2012 - Worthwhile Resolutions and Life's Half-TImes...

A Happy New Year is QUICKLY Approaching !

2011 is quickly drawing to a close...and what it afforded us will soon be memories...some of them good and some not so good!

As we enter 2012, and we vow to make it a better year...

Success advocates will be reminding you of how important it is not to carry any baggage from the past into it...or...

Is it?

Should we carry that past baggage into next year?

This thought is intriguing!

I like seeing through the fluff of the "snake oil" sales people...

This may be one of those things in which they are selling you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear!

Let's listen to what we need to hear before it is too late!

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When combined with our tradition of New Year's Resolutions, it makes me think that there may be some worthwhile baggage that we need to carry...

Although you may not believe it...

Our the broken promises, resolutions...AND our failures!

That sounds pretty depressing and those experts who are trying to sell you a success placebo will argue!

Let's look at the facts!

Successful individuals do not quit trying...they do not give up on those things that they know are right...

They persist until they achieve what they envision...

With ongoing persistence...they resolve to improve their lot in life and set goals...

They know their mission and align tasks to them...

Some of these goals may not be achievable...on the first go around...but they do not quit!

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Take a moment to reflect on the resolutions of the past...

Especially those resolutions that you failed to accomplish...

I am amused by people who...when creating their list of resolutions...exclude those that they failed on in the past...

"I tried that one...not going to do that again"

Nothing worth having comes easily...

Perhaps...you already have a list of resolutions...

It is simply those that you failed to achieve in the past!

I know that my list...if it consists only of my past failures...would be longer than any list that I could generate in the few remaining hours of this year!

Why not resolve to achieve your past failures!

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I was listening to an interview with a high school football coach that said...

"The Pro-Bowl performances are created at half-time!"

Half-Time is an interesting concept...

The first half of the game is played and then everyone leaves the field and licks their wounds and re-energizes or admits defeat!

The coach has assessed the opposition for their weaknesses and adjusts the plan...

Half-Time is a time for rest...

We are given many Half-Times...New Year's is an official Half-Time!

Are you licking your wounds?

Are you going to admit defeat?

Have you assessed your opponent?

Have you resolved to win?

Are you going to change your plays?

2012 has some weaknesses...

There are holes in the defensive line...

2012 is in the locker room too!

Make no mistake...It is planning how it is going to beat you!

It has as much to win as you have losing!

You will never defeat it unless you learn for the first half...

That baggage that I referenced is important to success...

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As you resolve...

Look at your past failures in a different perspective...

I can almost hear you saying...

"That was a great resolution...this year I am going to do it!"

Just because you missed the pass the last time you tried that play...doesn't mean that it didn't have the potential of a touchdown!

If every failed play in football was never repeated...there ultimately would be no plays...

If people never tried and tried again...

You get the picture...

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Happy New Year!

Resolve to not repeat the failures of the past...

Not by failing at what you attempt...but

By succeeding at what you tried and failed at!

There is open field between you and the goal line!

Catch the ball this time and run like the wind!

Pura Vida

Does your Success Attitude make you a CRIMINAL?

Good Morning!

I recently saw a "Tweet" that caused me to think about how we (many within our society) have lost a critical character trait...

In part the tweet read...

"...as long as I do not get caught...it is not against the law..."

HOW SAD!

Think about what was said!

Murder is OK...if the killer can hide it?

Or...

It is OK to steal or rob someone...or beat them...

Or...

It is OK to break the law...if you don't agree with it...

From my perspective...something is missing from an individual's character...when they truly believe and live by that belief...

A law is a law...whether an individual agrees with it or not...

It is a law...and must be adhered to...

A law is a law...and was enacted to protect the individual and the society...

Although those examples are extremes...the same concept holds true with every law that is created...

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Our Founding Fathers recognized that our society had a looming weakness...

It was based in an individual's sense of moral and ethical responsibility to existing laws...

They recognized that laws must be followed...and that individuals often lacked the personal character to follow them when they believed that they were not being watched...

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If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there...?

An interesting discussion almost always ensues about sound, whenever that question is posed...

A simplistic philosophical paradox....that makes for interesting party quip!

I would love to see this discussion go a bit deeper...

The same "internal" discussion should ensue when someone thinks that a law isn't broken...if there is no one there to catch the offender!

There is a difference between the "tree conundrum" and the challenge to law!

When I think about this...there is always someone present when a law is broken!

Who?

The offender!

Ultimately...everyone should be self-policing!

True citizens ARE self-policing...

Putting all of the logic aside...let's jump to the interim conclusion...

Those who need to be controlled are not members of this society!

They are actually a burden on the society...

Those who lack self-control are the reason that we have to put more and more money into our police forces!

They are the reason that we need to build more jails and prisons!

We make laws and then believe that it is our responsibility to take care of them for their lack of moral character and self-control...

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Let's regress a bit...

Whether a felony or a misdemeanor...a law is a non-compromise statement of membership AND citizenship...

Breaking the law...is therefore a declaration of non-citizenship...

We could save a ton of taxpayer monies by simple deportation of offenders!

Send them someplace...where they fit...let them live in a society that matches their level of character and self-control...

We do not need them here...they have decided that they do not want to follow our rules of membership...

It is not our responsibility to try to re-mediate them...it is their responsibility to conform...

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Enough of the political...

We needed to lay a parallel foundation to our thoughts on SUCCESS...

Success is an exclusive membership...it is not unlike our society...

Our first question is...

If success is achieved at the cost of breaking a rule or many rules...is it really success?

If a race is won by cheating...can the victor truly claim the prize?

Moreover...does getting a break...or head-start make a person a real winner...or successful...?

Playing by the rules or laws is a critical component of success...whether one agrees with them or not...

A rule (law) is a law...

It is the rules by which an individual enters the society of the successful...

Breaking the law...in secret or in public IS a crime against the public...

Breaking the laws...related to one's success standard...is a crime against those who are also seeking success...

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How does this relate to one's success?

It is VERY simple and complex at the same time...

Those who seek success need to answer this question...

What are you willing to do to achieve success?

What were the "Ponzie" schemers and the heads of Enron willing to do?

Whether intentional or unintentional...gains made "against the law" are ill-gotten...

Ill-gotten gains should be returned!

Success achieved by bending the rules are the equivalent of armed robbery...and if I may be allowed...

...including a charge of reckless endangerment...or disregard of life...or manslaughter...or murder!

Success achieved at the cost of someone else's loss...is the infringement on their right to life, liberty and their personal pursuit of happiness!  It is a breach of the Constitution!  A felony...in fact...treason...a declaration of their desire not to conform to the rules of citizenship...

The citizenship of our over-arching society and that of our smaller society of the successful...

It all comes back to that!

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Success is a desirable goal!

But success has a certain set of restrictions...

Winning has to be by the rules...

It is our Quantum Obligation to leave EVERY moment in our pursuit of success BETTER for our having been a participant...BETTER for EVERYTHING and EVERYONE involved in that moment or event!

