I was lucky. I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation - the Macintosh - a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started?
Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me - I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.
I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.
During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT.
I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.
I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple.It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers.
Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking.
Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
Steve Jobs
1955-2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Spend it or invest it (and I'm not talking about money)...
By Dr Robert Anthony
If you look at socioeconomic studies for low income households, you
will find that they may have a copy of the National Enquirer or a
Bible in their homes. If you go to a medium income household
you will find a few books (usually by the toilet!) with a glossy
gossip magazine in the family room. But what do you think you will
find in high income household? A library of non-fiction books.
So the question we must ask is this: is the socioeconomic status
determined by what people read or does what people read bring the
status? I will guarantee you it is the latter.
All great leaders are readers. You will never grow spiritually,
emotionally or financially by watching TV news and reading the
tabloids. Remember there are only two things you can do with your
brainpower as it relates to time. You can either spend it, or
invest it. Time spent (wasted) is gone forever. Investment in the
form of learning creates a lifetime of payoff not only in knowledge,
but in income as well. Decide right now that you are going to
invest your greatest asset, which is your time, in learning and
studying things that will bring you closer to your desires.
If you look at socioeconomic studies for low income households, you
will find that they may have a copy of the National Enquirer or a
Bible in their homes. If you go to a medium income household
you will find a few books (usually by the toilet!) with a glossy
gossip magazine in the family room. But what do you think you will
find in high income household? A library of non-fiction books.
So the question we must ask is this: is the socioeconomic status
determined by what people read or does what people read bring the
status? I will guarantee you it is the latter.
All great leaders are readers. You will never grow spiritually,
emotionally or financially by watching TV news and reading the
tabloids. Remember there are only two things you can do with your
brainpower as it relates to time. You can either spend it, or
invest it. Time spent (wasted) is gone forever. Investment in the
form of learning creates a lifetime of payoff not only in knowledge,
but in income as well. Decide right now that you are going to
invest your greatest asset, which is your time, in learning and
studying things that will bring you closer to your desires.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
You Are What You Think
If you think you are beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't;
If you'd like to win, but you think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't;
If you think you'll lose, you've lost,
For out in the world you'll find
Success begins with a fellow's will
It's all in the state of mind.
Full many a race is lost
Ere even a race is run,
And many a coward fails
Ere even his work's begun.
Think big, and your deeds will grow,
Think small and you fall behind,
Think that you can, and you will;
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are;
You've got to think high to rise;
You've got to be sure of yourself
before You can ever win a prize.
Life's battle doesn't always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the fellow who thinks he can.
By an anonymous author
Books:
You Are What You Think
You Are What You Think
You Can If You Think you Can
If you think you dare not, you don't;
If you'd like to win, but you think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't;
If you think you'll lose, you've lost,
For out in the world you'll find
Success begins with a fellow's will
It's all in the state of mind.
Full many a race is lost
Ere even a race is run,
And many a coward fails
Ere even his work's begun.
Think big, and your deeds will grow,
Think small and you fall behind,
Think that you can, and you will;
It's all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are;
You've got to think high to rise;
You've got to be sure of yourself
before You can ever win a prize.
Life's battle doesn't always go
To the stronger or faster man;
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the fellow who thinks he can.
By an anonymous author
Books:
You Are What You Think
You Are What You Think
You Can If You Think you Can
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Is there Such a Thing as Instant Success?
"The best preparation for good work tomorrow is good work today." - Elbert Hubbard
The most frustrating thing that you can feel is to want something really badly, and not be able to get it straight away.
Yes, frustrating – but is it realistic to want something straight away?
Many people will tell you yes it is. You just have to type “instant success” in Google, and look at the headlines: Everyone promises to deliver you instant success.
And when it comes to products being sold, you are expected to buy it instantly too.
We live in an “instant” society. Anything we want can be delivered right now, and you start expecting things you want instantly too. Most people are expecting their wants to be delivered instantly. When they want it, they want it NOW!
Most people give up on their wants if they can’t get it instantly. It is becoming increasingly rate to find people who are willing to put in the time or effort required to get the success they want. They are after instant gratification.
This is how we’ve been taught, and we see it as our right.
Now, this is your right: It's your right to have the same opportunity to work for what you want. You have to sacrifice to reach your dreams just like every other person who ever lived.
Your right is not instant gratification, but working for what you want. Have you ever heard the saying: “God helps those who help themselves?” You are not helping yourself if you are after instant gratification. You are hurting yourself. Instant gratification does not help you to grow, it does not give you any satisfaction, and it only keeps you contented. Setting and reaching goals, and taking the time to do so, gives you immense pleasure.
So take time to have the things you want. Set goals, and find out what to do to achieve them. No-one is lucky that way. Luck takes work.
Put the effort in today and you'll get luckier and luckier. Will you reach your goal immediately? Probably not. Anything worth having takes time and effort. Nothing falls into your lap.
You can’t put tomorrow before today.
