Posted 8/26/2004 by Josh Hinds

Re-Developing Your Vision
by Chris Widener

One of the most important things we can do for our businesses, schools, and organizations is to have vision. Vision being a clear picture of a desired end result that you are aiming for.
However, sometimes, no matter how big our vision was originally, we find ourselves focusing in on the daily events that require our attention but have nothing or little to do with our ultimate vision.

Occasionally, we think to ourselves, "Hey, I'm not really getting any closer to my vision. I'm spinning my wheels here." This is when it is time to re-develop your vision!

Here are some helpful hints in doing just that.

Re-evaluate your original vision. Maybe what you used to think wasn't realistic according to your strengths, your abilities, or your circumstances. Maybe it is time to change or modify the vision to make it attainable.

Assess your strengths. To achieve your vision, you and your staff will have to operate out of your strengths. If you are having a hard time moving toward your current vision, perhaps it is because the vision requires extended application of strengths that you and/or your organization don't have. Either you need to hire into those strengths, develop those strengths, or re-develop the vision.

Ask yourself where your passions lie. If we are to attain great things, they must be aligned with those things that burn deep within us. Do you still have a passion for your vision? Does your staff have a passion for your vision? If not, you need to develop the passion, or find the vision that you can pour your passion into. Never underestimate the power of passion and excitement in moving you toward (or keeping you from) your vision.

Ask yourself what it is that you value. What is important to you? How will fulfilling my current vision, fulfill my desire to do something important and worthwhile for myself, my family, my employees, and my community?

Break the vision down into easy to achieve steps. This helps us see that the vision is attainable. It lets us know the end result, but focus intently into achieving the next goal. This, step-by-step, moves us toward the vision.
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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 be sure to take advantage of his free newsletters!

Posted 8/21/2004 by Josh Hinds

Take Time To Fill ‘Er Up
by Rhonda Hull, Ph.D.

Have you ever been late for an appointment thinking there wasn’t enough time to stop for gas, only to sputter, cough, and run out along the way? You then spend three times as much time cursing at the side of the road waiting for help than it would have taken to stop and ‘fill up’.

In our busy lives we operate by the myth that speed is a requirement for success. Although it is a perspective that elicits a gasp from hardcore overachievers, the real truth is that focus is more fruitful than speed. Often what appears to be speed is instead a refined art of spinning our wheels.

This blind spot leaves us driven by an ever-increasing volume of information with the expectation that we must go faster and faster to handle it all. We mistakenly believe that if we figure out how to do more in less time we will somehow be able to get it all done! Honestly, is there ever really an end to the TO-DO list?

Less than100 years ago over a two year period of time people took in information equivalent to what we are bombarded with each and every day? No wonder we feel so overwhelmed! We force ourselves ahead by the false belief that we must keep up with and digest the ever-increasing speed of information. This mode of traveling the road of life is a certain method of self-sabotage and doesn’t leave much time to enjoy the scenery along the way.

Durable happiness and authentic productivity become our traveling companions when we learn to identify our personal values, accept our worth, embrace our strengths and nurture our own well being.

If we don’t stop to refuel our inner spirit we will get nowhere fast. We will be no further ahead, running on empty in the fast lane, and eventually will run out of gas still stuck in the same old rut.

Even though stress related illnesses are one of the leading causes of death, for some of us it would take a miracle to slow our pace. Although we often aren’t quite sure where we are going, we’re making such good time we refuse to consider stopping.

The bad news is that we will stop one-way or another! The good news is that miracles are time efficient. They are prompted by a shift in perception that allows us to realize the benefits of a more conscious pace. Durable happiness comes to us rather than is something we chase when we dare to drive-in rather than search outward for answers.

Happiness is not something you figure out, but rather invite in. When we take a YOU-TURN inward we are more likely to hear the wisdom and intuition that was shut off in our hurry. When we coordinate our head with our heart, balancing our inner values with outer demands, we actually move forward with greater energy, clarity, productivity and joy to everyone’s benefit.

The greatest gift we can give another is to choose to take full accountability and responsibility for our own happiness. The miracle of greater happiness is ours when embrace ourselves as worthy enough to take time for ourselves. If you don’t start your journey from this point you wind up fulfilling everyone’s dreams but your own.

The road to joy is paved by being fully who we are in everything we do, having the courage to fully honor ourselves and by savoring the present moment. When we clarify our own dreams and values we can more authentically be our self. When we are more genuinely our most loving self, we best serve others. When we know that we have lived well, and loved authentically we create the legacy marked by our journey.
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Rhonda Hull, Ph.D. is a professional speaker, happiness mentor, and author of Drive Yourself Happy: A Motor-vational Maintenance Manual for Maneuvering Through Life. Using her expertise combined with her light-hearted spirit Rhonda turns everyday road signs into memorable signs of happiness and points us in the direction of joy, personally and professionally, regardless of our circumstances. Visit Rhonda's website.

