The Optimist's Corner

Self-Serving Leaders Vs Servant Leaders

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 07:15:00 +0000

“Am I a servant leader or a self-serving leader?” It is a question that, when answered with honesty in our heart, will go to the foundation of our intention or motivation as a leader.

One of the quickest ways we can tell the difference between a servant leader and a self-serving leader is how they handle feedback, criticism and comment, because one of the biggest fears that self-serving leaders have is to lose their position.

Self-serving leaders spend most of their time protecting their status. If you give them feedback, how do they usually respond? Negatively. They think your feedback means that you don’t feel like their leadership anymore.

Self-serving leaders who are passionate to influence, recognition and who are afraid of loss of position are not likely to waste any time or effort in training their replacements.

Another way to tell a self-serving from servant leader is how they approach succession planning.

Servant leaders, however look at leadership as an act of service. They hold close and welcome feedback as a source of useful information on how they can provide better service.

The journey of life is to move from a self-serving heart to a serving heart. We finally become an adult when we understand that life is about what you give, rather than what you get. Everyday leaders face hundreds of challenges to their intentions. Our adversary is waiting everyday to get us to be ego-driven, to be self-serving. Every day we must recalibrate our hearts. You’ll never be able to say, “Now I’m a servant leader, and I’m never going to be self-serving. We’re all going to be grabbed off course by our egos.

It’s easy to take for granted that you’re leading to serve your team and or your company when the decisions you make are good for the company. It’s also very easy to rationalize decisions you make that put both you and your team in a good light as the decisions of a servant leader.

Ask yourself this question: “If you received absolutely no credit for the decision, would you make the same decision in the same way?”

If the answer is ‘yes’, then the decision is most likely a servant-leader one. If the answer is ‘no’, the decision is most likely a self-serving one.

To successfully combat temptations to be self-serving, we need daily to surrender our motives and actions to Christ as our guide and roll model for how we should lead.

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

When You Are Through Changing You Are Through

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 05:47:00 +0000

When You Are Through Changing, You Are Through.

“Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself from the unacceptable.” Denis Waitley

All of us need to understand that change is a process. It is not an event, something that happens once, but rather it is a constant process.

“You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.” Brian Tracy

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

The Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel amassed a fortune by inventing dynamite and other explosives. It described him as a man who had become rich by enabling people to kill each other in unprecedented/extraordinary numbers. Deeply shaken, Nobel resolved to dedicate his fortune toward accomplishments that benefited humanity. Hence, the Nobel Prize.

Challenge Yourself:

What is it in your life that needs changing?
How are you going to begin that process?

Sometimes change is unpleasant, often it is hard, yet almost always it is necessary. Begin the process of change now to become the better person you want to be.

What is it in your business or career that needs to change to make it more profitable?
What is it in your attitude that needs to change to make you more effective?

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” Charles R. Swindoll

The Real Meaning Of Empowerment

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:14:00 +0000

The Real Meaning Of Empowerment

“Be of service. Whether you make yourself available to a friend or co-worker, or you make time every month to do volunteer work, there is nothing that harvests more of a feeling of empowerment than being of service to someone in need.” Gillian Anderson

Everyone seems to be talking about empowerment these days as the cure-all for under-achieving organizations and employees. Employers, department heads, and private and government leaders who do not endorse it are considered outdated and damned.

But wait, If empowerment were the magic potion guaranteeing success, why didn’t we drink it long ago? The answer is – it does not guarantee success. But why? Because both employers and employees must be ready for it. Empowerment will succeed only if there is real readiness and commitment to facing these irritating issues:

Barriers between employees and their supervisors are not dealt with continuously.

“Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what you know.” Jim Rohn

“Skill in the art of communication is crucial to a leader's success. He can accomplish nothing unless he can communicate effectively.”

Communication is the key to growth and success. When communication break down, failure is likely. Open communication between people allows a free flow of ideas and thoughts. Everyone is clear on where they stand, and what each person wants and expects from the others. By expressing our thoughts and ideas, we can begin to see the reality of our situation. When we have the freedom to speak our minds, we begin to feel empowered. When there is clarity, proper action can follow.

Employees are rarely asked to recommend solutions.

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you'll soon find many others around you. Truly appreciate life, and you'll find that you have more of it.” Ralph Marston

People thrive when they feel they are respected and appreciated. That is why listening to customers is critical to the success of any business. When employees cab speak up and freely voice their opinions, they feel empowered, even if their ideas are not always implemented.

Want to motivate your staff? Empower your employees—don’t delegate. The result? Increased job performance and company success.

Abilities remain untapped.

“Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk - and to act.” Andre Malraux

Few of us can duplicate the brilliance of Leonardo da Vinci, but each of us can get closer to meeting our potential. The desire to explore possibilities is not limited to geniuses: The keys are persistence, focus, and hard work. Ability is only potential until it is tapped. As we learn how to best apply our own gifts, we can better see talents in others and how to help them become all they can be.

Employee never initiate action, but wait for orders and directions.

“Initiative is doing the right things without being told” Elbert Hubbard

“You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence.” Abraham Lincoln

“Success depends in a very large measure upon individual initiative and exertion, and cannot be achieved except by a dint of hard work.” Anna Pavlova

Most people resist new ways.

Refusal to accept change causes stagnation. When people resist this natural flow of life, they move backwards. Businesses that resist change lose to competitors. To change when needed is the essence of growth.

“When we allow deep-seated habits to control our lives, we work against ourselves.”

Employers spend little time or money on training.

Training is the vehicle for change. Plans and goals without training are useless. To fail to train is to deny the importance of preparation, productivity and profit.

Most people who leave are keepers.

More often than not, people who leave go on to what they believe will be a better opportunity. Most of the time when this happens, these people are valuable now, and would be in the future. The ones we should be most concerned about are the poor performers who will never leave unless pushed out. They are the cause of low productivity, bad morale, and poor customer relationships.

Policy manuals and rulebooks are getting bigger and bigger.

It takes time and energy to read and understand rules and regulations. More rules mean less time that can be devoted to more creative endeavors. More rules also decrease the size of the box we must work within. People who like to think outside the box must spend more time to reach beyond the imposed limits of rules and regulations. Rules create a “safe” environment because you know exactly what you can and can’t do. The “it’s not my job” syndrome does nothing to empower people or encourage them to explore their potential. More often than not, people hide behind rules and use them as an excuse to explain why something didn’t happen as it should.

People who don’t improve receive the same compensation as those who do.

When people are not paid based on merit and accomplishments, you favor idlers. The best employees then believe you don’t appreciate the difference between them and the problem people. This is the easiest way to squelch initiative. They feel powerless in an environment that does not recognize them. Boredom, frustration, and resentment lead to departure at the first opportunity.

More time is spent talking about bad situations than fixing them.

Some people just like to complain. Complaining is easier than finding a solution because it requires little thought and takes no energy. Improvement always requires initiative and added work. To improve a bad situation, someone must be willing to come foreward, take charge and be a leader. Many people would prefer to sit backstage and criticize others who are attempting to solve problems. Empowered people have the confidence and self-esteem to withstand criticism. Getting the job done is more important to them than being liked.

“Winners measure improvement. Losers hope for miracles.”

Believe You Can Succeed and You Will

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Believe You Can Succeed and You Will

Success is determined not so much by the size of one’s brain as it is by the size of one’s thinking. As Prophet David, who wrote, “As one thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Shakespeare, who observed, “There is nothing either good or bad except that thinking makes it so.”

Belief works this way, Belief, the “I’m-positive-I-can” attitude, generate the power, skill, and energy needed to do. When you believe I-can-do-it, the how-to-do-it develops. And believing you can succeed makes others place confidence in you.

The “Okay-I’ll-give-it-a-try-but-I-don’t-think-it-will-work” attitude produces failures. Belief is the thermostats that regulate what we accomplish in life. Believe in yourself, and good things do start happening.

Positive thoughts, specializes in producing reasons why you can, why you’re qualified, and why you will.

Negative thoughts, expert in developing why you can’t, why you’re weak, why you’re inadequate and its specialty is “why-you-will-fail” chain of thoughts.

These two primary thoughts are strongly obedient and sharp to attention, immediately all you have to do is signal or call.

How to develop the power of Belief.

Think success, don’t think failure

Think, “I’ll win” not “I’ll probably lose”

I’m equal to the best not “I’m outclassed”

I can do it never “I can’t”

Remind yourself regularly that you are better than you think you are.

Successful people are not superman; success does not require a super intellect, not based on luck. Successful people are just ordinary folks who have developed belief in themselves, and what they do. Never sell yourself short.

Believe Big.

The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief. Think little goals and expect little achievements.

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be” George Sheehan

Overcoming Challenges of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:25:00 +0000

“Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.”

The first step you need to take is to get a complete picture of whatever challenge you are facing, including the good that will come out of it when properly handled. One example is improved relationships.

“Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.”

The second step is to pinpoint the specific challenge area or areas where you need strengthening.

Using the example, let’s say that after careful analysis of all the factors, you look at the following:

The seriousness of your efforts to meet and befriend new people and, then, to generate interest in your product, service, or opportunity.

The degree of discipline you demonstrated in following up with interested prospects.

The leadership ability, or lack of it, you showed in helping those people come on board as associates or clients.

Your caring enough about the people you are working with to help them in whatever way they needed assistance and encouragement from there on.

“Don't be afraid to fail. Don't waste energy trying to cover up failure. Learn from your failures and go on to the next challenge. It's OK to fail. If you're not failing, you're not growing.”

The third step is to brainstorm about your specific challenge, and write down some solution ideas.

Analyze it from both your viewpoint and that of potential prospects’.

Analyze it relative to how you are handling the situation and how successful leaders in your industry are handling it.

Compare your success at it now with your success at it a year ago, two years ago, or even five years ago. Are you improving? If not, is this maybe one of the reasons you might be stuck in your progress?

Take into account all the factors, some of which you need to deal with to reach your goal, that you may have carelessly ignored before now.

“Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.”

The fourth step is to give the analytical half of your brain time to compute the pros and cons of the possible solutions.

Each time your subconscious pops a possible solution into your mind, jot it down and save it. Give your subconscious mind time to analyze the full scope of the situation.

“We choose to go...not because [it is] easy, but because [it is] hard, because that goal will serve to measure and organize the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”

The fifth step is taken one to three days after your brainstorming session.

Analyze your best options, while focusing on win-win solutions. This requires compassion, understanding, humility, and forgiveness so you can heal any broken relationships that may exist.

Using our business expansion challenge as an example, you may have had such responses as:

Strengthen your desire by focusing on your dream.

Make a list of opportunities to meet new people and schedule them into your planner.

Learn to meet new people and make more friends.

Explore continuing education opportunities in your industry to better prepare yourself to present what you have to offer in an appropriate, interesting way.

The sixth step and final step is the most obvious one: Choose what you believe is the best win-win solution and get behind it with dedicated, focused effort so you can make it work. Press forward with action, and have confidence in your ability to succeed while striving for an excellent result. But, if you don’t attain it, keep going. At the very least, you learned what doesn’t work and you can begin again, more intelligently, with increased vigor and renewed commitment.

How To Build Confidence and Overcome Fear

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:08:00 +0000

“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.”

“Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.” Og Mandino

Yes, fear is real and we must recognize it exists before we can conquer it. Most fear today is psychological. Worry, tension, embarrassment, panic – all from mismanaged. Fear is success enemy number one. Fear stop people from capitalizing an opportunity, it wears down physical vitality, it make people sick, shorten life, closes your mouth when you want to speak.

Two step procedure to cure fear and win confidence:

Isolate your fear. Pin it down. Determine exactly what you are afraid of.

Then take action. There is some kind of action for any kind of fear.

Two Ways to put people in proper perspective:

The other fellow is important, you are important too. “We’re just two important people sitting down to discuss something of mutual interest and benefit.

Develop an understanding attitude.

Remember two short sentences when someone declares war on you. “Underneath he’s probably a very nice guy. Most folks are.” There is within us a desire to be right, think right and act right. When we go against that desire, we put a cancer in our conscience. This cancer grows and grows by eating away at our confidence. Avoid asking yourself “Will I get caught? Will they find out? Will I get away with it?” People who are shy in introducing themselves can replace this timidity with confidence just by taking three simple actions simultaneously. First: reach for other person’s hand and clasp it warmly, Second: look directly at the other person, Third: say I’m very glad to know you. This three will banish shyness. Confidence action produces confident thinking.

Confidence Building Exercise.

Be a front seater. Most folks scramble to sit in the back rows so they won’t be “too conspicuous” or lack confidence.

Practice making eye contact. Instinctively, you ask yourself questions about fellow who doesn’t look you in the eye. “What’s he trying to hide?, What’s he afraid of?, Is he trying to put something over on me?, Is he holding something back?”, or it may say “I feel weak besides you. I feel inferior to you, I’m afraid of you” or I feel guilty, I’ve done something or I’ve thought something that I don’t want you to know.” Make your eyes work for you. Aim them right at others eyes. It not only gives you confidence, it wins you confidence, too.

Walk 25% faster. Throw your shoulders back, lift up your head, move ahead just a little faster, and feel self-confidence grow.

Practice Speaking-up. Those who fail to participate thinks to himself: My opinion is probably worthless, If I say something, I’ll probably look foolish, I’ll just say nothing, besides, the others probably know more than I. I don’t want the others to know how ignorant I am. Each time we fail to speak – we take one more dose of confidence poison; we become less and less confidence of ourselves.

On the positive side: The more you speak up, the more you add to your confidence and the easier it to speak up the next time. Speak-up. It’s a confidence building vitamin. Make it a rule to speak up at every open meeting you attend, Speak-up and say something voluntarily at every business conference, committee meeting, community forum you attend. Make no exception. Comment, make a suggestion, ask a question and don’t be the last to speak. Try to be the ice breaker and never worry about looking foolish. You won’t.

Smile Big. Try to feel defeated and smile big at the same time. You can’t. A big smile gives you confidence. A big smile beats fear, rolls away worry, defeat despondency. Harness the power of smiling.

Find Others to Believe with You

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:49:00 +0000

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be” George Sheehan

Unfortunately, it may be difficult to eliminate all the negative people from your life. Your mother or father, a business associate, a best friend, church brothers/sisters, or even your spouse might be a negative influence. And since many of these people have known you for years, they probably think of you in terms of your past experiences and not in terms of who you are today or a person you can become.

“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”

Sometimes it’s easier to find support from a complete stranger. A stranger doesn’t carry preconceived/predefined ideas about what you can or cannot do. The message at this point is that everyone needs someone to believe in him or her, and those who are closest to you may not be the best people to fill that role. The key is to find someone who does.

Take an inventory of the people in your life. Identify one or two individuals who are supportive and can provide encouragement. In the initial stages of implementing your dream, share it only with supportive people. As your dream takes shape and you become stronger in your belief, you’ll be able to handle the multitude of naysayer who will unavoidably cross your path.

“Negativity works like poison in the bloodstream: if you give into its power, it will weaken your confidence and kill your dream.”

Your goals are simply too important to let that happen!

Get the Action Practice

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:42:00 +0000

The test of a successful person is not the ability to eliminate all problems before they arise, but to meet and workout difficulties when do they arise. – Its still good advice to cross bridges as we come to them.

“Every act of will is an act of self-limitation. To desire action is to desire limitation. In that sense, every act is an act of self-sacrifice. When you choose anything, you reject everything else.” G. K. Chesterton

Expect future obstacles and difficulties. Every venture presents risk, problems and uncertainties. (Example: Suppose you wanted to drive your car from Bicol to Baguio, but you insisted on waiting, until you had absolute assurance that there would be no detours, no motor trouble, no bad weather, no drunken drivers, no risk of any kind. When would you start? Never! It makes sense to map your route, check your car, in other ways to eliminate as much risk as possible before you start, but you can’t eliminate all risks.

“Goals are a means to an end, not the ultimate purpose of our lives. They are simply a tool to concentrate our focus and move us in a direction. The only reason we really pursue goals is to cause ourselves to expand and grow. Achieving goals by themselves will never make us happy in the long term; it's who you become, as you overcome the obstacles necessary to achieve your goals, that can give you the deepest and most long-lasting sense of fulfillment.” Anthony Robbins

“I certainly don't regret my experiences because without them, I couldn't imagine who or where I would be today. Life is an amazing gift to those who have overcome great obstacles, and attitude is everything!” Sasha Azevedo “Difficulties mastered are opportunities won” Winston Churchill

“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Meet problems and obstacles as they arise. We can’t buy an insurance policy against all problems. Ideas are important. Let’s make no mistake about that. We must have ideas to create and improve anything. Success shuns the man who lacks ideas, but ideas in themselves are not enough. That idea for getting more business, for simplifying work procedures, is of value only when it is acted upon. A good idea if not acted upon produces terrible psychological pain. But a good idea acted upon brings enormous mental satisfaction.

“Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.” Anthony Robbins

Use action to cure fear and gain confidence. Here’s something to remember: Action feeds and strengthens confidence, inaction in all forms feeds fear. To fight fear, act. To increase fear – wait, put off, postpone. Action cures fear. “Unless your heart, your soul, and your whole being are behind every decision you make, the words from your mouth will be empty, and each action will be meaningless. Truth and confidence are the roots of happiness.”

“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” Peter T. Mcintyre

Start your mental engine – mechanically – When you write a thought on paper, your full attention is automatically focused on that thought. That’s because the mind is not designed to think on thought and write another at the same time. And when you write on paper, you “write” on your mind, too, Test prove, that you remember something much longer and much more exactly if you write the thought on paper.

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

Now is the magic word for success. Tomorrow, next week, later, sometime, someday, often as not are synonyms for the failure word, never. “It’s easier to spend what’s left over after savings than it is to save what’s left over after spending.” Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today” by Benjamin Franklin. Remember, thinking in terms of now gates things accomplished. But thinking in terms of someday or sometime usually means failure.”

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” Epicurus

Initiative is a special kind of action. It’s doing something worthwhile without being told to do it. The person with initiative has a standing invitation to join the high income brackets in every business and profession.

Developing the initiative habit
Be a crusader. When you see something that you believe ought to be done, pick up the ball and run.

“Determine what specific goal you want to achieve. Then dedicate yourself to its attainment with unswerving singleness of purpose, the trenchant zeal of a crusader.” Paul J. Meyer

Be a volunteer. Each of us has been in situations in which we wanted to volunteer for some activity but didn’t. Why? Because of fear. Not fear that we couldn’t accomplish the task, but rather fear of what our associates would say. The fear of being laughed at, of being called an eager beaver, of being accused of bucking for a raise holds many people back.

By all means, volunteer for those special assignments. The fellow who stands on the sidelines, who holds off, who is passive, does not lead, But the doer, the fellow who thinks action finds others want to follow him. People place confidence in the fellow who acts. They naturally assume he knows what he is doing. I’ve never heard anyone complimented and praised because “he doesn’t disturb anyone”, “he doesn’t take action”, or “he waits until he’s told what to do”. Have you?

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Don’t Sell Out Your Convictions for Conveniences

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:52:00 +0000

“Learn to place value on your convictions.” Isn’t it interesting that one kilogram of dirt and one kilogram of diamonds weight the same, but one of them is of greater value. Decide in your life what is dirt and what is diamonds, and live towards that.

“A conviction of self-worth and passion for ideals fuse in a life attitude that is positive, free, noble and spiritually enhancing.” By Bill Jay

“Always understand that the greatest thing you have going for you is your convictions.” When you try to live for convenience, you pay a price that is often very painful. Make sure that your life is founded on convictions, deeply rooted convictions. Let your business be a conviction, let your financial prosperity be a conviction, let your values be a conviction to you. Don’t compromise them.