So set those goals. Be all you can be.
Books on Success:
The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
Success Is Not an Accident: Change Your Choices; Change Your Life
The Real Truth about Success: What the Top 1% Do Differently, Why They Won't Tell You, and How You Can Do It Anyway!
The most frustrating thing that you can feel is to want something really badly, and not be able to get it straight away.
Yes, frustrating – but is it realistic to want something straight away?
Many people will tell you yes it is. You just have to type “instant success” in Google, and look at the headlines: Everyone promises to deliver you instant success.
And when it comes to products being sold, you are expected to buy it instantly too.
We live in an “instant” society. Anything we want can be delivered right now, and you start expecting things you want instantly too. Most people are expecting their wants to be delivered instantly. When they want it, they want it NOW!
Most people give up on their wants if they can’t get it instantly. It is becoming increasingly rate to find people who are willing to put in the time or effort required to get the success they want. They are after instant gratification.
This is how we’ve been taught, and we see it as our right.
Now, this is your right: It's your right to have the same opportunity to work for what you want. You have to sacrifice to reach your dreams just like every other person who ever lived.
Your right is not instant gratification, but working for what you want. Have you ever heard the saying: “God helps those who help themselves?” You are not helping yourself if you are after instant gratification. You are hurting yourself. Instant gratification does not help you to grow, it does not give you any satisfaction, and it only keeps you contented. Setting and reaching goals, and taking the time to do so, gives you immense pleasure.
So take time to have the things you want. Set goals, and find out what to do to achieve them. No-one is lucky that way. Luck takes work.
Put the effort in today and you'll get luckier and luckier. Will you reach your goal immediately? Probably not. Anything worth having takes time and effort. Nothing falls into your lap.
You can’t put tomorrow before today.
So set those goals. Be all you can be.
Books on Success:
The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
Success Is Not an Accident: Change Your Choices; Change Your Life
The Real Truth about Success: What the Top 1% Do Differently, Why They Won't Tell You, and How You Can Do It Anyway!
Monday, April 25, 2011
The KEY To Success - Are You Missing It?
By Dr Robert Anthony
Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Psychologist Martin Seligman, the godfather of the positive psychology moment, conducted extensive research in optimists versus pessimists. What he found was optimism can be learned. He discovered that optimists consistently talk about what they are rather than what they are not, or what they have instead of what they don't have. Pessimists have one thing in common, they talk about why things are not the way they should be and what they don't have.
We are not born pessimists. In fact, all children are optimists until we program them differently. Stand outside any amusement park on any given weekend and talk to the families that exit. Kids come out and you ask them, "What did you think of the park?" The gush, "Oh that was so cool!" Now talk to the parents and here is what they say, "Lines are too long". "Food was overpriced". "The damn noise and crowds get on my nerves". So is the amusement park a happy place or a place from hell? The answer is - it is neither. It depends on the meaning we give to it.
How did we go from being born optimists to being pessimists? Somewhere along the way we were trained not to be optimistic in case things don't work out. If you are too optimistic and things don't work out you will be very disappointed. But if you are pessimistic and they don't work out you will be less disappointed and of course, you will be "right".
Seligman also states that we can learn or relearn how to be optimistic. According to his research optimists outperform pessimists ten to one! Maybe it is time to reprogram our thinking and ask, "What is good about this situation?" and if we cannot find the good, ask, "What does my reaction to this say about me?" This can help you to become more of an optimist.
Books by Dr Robert Anthony:
Think Again , By Dr. Robert Anthony
Dr Robert Anthonys Advanced Formula For Total Success
Beyond Positive Thinking: A No-Nonsense Formula for Getting the Results You Want
Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Psychologist Martin Seligman, the godfather of the positive psychology moment, conducted extensive research in optimists versus pessimists. What he found was optimism can be learned. He discovered that optimists consistently talk about what they are rather than what they are not, or what they have instead of what they don't have. Pessimists have one thing in common, they talk about why things are not the way they should be and what they don't have.
We are not born pessimists. In fact, all children are optimists until we program them differently. Stand outside any amusement park on any given weekend and talk to the families that exit. Kids come out and you ask them, "What did you think of the park?" The gush, "Oh that was so cool!" Now talk to the parents and here is what they say, "Lines are too long". "Food was overpriced". "The damn noise and crowds get on my nerves". So is the amusement park a happy place or a place from hell? The answer is - it is neither. It depends on the meaning we give to it.
How did we go from being born optimists to being pessimists? Somewhere along the way we were trained not to be optimistic in case things don't work out. If you are too optimistic and things don't work out you will be very disappointed. But if you are pessimistic and they don't work out you will be less disappointed and of course, you will be "right".
Seligman also states that we can learn or relearn how to be optimistic. According to his research optimists outperform pessimists ten to one! Maybe it is time to reprogram our thinking and ask, "What is good about this situation?" and if we cannot find the good, ask, "What does my reaction to this say about me?" This can help you to become more of an optimist.
