Post written by Peter G. James Sinclair.

It is within the walls of your mind that the battles are fought. And it is within the battlefield of your brain that victory is snatched or the pain of defeat is created. This is the place where the vanquished are first unveiled. And it is in this place that the conquerors are empowered.

You may be able to judge a book by its cover, but you can also judge a winner or a loser by the state of their mind. And that state of mind will soon be revealed by the state of the mind-owner’s mouth.

Victorious people speak victorious words. Their words are filled with faith and hope. Defeated people have a completely different vocabulary. Their words are powerless and negative.

Feed Your Head

So rather than only feeding your face with food, make certain that you spend part of each day feeding your head with good wholesome mind food. In doing so you will live with seize mentality and be freed from siege mentality.

Seize or siege? It’s your choice and you hold the key to your state of being in both your mind and your mouth.

I must confess this one thing. I have been the victim of siege mentality. I have known what it is to be surrounded by circumstances that back you into a corner and your mind tries to convince you that there is no way out.

And yet I have another thing to confess. I have experienced seize mentality, and it is the only way to live and is freely available to all of us if we are simply willing enough to allow our minds some room for expansion.

The Great Violinist

The great violinist Paganini knew what it was to have seize mentality when he was once performing before a most distinguished audience. Suddenly, one of the strings on his violin snapped. The audience gasped, but the master musician continued unruffled to play on the three remaining strings.

Snap went a second string. Still Paganini played on without hesitation. Then with a sharp crack a third string broke. The audience now became awestruck. For a brief moment, the artist stopped, raised his famous Stradivarius violin high with one hand and announced, ‘One string – and Paganini.’

With furious skill and the matchless discipline of a gifted craftsman he finished the selection on a single string. The performance was done with such matchless perfection that the audience rose together and gave him a tumultuous ovation.

Avoid Siege Mentality

So how can you avoid siege mentality? Preparation. Prepare yourself by immersing yourself in possibility thinking. Surround yourself in an environment where you are always encouraged to stretch the boundaries of your thinking.

A number of years ago we experienced a flood just five hundred meters from where we live, and when the flood was in progress it was an incredibly beautiful thing to watch playing fields transformed into lakes and small creeks turned into raging rivers.

However, as the floodwaters subsided, all that was left behind were stinking stagnant pools of water.

The raging rivers represent seize mentality. There is a freshness. There is a flowing. There is a turbulence. There is a vibrance. Whereas the stinking water holes represent siege mentality. There is no flow and there is no go. All that’s left is ‘stinking thinking’ as Zig Ziglar put it so eloquently.

The reason you are under siege is because you have allowed your thoughts to stagnate. You have allowed mediocrity to overtake you and the only way out is to get that water flowing again. And how do you do that?

Seize Your Opportunity

Read. Listen. Associate with those with seize mentality. Ask questions. Brainstorm. Attend seminars. But whatever you do, don’t just simply shut the door and throw the key away.

Unlock the door and get out and expose your brain to new possibilities and take your notebook with you. For it only takes one idea to change your circumstances. So pursue that idea until you find it.

Seize opportunity with both hands and both feet simultaneously.

And I have good news: those who seek find. So open the eyes and the ears of your mind. Opportunity is already standing at your door and is knocking furiously.

As one investor recently told me, ‘Every week there’s always a once in a lifetime deal.’ So go and get your deal and make it a big deal.

Why be satisfied with just the moment? Seize the possible with passionate thinking.

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Post written by Bill Sims Jr.

“Manipulating behavior by offering rewards, while a sound approach for training the family pet, can never bring quality to the workplace.” – Alfie Kohn, Phd.

Applause bursts out spontaneously from a crowd delighted by the band’s performance.

A coach shares a high-five with the player who wins the game. A baby’s first steps are applauded by Mom and Dad.

As hard as Alfie Kohn, Daniel Pink, and others may try to persuade us that external praise and positive feedback are wrong, their arguments do not jibe with the reality of life.

We need positive reinforcement. We cherish feedback con-firming that our contributions matter and that we have made a difference in the world around us.

Aubrey Daniels has coined a great name for this: R+®. From now on in this book, when you see the abbreviation “R+,” you’ll know that I am referring to positive reinforcement (of behavior), the most powerful tool on the planet for increasing human performance.

