by William E. Bailey
One of my favorite people, Winston Churchill, once said, “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but in the end there it is.” Now I’ll give you the Bill Bailey hillbilly version. “You might as well start with the truth; you are going to end with it.”
The words I believe, the words I think, the words I feel, may or may not be true. The words I experience are true. Where you are today is the sum total of every experience you have had in your life. And you had the opportunity to say “yes” or to say “no.” Whatever good happened to you, you ought to take credit. And whatever blame happened to you, you get that too. Because you could have said “yes” or said “no.” Wherever you are is okay, because you are here. And if everything hadn’t happened exactly the way it did in your life, you would not be here. You might have not survived.
Your direction is critical. Because one thing I will assure you of, in your life after seventy years of watching it, It Will Change! All positions are temporary. Take a look behind you. As Shakespeare said, “Straight satisfy yourself as the truth of it.” And again I’ll remind you. Whether you like it or not, you look in the mirror; that is your problem and that is your solution.
When I was very young I learned my first lesson in motivation: The absence of options will create a very quick and powerful decision. I was born and raised in the hills of Kentucky, what you all call Appalachia. We called it just plain poor.
There were eleven kids in the family. We had six flat acres, the rest of them were on the hills. We plowed with mules. I was born in 1930; we didn’t have paved roads until I was 15. We had electricity when I was 16. We never had indoor plumbing. So we were a family, but we walked to church together and we walked back together. We had a very unusual community feeling.
So one day when I was 15 years old, I was plowing corn. The last time you plow a field is in August, and in August, it’s very hot, it’s very humid. Well, I was plowing about three o’clock, back in a place called the Dorsey Holler. And I, like most young people, decided I was not going to plow anymore, so I spent about five minutes thinking up a nice lie I was gonna tell my father if he asked. So I backed up under this big beach tree, sat down, tied the plow lines of the mule up to the plow handles, lit a cigarette. About that time I heard a voice say, “What in the h__ do you think you are doing?” And there stood my father looking like a rain cloud about to burst. I quickly whipped out my best lie and said, “Well, the ground was hard and the mule didn’t want to pull the plow.” He asked, “Did you hit it?” I said, “No.” He said, “Well son you can hit the mule or I am hitting you.” I HIT THE MULE!
Here is the next statement for you. It is a shame that we wait for something outside us to cause us to do what we ought to do ourselves. Why did I wait for someone to force me to do what I should have been doing? We should all be truly excited about the rest of our lives because we have the greatest single tool in the world: the human brain.
"There is nothing wrong with affirmations, provided what you are affirming is the truth. If you are broke, for example, the best thing to affirm is, 'I'm broke!'" —Jim Rohn
Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn's Weekly Newsletter. To subscribe, go to http://list.jimrohn.com/t/14566888/40429807/610768/0/ All contents Copyright © JimRohn.com except where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Change Begins with Choice
by Jim Rohn
Any day we wish, we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish, we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish, we can start a new activity. Any day we wish, we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.
We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, “The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves.” We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.
We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.
And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life: If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life. And it all begins with your very own power of choice.
Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn's Weekly Newsletter. To subscribe, go to www.JimRohn.com All contents Copyright © JimRohn.com except where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide.
Any day we wish, we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish, we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish, we can start a new activity. Any day we wish, we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.
We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, “The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves.” We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.
We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.
And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life: If you don’t like how things are, change it! You’re not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life. And it all begins with your very own power of choice.
Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn's Weekly Newsletter. To subscribe, go to www.JimRohn.com All contents Copyright © JimRohn.com except where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide.
Responding, Not Reacting, to Life
by Zig Ziglar
When you respond to life, that’s positive; when you react to life, that’s negative. Example: You get sick and go to the doctor. Chances are good that after an examination, she would give you a prescription with instructions to return in several days.
If, when you walk back in the door, the doctor starts shaking her head and says, “It looks like your body is reacting to the medicine; we’re going to have to change it,” you probably would get a little nervous.
However, if the doctor smiles and says, “You’re looking great! Your body is responding to the medication,” you would feel relieved. Yes, responding to life is good.
A few years ago, there was much turmoil in the U.S. job market. People were losing their jobs through downsizing, mergers, and takeovers. This created some unusual opportunities for many people. For example, the Wall Street Journal reported that in a five-year period, more than 15 million new businesses were created, well over half of them by women. Very few of the women had any marketable skills, and all of them had great financial need.
