When Defeat Comes

"When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans
are not sound. Rebuild those plans and set sail once more
toward your coveted goal."

*-- Napoleon Hill


"Eagles come in all shapes and sizes, but you will recognize them
chiefly by their attitudes."

*-- Charles Prestwich Scott


"The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can
alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind."

*-- William James

Key To Success: Motivation - By Donovan Baldwin

Motivation is not a new concept to most of us. We have felt that first burst of enthusiasm. Perhaps it was an ad or news story on TV, an article in a magazine, a chance remark, or an embarrassing moment that brought us that sudden rush of certainty that something needed to be done...could be done. We felt a strong, perhaps overwhelming desire to DO SOMETHING...something that would change what had been or create something new. Often, this is accompanied by a clear and certain knowledge of what to do, how to do, and what the result would be.

Maybe we decided to lose weight, start a business, or write a book. Still bolstered by our reaction to what we had seen, heard, or felt, were certain of success! We would start that exercise program, or open that savings account tomorrow; we would begin writing a chapter a day...tomorrow. No! Tomorrow was too far away! We knew what we wanted and how to get it and we were going to start today!

Nothing could stop us!!

Of course, we know what happened over the next few hours, days, or weeks.

The clear image we had of our success dimmed and blurred; perhaps disappeared all together. The daily exercise routine, became a couple of times a week, and then was dropped all together. We quit making the deposit, or the notebook we bought for writing our great novel suddenly seemed too full of blank pages to ever fill.

The dream ended. If we were lucky, that's all that happened...it ended. For some, however, it lingered on as one more reminder of all the unfulfilled dreams and became part of our self image. It was another defeat to add to the stack.

So! What happened and how do we change it?

What happened was a combination of life, human nature, and personality or character.

Life supplies us with a constant stream of information, events, and opportunities. It is difficult to keep sight of the goal and the process while maintaining the initial level of motivation which burned so brightly when it was the new kid on the block.

Human nature has defense mechanisms and weaknesses which combine to cause us to lose the fervor we felt...before we begin to become aware of the obstacles in our path. Sadly, an obstacle does not have to be real to be effective. The well-intentioned doubts of friends and family, whether real or imagined, are both equally effective in extinguishing the fires of desire.

As with many things in our lives, our personalities and characters have a great impact on our success or failure in any given situation. Whether they contribute to our success or become obstacles does not, however, define us as failures! It is also important to note that the factors of personality or character which may be in the way are NOT always set in stone and may be altered so that success becomes a more common state.

Ways to maintain motivation keep our dream clear, bright, and fresh after the first giddy rush of elation we felt when we first felt we knew "the answer". We cannot change life in general, but we can change how we live it and alter the human nature and circumstances which would rob us of success.

1. Write it down: Whatever the goal or dream, commit it to paper. Often, the dream simply becomes harder to see, more difficult to focus on, as new events and factors evolve. Writing it down allows us to refocus and see the goal again as we saw it when it was fresh.

2. Read it: Carry the paper you wrote it on with you. Make an extra copy and put it on your bathroom mirror, another on the refrigerator door. Take it out several times daily and read it...out loud is best, but silently in the bathroom is better than nothing.

3. Revise it: Things change, we grow, we learn. Be real. Having to alter a dream or the process of achieving it is not failure. It is reality.

4. Log it: Make note of what you did to achieve your goal or what you can do tomorrow or next week. Don't worry about how far you got, or how much you did...just that you did it.

5. Learn it: Study the subject. You don't have to go back to school for a degree, but regularly delving into the subject will help keep you focused and perhaps give you new ideas to help you on your way.

6. Share it: If you dare, you are the judge. Letting people know what you're doing, while being aware that they may have a negative view of it, can be motivating.

7. Read about motivation: These few words are not the only ones written on the subject. There are other ideas out there, and a sentence in another article or a book may be the key you need to go farther than you have ever gone before.

The goal is to keep the motivation level somewhere near the level it was when you started.

Donovan Baldwin is a Dallas area writer and network marketing professional. A graduate of the University Of West Florida (1973) with a BA in accounting, he is a member of Mensa and has held several managerial positions. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, he became interested in internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters. Get more insights on self improvement at http://web-home.ws/self-improvement/

Stay Motivated by Making a Written Commitment to Yourself - By Ross Harrison

People almost always say they are committed to their success, but rarely do they actually put it in writing. Putting your thoughts or goals in writing makes them seem more tangible and helps keep them in your conscious thoughts. This is most effective when your written commitment is kept where it will frequently be seen. The more you see and think about reaching your goals, the more likely you are to succeed.

This commitment will essentially be a contract listing behaviors or actions for which you will hold yourself accountable. You should treat this contract as seriously as you would any other important contract.

A great way to make this even more effective is by sharing your goals and even your written commitment with your family and friends. Research has consistently shown that people who make their goals public are more successful at reaching their goals. The people you share your goals with help hold you accountable and serve as an additional source of motivation. Of course, this only works well when the people you tell are supportive and encouraging.

As for the written commitment/contract itself, the actual content will influence its effectiveness. You definitely want to clearly state your primary goal(s), but you should also go beyond this and include important steps you need to follow to reach your goals.

For example, if your primary goal is to lose 20 pounds of fat, you should include objectives such as "I will engage in at least 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity 3 times per week" or "I will eat 5 or 6 small meals per day instead of 3 large meals." Try to include every behavior or activity that you feel is integral to your long-term success.

Now that you have your list of goals and the steps necessary to reach them, as stated earlier, be sure to put it somewhere where it will be seen multiple times each day. Also, if you like to use lists, make a daily or weekly checklist with each item on your contract and check them off as you complete them or at the end of the day. This will provide you with a sense of accomplishment and help keep you motivated.

After you finish your initial commitment/contract, it should not be set in stone. From time to time you should update your contract to make sure the goals/objectives are still appropriate and beneficial. For example, if you have an initial goal of walking 2 miles 3 times a week, after a while that goal will be too easy and you will stop seeing positive results. Then you should create a new goal to reflect your current fitness level.

Using written commitments to yourself will help keep you motivated to reach just about any goal you have. Whether you want to lose weight, start a business, or improve a particular skill, written commitments are a great way to improve your results.

Ross Harrison, CSCS, NSCA-CPT is a certified personal trainer, strength and conditioning specialist, and nutritional consultant who teaches people how to lose weight, get in shape, and improve their quality of life with exercise and nutrition. For more information or to sign up for his free health and fitness newsletter containing tons of useful information, visit http://precisionhealth-fitness.com/.

Execute on Goals: Periodically Evaluate Where You Are - By Shawn Doyle

If you were blindfolded and taken to a foreign country where you had never been and dropped off in the middle of a city you would at first have trouble finding your way around. You would ask for directions, then you would probably buy a map. Once you had the map and you knew the exact direction you were headed, you would find your way home. Because you are an intelligent person you would stop along the way periodically and check with a “local” to see if you were going in the right direction. This would give you the confidence and assurance that you were headed in the right direction.

The Motivational Map

I would suggest that goals are part of your map to success. An additional part of success and motivation is stopping to evaluate your progress and to periodically evaluate “ where you are.” This will tell you if you are “on track.”

Let me give you another example. Let’s say you were on a workout and fitness program. If you were on that program, you would measure your body fat, weigh yourself and possibly take measurements of your waist. This is how you would measure your progress. It would keep you motivated because as you lost weight and inches you would be even more fired up because you had seen results!
In order to get motivated, and stay motivated, it is absolutely essential to evaluate where you are on a monthly or quarterly basis for all of your goals. Doing this will have several advantages:

•It allows you to objectively stand back, take a time out in order to evaluate where you are and how you are progressing compared to the goals you have set.

•If you are meeting your goals or exceeding them, you will be that much more motivated. It feels good to be on track or ahead of schedule.

•If you are off the mark, this will give you a chance to make adjustments. This is a good news scenario, because you would rather correct your course earlier rather than later. This is much better than waiting until the end of the year to fix it.

•The exercise of periodically looking at where you are will reinforce why you set out to approach the goals that you have in the first place.

The act of looking at your progress and “where you are” is very valuable and relevant. As members of the human race, we are always changing, and sometimes as we change our goals and our direction changes as well. In looking back at the goals you may decide that you want to change some of the goals you have set and that is healthy.

Ask And You Shall Receive

In reviewing your progress, ask yourself some very in depth questions and think through the answers. As a young man, I thought that I wanted to be an actor. As mentioned in an earlier chapter, I realized I didn’t want to live in New York or L.A. I realized I didn’t want to be an actor and sacrifice as much as it was going to take. This was the result of asking myself the question “Is this what I really want?” The answer in my head was of course a resounding no.

As you take this journey called life it is very easy to get in a big hurry and to not stop and think about what you are doing and why. Asking yourself the right questions and really thinking about the answers will lead you to your own truth. The truth will be the key to staying motivated, because what you are going after is your own.

To Be Or Not To Be

Here are questions that you need to consider. Take some quiet time and find a spot where you won’t be distracted and ask yourself some of these questions:

•What were the original goals and why did I set them? Take a look at the original goals and ask yourself why you set them. What are you going to get out of these goals? Why are they important to you? How would achieving them affect your life and those around you? If you can nail down the answers to these questions it can be a fire starter for your motivation. You may say “That’s right, now I remember why this is so important.”