Butterfly Kisses

“I know the cake looks funny, Daddy, but I sure tried.” In this short line from “Butterfly Kisses”, a song written by Bob Carlisle and Randy Thomas, a little girl reaches out for her father’s approval (positive feedback) to be sure he sees her effort, and he appreciates it.

Bob Nelson’s book, 1001 Ways to Reward Your Employees, reports that of the key drivers of employee happiness and engagement, a recurring top need was “I am able to make a difference at work” and “My manager has recognized me recently for what I do.”

Like the little girl in “Butterfly Kisses”, people need to receive feedback from their leaders confirming that their work has value, and they are keenly aware of the presence of this feedback, or the lack thereof.

As we pass through a murky, chaotic, ever-changing world, we are anchored by that first “A” from our teacher; that first “Good Citizen” award certificate; that first knowledge that we came, we saw, and we made a positive difference.

Self-reinforcement is a very powerful form of R+ (assuming you aren’t suffering from depression).

As my good friend Leo Inghilleri—a highly regarded consultant in the service and hospitality industry—once said, “The problem with highly self-motivated people is that they tend to assume everyone else is just like them.”

Often, presidents and leaders of companies have very high levels of self-R+ around work ethic. When they are told that their employees need R+ to ensure that they continue to perform at their best, their response is often “But nobody did that for me, so why should I do it for others?”

So often they don’t realize that someone did do this for them—a teacher, a parent, a mentor, who gave them positive reinforcement early on.

Bill Sims Jr. is the author of the book Green Beans & Ice Cream from which this post has been taken from chapter 3.

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Post written by Peter G. James Sinclair.

Some years ago I sent my sixteen-year-old daughter on a mission. The mission was this: to purchase a new vehicle for our family at auction.

Now after our research, we had discovered that we were able to purchase a top of the range vehicle with all the latest gadgets and gizmos, for thousands of dollars less than the current market value if we were simply willing to step outside the norm and do something different.

Winning Preparation

So for a whole month before the event we researched. We scanned the papers, we contacted dealers, and we checked out some auction websites and the websites of companies and government departments that auctioned vehicles.

Then we turned up at an auction with no intention of bidding, but to simply get a feel for the auction, to gather information and to get an idea as to what people were paying.

We then outlined the exact make and colour of the vehicle that we would purchase. The following week we decided which auction we would attend, and then got a hold of the current catalogue. We then narrowed down our list of possible vehicles, based on features and mileage, and we came up with four.

The week previous we had established contact with a local mechanic who lived near the auction site. And the day before the auction we met with him on site, and through his inspection we were able to narrow the four vehicles down to just one.

Opportunity Lost?

Then came the day of the auction, and lo and behold I had double booked myself and neither my wife nor I could be there. What would we do? So here we were with every bit of research done and the vehicle chosen and we couldn’t be at the event.

That’s when my sixteen-year-old daughter piped up and said, ‘I’ll go’.

So at 7.00am on Friday morning I delivered my eldest daughter with her younger sister on a train that would take over an hour and a half trip to get to the auction site.

The plan was this. Armed with a mobile phone, my daughter would contact me on my mobile phone and I would guide her through the bidding process until we won. Was there ever a doubt that we wouldn’t get the vehicle? Never.

Why?

Because we had done all the necessary research, had gained expert insight into the product we were purchasing by hiring a mechanic, had settled on a price that we would pay and were walking into the auction with a plan in place.

Add enthusiasm to all those ingredients and we knew that we would win.

The Day Of The Auction

And so the time finally came. It just so happened that the vehicle we were to bid for was the very first vehicle of the morning session. So from the very beginning it was go, go, go.

From within the crowd of over fifty people at the auction there was only one other bidder, and as I guided my daughter with her bids I could sense the excitement and the enthusiasm in her voice. I could imagine her jumping up and into the face of the auctioneer to make sure that she was noticed as she held the mobile phone firmly to her ear.

The event was short, and swift and before we knew it we had placed our last and final bid to hear ‘Going once, going twice’ and then the auctioneer’s hammer hit hard as he yelled, ‘Sold’.

The vehicle was ours. The work had paid off. The research had won. The mechanic had revealed to us some inside information, and we were now the owners of a new vehicle at a bargain price.

But what was the major ingredient behind such a successful venture? Enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the fire that ignites success.

Yes, enthusiasm always makes the difference. It is what gets results time and time again.

Examples Of Enthusiasm

Henry Ford had a burning enthusiasm for the motor vehicle and the object of his enthusiasm took shape and reshaped history.