Most of the new businesses were “trust” businesses, meaning that the women collected the money before they delivered the goods or services. Many, possibly most, of those new businesses would never have been started had not an unfortunate event occurred in the people’s lives. When those events did occur, and needs became obvious, the women chose to respond, and there is little doubt that many of them are better off now than they were before.
The message is clear: If you respond to life instead of react to it, then you’ve got a much better chance of achieving success.
Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn's Weekly Newsletter. To subscribe, go to www.JimRohn.com All contents Copyright © JimRohn.com except where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide.
When you respond to life, that’s positive; when you react to life, that’s negative. Example: You get sick and go to the doctor. Chances are good that after an examination, she would give you a prescription with instructions to return in several days.
If, when you walk back in the door, the doctor starts shaking her head and says, “It looks like your body is reacting to the medicine; we’re going to have to change it,” you probably would get a little nervous.
However, if the doctor smiles and says, “You’re looking great! Your body is responding to the medication,” you would feel relieved. Yes, responding to life is good.
A few years ago, there was much turmoil in the U.S. job market. People were losing their jobs through downsizing, mergers, and takeovers. This created some unusual opportunities for many people. For example, the Wall Street Journal reported that in a five-year period, more than 15 million new businesses were created, well over half of them by women. Very few of the women had any marketable skills, and all of them had great financial need.
Most of the new businesses were “trust” businesses, meaning that the women collected the money before they delivered the goods or services. Many, possibly most, of those new businesses would never have been started had not an unfortunate event occurred in the people’s lives. When those events did occur, and needs became obvious, the women chose to respond, and there is little doubt that many of them are better off now than they were before.
The message is clear: If you respond to life instead of react to it, then you’ve got a much better chance of achieving success.
Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn's Weekly Newsletter. To subscribe, go to www.JimRohn.com All contents Copyright © JimRohn.com except where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide.
Skills Make Labor More Valuable
by Jim Rohn
As you know by now, if you have been a longtime subscriber to our weekly newsletter, I’m a very big proponent of activity, labor and discipline. In fact I devoted one of the five major pieces to the life puzzle (in my book under the same name) to the subject of activity and labor. But now let me add another key word to the labor equation:
skillful. Yes, skillful labor.
We need the skills to help build our family’s dreams, the skills to stir up an enterprise and make it successful. We need skills to build equities for the future. We need skills of all kinds.
How about this: skillful language. If you just talk to your family you can hold them all together, but if you skillfully talk to your children you can help them build dreams for the future. That is why I spend so much time at the Weekend Seminar on communication—how to affect others with words. You can’t be lazy in language; it costs too much. What if you meant to say “what’s troubling you?” and instead you said “what’s wrong with you?” Wow, that’s too big a mistake. And sure you could have made that mistake 10 years ago, but not now. You should have gotten much better by now in language and communication.
Skills multiply labors by two, by five, by 10, by 50, by 100 times. Hey, you can chop a tree down with a hammer but it takes about 30 days, called labor. But if you trade the hammer in for an ax, you can chop the tree down in about 30 minutes. What’s the difference between 30 days and 30 minutes? Skills. Skills made the difference.
So do what you can—labor. But also do the best that you can do—improved skills. And you will find that the labor combined with skills will start producing miracles. Miracles with your money. Miracles with your family. And miracles in every part of your life.
Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn's Weekly Newsletter. To subscribe, go to www.JimRohn.com All contents Copyright © JimRohn.com except where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide.
As you know by now, if you have been a longtime subscriber to our weekly newsletter, I’m a very big proponent of activity, labor and discipline. In fact I devoted one of the five major pieces to the life puzzle (in my book under the same name) to the subject of activity and labor. But now let me add another key word to the labor equation:
skillful. Yes, skillful labor.
We need the skills to help build our family’s dreams, the skills to stir up an enterprise and make it successful. We need skills to build equities for the future. We need skills of all kinds.
How about this: skillful language. If you just talk to your family you can hold them all together, but if you skillfully talk to your children you can help them build dreams for the future. That is why I spend so much time at the Weekend Seminar on communication—how to affect others with words. You can’t be lazy in language; it costs too much. What if you meant to say “what’s troubling you?” and instead you said “what’s wrong with you?” Wow, that’s too big a mistake. And sure you could have made that mistake 10 years ago, but not now. You should have gotten much better by now in language and communication.
