Team members have to be focused on the collective good of the team. Too often, they focus their attention on their department, their budget, their career aspirations, their egos."
~Patrick Lencioni
"The healthy team recognizes that people are people. We have off days. We make mistakes. We have doubts. We assume too much. We differ. This is where great teams distinguish themselves from all the rest. They see these differences as advantages, not excuses to give up."
~John Murphy
I believe managing is like holding a dove in your hand. If you hold it too tightly you kill it, but if you hold it too loosely, you lose it."
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
good thots
"There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer,
no disease that enough love will not heal, no door that enough love will not open,
no gulf that enough love will not bridge, no wall that enough love will not throw down,
no sin that enough love will not redeem.
It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble,
how great the mistake, sufficient realization of love will resolve it all.
If you could love enough, you would be the happiest and most powerful being in the world."
no disease that enough love will not heal, no door that enough love will not open,
no gulf that enough love will not bridge, no wall that enough love will not throw down,
no sin that enough love will not redeem.
It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble,
how great the mistake, sufficient realization of love will resolve it all.
If you could love enough, you would be the happiest and most powerful being in the world."
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Love is strong yet delicate. It can be broken. To truly love is
to understand this. To be in love is to respect this.
--Stephen Packer
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too.
--Robert Half
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
Nothing is predestined: The obstacles of your past
can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings.
--Ralph Blum
First say to yourself what you would be, and then do what you have to do.
-- Epictetus
Sometimes when things seem to be going wrong, they are going right for reasons you are yet to understand.
-- Alan Cohen
"Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old by deserting their ideals. You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair."
~Douglas MacArthur
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
...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
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
The older I get, the less I pay attention to what people say or think or hope.
I notice what they do, how they Live, and what they work for.
--Robert Fulghum
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
Hope is always available to us. When we feel defeated, we need
only take a deep breath and say, "Yes," and hope will reappear.
--Monroe Forester
"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."
-Jim Rohn
Failure is an event, not a person. So regardless of what happens to you along the way, you must keep on going and doing the right thing in the right way. Then the event becomes a reality of a changed life."
~Zig Ziglar
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
The kinder and more thoughtful a person is, the
more kindness he/she can find in other people.
--Tolstoy
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
Remember every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.
Autograph your work with excellence. --Anonymous
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
Act with courage and dignity; stick to
the ideals that give meaning to life.
--J. Nehru
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter
and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so
you can be all that you were intended to be.
+ Charles "Tremendous" Jones +
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which,
more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.
+ William James +
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
There are no hopeless situations; there are only
people who have grown hopeless about them.
+ Clare Boothe +
The only thing more important than how you spend your money is how you spend your thoughts.
-- Alan Cohen
"When a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it."
~Edgar Watson Howe
"We all have difficulties, challenges, problems to bear. We can't ask someone else to take them from us, for they already have their own. But we can ask them to help us - to share our burdens and trials. And we, in turn, can do the same for them."
~BJ Gallagher
True and Real
By Mac Anderson
You can't fake passion. It is the fuel that drives any dream and makes you happy to be alive. However, the first step to loving what you do is to self analyze, to simply know what you love.
We all have unique talents and interests, and one of life's greatest challenges is to match these talents with career opportunities that bring out the best in us. It's not easy - and sometimes we can only find it through trial and error - but it's worth the effort.
Ray Kroc, for example, found his passion when he founded McDonald's
at the age of 52. He never "worked" another day of his life.
John James Audubon was unsuccessful for most of his life. He was a terrible businessman. No matter how many times he changed locations, changed partners, or changed businesses, he still failed miserably.
Not until he understood that he must change himself did he have any shot at success. And what changes did Audubon make? He followed his passion. He had always loved the outdoors and was an excellent hunter. In addition,
he was a good artist and, as a hobby, would draw local birds.
Once he stopped trying to be a businessman and started doing what he loved to do, his life turned around. He traveled the country observing and drawing birds, and his art ultimately was collected in a book titled Audubon's Birds of America.
The book earned him a place in history as the greatest wildlife artist ever. But more importantly, the work made him happy and provided the peace of mind he'd been seeking all his life.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Kind words do not cost much. They never blister the tongue or lips.
They make other people good-natured. They also produce their own
image on men's souls, and a beautiful image it is.
+ Blaise Pascal +
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can't accomplish it.
You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be
tough enough to follow through.
+ Rosalynn Carter +
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
People think I'm disciplined. It is not discipline.
It is devotion. There is a great difference.