Success achieved at the cost of something or someone is ill-gotten and undeserved...and by definition not success...

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If a crime is committed in secret...there is still someone there who should report it!

The fact of the matter is...the "Right of the individual not to incriminate themselves" was  added to the Bill of Rights to provide individuals the option to not have to testify against themselves on the witness stand...yet the constitution obligates them to anonymously report the crime...

It was created in order to uphold and maintain the sacredness of telling the truth...

There is nothing worse than being coerced into lying!

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If your goals force you to cheat and lie...or bend the rules in their achievement...you may wish to consider reevaluating your path...or your goals themselves...

REAL Success requires that it be achieved within the rules (laws)...

Anything less than that or questionable is less than success...

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This is not just a matter of organizational success...it holds just as true for the individual!

Success is defined in either case by and through the frequent achievement of its mission...(which by its very nature should be aligned with the goal(s)...

If you recall...the mission is the path to success and the goal is the destination...(or interim destination)...

I have somewhat expanded the definition of the of success to include the complete journey!

In other words...the end(s) do not justify the means...

The goal does not justify the tactics used during the journey...

Does this make sense?

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A speeder is a speeder whether alone on the highway or among thousands of other cars...

A liar is a liar

A thief is a thief

A murderer is a murderer

A drug dealer is a drug dealer

A felon is a felon...

It is that simple...

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DO NOT deceive yourself into believing that success must be achieved at any cost...

The highest price that can be paid is the compromise of one's character...

From my perspective...success achieved at that cost is not worth the loss...

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What do you think?

I have said enough to get you thinking...I hope...

PURA VIDA!

I've Been Moved!

Good Morning!

I am hooked on the X-Factor!

It isn't that I have seen any great talent...

I have seen some very good talent...

Yet I have been moved to tears ... with every show!

YES...I am not embarrassed to admit it...my eyes have welled up!

Why?

Because I have watched dreams come true!

That moves me!

It is an amazing thing...

Please allow me to share the first and last auditions with you...

Rachel Crow Watch her surprise at the audience reaction and her heartfelt thankfulness at the feedback from the judges...and the last thing she said on stage was..."I won't let you down!  Watch her with her family after!



And My FAVORITE Jazzlyn Little...(watch how nervous she was before she sang...and then how she put everything aside to live her dream...even if for a moment...then how thankful she was during the judging...)  Listen to her conversation after the audition..."Simon Clapped for me!"  "More work"..."I am going to make you proud!"



I am still moved to tears by these two!

Think about living your life in such a way that you have 2 minutes to prove to the world that you are a super-star...

Think about the world rising to their feet because of your performance...

Think about shocking the critics and the cynics into complimenting you...

WOW!

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It takes a lot of PASSION to get up on the stage and expose yourself and your dreams...

It takes courage to test your abilities...against what you want people to believe you are...

Of all the things in the world...Jazzlyn didn't want to let her family down...

She didn't care about what "they" thought of her...or her clothes...or her talent...

She didn't want to disappoint those who believed in her!

That from a 16 year old!

Rachel and Jazzlyn were not exceptions...

I saw that the most successful participants were extremely humble...

I was moved by their success...and disbelief and true heartfelt appreciation

I could see and feel it!

I reveled in their moment right along with them!

WOW!

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We need to take lessons from those brave souls!

Each of us has a dream...and we can not be afraid to paying the price to take that step!

They risked seeing themselves for something they and the world around them may have deceived them into believing...maybe not...it is a HUGE risk!

We need to consistently do that too!

That is scary!

What if they got rejected?

What if we get rejected?

They tried and they learned...THE TRUTH!

They learned that their dreams were unrealistic...

Even in losing they walked away better for having tried...

We need to learn from them...WE NEED TO TRY under every circumstance...

Why should anyone wander through life guided by an impossible dream...that is...one that they have no right to be dreaming because they are incapable of performing...?

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It moves me to tears...when I think about all of the people who dream...and...

They go through their life believing that all they need is that one BIG break...

When the fact of the matter is...

They did not possess the ability to perform...if the opportunity was afforded them...

In this case...it is good that they didn't get that chance!

It moves me to tears...when I think of the rare few that deserve that BIG break...and

It never comes to them...because they simply waited...and waited and waited...and did nothing to make it happen...

It moves me to tears...when I think if the VERY rare few who do take a chance and they see what they were dreaming was true!

We need to learn from each and every one of them...

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Success only comes to a rare few...On the original terms...

Success comes to many who are willing to see themselves as they truly are...and upon that realization...they adjust their dreams and aspirations to their ability...

Success must be aligned with one's ability for it to have a chance of becoming real...otherwise it will always reside in the dream world...

Success = X (as in X-Factor)

It only happens when Dreams are Aligned with Abilities and ACTION is added...

Let's get to the bottom line...

Stop Dreaming...Get REAL...Add ACTION!

You will quickly find success...or you will find the truth...

If you truly desire success...get out of the dream world...find the courage to get up on the stage and face the judges...

Stop making excuses and make it happen or CHANGE YOUR DREAMS...

You'll walk away a winner in EVERY case!

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My 2 Minutes...

Please walk with me from "my stage"...

Like Jazzlyn I was terrified!

"EVERYONE'S LOOKING AT ME!"

"My Mentor" (the book I recently published) is one of those moments for me!

(you can see it by following the book link at the top of the right-hand column)

This book reveals my dreams and aspirations on many levels...

Some you'll read...some are not so evident...

I fear that people will read the book and not be moved...

I wrote this book in a way that you may be moved to stand and applaud...

Not for me...but what it did for you!

I threw aside my fears and...

...wrote it to make you proud...not of me...but YOU!

...wrote it to change your life...

Those words were already in me...I had no reason to share the insight and lessons for my own edification...

This is a book for YOU!

I want to feel the surprise that Rachel and Jazzlyn felt...

and give you the humble and heartfelt thanksgiving that they conveyed, on stage, for the chance to make a difference in others' lives...

PLEASE help me by sharing My Mentor with all of your contacts...share the Amazon link on Twitter, FaceBook...every social network and in your conversations...

The book may not change your life...but it is written for someone...let's work together to find out who it is!

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My Mentor = Need to Read...if you want to Succeed!

Find those stages in life...walk on and ROCK the Audience!

If I may share a bit of witty wisdom...Remember that every moment is "a stage" in your development...live each one to the point of Standing Ovations!

E-NUF SED

Have a wonderful weekend...

Pura Vida!

Your Purpose

Good Morning!

I had a "soul scouring" discussion with a very good friend this week...

When it was over and as I reflected on it...I wished that everyone would have been privy to the exchange!

It was absolutely awesome...but having been between just two people...it seemed like a waste!

Then it hit me!

That may have been the purpose of the discussion...not between the two of us...but setting the stage for the weekend update!

In fact...this may be my purpose!

To record and communicate life changing discussions!

Or am I deceiving myself...I questioned my purpose in life and the activities that I pursue to achieve authentic happiness and fulfillment!

