Attitude Inventory - What Do You Bring to the Table?

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Source: 2.bp.blogspot.com

Michael Josephson's Attitude Inventory story from Bob Proctor's Insight of the day is so in line with my life now that is must be shared to give you some food for thought. Character really does count people. So who will you be remembered as in your interaction with others today, and how does that make you feel? Think about it.

It's all about having an attitude of gratitude for what's in your life right now. It's about being positively present in your life and living it to the fullest.

Be positively critical (not abusive) of yourself, change what you don't like but always appreciate who you are at any given moment in time.  Believe me when I say that if I, a renowned control freak, can give it all up, do the Work on myself and come out smiling at the other end and wake each day smiling, you can too.

All it takes is letting go and it's the easiest thing in the world. You are not alone and you do not have to carry any burden by yourself. Let go and let god. Try the Sedona method. It's just one of the many non-judgemental, non-invasive method that just may work for you.

What could it hurt:))

Attitude Inventory

It’s a wise custom to end an old year and begin a new one with serious self-reflection. What did you learn last year that could improve your life and make you a wiser and better person?

If you want to have a successful and fulfilling New year, start by examining the way you think and feel about your job, your relationships, and yourself. After all, the single most important factor in personal happiness and your impact on others is your attitude.

In the geometry of life, the axiom is “positive attitudes produce positive results.” They make success more likely, failures less harmful, pleasures more frequent, and pain more bearable. Some people tend to bring warm sunshine wherever they go; others bring cold chills. What do you bring?

To find out where you can improve, take an inventory of your predispositions, the attitude you’re most likely to start with:

▪ Are you generally optimistic or pessimistic?

▪ Do you tend to assume the best or expect the worst of people?

▪ Is your first instinct to be empathetic or judgmental?

▪ Is your first instinct to be supportive or critical?

▪ Do you send the message that you enjoy life or that you’re barely enduring it?

▪ Do you come across as the captain of your own ship or simply a passenger?

Wherever you are on the positive-attitude spectrum, think how much better things could be if you were more consistently and self-consciously optimistic, empathetic, supportive, grateful, enthusiastic, hopeful, and cheerful.

So why not resolve to think, act, and speak more positively about yourself, your family, your coworkers, and everyone else in your life?

 

Remember, character counts.

Michael Josephson
www.whatwillmatter.com

 

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Empower Yourself - Taking Charge of the Balloon - Direct Your Own Life

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Taking Charge of the Balloon

A man in a hot air balloon, realizing he was lost, lowered it to shout to a fellow on the ground, “The wind’s blown me off course. Can you tell me where I am?”

The man replied, “Sure. You’re hovering about 60 feet over this wheat field.”

“You must be an engineer,” the balloonist yelled.

“I am. How did you know?” the man replied.

“Well, everything you told me is technically correct but of absolutely no use.”

The engineer retorted, “You’re an executive, right?”

“How did you know?” the balloonist responded.

“Well, you were drifting in no particular direction before you asked my help and you’re still lost, but now it’s my fault.”

The balloon is a good metaphor for our lives. At first, all we want to do is rise as high as we can in terms of money, position and prestige. Yet as we rise wind currents push us sideways. Eventually, many of us discover that we’re on a very different course than we intended, a long way from the spot we took off from or hoped to end up at. So we blame the wind or anything else.

What we have to realize is that our power of choice is a steering mechanism that lets us respond to each breeze and gust. We can drift with or go against the current. Like haphazard wind currents, unplanned events beyond our control affect the direction of our lives. But, in the end, what we do and become is determined by our choices. The key is to be attentive, to look around to be sure we are going where we want to go.

Remember, character counts.

Michael Josephson
http://www.whatwillmatter.com/

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Leadership Attribute - Consider Friendliness

THIS IS A must share message from Bob Proctor's Insight of the day . It made me go oh yeah!

LEADERSHIP

LISTENING to politicians’ nasty rhetoric, one might think that leadership has to be aggressive and confrontational, but consider this parable about leadership.

A student assigned to write an essay about an effective leader wrote this story:

“I’VE BEEN taking a bus to school for years. Most passengers keep to themselves and no one ever talks to anyone else.

“ABOUT A YEAR ago, an elderly man got on the bus and said loudly to the driver, ‘Good morning!’. Most people looked up, annoyed, and the bus driver just grunted. The next day the man got on at the same stop and again he said loudly, ‘Good morning!’ to the driver. Another grunt. By the fifth day, the driver relented and greeted the man with a semi-cheerful ‘Good morning!’.

THE MAN announced, ‘My name is Benny’, and asked the driver, ‘What’s yours?’. The driver said his name was Ralph.

“THAT WAS the first time any of us heard the driver’s name and soon people began to talk to each other and say hello to Ralph and Benny. Soon Benny extended his cheerful ‘Good morning!’ to the whole bus.