+ Luciano Pavarotti +
By the choices we make, by the attitudes we exhibit, we are influencing lives every day in positive or negative ways...our family, our peers, our friends, and even strangers we've never met before and will never meet again. So when you brush your teeth every morning, look in the mirror and ask yourself...'Are there things I'd like to change?'"
~Mac Anderson
When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.
-- Lao-tzu
"Sometimes there is no evidence that this is the right time to pursue your dream. But by believing in it and acting on that belief, you make your dream possible. Moving forward on what you believe is paramount and creating a new belief is the first step in changing it."
~Marcia Wied
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Other people's opinion of you does not have to become your reality.
--Les Brown
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence,
is the quality that most frequently makes for success.
--Dale Carnegie
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
All of us need to grow continuously in our lives.
--Les Brown
Love is strong yet delicate. It can be broken. To truly love is
to understand this. To be in love is to respect this.
--Stephen Packer
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too.
--Robert Half
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
Nothing is predestined: The obstacles of your past
can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings.
--Ralph Blum
First say to yourself what you would be, and then do what you have to do.
-- Epictetus
Sometimes when things seem to be going wrong, they are going right for reasons you are yet to understand.
-- Alan Cohen
"Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old by deserting their ideals. You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair."
~Douglas MacArthur
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
...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
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
The older I get, the less I pay attention to what people say or think or hope.
I notice what they do, how they Live, and what they work for.
--Robert Fulghum
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
Hope is always available to us. When we feel defeated, we need
only take a deep breath and say, "Yes," and hope will reappear.
--Monroe Forester
"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going."
-Jim Rohn
Failure is an event, not a person. So regardless of what happens to you along the way, you must keep on going and doing the right thing in the right way. Then the event becomes a reality of a changed life."
~Zig Ziglar
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
The kinder and more thoughtful a person is, the
more kindness he/she can find in other people.
--Tolstoy
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
Remember every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it.
Autograph your work with excellence. --Anonymous
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
Act with courage and dignity; stick to
the ideals that give meaning to life.
--J. Nehru
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter
and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so
you can be all that you were intended to be.
+ Charles "Tremendous" Jones +
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which,
more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.
+ William James +
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
There are no hopeless situations; there are only
people who have grown hopeless about them.
+ Clare Boothe +
The only thing more important than how you spend your money is how you spend your thoughts.
-- Alan Cohen
"When a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it."
~Edgar Watson Howe
"We all have difficulties, challenges, problems to bear. We can't ask someone else to take them from us, for they already have their own. But we can ask them to help us - to share our burdens and trials. And we, in turn, can do the same for them."
~BJ Gallagher
True and Real
By Mac Anderson
You can't fake passion. It is the fuel that drives any dream and makes you happy to be alive. However, the first step to loving what you do is to self analyze, to simply know what you love.
We all have unique talents and interests, and one of life's greatest challenges is to match these talents with career opportunities that bring out the best in us. It's not easy - and sometimes we can only find it through trial and error - but it's worth the effort.
Ray Kroc, for example, found his passion when he founded McDonald's
at the age of 52. He never "worked" another day of his life.
John James Audubon was unsuccessful for most of his life. He was a terrible businessman. No matter how many times he changed locations, changed partners, or changed businesses, he still failed miserably.
Not until he understood that he must change himself did he have any shot at success. And what changes did Audubon make? He followed his passion. He had always loved the outdoors and was an excellent hunter. In addition,
he was a good artist and, as a hobby, would draw local birds.
Once he stopped trying to be a businessman and started doing what he loved to do, his life turned around. He traveled the country observing and drawing birds, and his art ultimately was collected in a book titled Audubon's Birds of America.
The book earned him a place in history as the greatest wildlife artist ever. But more importantly, the work made him happy and provided the peace of mind he'd been seeking all his life.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Kind words do not cost much. They never blister the tongue or lips.
They make other people good-natured. They also produce their own
image on men's souls, and a beautiful image it is.
+ Blaise Pascal +
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
If you doubt you can accomplish something, then you can't accomplish it.
You have to have confidence in your ability, and then be
tough enough to follow through.
+ Rosalynn Carter +
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
People think I'm disciplined. It is not discipline.
It is devotion. There is a great difference.
+ Luciano Pavarotti +
By the choices we make, by the attitudes we exhibit, we are influencing lives every day in positive or negative ways...our family, our peers, our friends, and even strangers we've never met before and will never meet again. So when you brush your teeth every morning, look in the mirror and ask yourself...'Are there things I'd like to change?'"