Have you ever questioned your purpose...do you know with 100% certainty that what you are doing is correct?

Can you write out your purpose with complete clarity?

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The Starting point...

At some point in nearly everyone's life...they ponder their purpose...

"Purpose" itself is an obscure concept...

They ask questions like...

Why am I here?

What am I really meant to do?

Why?

What is the plan for me?

How do I fit into a "BIGGER PICTURE?"

and on and on!

"Purpose" is an elusive animal and many people have made millions of dollars on helping other pursue and clarify their purpose...

Yet "Purpose" is a simple concept when it is looked at in its proper perspective...

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Perhaps you have no real purpose...

As we talked...we concluded that an individual's "Purpose is not unlike a piece of a machine or a component in a computer...

Like a machine "cog" or a computer component...the "bigger thing" can not function without us...

"Purpose" is our essential contribution to "the whole"

We all want to believe that we have a meaningful function and a purpose...otherwise we are simply "filler" and everything that we do has absolutely no meaning or value!

What if we have no purpose?

Perhaps we are so messed up that we are no longer in a position to contribute to the whole...

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No Purpose?

That is a sobering thought!

I believe that we all have a purpose...

The problem is that we often aspire for "purposes" or contributions and recognition significantly higher than what we are meant to pursue!

That is why we have so many unfulfilled and dissatisfied people!

These individuals are chasing more than they should...as a result they will never find their purpose...because they are rejecting their real purpose!

The catalyst of the question of our purpose often arises when we seek a higher purpose than we should be seeking...and we find ourselves falling short...

Some times it comes when we see ourselves consistently falling short of our expectations (wants)...

The first secret to success is a 100% commitment to being satisfied with what you find your purpose is!

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Cutting to the chase...

Let's look at our purpose...

In a general sense...we find our purpose by looking at life's situations...actually what we are handed...

Life is "growth through a series of struggles and successes..."

That is my own definition...which is actually based what life isn't...

What?  Life is the opposite of death...

Death is succumbing to the struggles and failing!

Life therefore is about success...otherwise it is death!

Our purpose (life) is challenged through our struggles and suffering...

...and our purpose can be found within life's challenges...its struggles and it sufferings...

Struggles and Suffering builds (within us) perseverance...

The ability to persevere consistently and ultimately leads to...

HOPE!

Without exception...our purpose is HOPE!

We are to HOPE...and we are to share HOPE...we are to be a refuge of HOPE...

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Let's look at HOPE...

Hope can simply be explained as the level of certainty of something (an outcome) coming to pass...

If an individual possessed 100% hope...they believe that a specific outcome will occur as anticipated with absolutely no doubt...

Doubt?

Doubt is the antithesis of hope!  DUH!

DOUBT is the level of uncertainty that an individual has related to an outcome...

At this point we need to recognize that Purpose is a balanced equation...containing the elements of HOPE and Doubt!

Purpose = Hope + Doubt   (Where Doubt is usually a negative number)

Here is an example...

I hope that I win the lottery...

I buy a single ticket...in reality the probability (odds) of this outcome coming to fruition is beyond 1:200,00,000!

On the other side of this equation is DOUBT...I am almost absolutely certain that the ticket that I bought will not be a winner...

In a very interesting fashion...My Doubt is my "more probable" Hope!

Have you observed that we are either living in a world of HOPE or DOUBT?

...and that hope and doubt are really the same thing?

Hope is the level of certainty of a positive outcome...and,,,

Doubt is the level of certainty of a negative outcome!

There is no vacuum in this place in our existence!

We are either Hopefuls or Doubters...and in either case...it is still hope...

Hope for the best...or...hope for the worse...

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Nice Theory...

In a general sense...this is a "word play"

I did this to make a point...

HOPE is the dead-end!

One can go no further...no deeper...

It ends at hope...

We hope in the best

or

We hope in the worse (Doubt)

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In Pursuit of your specific Purpose...

Let's use Maslow...

Abraham Maslow made a brilliant observation when he was able to segment the human condition into 5 different categories.  Subsequent research has broken it into 8 levels...

Whatever hierarchy you choose to use...this works...

We have a tendency to look at his hierarchy and the levels...and believe that some levels are preferred over others...

The fact of the matter is...whatever level you find yourself at is OK!

We delude ourselves into believing that there is a preference...many wrongly believe that they should be pursuing "self-actualization"

Let's look at a level...

When a person is 100% confident of the "needs" of the level that they are at...they are free to move to another level...

An interesting observation is that some levels are not important to individuals...and should not be sought!

It is not a requirement to achieve Levels 1-4 to pursue level 5!

Let's look at a level 4 chasing individual (using the 5 level system)...

Level (L-4) is called "self-esteem and personal development"...(it looks like a student)

In order to be fully engaged at this level..one must be fully hopeful (confident) of the achievement of the following levels...

L-1 (physiological needs)  Air, Water, Food

Think about this...if you are 100% confident that your basic needs (breathing, drinking and eating) will be met in order to be fully engaged in hierarchy 2...

L-2 Safety, Shelter, absence of fear of physical harm, etc.

If can eat and breath...yet are not confident where you are going to sleep safely every night...you can not fully experience this or other levels...however if you are assured a safe abode...you are free to move to L-3...

L-3 Belonging

If you aspire for family and have a need for belonging...it is critical to be 100% confident of your relationships otherwise...doubt will detract you from fully realizing any other level.  Once an individual is 100% confident in this level...L-4 is possible...but it important to realize that some people do not need this level!

In other words...only after the all of the needs of all of the levels are fulfilled and the individual is 100% confident at those levels can they become a real student!  (L-4)

Maslow also recognized the difference between "needs" and "wants"

Needs are the essential elements (components within each definition of hope) of each Level (L1-L5)

If you are at a L-1 then your definition of HOPE is defined by the needs of that level.  A need is the confidence in the future receipt of AIR, WATER and FOOD.  When you are 100% confident that you will receive these components of hope...(the level's needs) and you can assume that you are on another level.

This holds true for each and every level!  Your personal definition of HOPE...thus your purpose can be simply defined by the "needs" at the level that you are residing in!

YES IT IS THAT SIMPLE!

If you are a L-4 individual...your needs are aligned with obtaining the information relevant to your personal development...Your goal or purpose if to receive that information and learn it!!!

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More on HOPE...

Let's look a bit deeper into HOPE...

Hope is the confidence level of achieving what you are aspiring to...

We are doing this because you will be able to use your "HOPES" to define your purpose!

Hope is what you aspire for...at your level of existence!

Your confidence is your level of purpose...

That which you have achieved + aspire to achieve with 100% confidence is your purpose!

Are you seeing it?

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Everyone has one Purpose with varied definitions!

Let me take you to the bottom-line...although it may not makes sense...

Your ULTIMATE PURPOSE is to be a REAL Beacon of hope in this world...

Making a positive impact in all that you do...with 100% confidence of achievement!

You owe this to yourself and the world around you depending on your level of existence...

