Posted 8/28/2003 by Josh Hinds

Become A Good Observer
By Jim Rohn

We must never allow a day to pass without finding the answers to a list of important questions such as: What is going on in our industry? What new challenges are currently facing our government? Our community? Our neighborhood?

What are the new breakthroughs, the new opportunities, the new tools and techniques that have recently come to light? Who are the new personalities that are influencing world and local opinion?

We must become good observers and astute evaluators of all that is going on around us. All events affect us, and what affects us leaves an imprint on what we will one day be and how we will one day live.

One of the major reasons why people are not doing well is because they keep trying to get through the day. A more worthy challenge is to try to get from the day. We must become sensitive enough to observe and ponder what is happening around us. Be alert. Be awake. Let life and all of its subtle messages touch us.

Often, the most extraordinary opportunities are hidden among the seemingly insignificant events of life. If we do not pay attention to these events, we can easily miss the opportunities.

So be a good observer of both life and the world around you.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
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Article by Jim Rohn - Announcing a Very Special Invitation - The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan! One of the most comprehensive resources and success plans ever created for you to reach all of your goals in the next 12 months! For details and/or to take advantage of the special introductory offer go here. Also sign up for the weekly Jim Rohn ezine while you're there.

Posted 8/27/2003 by Josh Hinds

On Human Relations
By Zig Ziglar

Abraham Lincoln, truly one of our greatest presidents, had a rather unique approach in trying a case when he was a practicing attorney. He went to great lengths to learn everything he could about what the attorney for the "other side" would say.

Then, in his arguments, Lincoln would do a superb job of presenting the case from his opponent's side of the table. On occasion, the attorney for the other side would make the observation that Lincoln had presented the opposition's case better than he could have.

Perhaps you wonder why he took such an approach. First, he wanted to be fair. Second, he wanted to win the case if he believed his client was right. Needless to say, Lincoln then presented his own side with more fervor, facts, and reasons why his side was the right side.

By using this procedure, Lincoln completely robbed the opposition of anything to say and built his own case in a stronger manner.

He also wove in more humor and homespun stories when he presented his case. Most people, including jurors, like and trust those who give them cause to smile and who bring homespun logic to the table.

What Lincoln did was simple. He practiced great human relations and used his abundant common sense. He wanted right to prevail and when he presented his case, as a general rule, the right side did win. Think about it.

Take Lincoln's approach and I'll see you at the top!
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Zig Ziglar offers a weekly newsletter filled with more of his inspiring stories as well as practical ideas to help you in the areas of sales, marketing, customer service, and related topics. You can join the Zig Ziglar Newsletter by going to http://www.zigziglar.com

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FREE Tape - find out how you can tap your natural ability to let go of any unwanted feeling on the spot... Click here!

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Principles For Communicating With People
By Nido Qubein

(1) All People are motivated. We cannot motivate them. We can only guide them by their motivations.

(2) People do things for their own reasons; not for yours or mine. Show people what they want and they will move heaven and earth to get it.

(3) People change because of pain. When the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing, people will change.

(4) The key to all effective communication is identification. When something becomes personal, it becomes interesting.

(5) The best way to get people to pay attention to you is to pay attention to them. Little things mean a lot.

(6) Pride is a powerful motivator. Everybody is proud of something.

(7) You cannot change people; only their behaviors. Attack the behavior; not the person.

(8) The worker's perception becomes the supervisor's reality. What they see is what you get.

(9) You consistently get the behaviors you consistently expect and reinforce. Reinforcement can be positive or negative.

(10) We all judge ourselves by our motives; but we judge others by their actions. Any of us can do anything we can convince ourselves we are justified in doing.
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Nido is a keynote speaker, seminar leader, corporate consultant, successful businessman and author of many books and cassette learning systems. He is a high-energy performer who will inform, entertain and inspire your group. Learn more at
http://www.nidoqubein.com

Posted 8/26/2003 by Josh Hinds

The "Acid Test" Of Listening
by Brian Tracy

Paraphrase Your Customer's Words

The customer is only sure that you have been listening when you paraphrase what the prospect has said and feed it back in your own words. This is where the rubber meets the road in effective listening.

