Persistence – makes the difference !

 Last week I was talking to someone about ‘what makes people give up on their path to success ? and how to overcome it ‘?.

 It reminded me a meaningful quote by Og Mandino – a world famous sales guru and author of The Greatest Salesman In The World —  ”I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.”  Wonderful !!

 The quality he is hinting at is the one that makes the difference – Persistence.

 Persistence is a unique mental strength; a strength that is essential to combat the fierce power of the repeated rejections and numerous other obstacles that sit in waiting and are all part of winning in a fast-moving, ever-changing world. There are hundreds of highly successful men and women who have cut a path for others to follow, while leaving their mark on the scrolls of history… and every one of these great individuals was persistent. In many cases it was the only quality that separated them from everyone else.

 Think about it. If you took a quick mental walk down memory lane and reviewed some of your accomplishments in the past – large and small – you would have to agree that persistence played an important role in your success.  

Repeated rejection and obstacles are part of a daily routine, where Persistence is an expression of the mental strength that is essential in almost every profession. Ultimately persistence becomes a way of life, but that is not where it begins. To develop the mental strength – persistence – you must first want something. You have to WANT something so much that it becomes a heated desire… a passion in your belly. You must fall in love with that idea. Yes, literally fall in love with the idea and magnetize yourself to every part of the idea. At that point, persistence will be virtually automatic.  

 It is generally believed that a lack of persistence is a consequence of a weak willpower. That is not true. A person could have a highly evolved willpower and still lack the persistence required to keep moving forward in life. In more cases than not, if a person lacks persistence, they do not have a goal that is worthy of them, a desirable goal that excites them to their very core.

 Willpower is important in moving a person toward their goal. However, if there is ever a war between the will and the imagination, the imagination will win every time. What that means is: you’re powered by desire and fuelled by the dream you hold. Once you start to use your imagination to help you build a bigger picture of your dream, you can  then define and refine it until you get it just right for you and your success.

To Get.. Learn To Give First !

Nothing teaches character better than generosity.

Giving is better than receiving because giving starts the receiving process. Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have. Curiously enough, the giving spirit creates the receiving spirit. So, to get more all one needs to do is give more. The more ideas one creates and gives away the more ideas one has.

“I’ll spend the first half of my life creating great wealth and the second half giving it away…Attempting to do the most good and the least harm with my benefactions.” — Andrew Carnegie, the steel baron and philanthropist who funded more than 3,000 libraries all over the world.

In giving and sharing you always have more. It seems arithmetically as though one would have less but, in fact, giving expands whatever one has. Music is the best example of this theory, proving that giving and sharing always creates more for everyone.

When a musician gives their all, they feel exalted and thankful that the music flowed through them. The audience is enthralled, entranced, moved to happy tears, and feels compelled to participate instantaneously in a standing ovation. The star musician bares his soul and the audience experience the ‘wow’ and delighted to tell everyone to see this performer.

Likewise, the simple act of giving simultaneously creates more good and blessings seemingly out of nowhere. Why?

Because God is always watching and cheerfully gives instantaneously to the giver. That’s why givers’ give more. They have experienced this amazing formula, even if they cannot articulate it. They know that it works to theirs and everyone’s benefit. 

It’s best to start the discipline of generosity when the amounts are small. It’s easy to give ten cents out of a dollar; it’s a little harder to give a hundred thousand out of a million. Sharing makes you bigger than you are. The more you pour out, the more life will be able to pour in. What you give becomes an investment that will return to you multiplied at some point in the future.

Joyful Living – The way of life !

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

It’s not so difficult to find and experience joy in your life. Most of the time people think joy is momentary. May be because they don’t know how to make JOY a way of life, in everything they do !

Know your purpose. Nothing will bring you joy more than knowing what it is that you are about on this earth. Not knowing brings sadness, wondering, fear and lack of fulfillment. Above all, find out what your unique purpose is here on this earth – then fulfill it ! As you do, you will experience joy !