•How am I doing against my goals that I set? Take a look at this area and determine if you are ahead of schedule. If you are ahead of schedule, you will be very excited! You may find that you are right on track. That should be pleasing as well, because you can see that you are right where you should be. You may be behind schedule, in that case, you need to decide what obstacles are standing in your way and take some action! At one point during the writing of this book I got bogged down with being busy in other parts of my life and at times the progress was slow. I went back a few times and made adjustments in order to get things moving again. An Asian philosopher once said, “the secret of life is the constant readjustment to our surroundings.” So this constant process of evaluation and adjustment is necessary and motivating. It is also important to get a handle on how you are feeling about your progress- so you can manage your feelings. If you are frustrated or upset you need to take action to get out of that mode, because it is not a mode that is productive.

•What can I do differently? Ask yourself if you are taking the right approach and what have you learned in the last three or four months that you can apply. What modifications can you make to your habits? To your lifestyle? When can you make the changes? Where can you make them? How can you make them? Is there anyone who can help you or give you advice? This is a key point. Many people are shy and reluctant to ask other people for help. I think they are concerned the other person will say no – or will feel “put out” or taken advantage of. I have found in my experience that most people are flattered when you ask for their advice or help because it appeals to their ego. I also think people in general are nice and want to help. I have had very few people turn me down cold when I have asked for help and in general have been much more helpful then I expected. The power is just in the act of asking for help. Try this technique it really works.

•How do you feel about where you are at today? Are you very excited about your progress? Are you not excited at all? If you aren’t why not? What is holding you back from making the progress that you want to make? What are the barriers standing in your way? Going back to the trip analogy, if you were taking a long trip across the Atlantic, would you be frustrated if after 50 days you had made little progress? Of course you would! But that would be the time you would want to adjust your course! Then you would at least feel better by knowing your were off course and have made the necessary corrections.

•What is your primary objective for this goal? Why did you set it to begin with? Why is it so important? What impact will this have on your life? It is very important to ask yourself these questions because they can be helpful reminders as to why you started in the first place. One of the primary factors in motivation I believe, is the “why” motivation. You have to know why you are doing something, otherwise, you will at some point stop wanting to do it.

•What has changed since I last evaluated? Have there been any changes? What has changed with you? What has changed in your company? Your family? Your community? Your world? Because decisions aren’t made in a vacuum, it is important to look at all the factors that could, did, or will affect your decisions. If any changes have occurred, you may need to modify your course of action.

•How does this particular goal relate to the other goals I have set? Is there an interrelation between the goals? Are any of the goals in conflict with one another? Let’s say you have a goal of spending more time with your family. A second goal was to work out six times a week and really get in shape. A third goal is to go back to school and get your masters. As you can see if you try to achieve all these goals at once there is an inherent conflict.

•Are you having fun? If you aren’t having fun the questions that you answered on the last few pages don’t matter. If you are not having fun, at some point you will run out of steam and stop working on your goals. So I think that one benchmark should be that you are having fun! I was at an amusement park recently and watched a sixty year old man get on a ride. As he was buckled in I had him in perfect view. I wanted to see how he would react. He was smiling and yelling and saying “Whoa… this is great!” and he was having a ball! I mention this because there were other people at the park that day who were the same age, and looked like they were having no fun at all! Why? They had the “I am too old to ride this ride and I will look like a fool” mindset. What a shame.

•What are you doing well? As you go through this process write down what you are doing well. It is important to recognized and acknowledge what is going well for two reasons first, so you can keep doing it and second, so you have a sense of accomplishment. Even if some things are not going well other aspects are going well.

•Where are the key areas for improvement? If you had to identify one or two areas off the top of your head that could use improvement, what would they be? What kind of impact would improving these areas have?

•What would make a huge difference? If you think about it what are a few things that you could start doing today that would make a huge difference?

•What are your key barriers? What are some of the key barriers in your way? How can they be eliminated?

If you periodically evaluate where you are it will help you get motivated, and stay motivated, because the periodic check-up will be your motivational “compass” and will help you stay pointed in the right direction.

Shawn Doyle is the President of New Light Learning and Development (www.newlightlearning.com) a company specializing in Leadership Development and motivation. He has also authored five books on leadership sales and motivation. His latest book The Manager’s Pocket Guide to Training has just been published by HRD Press. Sldoyle1@aol.com

Life Is Growth

Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically
and spiritually, we are as good as dead.

--Morihei Ueshiba


I believe that we are here to contribute love
to the planet--each of us in our own way.

--Bernie Siegel, MD


The only difference between a thought and physical
reality is time, passion (love or hate), and
physical activity.

--Peter McWilliams

Get Rich Quick With A Plan - By Raymond Burton

You get 1440 minutes at the start of each day, what you do with them is up to you. The rich use them wisely. It is often said that the only difference between the rich and the poor is what they do in their spare time and its true. Planning has a lot to do with this. The rich have the same amount of time in the day that you do, it's just that they use that time wisely. To get more done in the same amount of time allows you to have more free time and to get more money making activities done in that time.

Some people say they have no free time, they usually say this as they sit on the couch watching TV. At work when asked if they phoned back a client, the answer is no as you talk to them on the way back from the smoking area. There is time for those things that are important to you. If you want to get rich quick you must plan the use of your time. It doesn't matter if you get paid by commission or by flipping houses in a hot market. Planning allows you to get rich quick.

When you are planning you should take a broad stroke and a fine detail approach. Plan for today and also have a master plan for this week, month and year. Every successful and rich person I have met has some sort of planning method they use. The better you plan, the more people and deals you can close. The more deals and people you close, the quicker you get rich. I know for a fact that it is how you use your time based on educating yourself in the areas that you did not previously know anything about that over time will make you rich. The rich do not posses any special genetic ability that you do not have. They have simply learned more about getting rich than you and they plan to put it into use. Because they have made a plan and intend to stick to it, they get their money making work done without interruption and faster than someone else that is distracted from their main task. That is, to get rich quick.

To get rich quickly, you must sell. What you sell is ideas and feelings. People seldom buy based on product use alone. Some people earn money by the hour, which is great until you run out of hours and still want to make more money. Getting paid passively is the way to go. When each hour you work can create income for a lifetime, you realize that every hour not planned is a lifetime of wasted riches. Plan each day to do something that will continue to make money forever. Automated businesses systems are the key.

Maybe right now you do not realize the time that you actually waste every day and wekk. If you do not have a daily planner, this is probably the case. Your planner, like your financial statement will show you where your time was well spent as well as wasted on non-productive fiddling. Looking back at your planner every once in a while will show you in black and white where your turning points were so you can replicate them. You will also be able to see when goals are met or not met when the actual day arrives. There is no better feeling than setting a goal a year away and then, by chance going over your planner to see that you actually have accomplished that goal. You planned your way to the riches you now have, a year ago.

Planning The Work Week

If you are set on getting things together, the first thing you are going to need is a planner. In this you will plan your upcoming week in advance so that you can then break it down further into what needs to be done today. If you do not meet the weekly deadline, then you know you are behind schedule on your way to getting rich. Being able to see mistakes in your course as soon as possible is invaluable in the long run. Plan in days to meet with joint venture partners, cross promotions, sales meetings and to increase your education in areas you are lacking. If all this hits a nerve and you don't want to do it, you can look no further as to why you are not rich. You have failed to plan to be rich and as a result, you are not rich. The only way to get rich is to deal with other people and develop synergy. These other people can help make up for the talents you lack. Make sure you plan your personal development as well. This is just like adding tools to your get rich toolbox. The more tools you have, the more opportunities for riches that are available. Always look to yourself if you are not achieving what you have planned. It is either a problem with the plan or the planner.

The success of your get rich quickly plan will fall directly on the solidity of your experience with the components of that plan. The actual application of the knowledge needed to get the pieces of the puzzle put together. Because of this, if you do not have experience in the area you need, you can learn it from someone who has been there or hire someone who already knows how to do it. The route to getting the experience you need to achieve a goal depends on money and interests. If you like the task, maybe you should learn it for you own pleasure. If you hate it, you should hire another professional. The bottom line is to get the task done on time with your plan to get rich quickly. Pride, ego and any other emotion should take a back seat to the bottom line. Following the plan on time.

Hi, my name is Raymond Burton and living well is my passion. Join me at RaymondBurton.com for more like the above article. You can also read more articles about wealth and finances at http://www.writtenarticles.com/money/

What motivates you? - By Phil Grisolia

Ever find yourself in kind of a funk, faced with having to do something you don’t want to do? A project at work? A chore on that Honey-Do list your spouse keeps adding to. It happens every day. To millions of us. Life isn’t always fun. Neither are the things we’re expected to do.

Maybe it’s time for “The Motivators,” those dynamic forces of accomplishment who – through prodding, inspiration and the skilled use of rewards and punishment – set us reluctant dolts in motion during just such times.

What is it that motivates you? What gets your engine revving when you have to do something you’d rather not? It might help if we take a look at what motivation is – or is supposed to be.

Motivation is generally accepted to mean “having the desire and willingness to do something.” That’s all well and good, but we’re talking here about the UNwilling having to do the UNdesirable.

So, let’s see what The Motivators can do to help us. By the way, that’s just their stage name. In real life their known as the Needs Brothers. Allow me to introduce them. There’s the smallest of the Needs, Physiological. Next in line are the twins, Safety and Security, followed by Social Needs, then Self-Esteem. And, finally, there’s the biggest, most senior brother, Self-Actualization, said to be the grandest Need of all.

The father of these six was Abraham Maslow. Their mother? Psychology. The Needs came to life in 1943 as Maslow’s theory titled Hierarchy of Human Needs. But enough of science. What does this all mean to you and me? Simply put, we humans have wants and desires that influence our behavior. But, we’re told, only unsatisfied needs can influence what we do and say. Satisfied needs cannot.