“He who believes is strong; he who doubts is weak. Strong convictions precede great actions.” Louisa May Alcott

A man or a woman without convictions will always be unstable and double minded.

“Each of you, for himself, by himself and on his own responsibility, must speak. And it is a solemn and weighty responsibility, and not lightly to be flung aside at the bullying of pulpit, press, government, or the empty catchphrases of politicians. Each must for himself alone decide what is right and what is wrong, and which course is patriotic and which isn't. You cannot shirk this and be a man. To decide against your convictions is to be an unqualified and inexcusable traitor, both to yourself and to your country, let man label you as they may. If you alone of all the nation shall decide one way, and that way be the right way according to your convictions of the right, you have done your duty by yourself and by your country- hold up your head! You have nothing to be ashamed of.” by Mark Twain

“Whatever you say, say it with conviction” by Mark Twain

Challenge: Make a list today of some convictions in your life:

I am absolutely convinced that I am uniquely gifted.
I am absolutely convinced that I should prosper.
I am absolutely convince that my business dealings will be successfully and prosperous.
I am absolutely convinced that my children love me, and I am convinced that I love them.

List convictions in your life that are dear to you. Adhere to them and make sure you do not compromise them.

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All the battles of life are waged within yourself.

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:34:00 +0000

“All the significant battles are waged within self. Think about it. “Before anything materializes in your life, it generally happens on the inside of you.”

Our insecurities come from the inside and often manifest themselves on the outside, perhaps in wariness or aggression, in hearsay/babble or pride. We heard someone once say that talent is God – given, so be humble, fame is man – given, be thankful, conceit is self – given, be careful.

Success is a battle fought on the inside of a man or a woman before it ever is an outside battle. What are some of the battles that wage within us? The battle not to quit, the battle not to view yourself as a mistake or a failure, the battle not to muse on our circumstances, not to blame others or be full of pride, the battle of loneliness; you and I have to enjoy our own company before we will ever enjoy anybody else’s company.

Success in your life is a mindset. You can be successful in the middle of pain.

The Challenge: What can you do to make sure you win the battle? 1st, understand that there is a battle. 2^nd, get advice from people who have won battles in their lives. If you’re struggling in business and don’t know why, go and talk to someone who has some wins and some losses and find out how they came through. 3^rd, don’t look for quick fixes to problems, especially long term problems. Be genuine and honest with things in your life. Wear a sign around your neck that say ‘Be patient, I am under construction’. Wear it so others can see it, but also realize the same is true for others. Understand that your life is constantly under construction.

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How to Think Like a Leader?

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 04:23:00 +0000

Achieving high-level success requires the support and the cooperation of others. And gaining this support and cooperation of others requires leadership ability.

Four leadership rules or principles that can cause others to do things for us in the executive suite, in business, in social clubs, in the home, anywhere we find people:

1. Trade minds with the people you want to influence. Is a magic way to get others – friends, associates, customers, and employees – to act the way you want them to act. To get others to do what you want them to do, you must see things through their eyes. When you trade minds, the secret of how to influence other people effectively shows up (ex. one political candidate for a national office apparently fully as qualified as his opponent lost by a tremendous margin for one single reason. He used a vocabulary that only a small percentage of voters could understand.) Keep this question in mind: “What would I think of this if I exchanged places with the other persons?” Thinking of the interests of the people we want to influence is an excellent thought rule in every situation.

Put the trading minds principle to work for you:

Consider the other person’s situation. Put yourself in his shoes so to speak. Remember, his interests, income, intelligence, and background may differ considerably from yours.
Now ask yourself. “If I were in his situation, how would I react to this?”
Then take the action that would move you if you were the other persons

2. Think: What is the human way to handle this? People use different approaches to leadership situations. One approach is to assume the position of a dictator. – Makes all decision without consulting those affected. He refuses to hear his subordinates’ side of a question because down deep perhaps, he’s afraid the subordinate might be right and this would cause him to lose face. Dictators don’t last long. Employee may fake loyalty for a while but unrest soon develops. Second leadership technique is the cold, mechanical. The fellow using this approach handles everything exactly according to the book. He doesn’t recognize hat every rule or policy or plan is only a guide for the usual cases. This would-be leader treats human beings as machines. Third person who rise to tremendous leadership height use a “Being Human.” You are a human being, I respect you, I’m here to help you in every way I can. “Whoever is under a man’s power is under his protection, too.” Anybody can hire a man. But the test of leadership is how one handles the dismissal.

Two ways to use the be-human approach to make you a better leader:

First. Each time you face a difficult matter involving people, ask yourself, ”What is the human way to handle this?”. Avoid sarcasm, avoid being cynical, avoid taking people down a peg or two. Avoid putting others in their place. Ask “what is the human way to deal with people?” It always pays-sometimes sooner, sometime later. But it always pays

Second. To let your action show you put people first. Show interest in your subordinates off the job accomplishments, treat everyone with dignity. Remind yourself that the primary purpose in life is to enjoy it. As a general rule, the more interest you show in a person, the more he will produce for you, and this what carries you forward to greater success. Practice praising people. Rub people the right way.

3. Think Progress, Believe in Progress, Push for Progress. Promotion in all fields go to individual who believe in-and push for progress. Develop a forward look.

Two special things you can do to develop your progressive outlook.

Think improvement in everything you do.
Think high standards in everything you do.

Believe in-and push for progress, and you’ll be a leader. Remember this: When you take over the leadership of a group, the persons in that group immediately begin to adjust themselves to the standard you set. This is most noticeable during the first few weeks. Their big concern is to clue you in, zero you in, find out what you expect of them. They watch every move you make. They think, How does he want it done? What does it take to please him? What will he say if I do this or that? Once they know, they act accordingly. Check the example you set. Use this ever-accurate as a guide: “What kind of world would this world be, if everyone in it were just like me? In similar fashion, ask yourself, What kind of club, community, school, church would it be if everyone in it acted like you. Think, talk, act, live the way you want your subordinates to think, talk, act, live - and they will. Over a period of time, subordinates tend to become carbon copies of their chief. The simplest way to get high-level performance is to be sure the master copy is worth duplicating.

Am I a Progress thinker? Checklist:

A. Do I think progressively toward my work?

Do I appraise my work with the “how can we do it better?” attitude?
Do I praise my company, the people in it, and the products it sells at every possible opportunity?
Are my personal standards with reference to the quantity and quality of my output higher now than three or six months ago?
Am I setting an excellent example for my subordinates, associates and others I work with?

B. Do I think progressively toward my family?

1. Is my family happier today than it was three or six months ago?

2. Am I following a plan to improve my family’s standard of living?

3. Does my family have an ample variety of stimulating activities outside the home?

4. Do I set an example of a progressive, a supporter of progress for my children?

C. Do I think progressively toward myself?

Can I honestly say I am a more valuable person today than three or six months ago?
Am I following an organized self-improvement program to increase my value to others?
Do I have a forward - looking goals for at least five years in the future?
Am I a booster in every organization or group to which I belong?

D. Do I think progressively toward my community?

Have I done anything in the past six months that I honestly feel has improved my community?
Do I boost worthwhile community projects rather than object, criticize or complain?
Have I ever taken the lead in bringing about some worthwhile improvement in my community?
Do I speak well of my neighbors and fellow citizens?

4. Take time out to confer with yourself and tap your supreme thinking power.

Don’t be a Mr. I-can’t-stand-to-be-alone. Successful leaders tap their superpower through being alone. (When Mr. I-can’t-stand-to-be-alone is forced by circumstances to be physically alone, he resorts to television, newspaper, radio, tel., anything that will take over his thinking process for him.) As part of professional development program: Closet ourselves for one hour each day, shut themselves/ourselves off from all distractions and think constructively about anything that come to mind.

Two kind of thinking we can use:

Directed thinking. Review the major problem facing you. In solitude/isolation your mind will study the problem objectively and lead you to the right answer.
Undirected thinking. Just let your mind select what it wishes to think about. It’s very helpful in doing self-evaluation. It helps you get down to the very basic matters like “How can I do better?” What should be my next move? In moment like these your subconscious mind taps your memory bank which in turn feeds your conscious mind. Remember, the main job of the leader is thinking. And the best preparation for leadership is thinking. Spend sometime in managed solitude everyday and think yourself to success.

How to use the Thinking Big in life’s most crucial situations:

There is magic in thinking big but it so easy to forget. When you hit some rough spots, there is danger that your thinking will shrink in size. And when it does, you lose. Brief guides for staying big when you’re tempted to use the small approach:

A. When Little People Try to Drive Your Down, Think Big.

To be sure, there are some people who want you to lose, to experience misfortune, to be reprimanded. But these people can’t hurt you if you’ll remember three things:

You win when you refused to fight petty/unimportant people. Fighting little people reduces you to their size. Stay big.
Expect to be sniped/shorten at. It’s proof you’re growing.
Remind yourself that snipers are psychologically sick. Be big. Feel sorry for them. Think big enough to be immune to the attacks of petty people.

B. When That “I-Haven’t-Got-What-It-Takes” Feeling Creeps Up on You, Think Big. Remember: If you think you are weak, you are. If you think you’re inadequate, you are. If you think you’re second class, you are. Whip/trash that natural tendency to sell yourself short with these tools:

Look important. It helps you think important. How you look on the outside has a lot to do with how you fill on the inside.
Concentrate on your assets, Build a sell-yourself-to-yourself commercial and use it. Learn to supercharge yourself. Know your positive self.
Put other people in proper perspective. The other person is just another human being, so why be afraid of him? Think big enough to see how good you really are!

C. When an Argument or Quarrel Seems Inevitable/foreseeable. Think Big. Successfully resist the temptation to argue and quarrel by:

Asking yourself, “Honestly now, is this thing really important enough to argue about?”
Reminding yourself, you never gain anything from an argument but you always lose something.
Think big enough to see that quarrels, arguments, feuds, and fusses will never help you get where you want to go.

