The opposite of success is not failure... It is quitting. Failure is a part of success. Anyone who has had success, has failed their way there.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Tip: Little things mean a lot!
Tip: Little things mean a lot!
About 30 years ago, I was teaching an adult Sunday school class on the subject of home life. Rather than teaching the class I probably should have been taking the class, but that is another story.
I talked about the fact that it is the little things we do in life (or in business) that make a huge difference in whether we succeed or fail in what we do. These thirty years later, I believe that concept more than ever.
I am constantly amazed at how paying attention to little things can make or break a family, a business or even a nation. Prior to 9/11 very little attention was paid to the items people took on an airplane with them. Now, however, much more attention is paid to that one aspect of air travel.
But, back to the Sunday school class story! In preparing to teach the class, I came across a poem that I shared with them. An older couple came to me after the class and told me that the poem I had read was actually a popular song back in the 1940's and '50's. They had danced to it when they courted and fell in love.
Listen to the words and see how touching they still are over half a century later:
Blow me a kiss across the room
Say I look nice when I'm not
Touch my hair as you pass my chair
Little things mean a lot
Give me your arm as we cross the street
Call me at six on the dot
A line a day when you're far away
Little things mean a lot
Give me your hand when I've lost my way
Give me your shoulder to cry on
Whether the day is bright or gray
Give me your heart to rely on
Send me the warmth of a secret smile
To show me your haven't forgot
For always and ever, now and forever
Little things mean a lot
Edith Linderman/Carl Stutz
Now I am not trying to get all "mushy" on you, but I do believe one thing to be true more than ever - if you pay attention to the little things in the lives of your family, friends and business associates you cannot help but make a positive impression on all of them.
When was the last time you got a thank you note from someone? Did that "little thing" mean a lot to you? Sure it did! When was the last time you received an unexpected phone call from someone who told you how much you had meant to his or her life? Did that "little thing" mean a lot to you? Again, the answer is obvious.
Do you see how important "little things" really are? When all is said and done I actually believe that the "little things", in reality, turn out to be the "big things".
I am practicing this in my personal and professional life and it is paying with rewards. It will for you, too!
Tip: Little things mean a lot!
Have a great week! God bless you!
Robert Rohm Ph.D.
Personality Insights, Inc.
email: insights@personalityinsights.com
About 30 years ago, I was teaching an adult Sunday school class on the subject of home life. Rather than teaching the class I probably should have been taking the class, but that is another story.
I talked about the fact that it is the little things we do in life (or in business) that make a huge difference in whether we succeed or fail in what we do. These thirty years later, I believe that concept more than ever.
I am constantly amazed at how paying attention to little things can make or break a family, a business or even a nation. Prior to 9/11 very little attention was paid to the items people took on an airplane with them. Now, however, much more attention is paid to that one aspect of air travel.
But, back to the Sunday school class story! In preparing to teach the class, I came across a poem that I shared with them. An older couple came to me after the class and told me that the poem I had read was actually a popular song back in the 1940's and '50's. They had danced to it when they courted and fell in love.
Listen to the words and see how touching they still are over half a century later:
Blow me a kiss across the room
Say I look nice when I'm not
Touch my hair as you pass my chair
Little things mean a lot
Give me your arm as we cross the street
Call me at six on the dot
A line a day when you're far away
Little things mean a lot
Give me your hand when I've lost my way
Give me your shoulder to cry on
Whether the day is bright or gray
Give me your heart to rely on
Send me the warmth of a secret smile
To show me your haven't forgot
For always and ever, now and forever
Little things mean a lot
Edith Linderman/Carl Stutz
Now I am not trying to get all "mushy" on you, but I do believe one thing to be true more than ever - if you pay attention to the little things in the lives of your family, friends and business associates you cannot help but make a positive impression on all of them.
When was the last time you got a thank you note from someone? Did that "little thing" mean a lot to you? Sure it did! When was the last time you received an unexpected phone call from someone who told you how much you had meant to his or her life? Did that "little thing" mean a lot to you? Again, the answer is obvious.
Do you see how important "little things" really are? When all is said and done I actually believe that the "little things", in reality, turn out to be the "big things".
I am practicing this in my personal and professional life and it is paying with rewards. It will for you, too!
Tip: Little things mean a lot!
Have a great week! God bless you!
Robert Rohm Ph.D.
Personality Insights, Inc.
email: insights@personalityinsights.com
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How Close Are We?