Posted 8/16/2004 by Josh Hinds

Closing Through The Buyer's Eyes
by Tom Hopkins

Several years ago, I attended a huge banquet for top salespeople. Before I gave my talk, the speaker introduced someone in the audience and said, "This man earned twice the national average in sales last year..."

The speaker's manner suggested that it was quite an achievement. But, this isn't all that impressive, so everyone craned their necks and looked at the man in puzzlement.

"... and he's totally blind." There was a burst of applause. When that finally quieted, the speaker said, "I'm sure that many of us are wondering how you got into the top third in sales achievement with your handicap."

"Wait a minute," the blind man curtly replied, "I don't have a handicap, I have an advantage over every other salesperson in my field. I have never seen a product I've sold, so I have to close through my prospect's eyes. What I do is what all of you sighted people could do, would serve your clients better, and make more money if you did."

The point he struck with me is this: You must see the benefits, the features and the limitations of your product or service from the buyer's viewpoint. You must weigh them on their scale of values, not your own. Get yourself out of the way. That includes your opinion of the product, of your company, of them, and of yourself as a sales professional.

Once you are able to do that, you will be able to concentrate on your job of serving them. You will be able to empathize with their situation; their specific needs and radiate the confidence that you can help them.

There are certain signs you will begin to notice when they are ready to go ahead with your product or service.

1. When they change the pace of your discussion -- either by slowing it down or speeding it up.

2. When they start asking more questions about the product or service.

3. When they become more relaxed and less businesslike. That usually means they've made a decision.

4. When they favor your test close. This would be a question about installation or start up of service that they answer without hesitation or when they give you an objection.

Now that you know they're ready, where do you close? Anywhere. Don't stand on ceremony. If you are in their office, your showroom, your car, or even a restaurant, if they're ready, put your pen to paper. For many people there is a certain excitement about executing a decision, right now! Most of us feel joy and relief at having the mental strain behind us. We now see only the benefits of having the product or service already working for us.

Don't spoil that mood for your customers by insisting on getting back to the office, or somewhere where you're comfortable to start writing up the agreement. You'll be taking the risk of having them cool off about their decision. To use an old cliché, "Strike while the iron is hot!"

Now, you must also be aware of their emotions about making decisions in that they may be the kind of person who needs to be sitting at a desk or conference table to finalize any paperwork on a purchase. If they are that kind of person, you should understand any hesitation and suggest that you get into a more appropriate setting before you begin putting things on paper. If you press that kind of person, they may quickly have second thoughts about the investment.

If they show hesitation once you've begun your closing sequence, you need to relax them and let the pressure off before continuing. I suggest that you begin by apologizing to them for rushing things. Tell them that you get excited when you think about all the benefits they'll be receiving from your product or service, and you may have gotten a bit overzealous. Watch them closely here and when they begin to relax, summarize the benefits they already agreed to, using questions.

"I know there are still a lot of questions in your mind, but this model is the size you wanted, isn't it?"

"And the delivery date we discussed is okay, am I right?"

"Our service agreement meets your company's needs, doesn't it?"

Once you've covered all the minor agreements, ask a lead-in question and try another close. A lead-in question would be something like, "I know I covered that list of items rather quickly, but those are the things we've discussed so far, and we have agreed on them, haven't we?" If they still show hesitation, I suggest you move on to the "Similar Situation" Close.

The "Similar Situation" close is one in which you tell them about another client of yours who had needs much like theirs. They hesitated at first, but finally agreed to go ahead with the investment and today they are so happy that they did. They realized all the benefits you had discussed in your presentation and a few others they hadn't thought of previous to making their decision.

It's important after each transaction that you make notes on the situation and the resolution of each client's problems. This way, you'll have a large inventory of similar situations you can draw from when a new client shows hesitation. Once they see that you've helped someone in the same type of situation before, it'll build their confidence in your ability to do the same for them.

Once they understand that your main interest is in serving their needs, not your own pocketbook or ego, they'll relax and let you see exactly what they see through their eyes. When they're more open to you, you'll be better able to satisfy their needs and receive fewer objections as well.
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Tom Hopkins International
7531 E. 2nd St., Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Tel: (480) 949-0786 or 800/528-0446 Fax: (480) 949-1590
Visit their website for a great "Tip of the Day"

** Josh's Motivation Tip: Tom Hopkins is also the best-selling author of "How to Master the Art of Selling".

Posted 8/15/2004 by Josh Hinds

How To Attract Everything You Want
By Rene Godefroy

Do you find yourself butting your head against the wall of success? Are you caught up in a revolving door going around and around? When you look at where you are in life, do you think you should be further ahead?