Books by Dr Robert Anthony:
Think Again , By Dr. Robert Anthony
Dr Robert Anthonys Advanced Formula For Total Success
Beyond Positive Thinking: A No-Nonsense Formula for Getting the Results You Want
Saturday, April 23, 2011
You Are No Different
By Bob Perks
Picture in your mind the most incredible thing designed by mankind that you have ever seen. Perhaps the Empire State Building, the Shuttle built by the technicians at NASA, The Golden Gate Bridge or even the intricate detailing in a painting you've seen.
What name comes to mind when I say the words "creative genius?"
Who do you think of when I mention God-like compassion, caring and loving?
What author's name do you think of when I mention "poetry," "drama," "mystery," "fiction," and "comedy?"
What do you see when I say "strength," and "stamina?"
Finally "winner," "successful," or "role model?"
I'll bet you a Kids Meal at McDonald's you never saw yourself in any of those images. And yet...
Look at your hands. Are they not the same as the hands of the skillful artist, architect, mason, or technician?
If you were to x-ray your skull, would you not find the same brain matter that takes up the space between the ears of Einstein, Plato, and Disney?
Hold your hand to your chest. Can you feel the beat of a heart capable of paining for the homeless and starving? Have you not the same heart that beat in the chest of Jesus, Gandhi, Mohamed or the thousands of missionaries around the world?
Look at your fingers. Are they not like the fingers of Frost, Churchill, Stevens, Wilder and King that held tightly the pens that wrote the words that shaped the world?
Look at your feet. Show me the difference between yours and gold medalists of the Olympics or the rescuers who carried the people out of the rubble in a tragic earthquake.
Finally. Close your eyes as you stand in front of a mirror and picture in your mind that man or woman who you think of as a success, a winner and role model. Open your eyes and explain to me the difference between you and that person.
There is no difference...except in how you perceive yourself.
You have the mind, the hands, the feet, the fingers, the heart to be exactly what you want to be. The only thing that is stopping you is the person you see in the mirror.
You have all that it takes.
Bob Perks
Bob Perks is an inspirational author and speaker. Bob's new book I Wish You Enough has been published by Thomas Nelson Publishers. A collection of stories based on his Eight Wishes expressed below. Available through your favorite bookstore or online. Visit www.BobPerks.com
Picture in your mind the most incredible thing designed by mankind that you have ever seen. Perhaps the Empire State Building, the Shuttle built by the technicians at NASA, The Golden Gate Bridge or even the intricate detailing in a painting you've seen.
What name comes to mind when I say the words "creative genius?"
Who do you think of when I mention God-like compassion, caring and loving?
What author's name do you think of when I mention "poetry," "drama," "mystery," "fiction," and "comedy?"
What do you see when I say "strength," and "stamina?"
Finally "winner," "successful," or "role model?"
I'll bet you a Kids Meal at McDonald's you never saw yourself in any of those images. And yet...
Look at your hands. Are they not the same as the hands of the skillful artist, architect, mason, or technician?
If you were to x-ray your skull, would you not find the same brain matter that takes up the space between the ears of Einstein, Plato, and Disney?
Hold your hand to your chest. Can you feel the beat of a heart capable of paining for the homeless and starving? Have you not the same heart that beat in the chest of Jesus, Gandhi, Mohamed or the thousands of missionaries around the world?
Look at your fingers. Are they not like the fingers of Frost, Churchill, Stevens, Wilder and King that held tightly the pens that wrote the words that shaped the world?
Look at your feet. Show me the difference between yours and gold medalists of the Olympics or the rescuers who carried the people out of the rubble in a tragic earthquake.
Finally. Close your eyes as you stand in front of a mirror and picture in your mind that man or woman who you think of as a success, a winner and role model. Open your eyes and explain to me the difference between you and that person.
There is no difference...except in how you perceive yourself.
You have the mind, the hands, the feet, the fingers, the heart to be exactly what you want to be. The only thing that is stopping you is the person you see in the mirror.
You have all that it takes.
Bob Perks
Bob Perks is an inspirational author and speaker. Bob's new book I Wish You Enough has been published by Thomas Nelson Publishers. A collection of stories based on his Eight Wishes expressed below. Available through your favorite bookstore or online. Visit www.BobPerks.com
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Riding Out Life's Tsunamis
by Rubel Shelly
It has been over a month now since a powerful magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan. The confirmed death toll is over 13,000 and continues to rise. In the midst of all the horror stories are occasional heroic tales of survival and rescue. One of the most fascinating is that of Susumu Sugawara.
The 64-year-old Sugawara is the owner-operator of a small boat named "Sunflower." After the massive earthquake and in view of the tsunami warnings being broadcast, he had to make a quick decision. Should he head for high ground on his island of Oshima? Should he put his boat to sea and try to ride out the fury? His chose to launch his boat and head for deep water offshore.