Everyone has this PURPOSE...

When people look at you (or look to you) they should have 100% confidence in what you can deliver...

You are known for...what people know that you can deliver!

or...by the what you don't deliver...

You are either a Beacon of Hope...or a Beacon of Doubt!

I know many Beacons of Doubt...who continue to deceive themselves into believing that they are more than they actually are...

Perhaps their purpose is really to be a joke!

These people are jokes!

Don't be a beacon of doubt!

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Don't Stop here!

Doubt will exist in every situation...

Challenge it!

If you have Doubt...QUESTION IT!

Challenge it...

Understanding your Doubt will help clarify your Purpose...

Doubt needs to constantly be challenged...

Not only from a clarification perspective...but

You can not have doubt and be a Beacon of Hope!

You can not be a Beacon of Hope without achievement...

If doubt permeates your existence...it will taint your image...

AND...you become the joke!

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Hope and Quantum Obligation

What we have been discussing may sound a lot like Quantum Obligation...

It is!

We are to be Beacons of Hope...

First to ourselves...

Then to the world around us...

100% Confident of the fact that we will receive what we NEED at our tier in life...

If you are not 100% confident of success at your present state...you may not be in the right one...

Or...

You are deceiving yourself into believing that you NEED to be pursuing something that is not your purpose...

You are obligated to yourself and your dependents to provide 100% confidence in your performance...

You are OBLIGATED to leave every moment better for having participated...

Your purpose is to be that Beacon of Hope...

So what do you HOPE for?

Are you confident that you'll achieve it?

e-NUF-SED

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I'll be writing more on this concept...

You can not be successful without a complete understanding of this concept...

Stay Tuned...

Pura-Vida

A small gift to you...a song that I find inspirational!

The Success Equation Includes Quitting...

Good Morning...

I have been seeing a multitude of quotes across Twitter and Facebook related to establishing goals and relentless pursuing them...

They are VERY inspirational...but go no further than inspiring...

I say this because if they are taken for what they truly contain...the more probable result will not be success and/or happiness...

...but frustration...utter embarrassment and failure!

It suddenly hit me that we need to keenly aware of what we feed our minds and hearts...as motivators...just as we feed our bodies good food!

Let's think about this...by using an example...

Put "jet" or "rocket fuel" in your car and it will run awesome...

...for a few minutes...(if at all) and then it will fail!

In fact...you'll probably blow it up!

Cars are not built to run on "jet" or "rocket fuel"

The same holds true with our minds...

We are not built to run on every inspirational or motivational quip!

For a car or us as a matter of fact...to function at peak performance...the fuel must be matched with the engine...

Our motivational and inspirational phrases must match us!

The wrong fuel will not work at all...or worse...burn us out!

I have watched far too many talented people grab hold of the wrong phrases and "take-off" down the drag-strip of life...only to find that they were not a drag racer...(whoops...I didn't realize I needed a parachute at the end) and crash...or worse yet...burn up at the finish line!

OK...enough of the metaphors!

We have built the mental picture...can you see it?

I read a quote that went something like..."Decide on your goal and relentlessly refuse to quit"  A variation on the old axiom "if you first do not succeed...try try again"

This sounds like good advice...and many people quote variants of this daily...

Many make it their life's axiom...

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Andrew Carnegie was asked prior to his death (it would do no good to ask after his death)...what he believed  a person should strive to do...his response was...

• Spend the first third of ones life learning as much as possible...
• Spend the second third of ones life earning as much money as possible with what you have learned
• Spend the last third giving it away...

Great advice!

Or is it?

It was good for Andrew...but is it good for everyone?

An interesting problem even within this great advice is that quitting is inherent within it!

• When do you quit learning?
• When do you quit earning?
• When do you quit giving?

I guess the answer to the last one is rather simple..."when you die!"

But what about the rest of them?

The simple answer is that you NEVER stop Learning...Earning and then Burning your reserves,,,

But I do not believe this to be the real case...

There comes a time when you have to actually call it quits!

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When do you quit?

That answer is quite simple...

When something starts to stand in the way of success...it must be stopped...

You have to quit!

Using Carnegie's path...

When Learning stands in the way of Earning...it is time to quit learning...

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I am not going to belabor this concept...

We are at our best when we are working in a linear fashion...

Do not deceive yourself into believing that you can multi-task your way to success...

Multi-tasking automatically spreads yourself thin!

Decide what you should be doing...

and do it...

and...

Know when to quit!

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Let's go back to the topic on motivational and inspirational quips that we started with...

DO NOT be taken in be seemingly good advice...without first looking at them for what they really mean to you...

Question all quips and sayings...

Oftentimes real meaning is hidden by the effort to reduce them to a single sentence...

A person should have a single mission (at any given time) when they truly pursue success...

All of the motivational quips should PERFECTLY align with that mission...

Loading up on quips   may create success indigestion!  LOL!

Don't eat too much!

Feed your mind to succeed...

E-Nuf Sed

Have a great weekend!

Pura Vida!

UNITED States?

Good Morning...

Although this may sound like I am going to be ranting on our society or our political system...I am not...

My thoughts this week have been focused on our Quantum Obligation and our individual responsibility to our society...

If you will recall...the Quantum Obligation is the responsibility that we each have to leave EVERY moment (event) better for our having been a participant...

The behavior of our politicians is really a symptom of a larger and more deeply embedded issue...

We should learn some VERY important lessons from their behavior...that will directly affect our personal success and fulfillment/happiness.

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Let's look for this lesson...

Partisan politics has a place within our system...but it should only be allowed to go so far...

This is not unlike our efforts to travel our road to success...

Our elected representatives have a goal or goals...

Just like we do!

The goals should be politics-free...if they are really aligned with "well being" of our country in mind...

Hmmmmm...what can we learn from the prior statement...?

Their politics should only be focused on how (the process) through which the goal is obtained...

Have you had a glimmer yet?

Think of how much different our country would be if each session of congress would adhere to the Quantum Obligation and leave the country better at the close of each session!

Instead...their politics are laced with compromise...deals...lies...lobbying...and so on...

This type of activity ALWAYS leaves them short of the goal!

We should see the sessions united and not arguing about the goals...

We (and they) know what we need!

There should be no arguments on this...

They should simply working on deciding on the process of achieving the goals...

The path that takes us closer to the goal should be choice...free from political compromise and petty arguments...

If unemployment is an issue...and the solution is to get more jobs...then the sessions should be around making the case from each perspective on "how to get more jobs" and the winner of the debate is the side that made the best case....not the one who made the best deals...and not the one who simply "strong-armed" and threatened...

Congress and the President should be UNITED...towards these ends...

UNITED?

Isn't our first name "UNITED?" as in United States?

Shouldn't we be deciding who our elected representatives be based upon their performance and behavior?

Based on their ability to act in the best interest of our first name?

Are they acting in our best interest and UNITED on that front...or are they acting in the best interest of their party?

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The United States was intended to be an exclusive club...

