formation and remember to drop back to help those who might need it!
BEHOLD THE POWER OF TEAMWORK
The greatest accomplishments in life are not achieved by individuals alone, but by proactive people pulling together for a common good. Look behind every winner and you will find a great coach. Look out in front of every superstar and you will see a positive role model. Look alongside every great achiever and you will find caring people offering encouragement, support and able assistance.
Rising to this level of interdependent thinking can be challenging and difficult. Looking beyond oneself, asking for help or accepting help can feel risky. But people are not given life to simply take from one another. We are here to give. Our mission in life is to offer our gifts to benefit one another, to create mutual gain in the world. This is called teamwork, a win/win mindset stemming from a genuine commitment to the rules that allow it to happen.

The Essence of Leadership | The Essence of Leadership

The Essence of Leadership | The Essence of Leadership

Sunday, May 16, 2010

food for thot

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness
rather than in its value. --Charles Dudley Warner
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.
--Dorothy Bernard
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

If you are pained by external things, it is not they that disturb you,
but your own judgment of them. And it is in your power to wipe
out that judgment now. --Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

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"People are like sticks of dynamite. The power is on the inside, but nothing happens until the fuse gets lit."
~Mac Anderson
"There once was a very cautious man,
Who never laughed or cried,
He never cared, he never dared,
He never dreamed or tried.
And when one day he passed away,
His insurance was denied.
For since he never really lived,
They claimed he never died."

~Tom Mathews
Aim for the Heart

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others,
and the delight in the recognition.
--Alexander Smith
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

I buy when other people are selling.
--J. Paul Getty
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

Wisdom outweighs any wealth.
--Sophocles

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Excerpt from: Living a Five Star Life,
by Betty Mahalik

In this day and age, we are surrounded by messages that virtually scream, "Your life would be perfect if..." My life would be perfect if I had a different job, a different house, car, nose, spouse, bank account (fill in the blank). Or my life would be perfect if I could be like some celebrity whose life appears so well-ordered and perfect-o. This week I encourage you to stop playing "my life would be perfect if," and start playing "my perfect life." What's the difference? Three things: being in the present, an attitude of gratitude, taking action with what's available now.

When we're caught up in the "my life would be perfect if" trap, we've lost touch with the present. And the moment we detach from the present, we can no longer practice gratitude. Think about it: it's difficult to be grateful for what you don't have...and what you don't have is always somewhere out in future-ville.

Look around you right now. Think of 10 things you're grateful for. Do you have a roof over your head and food to eat? I'm guessing the answer is yes. Do you have at least a few good friends or close relationships? Then appreciate them too, right now. Keep going, and practice being in the present and being grateful for what is here and now at least a couple times a day.

You're also probably sitting there thinking "yes but." Yes, but I want more money, a better relationship, more time to travel, to be thinner, happier or whatever. It's one of the great mysteries I'll never figure out. The minute you stop focusing on what you lack, start focusing on what you've already got, and add the "magic" ingredient of action, you actually begin to attract more of what you want. It's an amazing formula for really living your perfect life!

Let's say you want to lose weight or get in better shape, but you don't have an hour a day to spend exercising at the gym. Therefore, you've pretty well resigned yourself to not losing weight or getting in shape. What if you had five minutes though...just about everyone can find five minutes to exercise, stretch, walk around the block or walk the dog. Would you be willing to be grateful for five minutes and make the best possible use of it? Therein lies the beginning of your perfect life!

A simple formula may help you remember how to apply this principle:

The present
+ an attitude of gratitude
+ positive action
= my perfect life.
Try it for a day.

Each time you start dreaming about how perfect your life would be if...come back to this moment, give thanks for what is, and do one thing to perfect what you have and who you are right now. There's a saying that "when the student is ready, the teacher appears." If you're ready to start perfecting your life, your teachers are all around you.

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"Advance planning is like taking the deep breath before the plunge. It's the calm before the storm. And that's when it's time to prepare, while it's calm, to ensure success no matter what unexpected storms might come up. Advance planning is the first step to exceeding expectations."

~Robin Crow

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"A Parent's Note to a Teacher"
by Anonymous

I'm the voice of a grateful parent
whose child was in your class...
the one who needed help to find his way
You've been a special blessing
as you helped my child succeed
and I'm thankful for the part you had to play
You gave him so much more
than just the lessons in the books
you gave him wings...so he could learn to fly
You ignited a flame within his soul
a passion to learn and grow...
to never give up and always be willing to try
Your encouragement inspired him
and your kindness was so real
but the thing that thrills my heart the most is this...
By building his self-confidence
you changed his life this year
he believes in himself...and a brighter future is his!

