Motivation

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Renowned for his otherworldly improvisational skills and Oscar-winning dramatic performances in films like Good Will Hunting , Robin Williams died yesterday at his home in Tiburon, Calif. from an apparent suicide, police said. He was 63. While Williams’ passing may have come as a shock to fans, his publicist noted in a statement that “He has been battling severe depression of late.” Williams also notably struggled with drug and alcohol abuse throughout his career, having checked into rehab most recently earlier this year. Even President Obama expressed his condolences. “He arrived in our lives as an alien -- but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry,” Obama said in a statement. “He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most -- from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets.” In honor of Williams’ considerable impact on entertainment, his extensive charitable work and...

“Attack!” he shouts. “Attack!” Instantly, three people spring into action and are coming at me full on, determined to take me down. It’s their job, after all. These three have volunteered to be my ukes (pronounced “oo-kays” — my attackers) during my aikido black belt test. All I have to do is stay calm, centred, and focused, yet highly alert. All they have to do is be fully committed to attack. And it’s clear that they are. In seconds I forget all about my part of the equation, because I’m out of breath and pinned beneath three ukes. Mercifully, the instructor calls them off. I have the shortest of moments to catch my breath before, yet again, I bow to my attackers. It’s their signal to advance. This time, I’m more prepared. I’m on the offensive now. Rather than wait for what I know is coming, I move toward my first attacker and handle him successfully. And then the second. And then the third. And again. And again. And again. Their advance goes on and on. The attacks can and d...

We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of our fears are brought on by our own experiences, by what someone has told us, by what we've read in the papers. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at  2 o’clock  in the morning. But once we learn to avoid that situation, we won't need to live in fear of it. Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives.  Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us.  Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within. The first enemy that you've got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference.  What a tragic disease this is. "Ho-hum, let it slide. I'll just drift along." Here's one problem with drifting: you can't drift your way to the top of the mountain. The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is t...

“Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. This is but saying that nothing can come from corn but corn, nothing from nettles but nettles.” —  As a Man Thinketh Most everyone understands the biblical concept of sowing and reaping because we can grasp the simplicity of the logic. If we were to plant corn in our backyard garden, we wouldn’t expect spinach to come up. But even though we can grasp the logic, we don’t always understand the power of the principle. And we certainly don’t act as if the principle will affect us. An example: For many years, my morning ritual began with a thorough reading of the newspaper, most days spending an hour or more before dashing off to the office. I did not know then that our minds are most impressionable immediately upon rising in the morning and just before sleep in the evening. Fresh from the reading (and thoughts) of the day’s murders, indictments, invasions by foreign dictat...

Here's the great challenge of life: You can have more than you've got because you can become more than you are. I have found that income seldom will exceed your own personal development.  Once in a while, income takes a lucky jump, but unless you grow out to where it is, it will go back to where you are. Somebody once said if you took all the money in the world and divided it equally among everyone, it would soon be back in the same pockets. However, you can have more because you can become more. You see, here is how the other side of the coin reads: Unless you change how you are, you will always have what you've got. The marketing plan won't do it. It's a good plan, but it won't work without you. You've got to work it. It is the human effort that counts—the major thing that makes the difference is what YOU do. In order to have more, you need to become more.  The guy says, “If I had a good job I would really pour it on, but I have this lousy job so I just go...

The Law of Abundance—there is ample money for everyone who knows how to acquire it and keep it. We live in an abundant universe in which there is sufficient money for all who really want it and are willing obey the laws governing its acquisition. You Can Have All You Want  There is plenty of money available to you. You can have virtually all you really want and need. We live in a generous universe, and we are surrounded on all sides by blessings and opportunities to acquire all we truly desire. Your attitude, of either abundance or scarcity toward money, will have a major impact on whether you become rich. Make a Decision The first corollary of the Law of Abundance says, “People become wealthy because they decide to become wealthy.” They become wealthy because they believe they have the ability to become wealthy. Because they believe this completely, they act accordingly. They consistently take the necessary actions that turn their beliefs into realities. And you can always tell wh...

There are many leaders I admire, but one person whose professional trajectory and leadership have truly inspired me is Jeff Bezos, CEO and founder of Amazon.com. A true entrepreneur turned ecommerce trailblazer, Bezos quit his job in finance and discovered an untapped gold mine in online bookstores. After only one year and 300 friends doing beta tests, Bezos launched Amazon.com; since then, he has been able to outperform competitors and drive Amazon to the top of the ecommerce leaderboard. I was 16 years old when Amazon became a household name. I used to sit in school daydreaming about starting my own Amazon.com. If Bezos could launch a billion-dollar company from a two-bedroom house, then why couldn’t I start my own firm? It would take time, energy and hard work, but my 16-year-old self decided it would be worth the long and difficult journey to become a leader in my own right, just like Bezos. As it turns out, I wasn’t born a natural leader. I had to learn how to put my...