Skills multiply labors by two, by five, by 10, by 50, by 100 times. Hey, you can chop a tree down with a hammer but it takes about 30 days, called labor. But if you trade the hammer in for an ax, you can chop the tree down in about 30 minutes. What’s the difference between 30 days and 30 minutes? Skills. Skills made the difference.
So do what you can—labor. But also do the best that you can do—improved skills. And you will find that the labor combined with skills will start producing miracles. Miracles with your money. Miracles with your family. And miracles in every part of your life.
Reproduced with permission from Jim Rohn's Weekly Newsletter. To subscribe, go to www.JimRohn.com All contents Copyright © JimRohn.com except where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Don’t Sink Your Success by Ignoring Relationships
John Paul Jones is regarded as The Father of the American Navy, and rightly so given his heroic courage in battle and his devotion to America's struggle for independence. Yet sadly, Jones alienated himself from the country he loved, dying penniless and alone in France at the age of 45. Why did the war hero's story end so dismally? The answer is simple: John Paul Jones never valued relationships.
Talent and Temper
John Paul Jones was born in Scotland under the given name of John Paul. He achieved notoriety as a 21-year old sailor when he safely piloted a ship back to port after its captain and first mate had succumbed to yellow fever. The feat won him the respect of the ship's owners, who made him the vessel's captain and gave him a commission on its profits.
John Paul's success in Scotland was short-lived, though. Soon after being named as captain, he became enraged with a sailor and demanded that the man be whipped. The flogging ordered by John Paul was so severe that the man later died from his wounds. Although he avoided criminal charges and kept his command, John Paul's reputation never recovered, nor did he learn his lesson.
A few years later, John Paul slaughtered a mutinous shipmate after a dispute over wages. Rather than stand trail for his actions, he fled to America, changing his name to John Paul Jones. Thus began a familiar trend, Jones' spectacular skill and talent would gain him renown, but then his relational incompetence would undermine the success.
A Fresh Start Runs Afoul
John Paul Jones arrived in America at the dawn of the Revolutionary War. He enlisted in the American Navy and distinguished himself as a privateer captain, preying upon British commercial ships. Duly promoted, he then led a daring mission all the way to mainland Great Britain, raiding a coastal town and capturing a warship. His gallantry brought much needed credibility to the American cause abroad, and gained him popularity at home.
However, after returning to American shores, John Paul Jones did not receive the official recognition that he felt he deserved. Feeling slighted, he launched scathing criticisms at the politicians by whom he felt overlooked. Although he had vanquished his enemies in combat, John Paul Jones' disrespect and arrogance turned his would-be friends into adversaries.
Fame without Fortune
John Paul Jones next military adventure brought him to the pinnacle of his fame. In a battle on the high seas, two of his primary cannons malfunctioned and left him outgunned and outmanned against a British warship, the Serapis. Repeatedly battered by the guns of his opponent, Jones' ship, the Bonhomme Richard, caught fire and began to go down. Sensing victory, the British commander asked if Jones was ready to surrender, receiving the famous reply, "I have not yet begun to fight!"
Jones rallied his crew and rammed his sinking vessel into the side of the Serapis. Then, his men tied together the two warships with grappling hooks, hopped aboard the Serapis, and engaged in intense hand-to-hand combat. By the time the skirmish ended, the Americans had won control of the Serapis and had forced the British to surrender.
Elevated to celebrity status after the improbable victory, John Paul Jones nonetheless managed to estrange himself after returning home. First, he took all of the credit for his military triumph, discounting the bravery of his men. Then, he wrote several self-aggrandizing accounts of the battle and sent them to newspapers in America and Europe. His blatant and excessive self-promotion rankled politicians and further alienated him from those in power. Next, he sailed out to sea, only to be embarrassed when his crew mutinied and left him stranded in France. Finally, after returning home, he lobbied tirelessly to be named First Admiral of the United States Navy. Denied his request and having worn out his welcome, John Paul Jones left America for good and spent the remainder of his days vainly chasing personal glory in the service of foreign governments.
