good thots

A can-do attitude makes the impossible, possible."

~Scott Beare

"Our dreams form our vision, our vision establishes our beliefs, and our beliefs determine the actions needed to accomplish our dreams. This chain of events allows us to take charge of our destiny."

~Scott Beare
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n excerpt from The Richest Man in Town
by V.J. Smith


I'm so glad I found you.

My friend, Aaron "Marty" Martinson, wrote those words in a note to me. On the pages that follow, you will discover that he didn't find me. I found him. And, thanks to Marty, I remembered a few things about life that I hadn't really thought about for a long time.

For years I had grand visions of writing a book about a leader who changed the course of history. I filled my personal library with biographies of presidents and statesmen. I wanted to understand what made their lives great - and what might be missing from mine.

In looking for answers I turned to books written by people who are successful in business and industry. For a while I searched for excellence, then I compared my habits to those of highly effective people. Like millions of people, I thought success equaled happiness.

The book I've written, though, is about a simple man who ran a cash register. He worked hard and was good to people. That, in turn, made him happy.

Can it be so simple? so free of complications? Marty thought so. He showed me how to be a better person, not one wealthier or more successful or more powerful.

He changed my life - forever.

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If you fall in love with potential, you learn to live with desperation.

-- Source unknown

Endings arrange themselves naturally when you are complete within yourself.

-- Alan Cohen

The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed."

~Carl Jung

"It is not what you give your friend, but what you are willing to give...that determines the quality of friendship."

~Mary Dixon
The secret of joy in work is contained in one word - excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it."

~Pearl Buck

"The big secret in life is that there is no secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you are willing to work. It is called massive action. Action is the gas in the tank. Without you, the car will not run."

~Marcy Blochowiak

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

-- Plato

good thots

We want people to feel with us more than to act for us."

~George Eliot

"Many people have forgotten how to slow down, truly empathize and make each contact count as a genuine, sincere encounter. It's still all about people and their feelings."

~Tom Asacker

Every person in this life has something to teach me, and as soon as I accept that, I open myself to truly listening."

~Catherine Doucette

"From the moment we wake up each morning to the time we hit the pillow at night, we hear what people have to say, but are we really listening?"

~Mac Anderson

Benjamin Franklin pointed out that, "The U.S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up to it yourself."

A lot of us pin our happiness to external factors...if only we had more money...or a better house...or whatever your latest "want" is, but your happiness has been...and always will be... right inside yourself.
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An excerpt from The Road to Happiness
by Mac Anderson and BJ Gallagher

When I travel on business, I like to talk to the taxi drivers who take me from the airport to my hotel, or to a convention center, or to a restaurant. Taxi drivers are often immigrants with interesting personal histories and unusual cultural backgrounds. I ask them how long they've been in America, how they chose which city to live in, and what they like best about where they live. Of course, I also ask them for advice on good local restaurants and any special attractions they'd recommend to a visitor. I've had some great experiences on my travels, thanks to the advice of taxi drivers!

On one trip about ten years ago, I was making conversation with the taxi driver, asking him my usual questions about how he came to live where he lived. Then I asked him a hypothetical question: "If you could live anywhere in the world-and if money was no object-where would you live?"

Without hesitating even for a second, he replied, "I live in my heart. So it really doesn't matter where my body lives. If I am happy inside, then I live in paradise, no matter where my residence is."

I felt humbled and a little foolish for my question. Of course he was right-happiness is an inside job. He had reminded me of something I already knew, but had forgotten. If you can't find happiness inside yourself, you'll never find it in the outside world, no matter where you move. Wherever you go, there you are. You take yourself with you.

I am grateful for the wisdom of that taxi driver. And I'm grateful for all the wisdom others have shared with me about how to be happy.

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good thots

A Wealth of Love
by Mitch Axelrod

How do you measure your wealth?

I measure mine by how much love is in my life.