"I knew if I didn't save my boat," he told a CNN reporter, "my island would be isolated and in trouble." So he ran to his 42-year-old craft that can hold about 20 people at a time and went full-throttle toward the deadly waves that would kill people whose names and faces he knew. Then he saw the wall of water.
Accustomed to waves ten to twelve feet high, this one was fully 50 to 60 feet high. Sugawara knew that he and his boat could easily wind up at the bottom of the sea. He drove straight for it - "climbing the wave like a mountain," as he put it. And the mountain seemed only to grow bigger and bigger. There was a huge crash of water over him. Only then could he see the horizon. He had survived!
Sugawara made his way back to his now-devastated Oshima. For the month since, he has been a lifeline by making hourly trips to the mainland to ferry people and supplies. If people can help pay for gasoline, he accepts money. If they have lost everything and can pay nothing, he still welcomes them aboard.
I'm no sailor or boat captain. I don't know if the Japanese captain made the reasonable and right decision on that fateful day. I can only report and rejoice at the outcome. He lived through the ordeal and is helping others with a sense of sensitivity to their suffering the rest of us can only admire from a distance.
Here is the lesson from this story for me: Against my hesitation and fear, it makes more sense to ride into the teeth of life's challenges than to run away.
There is a cash-flow crisis. There is an unexpected problem with a product. A major supplier has failed, or a major customer has bailed. Some executives kick into denial mode or ball up in a fetal position. Their companies fail. Leaders steer right into the problem and act with integrity to name and face the problem.
Or maybe the problem is far more serious. A spouse says the marriage is over. The police or hospital calls with a parent's worst nightmare about an arrest or accident. Maybe you get a diagnosis that sounds like a death sentence. Do you run and hide? Self-medicate with drugs or alcohol? Or do you steer into the teeth of the storm and pray for courage you have never had to display before?
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face," said Eleanor Roosevelt. "You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next one that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do."
About Rubel Shelly:
Rubel Shelly is a Preacher and Professor of Religion and Philosophy located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. In addition to church and academic responsibilities, he has worked actively with such community projects as Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, From Nashville With Love, Metro (Nashville) Public Schools, Faith Family Medical Clinic, and Operation Andrew Ministries. To learn more about Rubel please go to: www.RubelShelly.com
Books
Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box
Strengths-Based Leadership
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
It has been over a month now since a powerful magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan. The confirmed death toll is over 13,000 and continues to rise. In the midst of all the horror stories are occasional heroic tales of survival and rescue. One of the most fascinating is that of Susumu Sugawara.
The 64-year-old Sugawara is the owner-operator of a small boat named "Sunflower." After the massive earthquake and in view of the tsunami warnings being broadcast, he had to make a quick decision. Should he head for high ground on his island of Oshima? Should he put his boat to sea and try to ride out the fury? His chose to launch his boat and head for deep water offshore.
"I knew if I didn't save my boat," he told a CNN reporter, "my island would be isolated and in trouble." So he ran to his 42-year-old craft that can hold about 20 people at a time and went full-throttle toward the deadly waves that would kill people whose names and faces he knew. Then he saw the wall of water.
Accustomed to waves ten to twelve feet high, this one was fully 50 to 60 feet high. Sugawara knew that he and his boat could easily wind up at the bottom of the sea. He drove straight for it - "climbing the wave like a mountain," as he put it. And the mountain seemed only to grow bigger and bigger. There was a huge crash of water over him. Only then could he see the horizon. He had survived!
Sugawara made his way back to his now-devastated Oshima. For the month since, he has been a lifeline by making hourly trips to the mainland to ferry people and supplies. If people can help pay for gasoline, he accepts money. If they have lost everything and can pay nothing, he still welcomes them aboard.
I'm no sailor or boat captain. I don't know if the Japanese captain made the reasonable and right decision on that fateful day. I can only report and rejoice at the outcome. He lived through the ordeal and is helping others with a sense of sensitivity to their suffering the rest of us can only admire from a distance.
Here is the lesson from this story for me: Against my hesitation and fear, it makes more sense to ride into the teeth of life's challenges than to run away.
There is a cash-flow crisis. There is an unexpected problem with a product. A major supplier has failed, or a major customer has bailed. Some executives kick into denial mode or ball up in a fetal position. Their companies fail. Leaders steer right into the problem and act with integrity to name and face the problem.
Or maybe the problem is far more serious. A spouse says the marriage is over. The police or hospital calls with a parent's worst nightmare about an arrest or accident. Maybe you get a diagnosis that sounds like a death sentence. Do you run and hide? Self-medicate with drugs or alcohol? Or do you steer into the teeth of the storm and pray for courage you have never had to display before?
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face," said Eleanor Roosevelt. "You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next one that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do."
About Rubel Shelly:
Rubel Shelly is a Preacher and Professor of Religion and Philosophy located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. In addition to church and academic responsibilities, he has worked actively with such community projects as Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, From Nashville With Love, Metro (Nashville) Public Schools, Faith Family Medical Clinic, and Operation Andrew Ministries. To learn more about Rubel please go to: www.RubelShelly.com
Books
Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box
Strengths-Based Leadership
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The World Is Mine
Forgive Me When I Whine
Today, upon a bus,
I saw a girl with golden hair.
And wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
But as she passed, she gave a smile.
I saw a girl with golden hair.
And wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
But as she passed, she gave a smile.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 legs, the world is mine.
I have 2 legs, the world is mine.
I stopped to buy some candy.
The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me,
"I thank you, you've been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you.
You see," he said, "I'm blind."
The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me,
"I thank you, you've been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you.
You see," he said, "I'm blind."
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 eyes, the world is mine.
I have 2 eyes, the world is mine.
Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play.
He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
"Why don't you join the others, dear?"
I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play.
He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
"Why don't you join the others, dear?"
He looked ahead without a word.
And then I knew, he couldn't hear.
And then I knew, he couldn't hear.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have 2 ears, the world is mine.
I have 2 ears, the world is mine.
With feet to take me where I'd go.
With eyes to see the sunset's glow.
With ears to hear what I'd know.
With eyes to see the sunset's glow.
With ears to hear what I'd know.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine.
Monday, April 4, 2011
What Have You Accomplished?
"One of the marks of excellent people is that they never compare themselves with others. They only compare themselves with themselves and with their past accomplishments and future potential." - Brian Tracy
We all have accomplished certain things in our lives. Yet sometimes we do not interpret these accomplishments as positive, or we forget them and consider them unimportant.
Your past accomplishments are proof of your identity as Achiever.
Consider what you have accomplished in the different areas of your life: Academic, Career, Social, Relational, Sport, etc.
Be proud of yourself. There are many people who would look at this list and be impressed. Even if they are not impressed, they certainly would not say that you have accomplished nothing. These are the things that you have achieved, and they indicate that you will still be able to do more in your life. You are older smarter and wiser. You have the potential and you have a purpose for your life.
Expect that your future holds many more achievements.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Are You a Good Friend?
By Dr Robert Anthony
"She became for me an island of light, fun, wisdom where I could run with my discoveries and torments and hopes at any time of day and find welcome." - May Sarton
Friendship is a balm during difficult times and an added joy in times of celebration. If you are lucky enough to have people in your life who have known you for many years, then you realize that there is a special kind of kinship in being known throughout your life. If your friends know you well, they can validate how you have changed and how, after all these years, you haven't. If you have
permission in your friendships, they can remind you of your hidden talents and encourage you to take the chances you shy away from.
Having a good friend is also about being one. A balanced friendship is seldom 50/50 all the time. Sometimes one person needs more than another for a while and then it switches around. However, a healthy friendship is not about one person continually being dependent on another. As you find yourself higher on the Levels of Awareness you may find that your friendships change. The people you were close to in the Victim/Struggle Level are seldom the same
people you want to hang out with when you are in Deliberate Creation.
Notice today how you are a good friend. Are there ways that you could be an even better friend? That might be an interesting conversation to share with a friend you care about.
"There's a special kind of freedom friends enjoy. Freedom to share innermost thoughts, to ask a favor, to show their true feelings. The freedom to simply be themselves." - Unknown
Books:
The Secret of Frienship (The Wizard of the Magic Road)
How to Be an Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving
Why Can't You Read My Mind? Overcoming the 9 Toxic Thought Patterns that Get in the Way of a Loving Relationship
"She became for me an island of light, fun, wisdom where I could run with my discoveries and torments and hopes at any time of day and find welcome." - May SartonFriendship is a balm during difficult times and an added joy in times of celebration. If you are lucky enough to have people in your life who have known you for many years, then you realize that there is a special kind of kinship in being known throughout your life. If your friends know you well, they can validate how you have changed and how, after all these years, you haven't. If you have
permission in your friendships, they can remind you of your hidden talents and encourage you to take the chances you shy away from.
Having a good friend is also about being one. A balanced friendship is seldom 50/50 all the time. Sometimes one person needs more than another for a while and then it switches around. However, a healthy friendship is not about one person continually being dependent on another. As you find yourself higher on the Levels of Awareness you may find that your friendships change. The people you were close to in the Victim/Struggle Level are seldom the same
people you want to hang out with when you are in Deliberate Creation.
Notice today how you are a good friend. Are there ways that you could be an even better friend? That might be an interesting conversation to share with a friend you care about.
"There's a special kind of freedom friends enjoy. Freedom to share innermost thoughts, to ask a favor, to show their true feelings. The freedom to simply be themselves." - Unknown
Books:
The Secret of Frienship (The Wizard of the Magic Road)
How to Be an Adult in Relationships: The Five Keys to Mindful Loving
Why Can't You Read My Mind? Overcoming the 9 Toxic Thought Patterns that Get in the Way of a Loving Relationship
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Who Decides Your Limits?