How Close Are We?
by Danny Sims
How close do we even want to be?
Wedgwood Baptist, Ft. Worth, Texas.
How tragic when once unfamiliar words have horrible and heartbreaking images identified with them. Not too many knew of Wedgwood Baptist until this past week. But the church that was our quiet, friendly neighbor is now another place for flower memorials, lovingly heaped along the roadside. Police and paramedics, red lights bouncing off the houses of our neighborhood, bright lights and cameras penetrating a dark Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, teenagers in shock weeping and holding each other, frantic adults racing across the lawn... These are the pictures we all have seen of Wedgwood Baptist
The Altamesa Church of Christ, where I preach in southwest Fort Worth, is a growing Wedgwood neighborhood church of 1200. We are just blocks from the other growing Wedgwood neighborhood Church of 1200, Wedgwood Baptist. Much of our membership lives in the Wedgwood section of Fort Worth. My home is in Wedgwood.
How close are we?
Our teenagers were invited, but decided not to go to last Wednesday’s See You At The Pole youth rally where Larry Gene Ashbrook killed seven, critically wounded two more, and victimized a community.
My schedule this week could easily have been filled with funerals.
How close are we?
Ashbrook might just as easily have driven another dozen blocks to our sanctuary. The night the rampage took place, our own Praise Assembly had just begun when he began his carnage. Not knowing all that had transpired, we dismissed quickly yet calmly when news of the shooting was phoned in by police. Just minutes later, news and police helicopters droned overhead.
How close are we?
News and police helicopters droned overhead.
We hosted a community wide prayer service just 24 hours after the shooting. 800 people came, including two members of the House of Representatives and many families of Wedgwood Baptist, who wept in our pews. A deacon from Wedgwood Baptist spoke. Media from all the local Fort Worth —Dallas outlets were here. A church from Littleton, Colorado sent flowers, as did the Jewish Community Centers of Los Angeles, both of whom have also been targets of recent violent crimes.
I remarked Thursday night that our community is larger than this corner of Fort Worth. We flashed across Nightline, 48 Hours, on prime time network television. Reporters called me to get a viewpoint from a nearby preacher.
How close are we?
Our Youth Ministers Raymond Schultz and Hai Cao spent much of Thursday at a local high school where one of the victims had been a student, consoling teens. Our Counselor Russ Bartee was on the radio and coordinating with the Red Cross. Small Groups Minister Scott Strother was at the hospital. Outreach Minister Wade Weaver was talking to local media. College and Singles Minister Mark Aldridge was on the phone with area churches. Our team was on call.
How close are we?
At the prayer service, our Children’s Education Minister Patty Weaver sang Amazing Grace, dedicating it to Sydney Browning, Wedgwood Children’s Choir Director. Sydney was the first one Ashbrook murdered. One of their little girls was described on television as lamenting out loud, “They killed my choir teacher! They killed my choir teacher!” I was overcome with emotion realizing, could have just as easily have been Patty. What would our little boys and girls have said?
How close are we?
My son, a first grader, came home Thursday telling us one of his tiny classmates was at the church when it happened. Our children go to school together. Members of Altamesa are neighbors of members of Wedgwood.
How close are we?
In another twist, some of our members know and long ago attended church with the Ashbrook family. In his childhood, one of our deacons knew the man who unloaded his two handguns into the crowd.
How close are we?
That may be the most important question asked in the aftermath.
How close are we to one another?
How close are we to tragedy?
How close are we to our community?
How close are we to our friends and fellow believers in other churches?
How close are we to God?
How close are we to the end?
How close are we to reaching those, like Ashbrook, who reportedly grew up in the church but regrettably not in the Lord?
How close do we even want to be?
At our Thursday evening community wide prayer service we offered folks the opportunity to write a note to the families of the martyred, the injured, or write whatever was on their heart. Scores of pages were left behind for those who grieve, poems for the injured, prayers for the families devastated by that senseless deed. Saturday I delivered the book of original copies to Associate Pastor of Wedgwood Baptist, Mike Holton. Mike was deeply moved. In appreciation he tearfully said, “Thank you. All of us here love you over at the Altamesa Church of Christ. Thanks for what you did.”
How close do we even want to be?
As we visited, a young man came in. He immediately thanked me for our prayer service, saying his parents had come. Apologizing to Mike for his unavailability at 2:00 that afternoon, he explained his plan to attend the funerals (three were held that day for victims of the shooting). Mike assured him it would all be fine. Somehow God will provide.