So, let’s see what Self-Actualization can do to help us accomplish our dreaded tasks. Self-Actualization, to paraphrase Maslow, is the natural growth of a motivating force within each of us, but, more concisely, it’s our ability to grow from within, the very essence of who we are as individuals. Self-Actualization, then, is our Need to reach our fullest potential as individuals.

Moving from the world of psychology to something more real, what it all means is that each of us already has, deep within ourselves, what it takes to do those dreaded jobs. All we have to do is dig down, pull it out, and put it to use.

Oh, in case you’re interested, you’ll recognize Self-Actualization by the T-shirt he’s always wearing. He refuses to part with it because he wrote his favorite saying across the front with a big, fat marker: “Find a way!”

© 2006, Philip A. Grisolia, CBC

A respected authority on motivation, Phil Grisolia is the author of “Wise Words – 1,001 Truths to Inspire, Enlighten and Enrich Everyday Life,” available at http://xlibris.com and through major booksellers. A wordsmith by profession, Phil puts his motivational skills to use both as an educator and as an award-winning copywriter. Learn more about Phil, his book and his work by visiting him at http://PhilGrisolia.com

Drive Motivation by Understanding the Power of Reward Now! - By Shawn Doyle

Webster’s defines reward as, “something given or received in recompense for worthy behavior” and I think that is a pretty solid definition. I would define reward as, giving yourself a dividend for all the hard work you have invested, so that you have a validation that your hard work is paying off. This helps increase motivation so you will continue wanting to work.

Let me give you an example. My father, Jack is a successful man and has always been a person with an incredible work ethic. He grew up poor in a small town in the south and through grit and hard work; he literally pulled himself up from manual laborer, to factory worker, to highly paid sales executive. When he reached a certain point in his career, he went out and bought a brand new Cadillac. I was a kid at the time and I didn’t understand why he had bought the car, in my view at the time, “an expensive, gas guzzling” car. I asked him one day when we were driving, “Dad, why did you buy this car?” He smiled at me as we were driving down the road. He told me that when he was a kid, he always saw successful people driving big cars and made a vow to himself, that if he ever “made it” he would reward himself by getting a Cadillac. It had always been a dream of his and now it had happened. He smiled a lot that year.

The story illustrates a key point. It is very important to reward yourself for achieving your goals. It is important to reward your self for the following reasons:

• You will feel like you are making progress.

• To have a tangible reminder of why you are working so hard.

• To finalize the achievement of a specific goal.

• To help measure your progress and celebrate it.

• Because it feels great and motivates you even further.

Success Is A Blow Dryer

I once read an interesting story, about the author Steven King and his wife Tabitha. He and his wife struggled for years, as he tried to make a living as a writer. They didn’t as the saying goes, have “two coins to rub together”. He finally made it and signed a very lucrative book deal. He told his wife that they had finally “made it” and she asked “does that mean I can afford to buy a blow dryer now?” She had not been able to afford a blow dryer and now a blow dryer was in reach. She said that blow dryer, when she bought it, meant a great deal to her, more than anyone can imagine.

It is essential to have goals, both short and long term. It is also vitally important to tie to those goals, specific rewards.

Let’s say for example that you want to lose weight, you are making a commitment to a diet and exercise program. The first step would be to decide on the specific goals long term. Let’s say your goal was to lose 50 pounds. That would be the long term goal. Next, you would need to break it down, into specific short term goals. Let’s say, you decide that it is reasonable to lose 2 pounds a week. It is great to have the long and short term goal and to have the specific details in writing, but this is where most people stop. A missing part of the equation is the setting of long term and short-term rewards. It may be a trip, a special piece of clothing, or a new type of fitness machine that you have spotted in the stores (this is great choice because it is a reward but tied specifically to the goal you are trying to reach). The long-term goal and the long-term reward have now been set.

Next, it is time to establish a short-term reward, which is tied to the benchmarks that you have set along the way. For example, the first short term goal may be “to lose 10 pounds.” Maybe it is a trip to your favorite salon for a manicure, or the purchase of a small item. When you use this “carrot and stick” reward system you will be so fired up that nothing can stand in your way!

Every time I have been promoted, my family has taken me out to dinner to celebrate .Why? My wife and my daughter inherently understand the value of reward. I think that deep inside, we all understand the value of reward, because we all grew up in school systems that rewarded performance. We saw people get rewards for honor roll, athletic achievement and awards for other activities. I think that as adults, we forget that reward is important or we know it is important and just get too busy to reward ourselves.

I have had my eye on a very sophisticated and expensive fitness machine for a long time. I watched the commercials; I ordered the video and reviewed the literature. I just had a real hard time with the decision, because of the expense. I received a significant promotion at work, my wife ordered it for me as a reward and I was quite shocked when it arrived. I was grinning from ear to ear. When I see that machine I don’t see the machine. I see it as a symbol of my achievement! It is absolutely essential that you can see tangible results of your hard work.

There are people I know that are really into yard work. When I ask my buddy Bob about it, he says he likes yard work because he is outside, it is good exercise and he enjoys it. Here is a theory, I think the reason that most people enjoy yard work is simply this, when they are done they can see a tangible, visual result of their effort. In life, most goals attained don’t have as obvious or visible results that we can stand back and look at and say, “I did this!” That why it is so very important to reward the achievement of your goals.

A Mind Is A Terrible Thing Not To Reward

Let me make a very important point here. This is not about rampant materialism or greed, or selfishness. This is about psychological reward. As much as we would like to think we can’t be manipulated, we can be influenced easily. Human beings are raised, taught to crave appreciation, and reward. It is just the way we are “wired”. If the idea of material possessions as a reward bothers you, then you can decide on other kinds of rewards such as spending a weekend camping, or a visit to your favorite museum, or a visit with a friend who lives in another state. Because it is your reward system, it is entirely up to you to decide on the reward.

I believe that the reason people give up hope, lose their zest, and motivation is the lack of reward. They get up every day, go to work, work really hard, and at the end of the week they get a modest check. By the time they pay their bills there is nothing left. It’s the classic rendition of the Tennessee Ernie Ford song I owe my soul to the company store. There is an endless cycle of work hard, pay bills, work hard, pay bills. This creates an endless cycle with no reward. This creates a sense of hopelessness. Ironically, the very person that is caught up in the cycle creates this situation. The cycle is created by not having specific goals and reward mechanisms.

Now a word of warning many people will set goals both short and long term with a reward mechanism. They truly make a commitment to the process, and they reach the goals that they set. At that point, they stop short and back off of the reward that they had planned. They may say, “well this is kind of expensive” or “I will wait until later.” This is a huge error! By setting the goals and agreeing on a reward for achieving it you have programmed your subconscious. When you back off from the reward portion, you are setting yourself up for failure the next time. Your brain will say, “We are setting a goal and a reward”, another part of you will be saying “Yeah right, last time there was supposed to be a reward and it didn’t happen!” So in the simplest of terms, your subconscious mind will feel cheated and so will you.

I am very fortunate. As a child my parents were always reinforcing the work hard/ set goals/get rewards model. One summer at the age of ten, I worked really hard babysitting, mowing lawns and saving every penny for the apple of my eye a drum set! When I was 2/3 of the way to my goal, I was surprised by my parents who gave me the last 1/3 of the money to buy the drum set. Of course they enhanced the message, by buying the drum set and having it sitting in the living room when I came home from school. I will never forget what they said. “We are very proud of you and the hard work you have done this summer. We have been impressed that you saved every penny. This is the reward for all the hard work.” That reinforced the message for me in a very powerful way.

I also would suggest that as a parent, friend, manager or colleague that you use the mechanism of reward. The technique can work with other people and can help motivate and inspire them. As a manager, I have often taken team members to lunch as a reward, to thank them for their hard work. I also have found notes, letters or memos to be a very effective motivational tool. As a parent, it is essential to teach your children the value of setting goals, achieving them and being rewarded. This is a concept that they can carry with them to a successful future, and life.

There was an ad campaign in the past for Toyota, which was “Oh what a feeling!” If you practice the technique of setting goals and rewarding yourself, you will be using a motivational tool, which is the fuel that will drive your passion and motivation. With goals and rewards you will truly be unstoppable!

Shawn Doyle is the President of New Light Learning and Development
(http://www.newlightlearning.com) a company specializing in Leadership Developmentand motivation. He is a sought after motivational speaker and coach. Shawn has authored five books on leadership sales and motivation. His latest book The Manager’s Pocket Guide to Training has just been published by HRD Press. Sldoyle1@aol.com

The Secret to Motivation: Knowing What Gets You Motivated and Stimulated! - By Shawn Doyle

If you owned an expensive racehorse (by the way if you do, congratulations!) you would make every effort to determine under what conditions your horse performed at its best. When it won a race, you would try to monitor what it ate and when, the pre-race preparation, the environment, the trainer. You would want to know exactly what your horse did right before the race. Then you would try to replicate those conditions to the very best of your ability, in order to increase the chance of your horse succeeding.

Well, the good news is you are your own horse! You need to determine what gets you motivated and stimulated. If for some reason you are down or tired and had a rough day, the methods that you have identified, will get your horse up and running again.

One day my teenage daughter and I were driving down the road and she said “Guess my favorite movie?” After nineteen guesses, which were all completely wrong, I finally gave up. I said, “I don’t know I give up” and was ready to hear some obscure movie answer. My daughter then told me her favorite movie was Rocky starring Sylvester Stallone. This would be the last answer I would expect from a very pretty and feminine girl. The movie is a tough gritty story of a loser who rises from obscurity to box his way to the top. It is a movie that is dark, bloody and violent. So I asked her why she liked that movie. Her answer? “It gets me pumped!” The movie, for my daughter isn’t about boxing, it’s about inspiration!