Thomas Edison was enthusiastic about electric light and the machine that talked and many other inventions and it was because of his enthusiasm that they became a reality.

The Wright brothers were enthusiastic about creating a machine that could fly, and they flew.

And all throughout the ages it is enthusiasm that has time and time again been the driving force that has created the world, as we know it today.

Enthusiasm…

• Is the factor that separates winners from losers.
• Separates overachievers from underachievers.
• Enables individuals to face risk and conquer it.
• Turns the ordinary into the extraordinary.
• Transforms the impossible into the possible.

So what did Norman Vincent Peale say about how to get enthusiasm and keep it?

He said this: ‘Set yourself a goal that you’ve just got to reach. Then build under it the fire of anticipation and keep it burning – you will acquire enthusiasm and never lose it…New goals, fresh objectives – these are the self-perpetuating motivators of enthusiasm.’

Enthusiasm is the essential ingredient if greatness is ever to be achieved.

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Post written by Chin-Ning Chu with Peter G. James Sinclair.

Allow me to share what I feel are some of the best quotations from Chin-Ning Chu’s book, Thick Face, Black Heart: The Warrior Philosophy for Conquering the Challenges of Business and Life.

Great insight. Great wisdom. Dwell on each phrase. Chew slowly. Digest deliberately, and apply diligently.

The title of the book is drawn from a quote by Lee Zhong Wu –  ‘When you conceal your will from others, that is thick. When you impose your will on others, that is black.’

The world has a tendency to accept our own judgment of ourselves. By his absolute self-confidence, the thick-faced person instills confidence in others. They see him as successful and allow him the latitude to succeed.

I have seen many people grow old, but not graciously. Their eyes reflect pain and disillusionment. They have been beaten by life; they have so many broken dreams. The hope and expectations of youth have vanished — only death awaits…Unlike the warrior who accepts harsh discipline as a privilege and honor, these people are like pieces of grain caught in the millstone, ground down by the wheel of life, in agony and in pain.

Contrary to common understanding, a good man’s actions are not always gentle. They may be ruthless, cold, and dispassionate. A friend of mine once made a very profound statement when he said, “When people act overly nice, I always wonder about their motives.”

A good man lives in harmony with himself – he neither seeks nor needs external approval.

Often we are so concerned with what makes us feel good that we forget what makes us great. Understanding how to surmount pain, doubt, and failure is an important aspect of the game of winning at life.

Character is not made of sunshine and roses. Like steel, it is forged in fire, between the hammer and the anvil.

Most of us were taught that when someone slaps you, you should turn the other cheek. This is not always the best course of action. There is a time to submit to being slapped and there is a time to hit back twice so you will not be slapped again.

Success also requires the courage to risk disapproval. Most independent thought, new ideas, or endeavors beyond the common measure are greeted with disapproval, ranging from skepticism and ridicule to violent outrage. To persevere in anything exceptional requires inner strength and the unshakable conviction that you are right.

A couple of years ago, I conducted a radio interview with Joseph Barbera, the founder of Hanna-Barbera Studios and creator of the animated cartoon classics “Yogi Bear,” “Tom and Jerry,” plus many more. During our conversation, he spoke of how perfectly his life had turned out. He said that sometimes when you are in the midst of it, it may not seem to be going well, but when you look back, then the perfection is apparent.

The world unfolds to its own rhythm and purpose. It is important for you to strive beyond common human understanding, beyond preconceptions of what should be and what shouldn’t be. In time, you will see the perfection in the seemingly imperfect manifestations of the world.

There is a popular Chinese maxim: “The hat is good, the shoes are good. However, if you put the hat on your feet, and the shoes on your head, then both become useless.”

Often the bravest warriors were originally the greatest cowards. The more fear you confront and conquer, the greater courage you will possess.

I spent the first part of my life in provincial China and the subsequent years in modern America. Time and time again, I have noticed how customs that seem of such fundamental and unquestioned importance in one culture reveal themselves to be trivial and arbitrary when viewed from the perspective of a different culture.

If you are not concerned about the outcome of a circumstance, you will experience no fear. Whatever the outcome will be, will be, whether you fear it or not.

There is a popular Chinese maxim: “A nation may support its troops for thousands of years to prepare for the few moments when they will be needed.”

When a nation begins to disproportionately place value on individuals who can generate the largest sums of money within the shortest time as a measure of success, the nation’s character has to suffer.

God is not democratic.