~Mac Anderson
When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you.
-- Lao-tzu
"Sometimes there is no evidence that this is the right time to pursue your dream. But by believing in it and acting on that belief, you make your dream possible. Moving forward on what you believe is paramount and creating a new belief is the first step in changing it."
~Marcia Wied
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Other people's opinion of you does not have to become your reality.
--Les Brown
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence,
is the quality that most frequently makes for success.
--Dale Carnegie
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
All of us need to grow continuously in our lives.
--Les Brown
Saturday, June 26, 2010
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
You know you are in love when you see the world in
her eyes, and her eyes everywhere in the world.
--David Levesque
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
A leader is a dealer in hope.
--Napoleon Bonaparte
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
A coach is someone who tells you what you don't want to hear,
who has you see what you don't want to see, so you can
be who you have always known you could be.
--Tom Landry
Everyone has the power of greatness. Not for fame, but greatness. Because greatness is determined by service."
~Martin Luther King Jr.
You can give away yet still feel filled up. Working for free can be more significant than working for money. To consume less doesn't mean that we live without. Satisfying someone else's needs can be a great source of self-satisfaction. When we befriend our neighbor, we benefit the world. Making the world a better place is a labor of love."
~Matt Emerzian and Kelly Bozza
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
When you are ready to learn a teacher will appear.
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
It is good to have an end to journey toward,
but it is the journey that matters in the end.
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
Sitting quietly, doing nothing, springs come and grass grows by itself
An Excerpt from
Eat That Frog!
by Brian Tracy
The 80/20 Rule is one of the most helpful of all concepts of time and life management. It is also called the "Pareto Principle" after its founder, the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who first wrote about it in 1895. Pareto noticed that people in his society seemed to divide naturally into what he called the "vital few", the top 20 percent in terms of money and influence, and the "trivial many", the bottom 80 percent.
He later discovered that virtually all economic activity was subject to this principle as well. For example, this principle says that 20 percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results, 20 percent of your customers will account for 80 percent of your sales, 20 percent of your products or services will account for 80 percent of your profits, 20 percent of your tasks will account for 80 percent of the value of what you do, and so on. This means that if you have a list of ten items to do, two of those items will turn out to be worth five or ten times or more than the other eight items put together.
Number of Tasks versus Importance of Tasks
Here is an interesting discovery. Each of the ten tasks may take the same amount of time to accomplish. But one or two of those tasks will contribute five or ten times the value of any of the others.
Often, one item on a list of ten tasks that you have to do can be worth more than all the other nine items put together. This task is invariably the frog that you should eat first.
Focus on Activities, Not Accomplishments
The most valuable tasks you can do each day are often the hardest and most complex. But the payoff and rewards for completing these tasks efficiently can be tremendous. For this reason, you must adamantly refuse to work on tasks in the bottom 80 percent while you still have tasks in the top 20 percent left to be done.
Before you begin work, always ask yourself, "Is this task in the top 20 percent of my activities or in the bottom 80 percent?"
The hardest part of any important task is getting started on it in the first place. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you will be naturally motivated to continue. A part of your mind loves to be busy working on significant tasks that can really make a difference. Your job is to feed this part of your mind continually.
Motivate Yourself
Just thinking about starting and finishing an important task motivates you and helps you to overcome procrastination. Time management is really life management, personal management. It is really taking control of the sequence of events. Time management is having control over what you do next. And you are always free to choose the task that you will do next. Your ability to choose between the important and the unimportant is the key determinant of your success in life and work.
Effective, productive people discipline themselves to start on the most important task that is before them. They force themselves to eat that frog, whatever it is. As a result, they accomplish vastly more than the average person and are much happier as a result. This should be your way of working as well.
You know you are in love when you see the world in
her eyes, and her eyes everywhere in the world.
--David Levesque
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
A leader is a dealer in hope.
--Napoleon Bonaparte
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
A coach is someone who tells you what you don't want to hear,
who has you see what you don't want to see, so you can
be who you have always known you could be.
--Tom Landry
Everyone has the power of greatness. Not for fame, but greatness. Because greatness is determined by service."
~Martin Luther King Jr.
You can give away yet still feel filled up. Working for free can be more significant than working for money. To consume less doesn't mean that we live without. Satisfying someone else's needs can be a great source of self-satisfaction. When we befriend our neighbor, we benefit the world. Making the world a better place is a labor of love."
~Matt Emerzian and Kelly Bozza
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
When you are ready to learn a teacher will appear.