Love for myself, other people and all living things.
Love for my work and to serve others.
Love to choose my life, livelihood and living.
Love for my soul, role and goal.
Love for being alive.

I am blessed with a wealth of love.

I've stopped trying to be perfect.
I simply want to be myself.
I want to love myself and others unconditionally.

Love is the greatest wealth.
The more you give you get.
The more you give and get the richer you are.

Love is the greatest power.
Love requires no force.
It can stop conflict, topple regimes and end wars.

Love is the ultimate game.
When we all play our best the world will transform.

No reason to wait.
Valentine’s Day is a great day to play.

Call or write someone you love and tell them.

Don’t hold back.
Play the game of love full out.
Give 100%.

You'll be wealthier for it.

You’re a player.
You CAN change the game.

I’ll meet you on the field.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones."

~Phillips Brooks

"Without character, even the most talented leader's contribution to his followers will be far short-reaching, shallower than its potential, and easily forgotten."

~John C. Maxwell


The more you live by external shoulds, the farther you drift from the power inherent in your own spirit.

-- Alan Cohen
As I see it, every day you do one of two things: build heath or produce disease in yourself."

~Adelle Davis

"Above all, you must maintain a positive mental attitude, looking for the good in every situation, and remain determined to be a completely positive person."

~Brian Tracy

Circumstances don't matter. Only state of being matters.

-- Bashar


Walk to the edge.
Listen hard. Laugh. Play with abandon.
Practice wellness.
Continue to learn.
Choose with no regret.
Appreciate your friends.
Lead or follow a leader.
Do what you love.
Live as if this is all there is.

good thots

Only in love are we free.

-- Alan Cohen

I have an everyday religion that works for me. Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.

-- Lucille Ball

All of life is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and you get to decide which prophecy your self will fulfill.

-- Alan Cohen

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

~Harry Truman

"Committing to excellence means sharing the risk required in generating maximum returns and pursuing victory together. Effective team members know that achieving peak performance requires positive attitudes and inspiring beliefs on everyone's part."

~John J. Murphy

Say Thank You, Even for Routine Things

There is far too little praise and appreciation in most work environments. Even those who are good about giving positive feedback can tend to reserve it for "above and beyond" moments. Yet, the routine work that people are expected to do every day often goes unnoticed and underappreciated. Genuine gratitude goes a long way in engaging people and binding them together. Once a week, say thank you to an employee. Don't only focus on the extra mile they may have gone, but on the ordinary things they do to make your team, unit, or company hum. Be specific: explain the behavior or task that you are grateful for and the positive impact it has on you and the company.

Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction."

~Harry Truman

"We all seek purpose in life. Most of us wonder how we can make a positive difference during our brief time on earth. But asking and doing are different things."

~Mac Anderson

THREE STEPS FOR ASKING A FAVOUR

Whether they are holding a door open or introducing you to a potential client, everyone offers favors at different times in life. But, asking someone for a big favor can be daunting. Next time you need someone's help, follow these three steps.
Set the stage. Be explicit about the nature of your request. The phrase, "I have a favor to ask," implies a contract in which you will someday try to return the favor.
Explain the reason. People like to know why they are being asked to do something. Saying "Can you cover that meeting for me?" is far less effective than "Can you cover that meeting for me because I have another meeting I can't miss?"
Give an out. No one feels good about being forced to do something. Offer an escape route by saying. "If you can't, I understand," or "I know you're busy."


The idea of your ideal self is more real than your idea of your current self.

-- Alan Cohen
holiest spot on earth is where an ancient hatred has become a present love.

-- A Course in Miracles


Some Quotes From Finding Joy
by Mac Anderson

The greatest risk in life is...never taking one.
-Unknown

By being yourself, you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.
-Edwin Elliot

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
-Herman Cain

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
-Louisa May Alcott

How far you go in life depends on your 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.
-George Washington Carver

Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious.
-Bill Meyer

Selected quotes from Great Quotes from Great Leaders
Compiled by Peggy Anderson

"A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle."
Benjamin Franklin
(1706 - 1790)

Imagine it. Try it. Prove it. Do it!"

