By Jim Rohn
Your happiness is in your hands.
We all have tremendous potential. Each of us has the ability to put our unique human potential into action and to acquire a desired result. But the one thing that determines the level of our potential, produces the intensity of our activity and predicts the quality of the result we receive is our attitude.
Attitude determines how much of the future we are allowed to see. It decides the size of our dreams and infl uences our determination when we are faced with new challenges. No other person on earth has dominion over our attitude. People can affect our attitude by teaching us poor thinking habits or unintentionally misinforming us, or providing us with negative sources of infl uence, but no one can control our attitude unless we voluntarily surrender that control.
No one else “makes us angry.” We make ourselves angry when we surrender control of our attitude. What someone else may have done is irrelevant. We choose; not they. They merely put our attitude to a test. If we select a volatile attitude by becoming hostile, angry, jealous or suspicious, then we have failed the test. If we condemn ourselves by believing that we are unworthy, then again, we have failed the test.
If we care at all about ourselves, then we must accept full responsibility for our own feelings. We must learn to guard against those feelings that have the capacity to lead our attitude down the wrong path, and to strengthen those feelings that can lead us confi dently into a better future.
If we want to receive the rewards the future holds in trust for us, then we must exercise the most important choice given to us as members of the human race by maintaining total dominion over our attitude. Our attitude is an asset, a treasure of great value that must be protected accordingly.
When you have the right attitude, you can do the remarkable.
When you recognize your gifts, you can change anything for yourself that you wish to change. If you don’t like how something is going for you, change it. If something isn’t enough, change it. If something doesn’t suit you; change it. If something doesn’t please you, change it. You don’t ever have to be the same after today. If you don’t like your present address, change it—you’re not a tree!
Having the right attitude is an essential prerequisite for success and happiness. The right attitude is one of the fundamentals of the good life. That is why we must constantly examine our feelings about our role in the world and about our possibilities for achieving our dreams.
It is our emotional nature that governs most of our daily conduct in our personal and business world. It is the emotional aspect of our experiences that determines our behavior. How we feel about life’s events is a powerful force that can either freeze us in our tracks or inspire us to take immediate action on any given day. With the right attitude, human beings can move mountains. With the wrong attitude, they can be crushed by the smallest grain of sand.
About the Author
Jim Rohn is a legendary business philosopher, entrepreneur, speaker and author whose works include the best-sellers The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle and 7 Strategies for Wealth and Happiness, as well as numerous audio programs.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Get a leading edge in every area of your life.
The Experts Up Close
Denis Waitley is a productivity consultant on human achievement and a best-selling author of Seeds of Greatness. Waitley has coached astronauts, Super Bowl champions and Olympic athletes.
Jim Rohn is a legendary motivational speaker, business philosopher and has numerous best-selling audio programs and books including The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle.
Chris Widener is a radio host, motivational speaker and the best-selling author of The Angel Inside and The Art of Influence.
Q: What is a small change I can make in my life that could result in a big change for my financial future?
Denis Waitley: The most important change you can make is in your attitude. Wealth flows to breakthrough ideas and an abundance mentality. Pessimism and a scarcity mentality look backward and support the status quo. Change your mindset from a problem economy to an opportunity economy. All wealth has been created by solving problems with concepts that save people time and money, and that make life easier during trying times. Many of the most successful growth companies like Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Federal Express were founded during down cycles.
Q: What is the best balance to strike between taking risks to grow my business and playing it safe?
Jim Rohn: I think the distinction to be made here is between simply taking risks and taking calculated risks. Calculated risks are when you’ve done the research, your “homework,” and you’ve got an understanding of the risk you are taking. Simply taking risks would be foolish and negligent. Warren Buffett says that one of his investing philosophies is to never invest in something he doesn’t understand. Wouldn’t the same apply to your business?
Chris Widener: There is a big difference between taking risks and being risky. Here are some tips for making sure you take risks without placing yourself in a risky situation:
Surround yourself with wise counselors who can help you consider the opportunities that present themselves to you. We should all have many people in our lives who know more than us, who have gone before us and have more experience than us. Taking advantage of their wisdom will save us a lot of trouble and help us consider things we wouldn’t have otherwise seen.
Don’t risk it all at once. Just as in investing, we should diversify when taking risks. Yes, we should regularly take risks, but we shouldn’t place all our eggs in one basket. The amount of risk you take depends on your life situation, of course, and your wise counselors can help you decide what is appropriate for your situation.
Q: I want to give back more to the people in my life who matter most—family and friends. What are some everyday ways to give back?
D.W.: The greatest gift you can give another person is to be there in person when it counts. Spontaneously invite friends or family members for lunch. Don’t wait for holidays. Attend your children’s practices as well as big games, recitals, plays and events.
Give your children “roots and wings” instead of “loot and things.” In this timestarved world, we attempt to purchase our children’s affection, which is a guilt trip to justify our lack of quality time together. Spend more time with them and less money on them.