Within a few days his ‘Good morning!’ was returned by a whole bunch of ‘Good mornings’ and the entire bus seemed to be friendlier. People got to know each other.

“IF A LEADER is someone who makes something happen, Benny was our leader in friendliness.

A MONTH AGO, Benny didn’t get on the bus and we haven’t seen him since. Everyone began to ask about Benny and lots of people said he may have died. No one knew what to do and the bus got awful quiet again.

“SO LAST WEEK, I started to act like Benny and say, ‘Good morning!’ to everyone and they cheered up again.

I guess I’m the leader now. I hope Benny comes back to see what he started.”

Remember, character counts.

Michael Josephson

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The Power of Encouragement - Perseverance against the odds

Perseverence against the odds is what is demanded of us each and every day. That is why we are here, to achieve, grow, prosper doing what we love. When doubt rears its ugly head according to who's around we lose faith in ourselves and our abilities and fall into that fear full pit. Helped along by our so-called friends and family members.

The trick is to always maintain your focus on what you want to achieve to the exclusion of all else, know who your real friends are and even more importantly, understand that a family is not necessarily comprised of blood relatives but those who love and support you and lift you up when you feel down. They encourage you in spite of the odds. That is family and they will never let you down.

So be careful who you  listen to and sometimes, it's worth turning a deaf ear to helpful advice which is not always in your best interest.

Will, Fern, and the Power of Encouragement

Two frogs named Will and Fern fell into a deep pit together. At first, they thought it would be easy to jump out. But after lots of failed attempts they cried for help and a crowd of animals gathered around the pit.

Everyone agreed it was hopeless so they urged Will and Fern to accept their fate. The harder the trapped frogs jumped, the more the crowd yelled at them to give up. Finally, Will stopped trying. Fern refused to quit and with one mighty try she leaped out of the pit.

The crowd was amazed. Someone asked her why she kept trying when everyone told her she had no chance.

Fern was baffled. “What are you saying?” she asked. “I’m a bit deaf. I was sure you were all cheering me on. I couldn’t have done it without your encouragement.” 

I learned of this story from a woman who was in a transitional housing program recovering from a long period of drug abuse, homelessness and hopelessness. She wanted everyone to understand how important positivism and encouragement can be to help people who seem down and out to get up and out. She said she got out of her own pit because caring people helped her believe in herself and gave her the confidence she needed to jump a little harder. 

There will always be people in your life ready to tell you what you can’t do. Real friends root for you, support you and help you discover your inner talents and strengths. 

I hope you will find and treasure those kinds of friends and be one yourself. 

Remember, character counts.

Michael Josephson
www.whatwillmatter.com

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CHARACTER COUNTS - The Boys Down At The Stable, A Lesson

What happens when we step up into the life that we want to live only to discover that people who we thought supported us, don't?

Here's one of those stories and the response from the files of Bob Proctor...

Many years ago a young lady who was attending a seminar shared an interesting story with me.

Apparently she and two or three of her girlfriends went and tried out for a place in a stage play. She got the starring role while her girlfriends were not even picked for the supporting cast.  

Opening night she said she was really excited but afterwards became very disappointed when her girlfriends never came out and supported her. She was explaining the situation to an elderly friend of her fathers named Hap. He wrote her a letter and she gave me a copy with her permission to share it with others. Read it carefully and think.

Dear Ann,

Once upon a time there was a fellow by the name of Al Capp who wrote a comic strip called "L'il Abner."  

Many years ago he had some characters in his strip who lived in a town near Dogpatch. They were the town bums, the n'er do wells, the failures whose whole aim in life was to pass judgement on others.  

Their criticism and ridicule became so vehement that in time the rest of the people in the town became acutely conscious of it. "The boys down at the stable," as they were called because that's where they spent most of their time, soon set the social standards of the town.  

Nobody could do anything without their sanction.

Because they lived within the structure of their crummy little world, they would laugh and point their fingers at anyone and everyone who tried to be better than they were.  

As a result the people feared the ridicule of the boys down at the stable so much that they stopped trying. Soon everybody became bums and the town died.

In every social structure, Ann, whether it be family, town, county or state, there are "The boys down at the stable." They are the jealous ones.  They are too scared to try something different. They show their ignorance by laughing at those who do.  

Learn to recognize them Ann, for what they are. Don't let them hurt you. It takes a certain amount of toughness to succeed. One has to rise above those who would tear you down so that they can laugh and say, "I told you so!"

There are too many of us who love you and want you to make it. I could put myself at the top of the list. You aren't going to fall flat on your face as they would have you. You are going to do a superb job.  

Remember this show is only a small step in the direction of greater things you will do, many of which are beyond your wildest dreams. All you have to do is want to. One of the things I like about you best is that you always give it hell for try.