A good phrase from the ancient Chinese elucidates this point: “Dripping water, in time, will cut a hole through the stone.”

Mankind is notoriously too dense to read the signs that God sends them from time to time. We require drums to be beaten into our ears, before we would wake from our trance and hear the warning. — Mahatma Gandhi.

I was recently giving a lecture before a large African-American audience. My audience told me that since some of them were born black and poor, they felt they already had a slow start in life from the beginning. I replied, “Look at Dr. Martin Luther King. If he had been born white and rich, what would he have made of himself? He’d be just another smart white boy.”

These simple rules of discrimination are common among the world’s businessmen and political leaders, as well as among Chinese dogs. In deciding between whose favor they should curry and whom they should attack, they all tend to grovel before the wealthy and powerful and act viciously toward the poor and weak.

If Gandhi’s adversary had been Hitler instead of the honorable British, he said he would have employed a different strategy. Gandhi said, “I make no hobgoblin of consistency. If I am true to myself from moment to moment, I do not mind all the inconsistencies that may be flung in my face. There is consistency that is wide and a consistency that is foolish. A man who, in order to be consistent, would go bare bodied in the hot sun of India or the sunless midwinter of Norway would be considered a fool and would lose his life in the bargain.”

Not so long ago, Middle Eastern terrorists took Russian personnel hostage. KGB agents responded swiftly by kidnapping close relatives of the responsible terrorist leaders. The KGB cut off body parts of the relatives and sent them along with notes warning that the terrorists’ wives and children would be the next targets of retribution if the Russian prisoners were not immediately released. The hostages were quickly released, and no Russian has been taken hostage since.

When you corner a dog and give him no way out, he will jump over the wall, whether he wants to or not.

Strange but true, we often abuse those who support and love us the most.

I am able to love my God because He gives me the freedom to deny Him. — Rabindranath Tagore.

Through our free will, topped with a healthy dose of ignorance and confusion, we often handle our lives like a blind man driving an automobile. The only way we manage to stop is by crashing.

Arnold Schoenberg, the great twentieth-century composer, once stated that the problem with modern man is that he has no tolerance for discomfort. Schoenberg would have been appalled to see the extravagance of the 1980s.

A friend of mine once said that the entrepreneur is a person who, in order to avoid working eight hours a day, works sixteen hours a day.

Lee (Zhong Wu) says that a man rises in the world exactly to the same degree that he fears his wife. The peasant treats his wife like a dog or a horse. As a consequence, he is little more than a beast himself. A man who fears his wife will conduct his life properly in order to please her. By conducting his life properly, he will rise in the world. To such a man, his wife becomes a source of strength and a refuge from the misfortunes of the world.

Chin-Ning Chu (1947–2009) was a Chinese American business consultant, and a bestselling business management author in Asia and the Pacific Rim. Ms. Chin-Ning Chu, internationally renowned speaker and bestselling author of worldwide bestsellers, “The Asian Mind Game,” “Thick Face, Black Heart,” and “The Art of War for Women”.

photo source: hawaiibusiness.com

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Post written by Peter G. James Sinclair.

If you want to change the way you live, there are vital ingredients that must become a part of your life if desired change will take place.

You must back up your resolve with a plan of action.

You must also acquire the correct knowledge and then put yourself within an environment whereby you can access ongoing wise counsel.

And then you must do more than just plan your action. You must act.

There is a multi-millionaire who had a dream.

It may surprise you that his first dream was not to own a condominium or a hotel resort beside the ocean.

His very first dream was to have at his disposal a team of wise lawyers, accountants, financial advisors and mentors.

He knew that they in turn would be able to provide him with the necessary information and guidance that would supply him with the necessary knowledge to acquire those very things. I heard recently that this man now has over 200 employees just taking care of his financial affairs.

In addition to pursuing great deals, he spent much of his time seeking out the right people to guide him in those purchases. In doing so he set himself up to procure wealth that secured both his and his family’s future beyond his wildest dreams. That also included the condominiums and hotels.

He made progress through fearless and strategic action, and you too can do the same by following these four steps.

1. Invest In Your Ongoing Education

One of the greatest investments you can make is in yourself.

Before you shout ‘I can’t afford it’ allow me to share with you how I watched a teenager I know spend $2000, of their hard-earned money which they had been earning at $6 an hour in a part-time job, on a course that would expand their financial education.