When I asked what was happening at 2:00, Mike explained that chairs needed to be arranged for Sunday’s service, and since most of their church was involved with the funerals, he had no one to help. Thirty members of the Altamesa Church showered Mike with supportive hearts and willing hands at two o' clock. We carried flowers and set up chairs. We quietly stepped inside the sanctuary. We prayed and sang a song. “O God, You are my God, and I will ever praise You...”
I believe God did provide, as much for us as for Wedgwood Baptist.
Then Mike asked us to help carry out several of their pews. Pews to be repaired by the manufacturer, who had traveled to be on site. Pews with cushions and fabric removed. Pews riddled with bullets. Pews heavy with sorrow. Pews where, as one of my Church Elders said, “Soldiers died.” Thursday night the Wedgwood Baptist Church had come to cry in the pews of the Altamesa Church of Christ. Saturday afternoon the Altamesa Church carried out the pews at Wedgwood Baptist. Tears and service, service and tears.
We are close enough to do for a church that’s experienced loss exactly what we do for our friends who experience loss. We were just there.
How often have we heard it said, “Just be there” for someone grieving, someone in shock. Don’t say anything. Just be there.
How close are we?
Close enough to bear one another’s burdens and practice the love commands of Christ:
Love your neighbor as yourself, By this all men will know that you are my disciples, by your love for one another.
Close enough to emphasize for a rare moment all we have in common, rather than practice the pattern of highlighting our differences.
How close are we?
Close enough to love. Close enough to care, to be there, to do something instead of talk. Close enough to do, we’re convinced, the very thing Jesus would do, and died for His Church to do. Close enough to do what Jesus lives through us, His Body, to do.
So how close are we?
How close should we be? That’s how close I want to be!
(article taken from www.Heartlight.com)
by Danny Sims
How close do we even want to be?
Wedgwood Baptist, Ft. Worth, Texas.
How tragic when once unfamiliar words have horrible and heartbreaking images identified with them. Not too many knew of Wedgwood Baptist until this past week. But the church that was our quiet, friendly neighbor is now another place for flower memorials, lovingly heaped along the roadside. Police and paramedics, red lights bouncing off the houses of our neighborhood, bright lights and cameras penetrating a dark Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, teenagers in shock weeping and holding each other, frantic adults racing across the lawn... These are the pictures we all have seen of Wedgwood Baptist
The Altamesa Church of Christ, where I preach in southwest Fort Worth, is a growing Wedgwood neighborhood church of 1200. We are just blocks from the other growing Wedgwood neighborhood Church of 1200, Wedgwood Baptist. Much of our membership lives in the Wedgwood section of Fort Worth. My home is in Wedgwood.
How close are we?
Our teenagers were invited, but decided not to go to last Wednesday’s See You At The Pole youth rally where Larry Gene Ashbrook killed seven, critically wounded two more, and victimized a community.
My schedule this week could easily have been filled with funerals.
How close are we?
Ashbrook might just as easily have driven another dozen blocks to our sanctuary. The night the rampage took place, our own Praise Assembly had just begun when he began his carnage. Not knowing all that had transpired, we dismissed quickly yet calmly when news of the shooting was phoned in by police. Just minutes later, news and police helicopters droned overhead.
How close are we?
News and police helicopters droned overhead.
We hosted a community wide prayer service just 24 hours after the shooting. 800 people came, including two members of the House of Representatives and many families of Wedgwood Baptist, who wept in our pews. A deacon from Wedgwood Baptist spoke. Media from all the local Fort Worth —Dallas outlets were here. A church from Littleton, Colorado sent flowers, as did the Jewish Community Centers of Los Angeles, both of whom have also been targets of recent violent crimes.
I remarked Thursday night that our community is larger than this corner of Fort Worth. We flashed across Nightline, 48 Hours, on prime time network television. Reporters called me to get a viewpoint from a nearby preacher.
How close are we?
Our Youth Ministers Raymond Schultz and Hai Cao spent much of Thursday at a local high school where one of the victims had been a student, consoling teens. Our Counselor Russ Bartee was on the radio and coordinating with the Red Cross. Small Groups Minister Scott Strother was at the hospital. Outreach Minister Wade Weaver was talking to local media. College and Singles Minister Mark Aldridge was on the phone with area churches. Our team was on call.
How close are we?
