Posted 2/29/2004 by Josh Hinds

The Time To Start Working On That Dream Is Now!
By Rene Godefroy

Most of us are hesitant to start anything because we are afraid we might make a mistake or fail. Go ahead make mistakes! Don’t wait for more experience or to be good enough to start. You don’t have to be good to start, but you have to start to be good.

Some may tease and laugh at you. They will warn you, and recite all the reasons why you shouldn't take the risk. These will be the ones to wait around patiently hoping to say, “I told you so.” Brush them off. If you let these people influence you in any way, you will never, ever be ready to go ahead and start making your dream a reality.

You will never have enough money, enough time, enough support, or experience to start. But once you muster up the courage to take that giant step forward and start, the rest will fall into place. But only YOU can make it happen! Start NOW with whatever you know, whatever you have, and wherever you are.

Don’t let money be your handicap. You don’t need money to make the phone call, attend that networking event, or go as a guest to an association meeting in your field. How about volunteering a few hours a week to work for someone in the business arena that you're thinking about? Do you see what I mean? You have so many opportunities out there. Do something!

Be sure to keep a good database. Record your contacts and touch base with them every three months. And guess how much that will cost you? Zero. Most computers already come with a database program. All you need is a little time which you can choose to create right now.

Your assignment: This month, write down what kind of resources you will need and which people can help you make your dream a reality. Be creative! Go for it.
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Rene Godefroy is the publisher of Motivational Thoughts & Small Business Transformation. Rene is the author of "No Condition Is Permanent!". If you would like to receive tips on how to enrich your career, attract more business, and stay motivated, click here: motivational speaker and keynote speaker

Posted 2/28/2004 by Josh Hinds

Make Motivation Last
By Zig Ziglar

Is motivation something that gets you excited for the moment and lets you down the next day, or can it endure for a long time?

I see the impact of motivation in people's lives every day. I get many letters and phone calls from people who say motivation has completely changed their lives. Yet other people say that motivation has had little impact on them.

A study at Stanford University has provided the reason for the variance. According to the study, only 5 percent of the people who buy into a concept are able to implement it; the other 95 percent don't have the resources to do so.

Those few words created as much excitement in me as any single sentence ever has, because they made something crystal clear: The books and tapes are the resources! That's why I get so many more letters from people who say that my books and tapes have changed their lives than I get from people who say that my speech changed their lives.

The next time you see an author who presents a philosophy or concept that you believe can enrich your life, I encourage you to take the following steps:

Check out the author's credentials and see whether he or she can document the results you hear being touted.

If the evidence is solid, buy the book or tapes.

Books and tapes give you the resources you need to implement the concepts. When you take those steps, you make certain that the motivation you feel at the moment can survive the day and impact your future over the long haul.

People who are concerned about their futures take the necessary steps today in the form of growing, learning, studying, and planning for their futures. This process generates enthusiasm and excitement about their futures, so they take the necessary action to ensure those futures.

People who aren't concerned about their futures because they don't think they have futures are the ones who take no action. They drift along, singing the old Doris Day song, "Que Sera, Sera," and they drift into their declining years without any excitement or, in most cases, without any resources to enjoy even the basics of life without depending on others.

It's interesting to note that these two groups of people live at the same time, possibly in the same area, and may work in the same job or profession. It's not the absence of opportunity but the absence of motivation that is the problem for the second group.

If you think you have no future, let me suggest that having a future is a matter of choice. If you continue to read books and start setting specific goals, you are doing something about your future. Your excitement (motivation) grows, and from that point on, you can develop the actions that dramatically enrich your future.
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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 going to http://www.zigziglar.com

Posted 2/26/2004 by Josh Hinds

Mastering The ‘Action’ Habit
By Kent Sayre

The goal of this article is to close the gap between learning and applying what has been learned. Many people learn a lot of things. The challenge is then applying everything useful learned. To do this, it requires what I call the ‘action’ habit.

Some people are prone to just think about something endlessly without a whole lot of action. If you want real results in your life, you must master the action habit. Results only come from action, not by idly thinking.