As an entrepreneur you have no limits or restrictions. There is nothing that you can’t achieve. Well, except for freezing time. Time is the most valuable commodity to an entrepreneur. Most of us would do anything to have another hour in the day. But until someone creates an app to manipulate time, we are forced to manage our time extremely efficiently. Here are 13 tips to help make your days more productive. 1. Schedule “You” time.  Set aside a block of time to get your personal stuff out of the way. Things such as paying bills and attending to personal emails can take away from your work. 2. Disconnect when you need 100 percent focus. Preparing for an important meeting or a pitch? Turn off your mobile phone, close your email and route your office calls to voicemail. You will be more productive without the distractions. 3. Maintain a “to-do” list.  Keep an accurate list and cross tasks off as you complete them. Create your list at the end of each day for the next day...

A young entrepreneur might run across a lot of articles offering advice for the new business owner. But how many articles are actually geared toward the young entrepreneur? As a former young entrepreneur myself (now I'm 30), I’ve decided to share my insights from my past experiences -- all the types of things that I wish someone had passed on to me when I was first starting out. 1. Do what you love . When I graduated from college I worked at a job that I didn’t like because it paid me well. I hated to go into work each day. I admit that entrepreneurs typically make the worst employees because they want to be out there growing their own enterprise. Figure out what you love and then become the best that there is at it. Your passion for your product or service will keep you motivated and get you through the tough times. Yes, there will be challenging moments. But when you work on something that you actually care about (as opposed to just trying to make a quick buck), you'll...

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...

Once three scholars on the way to the civil service examination stopped to buy refreshments from a woman who sold pastries by the wayside. One man was calm and quiet, while the other two argued over literature.  The woman asked where they were going. The latter two told her they were going to take the civil service examination. She said, "You two scholars won't pass the exam;  that other man will." The two men swore at her and left. When the results of the examination turned out as the woman had predicted, the two scholars who had failed went back to find out how she had known they would not pass, while the third man would.  They asked her if she knew  physiognomy (face reading).  "No," she said, "all I know is that when a pastry is thoroughly cooked, it sits there quietly, but before it's finished it keeps on making noise."

Visualization is the most important foundation of success.  You first have to figure out what it is that you truly want—love, respect, wealth. Second, you have to believe that these things are already yours.  See yourself as having that loving relationship. Visualize yourself being respected and admired by your peers. Know that you are bringing home $1 million a year. Third, you must create a plan to bring these things into your life —one action step at a time. Wanting, desiring, wishing—these are all important parts of achieving your dreams. But participating in the realization of your dreams by taking action says, “Hey, I believe that what I want is possible, so now I’m moving forward to get it!” You are showing that you have decided what you want and deserve and that you have identified the action steps necessary in attaining your dreams and desires. In the beginning, taking action may seem a little scary. You’ll probably feel butterflies in your stomach when you take that ...

Taking Smart Risks.pdf

We often hear the phrase, “Fake it till you make it.” I know the loving intent people have when saying it, but it has dangerous consequences. It’s a common catchphrase that suggests you imitate confidence so that the confidence produces success, which will seemingly generate real confidence. But I have found that when people fake anything, they only produce more fakeness, and that leads to disconnect, trouble, misery and ultimately failure. When people fake anything, they only produce more fakeness, and that leads to disconnect, trouble, misery and ultimately failure. Let me tell you about someone whose experience can serve as a warning and an example of this important principle. Jimmy White was standing in the hallway outside a conference room. This was it. The biggest pitch of his career. At 23 years old, Jimmy had just started his own commercial and residential land brokerage firm, although opening his own business was never his plan. It was only after being interviewed 30 times at ...

We all know many proverbs, but seldom do we know where they come from. In fact, research suggests that most of the proverbs we know did not come from our own culture! In the rich and complex history of our world and the many thousands of different cultures and countries that have risen, fallen and maintained, we have discovered many truths, and have coined many phrases and proverbs.  Here you can have a glance at that wealth of wisdom, collected from 100 nations and cultures, in one list. You may be surprised to discover the origin of some famous proverbs, as well as the wisdom that every country has to offer!  Afghanistan What you see in yourself is what you see in the world. Albania The sun at home warms better than the sun elsewhere. Argentina 1. Dress the monkey in silk and it is still a monkey. 2. A man who develops himself is born twice. Armenia You are as many a person as the number of lanugages you know. Austria A light is still a light - even though the blind man cann...