There were many other things that they could have spent their money on, but they realised that if they invested this money now, they would in turn learn how to make so much more money in a far shorter period of time.

It always amazes me how many adults wince at paying $3000 -$5000 for a three-day seminar and yet are willing to struggle for twenty years of their life and never change the way they think or act.

2. Gain Access To Wise Counsel

Henry Ford was once accused of being ignorant. But the fact was that even though he didn’t know the answers to trivia-type questions, he knew people who could get him the information, because he surrounded himself with experts in their own specific fields of endeavor.

To be successful, you don’t have to be good at everything. You simply need to surround yourself with people who know more than you, and as you associate with them it won’t be long before that knowledge will overflow into your own life.

3. Acquire Knowledge

Develop a hunger for the acquisition of knowledge. The more you learn the hungrier you will get.

Listen to recordings, attend seminars, read book after book after book. Ask questions. Join forums. Watch videos. Participate in webinars.

Seek out opportunities to learn from every circumstance and continue at all times to have the attitude of a student.

4. Act Decisively

If you’re waiting for your ship to come in it won’t be long before you’ll find yourself shipwrecked.

Don’t wait.

TAKE ACTION TODAY!

Strategic. Fearless. Action.

Creates progress.

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Post written by Bulbul Bahuguna, M.D.

It is unfortunate that a person has either been himself abused by someone, or knows of someone else who has been abused. Sexual abuse often happens in the secrecy of a home and goes unreported. Silence only enables the crime. To be brave is to be honest.

Recovery begins with honest self-talk – such as what follows…

Self-Talk By A Victim Of Sexual Abuse

It never ceases to amaze me what one person can experience during a lifetime. This emotional clearing house called life. How do you stay sane in insane places? How do you stop sorting through the tangled mess your family has become, a bit like what you just pulled out from last year’s Christmas lights to put up on the tree? Inside-out, and topsy-turvy. When every family member remembers the same episode differently.

When will life teach us how to fall without getting hurt? Why are we sent on Earth without an instruction book, on how to expunge scares and snap back broken wings? No shortcuts. No cheating. No blueprint. Not even cliff notes? When will we realize that the spoken word can kill? And that our deeds can make another person invisible?

Ample time has been spent to explore the myths and half-truths about my family. I am grounded in my resolve to temper my expectations and have learned to accept that my kind of, sort of, family is no more. I am slowly learning to walk my way into the gray zone, make a graceful exit out of triangulated relationships, drop the tug o’ war rope to let the other side win and walk into my fears. I have stopped being a pallbearer of misery. But most of all, I try to get out of my own way. And that holding on to resentments? They just rot the container.

I Have Forgiven Myself

I have long since ended self-flagellation and forgiven myself. I am done asking the same questions over, and over and over, again, and expecting different results every time. I am done crying alone, stirring up the silt at the bottom of the ocean with my tears, or turning rocks upside down looking for love. I am done banging my head on a windowpane like a dumb trapped fly, when the window just behind me is actually wide open.

I have vowed to myself never to miss the ecstasy of another tequila-colored sunrise. The one that burns out yesterday’s angst. Or the quietude of another unhurried sunset, when the dust settles the hubbub of fireflies for the night. Screensavers. After all, there are only so many sunrises and sunsets in a lifetime.

Through recovery, I can smell the different shades of the fall. I can feel the singular pitch in a song. I have tasted the sweetness of love. It is amazing how you can find love in so many places.

Bulbul Bahuguna, M.D. is the author of the novel, The Ghosts That Come Between Us. She is a psychiatrist with over 20 years of experience treating victims of abuse. Dr Bahuguna is on staff at NorthShore University Health Systems, which is affiliated with The University of Chicago and Mayo Clinic. She is a National Trustee of American India Foundation — a leading charity involved in accelerating social change in India.

photo source: rapecrisiscenterlv.wordpress.com

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Post written by Peter G. James Sinclair.

What you say and what I hear are sometimes poles apart. This happens even amongst the closest of friends.

That’s why, when it comes to having a working relationship with another human being, it is so important to put in writing your agreement so that both parties understand clearly their part to play in the relationship before signing, and of course before proceeding.

By having it written down, when there is a disagreement at a later date, you both then have something to come back to, as a third party as it were, from which there can be a resolution of the differences without the maladjustment often caused through emotional distortion, but rather a resolution brought about through the observation of facts.

Communication is so important. It is the basis of all human interaction and it is for this reason that we must learn ‘to control’ it in a way that miscommunication is kept at a minimum in all our relationships.