The action habit is the habit whereby you employ a ‘do-it-now’ philosophy. The action habit is where you think about what you want to do, make a written plan, and then execute it immediately. The people with the ‘action’ habit avoid unnecessary delay. They take calculated risks and they move forward in their lives.

You see, I used to be a computer scientist. Yep, that’s right. While I was doing my master’s degree in computer science, I thought and thought some more. I thought a lot. I wrote papers. I did experiments after much painstaking, (over)analysis of the problems. Hey, that’s what computer scientists do. That’s the nature of the profession.

The challenge was that I took this “Think without much action” approach home with me. I studied numerous self-help programs. The problem? I did not apply them. In my mind, I imagined wonderful results if only I could get myself to take action. I fast became a learned self-help ‘academic’. This meant I knew all the techniques and concepts but did not apply anything. I wasn’t getting any true results in my life by just studying.

The way to get real results is by action and I’m here to show you a specific method to take charge of your life and get the action orientation down. Language gives us insight into our mindsets. Changing our mindset creates corresponding changes in how we speak. How we speak is a direct result of how we think. The opposite is also true. Changing our language and how we speak changes our thoughts and thus our mindset.

So to master the action habit, let’s change our language. First of all, let’s eliminate the phrases such as “I think” or “I believe” from our language. They lock us into the inactive mode. What is more powerful to you? “I think I’m going to go to a movie tonight,” or “I’m going to a movie tonight.” Try it out by saying it in your own mind. Notice the difference. I’m not at all suggesting that we abandon thinking. It is necessary and useful. Let’s just think and then go for it!

How else can you create the action habit with your language? Well, you can begin to use active words. Here are a few examples below:

“Let’s jump on this proposal and run with it.”

“Crank it up a notch to get more done.”

“I’ve got to roll now and I’ll talk to you later.”

“Let’s grab some lunch now.”

What do all these active words have in common? They are physically oriented actions. Integrate these physically active words into your language. How you speak to yourself and others influences your unconscious mind.

Compare those examples with these drab, boring sentences:

“Let’s advance this proposal and go to the next stage.”

“Increase your performance and you will accomplish more.”

“I must get going now and I’ll talk to you later.”

“Let’s get some lunch now.”

For all of the above sentences, none of them have verbs that communicate any real, physical action. That’s the challenge I have with them. Use active words and you’ll naturally notice the difference.

To recap,

1. Eliminate the “I think” or “I believe” to stop pontificating and start acting
2. Employ the ‘do-it-now’ philosophy with a sense of urgency
3. Integrate active words into your vocabulary to close the learning-applying gap
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Kent Sayre is a worldwide persuasion expert and author of “The Ultimate Persuasion Formula” available at http://www.TheUltimatePersuasionFormula.com. Furthermore, he is the author of the bestselling book “Unstoppable Confidence” endorsed by such celebrity authors as Brian Tracy, Robert Allen, and Jim Rohn.

Posted 2/25/2004 by Josh Hinds

Management And Other People's Knowledge
by Brian Tracy

Be A Low Pressure Persuader

Management can be defined as "getting things done through others." To be a manager you must be an expert at persuading and influencing others to work in a common direction. This is why all excellent managers are also excellent low-pressure salespeople. They do not order people to do things; instead, they persuade them to accept certain responsibilities, with specific deadlines and agreed-upon standards of performance.

When a person has been persuaded that he or she has a vested interest in doing a job well, he or she accepts ownership of the job and the result. Once a person accepts ownership and responsibility, the manager can step aside confidently, knowing the job will be done on schedule.

You Have Two Choices

In every part of your life, you have a choice of either doing it yourself or delegating it to others. Your ability to get someone else to take on the job with the same enthusiasm that you would have is an exercise in personal persuasion. It may seem to take a little longer at the beginning, but it saves you an enormous amount of time in the completion of the task.