Identifying Your Rocket Fuel

I have found like anyone, that there are certain books, magazines, music and people that really motivate me. I have also found certain books, people, music and magazines to be very draining and de- motivating, They “ rain on my parade” if you will.

What are some of the motivational tools and influences that can keep you going?

•Books

Have you ever read the story of someone who despite all the obstacles that they faced, were able to succeed beyond their wildest dreams? Weren’t you amazed and inspired? There are many books that I have read over the years that have inspired me. A biography, self help, historical, psychology books and even at times fiction has inspired me. You need to identify a list of books that have inspired other people and then find the ones that do the same for you. Then you will have them available, when they are needed.

What is great about some books is the fact that they are timeless. The classic books, because they are based on simple truths really don’t lose their relevance. I recently read Mans Search for Meaning by Victor Frankel. The book was written just after world war two, but the principles are timeless and just as relevant today.

Once you locate books, which are the ones that motivate you buy them. I know it is less expensive to get books at the library, but owning the books is a better solution, because they are there for reference when you need them. Invest in yourself!

•Movies/Videos/DVD’s

Have you ever thought about movies that inspire you? I have several that really get me pumped. The Elephant Man starring John Hurt is a remarkable film about the triumph of the human spirit. I also love Dead Poets Society, Tucker: A man and his Dreams, Rocky and several others. Identify the movies you like and add them to your library.

•Magazines and Trade Journals

There are several magazines and journals on the market that are about motivation or success, or that you would find motivational. If your dream is to someday own a yacht, then a yachting magazine might be motivational for you to read. A good magazine should, in my opinion be entertaining, motivating and a potential resource for ideas. I can pick up a magazine and read one article, which can be well worth the price of the magazine. I once picked up Fast Company and read an article by Tom Peters that keep my wheels spinning for days! I was so impressed; I subscribed to the magazine and read it every month.

•People

I really believe that the quality of your life is greatly affected by the kind of people that you associate with on a daily basis. You can and must pick your associations. Try to surround yourself with positive, motivated and upbeat people. Limit your contact with people who are continually negative, pessimistic or mean. You may say at this point “well, I can’t pick my friends and associations.” That is what you have decided to believe, but it is not the truth. The truth of the matter, is that you decide every day who to make friends with and to keep that friend who has driven you crazy for years!

What about your family? You can’t pick your family; they are the cards that you have been dealt in life. Most families have some jokers! However if you have members of the family, that are negative and continuously difficult, limit your contact to the proverbial thanksgiving dinner and pass the gravy.

I want you to think of negative people as “energy vampires” they just sneak up from behind and suck the positive energy and motivation right out before you even realize it!
My best friend is a gentleman named Dave. Unfortunately we live in different states. When I call Dave, he is always positive, upbeat and supportive. At the end of a call with Dave, I always feel better than before the call started. Friends should be the people who support and motivate you.
Will there be times when you feel less motivated? Times that you are down? Sure! The key in those times is to have a friend that you can call, to help bring you back up and give you a positive perspective when you are in a “funk”. Not the friend who will say will say, “Well let me tell you what happened to me,” and tell a sad tale of woe. If you surround yourself with positive upbeat people, you cannot fail!

•Exercise

No, this is not a misprint! I said exercise. Exercise is a superb tool to get you motivated and keep you motivated. If you want to be pumped, get in a great workout! In my mind there are two keys to exercise being a motivational activity:
1)Knowing that you have a long-term goal. (see chapter 1)
2) You need to find an exercise program that you enjoy and find rewarding. If it isn’t enjoyable and rewarding it won’t last long!

Here is another compelling reason to exercise. Aside from the fact that you will live a longer and healthier life, in surveys that have been done, only 16% of the people asked said they work out on a regular basis. That means that if you exercise, you will immediately separate yourself from 74% of people that you may be competing against. That is a competitive edge!
Exercise, as you have probably heard many times releases many chemicals such as endorphins, which are “natural highs”. I find that exercise gives me more energy and more confidence. Try it you will like it. If you don’t like it, try some other form of exercise until you find one that you really like.

•Music

Imagine the great movies of our age without music. Can you imagine Jaws with out music? Gone with the Wind? Star Wars? This proves that music can have a powerful impact on people, and it can have a powerful effect on you! When ever you are feeling “down” or feeling less than motivated, use music as a tool to help you get back up. Find out what kind of music gets you going. It may be music from a soundtrack, from a movie, or a play. It may be a specific kind of music like rock, country or rap. Here is the key guideline; it has to work for you.

•Role Models

It is a useful technique to identify people from the past and present that you admire, that you can use for role models. Reading and studying about other people, who have been highly successful, can help you become more motivated. I am a big fan of Walt Disney, and whenever I read about him and all that he achieved; I just get completely fired up. When I read about all of the adversity he overcame and succeeded in overcoming, in spite of everyone’s predications, it makes me want to work even harder at achieving my goals.

•Theatrical Shows

I think one of the reasons why Broadway shows are so popular, is that great musicals have always been inspiring. Maybe it is because I am of Irish descent, but whenever I see the show Riverdance my heart soars! Find what kind of shows get you going, whether it is musicals dramas or operas.

The Power of Other Environments

Find out what other kinds of environment get you going and get your wheels spinning. To get motivated, maybe a visit to your local museum, a visit to a certain store or a trip to your favorite coffee shop. Perhaps a nice walk in your favorite park, or a visit to the local luxury car dealer, to look at the car you are going to own!

The bottom line in this chapter is to really understand yourself well enough, to know what the keys are to your motivational lock. It is important to know the activities that get you motivated, keep you motivated and to be in an “up” mood instead of a “low” mood.
Don’t get me wrong everybody gets down on occasion and that is ok. What isn’t O.K. is to stay there! I don’t think someone in a foul mood has ever accomplished any thing productive. One proven method to get out of a down mood or frame of mind is to do something, call a friend, go for a walk, but do something!

If you work at identifying the activities that really help bring you up, then like a doctor, you write your own prescription to solve the problem.

One thing I can guarantee, it is almost impossible to stay down when you are doing one of your “mood lifter” activities. There are so many people who seem helpless, trapped in dull boring lives, that are “in a rut”. I think it is tragic, for if they only understood they are the ones who control the quality of the life they live. Don’t live “a life of quiet desperation!” Decide that you are going to lead an exciting productive life of motivation!

Shawn Doyle is the President of New Light Learning and Development
(http://www.newlightlearning.com) a company specializing in Leadership Development and motivation. He is a sought after motivational speaker and coach and he has also authored five books on leadership sales and motivation. His latest book The Manager’s Pocket Guide to Training has just been published by HRD Press. Sldoyle1@aol.com

I Define Love

I define love thus: the will to extend one's self
for the purpose of nurturing one's own or another's
spiritual growth.

--M. Scott Peck


Living a life of integrity is one of the greatest
missions we can undertake.

--Greg Anderson


Such to me is the new image of aging: growth in
self and service for all mankind.

--Ethel Percy Audrus

Maximum Motivation By Practicing Long Term Thinking - By Shawn Doyle

One of the key characteristics of highly successful and motivated people is that they practice the fine art of long term thinking. Donald Trump always has had a five year plan. Many successful athletes and business people have commented in interviews about their long-term plans. Many famous football coaches have five year plans that they discuss with the press when they are hired. Of course, most of them are on five year contracts!

I recently read of an Asian businessman who is a multimillionaire. He was being interviewed by a reporter about the plans for his company. The reporter was amazed that the man had a five year and a twenty year plan for his company. The reporter thanked him for the interview and as he was leaving the business man said “Yes, but you haven’t asked me about my “100 year plan”. The businessman had a 100 and a 300 year plan laid out for his company and we wonder why he is so successful?

Go Long

One of the essential ingredients for success and for staying motivated is to have a long-term plan. This will allow you to think long term instead of short term. Think of your life going forward as a giant chessboard. If you were able to stand above the board with a five-year view- would it affect the moves you made? Of course! Long-term thinking is the act of moving many moves ahead. This has an impact on your decisions because they get easier with an eye toward the results in the future not just the present.

Let me give you an example. My wife and I for many years ago wanted a house but we couldn’t afford a down payment on a standard house. Using long- term thinking we found a deal on a small modest townhouse. We made an offer and the offer was accepted. We didn’t want a townhouse at all, but we knew the townhouse was the road to a free standing home later down the road. A few years went by and we sold it and moved into a “regular” house. Using long-term thinking we were able to use the “trade up” theory to finally reach the destination we wanted in the first place. The first house was not the house we always wanted but it was a good step in the right direction. Finally we bought the home we live in today and we could live here the rest of our lives and be happy. The journey from townhouse to the house we really wanted was done in three moves. (Townhouse, House #1, House #2)

If you had to get up very early every day and in order to get the work done, and you had to work late every night in order to finish your work, after a while you would lose your motivation and it would start to fade. However if you know with absolute certainty that in only five years you would be paid one million dollars, you would be willing to do the hard work with that long term thought in mind. You would cheerfully and enthusiastically do the work. That is the magic and motivation of long-term thinking. It is the fuel that keeps you going when others stop.