Take the time to send handwritten notes to those you care about. Text messages, voice mails and e-mails are convenient, but expedient. Be different. Send a card or note by regular mail. Put a love note in the briefcase, purse, backpack, lunchbox or book at least once a month as a reminder of your affection.
Live a legacy, rather than leave a legacy. What you give to your family and friends as values is much more important than valuables you accumulate in your estate. Don’t spend your life putting points on the board hoping that your last will and testament will be your legacy to loved ones. Make every day a L.O.V.E. letter to those you really care about: Listen, Overlook little flaws, Voice praise and make a constant Effort to spend the time.
Q: How can I assess when to disassociate myself from people who are too toxic or too negative?
J.R.: Take a look at each of the people you spend major time with, and ask yourself if that time is positive and constructive or negative and destructive. Ask yourself:
What have they got me doing?
What have they got me thinking?
What have they got me feeling?
What have they got me saying?
And, ultimately, is that OK?
One final question: Are my current associations helping me grow in the direction I want to go? If the answer is no, then you’ve got to work to disassociate yourself from those relationships and people.
Q: In what ways can I harness the power of gratitude, and what are the benefits of doing so?
C.W.: One of the best things we can do to improve the quality of our lives is to be grateful and develop an attitude of thankfulness. Spending some time thinking about how good you have it will shape and mold your attitude and develop healthy thought patterns that will make you more thankful. Here’s how:
Look down the socioeconomic chain instead of up. Focusing our thoughts on the things we don’t have, while being a motivator, can also be a source of envy and greed. Remembering those who have less than us causes us to be thankful for what we have.
Donate money to others on a regular basis.
Simplify. When we simplify, we realize how we can make do on so much less. It makes us thankful for all the extras.
Article Source: http://www.successmagazine.com/1on1-Living-Out-Front/PARAMS/article/616/channel/19
Denis Waitley is a productivity consultant on human achievement and a best-selling author of Seeds of Greatness. Waitley has coached astronauts, Super Bowl champions and Olympic athletes.
Jim Rohn is a legendary motivational speaker, business philosopher and has numerous best-selling audio programs and books including The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle.
Chris Widener is a radio host, motivational speaker and the best-selling author of The Angel Inside and The Art of Influence.
Q: What is a small change I can make in my life that could result in a big change for my financial future?
Denis Waitley: The most important change you can make is in your attitude. Wealth flows to breakthrough ideas and an abundance mentality. Pessimism and a scarcity mentality look backward and support the status quo. Change your mindset from a problem economy to an opportunity economy. All wealth has been created by solving problems with concepts that save people time and money, and that make life easier during trying times. Many of the most successful growth companies like Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Federal Express were founded during down cycles.
Q: What is the best balance to strike between taking risks to grow my business and playing it safe?
Jim Rohn: I think the distinction to be made here is between simply taking risks and taking calculated risks. Calculated risks are when you’ve done the research, your “homework,” and you’ve got an understanding of the risk you are taking. Simply taking risks would be foolish and negligent. Warren Buffett says that one of his investing philosophies is to never invest in something he doesn’t understand. Wouldn’t the same apply to your business?
Chris Widener: There is a big difference between taking risks and being risky. Here are some tips for making sure you take risks without placing yourself in a risky situation:
Surround yourself with wise counselors who can help you consider the opportunities that present themselves to you. We should all have many people in our lives who know more than us, who have gone before us and have more experience than us. Taking advantage of their wisdom will save us a lot of trouble and help us consider things we wouldn’t have otherwise seen.
Don’t risk it all at once. Just as in investing, we should diversify when taking risks. Yes, we should regularly take risks, but we shouldn’t place all our eggs in one basket. The amount of risk you take depends on your life situation, of course, and your wise counselors can help you decide what is appropriate for your situation.
Q: I want to give back more to the people in my life who matter most—family and friends. What are some everyday ways to give back?
D.W.: The greatest gift you can give another person is to be there in person when it counts. Spontaneously invite friends or family members for lunch. Don’t wait for holidays. Attend your children’s practices as well as big games, recitals, plays and events.
Give your children “roots and wings” instead of “loot and things.” In this timestarved world, we attempt to purchase our children’s affection, which is a guilt trip to justify our lack of quality time together. Spend more time with them and less money on them.
Take the time to send handwritten notes to those you care about. Text messages, voice mails and e-mails are convenient, but expedient. Be different. Send a card or note by regular mail. Put a love note in the briefcase, purse, backpack, lunchbox or book at least once a month as a reminder of your affection.
Live a legacy, rather than leave a legacy. What you give to your family and friends as values is much more important than valuables you accumulate in your estate. Don’t spend your life putting points on the board hoping that your last will and testament will be your legacy to loved ones. Make every day a L.O.V.E. letter to those you really care about: Listen, Overlook little flaws, Voice praise and make a constant Effort to spend the time.
Q: How can I assess when to disassociate myself from people who are too toxic or too negative?
J.R.: Take a look at each of the people you spend major time with, and ask yourself if that time is positive and constructive or negative and destructive. Ask yourself:
What have they got me doing?