Not long ago, I reviewed my goals. If you know me, you might realize that I am a dreamer. I have BIG dreams. But there are days when I, too, am frustrated. I feel like I am spinning my wheels in one place. I feel like I'm doing everything I can to make my vision a reality.

On the outside, many people think I have it all together. They think I have arrived. Don't get me wrong, I am happy with the progress that I have made in life. I am living my dream in America. I am blessed! I face everyday with excitement and passion.

I am doing something I truly love. My vocation is my vacation. I have friends in high places. I am way ahead of many. Life is wonderful compared to what it was. I am pressing on to greater things. But I have had my share of frustration along the way.

Well, unlike many who are too busy trying to make a living instead of designing a life, I took the time to examine what I might be doing wrong. And my findings are really astonishing. I discovered that my doings are not in alignment with my being. And that may be your problem, too. Let me explain.

Imagine for a moment that your mind is a garden. It is impossible to grow mangos from a watermelon seed. But it seems as though that is exactly what we are trying to do when it comes to aligning the seeds in our minds versus the harvest we want as a result.

Seeds of doubt and fear planted in our minds can reap their own sort of crop. If you wake up doubting whether you will make it or not, it doesn't matter how much you have done for the day, you will not make much progress. You must believe!

That's why you and I can't afford to let others dump their negative opinions in our heads and take them as the gospel truth. It's dangerous! Most people will not utter one sentence without injecting some kind of fear or doubt in us. And keep in mind that the more influence others have on you, the more damage you allow them to do.

One seed of fear is like a weed. Once allowed to enter our minds, it can grow wild and suffocate the good in you. I am sure you have heard that success is an inside job. We must first create it in our minds and intensely believe it is ours before it can become a reality. God never lets us down. We let ourselves down. Does that make sense to you?

Until we meet again, take a good look at your own personal garden (your mind), and notice all of the weeds that may have overtaken it. Do you know how those weeds got there? Five years from now, if you are not careful, you may become what the people around you believe instead of what you wish for yourself. Be sure to always surround yourself with positive people, and positive thoughts.

I wish you incredible success!

Rene Godefroy
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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

** Josh's Motivtion Tip: Rene Godefroy is the author of "No Condition Is Permanent!" -- No Condition Is Permanent! is a personal development book that contains practical ideas and strategies from a man who, as a child, fought extreme poverty and diseases in a tiny Haitian village to become one of America's most inspiring motivational speakers. After reading this book, you will definitely kick your excuses goodbye and embrace the courage you possess to realize your dreams.

Posted 8/14/2004 by Josh Hinds

Developing Clarity For Phenomenal Success
by Mark Victor Hansen

When you ask people what they want their life to be like the usual response is "I want to be happy." We all want to be happy, but that is not very specific. People who live in a grass hut in the middle of the jungle wearing only fig leaves can be happy. If that's what you want, great. But few people I know would be satisfied with that lifestyle.

No two people on the planet define happiness, love or success in the same way. We need to define these things for ourselves and figure out what we want in order to have our perfect lives. If we don't know what we want, how can we expect to get it?

We need to be specific about our desires. We need to develop a clear, concise picture of what we want our lives to look like. Only then can that dream life manifest itself into physical form.

Say you and your best friend are standing in the kitchen. You say, "Hand me the metal object." They look around and see a spatula, a fork, a butter knife, a spoon, a pizza cutter, etc. They're confused, because they see all of these metal objects, but they don't know which one you meant. So, they hand you a spoon.

"That's not what I want," you say. They hand you a spatula.

"That's not it either," you say. They would have to keep handing you everything in the kitchen until they got it right. On the other hand, if you had said, "Hand me a fork," you would have gotten it immediately.

Developing clarity about what we want is fundamental to our success. Why? Because when we know what we want and ask our Higher Power (God, the Universe, whatever you're comfortable with and believe in) that is what we're going to get. The more specific we are, the faster it is sent to us. The more vague we are, the slower we are to get it.

You see, the Universe wants us to have everything we want. The Universe is not manipulative or cruel. It is simply waiting for you to get crystal clear about what it is that you want. The Bible says, "Ask and ye shall receive. Seek and ye shall find." It doesn't get much more simple than that. Your only job is to decide specifically what it is that you truly want and then ask. It is the Universe's job to give it to you.

'Walt Disney and Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller had 50 year plans – do you?'

Mark Victor Hansen
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Article submitted by Mark Victor Hansen - Co-Author of the Chicken Soup For The Soul series of books. For over 26 years, Mark Victor Hansen has focused solely on helping people in all walks of life reshape their personal vision of what's possible for themselves. Visit http://www.markvictorhansen.com for resources, secure shopping and web-only product specials, speaking schedule and current projects. Mark is also the co-author of "The One Minute Millionaire" book.