Let’s take a look at Arnold. You know the Arnold that I mean- the muscle bound body building champion, actor, producer, director of drama and comedic films. He practices long-term thinking and always has. When he was growing up in Austria, he always told his friends “I am going to America to become Mr. Universe and then I am going to be a big movie star in Hollywood.” His friends all laughed at him of course, but Arnold practiced long-term thinking so he just smiled because he had a master plan. He moved to America, became a five time Mr. Universe and a star was born on the silver screen in Hollywood.

This was all accomplished despite hardships and great odds. He had to battle against the handicap of a heavy accent. Next he was told he was good in action films but couldn’t do comedy. Of course he defied all the odds and succeeded beyond all expectations, all because he practiced long-term thinking. Here are some tips on getting started with long-term thinking:

•Take a step back

Pick a quiet part of the day when you can really think without being rushed. Think about your life up to this point. Where have you been? What have you done? What was it that got you there? If you were to draw a map of your life up to this point- what would it look like? Now, look forward and ask yourself the same questions with a forward perspective. Where are you going? What do you want to do? After you answer these questions, use it to formulate a plan and start today.

•Start practicing daily long term thinking

When decisions come up on a daily basis, ask yourself the following question “Does this tie into my long-term plan?” Let’s say you get a call from an old friend who is starting a brand new business venture. He is looking for investors and needs about $20,000.00. The business is a great concept and if it succeeds you can triple your money in one year. If it fails you can lose all your 20K.The question must then be asked does this tie into your long-term plan? Does the money being made tie into your plan? If the money is lost does it affect other long-term plans that you have made? It may relate to a long-term financial plan, a long-term entrepreneurial plan or some other plan that you have. This makes the decision a little easier.

•Look at your life in bigger “chunks”

We have a tendency to calendar our days very tightly and that is a sign of excellent planning and preparation. However the problem with looking at a calendar is that we are looking at next week, next month, but rarely at next year or the next three years. I often ask people in a conversation if the opportunity presents itself about their “five year plan.” When I ask that most people look at me like I am balancing 50 plates on my head. Most people don’t have any idea and 9 out of 10 have never thought about the next five years. I believe that one of the keys to motivation is having the courage to ask the right questions and sometimes, difficult ones. The quality of the answer is only as good as the question.

•Just because you have a long term plan doesn’t mean you can’t change it

At one time in my life I decided I wanted to be an actor. I saw a play and I was truly inspired and decided to change my major to drama. I was in an acting class my senior year and I experienced what I will call a “Lightning Moment.” This is when the obvious strikes you like a powerful thunderbolt and you “get it”. I realized I was sitting in class being taught by a brilliant man who was a British academy award winner. It occurred to me at that very moment that if he couldn’t make a living acting then I knew I couldn’t make it, as an actor, and more importantly, I didn’t want to pursue it. It struck me like a huge universal truth and I changed my long-term plan then and there. It is O.K. to change you plans because after all it is your plan!

•This is messy

Practicing long term thinking and having a plan is messy and it is not perfect. It is a process. You will stumble and start over. You may change your mind, several times. But remember that in order to get motivated and stay motivated you have to be working from a long term thinking mindset. Do you remember the hidden pictures that became popular several years ago? The picture where you stare at it and a long time and eventually a picture “reveals itself?” Long-term thinking is like that. If you keep at it a picture will emerge.

•Be patient

Don’t get frustrated. The essence of long-term thinking is that it is LONG TERM. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon. I get frustrated because today as a society we are in the instant gratification mode and everybody wants everything… now. The reality is that nothing worthy happens quickly. The stars that we all see that are “overnight sensations” have worked for years before they hit the “big time.” As the old saying goes “Rome was not built in a day.” This also applies to a life and a career.

•Visualize

Practice long term thinking by constantly visualizing where you are going. If part of your long-term thinking is to own a big huge mansion, then visualize that big mansion. Where will it be? What will the architecture look like? How big is it? What color will it be? How about the carpet? How about the ceilings? The deck? The pool? You need to visualize that mansion over and over. Better yet find a picture of the mansion of your dreams, cut it out and display it where you can see it. Find a mansion in your town that resembles the dream home you want and drive by and see it every now and then. (just don’t go by too often, you may make them think you are a stalker!)

•Change your language

When you talk out loud or talk to yourself (I know you do) then make sure you are talking in a way that keeps you motivated. Instead of saying “If I become a manager” say, “when I become a manager.” Remember that your subconscious is listening to everything you say and everything you do. Create a positive self expectation that leaves no room for doubt. Just be careful about how you use this technique. Some of the negative people in the world would love to misinterpret what you are saying as “cocky” or as egotistical. Ignore them those people behind that curtain! They dare to question the great and powerful you?

•Set benchmarks

In order to stay motivated, it is important to set benchmarks along the way. If for example you wanted lose fifty pounds, you would be much more motivated if you set benchmarks along the way. It may be benchmarks relating to number of weeks working out, weight loss at the end of one month, number of days on the diet. These benchmarks will let you track your performance along the way; if you walk in baby steps you can be more motivated as you achieve each step. Another idea is to write down the steps to your goal. Let’s say there are 15 steps to reaching the goal. After you have achieved each step you can check it off the list.

So now you can see the utmost importance of long-term thinking. It is valuable and important for a very compelling reason. The reason is that practicing long-term thinking is really the way to make your life count. As most of us know, we only have and the idea is to squeeze it for all it is worth. Ideally when you are older and appreciating the golden years of retirement, you want to look back on your life and say, “Wow… what a life I had and I did some great things.”

To me the biggest tragedy of all is not when someone dies early. The biggest tragedy of all is when someone dies of old age having squandered their maximum potential.

Shawn Doyle is the President of New Light Learning and Development
(http://www.newlightlearning.com) a company specializing in Leadership Development and motivation. He is a sought after motivational speaker and coach.He has also authored five books on leadership sales and motivation. His latest book The Manager’s Pocket Guide to Training has just been published by HRD Press. Sldoyle1@aol.com

Love is a Medicine

Love is a medicine for the sickness of the world;
a prescription often given, too rarely taken.

-- Dr. Karl Menninger


Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender;
it's holy ground. There's no greater investment.
-- Stephen Covey


Acceptance of what has happened is the first step
in overcoming the consequences of any misfortune.
-- William James

On Greatness - By Jake Danger

It’s a long way from mediocrity to excellence. So common sense would seem to indicate that it’s just as long a road from excellence to greatness. But I believe that greatness is an entirely different road that bypasses both mediocrity and excellence. Greatness is no closer to excellence than it is to mediocrity. Bill Gates is excellent; Nelson Mandela is great. Bill was busy making his first billion and putting a PC on every desk while Nelson was languishing in prison. That’s the difference.

True greatness can only be born from personal tragedy. It’s not the only ingredient, but it is indispensable. Even tragedy won’t be enough without choosing the appropriate response – if you react by choosing caution and dedicating your life to avoiding further pain (as most people do), the world shrinks – you will find that you lack the imagination to find any risk worth taking, and lack the courage to take a risk even if you found it.

You could definitely call me a whiner. Sometimes, anyway. Life is just too difficult and there is just too much pain - especially the emotional kind. My heart gets broken, people betray me, my hopes get dashed time and time again, I climb towards the summit time and time again only to get knocked down once more. If life could just be a little bit easier...But in my heart I know that even if it got easier I still wouldn't be satisfied. I won't be satisfied until things are ... PERFECT. I guess we all long for a perfect world. Believers wait for one, agnostics long for one, and atheists wish they could stop thinking about it. So let's do a thought experiment here - what if the world was really perfect? What if there was no war, no poverty, everyone was beatiful and healthy, we all lived forever, nobody had acne, everybody loved each other and nobody picked their nose?

It's the ultimate challenge for a Professional Whiner - to find something wrong with a perfect world. But I accept the challenge. There is one thing that would be missing in a perfect word, one kind of person that heaven cannot produce.

A hero.

Heros are born of adversity, and since a perfect world would have no adversity, a perfect world would have no heroes, only soft, fuzzy whiners who wouldn't last 30 minutes in a Louisiana cotton field. Of course it could be argued that a perfect world would have no need of heroes. Well, this world has no real need for the Grand Canyon or the Himalaya mountains, but they sure are nice...

Without fear there can be no courage. Without the possibility of betrayal there can be no real devotion to another. And without being familiar with despair, we cannot know true joy. I find something surpassingly beautiful about a strong and noble character - a nail that refuses to be pounded down.

When I get depressed or upset about the way that life is treating me, I try to remember that someday I will have forever to take it easy and thrill as every dream I've ever dreamed comes true one by one. But who will I be by then? That is all being determined right now. This brief millisecond between birth and death is the only chance I'll ever have, in all of eternity, to stand strong and prove myself against adversity. I can only hope that when it's all said and done that I will have proven myself worthy.

Jake Danger is a mental patient currently residing in the cellar of Oakfield Institute of the Very, Very Nervous. His website is called Lunatic Wisdom: News From Beyond the Matrix. He has to sneak past the nice men in white coats to post articles. Don’t believe a word he says.

Pursue Your Inspiration

Get up the courage to play on a much larger
field and to pursue your inspiration where
ever it may lie.

--Jordan Ayan


There are few, if any, jobs in which ability
alone is sufficient. Needed, also, are loyalty,
sincerity, enthusiasm and team play.

--William B. Given, Jr.


Live a balanced life--learn some and think
some and draw and paint and sing and dance
and play and work every day some.

--Robert Fulghum

Motivation: What Works? - By William Frank Diedrich

Blame and criticism are highly overrated as motivators. You already know this. Think about it. When you spent a lot of time trying to correct someone--an employee, your spouse, your parent, your child, anyone--did it work? When someone was blaming and critical of you, did it work? Like most of us, you probably felt the blaming was unfair or inappropriate. The problem is that blaming and criticism don't inspire us. If you are sensitive, they make you feel small. There is an answer.