The show will be a success because of you and others like you who try. There are only winners in the cast. The losers are gathered down at the stable laughing and hoping for your failure.  

If we could dig down deep inside them, I'm sure we'd find they want to win also, but are too scared to try, and they attempt to cover up their own failures as human beings by laughing at others.  

In a sense I'm sorry for them. Their guilt must make them very unhappy people.

Much love,
Hap

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Character Counts - Identify the Good in Others and Congratulate Them

You can always see in others whatever traits of character you are looking for.

Fancy Christmas street lamps in Geneva

Margaret Wolfe Hungerford said, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” It was her way of saying that we see what we wish to see in others.    

Every living human being is a complex combination of feelings, emotions, and thoughts — some good, some bad. Your impression of another depends far more upon you and your expectations of that person.   If you believe someone is good, you will find good qualities. If you don’t, you won’t.    

When you are yourself a positive person, you tend to find positive qualities in others.   As you work to develop good, constructive habits to improve yourself continually, make it a practice to look for those same qualities in others.    

It’s easy to spot another’s shortcomings, but when you identify the good in others and congratulate them upon their positive achievements, you will make friends on whom you can always depend — both in good times and bad. Napoleon Hill

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY - Feeling A Sense of Accomplishment

Image by cblackmor

Even when our routine duties tax or tire us, they can still provide us with a sense of normalcy that grounds us in the moment and reminds us of who we are trying to become. When we apply ourselves diligently to the tasks required of us, we gain more from them than simple stability. 

We feel productive and proud of ourselves when we have accomplished something, even a goal as minor as completing the day's work. This gives us a sense of confidence that bolsters our spirits when we later embark upon more complex journeys of achievement. We feel good about ourselves knowing that we are capable of focusing on a single task and seeing it through to its natural conclusion. 

Your dedication will serve you well as you address each item on your agenda with care and thoroughness. —DailyOM

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Character Counts - Be Dependable and Keep Your Word

Dependability is the first foundation stone of good character.

People of character do what they say they will do, when they say they will do it, and according to agreed-upon conditions. They are the leaders, the individuals to whom others turn for guidance, because they have demonstrated that they care, that they can be trusted.

If you respect yourself enough to keep commitments even when it’s inconvenient to do so, others will come to respect you too.

Dependability, like any other character trait, is a habit. Begin today to develop the dependability habit. If you procrastinate or find it difficult to meet your commitments, start small. Promise yourself that you will be on time, for example, and manage your time so that you are. Soon you will find that it’s easier to keep other commitments as well.   Napoleon Hill

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Start An Attitude Inventory and Make Your New Year Successful

I can find no simpler yet profound action for the new year than this attitude inventory from Michael Josephson that came to me via Bob Proctor's Insight of the day.

How to Make the New Year Successful and Fulfilling: Start With an Attitude Inventory


It's a wise custom to end an old year and begin a new one with serious self-reflection. What did you learn this year that could improve your life and make you a wiser and better person?

If you want to have a successful and fulfilling New year, start by examining the way you think and feel about your job, your relationships, and yourself. After all, the single most important factor in personal happiness and your impact on others is your attitude.

In the geometry of life, the axiom is "positive attitudes produce positive results." They make success more likely, failures less harmful, pleasures more frequent, and pain more bearable. Some people tend to bring warm sunshine wherever they go; others bring cold chills. What do you bring?

To find out where you can improve, take an inventory of your predispositions, the attitude you're most likely to start with:

Are you generally optimistic or pessimistic?

Do you tend to assume the best or expect the worst of people?

Is your first instinct to be empathetic or judgmental?

Is your first instinct to be supportive or critical?

Do you send the message that you enjoy life or that you're barely enduring it?

Do you come across as the captain of your own ship or simply a passenger?

Wherever you are on the positive-attitude spectrum, think how much better things could be if you were more consistently and self-consciously optimistic, empathetic, supportive, grateful, enthusiastic, hopeful, and cheerful.

So why not resolve to think, act, and speak more positively about yourself, your family, your coworkers, and everyone else in your life?

This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
Michael Josephson (charactercounts.org)

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Speak Your Mind Freely

                           Image via Wikipedia
Our overall fluency and willingness to speak our minds freely can be a boon to us when we are called upon to interact with our peers in either a personal or professional capacity.

Whether the individuals engaging us in conversation are well known to us or are strangers, we are unafraid to articulate our thoughts and feelings in a forthright manner. 

Since we do not immediately assume others will pass judgment on our opinions or beliefs, we understand and enjoy how energizing and stimulating friendly debate can be. 

As a result, information becomes a gift we both give and receive, and we are exposed to thought-provoking new ideas while sharing our expertise with our peers in an open forum. 