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
It is good to have an end to journey toward,
but it is the journey that matters in the end.
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
Sitting quietly, doing nothing, springs come and grass grows by itself
An Excerpt from
Eat That Frog!
by Brian Tracy
The 80/20 Rule is one of the most helpful of all concepts of time and life management. It is also called the "Pareto Principle" after its founder, the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who first wrote about it in 1895. Pareto noticed that people in his society seemed to divide naturally into what he called the "vital few", the top 20 percent in terms of money and influence, and the "trivial many", the bottom 80 percent.
He later discovered that virtually all economic activity was subject to this principle as well. For example, this principle says that 20 percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results, 20 percent of your customers will account for 80 percent of your sales, 20 percent of your products or services will account for 80 percent of your profits, 20 percent of your tasks will account for 80 percent of the value of what you do, and so on. This means that if you have a list of ten items to do, two of those items will turn out to be worth five or ten times or more than the other eight items put together.
Number of Tasks versus Importance of Tasks
Here is an interesting discovery. Each of the ten tasks may take the same amount of time to accomplish. But one or two of those tasks will contribute five or ten times the value of any of the others.
Often, one item on a list of ten tasks that you have to do can be worth more than all the other nine items put together. This task is invariably the frog that you should eat first.
Focus on Activities, Not Accomplishments
The most valuable tasks you can do each day are often the hardest and most complex. But the payoff and rewards for completing these tasks efficiently can be tremendous. For this reason, you must adamantly refuse to work on tasks in the bottom 80 percent while you still have tasks in the top 20 percent left to be done.
Before you begin work, always ask yourself, "Is this task in the top 20 percent of my activities or in the bottom 80 percent?"
The hardest part of any important task is getting started on it in the first place. Once you actually begin work on a valuable task, you will be naturally motivated to continue. A part of your mind loves to be busy working on significant tasks that can really make a difference. Your job is to feed this part of your mind continually.
Motivate Yourself
Just thinking about starting and finishing an important task motivates you and helps you to overcome procrastination. Time management is really life management, personal management. It is really taking control of the sequence of events. Time management is having control over what you do next. And you are always free to choose the task that you will do next. Your ability to choose between the important and the unimportant is the key determinant of your success in life and work.
Effective, productive people discipline themselves to start on the most important task that is before them. They force themselves to eat that frog, whatever it is. As a result, they accomplish vastly more than the average person and are much happier as a result. This should be your way of working as well.
thots to ponder
Excerpt from: Twice as Much in Half the Time,
by Amy JonesWhat does it mean to manage your time (and life) better? Simply put, it means to live your life in such a way that you are able to accomplish more, so that at the end of each day you can realize measurable results and enjoy a sense of fulfillment. This often involves learning to do things differently so that the outcomes are more efficient and effective (and even less time-consuming) than before. After reading from countless resources and speaking to over half a million people on the subject of time management, I have come up with a simple truth. Learning to manage your life and your time isn't rocket science. Anyone can do it! In fact, it is often the simple things you can do that will make profound differences. Sometimes you even have to go backward in order to go forward; so let's go back-to-basics with this example.
First, grab a pencil and paper. Think back to the time you started school, all the way back to kindergarten. One of the first things you learned was how to identify shapes. Next you learned to draw them. On that sheet of paper I want you to do something very simple. Draw one triangle. That was simple, wasn't it? Now, draw as many triangles as you can in twenty seconds. Stop. Count how many you were able to draw. Write down that number. Do you think there might be another way to complete this activity and draw more in less time?
Start at one side of the paper and draw connected W's all the way across the page. Now put a line across the top and the bottom. See how many you can draw in twenty seconds using this method. Wow, that creates a lot of triangles! In only a few seconds you have learned to do this activity more efficiently and effectively in a much shorter amount of time. A seemingly insignificant change can make a significant difference in what can be accomplished in a given amount of time. In fact, you most likely made up to four or five times as many triangles the second time around.
What if you could do four or five times your sales volume by making a simple change? Or what if you could get four or five times as much done each day by making a simple change? Would that work for you?
If so, always be on the lookout for "new" ways to do "old" things, and keep your mind open to using alternative methods and plans of action. This book is filled with simple things that can make a profound difference. Are you ready to learn some new ways to manage your life and your time even better?
Then let's get started!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are two kinds of worries - those you CAN do something about and those you CAN'T. Don't spend any time on the latter."