At the prayer service, our Children’s Education Minister Patty Weaver sang Amazing Grace, dedicating it to Sydney Browning, Wedgwood Children’s Choir Director. Sydney was the first one Ashbrook murdered. One of their little girls was described on television as lamenting out loud, “They killed my choir teacher! They killed my choir teacher!” I was overcome with emotion realizing, could have just as easily have been Patty. What would our little boys and girls have said?
How close are we?
My son, a first grader, came home Thursday telling us one of his tiny classmates was at the church when it happened. Our children go to school together. Members of Altamesa are neighbors of members of Wedgwood.
How close are we?
In another twist, some of our members know and long ago attended church with the Ashbrook family. In his childhood, one of our deacons knew the man who unloaded his two handguns into the crowd.
How close are we?
That may be the most important question asked in the aftermath.
How close are we to one another?
How close are we to tragedy?
How close are we to our community?
How close are we to our friends and fellow believers in other churches?
How close are we to God?
How close are we to the end?
How close are we to reaching those, like Ashbrook, who reportedly grew up in the church but regrettably not in the Lord?
How close do we even want to be?
At our Thursday evening community wide prayer service we offered folks the opportunity to write a note to the families of the martyred, the injured, or write whatever was on their heart. Scores of pages were left behind for those who grieve, poems for the injured, prayers for the families devastated by that senseless deed. Saturday I delivered the book of original copies to Associate Pastor of Wedgwood Baptist, Mike Holton. Mike was deeply moved. In appreciation he tearfully said, “Thank you. All of us here love you over at the Altamesa Church of Christ. Thanks for what you did.”
How close do we even want to be?
As we visited, a young man came in. He immediately thanked me for our prayer service, saying his parents had come. Apologizing to Mike for his unavailability at 2:00 that afternoon, he explained his plan to attend the funerals (three were held that day for victims of the shooting). Mike assured him it would all be fine. Somehow God will provide.
When I asked what was happening at 2:00, Mike explained that chairs needed to be arranged for Sunday’s service, and since most of their church was involved with the funerals, he had no one to help. Thirty members of the Altamesa Church showered Mike with supportive hearts and willing hands at two o' clock. We carried flowers and set up chairs. We quietly stepped inside the sanctuary. We prayed and sang a song. “O God, You are my God, and I will ever praise You...”
I believe God did provide, as much for us as for Wedgwood Baptist.
Then Mike asked us to help carry out several of their pews. Pews to be repaired by the manufacturer, who had traveled to be on site. Pews with cushions and fabric removed. Pews riddled with bullets. Pews heavy with sorrow. Pews where, as one of my Church Elders said, “Soldiers died.” Thursday night the Wedgwood Baptist Church had come to cry in the pews of the Altamesa Church of Christ. Saturday afternoon the Altamesa Church carried out the pews at Wedgwood Baptist. Tears and service, service and tears.
We are close enough to do for a church that’s experienced loss exactly what we do for our friends who experience loss. We were just there.
How often have we heard it said, “Just be there” for someone grieving, someone in shock. Don’t say anything. Just be there.
How close are we?
Close enough to bear one another’s burdens and practice the love commands of Christ:
Love your neighbor as yourself, By this all men will know that you are my disciples, by your love for one another.
Close enough to emphasize for a rare moment all we have in common, rather than practice the pattern of highlighting our differences.
How close are we?
Close enough to love. Close enough to care, to be there, to do something instead of talk. Close enough to do, we’re convinced, the very thing Jesus would do, and died for His Church to do. Close enough to do what Jesus lives through us, His Body, to do.
So how close are we?
How close should we be? That’s how close I want to be!
(article taken from www.Heartlight.com)
Monday, July 2, 2007
Successful People do...
"When you do the things that aught to do when you aught to do them, the day will come when you can do the things that you want to do when you want to do them."
-Dr. John C. Maxwell
-Dr. John C. Maxwell
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Here are 10 Keys to Cultivate a Can-Do Attitude
Here are 10 Keys to Cultivate a Can-Do Attitude:
Key #1: Disown Your Helplessness
Can-do people aggressively pursue solutions, and, in the process, uncover creative solutions others never even try to find. Can-do leaders take responsibility for the future, whereas lesser leaders blame circumstances or other people when facing roadblocks. Rather than wallowing in helplessness, can-do leaders search diligently to overcome the obstacles in front of them.
Key #2: Take the Bull By the Horns.