What have they got me thinking?
What have they got me feeling?
What have they got me saying?
And, ultimately, is that OK?
One final question: Are my current associations helping me grow in the direction I want to go? If the answer is no, then you’ve got to work to disassociate yourself from those relationships and people.
Q: In what ways can I harness the power of gratitude, and what are the benefits of doing so?
C.W.: One of the best things we can do to improve the quality of our lives is to be grateful and develop an attitude of thankfulness. Spending some time thinking about how good you have it will shape and mold your attitude and develop healthy thought patterns that will make you more thankful. Here’s how:
Look down the socioeconomic chain instead of up. Focusing our thoughts on the things we don’t have, while being a motivator, can also be a source of envy and greed. Remembering those who have less than us causes us to be thankful for what we have.
Donate money to others on a regular basis.
Simplify. When we simplify, we realize how we can make do on so much less. It makes us thankful for all the extras.
Article Source: http://www.successmagazine.com/1on1-Living-Out-Front/PARAMS/article/616/channel/19
Monday, October 25, 2010
Nitty-Gritty Reasons
by Jim Rohn
(excerpted from the book Seven Strategies for Wealth and Happiness)
Wouldn't it be wonderful to be motivated to achievement by such a lofty goal as benevolence? I must confess, however, that in the early years of my struggle to succeed, my motivation was a lot more down-to-earth.
My reason for succeeding was more basic. In fact, it fell into the category of what I like to call "nitty-gritty reasons." A nitty-gritty reason is the kind that any one of us can have -- at any time, on any day -- and it can cause our lives to change. Let me tell you what happened to me...
Shortly before I met Mr. Shoaff, I was lounging at home one day when I heard a knock at the door. It was a timid, hesitant knock. When I opened the door I looked down to see a pair of big brown eyes staring up at me. There stood a frail little girl of about ten. She told me, with all the courage and determination her little heart could muster, that she was selling Girl Scout cookies.
It was a masterful presentation -- several flavors, a special deal, and only two dollars per box. How could anyone refuse? Finally, with a big smile and ever-so politely, she asked me to buy. And I wanted to. Oh, how I wanted to!
Except for one thing. I didn't have two dollars! Boy, was I embarrassed! Here I was -- a father, had been to college, was gainfully employed -- and yet I didn't have two dollars to my name.
Naturally I couldn't tell this to the little girl with the big brown eyes. So I did the next best thing. I lied to her. I said, "Thanks, but I've already bought Girl Scout cookies this year. And I've still got plenty stacked in the house."
Now that simply wasn't true. But it was the only thing I could think of to get me off the hook. And it did. The little girl said, "That's okay, sir. Thank you very much." And with that she turned around and went on her way.
I stared after her for what seemed like a very long time. Finally, I closed the door behind me and, leaning my back to it, cried out, "I don't want to live like this anymore. I've had it with being broke, and I've had it with lying. I'll never be embarrassed again by not having any money in my pocket." That day I promised myself to earn enough to always have several hundred dollars in my pocket at all times.
This is what I mean by a nitty-gritty reason. It may not win me any prize for greatness, but it was enough to have a permanent effect on the rest of my life.
My Girl-Scout-cookie story does have a happy ending. Several years later, as I was walking out of my bank where I had just made a hefty deposit and was crossing the street to get into my car, I saw two little girls who were selling candy for some girls' organization. One of them approached me, saying, "Mister, would you like to buy some candy?"
"I probably would," I said playfully. "What kind of candy do you have?" "It's almond roca." "Almond roca. That's my favorite. How much is it?" "It's only two dollars." Two dollars. It couldn't be! I was excited. "How many boxes of candy have you got?" "I've got five."
Looking at her friend, I said, "And how many boxes do you have left?"
"I've got four." "That's nine. Okay, I'll take them all."
At this, both girls' mouths fell open as they exclaimed in unison, "Really?"
"Sure," I said. "I've got some friends that I'll pass some around to."
Excitedly, they scurried to stack all the boxes together. I reached into my pocket and gave them eighteen dollars. As I was about to leave, the boxes tucked under my arm, one of the girls looked up and said, "Mister, you're really something!" How about that! Can you imagine spending only eighteen dollars and having someone look you in the face and say, "You're really something!"
Now you know why I always carry a few hundred dollars on me. I'm not about to miss chances like that ever again.
And to think it all resulted from my own embarrassment, that when properly channeled, acted as a powerful motivator to help me achieve.
How about you? What nitty-gritty reasons do you have waiting to challenging and provoke you into change for the better? Look for them, they are there. Sometimes it can be as simple as a brown eyed girl selling Girl Scott cookies.
(excerpted from the book Seven Strategies for Wealth and Happiness)
Wouldn't it be wonderful to be motivated to achievement by such a lofty goal as benevolence? I must confess, however, that in the early years of my struggle to succeed, my motivation was a lot more down-to-earth.