** Josh's Motivation Tip: I hope one thing really stuck out in your mind as you read the previous article -- that is: "Walt Disney and Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller had 50 year plans – do you?" -- My hope is that you'll really give that some thought. That's not say you have to plan 50 years out, but are you at least making & keeping tabs on your goals? If not, how can you expect to ever get where you want to be? There are any number of techniques for effective goal setting. Find the approach that works best for you and stick to it! Work your plan and you're sure to see great things happen in your life.

Posted 8/11/2004 by Josh Hinds

It's Your Life So Make the Most of It
By Nathaniel Branden

One of the most important ingredients in your personal development is taking real responsibility for your actions. This requires that you consciously become the cause of the results that you want. Refuse to behave like a victim... or to wait for someone to save you from life's problems.

Keys to Self-responsibility

To reach your full potential, you need to take responsibility for your actions in meaningful ways...

Consciousness. You have a choice -- you can pay attention and be fully present when you are making critical decisions, such as working on a project, reading your performance review or deciding whether to have another drink. Or you can be physically present but mentally absent during these activities. Either way, you are responsible for the level of consciousness you bring to any occasion -- and you are responsible for the results.

Decisions and actions. It is tempting to "disconnect" from our choices -- to insist that someone or something is driving us to behave the way we do. Other people don't make you talk or act in certain ways. You are responsible for how you speak and listen... whether you act rationally or not... whether you treat others fairly or unfairly... whether you keep your promises or break them. Once you recognize that you are the source of your own decisions and actions, you are far more likely to proceed wisely -- and to act in ways that will not cause embarrassment or regret later.

Fulfillment of desires. A major cause of unhappiness or frustration is imagining that someone will come along to "rescue" you -- to solve your problems and fulfill your wishes. A self-responsible person recognizes that no one is coming to make life right or to "fix" things. You acknowledge that nothing will get better unless you do something to make it happen.

Beliefs and values. Many people are happy to reflect passively what others believe and value. Or they assume that their ideas arise naturally out of their feelings -- by instinct. Self-responsible people work to become aware of their beliefs and values... to critically scrutinize them... to seek out people who see things differently... and then to make up their own minds.

Setting priorities. The way we spend time and energy is either in sync with our values or out of sync with what we claim is important. If you understand that the way you prioritize your time is your own choice, you are more likely to correct the contradictions. Instead of being overwhelmed or neglecting people and activities that are important to you, you reexamine your values or set priorities that make more sense.

Choice of companions. You can blame and resent others when they repeatedly hurt or disappoint you. You can feel sorry for yourself. Or you can recognize your responsibility for choosing with whom you spend time... and make different choices.

Actions in response to feelings and emotions. When you're angry, you have the urge to lash out. When you're hurt, you may feel like sulking. When you're impatient, you may want to drive too fast. But you don't have to act on every feeling or urge. When you accept responsibility for the actions you take, you act more thoughtfully... less impulsively... and with better results.

Happiness. If you believe your happiness is primarily in your own hands, you give yourself enormous power. You don't wait for events or other people to make you happy. If something is wrong, your response is not, "Someone's got to do something!" but "What can I do?"

One's own life and well being. In taking responsibility for your life, you will recognize other people's rights to do the same. Other people do not exist as means to your ends, any more than you live in service to their goals. People may choose to help me another -- voluntarily. Life is usually more pleasant when they do so. But no one is born with a right to other people's assets or energy -- despite the attitude of entitlement that is so prevalent today.

Learning self-responsibility. You can become more responsible by asking yourself two powerful questions several times a day...

What possibilities for action exist?

What can I do? Instead of just saying, "I want...," try asking yourself, "What am I willing to do to get what I want?" To become more aware of whether you are acting responsibly, ask yourself, If I wanted to be fully self-responsible right now, what would I be doing?

Try this exercise: Every morning for one week, write six to 10 endings to each of the following sentences...

If I operate a little more self-responsibly today, I will...

If I am 5% more self-responsible in my relationships, I will...

If I accept responsibility for my choices and decisions, I will... Don't worry about what you should say. Just write the first words that come to mind. Over the weekend, reread the week's sentences. Then write six to 10 endings for this sentence...

If any of what I wrote this week is true, it might be helpful if I... Done consistently, this exercise helps to shift your mental focus. Changes are often quick -- and dramatic.
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The previous article was written by Nathaniel Branden. This particular contribution was made available through the good folks at ConsciousOne. Be sure to visit their site directly by clicking here.

Posted 8/03/2004 by Josh Hinds

Here's a quote that appeared recently in the FREE Insight Of The Day! newsletter...

"One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do."

- Henry Ford
1863-1947, Industrialist and Founder of Ford Motor Company

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