The Best Form Of Leverage

A key form of leverage that you must develop for success in America is other people's knowledge. You must be able to tap into the brainpower of many other people if you want to accomplish worthwhile goals. Successful people are not those who know everything needed to accomplish a particular task, but more often than not, they are people who know how to find the knowledge they need.

What Knowledge Do You Need?

What is the knowledge that you need to achieve your most important goals? Of the knowledge required, what knowledge must you have personally in order to control your situation, and what knowledge can you borrow, buy, or rent from others?

Two Calls Away

It has been said that, in our information-based society, you are never more than one book or two phone calls away from any piece of knowledge in the country. With on-line computer services that access huge databases all over the country, you can usually get the precise information you require in a few minutes by using a personal computer.

Whenever you need information and expertise from another person in order to achieve your goals, the very best way to persuade them to help you is to ask them for their assistance.

Don't Be Afraid To Ask

Almost everyone who is knowledgeable in a particular area is proud of their accomplishments. By asking a person for their expert advice, you compliment them and motivate them to want to help you. So don't be afraid to ask, even if you don't know the individual personally.

Action Exercises

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

First, multiply your output and rewards by persuading other people to do the job for you and do it well. Delegation is the key to personal leverage.

Second, identify the most important knowledge you need to do an excellent job and then concentrate on finding and using that knowledge.

The person who can find the knowledge in others is often more valuable than the person who possesses it.
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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 FREE audio program offer - 21 Success Secrets Of Self Made Millionaires, or 21 Great Ways To Manage Your Time And Double Your Productivity.

Posted 2/24/2004 by Josh Hinds

Top Ten Rules for Effective Presentations
Chris Widener

I am of the belief that the majority of people can improve their presentations dramatically by focusing on eliminating bad habits and presentation skills more than seeking to add anything on. How often have you come out of a seminar and overheard someone say, “Wow, she was great! Did you see how effectively she used her hand gestures?”

That said, here are some ideas to help you become a better speaker.

1. Keep it simple
Speak naturally
Make eye contact
Don’t do crazy things with your hands
Don’t do much more than speak, i.e. managing props etc.

2. Be impassioned

3. Balance the format of your information

4. Build the relationships beforehand if possible

5. Get the audience to participate at varying levels if effective

6. Show, don’t tell. That is, use stories, not facts and figures

7. Get rid of distracting idiosyncrasies

8. Don’t misinterpret people’s actions and get discouraged

9. Know your material

10. Never, ever, go overtime
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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 -- while you're there be sure to take advantage of his newsletters.

Posted 2/23/2004 by Josh Hinds

Your Words Can Make the Difference
By Michael Angier

"Praise, like gold and diamonds, owes its value to its scarcity." -- Samuel Johnson

In his autobiography, My American Journey, Colin L. Powell tells of an experience when he was a colonel in Korea.

Powell had worked hard to carry out the wishes of his commanding officer, Major General "Gunfighter" Emerson. It was not an order that he agreed with. It was an attempt to impress a visiting dignitary and he felt it was a waste of time and energy for his men. Nevertheless, he dutifully accomplished the assignment.

When the ordeal was finished, Powell felt like a fraud. With his head drooping, he was visibly embarrassed. A first sergeant fell into step with him as he walked away. "That was a hoot, sir, wasn't it?"

"It was stupid," Powell blurted out. "I hate to see the troops do stupid things. And I hate to be the one responsible for it."

The sergeant was quiet for a time. "Colonel Powell, don't worry. We don't know what that was all about. But the men know you wouldn't have cooked up something that dumb on your own. They trust you. They won't hold it against you. We went along because you needed it. Relax, sir."

It was this next paragraph in General Powell's story that struck me. "In all my years in the Army, among all the citations, medals and promotions, I never appreciated any tribute more than I did the sergeant's words at that low point."

Here is one of the most admired and respected men in the world, who was deeply affected by the kind and supportive words of a subordinate. I wouldn't be surprised if that sergeant doesn't even remember saying what he did to Colin Powell that night.