Let's visit the Statue of Liberty and read the Plaque that resides in the inside of the statue

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Emma Lazarus, 1883


The UNITED States was and is a refuge...


...for...


...The tired...the poor...the huddled masses who long for freedom...and the homeless...


They all have one thing in common...


HOPE...


They (we) are UNITED in hope...


Not a blind hope...or trust in a hollow promise...


We are a CLUB of Hopeful people who are willing to act on a UNITED front to support each individual to obtain their hopes and aspirations...and be free from the infringement of others upon our own rights and ours on theirs... 


We have lost that vision...


We welcome everyone into our exclusive club...


We have allowed individuals into our midst who do not deserve the right to live in freedom...


It is their behavior and actions that prove their unworthiness...not some unfounded prejudice...


We then feel that it is our responsibility to either put up with the "less desirable" traits...or "foot the bill" to keep them isolated from our society...in prison...


It saddens me to see individuals who are not appreciative of membership in the UNITED States...


It is not just those who have immigrated and taken the oath of citizenship...but those who were born here and feel like they can behave any way they want...THE ENTITLED!


We as individuals should all behave as model citizens...


And the higher call...(an elected representative)...should model...the highest of model behavior!


It is our obligation to hold our elected representatives accountable...and even before that...find representatives that will "act" consistently at the higher calling...


That is what our Founding Fathers had for the UNITED vision...


And they acted as such and believed that those who followed would do the same!


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This Standard is universal...

Too often we compartmentalize standards of behavior...

It is easy to only see our responsibility as a citizen or a politician...AND...

Not see the lesson contained...within...for us as individuals...

We are citizens of this country...and should act responsibly as a citizen...


It is our Quantum Obligation as a citizen to leave EVERY moment better for having been a participant...


This also holds true within our personal lives...

We have specific goals and objectives...

These goals and objectives should be free from "personal politics."

Each goal should be a "win/win" for all involved within "the event."

If an individual "wins" at the expense of another and "the event" is exited with loss...

The real value of the individual's activity needs to be questioned...

Was it really in the best interest of the event...or self-serving...

We have much to learn about "Quantum Obligation" and its role...

Many will not see the lessons...because of the blindness of the "me generation"

These individuals have lost the power of a UNITED effort...

It often takes a catastrophe or an emergency to shake them into reality...

We can wait for that time...or we can learn one of the lessons that "Madam History" wants us to learn...

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REAL Success is only obtained through a UNITED effort...

This is a universal truth...not limited to politics, but also on an individual level...

We can not work as individuals any longer...we need to be UNITED...and hold true to our first name!

What more can I say?

Pura Vida!  

You Can't Sell an Ocean!

Good Morning!

There are weeks during which I put my head down...focus on the critical and vital few...and...

...avoid the temptation to do the things I love...(which are often the things that divert me from the tasks that I have to do)...

Then there are weeks in which the things that I love are the things I have to do...

and without failure...I realize that the things I have to do can become the things I love doing!

...and the things that I have to do, become the things I love doing!

 Which means...that with the right attitude...everything that one does can be what they love doing!

More on this later!

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Focus is a critical element of success...

We live in an information rich world...

There are challenges around every corner...

For those individuals who are passionate about making a difference...

There is no lack of needs to be found in the information flow...

The biggest challenge is finding the mountain to succumb and saying "NO!" to the rest of the hills!

Passion can be a curse...not just for "fixers" but for anyone that wants to impact the world and leave a legend!

Passion is also a blessing...when focused...because there is no stopping their progress towards their end...

Where are you?

Cursed?

Blessed?

or...

Still looking for that fire?

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Life without Direction...

I am saddened by those who aspire towards positions without passion...

They are generally driven by money...or a lift of their ego...or some other self-serving need...

These individuals cause more problems than they are worth...

Because they have yet to connect with what they are really supposed to be doing...

In a previous entry...I discussed that we are specifically "programmed" to fulfill a specific purpose...

This is our "calling"

Our first goal is to identify our "calling" or purpose...

Our second goal is to live up to our calling...otherwise...

Nature will call us a great experimental failure...and try another variation!

Trying to be something you are not...is about as futile and believing yourself to be a bird and capable of unaided flight!

Find what you are meant to be and live that purpose with everything that you have!

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Successful people avoid failure at all cost!

I was recently talking with an individual that is highly successful...looking for some bit of wisdom...

He told me that his secret to success was very simple...

He simply does not allow failure to be an alternative in any activity that he does...

If he did not allow failure to be a REAL alternative...it can't happen!

He doesn't waste time focusing on anything but success...because failure can not and will not divert his attention from anything but success...

Another interesting discussion was that he often ensures his success by defining it (success) himself...and redefining it as he progresses...

Let's look at this for a minute...

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Maslow and Success...(Our Discussion Took a Turn...or Did it?)

To further understand his defining success...

I asked him if he aspired towards "Self-Actualization" as others do...

His answer intrigued me...

He said that he aspired to be the best that he could be...whatever "rung" he found himself at!

He explained that many times in his life...he was totally at the bottom...scraping for "air, food and water" and at that point in his life...aspiring to be anything other than physiologically fulfilled would have been frustrating and useless!

His focus was always on the moment...seeking contentment at that level...and NEVER aspiring to be anything more than the best that he needed to be...with what life had handed him...

Having met those needs...he almost mystically found himself at a higher level...and challenged to meet a whole new set of needs!

He explained that looking higher is looking at one's "wants"...versus "needs!"

It is selfish to put "wants" over "needs"

Marketing pushes the conversion of an individual's "wants" into "needs" by convincing that us that we can not live without them...and that we deserve them despite our current position in life...the bottom line is that they get our money and resources...and we get stuck where we are at...wallowing in unfulfilled needs...

His stance is that an individual's emotional maturity (E/IQ) can easily be determined by how well they can control their "wants" and how aligned their needs are with their plight...(position on the hierarchy)

Ultimately this alignment is the determiner of happiness and success...

By the way...he is always successful and happy...

I can attest that he is now beyond self-actualization (OK...the highest form of it) living in a world of charitable work and giving...

He is not hungry or thirsty...although he has been so...for more than a week on many instances...
His safety and security is not threatened...although it has been...
He is loved...although he has been alone...
He is well educated...although he dropped out of high school seeking temporal happiness...
He is giving back to the world...although he once stood on a street corner hoping for his next hand-out!

The one thing that he told me...and I believe him...is that not once has he ever been unhappy...

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As we talked he picked up my bottled water and said...

You and I could stand on the shore of the ocean...and I could try to sell it to you...

You would consider me a fool...

But if I bottle just a few fluid ounces of it...(desalinated of course)...you'll pay me over a dollar for it!

It is funny how breaking things into small affordable pieces can make a person successful and rich!

I began my life with an ocean of possibilities in front of me and I tried to sell it to the world...

They looked at me as if I were a fool...( I later realized that I was a fool!)

I found that I needed to bottle my abilities into a small affordable package and sell that!

and low and behold...it worked!