My reason for succeeding was more basic. In fact, it fell into the category of what I like to call "nitty-gritty reasons." A nitty-gritty reason is the kind that any one of us can have -- at any time, on any day -- and it can cause our lives to change. Let me tell you what happened to me...
Shortly before I met Mr. Shoaff, I was lounging at home one day when I heard a knock at the door. It was a timid, hesitant knock. When I opened the door I looked down to see a pair of big brown eyes staring up at me. There stood a frail little girl of about ten. She told me, with all the courage and determination her little heart could muster, that she was selling Girl Scout cookies.
It was a masterful presentation -- several flavors, a special deal, and only two dollars per box. How could anyone refuse? Finally, with a big smile and ever-so politely, she asked me to buy. And I wanted to. Oh, how I wanted to!
Except for one thing. I didn't have two dollars! Boy, was I embarrassed! Here I was -- a father, had been to college, was gainfully employed -- and yet I didn't have two dollars to my name.
Naturally I couldn't tell this to the little girl with the big brown eyes. So I did the next best thing. I lied to her. I said, "Thanks, but I've already bought Girl Scout cookies this year. And I've still got plenty stacked in the house."
Now that simply wasn't true. But it was the only thing I could think of to get me off the hook. And it did. The little girl said, "That's okay, sir. Thank you very much." And with that she turned around and went on her way.
I stared after her for what seemed like a very long time. Finally, I closed the door behind me and, leaning my back to it, cried out, "I don't want to live like this anymore. I've had it with being broke, and I've had it with lying. I'll never be embarrassed again by not having any money in my pocket." That day I promised myself to earn enough to always have several hundred dollars in my pocket at all times.
This is what I mean by a nitty-gritty reason. It may not win me any prize for greatness, but it was enough to have a permanent effect on the rest of my life.
My Girl-Scout-cookie story does have a happy ending. Several years later, as I was walking out of my bank where I had just made a hefty deposit and was crossing the street to get into my car, I saw two little girls who were selling candy for some girls' organization. One of them approached me, saying, "Mister, would you like to buy some candy?"
"I probably would," I said playfully. "What kind of candy do you have?" "It's almond roca." "Almond roca. That's my favorite. How much is it?" "It's only two dollars." Two dollars. It couldn't be! I was excited. "How many boxes of candy have you got?" "I've got five."
Looking at her friend, I said, "And how many boxes do you have left?"
"I've got four." "That's nine. Okay, I'll take them all."
At this, both girls' mouths fell open as they exclaimed in unison, "Really?"
"Sure," I said. "I've got some friends that I'll pass some around to."
Excitedly, they scurried to stack all the boxes together. I reached into my pocket and gave them eighteen dollars. As I was about to leave, the boxes tucked under my arm, one of the girls looked up and said, "Mister, you're really something!" How about that! Can you imagine spending only eighteen dollars and having someone look you in the face and say, "You're really something!"
Now you know why I always carry a few hundred dollars on me. I'm not about to miss chances like that ever again.
And to think it all resulted from my own embarrassment, that when properly channeled, acted as a powerful motivator to help me achieve.
How about you? What nitty-gritty reasons do you have waiting to challenging and provoke you into change for the better? Look for them, they are there. Sometimes it can be as simple as a brown eyed girl selling Girl Scott cookies.
Success is Easy, But so is Neglect
by Jim Rohn
People often ask me how I became successful in that six-year period of time while many of the people I knew did not. The answer is simple: The things I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do.
I found it easy to set the goals that could change my life. They found it easy not to. I found it easy to read the books that could affect my thinking and my ideas. They found that easy not to. I found it easy to attend the classes and the seminars, and to get around other successful people. They said it probably really wouldn't matter.
If I had to sum it up, I would say what I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. Six years later, I'm a millionaire and they are all still blaming the economy, the government and company policies, yet they neglected to do the basic, easy things.
In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing as well as they could and should, can be summed up in a single word: neglect.
It is not the lack of money - banks are full of money. It is not the lack of opportunity - America, and much of the free World, continues to offer the most unprecedented and abundant opportunities in the last six thousand years of recorded history.
It is not the lack of books – libraries are full of books - and they are free! It is not the schools - the classrooms are full of good teachers. We have plenty of ministers, leaders, counselors and advisors.
Everything we would ever need to become rich and powerful and sophisticated is within our reach. The major reason that so few take advantage of all that we have is simply, neglect.
Neglect is like an infection. Left unchecked it will spread throughout our entire system of disciplines and eventually lead to a complete breakdown of a potentially joy-filled and prosperous human life.
Not doing the things we know we should do causes us to feel guilty and guilt leads to an erosion of self-confidence. As our self-confidence diminishes, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity diminishes, our results inevitably decline. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins the slow shift from positive to negative, our self-confidence diminishes even more ... and on and on it goes.
So my suggestion is that when giving the choice of "easy to" and "easy not to" that you do not neglect to do the simple, basic, "easy"; but potentially life-changing activities and disciplines.