Can-do people are fearless. They go straight to the source of their solution. Their very effort commands attention as they wrestle a problem to the ground with expediency. I have discovered that people with a can-do attitude have an aggressiveness about them. They take the bull by the horns. When they enter into the arena of action, they don’t wait, they initiate.
Key #3: Enter the No Whining Zone.
Can-do people abstain from complaining. They recognize its futility and guard their minds and mouths against indulging in this time-wasting activity. As George Washington Carver observed, “Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.”
Key #4: Put On Another’s Pair of Shoes.
Can-do people empathize with others. They attempt to see any predicament from the other person’s perspective in order to make the best decisions. In my book Winning with People, one the 25 People Principles is the Exchange Principle, which says that instead of putting others in their place, we must put ourselves in their place.
Leaders see the world from their perspective and others’ perspectives. They use their own perspective to give direction, and they use others’ perspectives to forge relational connection. Both direction and connection are indispensable to taking the team on a successful journey.
Key #5: Nurture Your Passion.
Can-do people are immune to burnout. They love what they do because they’ve learned how to fuel the fire that keeps them moving. In leadership, the prize is not given to the person who’s the smartest, nor to the person with the advantages in resources and position, but the prize goes to the person with passion.
Key #6: Walk the Second Mile.
Can-do people exceed expectations. While others settle for an acceptable solution, they aren’t satisfied until they have achieved the unimagined. They set expectations for themselves higher than what is dictated by the people or situations around them.
Key #7: Quit Stewing and Start Doing.
Can-do people take action. While others are crippled by worry, fear, and anxiety, they have the fortitude to press forward. The perfect moment when all is safe and assured may never arrive, so why wait for it? Can-do leaders take risks.
Key #8: Go With the Flow.
Can-do people can adjust to change. They don’t get caught griping about an unexpected curve in the road. They accept transition with an optimistic outlook. They realize it’s less important what happens TO them, than it is what happens IN them.
Key #9: Follow Through to the End.
Can-do people not only initiate, they finish. They are self-starters with the capacity to close the deal.
Key #10: Expect a Return as a Result of Your Commitment.
If you make an all out commitment with a can-do attitude, expect a return. Passionate commitment is contagious, and resources follow resolve. Committed leaders will reap rewards and find open doors as others are drawn to the excitement and energy emanating from them.
By: Dr. John C. Maxwell
Key #1: Disown Your Helplessness
Can-do people aggressively pursue solutions, and, in the process, uncover creative solutions others never even try to find. Can-do leaders take responsibility for the future, whereas lesser leaders blame circumstances or other people when facing roadblocks. Rather than wallowing in helplessness, can-do leaders search diligently to overcome the obstacles in front of them.
Key #2: Take the Bull By the Horns.
Can-do people are fearless. They go straight to the source of their solution. Their very effort commands attention as they wrestle a problem to the ground with expediency. I have discovered that people with a can-do attitude have an aggressiveness about them. They take the bull by the horns. When they enter into the arena of action, they don’t wait, they initiate.
Key #3: Enter the No Whining Zone.
Can-do people abstain from complaining. They recognize its futility and guard their minds and mouths against indulging in this time-wasting activity. As George Washington Carver observed, “Ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have a habit of making excuses.”
Key #4: Put On Another’s Pair of Shoes.
Can-do people empathize with others. They attempt to see any predicament from the other person’s perspective in order to make the best decisions. In my book Winning with People, one the 25 People Principles is the Exchange Principle, which says that instead of putting others in their place, we must put ourselves in their place.
Leaders see the world from their perspective and others’ perspectives. They use their own perspective to give direction, and they use others’ perspectives to forge relational connection. Both direction and connection are indispensable to taking the team on a successful journey.
Key #5: Nurture Your Passion.
Can-do people are immune to burnout. They love what they do because they’ve learned how to fuel the fire that keeps them moving. In leadership, the prize is not given to the person who’s the smartest, nor to the person with the advantages in resources and position, but the prize goes to the person with passion.
Key #6: Walk the Second Mile.
Can-do people exceed expectations. While others settle for an acceptable solution, they aren’t satisfied until they have achieved the unimagined. They set expectations for themselves higher than what is dictated by the people or situations around them.
Key #7: Quit Stewing and Start Doing.
Can-do people take action. While others are crippled by worry, fear, and anxiety, they have the fortitude to press forward. The perfect moment when all is safe and assured may never arrive, so why wait for it? Can-do leaders take risks.
Key #8: Go With the Flow.