Here are what I call the ‘Ten Commandments For Clear Communication’.

These are obviously very relevant to the business and work environment, but could be readily applied to any relationship that you embark upon.

1. Find Out What The Other Person Wants.

It is so important to find out exactly what people want. Do this through the art of questioning and listening. When they answer a question then repeat that answer as another question, ‘So by saying (their answer), do you mean (your interpretation of that answer)? Qualify their answers in this manner and there is less chance of misinterpretation. Take notes or record the discussion.

2. Record How You’re Going To Fulfil Their Needs.

After you have found out what they want, then present to them the way that you are going to meet their needs. So for every problem that the other person has – provide a solution. Fit your product or service to their requirements. If you can’t, then say so. If you can, say so. The important thing is that you provide a platform for open and clear communication.

It may take more than one meeting to gather all the necessary information, but stick with it until you have covered all bases. Don’t rush the process. The firm foundations constructed at this level of the relationship will alleviate many problems that could eventuate down the track.

3. Have All This Information Clearly Written Out In Full.

Now from those preliminary discussions, formulate a document that represents both the wants and the fulfilled needs discussed in points 1 and 2. Don’t make it a long and drawn out document. Put it into point form.

4. Allow Time For Both Parties To Review The Agreement.

Time is important. Provide a copy of this document to both parties and give them time to review it in private. Set a date to get back together to review the document.

5. Make Any Necessary Changes Until Both Parties Agree.

Both parties should mark changes where they think it is necessary, keeping in mind that win/win is the best policy.

6. Both Parties To Sign The Agreement And Get To Work.

Once all the changes have been made and agreed upon, have a fresh finished document prepared. And only when everybody is happy with it, both sign.

7. Review The Agreement From Time To Time And Adjust It If Necessary.

Things change. Make it a point to regularly review the document from time to time so that those agreed upon changes can be made without too much fuss.

8. Deal With Any Disagreements Promptly With The Document As Your Reference.

Disagreements happen, so when they do arise pull out the document and see where the disagreement lies. This is not a faultfinding exercise. This is an opportunity to make the relationship stronger.

9. If You’re Wrong, Admit It. Fix It And Move On.

If you’re wrong, as per the document, admit it, fix it and keep moving.

10. If You’re Right, Don’t Gloat. Forgive And Forget As You Move On.

If you’re right, act in humility and know that it is quite possible that down the track you could be the one making the mistake.

Underline all your communication with the question: how can I be of benefit to this other person?

photo source: jefftalks.com

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Post written by  Ismael Nuño, MD.

Boarding the plane to Paris, I reminisced about the call I had received only two months before inviting me to speak at a scientific congress in Va­lencia, Spain. It would be the perfect opportunity for a family vacation as well, so I jumped at the chance. Immediately I called my three sisters. We agreed that two would join me on the flight from Los Angeles while the other, who lives in Greece, would meet the rest of us in Spain.

As my two sisters and I embarked on the first leg of our flight, we celebrated our holiday with drinks, dinner and laughter. After the meal, the lights dimmed inside the aircraft and we settled down to sleep. It would be a long flight to France. As we left the American Continent, we were four hours from landing at the Charles De Gaul Airport in Paris for our connecting flight. I closed my eyes and relaxed, looking forward to my time off from work and the festive days that lay ahead.

Suddenly, I was awakened by a strange cough from my older sister, who was sitting to my left. As I turned my head to see her, my heart plummeted with despair. She was rapidly turning blue before my eyes. Her breathing had stopped. When I searched for her pulse I found none. Nor could I feel her heartbeat within her chest. I yelled out loud for help from the flight atten­dants and I began to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) right on her seat—a couple of mouth to mouth breaths, followed by two thumps with my closed fist to her breastbone, then chest compressions. After a few very long seconds the flight attendants surrounded us. My sister had begun to breathe again, and, thankfully, she opened her eyes. Several flight attendants and I dragged her body to the nearest galley of the airplane.

One flight attendant grabbed the intercom and asked the cabin of passengers if there was a doctor on board.

“I’M A DOCTOR!” I shouted. “I’M A HEART SURGEON!”

I took my California Medical License from my wallet and showed it to her. It was finally then that they opened the first aid kit consisting of IV solu­tions, needles, medications and oxygen. A colleague of mine also happened to be on the same flight and he joined me in continuing the resuscitation. The flight attendant in charge then handed me the telephone and said that the flight captain wished to speak with me.