People often ask me how I became successful in that six-year period of time while many of the people I knew did not. The answer is simple: The things I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do.
I found it easy to set the goals that could change my life. They found it easy not to. I found it easy to read the books that could affect my thinking and my ideas. They found that easy not to. I found it easy to attend the classes and the seminars, and to get around other successful people. They said it probably really wouldn't matter.
If I had to sum it up, I would say what I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. Six years later, I'm a millionaire and they are all still blaming the economy, the government and company policies, yet they neglected to do the basic, easy things.
In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing as well as they could and should, can be summed up in a single word: neglect.
It is not the lack of money - banks are full of money. It is not the lack of opportunity - America, and much of the free World, continues to offer the most unprecedented and abundant opportunities in the last six thousand years of recorded history.
It is not the lack of books – libraries are full of books - and they are free! It is not the schools - the classrooms are full of good teachers. We have plenty of ministers, leaders, counselors and advisors.
Everything we would ever need to become rich and powerful and sophisticated is within our reach. The major reason that so few take advantage of all that we have is simply, neglect.
Neglect is like an infection. Left unchecked it will spread throughout our entire system of disciplines and eventually lead to a complete breakdown of a potentially joy-filled and prosperous human life.
Not doing the things we know we should do causes us to feel guilty and guilt leads to an erosion of self-confidence. As our self-confidence diminishes, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity diminishes, our results inevitably decline. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins the slow shift from positive to negative, our self-confidence diminishes even more ... and on and on it goes.
So my suggestion is that when giving the choice of "easy to" and "easy not to" that you do not neglect to do the simple, basic, "easy"; but potentially life-changing activities and disciplines.
Love the Opportunity
by Jim Rohn
Somebody said you have to love what you do, but that's not necessarily true. What is true is that you have to love the opportunity.
The opportunity to build life, future, health, success and fortune. Knocking on someone's door may not be something you love to do, but you love the opportunity of what might be behind that door.
For example, a guy says, "I'm digging ditches. Should I love digging ditches?" The answer is, "No, you don't have to love digging ditches, but if it is your first entry onto the ladder of success, you say, 'I'm glad somebody gave me the opportunity to dig ditches and I'm going to do it so well, I won't be here long.'"
You can be inspired by having found something; even though you are making mistakes in the beginning and even though it is a little distasteful taking on a new discipline that you haven't learned before.
You don't have to love it, you just have to learn to appreciate America, appreciate opportunity and appreciate the person who brought you the good news; that found you.
Appreciate the person who believed in you before you believed in yourself, appreciate the person who said, "Hey, if I can do it, you can do it."
If you will embrace the disciplines associated with the new opportunity you will soon find that your self-confidence starts to grow, that you go from being a skeptic to being a believer. And soon when you go out person to person, talking to people, you will find it to be the most thrilling opportunity in the world.
Every person you meet - what could it be? Unlimited! Maybe a friend for life. The next person could be an open door to retiring. The next person could be a colleague for years to come. It's big time stuff. And sometimes in the beginning when we are just getting started we don't always see how big it is.
So, before you are tempted to give up or get discouraged, remember all success is based on long term commitment, faith, discipline, attitude and a few stepping stones along the way. You might not like the stone you are on right now, but it's sure to be one of the stones that lead to great opportunities in the future.
Somebody said you have to love what you do, but that's not necessarily true. What is true is that you have to love the opportunity.
The opportunity to build life, future, health, success and fortune. Knocking on someone's door may not be something you love to do, but you love the opportunity of what might be behind that door.
For example, a guy says, "I'm digging ditches. Should I love digging ditches?" The answer is, "No, you don't have to love digging ditches, but if it is your first entry onto the ladder of success, you say, 'I'm glad somebody gave me the opportunity to dig ditches and I'm going to do it so well, I won't be here long.'"
You can be inspired by having found something; even though you are making mistakes in the beginning and even though it is a little distasteful taking on a new discipline that you haven't learned before.
You don't have to love it, you just have to learn to appreciate America, appreciate opportunity and appreciate the person who brought you the good news; that found you.
Appreciate the person who believed in you before you believed in yourself, appreciate the person who said, "Hey, if I can do it, you can do it."
If you will embrace the disciplines associated with the new opportunity you will soon find that your self-confidence starts to grow, that you go from being a skeptic to being a believer. And soon when you go out person to person, talking to people, you will find it to be the most thrilling opportunity in the world.
Every person you meet - what could it be? Unlimited! Maybe a friend for life. The next person could be an open door to retiring. The next person could be a colleague for years to come. It's big time stuff. And sometimes in the beginning when we are just getting started we don't always see how big it is.
So, before you are tempted to give up or get discouraged, remember all success is based on long term commitment, faith, discipline, attitude and a few stepping stones along the way. You might not like the stone you are on right now, but it's sure to be one of the stones that lead to great opportunities in the future.
Evaluating Your Associations
by: Jim Rohn
If you were to evaluate the major influences in your life that have shaped the kind of person you are, this has to be high on the list: the people and thoughts you choose to allow into your life.