~BJ Gallagher and Warren H. Schmidt

"The Land of Opportunity is an attitude. It is an openness to new ideas, a willingness to listen, an eagerness to learn, a desire to grow, and the flexibility to change."

~BJ Gallagher and Warren H. Schmidt

Often he who does too much, does too little."

~Italian Proverb

"Focus is not a 'business only' thing. Each person has only twenty-four hours per day, and how we spend those hours shows what's important in our lives. The question we must ask ourselves is...Are we focusing on what really matters?"
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~Mac Anderson
The Star Thrower
Inspired by the writing of Loren Eiseley

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a figure in the distance. As he got closer, he realized the figure was that of a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.

Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?"
The youth replied, "Throwing starfish into the ocean. The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

"Son," the man said, don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and thousands of starfish? You can't possibly make a difference!"

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the surf.

Then, smiling at the man, he said, "I made a difference for that one."
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Pray for your desired experience rather than the thing that represents the experience.

-- Alan Cohen





"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill
(1874 - 1965)

"Whatever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching."
Thomas Jefferson
(1743 - 1826)

"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person."
Mother Teresa
(1910 - 1997)

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
(1929 - 1968)

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible."
Walt Disney
(1901 - 1966)

"Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit."
Vince Lombardi
(1913 - 1970)

"Women are like teabags. We don't know our true strength until we are in hot water!"
Eleanor Roosevelt
(1882 - 1962)

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new."
Albert Einstein
(1879 - 1955)

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."
Mahatma Gandhi

good thots

Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit."

~Edward Abbey

"Within you there is stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat at anytime and be yourself."

~Hermann Hesse

good thots

your attitude is a small thing that makes a big difference


It is comforting to think that we can love so powerfully that fate itself wheels and turns at the command of our souls.

-- Roger Ebert


The idea of appreciating life, even in hard times, is guaranteed to keep your attitude positive and your day bright.

good thots

When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present....we experience heaven on earth."

Life's not about waiting for the storms to pass... it's about learning to dance in the rain."

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Learning to Dance in the Rain
by Mac Anderson and BJ Gallagher

The date was July 16, 2008. It was late in the afternoon and I was sitting in my hotel room in Louisville, Kentucky. I was scheduled to speak that evening for the Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA). I was a little "down in the dumps." I hadn't gotten to exercise lately because of my traveling schedule and recently I'd experienced some mild bouts of vertigo (that inner ear condition that can cause the room to start spinning.) You got it...speaking and "spinning" are not good partners!
My keynote presentation was scheduled for 7:00 PM, but I had been invited to show up at 6:00 to see a performance they said I'd enjoy. Little did I know that I was about to see something I would never forget.

They introduced the young musician. Welcome...Mr. Patrick Henry Hughes. He was rolled onto the stage in his wheelchair, and began to play the piano. His fingers danced across the keys as he made beautiful music.

He then began to sing as he played, and it was even more beautiful. For some reason, however, I knew that I was seeing something special. There was this aura about him that I really can't explain and the smile...his smile was magic!
About ten minutes into Patrick's performance, someone came on the stage and said..."I'd like to share a 7-minute video titled, The Patrick Henry Hughes story." And the lights went dim.

Patrick Henry Hughes was born with no eyes, and a tightening of the joints which left him crippled for life. However, as a child, he was fitted with artificial eyes and placed in a wheelchair. Before his first birthday, he discovered the piano. His mom said, "I could hit any note on the piano, and within one or two tries, he'd get it." By his second birthday, he was playing requests (You Are My Sunshine, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). His father was ecstatic. "We might not play baseball, but we can play music together."
Today, Patrick is a junior at the University of Louisville. His father attends classes with him and he's made nearly all A's, with the exception of 3 B's He's also a part of the 214 member marching band. You read it right...the marching band! He's a blind, wheelchair-bound trumpet player; and he and his father do it together. They attend all the band practices and the half-time performance in front of thousands. His father rolls and rotates his son around the field to the cheers of Patrick's fans. In order to attend Patrick's classes and every band practice, his father works the graveyard shift at UPS. Patrick said..."My dad's my hero."
But even more than his unbelievable musical talent, it was Patrick's "attitude of gratitude" that touched my soul. On stage, between songs, he would talk to the audience about his life and about how blessed he was. He said, "God made me blind and unable to walk. BIG DEAL! He gave me the ability...the musical gifts I have...the great opportunity to meet new people."