D. When You Feel Defeated, Think Big. It is not possible to achieve large success without hardships and setbacks/disappointment/loss/misfortune/defeat. But it is possible to live the rest of your life without defeat. Big thinkers react to setbacks this way:

Regard the setback as a lesson. Learn from it, research it, use it to propel/drive/push you forward, Salvage/recover/save/retrieve something from every setback.
Blend persistence/determination/perseverance with experimentation. Back off and start afresh with a new approach.
Think big enough to see that defeat is a state/condition of mind nothing more.

E. When Romance Starts to Slip, Think Big. Negative, petty, “She’s (He)-unfair-to-me-so-I’ll-get-even” type of thinking slaughters romance, destroys the affection that can be yours. Do this when things aren’t going right in the love department:

Concentrate on the biggest qualities in the person you want to love you. Put little things where they belong. – in second place.
Do something special for your mate and do it often.
Think big enough to find the secret to marital joys.

F. When You Feel Your Progress on the Job is Slowing Down. Think Big. No matter what you do and regardless of your occupation, higher status, higher pay comes from one thing: Increasing the quality and quantity of your output. Do this:

Think, “I can do better”, the best is not unattainable. There is room for doing everything better. Nothing in this world is being done as well as it could be. And when you think, “I can do better” ways to do better will appear, thinking, “I can do better” switches on your creative power. Think big enough to see that if you put service first, money takes care of itself.

In the words of Publilius Syrus:

“A wise man will be master of his mind, A fool will be its slave.”

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How to Think and Dream Creatively

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 04:44:00 +0000

To do anything, we must first believe it can be done. Believing something can be done sets the mind in motion to find a way to do it. Example question: How many of you feel that it is possible to eliminate jails within the next thirty years? (This question of eliminating jails is used to make a point). Each of you has come up with reason why we can’t eliminate the need for jails. Now, will you try extra hard for a few minutes to believe we can eliminate jails or assuming we can eliminate jails, how could we begin?,

“Believe it can be done”, “When you believe, your mind finds ways to do."

“When you believe something is impossible, your mind goes to work for you to prove why. But when you believe, really believe, something can be done, your mind goes to work for you and helps you find the ways to do it.”

Belief releases creative powers, disbelief puts the brakes on. You can find ways to like a person if you believe you can. You can discover solutions to personal problems if you believe you can.

“Where there’s a will, there is way”

Top success is reserved for the I-can-do-it-better kind of person. The I-can-do-better philosophy works magic. When you ask yourself, “How can I do better?” your creative power is switch on and ways for doing things better suggest themselves.

Plan a weekly improvement program: Each day before you begin work, devote ten minutes to thinking “How can I do a better job today?” Ask, what can I do today to encourage my employees? What special favor can I do for my customers? How can I increase my personal efficiency?

Capacity is a state of mind. How much we can do depends on how much we think we can do. Prove to myself that how much I can do depends on how much I think I can do.

Convinced it pays to do more and better? If yes, try this two step procedures:
1. Eagerly accept the opportunity to do more.
2. Concentrate on “How can I do more?”

“Big people monopolized the listening, Small people monopolized the talking”

Top-level leaders in all walks of life spend much more time requesting advice than they do in giving it. A leader is a decision making human machine. Ideas of others help to spark our own ideas so our mind is more creative.

Three stage program to strengthen creativity through asking and listening.

Encourage others to talk. In personal conversation or in group meeting. (Ex. Tell me about your experience, or what do you think should be done about…? What do you think is the key point?) These will double-barreled victory, your mind soak up raw material that you can use to produce creative thought.

Test your own views in the forms of questions. Use the what do you think of this suggestion? approach.

Concentrate on what the other person says. Listening means letting what’s said penetrate your mind. Evaluate it, that’s how you collect mind food.

Three ways to harness and develop your ideas:

Don’t let ideas escape. Write them down. Carry a notebook or small card with you and when you get an idea, write it down because memory is weak.

Review your ideas and file to active file.

Cultivate and fertilize your ideas. Make it grow, think about it, tie it to related ideas, then, when time is ripe, put it to work for yourself, job or future.

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You Are What You Think You Are

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:13:00 +0000

Look important – it helps you think important.

To be important, we must think we are important, really think so, so others will think so too.

“How you think determines how you act, How you act in turn determines how others react to you”

To gain the respect of others, you must first think you deserve respect. And the more respect you have for yourself, the more respect others will have for you. How you look on the outside affects how you think and feel on the inside. Your appearance talks to you, but it also talks to others. It helps determine what others think of you.

Think your work is important.

Job thinking tells a lot about a person and his potential for larger responsibility. A person who thinks his job is important, receives mental signals on how to do his job better, and a better job means more promotions, more money, more prestige, more happiness. The way we think toward our job determines how our subordinates think toward their job.

Two suggestions for getting others to do more for you:

Always show positive attitudes toward your job so that your subordinates will pick-up right thinking.
As you approach your job each day, ask yourself, “Am I worthy in every respect of being imitated?”, “Are all my habits such that I would be glad to see them in my subordinates?”

Give yourself a pep talk several times daily.

Practice uplifting self-praise. Don’t practice belittling self-punishment. You are what you think you are. Think more of yourself and there is more of you. Build your own “sell-yourself-to-yourself” commercial.

Tom Stanley, meet Tom Stanley – an important, a really important person. Tom, you’re a big thinker, so think big, Think big about everything. You’ve got plenty of ability to do a first-class job, so do a first class job. Tom, you believe in happiness, progress and prosperity, So: talk only happiness, talk only progress, talk only prosperity. You have lots of drive, Tom, lots of drive. So put that drive to work. Nothing can stop you, Tom, nothing. Tom, you’re enthusiastic. Let your enthusiasm show through. You look good, tom, and you fill good. Stay that way. Tom, you were a great fellow yesterday and you’re going to be an even greater fellow today. Now, go to it, Tom, Go forward.

Here’s how to build your sell-yourself-to-yourself commercial.

Select your assets, your points of superiority. Ask yourself, “What are my best qualities?”
Put these points down on paper in your own words. Re-read Tom Stanley’s commercial.
Practice your commercial out loud in private at least once a day.
Read your commercial silently several time every day. Before you tackle anything that demands courage.

Upgrade your thinking. Think like important people think. Upgrading your thinking upgrades your actions, and this produces success.

How Am I thinking? Checklist:

When I worry

Ask Yourself: Would an important person worry about this? Would the most successful person I now be disturbed about this?

An Idea

What would an important person do if he had their idea?

My appearance

Do I look like someone who has maximum self-respect?

My language

Am I using the language of successful people?

What I read

Would an important person read this?

Conversation

Is this something successful people would discuss?

When I lose my temper

Would an important person get mad at what I’m mad at?

My jokes

Is this the kind of joke an important person would tell?

My job

How does an important person describe his job to others?

How about you? Do you look important?

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The Shortage vs. Abundance

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Mon, 25 May 2009 06:11:00 +0000

Shortage vs. Abundance has little to do with money and everything to do with attitude. Living in scarcity means accepting your circumstances and believing you can’t change them. When you worry about what you don’t want to happen, you begin to attract those very things that dull the senses to any kind of innovative solutions to the problems.

Those who live in scarcity or shortage cannot recognize the good things they have, such as their family, a home, and friends, - it’s a long list, and instead they see only family problems, the mortgaged, strained friendships, downside of every good thing. – Usually live with fear: fear of failure (even if they haven’t failed), fear of success and fear of the unknown.

If you are one of those who fearfully live in scarcity – and there are millions who do. – The things you most want in life will remain out of reach until you learn to live in abundance.

“Fear is created because the human mind naturally seeks the familiar and avoids the unknown.” And instead of seeing all of the possibilities (living in abundance), we see only mistakes we don’t want to repeat (living in scarcity).

“Abundance is a fullness of life, regardless of income”. When you live in abundance you are not governed by fear or doubt and you can reach whatever goals you set in your life.

“Living in scarcity cannot solve problems, neither can it recognized opportunities.”

The law of abundance means that whether or not you sign that prospect or close that deal, your life will not change for better or worse immediately because you’re prepared.

“God would not give you the dream, or the desire in your heart, if He did not also give you the talent and abilities to make that dream come true.”

The moment one commits oneself, and then providence moves, too.

Insight is just looking inside ourselves to see what we already know, to remember what’s already there and retrieve it. All kinds of distractions literally force themselves on our time, energy and attention everyday.

Discipline is simply remembering what you want. Self-discipline just might be the most critical factor in any kind of success or achievement, it is created by routine. Develop a routine that allows you to use your time most efficiently.

It’s not a matter of who you know, but who you’re willing to meet. Every time you create an opportunity for another person, other opportunities spin off and touch other lives that touch other lives. Every time you add someone new to your circle, you add his or her entire circle to your network.

“I believe inside of each of us is a God given potential to do really great things. There’s something inside each one of us, something big, something important.”

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not, nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Geniuses will not, unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Educations will not, this world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination along are omnipotent powerful.

Take a minute to look at your day and compare it with your schedule, continually re-evaluating. Commit your daily task list to paper so you have it constantly in front of you.

“Nothing is as real as a dream. The world can change around you but your dream will not.”

"Everything we do is difficult in the middle.” The trick is to force ourselves into action so we can get past the middle to the success that is waiting on the far side.

“Miracles are everywhere, the trick is to see them.”

How about you? Are you living in Scarcity or in Abundance?

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Shocking Truth About What We Want In Life

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Sun, 24 May 2009 04:58:00 +0000

Try to play the video first before reading the shocking revelation of what we want in life to understand the context.

Who are you? . . . A bucket carrier? Or a pipeline builder?

Do you get paid only when you show up and do the work like Bruno the bucket carrier?

Or do you do the work once and then get paid over and over again, like Pablo the pipeline builder?