“We need to get this patient, my sister, down to appropriate medical care,” I demanded.

“Doctor, we just left the Eastern Seaboard of the North American Continent. There is a terrible snowstorm below us and, if lucky, our first chance to land will be in Iceland.”

“But this woman is sick, she needs help NOW,” I demanded again, begging. My heart was breaking.

“Well, I either kill two hundred people in a snowstorm or we lose your sister.” The captain said very gravely.

After a moment of reflection, I said, “Give me thirty minutes and let’s see if she stabilizes.”

Fortunately, my sister’s condition improved. For the remainder of the flight to Charles De Gaulle Airport, she lay flat on her back with an IV drip in her arm. I knelt beside my sister, who was lying on the floor of the galley with flight attendants all around us. I watched her IV drip slowly infuse into her arm. My sister opened her eyes up and gently smiled, not knowing how close she had come to her death. As I knelt beside her I could hear the whine of the jet engines of Air France flight 45 bound for Paris, France. When we landed, an ambulance met us at the gate. A doctor came into the airplane and rushed her on a gurney via ambulance to the emergency room located within the airport. After three days of observation, she was stable enough to be flown back to Los Angeles. In the bustle of airplanes, gurneys, and emergencies, my sister lost her American passport. On our return flight, my sister had to beg the immigration officer to be allowed to return. The only choice was to go to the US Embassy located in Downtown Paris. The underwear bomber had just tried to destroy an airplane bound for Detroit from Paris and French officials were on guard. We bought tickets again to satisfy the requirements set forth by the French airport officers. Eventually we made it to America. I transferred her to USC-University Hospital and she underwent an extensive work up. After receiving a permanent pacemaker she made a full recovery. Needless to say, I never made it to my speaking engagement or to our vacation in Spain.

Dr. Nuño was born in Mexico and has written the book The Spirit Of The Heart.  He obtained his MD in 1976.  He received training in General Surgery and subsequently in Cardio-Thoracic Surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC.  Dr. Nuño was in the US Army for a period of ten years.  He was Deputy Commander of 5^th MASH during the Gulf War.  The last 15 years of his career were as Chief of Cardiac Surgery at LAC+USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.  He is now retired and lives in Marina del Rey, California.

photo source: flickr.com

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Post written by Peter G. James Sinclair.

Some years ago, my family was the recipient of a special award that was specially created and handed to us by one of our close friends.

One of the facets of the award was ‘for believing’.

We had just pushed through two years of drought in a new business we had started, and at times it didn’t make much sense to push on.

During that period we had two choices. One was to push ahead and remain true to our dream; the other was to go back to doing what we had successfully done before. We chose to press on. With our bridges burnt we were going to make certain that our actions backed up what we believed.

The Meaning Of Belief

Believing or belief is a multi-faceted word that can portray a number of varied meanings. On one side it has very much to do with underlying faith, but at the same time we need to believe in our ability to achieve our goals.

One of the things that make believing a powerful force within one’s life is when it is backed up with consistency.

If you say that you’re one thing or another, or that you are going to do something, then it is important to make sure that your actions are consistent with your words. Back up what you say with what you do, because belief is more than just words.

It is living out a lifestyle that clearly represents what you believe. In fact, belief is lifestyle. It is the backbone of any dream.

A Real Life Demonstration of Belief

Yells of encouragement echoed throughout the still, cool air of the forest as the four-wheel drive vehicle thundered its way up the steep and badly eroded dirt track. Small boulders were dislodged and spat out down the hill as the vehicles wheels slipped and slid on the muddy earth. The engine revved higher and higher as the driver endeavored to conquer the obstacle that lay in his path. But again and again, there was one part of the steep gradient that resisted the power of both man and machine.

There were half a dozen other vehicles lined up at the bottom of the hill and the determination of all involved created an air of expectancy. One six-cylinder vehicle had already conquered the hill, but this four cylinder was making hard work of it.

We had come upon the scene at the top of the steep hill and after parking our three vehicles; we joined the crowd that had gathered, both young and old, to watch the spectacle. A much smaller vehicle than the first was about to tackle the seemingly impossible.

Quitting wasn’t an option. This mountainous track had to yield and so, yet again, the smaller vehicle’s engine cut through the bush silence as it once again sought to traverse over rock, dirt and gravel. Like a surf ski that cuts through the surf, the vehicle cut through the dirt as if it was gliding over the very rocks that had resisted its path time and time again.