'All of us do not have equal talent, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talents.' - John F. Kennedy
We all have talents. Some people are more talented than others, but each of us have talents unique to us.
Yet many of us don’t even know what talents we have. Bullies or jealous peers may have made comments putting us down. Well meaning (or not so well meaning) adults may have told us to “be realistic” and that what you’re dreaming is “impossible.”
Who decides what you can or cannot do? Who decides your abilities, your limits?
Who is right? Who is wrong? Can anyone see all of your potential?
Discard the beliefs that others have convinced you of. They do not know what you can and cannot do.
If you can dream it, you can do it. You won’t have a strong desire to do anything that you are not able to do. Everything you need to succeed is already within you.
Reach out and take old of your dream today. Decide to go for it. Go ahead, be all you can be.
Books:
Achieve Your Unlimited Potential And Create Boundless Possibilities
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Who are you listening to?
“The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.” Oscar Wilde
“No one really listens to anyone else, and if you try it for a while you'll see why.” Mignon McLaughlin
Doesn't it seem like everywhere you turn someone is trying to tell you what to do with your problems or challenges...whether they know what they're talking about or not? The danger is when you start to listen to it. You'll usually find that your advisor or critics rarely, if ever, follow their own advice.
Who are you listening to? Do you take advice and criticism from people who have no business giving it out? Is it usually helpful?
More often than not though, critics have other agendas. And they couldn't take their own advice if their lives depended on it. The problem with hearing unwanted or unwarranted criticism is that it usually isn't put in a constructive way.
When I was failing at sales, everyone had advice. The trouble was, the people giving it were the furthest thing from professionals.
Now don't get me wrong: Criticism delivered properly from someone who has done what you’re trying to do is healthy, correcting feedback if you want to learn from them. Someone like a mentor.
So here are two suggestions:
Don't give advice. People don't want it. They don't use it. And they'll get sick of hearing it. If you must, be a sounding board instead. When people hear themselves out loud, they often get the answer they were looking for without outside advice. It's hard enough to change yourself, changing others is impossible.
And don't let critics ruin your mood. Not even for a minute. If someone comes along and gives you “advice” and you find yourself feeling powerless, make a mental note not to let yourself get into the same position of having to listen to unsolicited “advice” again.
Listen to yourself and to people who have overcome the same challenges that you're facing. That's it. Talk to friends about your challenges, but unless they've overcome the same thing, be very careful about taking their suggestions.
It could be very costly to your emotional, physical and financial health.
Books
100 Ways to Motivate Yourself: Change Your Life Forever
How To Change Yourself (A Man's Guide To Inner Change, Reaching Goals, And Making Things Happen)
Saturday, March 12, 2011
There are two ways of being rich...
"There are two ways of being rich. One is to have all you want, the other is to be satisfied with what you have." - Unknown
How easy is it for you to really feel satisfied? Look around you right now and notice your surroundings. Do you like what you see or do you see what you don't like?
How do you feel about yourself right now? Can you truly appreciate yourself today, still knowing there may be aspects you would like to improve?
The higher you live on the Levels of Awareness, the more likely you are to feel satisfied. That's true because the more aware and capable of making good choices you are, the less you are caught in struggle. The higher on the Levels of Awareness you live, the richer you are likely to feel, not only in terms of finances, but also in terms of personal satisfaction.
Being satisfied is an inside job. No amount of money or material good can give you the inner feeling of satisfaction. We are not taught to be satisfied. We are taught and trained by the media to want more.
Today don't chase satisfaction. Sit still for a moment and let it bubble up from inside you, like an underground stream.
Books:
Dr Robert Anthonys Advanced Formula For Total Success
Beyond Positive Thinking: A No-Nonsense Formula for Getting the Results You Want
The Ultimate Secrets of Total Self-Confidence (Revised)
How easy is it for you to really feel satisfied? Look around you right now and notice your surroundings. Do you like what you see or do you see what you don't like?
How do you feel about yourself right now? Can you truly appreciate yourself today, still knowing there may be aspects you would like to improve?
The higher you live on the Levels of Awareness, the more likely you are to feel satisfied. That's true because the more aware and capable of making good choices you are, the less you are caught in struggle. The higher on the Levels of Awareness you live, the richer you are likely to feel, not only in terms of finances, but also in terms of personal satisfaction.
Being satisfied is an inside job. No amount of money or material good can give you the inner feeling of satisfaction. We are not taught to be satisfied. We are taught and trained by the media to want more.
Today don't chase satisfaction. Sit still for a moment and let it bubble up from inside you, like an underground stream.
Books:
Dr Robert Anthonys Advanced Formula For Total Success
Beyond Positive Thinking: A No-Nonsense Formula for Getting the Results You WantThe Ultimate Secrets of Total Self-Confidence (Revised)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Laughter is and Instant Vacation
By Dr Robert Anthony
"Laughter is an instant vacation!" - Milton Berle
When was the last time you laughed? I'm not talking about a chuckle or a smirk. I'm talking about a good, hard belly laugh. Remember the last time you laughed until you cried - doesn't just the memory of that feel good?