Can-do people can adjust to change. They don’t get caught griping about an unexpected curve in the road. They accept transition with an optimistic outlook. They realize it’s less important what happens TO them, than it is what happens IN them.
Key #9: Follow Through to the End.
Can-do people not only initiate, they finish. They are self-starters with the capacity to close the deal.
Key #10: Expect a Return as a Result of Your Commitment.
If you make an all out commitment with a can-do attitude, expect a return. Passionate commitment is contagious, and resources follow resolve. Committed leaders will reap rewards and find open doors as others are drawn to the excitement and energy emanating from them.
By: Dr. John C. Maxwell
Friday, June 22, 2007
Discouragement, Quotes
Leadership Wired - July 2007
- “What we do not see, what most of us never suspect of existing, is the silent but irresistible power which comes to the rescue of those who fight on in the face of discouragement.”
~ Napoleon Hill
- “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.”
~ Dale Carnegie
- "Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional."
~ Roger Crawford
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Tip: If I am not the Problem, Then there is no Solution!
This Tip requires a lot of concentration for all who hear it. It is one of the
most difficult concepts I have ever learned in my life. The first time I heard
it, I began to feel defensive. I tried to think of all the reasons why it was
wrong. I thought, "That cannot be right! I am not the problem in every difficult
situation in which I find myself and I know that there are some problems
that I have absolutely not brought upon myself!" But over the years, I have come
to see the power of this deep, unusual truth.
You see, you have a
powerful influence that you bring to the table in every situation in which you
find yourself. If there is something taking place in your life right now that
you feel is not going well, then the question to ask is, "What can I do
about it?" In other words, what role could YOU play in order to make
things better? Until you realize that if you are not the problem (even a small
part of it), then there can be no solution. This kind of thinking takes the
matter of personal responsibility and turns it squarely around so you can look
it right in the face.
When I finally began to process this, I realized
that this concept is actually one of the healthiest ways of thinking that I have
ever experienced. In any difficult situation in which I find myself, I begin to
ask myself a series of questions. "What role do I play in this problem?" "How am
I participating in this particular situation?" "What have I done or said to make
this situation better or worse?" "What can I do to make things a little more
pleasant?" It causes personal responsibility to fall squarely on my shoulders so
that I can begin to make a difference in the situation.
Perhaps you are
in a relationship with a family member or with someone at work where you have
done everything in your power to make things right and you are still not
satisfied with the current state of affairs. Well, let me say once again, if you
are not part of the problem, then there can be no solution. I told you this was
a difficult concept!
It is human nature to want to straighten out other
people and other situations. (If you find a good methodology for doing that,
please let me know! I would love to know how to correct other situations and
other people to make them all turn out exactly as I would like. Unfortunately,
that is not possible.) The longer I live, the more I see that the only person I
have any power over on this entire planet is myself! I believe I should be a
strong influence on others, but I cannot control anyone. Nor do I want
to. I simply want to control myself and influence others.
I refuse
to live my life based on the decisions of other people or the circumstances that
come my way! If I can do anything to make the situation better, then I will do
it, because I recognize that I am part of problem. When I recognize that, it
immediately, helps me to become part of the solution.
Recently at work
someone made a mistake. I told them not to worry about it, but to learn from the
mistake. I said, "Actually all of this is my fault for starting this company. If
I had not started this business none of us would even be here at work today and
none of this would ever have happened! So, as far as I am concerned, I am the
problem!"
I know you are thinking, "That is crazy!" But, let me remind
you that I am the one watching people work harder and harder and doing a better
job each day. Casting blame has no place in a healthy business, or in a healthy
life! Have you found it to work successfully for you?
Let me encourage
you to begin to look at yourself in any situation as the chief problem. I know
this is irritating, like rubbing the fur of a cat in the wrong direction.
However, it will free you to no longer have a VICTIM mentality, but begin to
have a VICTOR mentality.
I have shared this concept many times with other
people and I have seen that it often takes a while for it to sink in. It is a
big pill to swallow, but it brings smooth digestion to your stomach once it
becomes part of your daily life. Trust me on this one! It is a powerful concept
to make part of your life and your daily experience.
Robert Rohm Ph.D.
most difficult concepts I have ever learned in my life. The first time I heard
it, I began to feel defensive. I tried to think of all the reasons why it was
wrong. I thought, "That cannot be right! I am not the problem in every difficult
situation in which I find myself and I know that there are some problems
that I have absolutely not brought upon myself!" But over the years, I have come
to see the power of this deep, unusual truth.