Summary
The life of John Paul Jones is indicative of a leader with loads of talent but no regard for relationships. Prickly, self-focused, and egotistical, such leaders sabotage their success by pushing away everyone in their lives. Regardless of their accomplishments, leaders never attain fulfillment until they learn to win with people.
Talent and Temper
John Paul Jones was born in Scotland under the given name of John Paul. He achieved notoriety as a 21-year old sailor when he safely piloted a ship back to port after its captain and first mate had succumbed to yellow fever. The feat won him the respect of the ship's owners, who made him the vessel's captain and gave him a commission on its profits.
John Paul's success in Scotland was short-lived, though. Soon after being named as captain, he became enraged with a sailor and demanded that the man be whipped. The flogging ordered by John Paul was so severe that the man later died from his wounds. Although he avoided criminal charges and kept his command, John Paul's reputation never recovered, nor did he learn his lesson.
A few years later, John Paul slaughtered a mutinous shipmate after a dispute over wages. Rather than stand trail for his actions, he fled to America, changing his name to John Paul Jones. Thus began a familiar trend, Jones' spectacular skill and talent would gain him renown, but then his relational incompetence would undermine the success.
A Fresh Start Runs Afoul
John Paul Jones arrived in America at the dawn of the Revolutionary War. He enlisted in the American Navy and distinguished himself as a privateer captain, preying upon British commercial ships. Duly promoted, he then led a daring mission all the way to mainland Great Britain, raiding a coastal town and capturing a warship. His gallantry brought much needed credibility to the American cause abroad, and gained him popularity at home.
However, after returning to American shores, John Paul Jones did not receive the official recognition that he felt he deserved. Feeling slighted, he launched scathing criticisms at the politicians by whom he felt overlooked. Although he had vanquished his enemies in combat, John Paul Jones' disrespect and arrogance turned his would-be friends into adversaries.
Fame without Fortune
John Paul Jones next military adventure brought him to the pinnacle of his fame. In a battle on the high seas, two of his primary cannons malfunctioned and left him outgunned and outmanned against a British warship, the Serapis. Repeatedly battered by the guns of his opponent, Jones' ship, the Bonhomme Richard, caught fire and began to go down. Sensing victory, the British commander asked if Jones was ready to surrender, receiving the famous reply, "I have not yet begun to fight!"
Jones rallied his crew and rammed his sinking vessel into the side of the Serapis. Then, his men tied together the two warships with grappling hooks, hopped aboard the Serapis, and engaged in intense hand-to-hand combat. By the time the skirmish ended, the Americans had won control of the Serapis and had forced the British to surrender.
Elevated to celebrity status after the improbable victory, John Paul Jones nonetheless managed to estrange himself after returning home. First, he took all of the credit for his military triumph, discounting the bravery of his men. Then, he wrote several self-aggrandizing accounts of the battle and sent them to newspapers in America and Europe. His blatant and excessive self-promotion rankled politicians and further alienated him from those in power. Next, he sailed out to sea, only to be embarrassed when his crew mutinied and left him stranded in France. Finally, after returning home, he lobbied tirelessly to be named First Admiral of the United States Navy. Denied his request and having worn out his welcome, John Paul Jones left America for good and spent the remainder of his days vainly chasing personal glory in the service of foreign governments.
Summary
The life of John Paul Jones is indicative of a leader with loads of talent but no regard for relationships. Prickly, self-focused, and egotistical, such leaders sabotage their success by pushing away everyone in their lives. Regardless of their accomplishments, leaders never attain fulfillment until they learn to win with people.
Big Mo Comes to Those Who Know…and Do
By John C. Maxwell
How do leaders generate positive momentum? It's very simple: by learning and then applying what they have learned. In the knowledge economy, leaders are distinguished by their ability to process information and put it to use.
There are three ways in which leaders interact with information, and each impacts momentum.
1) Ignorance
The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge. ~ Elbert Hubbard
What you don't know can hurt you. Just ask Circuit City. In March 2007, the company chose to lay off its highest-paid, most knowledgeable employees in favor of cheaper labor. The result? Customer service nightmares. Complaints skyrocketed as inexperienced workers replaced seasoned salespeople. By the end of 2008, the electronics superstore had filed for bankruptcy.
Whenever a company ceases to learn or reduces its storehouse of knowledge, decline swiftly follows. In today's climate, change happens too quickly for businesses to forego learning. Unless leaders make a concerted effort to gather information and re-educate themselves, their organizations will suffer the negative momentum of ignorance.