Some statistics tell us that children laugh 300 times a day, adults only 15. Others say children laugh 146 times a day and adults 4. Whatever the actual numbers are, it's clear that we, as adults, are not having much fun! And I'm willing to bet that many adults aren't
making the statistical average these days - even as low as it is - especially if they listen to the news and get caught up in negative conversations, of which there are plenty to be had if you succumb.
Laughter is good for the soul and the body. Science tells us that laughing has many health benefits, among them the release of endorphins and decreased blood pressure and stress hormones (70% of diseases are stress-related).
But laughing is not something you should do because it's good for you - it's something you should do because it feels good. Actually, it feels great and it provides an instant connection to
the Flow. We know that the Rich Mind Life Strategy course can seem quite serious at times, but recognize that we want you to be light about your life - don't take it so seriously. You can almost always find humor in a situation if you look for it.
What makes you laugh? Rent it, watch it, read it. Who makes you laugh? Call him, meet her for lunch, play with your kids or your pets. Lighten up - feeling better is just a belly laugh away!
Books by Dr Robert Anthony
Dr Robert Anthonys Advanced Formula For Total Success
Beyond Positive Thinking: A No-Nonsense Formula for Getting the Results You Want
Think Big
"Laughter is an instant vacation!" - Milton Berle
When was the last time you laughed? I'm not talking about a chuckle or a smirk. I'm talking about a good, hard belly laugh. Remember the last time you laughed until you cried - doesn't just the memory of that feel good?
Some statistics tell us that children laugh 300 times a day, adults only 15. Others say children laugh 146 times a day and adults 4. Whatever the actual numbers are, it's clear that we, as adults, are not having much fun! And I'm willing to bet that many adults aren't
making the statistical average these days - even as low as it is - especially if they listen to the news and get caught up in negative conversations, of which there are plenty to be had if you succumb.
Laughter is good for the soul and the body. Science tells us that laughing has many health benefits, among them the release of endorphins and decreased blood pressure and stress hormones (70% of diseases are stress-related).
But laughing is not something you should do because it's good for you - it's something you should do because it feels good. Actually, it feels great and it provides an instant connection to
the Flow. We know that the Rich Mind Life Strategy course can seem quite serious at times, but recognize that we want you to be light about your life - don't take it so seriously. You can almost always find humor in a situation if you look for it.
What makes you laugh? Rent it, watch it, read it. Who makes you laugh? Call him, meet her for lunch, play with your kids or your pets. Lighten up - feeling better is just a belly laugh away!
Books by Dr Robert Anthony
Dr Robert Anthonys Advanced Formula For Total Success
Beyond Positive Thinking: A No-Nonsense Formula for Getting the Results You Want
Think Big
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Would You Ever Do This?
By Dr Robert Anthony
We would never start out for a long drive without gas in the car or leave our pets without food while we are gone for several days. And yet I find many people who forget to eat or take food with them if they are going to be gone for several hours. Both our cars and our pets need nutrition and fuel everyday. So do our bodies.
Many cars require premium gas. It is easy to forget, but your body also works better on premium fuel. By premium fuel I simply mean whole grains, vegetables, fruit and lean meats. The energy and vibration of your body will rise considerably by feeding it well.
Two other essential factors about the basics of human self-care are
exercise and rest. Just being reasonably active by moving your body
with walking, gardening or playing will increase your current
health and add to your longevity. Working out at the gym or
playing a sport is even better, if not overdone. Any movement
counts and adds to your health. Current studies show that even ten
minutes of walking is beneficial.
Rest and sleep are the third leg of the stool of balancing your
basic health. In this fast-paced society it is easy to keep going
by drinking caffeine when twenty minutes of rest is what your body
is craving.
When you are stressed or going through change you will fare far
better if you return to the basics of self care; good food,
adequate exercise, deep sleep and daily rest.
"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward."
- Spanish proverb
Books by Dr Robert Anthony
The Ultimate Secrets of Total Self Confidence: Master the Simple Step-by-Step Principles and Change Your Life
Dr Robert Anthonys Advanced Formula For Total Success
Beyond Positive Thinking: A No-Nonsense Formula for Getting the Results You Want
We would never start out for a long drive without gas in the car or leave our pets without food while we are gone for several days. And yet I find many people who forget to eat or take food with them if they are going to be gone for several hours. Both our cars and our pets need nutrition and fuel everyday. So do our bodies.
Many cars require premium gas. It is easy to forget, but your body also works better on premium fuel. By premium fuel I simply mean whole grains, vegetables, fruit and lean meats. The energy and vibration of your body will rise considerably by feeding it well.
Two other essential factors about the basics of human self-care are
exercise and rest. Just being reasonably active by moving your body
with walking, gardening or playing will increase your current
health and add to your longevity. Working out at the gym or
playing a sport is even better, if not overdone. Any movement
counts and adds to your health. Current studies show that even ten
minutes of walking is beneficial.
