Posted 1/27/2004 by Josh Hinds

There is a wonderful new interview available that Randy Gilbert has done with Bob Burg on "The Inside Success Show".

Bob shares his ideas taken from his new booklet "The Success Formula". This interview is one hour of pure wisdom. I'm certain you're going to love it.

Posted 1/25/2004 by Josh Hinds

I just added a new article by Les Brown in the goal setting section which deals with the importance of persistence. No matter what you're striving to accomplish, your ability to apply peristence is going to play a huge part in your level of achievement.

I'd strongly suggest you making it a point to view persistence as your ally. In most all worthwhile endeavors there are times when you may feel like giving up. Just remember, it's in these very moments that our persistence will come to the rescue and allow us to move forward in the direction of our dreams -- therefore, make it a point to develop your stick-to-it-ness ... Josh :-)

Posted 1/17/2004 by Josh Hinds

Hope Is The Great Activator
by Zig Ziglar

"Without hope what good is tomorrow?"

We are surrounded by people who need hope in their lives. We don't often see their need because a lack of hope is not easily communicated. People aren't prone to say, "I need hope." Nonetheless, when we listen closely, we can hear the cries of the hope-needers. Or oftentimes we can see it in their actions.

For example: The student with no hope of passing won't study. Why bother? The sales person with no hope of making the sale won't make the call. What's the purpose? The couple whose marriage is in trouble won't seek counseling because (they think) it's all over anyway.

The relative who hasn't spoken to you for three years won't try. What's the hope? The senior citizen who doesn't think anyone would be interested in helping him won't ask. The nurse who doesn't think anyone appreciates her wisdom won't offer it. The manager who doesn't see a chance of being promoted often gives up. Why try?

But give any of these individuals hope and some exciting things can happen!...

You were born to win! But in order to be the winner you were born to be, you've got to plan to win. You've got to prepare to win. And then, and only then, can you legitimately expect to win.

Winning is not an accident. It's a result of a deliberate plan. A plan filled with hope and encouragement. Would you like to be a powerful person? Or a more powerful person? Then you need hope. People who build hope into their own lives and who share hope with others become powerful people. Doors open for these people!

Now here's the good news: Hope is a choice! Yes, that's right. You can make a decision to be a hope-filled person. You can make a decision to share hope with others. Even if your own need for hope is running a little dry, you can still give others hope. In the process of doing so, watch what happens. Your personal hope quotient is bound to rise.

Author John Maxwell says if there's hope in the future there's power in the present.

Hope is the great activator!

If you want to make things happen in your life, and you want to encourage others to make things happen in their lives, rely on hope! Discipline yourself to see the "hopeful" side of any incident. Include expressions of hope in your self-talk. Share words of hope with the people who surround you.

Are we offering you a "head in the sand" approach to life? Are we saying that you should walk around with a smile on your face and a song in your heart, oblivious to daily reality? Of course not. However, we do believe that we have a choice. Hope is a choice. We can look at any unfortunate or bothersome situation and say it's hopeless, or we can look for the hope in that situation. The choice is always ours!

Take a moment today and think about the last 24 hours. Did you spread hope, either by words or action? Or did you choose the opposite approach? Are you a hope-giver? Do you want to be? Look forward now to the next 24 hours. Think of three ways that you can be a hope giver. Now go do it... and watch what happens!

Let us know how things turn out.
__________
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.

Posted 1/17/2004 by Josh Hinds

A New Model of Success
By Robin Sharma

For me, January is always a month of deep reflection, course-correction and pinpointing what it is that I want to create over the coming 12 months at a professional, personal and spiritual level. The process I go through may be helpful to you.

First, I write a 3 or 4 page story about the year that I have just lived. I write about the highs and celebrate my victories. I write about the lows and articulate the lessons that they provided. This gives me great awareness about what happened, what needs to be celebrated and what needs to be improved.

Step 2 involves setting my intentions for the New Year. I write about what things I want to see occurring and manifesting in the following arenas of my life: inner life, family life, business and economic life, community life and my adventure life (I view myself as an adventurer journeying through my days and always set goals to bring more adventure to my life whether through travel or learning).

Step 3 sees me making a "Success Collage" reflecting the images that I want to realize over the coming 12 months. For example if one of the goals of my inner life in 2004 is to get into "planet-class physical condition", I would clip out pictures of people in that physical condition to serve as models and inspiration.

If one of your goals is to take a trip to Rome to experience the one-of-a-kind ES Hotel and its minimalist design, for example, you could cut out a picture of the lobby of that hotel and put it into your collage. Success Collaging is an extraordinarily powerful way to bring your dreams to life.