Live purposefully. This is a follow up to number one. It is one thing to know your purpose, but then you need to live according to that purpose. This is a matter of priorities. Let your actions and schedule reflect your purpose. Don’t react to circumstances and let them cause you to live without your purpose fully. Living without your purpose will cause frustration. Living purposefully will bring you deep satisfaction and joy !

Stretch yourself. Don’t settle into the status quo. That will leave you unfulfilled. Always look to stretch yourself. Whatever you are doing, stretch yourself to do more! Stretching yourself will break the limits you have set for yourself and will cause you to find joy in your expanded horizons !

Give more than you take. It brings happiness to accumulate. It brings joy to give away. Sure, buying a new car or a bigger house you worked hard for, will bring you a sense of satisfaction and even happiness. But it won’t bring you joy. Giving something away to the less fortunate will bring you deep, abiding joy.

Surprise yourself and others too. The words here are spontaneity and surprise! Every once in a while, do the unexpected. It will cause everybody to sit back and say, “Wow, where did that come from?” It will put a little joy in your life, and theirs.

Laugh a little – no, a lot ! Most people are just too serious. We need to laugh a little ! Learn to laugh daily, even if you have to learn to laugh in bad situations. This life is to be enjoyed ! Watch comedy shows, movies and let loose !  Let yourself laugh !

Joy can be yours! Look for it, pursue it and enjoy it !

Tough Times Never Last, but Tough People Do !

Every one or every organization, some or the other time  goes through tough and challenging times. At times, you can’t even predict or stop this. Instead prepare & perform some extraordinary leadership, that can help you come out stronger.

Robert Schuller has said it beautifully — Tough Times Never Last, but Tough People Do !

Keep Your Eye on the Big Picture.

When things get tough, everybody’s temptation is to become acutely focused on the problem. The Leader, however, will keep his/her eye on the big picture. This doesn’t mean that we don’t address the problem. In fact, we have to address the problem. But don’t get caught up in the problem. The leader sees the big picture and keeps moving toward the vision.

Don’t Get Caught in the War or the Friendly Fire.

When it gets tough, sometimes your own people can be tempted to start shooting at each other. Rather than focusing on the real challenge, they would pose questions or find more criticalities that they normally would not do. It’s important and in only up to the leaders to keep an eye on the big picture and act rationally and objectively. This way, they take fewer arrows and they set the example for their followers. The Leader understands this and rises above it.

Remain Calm.

Leader takes time out regularly to think the issues through so they can remain calm. They remind themselves all is not lost and there will be another day. Being calm will enable them to make the right decisions. Panic only leads to disaster, while calm leads to victory.

Motivate.

In tough and challenging times, people are naturally down and tend to be pessimistic. They can’t see how it is all going to work out. Thus, they have a hard time getting going. The Leader knows this and will focus in on being the optimistic motivator. Above all else, they seek to show how the end result will be good – and with this they motivate their teams to continue on, braving the current storms, and on to their shared destiny.

Create Small Wins.

A Leader creates opportunities for the team to win, even if they are small. They set smaller, more achievable goals and remind and reward the team members when they hit those goals. With each small win, the leader is building the esteem and attitude of his followers, digging them out of their self-created hole of fear.

Keep a Sense of Humor.

Leader knows that even if there are big loses or sacrifices, we still go home to our families and live a life of love with them. The Extraordinary Leader keeps perspective that we humans act irrationally when we get scared and fail, and sometimes that is humorous. The know – when you smile, the world smiles with you.

So going ahead while you aspire for more challenges and success, be prepared for the tough times and keep an attitude that will beat the tough times.

Success Is Easy, But So Is Neglect …

We often see that some people become success, rather extremely success while many others cannot.  How ?

The answer is simple: The things that achievers find easy to do,  others find them difficult or impossible at times. Let’s look at some common examples;

Achievers find it easy to set the goals that could change my life. Others find it easy not to. Achievers are fond of reading books that could affect their thinking and ideas.