Blaming and criticism arise out of frustration. We see that the behavior of another is not what we want, and so we try to blame it away. As I look back on my careers as a teacher, coach, executive, and consultant I can see all of the times I was ineffective as a critic. Blaming and criticism may serve you as a way of venting your frustration, but they don't get the job done. The result is continuous struggle and/or removing the person from your sight. We stop talking to our child or spouse. We move the troublesome employee to another department or do our best to avoid them. There is a better way.

We tell ourselves that we tried and that we just couldn't succeed in getting them to change. The problem, of course, is that we were trying to change the wrong person. In fact, we cannot change other people. We can only change ourselves. Our attempts to change others create frustration, stress, and blaming. Relationships become strained and dysfunctional (meaning "not working"). Yet the answer that we thought was in the other person was within us all along.

You may be skeptical at this point. After all, you had good intentions. You knew what the other person needed to do to be more effective or happier. You were right. They were the problem. Yet, the question is still nagging us. Did criticism and blaming work? Was it effective in producing the result you wanted? Be honest. It didn't work, did it? This doesn't mean that you blame yourself. Blaming and criticizing yourself doesn't work any better. What does work?

When we blame or criticize anyone, including ourselves, we are focused on what we don't want. All of our emotional energy flows into the negative. Most of what we do and say from a blaming mode actually serves to maintain or worsen the situation. We expect people to misbehave, screw up, or fail in some way. We get so emotionally invested in our judgment of their performance that we start needing for them to fail. Their failures reassure us that we were right. Their failures justify our negative opinion. Our focus on what we don't want helps us to create what we don't want.

Their failures justify our image of self as good, intelligent, or competent. An example would be the manager who blames and criticizes the employee who doesn't perform. He's failing because there is something wrong with him (lazy, not smart, no discipline). It can't be me; I'm a competent manager. By convincing ourselves about what is wrong with the other person we prevent ourselves from finding new pathways to reaching them. Our judgment becomes an impenetrable wall that blocks us from seeing any possibilities for success.

When we blame, don't see the other person as real. We fail to consider their needs and concerns, their view of the world. We resist them as people. Their behavior is inconvenient, painful, or disruptive. It gets in the way of me making my goals. One of the biggest complaints I hear from people in the workplace is the lack of respect and consideration they experience at work. They believe that their managers don't really care about them.

So, what's the answer? It's never easy, but it is possible. First we need a vision. You know what you don't want. What do you want? If this level of performance is not okay--if this behavior is not okay--what is? Clearly state what you want. Clearly tell people what the vision is. Align yourself with that vision. Do you want a workplace (or any other group you are in) where people are treated with care and respect? Do you want a place where people feel good? Do you want peak performance? Whatever you want, be it. Communicate it clearly. Give people specific positive feedback on how they are succeeding. Offer corrective feedback when people fall short. Ask them what they need. Ask for feedback from them on how you are doing at manifesting your vision. Listen and make changes.

Second, always talk to people with care. Don't get caught up in the ineffective strategy of thinking people don't deserve your respect. Offer your help. Do all that you can to create processes and relationships that support them in doing well. If they refuse to do well, find out why. Sometimes in the workplace people refuse to improve or change. Don't judge them for this. Maybe the job isn't for them. Maybe this organization is not for them. If you can't help them to change, see if someone else can. If no one can help them to change, help them to go. Refuse to accept chronic behavior that doesn't fit with the vision.

At the same time, give lots of specific praise for good work. Constantly reinforce people, and never take good work for granted. What you focus on expands. What we reinforce we strengthen. If we constantly focus on appreciating people for successes, we increase our successes.

Listen to the way people talk to each other. Challenge negative comments that are "normal". Understand the dissatisfaction that is behind the comment, and help people find appropriate ways to address it. Do not accept negative talk as a way of life.

If you want to transform your workplace (or any group you are a part of), you need to be a visionary. You need to be so into your vision that you live it every day. Mistakes are opportunities to make positive corrections, to help people, and to solve problems. Blaming and criticism are like shooting yourself in the foot. Raise your aim to a higher level. See and encourage the best in people. Believe in their ability to add to this vision. Give them the tools and the feedback to help them. Include them in the vision by listening to them; providing direct, honest communication; and treating people with the utmost care and respect.

William Frank Diedrich is a speaker, executive coach, and the author of Beyond Blaming: Unleashing Power and Passion in People and Organizations. William offers keynotes and workshops on leadership and moving beyond blaming. William also offers a free online newsletter, Transformation Times. Learn more about William at http://noblaming.com

You Don't Want To Grow Anymore

If you play it safe in life you've decided
that you don't want to grow anymore.
*-- Shirley Hufstedler


The happiest excitement in life is to be
convinced that one is fighting for all
one is worth on behalf of some clearly
seen and deeply felt good.

*-- Ruth Benedict


Like swimming, riding, writing, or playing
golf, happiness can be learned.

*-- Dr. Boris Sokoloff

Motivational Tips From Strictly Come Dancing 2006 - By John Watson

'Strictly Come Dancing' is a reality TV show which makes grown men tremble if only at the thought of dancing with beautiful women in skimpy clothes.

A professional dance champion coaches an amateur partner and they perform a weekly dance together. The judges give points and the general public phone in on behalf of their favourites. One couple are eliminated every week.

Motivation is a key factor in deciding who will do their best and who will win. The program is full of key motivational lessons.

One huge source of motivation is other people. Even the judges can provide tremendous support to a performer. This will boost their confidence and make them keen not to let the judge down.

Bruno Tonioli, an Italian judge, has given enthusiastic support to Louisa Lytton, the 17 year old star of a soap opera, who has a natural talent for dancing but who has little confidence in herself.

Bruno quite often goes into raptures over Louisa's performances:

"Oh what a gorgeous dancing little betty doll you are! You are a gorgeous sparkling bouncing baby - an explosion of fun. I adored it!"

Bruno was the only judge to award a 10 out 10 score to guess who? Louisa! She naturally appreciates this support which cannot fail to motivate her.

Her partner, Vincent Simone, also gives her consistent support. He praises her ability and his own at every opportunity!

"She gives me so much inspiration that I want to go crazy about the choreography. I can do basically whatever I want."

However, in rehearsal, Louisa comes up with a stream of negative comments:

"I can't do it ! Oh, I can't do that; it's too difficult. I can't! I can't! If I see something in the mirror and it looks terrible, I panic."

Vincent stays calm and tells her: "Believe in me even though I am an Italian! On Saturday I want you to believe in me. I'm going to be your rock."

Claudia: Winkleman, the interviewer, was amazed at Vincent's patience with Louisa's constant declarations of the fatal words: "I can't!"

"Don't you want to say: "Your right! You can't! Let's go and sit in the audience!"

Louisa was also motivated by sheer enjoyment. She loved some of the dances like the jive. In the week of the jive, she and Vincent did very little training but still did well

Louisa said: "I don't think it was anything to do with the training but I was enjoying myself so much that I really went for it."

Sheer enjoyment is a powerful motivator. My martial students enjoy kicking and elbowing shields and focus mitts. They often break into spontaneous applause at the end of such sessions. This kind of enjoyable experience keeps them training!

Erin Boag, the professional who came second in last year's competition, partners former Manchester United goalkeeper the great 6ft 4 inches tall Dane, Peter Schmeichel.

Erin has been called 'Miss Whiplash' because of her tough teaching style but she soon learned that praise would motivate Schmeichel more than anything else:

"You have to praise Peter to get the best out of him."

She herself was motivated to fight back and get on with the necessary hard work by unfair criticism and knock backs.

She was upset when the judges attacked Schmeichel's performance in the Paso Doble. Len Goodman commented:

"Paso Doble? You couldn't pass a tortoise!"

Even Bruno was critical: "It was like the colossus of Rhodes doing stop motion!"

Craig Revel Horwood said: "It was heavy, wooden, hideous!"

The word 'hideous' upset Erin Boag; "It wasn't hideous. It was far from hideous. "

Erin knows how to react to criticism and disappointment. She was naturally upset when she only came second in last year's competition:

"When you get knocked or pipped at the post you turn around and say: 'I'll show you! It makes you more hungry."

Both Erin and Peter are motivated to work hard in order to get things right. . Erin said: "I will do as many hours as he will give me." She is even motivated enough to fly over to Copenhagen to train with Peter when he returns to his homeland.

Peter commented: "Neither of us mind going over the same little sequence twenty times to get it right."

In football he had to practise the same thing again and again in pursuit of perfection.

Peter must also have been touched and motivated by the support of the Manchester United fans who made up a special song for him and even performed it with actions on television:

"He steps to the left. He steps to the right.
That boy Shmeichel. He can Tango all night."

Peter described how he was greatly moved and motivated by the fact that the great British public kept him and Erin in the competition by phoning in their support. The phone calls made up for the poor scores which were given him by the judges.

Matt Dawson, the rugby player, worked hard and was a quick learner but lacked charisma and character in the first week. However, he was motivated to improve by watching the performances of the other dancers.

Inspiration and motivation can come from the example of others. I usually suggest to my students that they attend a martial arts grading even if they are not themselves taking the grading exam.

They can be inspired by the good performances and encouraged by the not so good. If they see an average performance, they can think: "I can do better than that!"

Lilia Kopylova, Matt's partner, commented:

"After week one, I got a new man. He understands now what it is all about. I like to get results. It is up to us professionals to find out which buttons to press. Darren (her partner last year) was very competitive and very much of a show off. Matt is very different - he needs repetition. So we repeat things loads and loads of times to make sure he gets continuity."