Mr. Shoaff gave me a very important warning in those early days that I would like to share with you. He said, "Never underestimate the power of influence." Indeed, the influence of those around us is so powerful! Many times we don't even realize we're being strongly affected because influences generally develop over an extended period of time.
Peer pressure is an especially powerful force because it is so subtle. If you're around people who spend all they make, chances are excellent that you'll spend all you make. If you are around people who go to more ball games than concerts, chances are excellent that you'll do the same thing.
If you are around people who don't read, chances are excellent that you won't read. People can keep nudging us off course a little at a time until finally, we find ourselves asking, "How did I get here?" Those subtle influences need to be studied carefully if we really want our lives to turn out the way we've planned.
With regard to this important point, let me give you three key questions to ask yourself. They may help you to make better analysis of your current associations.
Here is the first question: "Who am I around?" Make a mental note of the people with whom you most often associate. You've got to evaluate everybody who is able to influence you in any way.
The second question is: "What are these associations doing to me?" That's a major question to ask. What have they got me doing? What have they got me listening to? What have they got me reading? Where have they got me going?
What do they have me thinking? How have they got me talking? How have they got me feeling? What have they got me saying? You've got to make a serious study of how others are influencing you, both negatively and positively.
Here's a final question: "Is that okay?" Maybe everyone you associate with has been a positive, energizing influence. Then again, maybe there are some bad apples in the bunch.
All I'm suggesting here is that you take a close and objective look. Everything is worth a second look, especially the power of influence. Both will take you somewhere, but only one will take you in the direction you need to go.
It's easy to just dismiss the things that influence our lives. One man say's, "I live here, but I don't think it matters. I'm around these people, but I don't think it hurts." I would take another look at that. Remember, everything matters! Sure, some things matter more than others, but everything amounts to something.
You've got to keep checking to find out whether your associations are tipping the scales toward the positive or toward the negative. Ignorance is never the best policy. Finding out is the best policy.
Perhaps you've heard the story of the little bird. He had his wing over his eye and he was crying. The owl said to the bird, "You are crying." "Yes," said the little bird, and he pulled his wing away from his eye. "Oh, I see," said the owl. "You're crying because the big bird pecked out your eye." And the little bird said, "No, I'm not crying because the big bird pecked out my eye. I'm crying because I let him."
It's easy to let influence shape our lives, to let associations determine our direction, to let pressures overwhelm us, and to let tides take us. The big question is, are we letting ourselves become what we wish to become?
In Part II we'll take a look at the three forms of disassociating from negative influences.
In Part I we took a look at the power of influence in our lives and how it is possible to be nudged off course a little at a time until finally, we find ourselves asking, "How did I get here?"
We then asked three key questions:
1) "Who am I around?" You've got to evaluate everybody who is able to influence you in any way.
2) "What are these associations doing to me?" That's a major question to ask. What have they got me doing, listening to, reading, thinking and feeling? You've got to make a serious study of how others are influencing you, both negatively and positively.
3) "Is that okay?" Maybe everyone you associate with has been a positive, energizing influence. Then again, maybe there are some bad apples in the bunch. All I'm suggesting here is that you take a close and objective look.
Everything is worth a second look, especially the power of influence. Both will take you somewhere, but only one will take you in the direction you need to go.
This week we wanted to discuss three ways to handle associations or relationships that are holding you back.
1) Disassociate. This is not an easy decision, nor something you should take lightly, but in some cases it may be essential (please don't email me asking to advise you about this, only you can decide).
You may just have to make the hard choice not to let certain negative influences affect you any more. It could be a choice that preserves the quality of your life.
2) Limited association. Spend major time with major influence and minor time with minor influences. It is easy to do just the opposite, but don't fall into that trap. Take a look at your priorities and your values. We have so little time at our disposal. Wouldn't it make sense to invest it wisely?
3) Expanding your associations. This is the one I suggest you focus on the most. Find other successful people that you can spend more time with. Invite them to lunch (pick up the tab) and ask them how they have achieved so much or what makes them successful.
Now, this is not just about financial success, it can be someone that you want to learn from about having a better marriage, being a better parent, having better health or a stronger spiritual life.
It is called association on purpose - getting around the right people by expanding your circle of influence. And when you do that, you will naturally limit the relationships that are holding you back. Give it a try and see for yourself.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
If you were to evaluate the major influences in your life that have shaped the kind of person you are, this has to be high on the list: the people and thoughts you choose to allow into your life.
Mr. Shoaff gave me a very important warning in those early days that I would like to share with you. He said, "Never underestimate the power of influence." Indeed, the influence of those around us is so powerful! Many times we don't even realize we're being strongly affected because influences generally develop over an extended period of time.
Peer pressure is an especially powerful force because it is so subtle. If you're around people who spend all they make, chances are excellent that you'll spend all you make. If you are around people who go to more ball games than concerts, chances are excellent that you'll do the same thing.