IT'S UP TO ME
by Haim Ginott

I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love,
and to let it come in. +Morrie Schwartz+
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

No matter what the tax rate is, you can
still build your personal wealth.
--Jim Rohn
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

Do something big, bold and beautiful today that makes the world a better place,
and which moves you ever closer to the achievement of your goals.
--Gary Ryan Blair

THIS ONE IS FOR THE LADIESSSS

Oh, Thank Goodness It's Not Just Me!
by BJ Gallagher and Lisa Hammond

It was October, so it was time for me to start talking about having a Halloween party - something I have done for at least half a dozen years. I don't actually end up having a Halloween party; I just talk about having one. It has become a running joke around our house.

Entertaining and having friends over for dinner always seems like such a good idea but the truth is, I just never feel like I am good enough to actually do it.

I have ongoing chatter in my head that goes something like this: What are you going to make? Who are you going to invite? You don't have the time. You will say you are going to do this and then you won't get out of the office in time.

I have plenty of friends who seem to be able to manage both a successful career and entertaining frequently. They race home from work, whip up three course meals, and serve the perfect wine. They look calm, cool and collected when guests arrive. I am both impressed - and depressed - by this.

Recently, I wanted to be a thoughtful dinner guest at a friend's home so I decided to at least bring dessert. Although I had a jam-packed day at work, I didn't want to be a slacker, and figured I could handle making a cake. I did what I have done countless times - I decided to make a favorite family recipe, Raspberry Cream Cake.

Once I started to make the cake, I remembered why I don't do it very often - half of the ingredients can only be found in the state where the recipe came from! So I had to wing it and substitute ingredients. Then the mixer fell apart as I was using it and whipped cream went flying all over the kitchen. Then the cake burned while I was stuck on a conference call. When I finally got the cake into the fridge for the mandatory five hours of chilling prior to being served, I decided to rename it the Raspberry Curse Cake and vowed never to make it again.

When my husband and I arrived at the dinner party - crappy Curse Cake in hand, our gracious hostess was looking relaxed as she put together a simple salad. And there I was - frazzled, with raspberry juice still in my hair. As we sat down to dinner I asked her for the recipe for the delicious rice dish she was serving. She laughed and handed me her phone as she said, "Are you kidding me? I didn't have time to cook all of this - it's take-out!"

Oh, I have so much to learn from other women! I had been stressing out all day, trying to simultaneously work and bake a cake, juggling mixers and conference calls and cursing like a sailor - while my wise friend had been at work phoning in take-out!

The entire episode made me realize how much pressure women are under to be all and do all - almost all of it self-imposed! How much are we missing out on because of our insecurity and fear?

By the time you read this I will have invited friends over for margaritas and dinner at our place - paper plates, take-out food, and fun will be had by all!
Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.

-- Rabindranath Tagore

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

Looking back, I have this to regret, that
too often when I loved, I did not say so.
--David Grayson
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

Our favourite holding period is forever.
--Warren Buffett
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future,
concentrate the mind on the present moment.
--Buddha



An Excerpt from
The Best Way Out is Always Through
by BJ Gallagher

Mary Kay Ash banged her head on the corporate glass ceiling one too many times. Working for several direct sales companies from the 1930's until the early 1960's, she achieved considerable success. She climbed the corporate ladder to become the sole woman on the board of directors of the World Gift Company - quite an accomplishment for a woman in the 1950's.

But life wasn't rosy at the top. Even though Mary Kay had the title and the track record, she was not taken seriously by her male peers. In board meetings, her opinions and suggestions were ignored, dismissed, or even ridiculed. Male board members minced no words in their judgment - pronouncing her guilty of "thinking like a woman."

Since the sales force was almost entirely female, Mary Kay thought that thinking like a woman was an asset. But her fellow board members disagreed. Finally, in frustration, she retired in 1963, intending to write a book to assist women in the male-dominated business.

Sitting at her kitchen table, she made two lists: one list was all the good things she had seen in the companies where she'd worked, and the other list was all the things she thought could be improved. As she re-read her lists, she realized that what she had in front of her was a marketing plan for her ideal company. In just four weeks, her "book" had become a business plan, and her retirement was over.

Both her accountant and her attorney did their best to discourage her, warning that she would be throwing her money away on this venture. But Mary Kay had heard enough male nay-saying in her corporate years - she ignored her advisors.

Her husband, unlike her accountant and attorney, was very supportive. With his help, Mary Kay developed the cosmetic products, designed packaging, wrote promotional materials and recruited and trained her female sales force.