Rest and sleep are the third leg of the stool of balancing your
basic health. In this fast-paced society it is easy to keep going
by drinking caffeine when twenty minutes of rest is what your body
is craving.
When you are stressed or going through change you will fare far
better if you return to the basics of self care; good food,
adequate exercise, deep sleep and daily rest.
"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward."
- Spanish proverb
Books by Dr Robert Anthony
The Ultimate Secrets of Total Self Confidence: Master the Simple Step-by-Step Principles and Change Your Life
Dr Robert Anthonys Advanced Formula For Total Success
Beyond Positive Thinking: A No-Nonsense Formula for Getting the Results You Want
What To Do About De-motivating Tasks At Work
Do you enjoy your job? Do you enjoy all your tasks, or do some tasks get you down? For example, some people love paperwork, but others hate it with a passion. As most jobs require a degree of paperwork, there is not a lot you can do about it. However, if most of your job is taken up by paperwork and you hate it, or another task that you hate, there are certain things you could do about it:
You can ask to be re-assigned to a different department which does not require you to do the task that you hate, or where there is much less of that task involved.
You can ask for someone who loves the job you hate to be your partner. This way, you are working on your strengths, and your partner is too. So if you hate cold calling, for example, partner with someone who excels at that, while you go out and make the sales, and share the commission.
Create a system or use a tool. It has been proven that systems work. Tools you could use could be a tape recorder, or a camera.
You can ask for ways to do your task differently such as submitting pictures or a video instead of writing about it.
You can minimise the amount of work by making a template that you just fill in the blanks. Find out from your boss whether it would be okay to hand in something that is adequate as opposed to perfect. If it is not your strength, you can argue that your time is best spent in the areas that you are strong.
You can do a psychometric test which you can take to your boss to show which areas motivate you and which jobs don’t suit your talents and abilities. Then employ the strategies above to negotiate terms of your employment that is more in line with your natural talents and gifts.
Most people find some tasks in their job de-motivating. There is no-one who is great at every area in their job. We all have areas in our jobs which we don’t enjoy. People who are the most successful in their job employ the strategies above to make their job more enjoyable and to work to their strengths.
Books on Job Satisfacion:
Monday, February 28, 2011
There Is No Spoon….
The Law of Attraction simply says that you attract into your life whatever you think about. Your thoughts are your subjective reality. Your dominant thoughts will find a way to manifest. In subjective reality, you are consciousness itself, the container in which the simulation of reality is run. So in subjective reality, everything is indeed real. You’re real. I’m real. The physical universe is real. Everything you experience is a manifestation of thought. “Your mind makes it real.” (Morpheus – The Matrix)
Attracting abundance is knowledge. As any other skill people have, like driving a car, learning a new language … manifesting is no different. How good you are at it, depends on how much you practice it.
Grasping a better understanding of how the "law of attraction" works is the first step in bringing abundance into your life: There is only one subjective reality, and it’s yours. It’s important to correctly define the you in subjective reality. You are not your physical body. No-one else has a subjective reality because they are all in your subjective reality. You can therefore not have a conflicting reality with someone else, as that someone is only part of your reality. Everything around you is manifested by you; your house, your car, even your body and your health. Nothing has any power in your reality except thought itself.
So, if thought created your reality at the moment, thought can change it. Have you ever thought about what you don’t want just to see it happen to you? Have you ever worried about something and saw what you worried about happen?
So how do you change your reality? How do you create thoughts that will manifest? Basically, just wanting something isn't going to bring that to us when we continue to obsess on the not having of that something. All we will experience is "not having" and will be ultimately blocking our true desires. You have to focus on what you want and not on what you don’t want, and you need to experience it in your imagination as being real and not just a fantasy. The more energy and certainty you put into a thought, the more dominant it becomes. You might find that you have conflicting thoughts. If that happens, you have to change your beliefs in that area. As soon as a thought corresponds to a belief you hold, that thought will manifest effortlessly. So how do you change a belief? Imagination comes in handy again. You imagine the opposite of the belief that you hold as real, and you imagine the belief you hold as no longer real. You do this for 21 days and your mind will accept it as truth.
If you don’t believe your thoughts can change your reality, then they won’t. If you don’t know what you believe, then you manifest uncertainty. Your reality will appear uncertain and confusing.
Those people who are efficient in attracting have trained their minds to focus on their desires. They have learned it so well that they often don't even realize how they do it. Abundance comes to them naturally.
To change your reality, assume responsibility for the reality you have created. Then begin creating the reality you truly want by thinking consciously about what you want (and feel good about it) and stop thinking about what you don’t want. You will know you are doing it right by your feelings. If you feel bad, you are thinking about something you don’t want. You then just need to stop thinking about what you don’t want, and start thinking about what you do want, changing your feelings, and your thoughts will manifest.
Books on the Law of Attraction:
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