If you are around people who don't read, chances are excellent that you won't read. People can keep nudging us off course a little at a time until finally, we find ourselves asking, "How did I get here?" Those subtle influences need to be studied carefully if we really want our lives to turn out the way we've planned.
With regard to this important point, let me give you three key questions to ask yourself. They may help you to make better analysis of your current associations.
Here is the first question: "Who am I around?" Make a mental note of the people with whom you most often associate. You've got to evaluate everybody who is able to influence you in any way.
The second question is: "What are these associations doing to me?" That's a major question to ask. What have they got me doing? What have they got me listening to? What have they got me reading? Where have they got me going?
What do they have me thinking? How have they got me talking? How have they got me feeling? What have they got me saying? You've got to make a serious study of how others are influencing you, both negatively and positively.
Here's a final question: "Is that okay?" Maybe everyone you associate with has been a positive, energizing influence. Then again, maybe there are some bad apples in the bunch.
All I'm suggesting here is that you take a close and objective look. Everything is worth a second look, especially the power of influence. Both will take you somewhere, but only one will take you in the direction you need to go.
It's easy to just dismiss the things that influence our lives. One man say's, "I live here, but I don't think it matters. I'm around these people, but I don't think it hurts." I would take another look at that. Remember, everything matters! Sure, some things matter more than others, but everything amounts to something.
You've got to keep checking to find out whether your associations are tipping the scales toward the positive or toward the negative. Ignorance is never the best policy. Finding out is the best policy.
Perhaps you've heard the story of the little bird. He had his wing over his eye and he was crying. The owl said to the bird, "You are crying." "Yes," said the little bird, and he pulled his wing away from his eye. "Oh, I see," said the owl. "You're crying because the big bird pecked out your eye." And the little bird said, "No, I'm not crying because the big bird pecked out my eye. I'm crying because I let him."
It's easy to let influence shape our lives, to let associations determine our direction, to let pressures overwhelm us, and to let tides take us. The big question is, are we letting ourselves become what we wish to become?
In Part II we'll take a look at the three forms of disassociating from negative influences.
In Part I we took a look at the power of influence in our lives and how it is possible to be nudged off course a little at a time until finally, we find ourselves asking, "How did I get here?"
We then asked three key questions:
1) "Who am I around?" You've got to evaluate everybody who is able to influence you in any way.
2) "What are these associations doing to me?" That's a major question to ask. What have they got me doing, listening to, reading, thinking and feeling? You've got to make a serious study of how others are influencing you, both negatively and positively.
3) "Is that okay?" Maybe everyone you associate with has been a positive, energizing influence. Then again, maybe there are some bad apples in the bunch. All I'm suggesting here is that you take a close and objective look.
Everything is worth a second look, especially the power of influence. Both will take you somewhere, but only one will take you in the direction you need to go.
This week we wanted to discuss three ways to handle associations or relationships that are holding you back.
1) Disassociate. This is not an easy decision, nor something you should take lightly, but in some cases it may be essential (please don't email me asking to advise you about this, only you can decide).
You may just have to make the hard choice not to let certain negative influences affect you any more. It could be a choice that preserves the quality of your life.
2) Limited association. Spend major time with major influence and minor time with minor influences. It is easy to do just the opposite, but don't fall into that trap. Take a look at your priorities and your values. We have so little time at our disposal. Wouldn't it make sense to invest it wisely?
3) Expanding your associations. This is the one I suggest you focus on the most. Find other successful people that you can spend more time with. Invite them to lunch (pick up the tab) and ask them how they have achieved so much or what makes them successful.
Now, this is not just about financial success, it can be someone that you want to learn from about having a better marriage, being a better parent, having better health or a stronger spiritual life.
It is called association on purpose - getting around the right people by expanding your circle of influence. And when you do that, you will naturally limit the relationships that are holding you back. Give it a try and see for yourself.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
The Major Key to Your Better Future is You
by: Jim Rohn
Of all the things that can have an effect on your future, I believe personal growth is the greatest. We can talk about sales growth, profit growth, asset growth, but all of this probably will not happen without personal growth.
It’s really the open door to it all. In fact I’d like to have you memorize a most important phrase. Here it is, “The major key to your better future is YOU.”
Let me repeat that. “The major key to your better future is YOU.” Put that someplace you can see it everyday, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, at the office, anywhere where you can see it everyday. The major key to your better future is YOU. Try to remember that every day you live and think about it. The major key is YOU.
Now, there are many things that will help your better future. If you belong to a strong, dynamic and progressive company, that would help. If the company has good products, good services that you are proud of, that would certainly help. If there were good sales aids, that would help, good training would certainly help.
If there is strong leadership that will certainly help. All of these things will help, and of course, if it doesn’t storm, that will help. If your car doesn’t break down, that will help. If the kids don’t get sick, that will help. If the neighbors stay half way civil, that will help. If your relatives don’t bug you, that will help.