The final step of my process involves breaking down my 365 goals and intentions into 180 day objectives and then into 90 day objectives. This way, I know exactly what needs to happen over the next quarter. This instills focus, desire and excitement.

I believe that it is also important to remember that there are many metrics by which you can measure success. It is very easy to fall into the trap of measuring the success that you experienced in 2003 by how much money you made or did not make.

If your perceive others having made more money than you, it is likely that you will feel unsuccessful. In my mind, economic success is only one of the many forms of success. While there is nothing wrong with making money as it buys freedom and increases the choices available to you, other benchmarks of genuine success must also be considered as you evaluate how you did last year.

I’d like you to consider the following metrics of success:

1. Experience and evolutionary success. One of my organizing principles is: "the person who experiences the most wins." What kinds of experiences did you have last year? And how did they help you evolve as a human being? If 2003 offered numerous experiences that added to the color, richness, depth and wisdom of your life, it was a great success.

2. Adventure. What kinds of adventures did you engage in throughout the course of last year? Did you travel to exotic or novel places? Did you try new types of food or learn a new language? Did you learn to snowboard or scuba dive or fly? Measure your success, in part, on the amount of adventure that you experienced.

3. Relationship and reputation. No matter how much money you make, if you lack community and love in your life, I do not believe that you have genuine success. When evaluating 2003 from a success perspective, ask yourself how rich and deep your relationships are.

Ask yourself what the community around you and your network looks like. Reflect on the quality of your reputation (which I believe is your number 1 asset; it can take 30 years to build a great reputation and 30 seconds to lose it).

4. Fun. The human brain craves novelty. We are happiest when we are growing. In 2003, did you do new things? Did you do fun things? Did you chase your passions and do the things you loved to do when you were a child? If so, it is important to reflect on this measurement of success.

Impact. Greatness comes by beginning something that does not end with you and living for a cause larger than yourself. To have made a difference in the lives of others is to have succeeded beautifully.

I hope that 2004 will be your best year yet. I hope it is the year that you play your biggest game-to date-and create more value then you have ever created for those around you. Make this the year that you shine.

In leadership and with love,
Robin Sharma
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Robin S. Sharma, LL.M. is an internationally-known speaker on sales leadership, peak performance and creativity. The bestselling author of several motivational books including MegaLiving, he is the managing partner of Sharma Leadership International. Visit his site at www.robinsharma.com.

Posted 1/13/2004 by Josh Hinds

I've added several new additions to the Articles Library: Building Strong Leaders Around You by Doug Staneart, I Am A Habit by John Di Lemme, as well as several others.

Also, be sure to have a look at our listings of upcoming self-improvement seminars, tele-classes, and events...

Here's wishing you a great new year! ... Josh Hinds :-)

Posted 1/07/2004 by Josh Hinds

Nitty-Gritty Reasons
by Jim Rohn

(excerpted from the book Seven Strategies for Wealth and Happiness)

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be motivated to achievement by such a lofty goal as benevolence? I must confess, however, that in the early years of my struggle to succeed, my motivation was a lot more down-to-earth.

My reason for succeeding was more basic. In fact, it fell into the category of what I like to call "nitty-gritty reasons." A nitty-gritty reason is the kind that any one of us can have -- at any time, on any day -- and it can cause our lives to change. Let me tell you what happened to me...

Shortly before I met Mr. Shoaff, I was lounging at home one day when I heard a knock at the door. It was a timid, hesitant knock. When I opened the door I looked down to see a pair of big brown eyes staring up at me.

There stood a frail little girl of about ten. She told me, with all the courage and determination her little heart could muster, that she was selling Girl Scout cookies. It was a masterful presentation -- several flavors, a special deal, and only two dollars per box. How could anyone refuse?

Finally, with a big smile and ever-so politely, she asked me to buy. And I wanted to. Oh, how I wanted to! Except for one thing. I didn't have two dollars! Boy, was I embarrassed! Here I was -- a father, had been to college, was gainfully employed -- and yet I didn't have two dollars to my name.

Naturally I couldn't tell this to the little girl with the big brown eyes. So I did the next best thing. I lied to her. I said, "Thanks, but I've already bought Girl Scout cookies this year. And I've still got plenty stacked in the house."

Now that simply wasn't true. But it was the only thing I could think of to get me off the hook. And it did. The little girl said, "That's okay, sir. Thank you very much." And with that she turned around and went on her way.