~Duke Ellington
"The word TIME is composed of only four letters, but if you divide the word you will see that there are two extremely important words inside. They are 'I' and 'Me'... In order to make the best use of your time, in order to do twice as much in half the time, you must take TIME for 'I' and 'Me.' You must make time to recharge and be rejuvenated."
~Amy Jones
Personal growth is not a matter of learning new information but of unlearning old limits.
-- Alan Cohen
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Love is like a mustard seed; planted by God and watered by man
--Muda Saint Michael
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do
and let them surprise you with their results.
--George S. Patton
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
My advice is find fuel in failure. Sometimes failure
gets you closer to where you want to be.
--Michael Jordan
"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."
~Thomas Jefferson
"Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment."
~Mahatma Gandhi
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.
--George Sand
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone.
You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it.
--Elaine Agather
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
When we wake up in the morning, we have two
simple choices: go back to sleep and dream,
or wake up and chase those dreams.
--Author Unknown
Introduction from
No Glass Ceiling, Just Blue Sky
By Marcy BlochowiakWomen. What an extraordinary group of people! We are so good at so many things. If you want to get something done, have a woman do it. We love a challenge. We love showing people we can accomplish so much. We also care deeply about others. We just can't help ourselves. It is part of who we are. We love helping people. We love making a difference. We love laughing and being a part. We love contributing. The bottom line is...WE LOVE LIFE.
We live in a time where people of all backgrounds have a chance to build a great team in business regardless of gender. However, it's not uncommon for women to hit a glass ceiling and never see any blue sky. When I was working as a flight attendant, early in my career, you would think I saw blue sky all the time. What I saw, unfortunately, was a system that was seniority based, not performance based, and I realized my options were limited. I made a decision then and there to become an entrepreneur. In ten short years, at World Financial Group, we have built a great team of thousands around the country using the timeless principles I am going to share with you in this book.
As Peggy Anderson said, "Great women are not considered so because of personal achievements, but for the effect their efforts have had on the lives of countless others. From daring feats of bravery to the understated ways of a compassionate heart, great women possess a common strength of character. Through their passion and persistence, they have advanced womanhood and the world."
I remember early on in my career, I was told by several people, "Don't hire any women. They have too many responsibilities. They have children and husbands and charities, etcetera. They will not be able to put in the time it takes to really make their business work."
I listened to that for a brief time and then I accidentally hired some women. I was ready for all the excuses, but I never heard any. I was also blown away by how much they could get done, and how they were performing better than everyone else in the office. I realized we had a secret weapon. You want your business to grow - HIRE MORE WOMEN!
There have been many "ceilings" in the past pertaining to women. A lot has changed in the last couple of years. Consider these facts based on reports by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Center for Women's Business Research in 2003:
Women-owned businesses are growing at twice the rate of all U.S. firms.
One in every 11 adult women owns a business.
Women entrepreneurs generate nearly $2.3 trillion in revenues to the U.S. economy.
More than 18 million workers are employed by a women business owner.
What does all this mean? WOMEN RULE!
I hope to give all the powerful ladies that read this book some insight on how to move their business forward. With a successful team and business comes freedom. With freedom comes quality of life. And, with quality of life comes the opportunity to make a difference and leave a legacy.
We are only here once and we all want to be remembered.
The true measure of your character is what you would do if you were sure no one would ever find out."
~John Maxwell
"Leaders take risks. That's not to say that they are reckless, because good leaders aren't. But they don't always take the safest route. Rarely can a person break ground and play it safe at the same time. Often, leaders must take others into the unknown, march them off the map. Look at wise leaders who take risks, and you will find that they: Gather information wisely. Risk from strength. Prepare thoroughly. Fail successfully. Display flexibility."
~John Maxwell
You Just Never Know
Author UnknownP
Bill worked in a factory on a production line, he was a big, awkward, homely guy. He dressed oddly with ill-fitting clothes. There were several fellow workers who thought it smart to make fun of him.
P
One day one fellow worker noticed a small tear in his shirt and gave it a small rip. Another worker in the factory added his bit, and before long there was quite a ribbon of cloth dangling. Bill went on about his work and as he passed too near a moving belt the shirt strip was sucked into the machinery. In a split second the sleeve and Bill was in trouble. Alarms were sounded, switches pulled, and trouble was avoided.
P
The foreman then summoned all the workers and related this story:
P
In my younger days I worked in a small factory. That's when I first met Mike. He was big and witty, was always making jokes, and playing little pranks. Mike was a leader. Then there was Peter who was a follower. He always went along with Mike. And then there was a man named Murray. He was a little older than the rest of us - quiet, harmless, apart. He always ate his lunch by himself.