You see, you have a
powerful influence that you bring to the table in every situation in which you
find yourself. If there is something taking place in your life right now that
you feel is not going well, then the question to ask is, "What can I do
about it?" In other words, what role could YOU play in order to make
things better? Until you realize that if you are not the problem (even a small
part of it), then there can be no solution. This kind of thinking takes the
matter of personal responsibility and turns it squarely around so you can look
it right in the face.
When I finally began to process this, I realized
that this concept is actually one of the healthiest ways of thinking that I have
ever experienced. In any difficult situation in which I find myself, I begin to
ask myself a series of questions. "What role do I play in this problem?" "How am
I participating in this particular situation?" "What have I done or said to make
this situation better or worse?" "What can I do to make things a little more
pleasant?" It causes personal responsibility to fall squarely on my shoulders so
that I can begin to make a difference in the situation.
Perhaps you are
in a relationship with a family member or with someone at work where you have
done everything in your power to make things right and you are still not
satisfied with the current state of affairs. Well, let me say once again, if you
are not part of the problem, then there can be no solution. I told you this was
a difficult concept!
It is human nature to want to straighten out other
people and other situations. (If you find a good methodology for doing that,
please let me know! I would love to know how to correct other situations and
other people to make them all turn out exactly as I would like. Unfortunately,
that is not possible.) The longer I live, the more I see that the only person I
have any power over on this entire planet is myself! I believe I should be a
strong influence on others, but I cannot control anyone. Nor do I want
to. I simply want to control myself and influence others.
I refuse
to live my life based on the decisions of other people or the circumstances that
come my way! If I can do anything to make the situation better, then I will do
it, because I recognize that I am part of problem. When I recognize that, it
immediately, helps me to become part of the solution.
Recently at work
someone made a mistake. I told them not to worry about it, but to learn from the
mistake. I said, "Actually all of this is my fault for starting this company. If
I had not started this business none of us would even be here at work today and
none of this would ever have happened! So, as far as I am concerned, I am the
problem!"
I know you are thinking, "That is crazy!" But, let me remind
you that I am the one watching people work harder and harder and doing a better
job each day. Casting blame has no place in a healthy business, or in a healthy
life! Have you found it to work successfully for you?
Let me encourage
you to begin to look at yourself in any situation as the chief problem. I know
this is irritating, like rubbing the fur of a cat in the wrong direction.
However, it will free you to no longer have a VICTIM mentality, but begin to
have a VICTOR mentality.
I have shared this concept many times with other
people and I have seen that it often takes a while for it to sink in. It is a
big pill to swallow, but it brings smooth digestion to your stomach once it
becomes part of your daily life. Trust me on this one! It is a powerful concept
to make part of your life and your daily experience.
Robert Rohm Ph.D.
Personality Insights, Inc.
Choice, Quotes
Leadership Wired - June 2007
CHOICE
We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.
~ Kahlil Gibran
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.
~ Viktor Frankl
“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
~ J.K. Rowling
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Legacy
"A legacy is a gift given back to your family name and something that future generations of your family will look to in times of hardship." ~Orrin Woodward
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Nothing is more disgraceful...
"Nothing is more disgraceful than that an old man should have nothing to show to prove that he has lived long, except his years." ~Seneca
Friday, May 18, 2007
Effort, Quotes
- "The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you're willing to work." ~Oprah Winfrey
- "The major difference between the big shot and the little shot is the big shot is just a little shot who kept on shooting." ~Zig Ziglar
- "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant." ~Robert Louis Stevenson
- "There are no traffic jams along the extra mile." ~Roger Staubach
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Sacrifice
"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be to great for me to make for Him." C.T.Studd
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking
- The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
- Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say, "You're wrong."
- If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
- Begin in a friendly way.
- Get the other person saying "yes, yes" immediately.
- Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
- Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
- Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
- Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
- Appeal to the nobler motives.
- Dramatize your ideas.
- Throw down a challenge.
These are highlights from Dale Carnegie's book: "How to Win Friends and Influence People".
Six Ways to Make People Like You
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile
- Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
- Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
- Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.