I stared after her for what seemed like a very long time. Finally, I closed the door behind me and, leaning my back to it, cried out, "I don't want to live like this anymore. I've had it with being broke, and I've had it with lying. I'll never be embarrassed again by not having any money in my pocket." That day I promised myself to earn enough to always have several hundred dollars in my pocket at all times.

This is what I mean by a nitty-gritty reason. It may not win me any prize for greatness, but it was enough to have a permanent effect on the rest of my life.

My Girl-Scout-cookie story does have a happy ending. Several years later, as I was walking out of my bank where I had just made a hefty deposit and was crossing the street to get into my car, I saw two little girls who were selling candy for some girls' organization. One of them approached me, saying, "Mister, would you like to buy some candy?"

"I probably would," I said playfully. "What kind of candy do you have?"

"It's almond roca."

"Almond roca. That's my favorite. How much is it?"

"It's only two dollars." Two dollars. It couldn't be! I was excited. "How many boxes of candy have you got?"

"I've got five."

Looking at her friend, I said, "And how many boxes do you have left?"

"I've got four." "That's nine. Okay, I'll take them all."

At this, both girls' mouths fell open as they exclaimed in unison, "Really?"

"Sure," I said. "I've got some friends that I'll pass some around to."

Excitedly, they scurried to stack all the boxes together. I reached into my pocket and gave them eighteen dollars. As I was about to leave, the boxes tucked under my arm, one of the girls looked up and said, "Mister, you're really something!" How about that! Can you imagine spending only eighteen dollars and having someone look you in the face and say, "You're really something!"

Now you know why I always carry a few hundred dollars on me. I'm not about to miss chances like that ever again.

And to think it all resulted from my own embarrassment, that when properly channeled, acted as a powerful motivator to help me achieve.

How about you? What nitty-gritty reasons do you have waiting to challenging and provoke you into change for the better? Look for them, they are there. Sometimes it can be as simple as a brown-eyed girl selling Girl Scout cookies.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
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Article Submitted by Jim Rohn - Announcing a Very Special Invitation - The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan! One of the most comprehensive resource and success plans ever created for you to reach all of your goals in the next 12 months!

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A 't-crossing' 'i-dotter'- Is This You?
Gordon Bryan

When you make plans for your future, do you try to cross every 't', and dot every 'I'? If so, welcome to the party!

I do it, everyone tends to, but it can lead you down so many blind alleys, you won't know which way to turn! (Ok, I'm not sure that analogy works either, but stay with me, I'm carrying on!)

Here's why it can be disastrous to be a 't-crosser'

Firstly, you are unlikely to manage it. You are trying to map a safe route for yourself, guaranteed from start to finish. In theory you are trying to cover all the bases, to create a contingency plan for every possibility.

This is an impossible task, at some point your logic will reach an impasse, and you will just give up. That's assuming you even got that far!

Secondly, if you set out on your task with a picture which is too rigid or inflexible, you will allow opportunities to pass you by, just because they weren't in your blueprint.

It may be that one of those passed opportunities was the one that would have fast tracked you to your goal. Imagine the process of goal achievement as a guided missile.

The missile launch is where you are now in your life, and the target is the goal you have set. Do guided missiles travel in a straight line? Of course they don't, they can go all over the place! They end up at the target though.

It's the same with goal achievement. Yes, you need a plan on how to get to your goal, and yes, specifics can be good. Flexibility is vital though.

You need to be able to assess those opportunities that come your way. Some of them will amaze you, believe me, and you have to be ready to accept some, and decline others.

Other times your plan may not be quite working, and if you stick to it too rigidly, you can just end up stressed because your formula isn't working, when in fact all it needs is maybe a little tweaking.

So remember, flexibility is required asset, and you can't have that if you insist on 't-crossing' and 'i-dotting'!

** Excerpted from Gordon's "Transform Your Life in 21 Days!"

Copyright Gordon Bryan 2003
___________
Gordon Bryan's new book, 'Transform Your Life in 21 Days! has been described as 'a must read', 'awesome', and 'a true gem'.

Posted 1/03/2004 by Josh Hinds

Growing Without Swelling
By Zig Ziglar

As a rookie salesman I had a very difficult time getting started. However, once the ball started rolling, I enjoyed a spectacular four-year run of success. This led to a career change and new job in New York City.

It was exciting and rewarding, but required that I leave home each morning before my two little girls were awake and most of the time when I returned at night they were already asleep. I could not handle that style of parenting, so in just three months' time we moved back to Columbia, South Carolina.

