Motivation

Entrepreneurs are a unique group of people. Not only do they think differently; they act differently. They draw on  personality  traits, habits and mind-sets to come up with ideas that straddle the line between insanity and genius. But just because you’re an original thinker and came up with an idea to replace gasoline in cars doesn’t mean you’re cut out to be an entrepreneur.  If you ever wondered if you were an entrepreneur, check out the following list. You may not have all these traits or skills, yet if you have some, this is a pretty good indicator that you have what it takes.  1. You come from a family of individuals who just couldn't work for someone else. Your parents worked for themselves. Though this isn't true for every entrepreneur (myself included), many have a family history with one or both parents having been self-employed. 2. You hate the status quo. You’re a person who is always questioning why people do the things they do. You strive to make things...

One day my mentor Mr. Earl Shoaff said, “Jim, if you want to be wealthy and happy, learn this lesson well: Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job.” I must admit that this was the most challenging assignment of all. This business of personal development lasts a lifetime. You see,  what you become is far more important than what you get.  The important question to ask on the job is not, “What am I getting?” Instead, you should ask, “What am I becoming?” What you become directly influences what you get. Think of it this way: Most of what you have today, you have attracted by becoming the person you are today. I've also found that income rarely exceeds personal development. Sometimes income takes a lucky jump, but unless you learn to handle the responsibilities that come with it, it will usually shrink back to the amount you can handle. If someone hands you a million dollars, you'd better hurry up and become a millionaire. A very rich man once said, “If you took ...

In our professional lives, most of us have some kind of time management system—schedules, lists, an inner clock of daily routines—but how many of us have stress management systems? That is, systems for anticipating and eliminating the triggers of our anxieties? Remember, it’s in our basic nature to be happy. The thing that makes us unhappy is living in reaction to stimuli from the environment, constantly converting them into causes of stress . What system can you rely upon when this happens? How can you alter your state and surroundings to become stress-resistant, so that, like Teflon, stress won’t stick to you? Let’s say you’re a businessperson who lives on the road. How could it transform your life if you kept a suitcase—filled with clean clothes, a billfold of money, toiletries, everything you need— packed and ready to go, weeks before a trip is required? When the call comes from your company to travel, you’ll be ready. Rather than getting knocked around by stressors, y...

The Power of Purpose: Your Secret to Following Through Anthony Robbins’ Rapid Planning Method is a powerful system for achieving the goals that matter most to your life. R represents the results we’re after. Clarifying your results (or outcome) helps you focus on your desired target. Once you know the result you’ve committed to, you must know why you want it, and why you’re taking action. In other words, you should know your P —your purpose . Having a sense of real purpose, like compelling reasons, will provide you with the drive necessary to make your desired result a reality. There is a major difference between simply having a dream, and having enough reasons to push yourself through the inevitable obstacles that will stand between you and your goals. There are many ways to achieve a result or outcome, but you must know why you are going after it. This way, if your first plan or attempt fails, you will have the necessary drive to follow through and keep moving toward your...

We’ve seen that RPM, unlike traditional time-management systems, shows you how to actually think in a new way, with a clear and consistent focus on the outcomes that are most critical to you ; and it enables you to harness the emotional power behind why you want to generate those outcomes . Once you know the exact result you are committed to achieving, and why you must achieve it, you are now in the state of mind to create the map to get there. Begin by asking yourself what action steps you must take to achieve this specific result. These steps are the basis for your Massive Action Plan or MAP — the ‘M’ in RPM. Your MAP is the specific activities you must complete in order to produce the outcome you are committed to. Remember two things as you create this plan: 1. There are many ways to achieve a result. If one set of actions doesn’t achieve it, another set will. 2. Throughout your entire list of action items, a small number of them make the biggest difference in your abilit...

Emotional mastery is the key to living a life that you direct. The capacity to have absolute direct power over what you feel in every single moment—no matter what happens around you—is one of the most important skill sets you can have. There are three forces in the world that determine what you feel. These forces are called the Triad. Together, these three patterns create any—and every—emotional state. Whatever you feel, you’re not feeling it because you have to feel it. You’re feeling it because you’ve chosen from the Triad. In order to master your emotions and consciously choose the emotions you want to live in, you need to understand these three forces and how to use them to your advantage. #1: Physiology Emotion is created by motion. Whatever you’re feeling right now is directly related to how you’re using your body. If you slump your shoulders and lean your head forward, you’ll move toward a state of depression. However, the next time you find yourself in a negative st...