Monday, April 9, 2007
10 Success Laws
- Always make your future bigger thank your past
- "Imagination is more important than knowledge"
- Always make your learning greater than your experience
- Always make your contribution greater than your reward
- Always make your cause greater than your applause
- Always make your gratitude greater than your success
- Always make your enjoyment greater than your effort
- Always make your cooperation greater than your status
- Always make your confidence greater than your comfort
- Always make your purpose greater than your money
- Always make your questions bigger than your answers
"Success never goes on sale. Success is always full-price. Go pay it." -Orrin Woodward
Sunday, April 8, 2007
A Prayer Series III
Father, Please help me to focus on what it is that You want us to do. I believe that I have a dream worth fighting for, but I keep second-guessing myself and the team. Help me to get what I need to push through my fear that is keeping me from being the person that You have made me to be. Dream, Struggle, Victory! Help me to get the focus off of myself and onto others. When I'm ready, put the people in my group that will run with us toward the goal. You are an awesome God. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Love,
Your son,
Ryan
Love,
Your son,
Ryan
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
My Beautiful Wife and I
This is a picture of my beautiful wife and I. She helps me every day to be all that I can be. I love her very much.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
A Prayer Series II
Abba Father,
You are a Holy and righteous God. I thank you so much for sending Your Son Jesus to save us from our fallen nature. Father, I hope that I will allow you to mold me into being just like Him every day. Lead and direct my steps. I want to be going in the right direction. I have fears in my life. Help me to push through those fears and be the son that you would have me to be. I know, Father, that you have made me to bring great glory to Your name. I pray that I am becoming the man that can do just that. I only want to serve You and to be in Your presence. We are coming up on a mission trip to Honduras. I pray that You would open doors of opportunity so that souls will be won for Your kingdom.
I Love You,
Ryan
You are a Holy and righteous God. I thank you so much for sending Your Son Jesus to save us from our fallen nature. Father, I hope that I will allow you to mold me into being just like Him every day. Lead and direct my steps. I want to be going in the right direction. I have fears in my life. Help me to push through those fears and be the son that you would have me to be. I know, Father, that you have made me to bring great glory to Your name. I pray that I am becoming the man that can do just that. I only want to serve You and to be in Your presence. We are coming up on a mission trip to Honduras. I pray that You would open doors of opportunity so that souls will be won for Your kingdom.
I Love You,
Ryan
Friday, March 30, 2007
A Prayer Series
Abba Father,
Today I ask that you would come into my daily routine and make me something greater than I could be on my own. I have many things that are needing to be done in my work, and I just can't seem to focus long enough to get them all done. Help me to choose what to do and also what not to do. Give me the wisdom to choose right from wrong and to make success decisions instead of failure decisions. Father, you are my God and I thank You for hearing my prayer.
Love,
Your son,
Ryan
Today I ask that you would come into my daily routine and make me something greater than I could be on my own. I have many things that are needing to be done in my work, and I just can't seem to focus long enough to get them all done. Help me to choose what to do and also what not to do. Give me the wisdom to choose right from wrong and to make success decisions instead of failure decisions. Father, you are my God and I thank You for hearing my prayer.
Love,
Your son,
Ryan
Thursday, March 29, 2007
10 Ways to Deal With Stress
- learn to prioritize - what to do and what not to do
- maintain control of your schedule -learn to say no
- establish a support system - those to encourage you
- don't procrastinate
- don't try to please everyone
- schedule breaks
- exercise
- reward yourself, pay now and play later
- don't try to fix everything
- find ways to relieve stress that work for you - hit things, play, etc.
12 Ways to be Creative
- give yourself time
- find creative places
- force yourself to think (focus)
- have creative meetings & bring creative people
- see problems as possibilities
- have fun and be spontaneous
- challenge rules and assumptions
- think outside the box
- explore all the options
- be persistent
- surround yourself with creative starters (they jump-start you toward being creative.)
- never be anyone without a legal pad. capture your ideas, don't rely on your memory
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Teach him to deny himself... - Robert E. Lee
"Teach him to deny himself..." -Robert E. Lee
- No eating out (for me) until we are PowerPlayer (tm)
- Drink only water, coffee, or XS
- no convenience store food
- 4 Cd's / day
- Read 15mins / day
- 15 plans / month (go-getter every seminar)*****************
- 10 deep / month ( may have to ramp up to this)
- if this we accomplished then we'd go pp every month, considering a second leg was going 5 deep
- PowerPlayer by the next Major
- Team 25 by next major
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Yes Answers
Does a one legged duck swim in a circle?
Is water wet?
Does a fat puppy hate fast cars?
Did my mom and dad have ___?
Is water wet?
Does a fat puppy hate fast cars?
Did my mom and dad have ___?
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