If you’re like most people, you’ve working the bucket – carrying plan or “Time-for-Money-Trap” and which means the concept of a “secure job” or a “dream job” is an illusion.

What would you do if your income stopped tomorrow?
What would happen if you got laid off?
What would happen if you got sick or disabled and could not carry those buckets anymore?
What if medical emergency ate up your savings?
What if your nest egg evaporated overnight?
If your income stopped tomorrow, how long could you pay your mortgage or loan? Or pay for your kid’s schooling? 6 months? 3 months? 3 weeks?
If disaster strikes, do you have a lifeline that would protect you and your family?

Whether you push a broom . . . push paper . . . or push a profession . . . you’re still trading one unit of time for one unit of money. So where’s the security in that?

We observe that 99% of the people carry buckets, so we naturally assume that bucket carrying is the only way to get what we want in life.

The bucket-carrying model tells us that in a bucket-carrying world, here’s what we have to do to get ahead:

Go to school and learn how to carry buckets?
Work really hard, earn the right to carry bigger buckets
Resign from bucket carrying company A, to work for bucket carrying company B which lets you carry even bigger buckets.
Work longer hours so you can carry more buckets.
Put the kids through bucket-carrying college.
Change careers from metal carrying bucket to carrying plastic buckets . . . to carrying digital buckets
Dream of the day you can retire from bucket carrying. Until then, carry those buckets . . . carry those buckets . . . carry those buckets.
I’ll get a second job carrying buckets in the evening and weekends.

A bigger bucket won’t solve the problem. Everybody would love to increase the size of their bucket – it’s common sense. As long as you carry buckets, you have to show up and do the work in order to get paid. The day you stop carrying buckets, that’s the money stops coming in.

How about you? Are you still like Bruno?

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The Other Ways to Become Rich (from Business School by R. Kiyosaki)

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Sun, 24 May 2009 02:18:00 +0000

Why Thomas Edison was Rich and Famous?

Thomas Edison did not invent the light bulb… but he did perfect it. (So why is he credited with inventing it?) There were other light bulb, but the problem was they were not practical. The early bulb did not burn long enough. Also, the other inventors could not explain how the bulb could have any commercial value. In other words, the other inventors did not know how to make money from their invention and Thomas Edison did. So, invented the 1st useful light bulb and he also know how to turn the bulb into a business. Thomas Edison was more than inventor, he was the founder of General Electric and many other major companies.

Why the Rich Get Richer?

Most of us have heard the saying, “Birds of a feather flock together” it’s true not only for birds, also for rich people, poor people and middle-class people. In other words Rich network with the rich, the poor network with the poor people and the middle-class hang out with the middle-class. If you want to become rich, you need to network with those who are rich or who can help you become rich.

The Other Ways to Become Rich.

You can become rich by marrying someone for his or her money.

You know what kind of person marries for money.

You can become rich by being a crook.

The trouble with being crook is that you have to associate with other crooks. Much of business is based on trust. How can you have much trust when your partners are crook? If you are honest and make an honest mistake in business, most people understand and give you a 2^nd chance. But if you are a crook and you make a mistake, then you either go to jail or your partner will punish you.

You can become rich by being greedy.

The world is filled with people who became rich by being greedy. Greedy rich people are the most despised/hayed of all the different types of rich people. In other words, some of these rich greedy people were so greedy they broke laws and turn into crooks.

You can become rich by being cheap.

Trying to become rich by being cheap is the most popular way people attempt to become rich. People who often try to live below their means, rather than finding ways to expand their means. These people are those who spent their lives hoarding money, pinching pennies, and shopping at sales just to acquire masses of money. Yet, even though they have a lot of money, they live life as poorly as someone who is truly poor. The problem with becoming rich but being cheap is that in the end you’re still cheap.

You can become rich via hard work.

The problem with hard work was that, hard-working people often had a hard time enjoying their money and their life. In other words, hard work was all they knew. They did not know how to have a good time. Also, people who physically work hard for the wrong kind of income. People work very hard all their lives but had a little to show for their hard work at the end of their lives. (If you continue this: you will find out how you may have to work hard for a few years but eventually be free to choose never to work again… if that is what you choose to do.).

You can become rich by being exceptionally smart, talented, attractive or gifted.

Tiger Woods is an example of an exceptionally gifted golfer. A golfer who spent years developing his gift. But statistic shows that 65% of all professional athletes are broke 5 years after their high-paying professional (careers are over). In the world of money, it takes more than God given brains, talent or good looks to become rich.

You can become rich by being lucky.

Trying to become rich by being lucky is almost as popular as trying to become rich by being cheap. As most of us know, thousands of people bet millions of pesos on the lottery, the race tracks, casinos and on sporting events, all hoping to strike it rich by being lucky. Moreover, as we all know, for every lucky person there are thousands, maybe millions of unlucky people. Again, studies have shown that most lottery winners are broke 5 years after winning more money than they could have earned in five lifetimes. Therefore, even being lucky once or twice does not mean you hold on to your wealth.

You can become rich by inheriting money.

By the time we are in our twenties, we should know if we are going to inherit anything. If you knew you are not going to inherit anything, then obviously you need to find some other way to become rich.

You can become rich by investing.

One of the most common complaints is that, it takes money to invest. The problem with investing, you can lose everything you invest if you are not financially educated and trained to be an investor.

You can become rich by building a business.

Building a business is the way most of the rich became very rich. Bill Gates built Microsoft, Michael Dell created Dell computers in his dormitory room. The problem is that building a business from scratch remains the riskiest of all the ways to become rich. Even purchasing a franchise, which is less risky, can be very expensive.

The Difference Between Big Business Owners and Small Business Owners.

The world is filled with small business owners who own restaurants. The difference between a single restaurant owner and Ray Kroc, who founded McDonalds is a network of hamburger restaurants known as a franchise network. Another example, in contrast, is a small business owner who own a television repair shop as compared to Ted Turner, who built CNN, which stands for Cable News Network. While many small business owners own businesses, very few business owners build networks. Building a business network is how the richest people in the world became rich.

You can become rich by building a network marketing business.

It is a very new and revolutionary way to acquire great wealth. If you will quickly glance/look over the first 10 ways to becoming rich, you may notice that the focus is a self-centered focus on who become rich. In other words, it might be seen as a greedy focus. For example, someone who tries to become rich by being cheap is primarily focused on themselves, someone who marries for money is definitely focused on the money for himself or herself. Even a big business is focused on only a few selected people becoming rich. When franchises came out, they made it possible for more people to become business owners and share in the wealth, but in most cases, franchises are reserved for only those with the money to buy the franchise.

A network marketing system – a system called – personal franchise or an invisible big business network. The system is open to anyone who has drive, determination and perseverance. The system does not really care what collage you went to, If you went to one, how much money you make today, what race or sex you are, how good looking you are, who your parents are, or how popular you are. Network marketing company care primarily about how much you are willing to learn, to change and to grow, and whether you have the guts to stick it out through thick and thin while you learn to be a business owner.

Henry Ford, one of the world’s greatest business persons, became rich by fulfilling the mission statement of his company, the Ford Motor Co. Ford mission statement was “Democratize the Automobile.” Ford’s idea was to make the automobile affordable for everyone, which is what Democratize the automobile means. Interesting enough, Henry Ford was an employee of Thomas Edison, and in his spare time, Henry designed his first automobile. In 1903, the Ford Motor Co. was born. Not only did he make his car affordable, he paid the highest wages in the industry as well as offering profit sharing plans for his workers. In other words, Henry Ford was a man who became rich because he cared not only for his customers, but because he cared for his workers. He was a generous man rather than a greedy man. Henry Ford was not well educated and like Thomas Edison, was often ridiculed because of his lack of formal education.

Henry Ford was asked to submit to a test by so-called smart people from the world of academics. On the appointed date, smart people came in to give him a question such as, “What is the tensile strength of the rolled steel you use?” Ford not knowing the answer simply reached for one of the many phones on his desk and called his vice-president who knows the answer. The next smart person then asked another question and again Ford, not knowing the answer called someone else from his staff who knows the answer. This process went on until finally one of the smart people on the panel shouted, “See, this proves you are ignorant. You don’t know the answer to any of the questions we ask you.” Henry Ford reportedly replied, “I don’t know the answer because I do not need to clutter/mess my head with the answers you seek. I hire smart young people from your schools who have memorized the answers you expect me to have memorized. My job is not to memorize information that you think is intelligence. My job is to keep my head clear of such clutter and trivial facts so that I can think.”

“Thinking is the hardest work there is. That is why so few people engage in it.” Henry Ford.

Wealth for Everyone.

A network marketing business is not a good business for greedy people. By design, it is the perfect business for people who like helping other people. If you are a person who truly wants to help as many people as possible achieve their financial goals and dreams, then the network marketing business is worthy of your time to consider. If helping other people is not your cup of tea, then there are at least 10 other methods to choose from.

“You can become rich by being cheap and greedy. You can also become rich by being abundant and generous. The method you choose will be the method that most closely matches the core values deep inside of you.”

How about you? What is your way to riches?

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Types of Intelligence

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Sat, 23 May 2009 03:06:00 +0000

“The key to success is to keep growing in all areas of life - mental, emotional, spiritual, as well as physical.” Julius Erving

Mental Intelligence – Generally, where IQ is measured in school.

Emotional Intelligence – It has been said that emotional intelligence is 25 times more powerful than mental intelligence. Ex. Keeping one’s cool rather than arguing back, not getting married to someone you know in the long run will not be a good life partner, and delayed gratification, the cause of many of today’s financial problems.

“A man's moral worth is not measured by what his religious beliefs are but rather by what emotional impulses he has received from Nature during his lifetime” Albert Einstein

Financial Intelligence – your financial intelligence is measured by how much money you make, how much money you keep, how hard that money works for you, and how many generations you can pass on the money to.

Why Smart People Fail To Become Rich?