This is where you demonstrate in no uncertain terms to the prospect that your listening has been real and sincere. This is where you show the prospect that you were paying complete attention to what he or she was saying. Paraphrasing is how you prove it.

Question For Clarification

When the prospect has finished explaining his or her situation to you, and you have paused, and then questioned for clarification, you paraphrase the prospects primary thoughts and concerns, and feed them back to him or her in your own words.

Use The Right Words

For example, you might say, "Let me make sure I understand exactly what you are saying. It sounds to me like you are concerned about two things more than anything else, and that in the past you have had a couple of experiences that have made you very careful in approaching a decision of this kind."

Feed It Back Accurately

You then go on to feed back to the prospect exactly what he or she has told you, pausing and questioning for clarification as you go, until the customer says words to the effect of, "Yes, that's it! You've got it exactly."

Earn The Right To Sell

Only when you and the customer completed a thorough "examination" and have mutually agreed on the "diagnosis" you are in a position to begin talking to the customer about your product or service.

In general terms, this means that you can not pull out your brochures and price lists and begin telling the customer how your product or service can solve his problems or achieve his goals until about seventy percent of the way through the sales conversation.

Until then, you have not yet earned the right. Until then, you don't even know enough to begin an intelligent presentation without embarrassing yourself.

Be A Good Listener

The more and better you listen, the more and better people will like you, trust you and want to do business with you. The more they will want to get involved with you as a person and the more popular you will be with them.

Excellent listeners are welcome everywhere, in every walk of life, and they eventually and ultimately arrive at the top of their fields.

Action Exercises

Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, remember that your first job in the sale is to get the customer to like you and believe that you understand his situation. Paraphrasing is the way you accomplish this.

Second, be sure that the customer agrees with you completely when you feed back his concerns to him. Only then can you really start selling.
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Brian Tracy is one of the world's leading authorities on personal and business success. His fast-moving talks and seminars on leadership, sales, managerial effectiveness and business strategy are loaded with powerful, proven ideas and strategies that people can apply immediately to get better results in every area. Visit Brian's web site and take advantage of his complimentary audio program offer - 21 Success Secrets Of Self Made Millionaires, or 21 Great Ways To Manage Your Time And Double Your Productivity.

Posted 8/19/2003 by Josh Hinds

Take Yourself to the Top!
By Chris Widener

Everybody wants to get to the top, whether it is the top of a career, a company, the earnings scale, or the many other ways that we as individuals can define the "top" in our own lives!

But with so many people trying to get to the top, how come so many people aren't moving up? I think there are some fundamental reasons why. Reasons that can be addressed and changed!

What are some things you can do to get to the top? Here are some thoughts for you this week!

First of all, define what the "top" means for you. This is extremely important because if you don't know where you are going, you will never get there! Some people don't want to be the CEO of the company. In fact, many think they are better off then the CEO even though they don't make as much money.

Instead, they think they are at the top because of less stress, weekends with their families, etc, and I see their point. It doesn't matter what others think is the top, only what you do, since you are only gauging whether or not YOU get there! So where is it for you? That is the first question for you to answer.

Be passionate about your goal. Passion is the energy that drives us, or, as Alexander Pope said, passions are the "gales of life." Passion is the wind in the sales of work. Find some thing you love and you will find something you can get to the top of.

If you don't love it, you may still make it to the top, though highly unlikely. And even if you do, there will be no joy. Let your passion carry you, because it will carry you far! Thomas Fuller put it this way: A man with passion rides a horse that runs away with him.

The will to continue in the face of hardship. Another reason most will not get to the top is because they simply refuse to scale the mountains of hardship that separate them from the top. If you want to get to the beautiful view from the top, you will have to climb over any obstacles.

Instead, many choose to stay at base camp! One would think that Bjorn Borg, one of the greatest tennis players to ever live, would consider his skill his greatest asset. Instead, this is what he says, "My greatest point is my persistence. I never give up in a match.

However down I am, I fight until the last ball. My list of matches shows that I have turned a great many so-called irretrievable defeats into victories."

Continue until you get to the top!

Love people and treat them right. What? Love people? That's right! Why? Because if you are going to get to the top, you are going to need other people. Be a jerk and you will find people dragging their feet on you. Treat them right and you will find them helping you and even cheering you on!