Before we could catch our breath it finally conquered the hill.

Cheers erupted both at the bottom and the top of the steep gradient. Yet another victory in Chichester Forest on a long weekend’s camping trip.

Belief must be backed by action, and this event demonstrated to me that belief is a multi-faceted word that requires the additional ingredients of visualization, action and support in order for a result to be successfully arrived at.

The driver’s of the vehicles showed their belief by:

1. Believing that the mountainous track could be conquered.

Inherent in each of the drivers that chose to conquer this seemingly impossible track was that they never considered not conquering it. They just simply sought the way to reach the top. It was never a question of will we? It was rather when will we?

2. Surrounding themselves with a cheer squad of fellow believers.

It is so important to surround yourself with a support group of fellow believers. Choose them wisely. You don’t need opposition. You require encouragement all the way. They in turn add power to your belief.

3. Visualizing themselves at the top of the mountainous track.

Each of the drivers saw themselves and their vehicle at the top. They even visualized how they were to overcome any hindrances along the way. Their mental picture was always one of complete and utter victory.

4. Driving their vehicle to the top.

There came a point when they had to hop in their vehicle and drive. They had to drive it hard, fast and smart. This action, supported by their belief, got the job done. Be as the drivers of these four-wheel drive vehicles. Your vehicle is your life and you are worthy of great success. Believe that you can and you will.

photo source: talkingjeepoz.com

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Post written by Christine Maddox.

Letting someone else hold the reigns when the situation calls for it doesn’t make you any less of a leader. In fact, you are more enlightened of a leader if you do. Although some may have a hard time releasing that power, a good leader knows when a more skillful subordinate should lead the situation. After all, it is the completion of the project that is important. Don’t let pride put the team in jeopardy if a subordinate has the required skills for the task at hand. Here are some tips that may help you in your quest to be the kind of leader who knows when to let others that are more qualified take over:

1. Emotional

Too many times leaders will continue his or her tasks when they are severely emotionally compromised. It is proven that emotional stress causes a lack of judgment regardless of your status. A leader needs to be able to have subordinates lean on them when things are getting tough. They need to be a pinnacle of aspiration and may not be able to provide that comfort and knowledge if they are in an emotionally distraught frame of mind.

2. Stress 

It’s not an easy task to be a leader of a large group. You are constantly dealing with those under your command and exuding fairness among all of them. If the stress begins to swell up inside you, decisions may become questionable. If there is no possible way to vent this frustration, it is in everyone’s best interest to step down from your commission and allow a fresh outlook of the task from someone who can do the job. It doesn’t mean you are any less of a person. It means that you’re responsible enough to realize you cannot handle the situation and don’t want to jeopardize the team or project.

3. Knowledge

Leaders need to have the knowledge of the specific goal or task they are attempting to complete. Without this knowledge, the task could surely fail. As failure is not an option, it is better to allow someone else to lead the team in order to secure success. This doesn’t mean you are uneducated. It means that you see that someone else has superior skills and would do the team a great justice by leading. The best thing to do is to allow the other person to lead the team and learn all you can about the task in order to perform better the next time.

4. Burden 

At times, the burdens we face may be great. As a prelude to the stresses from above, too much of this burden can wear down our mental and physical selves. Allowing someone to shoulder some of that burden can help ease your tension. This could give you breathing room and the person a chance to prove him or herself as a leader to you and your management. You shouldn’t view this as a weakness. Gathering the support of your subordinates in order to delegate some of the leadership role shows more about your character than letting the job eat you away.

Stepping down doesn’t mean that you are losing what you have worked for. On the contrary, your supervisor could hold the situation in high regard. You are demonstrating that the good of the whole company supersedes your own desire to lead. It is an attitude that many managerial staff lack and one that should be incorporated into every leadership role. Sacrificing the project in lieu of your own personal feelings should never be an option.

Christine Maddox is currently pursuing her Master’s degree from University of Texas as well as blogging for www.4nannies.com. She loves to write anything related to parenting, kids, nanny care etc. 

photo source: inc.com

Thank you for subscribing to my Motivational Memo Blog RSS feed - but I would also like to invite you to sign up to my Motivational Memo Newsletter which is distributed generally once a week - and as my way of saying thank you please sign up to my newsletter and receive a free copy of my eBook 'Discovering The You In Unique'.

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