One of the reasons many smart people fail to become rich, even though they have a high IQ, and did well in school, is because they lack the emotional intelligence required for financial success and wealth accumulation.

The Four Common Signs of Low Emotional IQ are:

They get rich too slowly because they play the money game to cautiously. – They are in a job in the E quadrant. Keeping their money in the bank earning very little in interest.
Trying to get rich too quickly. – This person lacks the emotional intelligence known as patience. This person often goes from job to job or hot new idea to hot new idea. They start something, get bored and quit.
Spend on impulse. – This person’s favorite form of exercise is going shopping. They shop until they drop. If they have money, they spend it on a whim. These people say, “Money seems to run through my fingers.”
Cannot stand owning anything of value. – Many of these people, rather than build a business, feel better working for someone else and working hard at something they will never own. The emotion of fear is so high that they could rather work for security rather than work for freedom.

“Having a high emotional IQ is essential to having a high financial IQ as Warren Buffet, America’s riches investor says, “A person who cannot manage their emotions cannot manage their money.”

“In the real world, emotional intelligence is more important than mental intelligence if you want to become rich.”

Do You Want To Improve Your Emotional IQ?

The first step in increasing our emotional IQ is to admit we need to improve it.

A network marketing business maybe the best training ground for EQ because it develops your emotional IQ. You raise your emotional IQ every time you overcome your own fears, your disappointments, your frustrations, and your own impatience to become a better person.

In other words, a network marketing business is a great place to get to know yourself better and work on improving yourself.

Ask yourself this question:
“How are my emotions interfering with my life? Are my emotions causing me to be…

Too shy?
Addicted to something?
Afraid of rejection?
Too impulsive/reckless?
Needing security?
Too angry?
Too impatient?
Too slow to change?
Too hot-tempered?
Lazy?

Once you begin improving your emotional IQ, you will probably find it easier to talk to people, communicate more clearly, and handle their emotions more effectively.

How about you? What is your intelligence?

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The Power of Teamwork

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:01:00 +0000

You don’t have to do it alone and you shouldn’t. The stronger your team, the more inevitable you are.

“You can make it, but it’s easier if you don’t have to do it alone.” Betty Ford

“Will you help me? Those are the only words you need to say, and someone will help you.” Tom Harken

“You can’t do it all yourself, Don’t be afraid to rely on others to help you accomplish your goals.” Oprah Winfrey

“It’s easier to be ignorant and say I don’t know about the problem. But once you know, once you’ve seen it in their eyes, then you have a responsibility to do something. There is strength in numbers, and if we all work together as a team, we can be inexorable.” Craig K.

“The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible – and achieve it, generation after generation.” Pearl S. Buck

“If you don’t know something, don’t be afraid to ask for help.” Gertrude Boyle

“The most important thing about establishing goals is to make sure they are important to other people in addition to you” Billy Payne

Building Your Team

Behind every great achiever is another achiever. No one attains greatness by themselves. Once you’ve committed yourself to becoming inexorable, you can begin to draw on the vast number of people and resources that can help you.

Step 1: Identify Role Models for Strength and Inspiration

The determined people were inspired by all sorts of individuals: great leaders from the past, people who achieved excellence in a particular field. Inspirational role models demonstrate what’s possible and provide an invaluable source of motivation, strength, and hope.

Arnold Schwarzenegger found hi role model, Peg Park, in a bodybuilding magazine. Peg was the powerful person in bodybuilding at that time, and Arnold dreamed of having huge muscles like Peg’s. Arnold learned everything he could about Peg – his training routine, diet, and lifestyle. The more he learned about Peg and followed his example, the more Arnold realized it was possible for him to become like Peg.

Create your own Gallery of Role Models. To create your gallery, first identify three or four individual who truly inspire you. Find pictures of these people and hang the pictures in a place where you spend quiet time for reflection. When challenging situation or feeling discouraged, look at the pictures of your role models. Draw strength from their spirit. Remind yourself that they have been where you are and that they prevailed. If they prevailed, so can you!

“The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It gives human beings a sense of destination and the energy to get started.” Norman Cousins

Step 2: Inventory Your Existing Contacts

You’re Only a Phone Call Away from ANYONE. There’s a saying that anyone is only a six people from the president. You know someone who knows someone who knows someone… right up to the Palace. And if you’re only six people away from the president, you’re only six people away from anyone you want to meet, whether it’s corporate CEO, a celebrity whose help you’d like to enlist to support a cause.

Draw on Your Existing Relationships

People like doing business with people they like, and they also like helping people they like. “If you don’t have a big name, borrow one.”

Make a list of all your contacts. Think of everyone you know and have done business with right up to the CEO of a company that has been a past client. Design a strategy that best uses your contacts. Maybe you’d like someone to make a phone call on your behalf, refer you to a contact in a particular industry, or write a letter of endorsement.

Step 3: Develop Your Own “Inner Circle”

The relationships were developed over years of invested time and energy. Networking is a skill that is never taught in school but is absolutely crucial if your dream requires the support of others. What ever your goal is, the principles are the same. Everyone can benefit from their own inner circle.

“From the beginning of time, those who became leaders were not necessarily the strongest or fiercest…but those with the most friends or connections.”

Find Candidates for Your “Inner Circle”

Nonprofit organizations: The absolute best place to find caring, action-oriented people is at nonprofit organizations. The board of directors of most nonprofit, comprise corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. No matter how busy you may be, if you’re not involved in a nonprofit, you are missing a great opportunity to invest in people. Identify a nonprofit that compliments your purpose and passion. Volunteer for a committee. By giving of your time and resources, you’ll gain the opportunity to make a difference in your community and meet great people you might not have ordinarily come in contact with.

Professional associations and conventions: People gather from all over the country to share ideas, methods, and techniques at industry conventions. These meeting offer an excellent forum to make a new connections and personally meet top achievers in almost any field. Do your research. After identifying the industry or field you want to pursue, go to the library or go on-line with your computer and look up the associations listed under that category. Call the association and request an information kit along with a list of upcoming conventions, seminars, and available publications and other materials. Identify the people you most want to meet, attend the meetings, and introduce yourself. Don’t be shy!

Your existing place of employment: If you are currently working for a corporation, don’t miss a valuable opportunity to maximize your existing resources. Every employee has a title and a job description. Unfortunately, many employees refuse to do anything outside of their job description. If you want to grow and become unstoppable, you must step “out of the box” and move beyond the confines of your job description. Think of opportunities that you could develop more fully. How could you maximize the job you currently have? What special projects could you volunteer to lead? Whom do you admire in your company and want to learn from? Step outside the “box.” No one will create these opportunities for you. You have to do it.

Find a coach: Personal coaches are becoming a unique profession of the 1990s. Coaches work with all types of individuals to help define and achieve goals: career, personal, or most often both. Find an individual who has expertise in an area where you require support. Think about the skills and abilities you have that could be useful to that person and then trade time coaching each other.

Action: Identify an area where you would like to learn more. Talk to your inner circle, and ask them if they know anyone in that field. Usually, each name you get will result in another referral until you meet the person you need to meet. If all of your leads eventually become dead-ends, do some research. Even Bill Gates can be reached by email. Take advantage of technology, and most important, take action! You have nothing to lose, and each step will bring you closer to your goal.

“A wise man learns by the experience of others. An ordinary man learns by his own experience. A fool learns by nobody’s experience.” Vern McLellan

Step 4: Develop a Mastermind Group – Your Personal Advisory Board

How about you? Do you have a Team?

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Develop a Mastermind Group – Your Personal Advisory Board

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Sat, 16 May 2009 06:00:00 +0000

Napoleon Hill defines a mastermind group as the “coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.” If “two heads are better than one,” when you have an entire team, you have an exponential magic. “Economic advantages may be created by any person who surrounds themselves with the advice, counsel, and personal cooperation of a group who are willing to lend him or her wholehearted aid in a spirit of harmony. Many people have similar interests or skills that can help you and who can be helped by your expertise. Members of a mastermind group bring together their varied backgrounds, information, and contacts for one specific reason: to help each group member achieve his or her goals.

A mastermind group provides a great opportunity to allow your inner circle to benefit others. Each of you has a contacts and knowledge that can be of value to a variety of people whether he or she works for a nonprofit organization or is an executive with a Fortune 500 company.

Finally, don’t underestimate who and what you know. Always look for ways you can offer help first. Build a reputation for being a “giver.” Brainstorm how your expertise or contacts can help others. Be the first to give. You’ll derive personal satisfaction in helping others. If you focus on giving and being of service to others, people will want to give back to you!

Identify three areas where you require support. Identify one person this week that could provide support in one of those areas and invite that person to join your mastermind group. Brainstorm with that person about how you could help each other achieve your respective goals. Discuss possible future members for the mastermind group, existing contacts, and resources you might each have that would help one another.

When it comes to teamwork, the math you learned in school doesn’t apply. One plus one equals far more than two. And one plus any other number can equal unstoppable results.

Be a member of the Mastermind Group

How to Develop your Creativity?

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:21:00 +0000

It’s happened to everyone who has a goal. You decide what you want, develop a plan, take the first step, and then the unexpected happens.

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” Michael Jordan

“What saved us over and over was our willingness to recognize what wasn’t working and quickly identify a new way of looking at it. By remaining flexible and open to creative solutions, the results have been miraculous.” Anita Roddick

“I don’t let obstacle get me down. I focus on how to overcome them. You can work around any obstacle by going under it if it’s too high, going over it if it’s too low. There’s always a way!” James Rocky Robinson

“The truth is that the average ‘bottom-of-the-ladder’ person is potentially as creative as the top executive who sits in the big office. The problem is that the person on the bottom of the ladder doesn’t trust his own brilliance and doesn’t therefore, believe in his own ideas.” Dr. Robert H. Schuller

“Things don’t just happen. You have to make them happen and you can count on nothing working out exactly as planned. By working hard and creatively looking for solutions, you will find your way around all of life’s obstacles.” Eula Hall

Ask ourselves the following question: “What can I do, with what I have, to get what I want?”