Like any great coach, Lilia searched for what would motivate her partner and found it. Repetition does not sound very exciting but boring old repetition is what makes Matt Dawson achieve his best. Not every one is motivated by the same things.

To sum up: People are hugely motivated by other people. Their enthusiastic appreciation can lift you up and help you to do your best.

Belief in yourself will motivate you to take the necessary actions to achieve your goals but if you can't believe in yourself, show some belief in your mentor. Vincent Simone was doing a great job for Louisa and fully deserved her trust.

Do what you enjoy doing. You won't need someone else to motivate you to do that.

Erin Boag learned that Peter Schmeichel responded well to praise. Don't we all? The most useful advice I was ever given as a teacher was to give three words of praise for every word of criticism to my students. This formula worked like magic.

The praise should come first so that the student does not react badly and think that you have it in for him or her before you have a chance to praise the good things about them.

Recently one of my black belts sat with me at the examining table for my martial arts students. His comments at the end of the grading were full of praise for what they had achieved.

I knew immediately that these students would be highly motivated for weeks to come. One of them, who was graded by this black belt, said to me: "What a great grading!"

Be motivated, like Erin and Peter, by the desire to get things right. You don't need to achieve perfection but it feels great when you put in a decent performance. It feels good when you do anything well.

Erin also knows how to respond to criticism by just getting on with her next task and practicing hard for her next performance so that she can confound the critics.

Be inspired, like Matt Dawson, by the example of others and improve your own performance by copying them or be encouraged by the fact that you think you can do better than them.

Hopefully, you will find at least one motivational trigger in this article which you have not yet tried out or which you may wish to try again.

John Watson is an award winning teacher and 5th degree blackbelt martial arts instructor. He has written several ebooks on motivation and success topics. One of these can be found at http://www.motivationtoday.com/36_laws.php

You can also find motivational ebooks by authors like Stuart Goldsmith. Check out http://www.motivationtoday.com/the_midas_method.php

Happiness Of a Man

"What can be added to the happiness of a man who is in health,
out of debt, and has a clear conscience?"

*-- Adam Smith


"To succeed in any undertaking, any art or any trade or any
profession, simply keep it ever persistently fixed in mind as an
aim, and then study to make all effort toward it play or
recreation. The moment it becomes hard work, we are not
advancing."

*-- Prentice Mulford


I don't subscribe to the thesis, 'Let the buyer beware,'
I prefer the disregarded one that goes, 'Let the seller
be honest.

*-- Isaac Asimov

Stay Motivated by Making a Written Commitment to Yourself - By Ross Harrison

People almost always say they are committed to their success, but rarely do they actually put it in writing. Putting your thoughts or goals in writing makes them seem more tangible and helps keep them in your conscious thoughts. This is most effective when your written commitment is kept where it will frequently be seen. The more you see and think about reaching your goals, the more likely you are to succeed.

This commitment will essentially be a contract listing behaviors or actions for which you will hold yourself accountable. You should treat this contract as seriously as you would any other important contract.

A great way to make this even more effective is by sharing your goals and even your written commitment with your family and friends. Research has consistently shown that people who make their goals public are more successful at reaching their goals. The people you share your goals with help hold you accountable and serve as an additional source of motivation. Of course, this only works well when the people you tell are supportive and encouraging.

As for the written commitment/contract itself, the actual content will influence its effectiveness. You definitely want to clearly state your primary goal(s), but you should also go beyond this and include important steps you need to follow to reach your goals.

For example, if your primary goal is to lose 20 pounds of fat, you should include objectives such as "I will engage in at least 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity 3 times per week" or "I will eat 5 or 6 small meals per day instead of 3 large meals." Try to include every behavior or activity that you feel is integral to your long-term success.

Now that you have your list of goals and the steps necessary to reach them, as stated earlier, be sure to put it somewhere where it will be seen multiple times each day. Also, if you like to use lists, make a daily or weekly checklist with each item on your contract and check them off as you complete them or at the end of the day. This will provide you with a sense of accomplishment and help keep you motivated.

After you finish your initial commitment/contract, it should not be set in stone. From time to time you should update your contract to make sure the goals/objectives are still appropriate and beneficial. For example, if you have an initial goal of walking 2 miles 3 times a week, after a while that goal will be too easy and you will stop seeing positive results. Then you should create a new goal to reflect your current fitness level.

Using written commitments to yourself will help keep you motivated to reach just about any goal you have. Whether you want to lose weight, start a business, or improve a particular skill, written commitments are a great way to improve your results.

Ross Harrison, CSCS, NSCA-CPT is a certified personal trainer, strength and conditioning specialist, and nutritional consultant who teaches people how to lose weight, get in shape, and improve their quality of life with exercise and nutrition. For more information or to sign up for his free health and fitness newsletter containing tons of useful information, visit http://precisionhealth-fitness.com/.

Finding your Destiny in Billy Joel's Piano Man's Lyrics - By Matthew Robert Payne

It was 12am at night, in the middle of winter and I was chatting to a new employee at a gas station who was being shown the ropes as he was going to do the graveyard shift on two nights over the weekend each week. I was to do Sunday to Thursday and he do Friday and Saturday as a part time job. A song came on the radio and you guessed it, it was Billy Joel’s Piano Man. As I started to sing it with gusto I saw this man smile and listen to me.

But first, let me digress.

A year before I had been at an Amway convention and a speaker had spoken on dreams and how to reach yours. He was speaking on how to turn a dream into reality and how to set goals and achieve them. He said that speaking your dreams out is powerful but putting them on paper is even more powerful. He said to try it out, we should go home and write down a list of ten people we would like to meet in person. Well that was twenty five years ago and so I don’t know if I wrote down ten names but I wrote down two singers that I loved. One was Peter Garrett from an Australian band called Midnight Oil, a born again Christian who never preached to people, but who sung songs of justice and issues, and another name I wrote was Billy Joel.

Well, four weeks after I wrote the name Peter Garrett on my list I was taking my next door neighbour up to Manly beach to get her Methadone (heroin substitute) for the day. We had parked the car and were walking across the street and crossing without lights and so we were running. I was watching for cars and when I got midway across the street I looked up and Peter Garrett was standing right next to me waiting for the “walk” sign to light up. I smiled up at him and said, “Hi Peter”, and then rushed across the street without waiting for the “walk” sign.

I didn’t even wait for him to say hello. Man I was pumped up! Only a month before I had put him on my list and I had already met him. It gave me hope. I could have engaged him then and chatted till the “walk” sign flashed for a minute or two. The list proved it was possible. I hope to meet Peter in my future.

Okay so about 10 months or so I am speaking to my friend in the gas station. It’s a Tuesday night, I have done all my jobs and there is nothing to do but to wait for customers who are up late.

When I finish singing the song, I ask him why he claps.

He says, “I know Billy. I knew him when he played in that bar where people put bread in his jar and said Man what are you doing here!”

ie

And the piano, it sounds like a carnival

And the microphone smells like a beer

And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar

And say, "Man, what are you doin' here."

The guy was an American and I am a person that tells the truth and so I don’t often think anyone is telling me lies, but this was amazing.

“How long ago was that? I asked.

He answered and gave me a year which I forget twenty five years later.

“Tell me how do you know him?

“Well I used to work in a suit shop in Rhode Island New York in a shopping plaza. In fact I worked in the suit shop and Eddie Murphy owned a shop and worked selling shoes. I would sell them a suit and send them to Eddy for new shoes. And Eddy used to sell new shoes and send them to me for a suit. And at lunch time we used to go down to this bar where Billy Played.”

I think that’s what he said. Perhaps they went down at night as it says 9pm at night, but I am sure he said it was their local bar. Perhaps they went on Friday nights and that was after the working week and when Billy Played, but nonetheless, Billy played at the bar they always went to for lunch.

In fact Eddy Murphy, the comedian got a stand-up routine on a show called American Bandstand over there while he was working at the shop and that’s where he made it big in the USA. It was that national appearance that started it big for Eddy Murphy and soon enough he sold his shop as Billy sings here in a song called “My Life”

Got a call from an old friend

We used to be real close

Said he couldn't go on the American way

Closed the shop, sold the house

Bought a ticket to the West Coast

Now he gives them a stand-up routine in L.A

That was Eddy Murphy his friend. Well another friend he was really close to was the guy I was training. Billy Joel came to Sydney while I worked with and this guy said I could come and I turned him down. This was six months later when I got the invite. It was enough to be invited and to know more about Billy as this guy and I talked about Billy Joel, my Childhood idol, all night that night.

One day on a DVD, I am going to send Billy Joel a copy of my singing this Piano Man as a cover before I preach a sermon on it. So with no further ado let me give you a few minutes on what I might say in half an hour and twenty scriptures on that DVD.

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday

The Regular crowd shuffles in

There's an old man sitting next to me

Makin' love to his tonic and gin

This is not a work night like Friday night. This is a party night. The crown is regular in two ways, it’s around 9pm people start to get to town and leave between 2am and 4am. On a Friday they start about 6pm and go home about 12 am. Saturday night starts late and slow and finishes busy in the taxi game. Friday night starts busy and finishes slow.

So they come in when Billy is only a few minutes at the Piano and if they don’t come every week they come a lot because they are regulars at this bar. And why? Because Billy is fantastic and this is a very classy bar.