No doubt there have been people in your life who have said something to you that inspired or encouraged you at an important time.

We all affect everyone else. And we rarely know when it's had an impact on someone. What we say, what we do and how we are being, can make a profound impression on others. If we're constantly looking for ways to encourage and support others, we will surely make a difference.

Who can you encourage today?
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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 through the following link.

Posted 2/22/2004 by Josh Hinds

Using Positive Affirmations
By Zig Ziglar

Using positive affirmations is a proven technique that works miracles in many lives. Ideally, you should look yourself in the eye as you make these positive affirmations. Don't be shy; go ahead and get started!

Repeat the following statements to yourself every Monday morning to get your day and week off to a great start:

I clearly understand that failure is an event, not a person; that yesterday really did end last night; and that success isn't final and failure isn't fatal because I only fail if I quit.

I have the courage to admit a mistake and to say that I was wrong.

I have vision in my life, which means that I see not only with my eyes but also with my heart.

I have 525,600 minutes in every year of my life, and I utilize them well to maximize my ability.

I am successful because I believe that to be truly educated, I must be mentored--either in business or in my personal life, by reading or by association--by superior minds with greater skills and mature spirits.

I discipline myself to do the things that I need to do when I need to do them, because I know that doing them will enable me someday to do the things I want to do when I want to do them.

I clearly understand that if I develop yearning power and apply learning power, I will increase my earning power.

I am successful because I don't confuse activity with accomplishment. I know that I can't make it in life as a wandering generality, so I am a meaningful specific.

I am successful in all areas of my life because I have a great sense of humor and the ability to laugh at myself.

I am like an eraser. I recognize my mistakes, I learn from my mistakes, and then I erase those mistakes from my memory. I move forward in my life every day, even if it's only a tiny step, because I know that great things are accomplished with tiny moves, but nothing is accomplished by standing still.
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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 get his newsletter by going to http://www.zigziglar.com

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A State Of Mind
By Joe Tye

Broke is a state of wallet; Poverty is a state of mind. - McZen

At some point in the future, you almost certainly will have money troubles. Perhaps you are having money troubles right now. When it happens, reminding yourself of this Nugget of Wisdom from McZen can help you keep things in a more positive perspective. Here are some specific reasons for keeping this in mind:

Someone who is merely broke will rise to the occasion; someone thinks that they are in poverty will sink to the circumstances.

For people who know that they are merely broke, financial problems help build a healthy balance of humility and strength of character; for people who perceive themselves to be in poverty, financial problems promote self-pity and victimhood.

The person who is merely broke is willing to invest in his or her future, even if it means taking a risk; the person who perceives him or herself to be in poverty backs away from risk, and ends up even deeper in the rut of dead-end jobs and dying dreams.

Someone who is merely broke will continue to give from what little they have, knowing that more will come; someone who sees only their poverty holds and hoards for fear that it’s all they’ll ever see.
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Joe Tye is president of Paradox 21 Inc., which provides corporate training and culture change initiatives based on a proprietary curriculum of The Twelve Core Action Values of Personal Leadership Effectiveness. He is also the author of several books and audio programs on personal, career, and business success, and a popular motivational speaker. Visit http://www.joetye.com

Posted 2/12/2004 by Josh Hinds

Get Ready!
By Steve Goodier

You heard about the sign posted on a rancher's fence? On the other side of the fence resides the biggest, meanest looking bull you can imagine. The sign is intended to strike fear into the hearts of would-be trespassers.

It reads: "Don't attempt to cross this field unless you can do it in 9.9 seconds. The bull can do it in 10 flat!" Don't try to cross that field unless you are prepared! And isn't that the way it is in life? We have to be ready when the opportunity arises or else we will have little chance of success.

Sixth-grade schoolteacher Ms. Shelton believed in readiness. Students remember how she walked in on the first day of class and began writing words of an eighth-grade caliber on the chalkboard. They quickly protested that the words were not on their level and they couldn't learn them.