P
He wore the same patched trousers for three years straight. He never entered into the games we played at noon, wrestling, horseshoes and such. He appeared to be indifferent, always sitting quietly alone under a tree instead. Murray was a natural target for practical jokes.
P
He might find a live frog in his lunch box, or a dead spider in his hat. But he always took it in good humour. Then one autumn, when things were quiet in the factory, Mike took off a few days to go hunting. Peter went along, of course. And they promised all of us that if they got anything they'd bring us each a piece.
P
So we were all quite excited when we heard that they'd returned and that Mike had got a really big buck. We heard more than that. Peter could never keep anything to himself, and it leaked out that they had real whopper to play on Murray. Mike had cut up the buck and had made a nice package for each of us. And, for the laugh, for the joke of it, he had saved the ears, the tail, the hoofs - it would be so funny when Murray unwrapped them.
P
Mike distributed his packages during the lunch break. We each got a nice piece, opened it, and thanked him. The biggest package of all he saved until last. It was for Murray. Peter was all but bursting; and Mike looked very smug. Like always, Murray sat by himself; he was on the far side of the big table. Mike pushed the package over to where he could reach it; and we all sat and waited.
P
Murray was never one to say much. You might never know that he was around for all the talking he did. In three years he'd never said more than hundred words. So we were all quite astounded with what happened next. He took the package firmly in his grip and rose slowly to his feet. He smiled broadly at Mike - and it was then we noticed that his eyes were glistening. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down for a moment and then he got control of himself.
P
'I knew you wouldn't forget me,' he said gratefully, 'I knew you'd come through! You're big and you're playful, but I knew all along that you had a good heart.'
P
He swallowed again, and then took in the rest of us. 'I know I haven't seemed too chummy with you men; but I never meant to be rude. You see, I've got nine kids at home - and a wife that's been an invalid - bedridden now for four years. She ain't ever going to get any better. And sometimes when she's real bad off, I have to sit up all night to take care of her. And most of my wages have had to go for doctors and medicine.
P
The kids do all they can to help out, but at times it's been hard to keep food in their mouths. Maybe you think it's funny that I go off by myself to eat my lunch. Well, I guess I've been a little ashamed, because I don't always have anything between my sandwich. Or like today - maybe there's only a raw turnip in my lunch box. But I want you to know that this meat really means a lot to me. Maybe more than to anybody here because tonight my kids' ... as he wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand ... 'tonight my kids will have a really good meal.'
P
He tugged at the string. We'd been watching Murray so intently we hadn't paid much notice to Mike and Peter. But we all noticed them now, because they both tried to grab the package. But they were too late. Murray had broken the wrapper and was already surveying his present. He examined each hoof, each ear, and then he held up the tail. It wiggled limply. It should have been so funny, but nobody laughed - nobody at all.
P
But the hardest part was when Murray looked up and said 'Thank you' while trying to smile. Silently one by one each man moved forward carrying his package and quietly placed it in front of Murray for they had suddenly realised how little their own gift had really meant to them, until now.
P
This was where the foreman left the story and the men. He didn't need to say any more; but it was gratifying to notice that as each man ate his lunch that day, they shared part with Bill and one fellow even took off his shirt and gave it to him.
P
THINK, BE KIND ALWAYS...YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHAT SOMEONE IS FACING IN THEIR LIVES!
by Amy JonesWhat does it mean to manage your time (and life) better? Simply put, it means to live your life in such a way that you are able to accomplish more, so that at the end of each day you can realize measurable results and enjoy a sense of fulfillment. This often involves learning to do things differently so that the outcomes are more efficient and effective (and even less time-consuming) than before. After reading from countless resources and speaking to over half a million people on the subject of time management, I have come up with a simple truth. Learning to manage your life and your time isn't rocket science. Anyone can do it! In fact, it is often the simple things you can do that will make profound differences. Sometimes you even have to go backward in order to go forward; so let's go back-to-basics with this example.
First, grab a pencil and paper. Think back to the time you started school, all the way back to kindergarten. One of the first things you learned was how to identify shapes. Next you learned to draw them. On that sheet of paper I want you to do something very simple. Draw one triangle. That was simple, wasn't it? Now, draw as many triangles as you can in twenty seconds. Stop. Count how many you were able to draw. Write down that number. Do you think there might be another way to complete this activity and draw more in less time?