Master the appropriate skills. Average skills will get you to the middle. Top skills will get you to the TOP! This is most assuredly true when combined with the points above. Are you achieving excellence in the skills you need? Are you growing day by day, month by month, year by year?

You can always get better and getting better will take you closer to the top! Even if you only improve a little, you can keep improving that small amount and it will eventually become a big amount! Demand the best from yourself and you will get to the top.

Remember the words of Jose Ortega y Gasset: "We distinguish the excellent man from the common man by saying that the former is the one who makes great demands on himself, and the latter who makes no demands on himself."

Define the Top
Be Passionate
Persevere
Love others
Skill Mastery!

These will take you to the top!
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Chris Widener is a popular speaker and writer as well as the President of Made for Success, a company helping individuals and organizations turn their potential into performance, and succeed in every area of their lives and achieve their dreams. Visit his web site and take advantage of the many resources available there -- while you're there be sure to take advantage of his newsletters.

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Step Back And Gain A New Perspective
By Michael Angier

I've owned several businesses in my career. As I transitioned from one to another, I always tried to review the experience to see what I could learn from it. I asked the question,--What Worked, What Didn't, and What's Next?"

As I performed these business autopsies, I made notes about what I would have done differently. Sometimes I grew too fast,sometimes too slowly. I entered into contracts that weren't always prudent, spent too much money in some areas and not enough in others. I was often undercapitalized. I also noted the things I thought we did well. And I learned from it all.

But the ONE THING I always wrote down that I would change was this: I would take more time off. Not just to play and relax--although I would have done that, too--but to gain a higher perspective.

What I would have done in every single business I've ever owned would be to step back away from the business--to work ON the business as opposed to working just IN the business.

We all need to gain a better perspective than we can get from working down in the trenches. By getting out of our workday environment and asking elegant questions, we can see better where we are and where we're going.

Because of our economic times and the rapid rate of change, it's even more important to make sure our ladders are leaning against the right walls. Getting away is the best way to do this.

You can do it alone, but I find it works better if you can do it with someone else. Even two people can brainstorm problems, ask questions and look for unexploited opportunities.

A half- or full-day retreat with your staff can re-energize you and the entire team. It's a good change of pace, it let's them know what's going on, and it gives you a chance to refocus everyone on the objectives and principles that matter most.

I like to ask: If I were starting today, how would I do it differently? What would I do that we're not doing now? What could we STOP doing that's unnecessary?

All too often we find ourselves doing tasks that have lost their value or meaning. By eliminating those things that aren't working very well or producing only minimal results, we free up time and energy to do the things that truly further our intentions.

This kind of thinking isn't always easy, but it's a lot easier than trying to do it while going about our day-to-day job.

By taking a break and really looking objectively at our business we can better understand what and why we're doing things. We can make better choices, become more profitable and enjoy the process more.

Schedule your mini-retreat today. Start making notes about what you want to focus on--questions that will provide more insight, elegant choices and solutions. You won't regret it.

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Copyright Success Networks International. Part of Success Net's mission is to position you for success. Free subscriptions, eCourses, memberships, eBooks and SuccessMark Cards available at their web site.

Posted 8/14/2003 by Josh Hinds

Harry Houdini and The Great Escape
By Rebecca Fine

As a fan of old advertising, I found it intriguing that a 1912 advertising poster sold not long ago for the amazing sum of $47,464.

Although its worth had been estimated to be somewhere between $17,700 and $21,000, the price soared because this particular advertising-as-art featured the magician, illusionist, and escape artist known the world over as Harry Houdini.

Now as a child I was fascinated by Houdini and fondly remember reading his memoirs, in which he revealed many of his secrets for escaping from prisons, submerged trunks, bank vaults, and so on.

For example, in one of his most famous and spectacular feats, he broke out of Scotland Yard, even though one of the conditions of the challenge was that he be allowed NO clothing whatsoever -- in order to keep him from concealing tools or keys.

So how did he do it?

Quite simple, really. Using a razor blade, he cut a small, invisible slit in a heavy callous on his heel. Under this tiny flap of hardened skin, he concealed a small piece of watch spring.

Then, once he was alone, he used this little strip of metal to pick all the locks. He then tossed the tool away and walked out!