His ultimate advice is...SPECIALIZE!

Don't try to fix the world...

Just fix a small piece of it!

No matter what it is...learn to be happy with it...

Hmmm....that sounds like my week!

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Have a great fulfilling week!

Be realistic...assess your position...

DO NOT aspire beyond your current "tier" and do that extraordinarily!

PURA VIDA!

Doing it Now and Asking for Forgiveness Later...IS WRONG!

Good Morning!

In the 1990's, there was a SUCCESS phrase that ruined many careers...

The strange thing was that many if not most people thought that it was the way that a person should operate!

AND...

It killed many careers...and people continued to believe that it was a SECRET OF SUCCESS...

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Let's put this phrase in its proper place...at least in your SUCCESS TOOL KIT...

"I am going to do it and ask for forgiveness later..."

Have you heard it?

Have you actually tried it?

Are you still employed by the company that you used this with?

Are you still married...if you applied this principal to your relationship?

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In my opinion this phrase is the single greatest "killer of trust" that has ever existed...

Successful people avoid this "modus operandi" with every atom in their soul...

Think about it...

• If you are doing something against the better wishes of your benefactor...or judge of your performance...
• Is that very smart?
• How much will they trust you next time?

• If you are doing something that will benefit your benefactor or judge...
• Doesn't it make sense to make the case to gain support?

•  If you are just blowing smoke to your peers about the tenuous situation that you are in and it is simply a lie...
• Think of what they'll really think of you if they find out!

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Stop thinking that you need to be a "risk-taker" or need to be perceived as a "risk-taker!"

Risk is the new language of the 21st century...

I WILL NOT invest in RISKY people or potentially RISKY people...or people who aspire to be a RISK!

Would you?

We have to be people of results...not RISK!

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If you risk asking for forgiveness...you are not a person of success...

Buy a lottery ticket and quit your job!

Be a person of "sure things!!!"

Your signature should be...

I know what she/he is doing and I fully support it...because they deliver results...

NOT...

I have no idea...and they may not be aligned with my real needs...this person is a "loose cannon!"

E-NUF SED!

Pura Vida!

The Top 5 One Liners that have Changed my Life!

Good Morning!

As I reflect on the success quotes, axioms and one liners, there are a few that are deeply embedded in my being...

Why?

Not because I think they are quaint or "catchy"...but because they actually changed the way I am!

There is a short list that I took to heart...allowed them to permeate my behaviors and finally (after I became them) I fanatically shared the wisdom found within each to anyone that I felt could grasp!

There isn't a conversation or a meeting or a class in which I haven't had an opening to share one or more of them...

Despite that fact and the temptation to share...I often didn't do so because I knew that my effort would be squandered...and they would just nod in agreement and move on...

That having been said...

Can you list YOUR top 5 life changing "one liners?"

You may say that you have yet to find them...

The reason that I am focused on this today is...

I have found that every successful person has one or more that they can quote from heart...

The "axioms" become their guiding principals or themes for their lives...some even go so far as to make them their life's mission...

I have to admit...In a way...I have!

If you seek to be successful...perhaps you should consider having one or more as your "theme" or "guiding principals" or perhaps maybe your "mission."

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My TOP 5

I have rambled enough...For those who have spent any amount of time with me...or have read previous blogs...They will sound quite familiar...READ ON...

1. "The Biggest Mistake that a person can make...is not starting"
2. "There is no greater sense of failure than when one finally realizes how close they were to success when the quit" 
3. "Prejudice is an illusion...It is the differences between us that we have most in common"
4. "If you find yourself in a position that you have to make a decision...you do not have enough information"
5. "In life...you win some or you learn something...in either case you receive a prize"

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I believe that if you desire to be successful...you need to not only define what success looks like...but also the "rules" by which you achieve success...

The axioms are those rules...

For me...

I don't wait or hesitate...but move (even though it is cautious)  Axiom #1
I refuse to quit...until I am assured that my efforts are valueless  Axiom #2
I appreciate what each person offers and their contribution to life  Axiom #3
I do not move on whim...but on logical thought  Axiom #4
Living is an ongoing process and it must be fully embraced Axiom #5

These are the general rules by which I operate...

Can you recite your rules?

Let me share another axiom that may help you understand why I have taken the time to write on this subject...

History is our best and most persistent teacher...it will continue to repeat itself until we fully grasp the lessons it intends for us to learn...


E-Nuf Sed!

Pura Vida!

An Over-inflated Sense of Entitlement

Good Morning!

I have mentioned this before...but it is worth repeating...as a lead-in...

Nearly every week takes on a theme for me...this week was no exception!

At every turn on my journey, I met someone who complained about how poorly life was treating them!

Some had been making 6-digit salaries and now nothing...there lives had fallen apart...

Other had major family issues...

Some had MAJOR life saving surgeries...

Some were having trouble at work...

and on and on...

A common theme (actually a question) that was (many times) literally spoken and more often than not was...

"What have I done to deserve this?"

To me it sounded like they thought themselves undeserving victims and entitled to much more!

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If there exists a single word that can make my hair stand on end...infuse me with adrenalin and cause more anger than any single human being can exhibit...it is the word..."entitlement"

From my perspective...

Entitlement is an interesting concept...and the word should be reserved only for those who can lay claim to perfection!

Undeserved tragedy is reserved to the realm of "Acts of God" and if you are a religious person...my guess is that your God is not vindictive...therefore the explanation related to the question "What did I do to deserve this...?"  can not be answered with the words...

"Nothing...you don't deserve this!"

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Successful people do not waste even a precious moment in pity parties!

It is a statistical fact of life that we all go through relatively the same life events...

You may argue that some people never get married...so they don't divorce...or whatever...but for the sake of argument...let's just agree...

It is how a person responds to normal life events that definitely affects their overall happiness and success...

"We are on a mission...DAMN THE TORPEDOES" is the battle cry of the successful person...

They recognize that they have an issue...they confront and get back on course!

Many people do not!

That is why there are so few real successful people in this world!

Most use the adverse event as an excuse for not doing what they should be...

Many times the "emergency" is a reason for quitting...so that they didn't have to risk failure...

Other times it was a distraction from a mundane activity within their success journey...

There is no reason for diverting...

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DAMN the TORPEDOES...

One of the most important characteristics of successful people is that they realize that they didn't shoot life's torpedoes...but if they are sunk...they were to blame for not avoiding them or they in fact turned into them...

From a psychological viewpoint...people who are "sunk" because they didn't avoid the attack or turned head-long into them are enablers!  They actually seek the emergency out...

Why?

Because they possess low self esteem...they see themselves as LOSERS and need to find some type of value to contribute...to justify their petty existence!

The biggest injustice that we can do to these people is to feel sorry for them!

They need to be called out!

They are not advocates of the Quantum Obligation...they may think that they are making things better for their having participated...but in truth...these individuals only make things worse!

What have they done to deserve this kind of life?

EVERYTHING!

They are fully to blame!