He says, "Son, can you play me a memory

I'm not really sure how it goes

But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete

When I wore a younger man's clothes"

A nice man, a person of great character is a man that treats an old drunken wino with the same respect as a businessman. But anyway this man has class because he is drinking tonic and gin. But Billy mixes and can speak with all classes as we know in uptown girl that he was of poor stock and his uptown girl was a girl from money and class. Billy has never forgotten his poor roots.

The guy asks for Billy to play a request. A cover. Not one of Billy’s repertoire but hopefully one Billy has learned to play at one time. And I reckon if Billy knew the song by heart he would have played it for the man. Why else would this be a lyric in his song? Because Billy would play requests if he could.

Chorus:

Sing us a song, you're the piano man

Sing us a song tonight

Well, we're all in the mood for a melody

And you've got us feelin' alright

It’s Saturday. No work. Work and the drudgery of work has been forgotten and Billy is so good a player and he plays so damn good that you cannot help stop talking to your friend and start to sing, clap along and dance. Some entertainers are worn out and some just do a great job and make you feel good. Billy was the latter.

Now John at the bar is a friend of mine

He gets me my drinks for free

And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke

But there's someplace that he'd rather be

He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me."

As the smile ran away from his face

"Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star

If I could get out of this place"

Now I don’t know the fate of John. I never asked my friend this. John either talked and cried and died crying about a future he could have had if he had the courage to go after his dream and leave paid work behind. Many actors in Hollywood and New York are serving drinks, waiting tables, and washing dishes hoping for that break. Perhaps John is going to auditions each week and just can’t crack a part or perhaps he is just dreaming and yearning for something better. I wonder if John wrote his dreams down or simply wished in his head. He certainly told Billy and if a reporter asked Billy today, Billy would know if John ever made it to a film that the USA saw.

Now Paul is a real estate novelist

Who never had time for a wife

And he's talkin' with Davy, who's still in the navy

And probably will be for life

Paul has it together. He is in a good occupation that pays well if your apply yourself and you are honest. And he is not talking about his dream he is writing novels. I have written two novels. One in my cab between passengers. One in six weeks after my first breakdown while I was trying to get my head back together on medication. I wrote the second to prove to myself I wasn’t just a one hit wonder.

Davy might be sad, or perhaps his happy, but he is in a secure government job that will have him till he retires on a good pension.

I worked in a good government job for three and a half years and left because I wanted to be able to make it in a private occupation with my payroll clerk experience, not work in a lazy job where they can’t sack you. It takes guts to leave a government job and that security and you have to have a better life you are shooting for to try. Billy reckons this guy has not much ambition to further himself. The novelist isn’t guaranteed of being published but he is practicing his craft and if he gets good enough he will get published, but he isn’t too proud to chat to a regular guy who hasn’t big ambitions.

And the waitress is practicing politics

As the businessmen slowly get stoned

Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness

But it's better than drinkin' alone

The waitress is going places and the businessman is letting his hair down and maybe trying just to relax with that herb so many people use for that, and yet saying this drug reference says that Billy is fine with people smoking drugs if they chose and the drug reference in the song gives the song coolness among people who like to get stoned also.

Yet everyone here in the pub he has mentioned is lonely. I have been lonely with a hurt and broken personality for much of my life and if you drink alone at home you really are sad and sorry. Better to drink with drinkers and speak about lost opportunities and the dreams you have if only you could get the courage to go after your dream.

Well Billy did do it. He was from downtown and married the Uptown girl and became a superstar. He had more then empty dreams and though this is Billy’s most popular and most requested this is a song of Billy’s past and he does not like singing about his past. He sings the song, but he does not like to sing it.

It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday

And the manager gives me a smile

'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see

To forget about life for a while

Saturday night is a day where your forget about the bills , the mortgage, your boring job and like catching a good movie, drinking and singing along with Billy helps you let your hair down and forget about life for a while.

I dream of meeting Billy. I know one day I will sing his Piano Man to a good crowd and then do a good sermon using it as my points. Perhaps that will have Billy laugh. Perhaps he might even see this article on Google.

Yes, work your job, work your job for the bills, but work part time on your dream, commit your dream to paper, make plans and follow the plan.

I can already sing Billy’s songs pretty good with plenty of feeling and they all have meaning for me. Even though Billy losing his wife broke my heart as a young man, it set me up to lose my own wife. If you want to read about my wife leaving me and how I love her so read, “A look at Wild World lyrics By Cat Stevens- a positive look at divorce.”

It’s no good talking about the what if I had done that when you’re an old person.
It’s not good to drink in a pub each week and wish that you could leave the pub and act.

Talk is cheap.

You have to commit to paper.

Plan.

Take steps to follow the plan.

And you like Billy might change the world.

Be blessed

Let me close with a prayer.

Father give the reader the courage to chase their dreams. Let them be the barmaid studying politics or the Real Estate novelist. Give the desires of their own heart and bless them dear Father. In Jesus name I ask. Amen.

Matthew shares his heart in these articles and can be found at http://www.online-prayer.net You can read more of his articles at his link below.

If you want a copy of his upcoming book of articles which will have the first sixty of the articles on this web-site called "The Musings of a Mad Prophet" please contact Matthew via email so he can contact you around February 2007 to tell you of the progress of the book.

Self-Motivation is the Best Motivation - By Sanjeev Himachali

Introduction

Today is 05th Nov. 2006 and people in this part of the world are celebrating “Guruparav”… ”Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev”. I am sitting here and thinking as what is the motive of our life? What is very purpose of our life? What makes us to wake-up early in the morning and rush for work or college or school? What is that keeps us to continue? Is living – a compulsion? Just because everybody is living…I will also live.

What motivates you?

1. Power

2. Position

3. Money

4. Valuable goods and assets

5. Growth

6. Acceptance and Respect

7. Appreciation, rewards and awards

These are the motivators are most of us, right? (Can to list down few more?). These are the good enough motivators to keep us running throughout the life…to keep us charged. These are the factors, which keep some people “loyal like a dog”; “work like a donkey” and “keep jumping…like a monkey”.

Some simple (Traditional) Motivators…

Let me discuss some “Orthodox” motivators, which also work, are some people.

1) Responsibility: You might have seen in some movies…might also have seen in your own family, when a guy is irresponsible, spending too much time outside…parents usually say, “Iski Shaadi kar do; jimmeyvari aayegi to khud samajhdaar ho jaayega” (Get him married. Once he gets responsibilities, he too becomes responsible). Don’t you think that “enforced responsibility” also motivates some people? Then he knows that now he is not alone…he need to work for his wife, for his family and then for their future. In India,(People say that) things doesn’t work until and unless they are enforced or until and unless it is compulsion (no other way).

2) Looking beyond your sight:

A. You are always able to see one side of the coin…you sure want to see the other side.

B. You are able to see a huge mountain…you always want to see…what is there on the other side.

C. You are in a ocean…everywhere you see water, water and only water…you want to know where is the end.

That is called as “Motivation to know more”…motivation to know more than what you already know.

3) Power of Dreams: This is, seeing the unseen. Seeing, what no one has ever seen. Having a dream is a motivation but that is not enough. Passion to make that dreams a reality is a bigger motivation.

A. If you have dream…

B. If you have passion…

C. If you are not afraid to fail…

D. If you are not worried about the end result…

E. If you have zeal to continue, in spite of problems …

…then no one is more motivated then what you are. You don’t need any external motivator. You will always be charged and ready to go.

Learning from life

More than the above mentioned…if you look around, you would find that there are so many small-small and little facts of life; thoughts and experiences around us, which are big enough to keep us, motivated all the time. Have a look at the following:

1) Many parents kill their “unborn children” (Foeticide)…either by chance or by choice. It can be miscarriage or abortion or any other accident. We are fortunate enough that our parents let us to see this “wonderful” world.

2) Many people are unfortunate. They are handicap. They cannot see, cannot listen, cannot talk, they don’t have any of the limb…they are suffering from deadly diseases. We are health. Isn’t it a good thought to keep us motivated?

3) There are those families, which are poor. They don’t earn enough to eat three times in a day. We are doing well enough to eat three times a day…that too hygienic and quality food.

4) People have two sets of dresses (People in some parts of the world…don’t have anything to wear). They wash one and wear another one. We have so many in our wardrobe.

5) Many people are not fortunate enough to get good education…either there are no facilities or they just cannot afford. We are educated enough to take our decisions and decide things which are good or bad for us.

6) Those who are educated, not all are employed. We are not only employed but doing good enough to take care of ourselves, our family and chase our dreams.

7) Doesn’t matter if it is summer, winter or rainy season…some people are just in care of nature. They don’t have house. They don’t have place to stay. We have house…that we all call “Home Sweet Home”.

8) Everyday there are so many accidents, natural calamities (Cyclone, Floods, Earthquakes etc) killing thousands of people. We are fortunate that we are alive today and are with our family and relatives.

Aren’t these fact are good enough for you to keep you motivated and feel satisfied and content.

Conclusion

Life will become miserable…it will become hell if you start

1. Finding faults is others

2. Taking revenge

3. Thinking negative

4. Complaining

5. Harming others

But life will become heaven, if

1. You start counting your blessings

2. You start thinking that there are more people who love you and less people who hate you

3. You start thinking positive about yourself and your life.

Before I sign-off I like to share this quotation, which I found while scanning through Internet, which actually summarize the theme of whole article.

Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or I can appreciate that I have a place to call home.

My life stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

It will nice to get your comments and feedback.

With lots of love and care,

Sanjeev Himachali

Blog: http://sanjeevhimachali.blogspot.com

E-mail: ss_himachali@yahoo.com; sanjeev.himachali@gmail.com