Start at one side of the paper and draw connected W's all the way across the page. Now put a line across the top and the bottom. See how many you can draw in twenty seconds using this method. Wow, that creates a lot of triangles! In only a few seconds you have learned to do this activity more efficiently and effectively in a much shorter amount of time. A seemingly insignificant change can make a significant difference in what can be accomplished in a given amount of time. In fact, you most likely made up to four or five times as many triangles the second time around.
What if you could do four or five times your sales volume by making a simple change? Or what if you could get four or five times as much done each day by making a simple change? Would that work for you?
If so, always be on the lookout for "new" ways to do "old" things, and keep your mind open to using alternative methods and plans of action. This book is filled with simple things that can make a profound difference. Are you ready to learn some new ways to manage your life and your time even better?
Then let's get started!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are two kinds of worries - those you CAN do something about and those you CAN'T. Don't spend any time on the latter."
~Duke Ellington
"The word TIME is composed of only four letters, but if you divide the word you will see that there are two extremely important words inside. They are 'I' and 'Me'... In order to make the best use of your time, in order to do twice as much in half the time, you must take TIME for 'I' and 'Me.' You must make time to recharge and be rejuvenated."
~Amy Jones
Personal growth is not a matter of learning new information but of unlearning old limits.
-- Alan Cohen
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
Love is like a mustard seed; planted by God and watered by man
--Muda Saint Michael
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do
and let them surprise you with their results.
--George S. Patton
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
My advice is find fuel in failure. Sometimes failure
gets you closer to where you want to be.
--Michael Jordan
"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on."
~Thomas Jefferson
"Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment."
~Mahatma Gandhi
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved.
--George Sand
LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS
The leadership instinct you are born with is the backbone.
You develop the funny bone and the wishbone that go with it.
--Elaine Agather
INSPIRATION & MOTIVATION
When we wake up in the morning, we have two
simple choices: go back to sleep and dream,
or wake up and chase those dreams.
--Author Unknown
Introduction from
No Glass Ceiling, Just Blue Sky
By Marcy BlochowiakWomen. What an extraordinary group of people! We are so good at so many things. If you want to get something done, have a woman do it. We love a challenge. We love showing people we can accomplish so much. We also care deeply about others. We just can't help ourselves. It is part of who we are. We love helping people. We love making a difference. We love laughing and being a part. We love contributing. The bottom line is...WE LOVE LIFE.
We live in a time where people of all backgrounds have a chance to build a great team in business regardless of gender. However, it's not uncommon for women to hit a glass ceiling and never see any blue sky. When I was working as a flight attendant, early in my career, you would think I saw blue sky all the time. What I saw, unfortunately, was a system that was seniority based, not performance based, and I realized my options were limited. I made a decision then and there to become an entrepreneur. In ten short years, at World Financial Group, we have built a great team of thousands around the country using the timeless principles I am going to share with you in this book.
As Peggy Anderson said, "Great women are not considered so because of personal achievements, but for the effect their efforts have had on the lives of countless others. From daring feats of bravery to the understated ways of a compassionate heart, great women possess a common strength of character. Through their passion and persistence, they have advanced womanhood and the world."
I remember early on in my career, I was told by several people, "Don't hire any women. They have too many responsibilities. They have children and husbands and charities, etcetera. They will not be able to put in the time it takes to really make their business work."
I listened to that for a brief time and then I accidentally hired some women. I was ready for all the excuses, but I never heard any. I was also blown away by how much they could get done, and how they were performing better than everyone else in the office. I realized we had a secret weapon. You want your business to grow - HIRE MORE WOMEN!
There have been many "ceilings" in the past pertaining to women. A lot has changed in the last couple of years. Consider these facts based on reports by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Center for Women's Business Research in 2003:
Women-owned businesses are growing at twice the rate of all U.S. firms.
One in every 11 adult women owns a business.
Women entrepreneurs generate nearly $2.3 trillion in revenues to the U.S. economy.
More than 18 million workers are employed by a women business owner.
What does all this mean? WOMEN RULE!
I hope to give all the powerful ladies that read this book some insight on how to move their business forward. With a successful team and business comes freedom. With freedom comes quality of life. And, with quality of life comes the opportunity to make a difference and leave a legacy.
We are only here once and we all want to be remembered.
The true measure of your character is what you would do if you were sure no one would ever find out."