Their teacher insisted that the students could and would learn these words. She said that she would never teach down to them. Ms. Shelton ended by saying that one of the students in that classroom could go on to greatness, maybe even be president some day, and she wanted to prepare them for that day.

Ms. Shelton spoke those words many years ago. Little did she know that someday one of her students - Jesse Jackson - would take them seriously ("Leadership," Summer 1992). She believed that if they were well prepared, they could achieve high goals.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "People only see what they are prepared to see." It's also true that they only experience what they are prepared to experience.

"I want to be doing something more significant with my life than what I am doing now," a young man once said to me. Others have lamented, "If only I were involved in a meaningful relationship." And, "If only I could get a better job." You fill in the blanks.

What is it you would like to experience that seems to be eluding you? Perhaps the answer is that you are not yet ready. Maybe you need more time to prepare before you are truly ready for that which you desire.

Today is not wasted. If you desire more from life, then you can use today as training. For you will experience only what you are prepared to experience. Something wonderful can happen. In the meantime... prepare for that day!
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Article submitted by Steve Goodier - He is the author of numerous books about personal development, motivation, inspiration, and making needed life changes. To learn more visit his web site http://LifeSupportSystem.com

Posted 2/08/2004 by Josh Hinds

Acting On Your Dream
By Les Brown

I have not often admitted this, but I was inspired to become a public speaker by perhaps the worst motivational speaker I've ever heard in my life.

This fellow is still working, surprisingly, so I won't give his name. He was the opening speaker in a seminar I attended early in my speaking career and he nearly closed the show early with his monotone, unenthusiastic presentation. As he spoke, the room grew as quiet as a graveyard between funerals.

I went to sleep to be awakened by what could only be called courtesy applause for his presentation. You could make more noise clapping with one hand. After the less-than-stirring speech, I leaned over to the guy sitting next to me and said, ~That was really boring." And he said, "You should be so boring for the kind of money he makes." The fellow told me this terrible speaker was making $5,000 for each terrible speech.

After hearing how much money a really bad speaker could make, I decided it was time for me to go after this dream. A few days later, I caught a Greyhound bus from Miami to Orlando where I'd signed up for a seminar for beginners held by the National Speakers Association. It seemed like the bus ride took weeks. I know it took every last dollar I could scrape together. And so I was road-weary but eager to hear some inspiring, motivational, and dynamic speaking when I finally took a seat at the event. But who should walk out to lead the first session but that same terrible $5,000-per-speech speaker? I could not believe it!

All that time on a stinking bus, stopping in every one-horse town between Miami and Orlando, to hear this guy again? I nearly got up and walked out. By the time he'd gotten halfway through his speech, nearly half the audience had fled. But I stayed on until the bitter end and the speaker's parting shot, as it turned out, was worth the price of admission.

He obviously had noted the exodus of the audience and the drooping eyelids of those who remained because, as he built up to his anticlimax, he stopped suddenly, looked out at the remaining numbers of aspiring public speakers and said, "You know, the only reason that I am standing up here and you are sitting down there is that I represent the thoughts that you have rejected for yourself."

I don't know about the other dozen or so people in the audience, but Mr. Monotone hit me right between the eyes with that shot. It was true. He had acted upon something that I had only dreamt of doing. I'd spent years dreaming of becoming a public speaker. But dreaming was all I had done.

This guy may not have had any talent for it. He may have been the most undynamic public speaker in history. But he was up there while I was still dreaming. And so that is how I became motivated to start a new career by perhaps the worst motivational speaker I have ever heard.
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Written by Les Brown - As a renowned professional speaker, author and television personality, Les Brown has risen to national prominence by delivering a high energy message which tells people how to shake off mediocrity and live up to their greatness. Visit his web site at www.LesBrown.com

Posted 2/02/2004 by Josh Hinds

Staying On Track
By Michael Angier

One of the most important things Success Net does is to help people stay on track in being their best. Pretty much everything we do is targeted toward that end.

I know that anyone can do the things necessary to be successful and accomplish their goals. The challenge is to do them consistently.