Now I'm about to get to the point (yes, I do have one!), but first I need to tell you just one more Houdini escape story.

Looking to capitalize on Houdini's immense popularity and fame, a London bank challenged him to break out of their vault with its new, state-of-the-art locking system. They were CERTAIN that even the great Houdini would finally meet his match.

Houdini accepted, and on the appointed date, the press turned out in droves to see if the master could get out in the three and a half minutes allotted.

This time he got to keep his clothes on. But he had another trick up his sleeve! His contracts always specified that before he disappeared into the trunk or cell or behind a small curtain (when performing on a stage), he could kiss his wife. After all, many of his feats were seriously dangerous, so who could refuse the couple what might turn out to be their last goodbye?

But what no one knew was that he was getting more than a kiss! As their lips met, his wife would secretly pass a small piece of wire from her mouth to his. Then, once he was alone or hidden behind the curtain, he'd use the wire to pick the locks.

This time out, though, the wire didn't seem to be doing the trick. Here's what Houdini wrote about that experience ...

"After one solid minute, I didn't hear any of the familiar clicking sounds. I thought, my gosh, this could ruin my career, I'm at the pinnacle of fame, and the press is all here.

"After two minutes, I was beginning to sweat profusely because I was not getting this lock picked.

"After three minutes of failure, with thirty seconds left, I inadvertently reached into my pocket to get a handkerchief and dry my hands and forehead, and when I did, I leaned against the vault door and it creaked open."

And there you have it, my friend. The door was never locked! But because Harry BELIEVED it to be locked, it might as well have been. Only the "accident" of leaning on the door changed that belief and saved his career.

It's the same way with all of us. The things we believe to be insurpassable barriers, obstacles, and problems are just like the bank vault door. The only lock is in our minds, and as long as we simply believe that we CAN'T, well, we can't.

But when we give the door a push we can be amazed to find that not only is the door not locked to us, there's really no door at all, just the illusion of one.

We can all be master magicians. All we have to do is face whatever barrier seems to be looming before us, then take the first step, give the door a shove.

The biggest obstacles are the ones we have created ourselves in our minds, and when we give our focus, faith, and feeling to them, THEY become our vision -- and then they become real.

In his amazing forgotten classic from 1910, The Science of Getting Rich, author Wallace Wattles advises us that "You cannot retain a true and clear vision of wealth if you are constantly turning your attention to opposing pictures, either external or imaginary."

And he offers this encouragement, too: "No matter how tremendous an obstruction may appear at a distance, you will find that if you continue in the certain way, it will disappear as you approach it -- or that a way over, through, or around it will appear."

What SEEMINGLY locked door is towering before you today, keeping you from your heart's desire?

Gentle Reader, continue in the "certain way" outlined in The Science of Getting Rich, and watch YOUR bank vault doors swing open or disappear entirely.

Like "magic!"
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Rebecca Fine is the founder of The Science of Getting Rich Network where you can download your complimentary copy of the amazing 1910 forgotten classic, The Science of Getting Rich.
(c)2001 Certain Way Productions.

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Negative Thinking Never Helps
By Jeff Keller

I've never had someone come up to me and say, "I'm always negative and it's working out great for me. I can't wait to get up in the morning!" And yet, positive thinking still has its skeptics.

Some people tell me that positive thinking doesn't work or that it's "unrealistic," especially in today's turbulent world.

"Look around you," they say. "How can you be so positive?" Well, let me ask you this: can the world be lifted out of negativity by adding MORE negativity?

The truth is, there are certain things that negative thinking will do for you. It will make you sick. It will make you very unpleasant to be around. And, it will significantly limit what you can achieve.

Let's take a closer look at why negative thinking doesn't serve us. For starters, we all operate under the Law of Dominant Thought. Simply stated, we're always moving in the direction of our dominant thoughts.

Most of us have heard about the "self-fulfilling prophecy" - that we get what we expect in life. Expect negative results and, sure enough, you'll produce negative results.

As I'm sure you've found, negative thinking also causes you to feel more stress and to have less energy. Scientific studies have demonstrated that negativity weakens your immune system. How many times have you gotten sick during a stressful period in your life?

If you're still not convinced about the effects of being negative, take out a sheet of paper and write down your list of all the benefits you're getting from negative thinking. I think your list is going to be very short, if you come up with anything at all.