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But if everyone has relatively the same events within their lives and there is no such thing (except in VERY rare situations) as a undeserved event...

How do I rectify the attitudes of successful individuals...

This is so simple!

Successful people take full responsibility for what happens...

"It is what it is..."

and they do not allow the emergencies (short of their own death) to deter them from fulfilling their responsibilities...

Successful people do not spend much time in pity-parties...

They move despite (and often "in spite") of what life hands them!

They are entitled to what they have received...and at the same time entitled to absolutely nothing good!

Any benefit is an undeserved blessing...and they are thankful!  and if you recall an earlier update...

Thank you is not just a short sentence...it is an IOU!

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We were NEVER promised that life would be easy...we were promised that it would be worth it!

It is what it is...

A SUCCESSFUL person recognizes that they deserve absolutely nothing (from the good perspective) and absolutely everything (from a bad perspective) and they are thankful when the good comes to pass and the bad doesn't!

They do not believe that they are entitled to anything

They do not believe that they deserve a car...a cellphone...food, water, clothing, love...

and they live their lives owning nothing...so that they are not in a codependent/enabling mode!

They are real...

No excuses...because they never need them...

They are people of honesty and a realistic self-perception...

There is no need for "filler" they are capable and proud of what they have done...

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E-NUF SED

Pura Vida!



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How Long is your "To Do" List?

Good Morning!

Upon rising this morning...I mentally went over what I wanted to accomplish today...the Weekend Update seemed really low on my list...

I also reflected on what success observation I should share this week...and felt that I had nothing meaningful of of value...

My "To Do" list seemed so long....that I had initially decided not to write an update...

It is a good thing that I have made "second guessing" my decisions a part of my thought process...

"Second guessing" is not (as some superficial psychologists would have you believe) an indicator of a lack of self-confidence...

It is a critical step in the decision-making process that should never be circumvented!

It is Cause/Effect/Impact ...an exercise of WISDOM...

It is our Quantum Obligation!

I almost missed a great opportunity because I had convinced myself that I had things much more important to do than write an update today...

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A Great Injustice

Before I go any deeper into the prior thoughts...I want to point out a great injustice that has been done to aspiring leaders...

Cutting to the chase...It is the belief that successful people and great leaders make decisions and with stubborn resolve make them happen...

Just from a random perspective...that behavior is wrong 50% of the time!  It is pure chance!

My advice...stop lauding those who do that...stop admiring people who do that!

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More on Second Guessing

Please do not misinterpret me..."second guessing" can also be a detriment too...

This is easy to identify...with the answer to this question...

"Is your "second guessing" slowing your action?"

If yes...you may be proving the superficial psychologists correct...

You may be lacking self-confidence...or...

It may itself mean that it is not time to act!

Think about that...If you cannot act with a STRONG confidence...you may lack sufficient information to do so...and that specific behavior is not your top priority!

Two different insights from that same event!

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How does this relate to Quantum Obligation?

Those who have committed to and follow the Quantum Obligation hold that they must strive to leave every moment better for their having been a participant...

In other words...they have added value...rather than drained from the moment!

Of equal importance...is the choice of which moments you choose to participate in!

YOUR "TO DO" LIST!

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How long is your "to do" list?

My was and remains VERY long!

I realize that it is however my starting point...

It contains items that:

• I must do...
• I should do...
• I want to do...
• I shouldn't do...because I am wrong!

What I realized is that...if I possessed infinite abilities...my "to do" list would take on a different meaning...

But since I am finite and most of the things on my actual or perceived list...are of little or no importance...or within my ability to truly affect...my list gets significantly shorter!

How short?

It actually becomes a "list of one" at any given time!

WHAT?

It is true...

We deceive ourselves that our list contains things of equal importance...this is not true!

There is one and only one thing that we should be doing at any given time!

Do not think yourself so important that you have multiple things you need to be doing!

For some of us...the "big" list contains things that we can not really affect...

Activities in which our efforts will add no real value!

Others that are not properly timed...and can be done later...

As we chop at the list...we can get it down to a single event...

At that point...our Quantum Obligation "kicks in"

Know what to do...and DO YOUR BEST!

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A List of One!

Although this is the most controversial aspect of Quantum Obligation and "to do" lists...it is important to point it out...

Much of life is loaded with random and meaningless "stuff" that diverts our attention and activity from the real meaningful things...

When you can get that "to do" list down to that single item...you have arrived...

How long is your "to do" list?

If it contains more than one item...you are not there yet!

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High School Wisdom!

This takes me back to a memory of a framed quote that hung in the office of the principal in my high school...

It would pay for you to look it up on the Internet and read it in its entirety...

The lines that are indelibly etched within my mind...

Credit is given to the philosopher and theologian Reinhold Niebuhr and is called the Serenity Prayer...

It says in part...

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference...


This is the beginning part of our Quantum Obligation...to get our "to do" list down to a "list of one!"


There is a poem that parallels Neibuhr's prayer...


It is by W.W. Bartley 

For every ailment under the sun

There is a remedy, or there is none;

If there be one, try to find it;

If there be none, never mind it.

Understanding life from this perspective...makes it so much more meaningful and effective...

It will take you one step closer to your destination on your success journey...

Enough said!

Pura Vida my friends...

Keep the list...but make it realistic!

Financial Crisis or Political Circus?

Good Morning...

It seems like the frequency of my posts with political or global topics has been increasing.  I have other blogs where these are generally placed in order to keep us focused on personal improvement and success.  Only when a political or global topic hampers our journey towards success will you find these commentaries here...

The past few weeks...my attention has been diverted by the "budget talks."  I bet yours has too!

You can't turn on the radio or the television without hearing about the "goings on" in Washington D.C.

As I watched the drama unfold...I couldn't help but ask myself "Is this a REAL financial crisis or is this simply a political circus?"

There is far too much mud slinging and blame passing...and not enough data and information!

WE ARE people of data driven conclusions...so rather than fall prey to emotional "leaks"...

Let's look at this...and we will  be able to conclude if this is a CRISIS or a CIRCUS!

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PARAPHRASED - "If you guys don't give in to my demands...social security and military pay will be late..."

Here is what I know...

Our government's monthly income is sufficient to cover our bills...

The order of what gets paid is our Executive Branch's final decision...if Social Security and Military checks do not go out...it is the President's decision...

My question...is this a threat rather than a statement of fact?  Tell me what you are going to pay instead of our elderly and armed forces personnel?

PARAPHRASED - The raising of the debt ceiling has nothing to do with our ability to pay our debts...it has everything to do with our "rating"

This one confused me...because I thought...if we didn't raise our debt ceiling...we couldn't send the Social Security checks and Military pay...now I am being told that it has nothing to do with that!  What has changed in the last 2 days?

My question...shouldn't we be looking at the BIG picture and not hit one item at a time?  All of this stuff is interconnected...

PARAPHRASED - "We need a balanced budget amendment..."