~John Maxwell
"Leaders take risks. That's not to say that they are reckless, because good leaders aren't. But they don't always take the safest route. Rarely can a person break ground and play it safe at the same time. Often, leaders must take others into the unknown, march them off the map. Look at wise leaders who take risks, and you will find that they: Gather information wisely. Risk from strength. Prepare thoroughly. Fail successfully. Display flexibility."
~John Maxwell
You Just Never Know
Author UnknownP
Bill worked in a factory on a production line, he was a big, awkward, homely guy. He dressed oddly with ill-fitting clothes. There were several fellow workers who thought it smart to make fun of him.
P
One day one fellow worker noticed a small tear in his shirt and gave it a small rip. Another worker in the factory added his bit, and before long there was quite a ribbon of cloth dangling. Bill went on about his work and as he passed too near a moving belt the shirt strip was sucked into the machinery. In a split second the sleeve and Bill was in trouble. Alarms were sounded, switches pulled, and trouble was avoided.
P
The foreman then summoned all the workers and related this story:
P
In my younger days I worked in a small factory. That's when I first met Mike. He was big and witty, was always making jokes, and playing little pranks. Mike was a leader. Then there was Peter who was a follower. He always went along with Mike. And then there was a man named Murray. He was a little older than the rest of us - quiet, harmless, apart. He always ate his lunch by himself.
P
He wore the same patched trousers for three years straight. He never entered into the games we played at noon, wrestling, horseshoes and such. He appeared to be indifferent, always sitting quietly alone under a tree instead. Murray was a natural target for practical jokes.
P
He might find a live frog in his lunch box, or a dead spider in his hat. But he always took it in good humour. Then one autumn, when things were quiet in the factory, Mike took off a few days to go hunting. Peter went along, of course. And they promised all of us that if they got anything they'd bring us each a piece.
P
So we were all quite excited when we heard that they'd returned and that Mike had got a really big buck. We heard more than that. Peter could never keep anything to himself, and it leaked out that they had real whopper to play on Murray. Mike had cut up the buck and had made a nice package for each of us. And, for the laugh, for the joke of it, he had saved the ears, the tail, the hoofs - it would be so funny when Murray unwrapped them.
P
Mike distributed his packages during the lunch break. We each got a nice piece, opened it, and thanked him. The biggest package of all he saved until last. It was for Murray. Peter was all but bursting; and Mike looked very smug. Like always, Murray sat by himself; he was on the far side of the big table. Mike pushed the package over to where he could reach it; and we all sat and waited.
P
Murray was never one to say much. You might never know that he was around for all the talking he did. In three years he'd never said more than hundred words. So we were all quite astounded with what happened next. He took the package firmly in his grip and rose slowly to his feet. He smiled broadly at Mike - and it was then we noticed that his eyes were glistening. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down for a moment and then he got control of himself.
P
'I knew you wouldn't forget me,' he said gratefully, 'I knew you'd come through! You're big and you're playful, but I knew all along that you had a good heart.'
P
He swallowed again, and then took in the rest of us. 'I know I haven't seemed too chummy with you men; but I never meant to be rude. You see, I've got nine kids at home - and a wife that's been an invalid - bedridden now for four years. She ain't ever going to get any better. And sometimes when she's real bad off, I have to sit up all night to take care of her. And most of my wages have had to go for doctors and medicine.
P
The kids do all they can to help out, but at times it's been hard to keep food in their mouths. Maybe you think it's funny that I go off by myself to eat my lunch. Well, I guess I've been a little ashamed, because I don't always have anything between my sandwich. Or like today - maybe there's only a raw turnip in my lunch box. But I want you to know that this meat really means a lot to me. Maybe more than to anybody here because tonight my kids' ... as he wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand ... 'tonight my kids will have a really good meal.'
P
He tugged at the string. We'd been watching Murray so intently we hadn't paid much notice to Mike and Peter. But we all noticed them now, because they both tried to grab the package. But they were too late. Murray had broken the wrapper and was already surveying his present. He examined each hoof, each ear, and then he held up the tail. It wiggled limply. It should have been so funny, but nobody laughed - nobody at all.
P
But the hardest part was when Murray looked up and said 'Thank you' while trying to smile. Silently one by one each man moved forward carrying his package and quietly placed it in front of Murray for they had suddenly realised how little their own gift had really meant to them, until now.
P
This was where the foreman left the story and the men. He didn't need to say any more; but it was gratifying to notice that as each man ate his lunch that day, they shared part with Bill and one fellow even took off his shirt and gave it to him.
P
THINK, BE KIND ALWAYS...YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHAT SOMEONE IS FACING IN THEIR LIVES!
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