Let me make an important distinction here. It's quite natural for a person to feel sad in response to a tragedy or the death of a loved one. There's a period of loss and grieving that differs for each individual, and we don't expect a grief stricken person to be positive in the short run.

However, even a person in that situation will not be served by holding onto their negative thoughts indefinitely. (By the way, if you've suffered some trauma or have had a difficult time releasing negative thinking, by all means get counseling. That's not a sign of weakness. It's a constructive step to help you move forward in your life.)

Doing What Comes Naturally

From everything I've observed, babies are naturally positive. They're usually smiling and seem to be enjoying life. I haven't met any negative, frowning babies. That's why I don't buy the argument that negative thinking is just natural.

Those who think negatively do so out of habit. They have conditioned themselves to think that way. In Western societies in particular, we've developed the tendency to focus on minor irritations, even though these annoyances are only a tiny part of our overall lives. We tend to focus on the 5% of our lives that are going "wrong"... instead of the 95% going well.

We'll sigh and tell everyone about the traffic jam or flat tire on the way to work. Yet, we'll never comment about the miracle of our existence - the billions of cells in our body that somehow allow our brain to function, our heart to pump blood or our eyes to see.

We don't appreciate that we have enough food to eat or that we have a roof over our heads, while there are millions of people who don't have these gifts. It's no wonder that so many people think negatively.

The newspaper is filled with negative news. Television and radio reports dwell on tragedies and crimes. How often do you read or hear about people helping each other or doing something positive? Hardly ever. If you do nothing to counteract this bombardment of negativity, you're going to think negatively.

At any time, however, you could take control of this situation. You could stop watching and listening to all of the negative news and read something positive instead. You could limit your contact with "toxic" people and make sure your life is filled with positive inputs.

If you did that, your "natural" inclination would switch and you'd begin to think positively.

Quick Mental Exercises

I'll show you that you have much more control over your thinking than you might believe. Try this experiment. Right now, think about your favorite movie. You might even get a picture in your mind of your favorite scene in that movie.

Now, let's think about your favorite meal. What is it? A fresh salad ... a juicy steak ... grilled salmon? Whatever it is, just think about it. Now that your mouth is watering, let's move on. Think about being out in a snowstorm, with two feet of snow on the ground. Can you see the snow and feel the cold on your toes?

In each case, you were able to control what you thought about. You could shift your thinking in an instant. It has been said that positive thinking is harmful because optimistic people ignore things that can go wrong or are easily duped and taken advantage of.

In other words, if you expect the sun to be shining all the time, you're just naive and are sure to be disappointed. But positive thinking doesn't mean that you ignore reality or refuse to consider the obstacles that might arise. On the contrary, the positive person expects a positive outcome but prepares for overcoming obstacles.

For example, if a positive person is planning an outdoor wedding, he or she won't use the power of positive thinking to make sure it doesn't rain on the big day. Rather, a positive person is prepared with contingency plans, focusing on things that she can directly control, such as having a tent available in case it does rain.

By this point, I hope that you're receptive to the idea that negative thinking won't help us. So, the question is: how can we change our thinking to become more positive? The answer, simply stated, is that you must change what goes into your mind every day.

Start by eliminating as many of the negative inputs as possible. While you can listen to the news for a few minutes to catch the important headlines, there is no need to hear reports of the same murders and bombings over and over each day. At the same time, replace the negative inputs with positive stimuli.

Read positive materials on a daily basis. Listen to positive audio tapes or CDs, or to music that inspires or relaxes you.

Here's another technique: monitor your everyday language. When you find yourself beginning to complain or talk negatively, switch immediately to something positive. Say something like, "I really have so much to be grateful for" and start listing some of those things.

Condition yourself to focus on constructive solutions to challenges, rather than harping on problems or fretting about things outside of your control. Make a commitment for the next 30 days. Think about what you want instead of what you don't want.

Think about what you're grateful for rather than what you believe is missing in your life. Saturate your mind with the positive. After 30 days, you can then decide whether to keep focusing on the positive or to revert to your negative thinking pattern. I think I know which one you'll choose!