When starting any enterprise or business, we all know the value of having plenty of capital (money). But I bet we both know or at least have heard of people who started with no capital who went on to make fortunes. How? you may ask. I believe there are actually some things that are more valuable than capital that can lead to your entrepreneurial success. Let me give you the list. 1. Time: The time you set aside not to be wasted, not to be given away. Time you set aside to be invested in an enterprise that brings value to the marketplace with the hope of making a profit. Now we have capital time. How valuable is time? Time properly invested is worth a fortune. Time wasted can be devastation. Time invested can perform miracles, so you invest your time.  2. Desperation: I have a friend Lydia whose first major investment in her new enterprise was desperation. She said, “My kids are hungry, I have to make this work. If this doesn't work, what will I do?” So she invested $...

Remember the master teacher once said 2,000 years ago, “Unless you can become like little children, your chances are zero; you haven’t got a prayer.” A major consideration for adults. Be like children and remember there are four ways to be more like a child no matter how old you get… 1) Curiosity —Be curious; childish curiosity. What will kids do if they want to know something bad enough? You’re right. They will bug you. Kids can ask a million questions. You think they’re through. They’ve got another million. They will keep plaguing you. They can drive you right to the brink. Kids also use their curiosity to learn. Have you ever noticed that while adults are stepping on ants, children are studying them? A child’s curiosity is what helps them to reach, learn and grow. 2) Excitement —Learn to get excited like a child. There is nothing that has more magic than childish excitement. So excited you hate to go to bed at night. Can’t wait to get up in the morning. So excited that y...

Life really is quite simple if you don't overcomplicate it with  analysing.  A bird is a bird, but it is only humans who call it a bird. The  bird does not know it is a bird, it simply is.  This applies to everything in the universe except humans, who like  to overcomplicate everything. Everything simply is.  Be one with Life by just being present without giving things names  and interpretations based on what you have been taught to think.  David Samuel Have No Regrets, Look Forward

“Vision is the spectacular that inspires us to carry out the mundane.” —Chris Widener Can achievement be broken down into steps? It isn’t always that clean and easy, but those who achieve great things usually go through much of the same process, with many of the items listed below as part of that process. So if you have been struggling with achievement, look through the following. Begin to apply them and you will be on the road to achieving your dream.  Step 1: Dream it. Everything begins in the heart and mind. Every great achievement began in the mind of one person. They dared to dream, to believe that it was possible. Take some time to allow yourself to ask “What if?” Think big. Don’t let negative thinking discourage you. You want to be a “dreamer.” Dream of the possibilities for yourself, your family and for others. If you had a dream that you let grow cold, re-ignite the dream! Fan the flames. Life is too short to let it go. Step 2: Believe it. Yes, your dream needs to be big. ...

Welcome back to another week of WOW presentations. If you missed out on the previous installments, make sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2. You don’t want to miss out on some of the greatest speeches to ever come from Lyndon B. Johnson, Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. In next week’s concluding installment, I will provide a  three-point plan  on how you can start crafting your own WOW presentations. But first, let’s continue with another round of WOW presentations, including one of my all-time favorite keynote speakers. If you had one last presentation to give before you died, what would it be? Dr. Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh), gave his last lecture on September 18, 2007. During this final lecture, he talked about his childhood dreams and how he achieved them, and then how he went on to enable others to achieve their childhood dreams. Randy’s presentation, or last lecture, which ...

Ben Franklin once wrote, "I would rather have it said ‘He lived usefully' than 'He died rich.'" More than just words, it was the way Franklin lived his life. One example of his useful nature was the invention of the Franklin stove. Instead of patenting it and keeping it to himself, Ben Franklin decided to share his invention with the world. Instead of seeing the world in terms of how much money he could make, Franklin saw the world in terms of how many people he could help. To Benjamin Franklin, being useful was its own reward. As I age, I gain perspective on the illusion of wealth and status as forms of fulfillment. I don't want my life to be measured by dollars and cents, or the number of books I've authored. Rather, I want to be remembered by the lives that I've touched.  I want live a life that counts.  With each day that passes, I feel a greater sense of urgency to make sure my time and energy are invested in developing leaders. A life that counts...