And that's what separates the winners from the also-rans. Staying on track day in and day out is what it takes to weave successful days into a successful life.

So how do we stay on track? How do we remain motivated and focused toward our highest and best?

Allow me to share with you a few things that have worked for me. Perhaps they can help you stay on track.

Three Most Important Goals - I have many goals. I always have a few dozen I'm working toward. But I keep three first and foremost in my mind. Every day I know I must do something that will help me make progress toward their achievement.

I look at these goals every day. They're never out of my consciousness. And I usually do take action every day on each of these three goals.

What's Next? - Martin Sheen's character in the hit TV series 'The West Wing' is President Jeb Bartlett. His way of saying that he's done with something and ready to move on is to ask the question, 'What's next?'

It's a good question to ask ourselves. Not only what's next, but what's the most important thing we can do today to move us closer to our most important objectives.

Keep Your Goals in Front of You - Put pictures of your goals up so you see them often. Review them regularly, but most importantly, review the REASONS why you want to accomplish these goals. It's the reasons that will make the difference.

Talk About Your Goals with Supportive People - Having a Master Mind group is ideal, but even if you don't have one, you can still share your goals with people who will encourage and support you. And you can do the same for them.

By talking about your goals, you make them more real. You'll also get ideas from others on how you can better achieve them. People can't help you if they don't know what you want.

Forgive Yourself and Move On - Way too much emotional energy and thinking is wasted because we keep reviewing past behaviors. The past is gone. Today is all we have. Don't squander time and energy thinking about what you should have done, could have done, what you did or might have done.

Today is a new day. Move on. The point of power is in the present.

Affirmation and Visualization - Affirmative statements and visualizing the achievement of our goals help us to 'feel' our way to success. Anything we can do to elevate our emotional connection with our objectives will help us stay on track.

It's well worth developing strategies that work to keep us consistently moving toward our goals. As we do so we build a track record of success, and setting and achieving bigger goals becomes even easier.
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Copyright Success Networks International. Part of Success Net's mission is to position you for success. Complimentary subscriptions, eCourses, memberships, eBooks and SuccessMark Cards available through the following link.

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What can I do to help?
By Bob Burg

What can I do to help?" This question is the one often asked by professional educator, Joani Altshuler. When? When she walks into a meeting with a parent, after first being warned that "the parents are irate!" (Ms. Altshuler works in a very challenging school situation, which is not the topic of this column.

In her role, she is often in the position of dealing with parents who may or may not have a legitimate reason to be angry).

According to Altshuler, "Most of the parents expect to meet someone who is primed to defend themselves. The reason they expect this is because that is what they have always experienced.

Instead, in a very friendly, compassionate, but extremely calm measure, I simply ask, 'What can I do to help?' In other words, how can we all work together to make this situation right for everyone; most importantly, their child."

Ms. Altshuler's method is very similar to a very well known negotiation tactic in which, when dealing with a difficult person, the expert negotiator might ask, "Mr. Thomas, what is it you'd like to have result from our discussion?"

The coolness and calmness of the negotiator both diffuses the other person, and lets them know two more things; one, that they (the negotiator) won't be rattled by a person acting nasty and/or emotionally and, two, that mutual satisfaction can in fact be attained.

Hostage negotiators will also use this tactic. They'll come right out, whether by bullhorn or telephone, and ask the hostage-taker, "What is it you'd like to have happen?" or "What is it you want to accomplish through this?"

When in the act of positive persuasion, or "Winning Without Intimidation", always keep your cool, present a calm, self-controlled front, and simply ask the other person, "What can I do to help?" Typically, they will be happy to give you the answer, and the conversation will tend to take a much more mutually beneficial direction.

Have an awesome Winning Without Intimidation day!

Bob Burg
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Bob Burg speaks on "Endless Referrals" and "Positive Persuasion." He is author of several best-selling books including the greatly expanded ebook version of his "Winning Without Intimidation: The Art of Positive Persuasion." To learn more about "Winning Without Intimidation" visit through the following link.