Then the unthinkable happened; her husband of twenty-one years died of a heart attack. Another woman might have dropped her plans, or at least delayed them, but Mary Kay was a strong Texas woman. She stayed on track with the help of her twenty-year-old son, Richard Rogers and rolled out her new business in September of 1963.

Beginning with a storefront in Dallas and an investment of $5,000, Mary Kay Cosmetics earned close to $200,000 in its first year - quadrupling that amount in its second year. When Mary Kay took her company public in 1968, sales had climbed to more than $10 million.

Mary Kay's unusual corporate motto, "God first, family second, career third," was unconventional, to say the least. But she understood the need for women to have balance in their lives, and she was committed to providing unlimited opportunity for women's financial AND personal success.

Mary Kay authored three books, all of which became best-sellers. Her business model is taught at the Harvard Business School. She received many honors, including the Horatio Alger Award. Fortune magazine has named Mary Kay Cosmetics as one of the Ten Best Companies for Women, as well as one of The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America.

At the time of her death in 2001, Mary Kay Cosmetics had 800,000 independent beauty consultants in 37 countries, with total annual sales of over two billion dollars. Never underestimate the power of a woman with a mission!

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Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves."

-Dale Carnegie


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PERSEVERANCE DEFINED

Persist no matter what.
Endure discomfort.
Request help.
Steadfastly hold on to your beliefs and values.
Envision triumph.
Very consistently keep at it.
Embrace adversity as your teacher.
Refuse to give up.
Enjoy and celebrate every tiny bit of progress!

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"How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young,
compassionate with the aged,
sympathetic with the striving,
and tolerant with the weak...because in your life you will have been all of these."

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"Inch by inch, life's a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard."

~Unknown

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

Children reflect the light of their parents long before
they acknowledge they have their own light.
--Forrest Carter
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

Never turn your back on enthusiasm!
--Buddy Ebsen
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

When a man cares he is unafraid.
When he is fair, he leaves enough for others.
When he is humble, he can grow.
--Lao-Tzu

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to
hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you otherwise might.
--Marian Anderson
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so?
Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live.
Before they know it, time runs out.--Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

One day at a time - this is enough. Do not look back and grieve
over the past, for it is gone: and do not be troubled about the
future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make
it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.
--Ida Scott Taylor

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An excerpt from
The Strangest Secret
by Earl Nightingale

George Bernard Shaw said, "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, they make them."

Well, it's pretty apparent, isn't it? And every person who discovered this believed (for a while) that he was the first one to work it out. We become what we think about.

Conversely, the person who has no goal, who doesn't know where he's going, and whose thoughts must therefore be thoughts of confusion, anxiety and worry - his life becomes one of frustration, fear, anxiety and worry. And if he thinks about nothing... he becomes nothing.

How does it work? Why do we become what we think about? Well, I'll tell you how it works, as far as we know. To do this, I want to tell you about a situation that parallels the human mind.

Suppose a farmer has some land, and it's good, fertile land. The land gives the farmer a choice; he may plant in that land whatever he chooses. The land doesn't care. It's up to the farmer to make the decision.

We're comparing the human mind with the land because the mind, like the land, doesn't care what you plant in it. It will return what you plant, but it doesn't care what you plant.

Now, let's say that the farmer has two seeds in his hand- one is a seed of corn, the other is nightshade, a deadly poison. He digs two little holes in the earth and he plants both seeds-one corn, the other nightshade. He covers up the holes, waters and takes care of the land...and what will happen? Invariably, the land will return what was planted.

As it's written in the Bible, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap."

Remember the land doesn't care. It will return poison in just as wonderful abundance as it will corn. So up come the two plants - one corn, one poison.

The human mind is far more fertile, far more incredible and mysterious than the land, but it works the same way. It doesn't care what we plant...success...or failure. A concrete, worthwhile goal...or confusion, misunderstanding, fear, anxiety and so on. But what we plant must return to us.

You see, the human mind is the last great unexplored continent on earth. It contains riches beyond our wildest dreams. It will return anything we want to plant.

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Are You Open?
by Kay Richae

No matter where we are in life or what we have achieved or understood it behooves us to always be open to accepting new things for this is the way of GOD. The Universe is always expanding and we are microcosms of the macrocosm meaning that we have all of GOD’s creation to enlighten us to the truth about ourselves.

If we truly want to be our best selves we must always be open to embracing the new. Now, I am not saying that we should drift whichever way a current trend takes us, but rather we should always be open to new ways of thinking and being.