2) Negligence
"Negligence is the rust of the soul, that corrodes through all her best resolves"~ Owen Falham
Executives at Philip Morris clearly knew the health hazards of smoking, yet they chose not to warn customers about the harmful effects of their products. When the truth about tobacco became widely known, the public was outraged at the company's negligence. Scads of lawsuits were filed against Philip Morris, alleging that it deliberately withheld information from customers. To date, the company has paid out millions of dollars in court-ordered settlements, and is on the hook for millions more.
When companies refuse to act on important information-either due to apathy or wicked intentions-then they are said to be negligent. Philip Morris failed to respond properly to the information at its disposal, namely that its products fostered addiction and had adverse health effects. In the end, the company paid dearly in financial penalties and lost significant momentum.
3) Action
An organization's ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage. ~ Jack Welch
Big business doesn't always equal heartlessness. In 1987, Merck realized it had a drug that could counteract river blindness, a disease endemic to impoverished regions. At great expense to its pocketbook, Merck agreed to provide the drug to all who needed it, as long as they needed it. In the 20+ years since making that commitment, the company has provided over 600 million treatments.
Merck's public image was boosted exponentially as a result of its generosity. The best and brightest minds in the pharmaceutical industry flocked to Merck to associate themselves with an organization that genuinely seemed to care. By putting its knowledge to work in such a benevolent way, Merck enjoyed a surge of momentum.
Summary
If you're looking for a surefire source of momentum, then make every effort to learn-and to turn what you learn into action. Yes, learning can be a costly endeavor. You may have to open your wallet to purchase resources and provide training opportunities for your people. However, at the end of the day, you cannot afford to neglect the pursuit of knowledge.
How do leaders generate positive momentum? It's very simple: by learning and then applying what they have learned. In the knowledge economy, leaders are distinguished by their ability to process information and put it to use.
There are three ways in which leaders interact with information, and each impacts momentum.
1) Ignorance
The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge. ~ Elbert Hubbard
What you don't know can hurt you. Just ask Circuit City. In March 2007, the company chose to lay off its highest-paid, most knowledgeable employees in favor of cheaper labor. The result? Customer service nightmares. Complaints skyrocketed as inexperienced workers replaced seasoned salespeople. By the end of 2008, the electronics superstore had filed for bankruptcy.
Whenever a company ceases to learn or reduces its storehouse of knowledge, decline swiftly follows. In today's climate, change happens too quickly for businesses to forego learning. Unless leaders make a concerted effort to gather information and re-educate themselves, their organizations will suffer the negative momentum of ignorance.
2) Negligence
"Negligence is the rust of the soul, that corrodes through all her best resolves"~ Owen Falham
Executives at Philip Morris clearly knew the health hazards of smoking, yet they chose not to warn customers about the harmful effects of their products. When the truth about tobacco became widely known, the public was outraged at the company's negligence. Scads of lawsuits were filed against Philip Morris, alleging that it deliberately withheld information from customers. To date, the company has paid out millions of dollars in court-ordered settlements, and is on the hook for millions more.
When companies refuse to act on important information-either due to apathy or wicked intentions-then they are said to be negligent. Philip Morris failed to respond properly to the information at its disposal, namely that its products fostered addiction and had adverse health effects. In the end, the company paid dearly in financial penalties and lost significant momentum.
3) Action
An organization's ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage. ~ Jack Welch
Big business doesn't always equal heartlessness. In 1987, Merck realized it had a drug that could counteract river blindness, a disease endemic to impoverished regions. At great expense to its pocketbook, Merck agreed to provide the drug to all who needed it, as long as they needed it. In the 20+ years since making that commitment, the company has provided over 600 million treatments.
Merck's public image was boosted exponentially as a result of its generosity. The best and brightest minds in the pharmaceutical industry flocked to Merck to associate themselves with an organization that genuinely seemed to care. By putting its knowledge to work in such a benevolent way, Merck enjoyed a surge of momentum.
Summary
If you're looking for a surefire source of momentum, then make every effort to learn-and to turn what you learn into action. Yes, learning can be a costly endeavor. You may have to open your wallet to purchase resources and provide training opportunities for your people. However, at the end of the day, you cannot afford to neglect the pursuit of knowledge.
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