When his performance was over, Patrick and his father were on the stage together. The crowd rose to their feet and cheered for over five minutes. It gave me giant goose bumps!

My life was ready to meet Patrick Henry Hughes. I needed a hero, and I found one for the ages. If I live to be a hundred, I'll never forget that night, that smile, that music, but most importantly, that wonderful "attitude of gratitude."
I returned to Chicago and shared Patrick's story with my wife, my friends, and our team at Simple Truths. About two weeks later, I received a letter from a friend. He said, "Mac, I don't know who said it, but I think you'll love this quote."

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...
it's about learning how to dance in the rain!"

I thought...that's it! We all face adversity in our life. However, it's not the adversity, but how we react to it that will determine the joy and happiness in our life. During tough times, do we spend too much time feeling sorry for ourselves, or, can we, with gratitude...learn how to dance in the rain?

It almost sounds too simple to feel important, but one word...gratitude, can change your attitude, thus, your life, forever. Sarah Breathnack said it best...

"When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present....we experience heaven on earth."

good thots

You can't depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus."

~Mark Twain

"Even those experiences that we deem calamitous can carry the seeds of a greater blessing. It is often in retrospect, however, that the benefit reveals itself. And whether or not it reveals itself and how quickly is does so, is dependent upon only one thing: our own individual perspective."

~Kate Nowak

Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

~Margaret Mead

"Leading with a clear and compelling vision helps align team members with a sense of direction and focus. It gives the team something to aim at, something to make happen, something to manifest into positive results."

~John J. Murphy

Each one has to find its peace from within. And peace, to be real, must be unaffected by outside circumstances."

~Mahatma Gandhi

"Give yourself the time you need to find your dynamic balance and rhythm before your body decides for you. Remember, you want your life to be a marathon not a hundred-yard-dash, so pace yourself."

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."
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an Excerpt From
Pulling Together
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" mindset.

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, the power of teamwork.

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 "one-up" your peers, or submitting to group think by going along, so as not to make waves. These are rule breakers that are direct contradictions to the team-first mindset.

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, metrics, 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?

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Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.

-- Chinese Proverb

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Ten Steps to True Happiness

A team of experts believe that they have found the essential ingredients to make a
person's life happier. Based on best knowledge and research, the team came up with
a 10-point plan for happiness listed below.

The 10 steps to happiness

1. Plant something and nurture it.
2. Count your blessings - at least five - at the end of each day.

3. Take time to talk - have an hour-long conversation with a loved one each week.

4. Phone a friend whom you have not spoken to for a while and arrange to meet up.

5. Give yourself a treat every day and take the time to really enjoy it.

6. Have a good laugh at least once a day.

7. Get physical - exercise for half an hour three times a week.

8. Smile at and/or say hello to a stranger at least once each day.

9. Cut your TV viewing by half.

10. Spread some kindness - do a good turn for someone every day.
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Life will bring you pain all by itself. Your responsibility is to create joy."

~Milton Erickson

"When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude."

~G.K. Chesterton

Ease will take you to success faster and more efficiently than struggle.

-- Alan Cohen
The best way to discover what you believe is to hear what you say and then realize how you feel about it.

-- Source unknown

Acting as if your life is good is closer to the truth than acting as if it is not.

-- Alan Cohen

always arrive late at the office, but I make up for it by leaving early."

~Charles Lamb

"Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to work."

~Robert Orben