Others found that easy not to. Achievers find it easy to attend the lectures, seminars, and to get around other successful people. Others say – how does it matter ?. If I had to sum it up, I would say achievers find it easy to do, others find it easy not to do. This makes achievers wealth creators .. while others blame it on the luck , company policies, the economy, the government … and yet they neglect to do the basic, easy things.

In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing as well as they could and should, can be summed up in a single word: neglect. It is not the lack of money – banks are full of money. It is not the lack of opportunity –  world is full of opportunities. Everything we would ever need to become rich and powerful and sophisticated is within our reach. The major reason that so few take advantage of all that we have is simply neglect.

Neglect is like an infection. Left unchecked it will spread throughout our entire system of disciplines and eventually lead to a complete breakdown of a potentially joy-filled and prosperous human life.  

Not doing the things we know we should do causes us to feel guilty and guilt leads to an erosion of self-confidence. As our self-confidence diminishes, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity diminishes, our results inevitably decline. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins the slow shift from positive to negative, our self-confidence diminishes even more… and on and on it goes.

So make a choice today and do not neglect to do the simple, basic, “easy”; but potentially life-changing activities and disciplines.

Intevnt & Define Yourself For 2008 !!!

Over the next few days people all over the world will make resolutions to figure out how to make 2008 a better 2007. It’s also commonly seen, most of the new year resolution fizzle out by end of January. So when you resolve, don’t forget to re-invent yourself. When you plan, make sure you are preparing yourself.

When you will resolve to do more so you ‘get more’, don’t forget to think define your own philosophy of ‘give more’ to get more joy of life.

Design Your Happiness.

Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want. Happiness is not an accident. Nor is it something you wish for. Happiness is something you design.  How sad to see someone with money and no joy. People study economics, technology and business management, but never study happiness.  The greatest source of unhappiness comes from inside. Happiness is the art of learning how to get joy from your substance. Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.

Be Clear Not Fuzzy.

Successful people are successful because they are very clear about their values. Unsuccessful people are fuzzy or unsure. Complete failures have no real values at all.  Economic disaster begins with a philosophy of doing less and wanting more. If you want to amend your errors, you must begin by amending your philosophy.  Your philosophy determines whether you will go for the disciplines or continue the errors. If you learn to set a good sail, the wind that blows will always take you to the dreams you want, the income you want, and the treasures of mind, purse, and soul you want.

Determine Your Values.

Personal strategic planning begins with your determining what it is you believe in and stand for-your values. Your values lie at the very core of everything you are as a human being. Your values are the unifying principles and core beliefs of your personality and your character. The virtues and qualities that you stand for are what constitute the person you have become from the beginning of your life to this moment. Your values, virtues and inner beliefs are the axle around which the wheel of your life turns. All improvement in your life begins with you clarifying your true values and then committing yourself to live consistent with them.

Develop Your Own Philosophy.

Your personal philosophy is the greatest determining factor in how your life works out.  Only human beings can reorder their lives any day they choose by refining their philosophy. The key factor that will determine your financial future is not the economy; the key factor is your philosophy. Don’t borrow someone else’s plan. Develop your own philosophy and it will lead you to unique places.

Build Confidence, That Builds Your Self-Esteem.

Values clarification is the beginning exercise in building self-confidence, self-esteem and personal character. When you take the time to think through your fundamental values, and then commit yourself to living your life consistent with them, you feel a surge of mental strength and well-being. You feel stronger and more capable. You feel more centered in the universe and more competent of accomplishing the goals you set for yourself.

So at the beginning of 2008, decide for yourself what makes you truly happy and then organize your life around it. Begin with your values by deciding what it is you stand for and believe in. Commit yourself to live consistent with your inner most convictions – and you’ll never make another mistake.

My best wishes to you, your family and your business .. Have A Wonderful Year 2008 Ahead !!!