To state the matter differently; I am not saying that we should be influenced by society, the media, or things outside of ourselves to change but I am saying we should always remain open and receptive to what the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us is sharing to take us to our next level of greatness. And believe me, the guidance from within is being broadcast; it is only a matter of if we are willing to be receptive to it.

When we are not receptive or when we have not attuned to the inner voice of our Counselor, life can seem boring and unexciting. Sometimes we can even feel stuck.

There may be times when we may not be able pinpoint anything that is really ‘wrong’ so to speak, but we just feel unfulfilled. This is because it is our true nature to constantly expand from one level of completeness to another.

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce.
The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage.
--Robert Anderson
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

To find out what one is fitted to do, and to secure
an opportunity to do it, is the key to happiness.
--John Dewey
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

Ya gots to work with what you gots to work with.
--Stevie Wonder

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

Anything that is not growing is dead and because of the Eternal nature of our souls (which are constantly growing and expanding whether we like it or not) when we try to house our newly expanded selves in a body temple that is still operating under the mind and heart-sets of who we used to be, the result is often the negative emotions outlined above.

Sometimes fear of losing who we really are can keep us from being willing to say yes to our expansion. The voice of the ego may tell us that if we change how we think and feel we may not remain true to who we really are. We may be afraid of what those close to us will think about our new selves.

In reality, being open and receptive to growth and change is the only way for us to be true to the best version of ourselves and is the way we embrace our true freedom. When we give an inner yes to our best yet to be we allow GOD greater expression in and as our lives because we have attuned ourselves to the guidance of the still, small Voice inside of us that is the Holy Spirit who teaches us all things.

When we live from this place of awareness life is fun, exciting, and fulfilling! We are happy and inspired in our actions and/or inaction for we know that they are right actions with great purpose guided by Spirit.

Life becomes a fun adventure guided from within each of us where we are free and no longer bound by the imaginary shackles of obligation, habit, and expectation of others.

We will no longer feel that we need to conform to our current world but will know that we are free to be transformed by the renewing of our minds toward the unfoldment of our best selves. What a great place to be!!!

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2Corinthians 3:17

Will you say yes to your best self, the self you came here to be for GOD, by being open and receptive to the Eternal broadcast of good?

I invite you to share your thoughts and experiences with me on my blog at ASpeakerforGod.com

I love you and GOD adores you!

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"Give people a fact or an idea and you enlighten their minds; tell them a story and you touch their souls."

~Hasidic Proverb
Kids communicate with no inhibitions.
They speak from the heart.
Strive to communicate person-to-person, heart-to-heart in everything we do.

Stories create intimacy and relationships. And that's the essence of a strong brand.
Have everyone share stories and listen to stories. Especially stories from our customers.
~Tom Asacker

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Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them -- that only creates sorrow. . . Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.

-- Lao-tzu

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

Conflict cannot survive without your participation.
--Wayne Dyer
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

Nothing will work unless you do.
--Maya Angelou
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

Always remember that the future comes one day at a time.
--Dean Acheson

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You cannot judge what should bring others joy, and others cannot judge what should bring you joy.

-- Alan Cohen
"What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ~Ralph Waldo EmersoN


"William Henley said, 'I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul.' Once you believe this (I mean, really believe it,) nothing will hold you back. Something unexplainable happens when we accept complete responsibility for our behavior and our results. But it's not an easy thing to do."

~Mac Anderson

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LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS

I cannot always control what goes on outside.
But I can always control what goes on inside.
--Wayne Dyer
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS

Far and away the best prize that life has to offer
is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.
--Theodore Roosevelt
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION

Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in.
--Henry David Thoreau

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"We could change the world tomorrow if all the millions of people around the world acted the way they believe."
-Jane Goodall


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"If you must raise your voice, do it to cheer your students on."

~Author Unknown
"It's not easy being a Teacher...
and this Heart takes a beating each day
Sometimes it breaks for a hurting child
and a piece is given away.

But there's strength in the Heart of a Teacher
and a special vision to see
the difference you make in the heart of a child
...can affect eternity!"

~Paula J. Fox

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leadership

Dear shamugam,

"A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. They are much like eagles...They don't flock, you find them one at a time."
-Mac Anderson

Leadership is a complicated topic, because there are probably as many definitions as there are leaders in the world.

That's because a leader is a person with many roles...CEO, soldier, coach, entrepreneur, department head, politician, teacher, minister...as well as parent, spouse, and other personal roles.


Stay Motivated,

Motivation in a Minute
A Simple Truths Company