If it isn’t too cold, if it isn’t too hot, all those things will help your better future. And if prices don’t go much higher and if taxes don’t get much heavier, that will help. And if the economy stays stable, those things will all help. We could go on and on with the list; but remember this, the list of things that I’ve just covered and many more - all put together - play a minor role in your better future.
The major key to your better future is you. Lock your mind onto that. This is a super important point to remember. The major key is you. Mr. Shoaff always answered when asked, “How do you develop an above average income?” by saying “Simple, become an above average person. Work on you.” Mr. Shoaff would say, “Develop an above average handshake.”
He would say, “A lot of people want to be successful, and they don’t even work on their handshake. As easy as that would be to start, they let it slide. They don’t understand.” Mr. Shoaff would say, “Develop an above average smile.
Develop an above average excitement. Develop an above average dedication. Develop an above average interest in other people.” He would say, “To have more, become more.” Remember; work harder on yourself than you do on your job. For a long time in my life, I didn’t have this figured out.
Strangely enough, with two different people in the same company one may earn an extra $100 a month, and the other may earn a $1,000. What could possibly be the difference? If the products were the same, if the training was the same, if they both had the same literature, the same tools.
If they both had the same teacher, the same compensation plan, if they both attended the same meetings, why would one person earn the $100 per month and the other person earn the $1000? Remember here is the difference...the difference is personal, inside, not outside, inside.
You see the real difference is inside you. In fact, the difference IS you. Someone once said, “The magic is not in the products. The magic is not in the literature. The magic is not in the film. There isn’t a magic meeting, but the magic that makes things better is inside you, and personal growth makes this magic work for you.
The magic is in believing. The magic is in daring. The magic is in trying. The real magic is in persevering. The magic is in accepting. It’s in working. The magic is in thinking. There is magic in a handshake. There is magic in a smile. There is magic in excitement and determination.
There is real magic in compassion and caring and sharing. There is unusual magic in strong feeling and you see, all that comes from inside, not outside. So, the difference is inside you. The real difference is you. You are the major key to your better future.
Of all the things that can have an effect on your future, I believe personal growth is the greatest. We can talk about sales growth, profit growth, asset growth, but all of this probably will not happen without personal growth.
It’s really the open door to it all. In fact I’d like to have you memorize a most important phrase. Here it is, “The major key to your better future is YOU.”
Let me repeat that. “The major key to your better future is YOU.” Put that someplace you can see it everyday, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, at the office, anywhere where you can see it everyday. The major key to your better future is YOU. Try to remember that every day you live and think about it. The major key is YOU.
Now, there are many things that will help your better future. If you belong to a strong, dynamic and progressive company, that would help. If the company has good products, good services that you are proud of, that would certainly help. If there were good sales aids, that would help, good training would certainly help.
If there is strong leadership that will certainly help. All of these things will help, and of course, if it doesn’t storm, that will help. If your car doesn’t break down, that will help. If the kids don’t get sick, that will help. If the neighbors stay half way civil, that will help. If your relatives don’t bug you, that will help.
If it isn’t too cold, if it isn’t too hot, all those things will help your better future. And if prices don’t go much higher and if taxes don’t get much heavier, that will help. And if the economy stays stable, those things will all help. We could go on and on with the list; but remember this, the list of things that I’ve just covered and many more - all put together - play a minor role in your better future.
The major key to your better future is you. Lock your mind onto that. This is a super important point to remember. The major key is you. Mr. Shoaff always answered when asked, “How do you develop an above average income?” by saying “Simple, become an above average person. Work on you.” Mr. Shoaff would say, “Develop an above average handshake.”
He would say, “A lot of people want to be successful, and they don’t even work on their handshake. As easy as that would be to start, they let it slide. They don’t understand.” Mr. Shoaff would say, “Develop an above average smile.
Develop an above average excitement. Develop an above average dedication. Develop an above average interest in other people.” He would say, “To have more, become more.” Remember; work harder on yourself than you do on your job. For a long time in my life, I didn’t have this figured out.
Strangely enough, with two different people in the same company one may earn an extra $100 a month, and the other may earn a $1,000. What could possibly be the difference? If the products were the same, if the training was the same, if they both had the same literature, the same tools.
If they both had the same teacher, the same compensation plan, if they both attended the same meetings, why would one person earn the $100 per month and the other person earn the $1000? Remember here is the difference...the difference is personal, inside, not outside, inside.
You see the real difference is inside you. In fact, the difference IS you. Someone once said, “The magic is not in the products. The magic is not in the literature. The magic is not in the film. There isn’t a magic meeting, but the magic that makes things better is inside you, and personal growth makes this magic work for you.
The magic is in believing. The magic is in daring. The magic is in trying. The real magic is in persevering. The magic is in accepting. It’s in working. The magic is in thinking. There is magic in a handshake. There is magic in a smile. There is magic in excitement and determination.
There is real magic in compassion and caring and sharing. There is unusual magic in strong feeling and you see, all that comes from inside, not outside. So, the difference is inside you. The real difference is you. You are the major key to your better future.
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