Tapping Your Creativity

Pursuing a goal is a constantly evolving process. No one who has ever followed a dream has taken a direct, unobstructed path and arrived at his or her destination effortlessly and on time. Following a dream is not a direct highway but a bumpy road full of twists and turns and occasional roadblocks. The journey requires modifications and adjustments in both thought and action, not just once, but over and over. And that means you must be flexible and creative.

Develop Your Inborn Creativity

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” That’s what Albert Einstein said, and Einstein was one of the most intelligent people who ever lived. He solved some of the greatest riddles of science, riddles that had confounded other scientists for centuries. Einstein was a master problem solver, yet he often said that his greatest asset in solving problems was not his intellect but his imagination.

The good news is you don’t have to be as imaginative as Einstein to be an effective problem solver. All people have an abundance of creativity within themselves to solve any problem that arises. The challenge is to keep your mind strong and flexible. Your mind functions like a muscle. Exercising your mind might require spending less time in front of the television set and more time thinking, creating, and brainstorming with others on how you can identify a solution to your challenges.

Exercise for Expanding Your Creativity

1^st, Identify a problem and write the problem across the top of the sheet. Then write the numbers 1 through 10 vertically down the left side of the sheet of paper. Finally, write ten possible solutions to your problem. The purpose of the exercise is to stretch your imagination and tap unconscious resources.

Next step in the exercise is to examine each solution and crossed out the ones that don’t lead anywhere.

Apply this exercise to one of your current problems. Perhaps you’re looking for a way to fund a new business, identify people who can help you launch a product, or determine the solution to a community problem. Write down ten different ways you could approach the problem and reach a solution. Make sure they are viable options, but stretch your imagination.

Remember, the solution to every problem lies within you. You may need a few minutes of quiet time to complete the exercise effectively, or you may need to brainstorm possible solution with a friend. Feel free to do whatever you think is necessary to connect with your inner knowing. When you’ve completed the exercise, you should find that the solutions you have found will renew your sense of possibility and commitment to your goal.

Be Flexible

“Your imagination is the preview to life’s coming attractions.” Albert Einstein

“Creative,” “flexible,” “imaginative” – these three words are almost interchangeable. If you are creative, you can think of alternative ways to work around problems, ways that align with your own skills and reflect your values. If you are flexible, you are able and willing to change and modify plans; you adjust to new circumstances and needs. If you are imaginative, you envision what is not and what can be – you see in your mind what you haven’t yet seen in the material world. All three words refer to your willingness to experiment with new approaches and fresh solutions.

Eli Whitney, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford, these people triumphed by using imagination and flexibility. They experimented with new materials and techniques that often seemed unrealistic or unbelievable at the time. For years, they suffered failure after failure, but they never felt regret. Each time they simply abandoned what did not work, revised their theories, and continued to look for what would work. They were flexible and humble enough to learn from other people’s ideas and experiments and to adapt them to their own projects.

Brian Tracy, business writer and consultant, says that to create a successful product, the product need be only 5% different from existing products. If the product is too different, it may be “ahead of its time,” and consumers may not be ready for it. Ideas are products too. Therefore, it is possible that a creative idea need be only slightly different to yield significant results.

Determined people always find their way over, around, or under every barrier that confronts them. A brick wall is intimidating, but it is not undefeatable. Determined people believe there’s a solution to every problem if they keep searching.

No one is asking you to become as creative as Shakespeare, as flexible as Houdini, or as imaginative as Da Vinci. But you may be surprised at how much exists within you. Dip into you well of creativity. Apply imagination, creativity, and flexibility to the challenges that predictably appear as you proceed toward your goal. If you tap only 5% of your potential, you are on your way to being 100% unstoppable.

How about you? Do you have a creative thinking?

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Preparation Builds the Foundation

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:37:00 +0000

The average individual has no real plan for his or her future. He or she may have fantasies and even hopes, but not plans.

“There is no sudden leap into the stratosphere. There is only advancing step by step, slowly and torturously, up the pyramid toward your goals.” Ben Stein

“I’ve always had a vision to do bigger and better things. Not just for myself, but for my family and community. I know you don’t do it all at once. It takes planning and preparation to get big things done, and I was willing to spend fifteen years preparing myself for the challenge." Lee Dunham

“I learned that confidence comes only after a measure of success, and success comes after a whole lot of practice and preparation.” Maury Wills

“I hated every minute of the training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." Muhammad Ali

“I believe that all of us have the potential to rise above our weaknesses, and even to use those weaknesses as foundations for our success. If we are willing to diligently practice and develop the skills, we can be successful in whatever field we choose.” Jackie Torrence

Your Personal Action Plan : Preparing for Your Future

Most people have no plan for their lives. Many have an idea that they’ll work a certain number of years, then retire. Some may have fantasies and hopes, but they do not have plans. Instead, they respond to what life brings according to the needs of the day. People may have innovative ideas but then might scrutinize them over and over until they find all the reasons why their ideas will not work.

The following steps will help you prepare your personal plan of action.
Step 1: Identify the Desired Result

The first step in designing a plan is to look ahead at the end result you envision. By developing clear vision of what you ultimately want to achieve, it will be easier to identify the steps to get there.

Action: Write a clear and brief statement of specifically what you want to accomplish and by what date. Make sure the statement is consistent with your PURPOSE and PASSION.

Step 2: Determine the Skills You’ll Need

Unstoppable people are willing to become students. They exert the energy and make the sacrifices necessary to educate themselves and to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill their dreams. Many people take training or pursue new job to broaden their experience and knowledge. Without exception, you must have a firm commitment to do whatever is necessary to become fully prepared for the tasks ahead.

Action: Research and identify the skills, education, and experience required to achieve your GOAL. One way to help you learn about those requirements is to talk to people who are doing what you want to do.

Step 3: Create a Plan of Action.

By their very nature, dreams have a tendency to be broad and unclear. You must convert your dream into reality. You can do so easily by taking your goal and breaking it into smaller steps. Then arrange the steps in priority order and write dates next to each step indicating when it must be accomplished to meet your ultimate objective. A clear, methodical approach will help you move steadily forward, without danger of being overwhelmed by the ultimate goal.

Action: Now it’s time for you to create your plan of action.

Write a clear and concise statement of specifically what you want to accomplish and by what date.

Break your goal down into single steps and activities.

Prioritize the steps and write dates next to each indicating when each step must be accomplished to meet your ultimate objective.

Review your action plan daily.

Do at least one thing every day to move yourself closer to your goal.

"A goal without a plan is just a wish.

Many of you have written plans and we are well on your way to accomplishing your goals. Some of you are just realizing what it is you really want. Regardless of what you want to accomplish, it begins with a dream. But without a plan, your dream may remain just a dream. Start now! Put together your action plan. Then, remember the action part.

How about you? Do you have a plan? Start today for this is the day that the Lord has made for you!

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Our Excitement and Passion - Fuels Unlimited Energy

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Sat, 09 May 2009 11:57:00 +0000

When purpose ignites the spirit, it generates an inexhaustible fire that burns in the heart of every determined person. That fire is passion.

By living on purpose and pursuing dreams and goals that are consistent with your natural strengths and desires, you can create inevitable passion almost effortlessly. And when that happens, nothing can stop you.

“You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles, and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you, if you don’t have that kind of feeling for what it is you’re doing, you’ll stop at the first giant hurdle.” George Lucas

“We all face obstacles of one kind or another in life. But if you let your deepest passion serve as your fuel, you’ll be able to travel the road back and move on to make your dreams happen.” Dr. Francisco Bucio

“Only passions, great passions, can elevate the soul to great things.” Diderot

“Doing something I really love has served my career more than anything else.” Stepen Connel with dyslexia often labeled “Slow” and “stupid” same as Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, and Hans Andersen.

“Make sure that the career you choose is one you enjoy. If you don’t enjoy what your are doing, it will be difficult to give the extra time, effort and devotion it takes to be a success. If it is a career that you find fun and enjoyable, then you will do whatever it takes. You will give freely of your time and effort and you will not feel that you are making a sacrifice in order to be a success.” Kathy Whitworth, Professional Golfer

See some of the great answers from this question: "What are the great benefits of doing what you really love?"

"You enjoy ever second, every minute of it" nisnis7™
"You will never regret doing what you love even your loves told you to don't do so" nisnis7™
"You can become successful...because you love what you're doing."olvermax
"You will not easily get tired because the burning passion will always motivate you"ainikola
"hhmm this is so shallow but what the hell, cause you won't be bored and enjoy it ,,,even if everyone is against you"ish^^
"Personal fulfillment, accomplishment, and satisfaction" jmayoriginals
"100% contentment and no regrets"olvermax
"It's like living your life to the fullest"TdKEury
"It's the self-satisfaction that counts"polarcat
"You know your purpose which brings a feeling of value"shellyhill
"Simple. Life is too short to be doing something you'll later regret, so do what you want while you can" Jeannette Cruz

Many of us are afraid to follow our passions, to pursue what we want most because it means taking risks and even facing failure. But to pursue your passion with all your heart and soul is success in itself. The greatest failure is to have never really tried.

“I would rather be a failure doing something I love than be a success doing something I hate.” George Burns

Replies from Plurkers:
"I turned down nursing for my passion in writing. I'm taking AB literature now and will probably take up creative writing for my masters" I was, and still am, a deans Lister. qpidity
"Life is full of sacrifices... you may choose to be happy but it is not a destiny its a choice."bcleng_22
"If you're a success at something you hate, you haven't really succeeded" jmayoriginals

“If you want to achieve great things in your life, you have to take risks. The first risk is daring to feel deeply, to be passionate about what you want and care about. Enthusiasm is the key to breaking through barriers, whether your dream is to touch one person or millions. Ken Kragen organizer of We Are The World 5.5 millions hands in hands for 4000 miles across 17 states.