A famous mountain climbing resort in the Swiss Alps caters to businesses that encourage their employees to hike up the mountain trails together. The goal is to build camaraderie and to teach teamwork. Although it is about an eight hour trek to the summit, anyone in reasonably good shape can ascend to the top. In the morning, the hikers gather at the base of the mountain for a pep talk before starting the climb. Usually the group is so excited, they can hardly wait to head up the slopes, have a group picture taken, and celebrate the excitement of the journey they are embarking upon. They hike for several hours before taking a break. Approximately halfway up the mountain stands a quaint alpine restaurant. About noon , the weary hikers trudge into the restaurant, peel off their hiking gear, and plop down by the fireplace to have a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and eat their lunch. With the mountain as their backdrop, the hikers savor the warm, cozy, picturesque setting. Interestingly, af...

Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up .   The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: "I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!"   The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. "I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world!"   The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world."   Years passed and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcut...

One old man was sitting with his 25 years old son in the train. Train is about to leave the station. All passengers are settling down their seat. As train started young man was filled with lot of joy and curiosity. He was sitting on the window side. He went out one hand and feeling the passing air. He shouted, "Papa see all trees are going behind". Old man smile and admired son feelings. Beside the young man one couple was sitting and listing all the conversion between father and son. They were little awkward with the attitude of 25 years old man behaving like a small child. Suddenly young man again shouted, "Papa see the pond and animals. Clouds are moving with train". Couple was watching the young man in embarrassingly. Now its start raining and some of water drops touches the young man's hand. He filled with joy and he closed the eyes. He shouted again," Papa it's raining, water is touching me, see papa". Couple couldn't help themselves and ...

One day a young lady was driving along with her father. They came upon a storm, and the young lady asked her father, What should I do?" He said "keep driving".  Cars began to pull over to the side, the storm was Getting worse. "What should I do." The young lady asked? "Keep driving," her father replied. On up a few feet, she noticed that eighteen wheelers were also pulling over. She told her dad, "I must pull over, I can barely see ahead.  It is Terrible, and everyone is pulling over!" Her father told her, "Don't give up, just keep driving!" Now the storm was terrible, but she never stopped driving, and soon she Could see a little more clearly. After a couple of miles she was again on Dry land, and the sun came out. Her father said, "Now you can pull over and get out." She said "But why now?" He said "When you get out, look back at all the people that gave up and are Still in the storm, because you neve...

The intellect can open the door to intuition and wisdom, or it can  seal it shut.  Words enter your mind through the intellect and get blocked there  due to the intellect's distortion.  Remove your subjective opinions and all will be clear.  David Samuel Have No Regrets, Look Forward

If you're anything like me, new business ideas run through your brain each and every day. Sometimes, we come across a few particular ideas that we just can't stop thinking about - because they are  that good!   I think you know what I'm talking about.   Constant brainstorming, rapid note taking, and visions of success are all symptoms of this sort of "business bug".    Many times, however, after a couple of days or even a couple of months, the motivation behind these great ideas just seem to die out and never evolve into the next step.  It's kind of sad, because I'm sure many of those ideas were awesome, money-making ideas.   If we can understand why this happens, then I think we can stop the momentum from slowing down and start taking things to the next level. Here are 5 main reasons why I think ideas in our head take a turn for the worse:   1. We're Not Seeing Any Results   We live in a time where we all want things to happen FAST. I mean, ...

I was skiing this past week. Gorgeous snow. Lots of sun. Precious moments. Trying to refuel after the big tour…  But one morning I witnessed something that broke my heart… … a woman, who was clearly a beginner, was having trouble getting onto the chairlift. She was with her s on and just couldn’t get the hang of it. … she looked embarrassed…and a little beaten. There were a group of men behind me. Mature people, I thought. Seasoned skiers, for sure. And they started ridiculing her! Out loud. Calling her an amateur. Making fun of her attire. Saying things like “hey, take your time–we have nothing else to do” and “nice backpack you have on there.” It was incredible.  To see such rudeness. Such insensitivity. Such uncompassion for this woman who needed help (and was being helped by the lift guards…known as “lifties” to those of us who adore skiing). I just couldn’t believe how these humans operated. Bad manners. Zero decency. Pure mean. This scene has stayed with me for two days....