My thought is that we do not need a constitutional law that forces a leader to make good management decisions.  An unbalanced budget is a poor business decision for a family...small, medium, big businesses and for any government!  It is unethical and immoral!  This is not a subject of the constitution...it is for the Senate and House Ethics committee!

PARAPHRASED - "We will crash if the budget is not passed by August 2nd..."

My question is...WHY?  We'll be in the same financial state on August 3rd as we were on August 1st...

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I have had enough thinking through this...

Not one of the statements that I have heard has been realistic, fact based or insightful...there is too much hype!

We are not in a Financial Crisis...this is a political crisis!

If it is political...then the people in Washington are wasting our money!

It is time for our society's stewards to drop the political rhetoric...and begin looking out for our nation...as our Founding Fathers intended!

A Balanced Budget Amendment?  My suggestion is...DON'T DO IT!

Adding a law to our constitution to control the president and congress...is another chop at Liberty...

They should be balancing the budget without "threat or coercion!"

If a congress-person or a leader suggests any budget that is not balanced should be scrutinized for their competence...and ethical slant!  Then if the review is strong enough...the ethics committee should step in...if the review is weak...let the voters decide...

We do not need more laws...we need more people simply doing the right things...making the right decisions...PURE AND SIMPLE...

Do not panic...

Sit back and enjoy the show!

Do not take this hype seriously...

Look at this show for what it is...a great way to see people for what and who they are...

Do not forget what you see and VOTE responsibly!

Enjoy the show...

This thing is a three-ring political circus...

Ring #1 - The Senate
Ring #2 - The House
Ring #3 - The President

ENOUGH SAID!

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I am not one of those "arm-chair quarterbacks."

I can not just sit back and complain or criticize...and...

I refuse to do so without bringing a suggestion for improvement...

SO...

What should they do?

DROP the political positioning!

There is a single goal that they need to accomplish...

Stop worrying about the elections in the future and how "obtaining a raised ceiling will buy time...and put the onus on the next administration..."

Republican, Democrat, Tea-Party, Independent...it just doesn't matter!

In the past...the government has worked diligently to disarm prejudice and promote the concept of diversity...

We have envisioned...us being a "nation of colors" who are color-blind...working for the "common good"

As I think about it...

Political affiliation is a form of prejudice!

In fact...

It is a religion...

The things that we are fighting to keep out of our government are actually deeply embedded in its fabric!

Every representative is just that!

A REPRESENTATIVE!

...OF THE PEOPLE...not a ideology...or a special interest group!

Unity is what made us a nation...and it will be the usher that guides us out of the "Big Top!"

Congress and the President need to spend significantly more time on "defining" the issue at hand and then defining the common good!  Once agreement is obtained on these two simple elements...

Focus on ensuring that the problem clearly measured...and then the goal...as what everyone would agree upon as success...

Are we getting the picture here?...it is a simple (elementary) process improvement project!

Rather than pushing agendas and trying to be the hero...and positioning and "spin" and threats and hype...

Get down to the business of making the United States better...

WOW!  Our name even says "UNITED"  have we forgotten that?

We can proactively unite before it crashes...

Or...

We can let the crash force us to unify...

My advice?  Seek unity and agreement...

Enough time has been wasted complaining about how this situation has hurt everyone and if we go one way or the other...it is going to mess with individual plans...

Selfless and sacrifice are key ingredients to success...

If the amount of spending is a topic for the politicians...then they should consider forgoing their pay and benefits until this is solved...(do you think that is going to happen?)

If that is impossible...then let them figure out how to get paid AND solve the problem...

Focused activity is significantly more effective than chaotic energy...

Focused activity solves crisis...chaotic energy is thing of the circus...

Drop every opinion and platform...those are the things of prejudice and discrimination...

There is only one thing to do and that is the RIGHT THING!

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For our success journey...we can take a lesson from our politicians...

Can you see it?

Have you learned it?

Will you apply it?

Drop the need to be right and do the right things and you'll be successful!

The bottom line is that during your entire journey...your success will be totally dependent upon on focus...

Sometimes it will be on your focus...others it will depend upon unified focus...

This is not a time for compromise...but on unified agreement on the SINGLE goal...

There is no place for positions and prejudice...no biases or no opinions...

There is only one thing that congress and the president needs to do...that is create a budget that invests every dollar so that there is a Return on Investment (like any good corporation would do)...

Don't waste money on entitlements...

Take us back to a profitable position in the global economy...

Our personal challenges are the same...

Your success depends upon this...

Leave ever moment better for you having been a participant...

Will every politician be able to say that on August 3rd?

Can you?

Enough Said...for this weekend!

Pura Vida!

Chasing Dreams and Success

Good Morning!

This one is short and sweet...allowing you to get back to those things that matter...like dreaming?

DREAMING?

Wise advice shared years ago...(somewhat altered from the original by what I have learned)...

"...spend the first third of your life learning as much as you possible can...spend the second third of your life using what you have learned to accumulate as much as you can...and the last third of your life giving back what you have accumulated to those in the first third of their lives...until it is gone...there is no value in leaving an estate...leave a legacy...leave a legend!"

This bit of sage advice aligns with my philosophy of Quantum Obligation (QO)...providing those who grasp the meaning of it with a plan for life that leaves every moment better for one having been a participant...

There is no rest for those who pursue QO.

Quantum Obligation is an evocative call!

It demands dreaming!

Success requires dreaming...but when?

When a person is in the "first third" of their life...they should be dreaming about what they can do with what they have learned...until those dreams become a reality...then...

When a person is in the "second third" of their life...they should be dreaming about what they can do with what they have blessed with...until those dreams become a reality...then...

When a person is in the "last third" of their life...they should be dreaming about what those they are helping are going to do...until those dreams become a reality and then...

There is NEVER a time to stop dreaming...it is the thoughts upon which our futures are built...

It is the form of the dreams that change...and nightmares are not allowed...

Dreaming is just as critical to future success...as hard work and focus is to present success...

The beauty of dreaming is that they (dreams) can change before the future becomes present!

It is the testing ground for success!

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"That guy is a dreamer..."

Is that an insult or a compliment?

As always that depends...

If dreaming does not interfere with the present...it is a compliment...

If dreaming elicits focus and success in the present...it is essential...

If those dreams build for the future and

If dreams become real...then...

I don't have to say it...

You get the picture...

If dreams are the antithesis...or an escape from reality...then they are actually nightmares!

Nightmares?

Nightmares are generally categorized having been generates from fear...but most are unfounded...and can not come to past...

Nightmares are a waste of time...

Pondering (consciously or subconsciously) anything that is highly improbable is senseless!

Nightmares!

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Where are you in your life?

Are you dreams aligned with it?

First Third?
Second Third?
Last Third?

Just as important is what are you doing now?

First Third?
Second Third?
Last Third?

Your goal is to leave a legacy...a legend...to live your dreams of the prior third...

Don't leave an estate that will be squandered by the ungrateful...

Leave a legacy that makes the world better for your having been here...or at least the part that matters!

DREAM ON!

Enough Said...

Pura Vida!