“Do not allowed ourselves to be define or limited by others. Follow your passion, follow your heart. They will lead you to the place you want to go.” Evelyn Glennie deaf soloist pianist

Action Plan : Energizing Your Excitement and Passion

Passion generates a supply of positive energy far more abundant than vitamins, exercise or other health remedy you can imagine. When you’re passionate about what you do, it’s not just the destination that matters, but the entire journey. From beginning to end, the journey is an adventure. When you love what you do, you have the energy to overcome any obstacle.

Doing what you love has three immediate benefits:

1. You’ll Be Highly Motivated.

Passion is the fuel that drives you. It is an unlimited resources for energy and optimism.

“When you’re passionate, you’re focused, purposefully and determined, without even having to try. Your body, mind and spirit are all working in unison towards the same goal.” Marcia Wieder, Author of Making Your Dream Come True.

Without passion, one simply reduces life to existence, mediocrity, and indifference. The choice is yours. You can choose to access your lifeblood by getting in touch with your purpose and pursuing activities that ignite your passion. To live without passion is to live without fully experiencing life’s wonder, drama, and excitement. Living with passion allows you to experience your senses to their fullest. Passion is the energy that will propel you through any obstacle and turn your dreams into reality.

2. Work Will Seem Like Play

People with passion find it difficult to use the word “work”. Such person are pursuing what they most enjoy and what is a personally rewarding.

3. Others Will Share Your Passion and Enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm draws like a magnet, attracting others to your cause.

“A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go further than a great idea that inspires no one.”

Your passion is an asset. Use it to inspire and enlist the support of others. People ultimately have no choice but to honor passionate commitment.

Identify Your Passion.

To instill passion in your life, you must first return to your purpose. Purpose can lead you down many different paths. Let your unique personality, desire, and natural strengths lead you to the path that is right for you.

The following exercises will assist you in finding that path:

Action 1: Determine what you love. – realistically assess, based on where you are today, what you love to do and the assets you bring to the table.

Action 2. Identify activities based on your loves.

Based on your strengths and personal likes, identify three activities or goals you could set that are in line with your purpose. As an example, my purpose is to encourage others to become aware of the greater possibilities for their own lives and to take action.

Imagine how much richer your life could be if you injected passion into your life and career on a day-to-day basis. When you choose goals and activities that align with your purpose and support your natural strengths and loves, passion will automatically follow. Find what you love and give yourself to it completely. Once you have, nothing can stop you.

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God Said No

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:52:00 +0000

I asked God to take away my pride, and God said, No.
He said it was not for Him to take away, but for you to give it up.

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole, and God said, No.
He said her spirit is whole, her body is only temporary.

I asked God to grant me patience, and God said, No.
He said that patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.

I asked God to give me happiness, and God said, No.
He said He gives you blessings; happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me pain, and God said, No.
He said, "Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me."

I asked God to make my spirit grow, and God said, No.
He said I must grow on my own, but He will prune me to make me more fruitful.

I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life, and God said, No.
I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.

I asked God to help me LOVE others as much as He loves me,
and God said,
"Ahh, finally, you have the idea."

If you love God, share love!

THIS DAY IS YOURS, DON'T THROW IT AWAY

"To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be his/her world."

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Reflections of You

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Mon, 04 May 2009 07:31:00 +0000

Reflections of You

"A little boy and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating,
somewhere in the mountain:
"AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Curious, the little boy yells: "Who are you?"
He receives the answer: "Who are you?"

And then the boy screams to the mountain: "You're Stupid"
The voice answers: "You're Stupid"

Frustrated at the response, the boy screams: "I Hate You"
He receives the answer: "I Hate You"

He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"
The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."

The man screams: "You are a champion!"
The voice answers: "You are a champion!"

The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but
really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you
say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.

If you want more love in the world, create
more love in your heart. If you want people
to respect you, respect them.
This relationship applies to everything, in all
aspects of life. Life will give you back
everything you have given to it.

Your Life is not a Coincidence.
It's a Reflection of You!

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Use Goals to Help You Grow

noreply@blogger.com (Conrado C. Cucio) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:48:00 +0000

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

Our inventions, big and little, our medical discoveries, our engineering triumphs, our business success – were first visualized before they became realities. A goal is an objective, a purpose. A goal is more than a dream; it’s a dream being acted upon. A goal is more than a hazy ”Oh I wish I would”, A goal is clear “This is what I’m working toward”. Nothing happens; no forward steps are taken until a goal is established. Without goals’ individuals just wander through life. They stumble along, never knowing where they are going, so they never gat anywhere. Goals are essential to success as air is to life. No one ever stumbles into success without a goal. Get a clear fix on where you want to go. The important thing is not where you were or where you are but where you want to get. Without goal we cannot grow. No goal is like going to an airline ticket counter and saying “Give me a ticket”, the people selling the tickets just can’t help you unless you give them a destination. And the most important lesson in career planning, before you start out, knows where you want to go.

“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now”

Two steps that will help you to forward planning:

1. Visualize your future in terms of three departments: work, home and social. Dividing our life this way keeps you from becoming confused, prevent conflicts, and helps you look at the whole picture.

2.Demand of yourself clear, precise answers to this questions: What do I want to accomplish with my life? What do I want to be? And What does it take to satisfy me?

Planning guide below help us an image of me, 10 years from now:

A.Work Department: 10 years from now.

1. What income level do I want to attain?

2. What level of responsibilities do I seek?

3. How much authority do I expect to gain from my work?

B.Home Department: 10 years from now.

1. What kind of standard of living do I want to provide for my family and myself?

2. What kind of house do I want to live in?

3. What kind of vacations do I want to take?

4. What financial support do I want to give my children in their early adult years?

C.Social Department: 10 years from now.

1. What kind of friends do I want to have?

2. What social groups do I want to join?

3. What community leadership positions would I like to hold?

What worthwhile causes do I want to champion?

Success requires heart-and-soul effort, and you can put your heart and soul only into something you really desire. Switching from what you don’t like to do to what you do like to do is like putting a five-hundred horsepower motor in a ten-year-old-car.

People these days are measured by the size of their dreams. No one accomplishes more than he sets out to accomplish. So visualize a big future.

Five weapons are used to commit success suicide. Destroy them, they’re dangerous:

1. Self-depreciation. Example: I would like to be a doctor (or executive, etc.) but I can’t do it, I lack brain, education, etc.

2. Security-it is. Person who say “I’ve got security where I am” use security weapon to murder their dream.

3. Competition. The filed is already overcrowded.

4. Parental dictation. But my parent wants me to do this so I must.

5. Family responsibility. It would have been wise for me to change over five years ago, but now I’ve got a family and I can’t change.

The only way to get full power, to develop full go force, is to do what you want to do. Surrender to desire and gain energy, enthusiasm, mental zip and even better health. And it’s never too late to let desire take over. Successful people have their eyes focused on a goal, and this provides energy. The point is this – energy increases, multiplies, when you set a desired goal and resolve to work toward that goal.

When you surrender to your goal, the goal works itself into your subconscious mind. Your subconscious mind is always in balance. Your conscious mind is not, unless it is tune with what your subconscious mind is thinking. Without full cooperation from the subconscious mind, a person is hesitant, confused, indecisive. Now, with your goal absorbed into your subconscious mind you react the right way automatically. Example: Our goal through our subconscious mind signal us saying “do this” or “don’t do that it won’t help get you where you want to go.” The goal constantly speaks. “I am the image you want to make real.” Here is what you must do to make me real.” Use goals to live longer. No medicine in the world and your physician will bear this out – is a powerful in bringing about long life as is the desire to do something.

The person determined to achieve maximum success learns the principle that progress is made one step at a time. A house is built a brick at a time. Every big accomplishment is a series of little accomplishment. Commit this question to memory and use it to evaluate everything you do: “Will this help take me where I want to go?” If the answer is no, back off, if yes, press ahead. Examine yourself. Decide what specific things you should do o make yourself more effective.

Lots of conscious effort, invested day by day, made the person what he is. Building new positive habits and destroying old negative habits is a day by day process.

It’s true that many factors outside your control do affect your destination (maybe serious illness, death in your family, you may meet with an accident). So here is a point we must fix firmly in mind: prepare to take detours in stride. If you are driving down a road and you come to a “road closed” situation, you wouldn’t camp there, nor would you go back home. The road closed simply means you can’t go where you want to go on this road. You’d simply find another road to take you where you want to go. (Ex. Military leaders do, when they develop a master plan to take an objective, they have a plan A that if doesn’t’ work, switch in to plan B). When we detour we don’t have to change our goals. We just travel a different route.

The biggest and most rewarding kind of investment is self-investment, purchasing things that build mental power and proficiency. Profit comes from only one source: investment. To profit, to get the extra reward above a “normal” income in the year ahead, we must invest in ourselves. We must invest to achieve our goals.

Two sound self-investments that will pay handsome profits in the year ahead:

1. Invest in education. True education is the soundest investment you can make in yourself. Let’s be sure we understand what education really is. Some measure education by the number of years spent in school, or number of diplomas, certificates and degrees earned but these doesn’t necessarily produce a successful person. (Ex. General Electric with 12 out of 41 executives has no collage degrees and two of the most outstanding presidents never had an opportunity to attend collage. They (the business) are more interested in competency not diplomas). A diploma or degree may help you get a job, but it will not guarantee your progress on the job. Real education, the kind worth investing in, is that which develops and cultivates your mind. How well educated a person is, is measured by how well his mind is developed – in brief, by how well he thinks. Anything that improves thinking ability is education.

2. Invest in idea starters. Education help you mould your mind, stretch it, train it to meet new situations and solve problems. Idea starters serve a related purpose. They feed your mind; give you constructive material to think about. Resolve to purchase at least one stimulating book each moth and subscribe to magazine or journals that stress ideas. But it costs too much. Obviously a much more successful minded person replied. “Well, I’ve found that I can’t afford not to take it” Again, take your cue from the successful people. Invest in yourself

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