I got into a promotional-type business and temporarily enjoyed some success, which quickly evaporated. At that point I stopped growing and started swelling, which led to 16 additional job and career changes within the following five years. I became a super-critic, a know-it-all, and a very difficult person to work with.

One of the companies I briefly worked for was an insurance company, which had been in business for many years. This astonished me because they were obviously way behind the times and I had some absolutely brilliant ideas, which would revolutionize their business and expand their market share.

They rejected these very significant ideas. I left in a huff, wondering how they would ever survive--which, incidentally, they did.

After five frustrating years I finally had a reality-check and realized that the success I enjoyed earlier had come because I had completely committed myself to improving what I did instead of assuming I knew it all.

I made a strong commitment to the new company I represented and worked hard and enthusiastically, while continually acquiring new information from those who had beaten many a' path before I came along. Interestingly enough, results were
excellent and progress was steady so that just two years later I was back on a career path that has been most rewarding and satisfying.

I hope the message is clear. Keep growing. Don't start swelling. Listen to those who have had successful experiences.
___________
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. Subscribe to the Zig Ziglar Newsletter.

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Giving and Prosperity
By Bryan Hall

Take a look around you. Take a LOOK at your LIFE! What do you notice?

Try this on for size ...

As a world community of ONE people, we are continuously evolving, as is the Earth we live on. We are constantly changing, growing, and sharing in the energies that bond us in being-ness.

Now, this might seem elementary to some, but to others, this says something MUCH deeper. See ... the way I look at it is, we are all constantly helping - or not helping - in some way or another, on some level or another WITHIN OURSELVES, to contribute (either positively or negatively) to CREATE the world in which we live.

And you're reading this and saying, "SOOOOOOOOO WHAT?!?!" Right?

Well, here's my point ...

It is in helping others, in contributing in POSITIVE, loving ways, and in GIVING of ourselves, that we GAIN and GROW and attract the very same ABUNDANCE to our own lives.

Read that again.

It is in helping others ... in contributing in POSITIVE, loving ways ... and in GIVING of ourselves ... that we GAIN and GROW ... and ATTRACT the very same ABUNDANCE ... to OUR OWN lives.

The world of today is evolving more and more, constantly, in awakening to this. If you can't see it, then allow yourself to open up more to it and you'll likely see it with crystal clarity.

So, let's look at HOW you can affect others, in probably millions of ways. Let's APPLY what we already KNOW and DO something positive with that knowledge, philosophy, and mindset.

How CAN you affect others, contribute in more positive ways, and - on a truly cosmic level - impact and influence the very cycle of evolution we exist in, (which, we know, is constantly changing)?

I'll tell you how ...

Give of yourself by giving your time.

Give of yourself by giving your attention.

Give of yourself by giving your love, your compassion, and your kindness.

Give of yourself BY BEING GRATEFUL for what you have ... as constantly as possible, and with all your heart.

Give of yourself by sharing great books you've read with others (just give them away, and watch what happens).

Give of yourself, from your heart, to ONE PERSON today ... even if it has to be YOU! (And MAKE time EVERY day to be sure you ARE loving yourself!)

BE passionate. BE of service. BE positive. BE loving. BE YOUR TRUE SELF ... and don't even THINK about holding back!

What you'll receive back for giving in that way is sure to pleasantly surprise you, if it doesn't flat-out blow you away! And you truly ARE helping people, while also helping yourself.

To quote prosperity guru, Randy Gage, "You can't out-give the Universe!"

Mahatma Gandhi said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."

BE the change. Starting today - this very moment. BE THE CHANGE.

One of the greatest "secrets" to success of incredible proportions is to GIVE more value than you RECEIVE ... but you have to START GIVING to set that force in motion. And you have to take MASSIVE, determined, unfaltering ACTION to increase the momentum of that force.

DO IT.

If you don't believe me ... do it.

If you TOTALLY believe me, and you already KNOW this works ... do it.

Do it ... with passion, with love.

Do it - NOW!

Keep the passion. Take massive action. And let YOUR passion fuel you to your greatest dreams and desires!

To YOUR Abundance and Prosperity!
_____________
Bryan Hall is a widely-acclaimed author and Life Success Coach. In 2003, at age 35, he has released TWO ground-breaking ebooks, "Peak Performance ... Peak LIFE!" and "One Question To Success", which he co-authored with his new business partner in The One Question Project, Josh Hinds. See Bryan's site for more about his coaching, complimentary gifts, forums, and more at BryanHall.net