-- Jeff Keller
(c) Attitude is Everything, Inc.
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Jeff Keller is a motivational speaker and author of the best-selling book, Attitude is Everything. He recently released a new audio program called "Success from Soup to Nuts". For more information about his motivational presentations and resources, go to http://www.attitudeiseverything.com

Posted 8/09/2003 by Josh Hinds

** We just added another in our series of Focus On Success Interviews -- with Keynote & motivational speaker Mary Bryant. I know you're going to love it! ... Josh Hinds :-)

Posted 8/07/2003 by Josh Hinds

Choosing Sides
By Zig Ziglar

One of my favorite stories concerns a young lad who was confronted by three bullies with violence in mind. Quickly the little guy drew a line on the ground, stepped back several feet, looked the biggest bully in the eye and said, "Now, you just step over that line."

Confidently, the big bully stepped over the line, preparing to commit mayhem on the little guy. Quickly the little fellow grinned and said, "Now we're both on the same side." Physically, they were both on the same side. But emotionally they were still some little distance apart.

The smaller boy improved his chances of getting on the same side emotionally by his touch of wit and wisdom. This is an excellent combination to diffuse most crisis situations and represents a major step in solving whatever problems exist.

There are several lessons parents, managers and educators can learn from this little vignette. First, whether it is a parent/child, management/labor or teacher/student situation, both really are on the same side and the best way for either side to win is for both sides to win.

Second, a sense of humor can be very helpful in removing communications barriers by revealing your human side and establishing rapport.

Third, sometimes it's necessary for the big bully (the person in authority) to move to the other side of the table (across the line). This lets associates, children or employees clearly understand that they really are on the same side and open to listening to ideas from both sides of that line.

The fourth message is that it is always important to maintain our perspective by being open and fair-minded as we look at life from the other person's perspective. Think about it and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!
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Zig Ziglar offers a weekly newsletter filled with more of his inspiring stories as well as practical ideas to help you in the areas of sales, marketing, customer service, and related topics. You can subscribe to the Zig Ziglar Newsletter by visiting http://www.zigziglar.com

** Learn more about Zig’s popular book Staying Up, Up, Up In A Down, Down World.

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Your 168 Hours
By Rhoberta Shaler

In every week you have 168 hours to use as you wish. Do you really know how you spend them? A general idea of what you do with your time is not nearly as instructional as a clear understanding. Here is an exercise to help you clarify.

Take a letter-size piece of paper and draw a large circle on it. To the right of the circle, write these words in a vertical list: family, career, grooming, sleep, exercise, driving, community, household, recreation, time alone... add any that are important to you.

Now, beside each item, put the number of hours in an average week that you spend on it. When you are done, change those numbers into a percentage of your 168 hours/week. Now, to really make an impact, make a pie graph in the circle of the ways you spend your time.

If, by any chance, you simply read the above paragraph without doing the exercise, and are now reading this, STOP! Nothing changes until you do. If you do not know how you spend your time, you will not receive the full benefit of the ideas in this article.

It is not enough to be saying to yourself, "I know that I need more time for ______." If that is so this exercise will help you find it.

Please, won't you go back and make the chart now? (This may be one of the ways you short-change yourself in your daily life. You may not give yourself time to do the good and beneficial things that you know would improve your life.

Is that a pattern for you?) Once you have your pie divided, ask yourself if the graph well represents the importance of each item to you at this time in your life.

You may have to have quite a conversation with yourself to determine this. Remember, there are not any right answers... just right answers for you!

If you find that your graph fits your priorities, you will be experiencing contentment. If not, you may want to make some adjustments.

ALWAYS REMEMBER----WHAT YOU PAY ATTENTION TO EXPANDS!
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Rhoberta Shaler, PhD speaks for corporations, conferences, and conventions on 'People Skills for Sustainable Success'. Dr. Shaler trains & coaches groups and individuals to improve workplace relationships, manage conflict and anger, and to build and strengthen teams. She will engage, inform and motivate your people to shift from acceptable to exceptional. Go to her web site.

Posted 8/02/2003 by Josh Hinds

** I've just added a new Focus On Success Interview with entrpreneur & peak performance expert John Assaraf. In the interview he shares the same success principles that have allowed him to lead the life of his dreams -- which includes building one company with over 1400 sales associates that sell over 4 billion a year in real-estate... read the interview here.