The conversations you most enjoy will help you form connections with individuals who inspire you to broaden your intellectual boundaries. —DailyOM

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Love for No Reason - A Miracle Accessible to All

Image by {I Was Born In August}

I was in awe after reading this story adapted from Marci Shimoff's Love for No Reason. WOW! Yes, love is a miracle accessible to all!

Direct from Bob Proctor's  Insight of the Day. Need I say again that you should sign up!?

Love for No Reason

Through the train window, she watched the villages and vineyards of the Italian countryside go by. It was 1942 and Sussi Penzias, a young Jewish woman who'd fled Nazi Germany, was traveling alone, hoping to remain unnoticed.

Since she'd arrived in Italy three years earlier, she'd been moving from place to place, staying with friends and friends of friends, hiding from the authorities. Now she was on her way to yet another safe house in a new town.

Suddenly, the door at the end of the train car swung open and two police officers came in. Sussi's heart beat wildly. They were wearing the black uniform of the Fascisti, the government police. To Sussi's horror, the policemen began making their way down the aisle, stopping at every row to examine the papers of each passenger.

Sussi knew that as soon as the policemen discovered she had no papers, she would be arrested. She was terrified she'd end up in a concentration camp, and would face unimaginable suffering and almost certain death.

The officers were getting closer, just a few rows away. There was no escape. It was only a matter of minutes before they would reach her seat. Sussi began to tremble uncontrollably, and tears slid down her cheeks.

Image by sirwiseowlThe man sitting next to her noticed her distress and politely asked her why she was crying.

"I'm Jewish and I have no papers," she whispered, hardly able to speak.

To her surprise, a few seconds later the man began shouting at her, "You idiot! I can't believe how stupid you are! What an imbecile!"

The police officers, hearing the commotion, stopped what they were doing and came over. "What's going on here?" one of them asked. Sussi began crying even harder.

The man turned a disgusted face to the policemen and said, "Officers, take this woman away! I have my papers, but my wife has forgotten hers! She always forgets everything. I'm so sick of her. I don't ever want to see her again!"

The officers laughed, shaking their heads at the couple's marital spat, and moved on.

With a selfless act of caring, the stranger on the train had saved Sussi's life. Sussi never saw the man again. She never even knew his name.
* * * * *

When Sussi's great-niece, Shifra, told me this story, I was in awe.

I wondered, What is it that inspires someone to extend himself, even risk his life, for someone he doesn't know? 

The man on the train didn't help Sussi because she'd made him a great breakfast that morning or had picked up his dry cleaning. He helped her because in that moment of heroism he was moved by an impulse of compassion and unconditional love.

Image by turtlemom4bacon via FlickrI'm not talking about Hollywood or Hallmark-card kind of love, but love as a state of being-the kind of love that is limitless and doesn't ask to be returned.

Is it possible to live in that state of unconditional love all the time?

That was the question I set out to answer when I started writing my most recent book, Love for No Reason. And what I learned through my research is that each of us can grow in unconditional love, the kind of love that doesn't depend on any person or situation.

Imagine loving people, not because they fill your needs or because their opinions match your own, but because you're connected to a state of pure love within yourself.

This simple but profound shift creates remarkable changes in every area of life. Instead of feeling a little hungry all the time-for love, security, more stuff, more recognition, more everything — people who are unconditionally loving feel full and complete.

It affects how they show up in every moment. In fact, though a person's life might not depend on making this shift, the quality of his or her life does.

When people live in unconditional love their world turns from black-and-white to dazzling Technicolor.

By Marci Shimoff

Adapted from Love for No Reason: 7 Steps to Creating a Life of Unconditional Love (Free Press, December 2010), which offers a breakthrough approach to experiencing a lasting state of unconditional love. www.TheLoveBook.com 

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Make Peace, Forgive and Let Live

Peace
Thought for today is about making peace, letting go of the differences which separate us and above all, just simply letting go of what irks you, hurts you and embrace what is.

I realised a few days ago that I have come full circle in this first year of my reincarnation here in the Caribbean. I don't know if I will still be here in 2011 and that is irrelevant. 

What is important is my understanding that this upheaval in my life and everything that I am now was essential for my growth as it allowed me to go beyond the forbidden family barriers and face up to the monsters, both real and imagined, and exit scoured clean; not unscathed but much better, bigger and brighter.

Character counts - can you forgive without condoning — you can, you know. This was my first post in 2010 and everything I have learnt about myself and those around me confirm this. 

It is time to make peace, forgive and let live. Let it go! Let's create together Life is simply too damn short for anything else. 

We encourage you to make peace with everyone who opposes you and with everyone whom you oppose, not only because you cannot insist on their yielding to your perspective but because their opposing perspective is of tremendous benefit to you.

You see, because of your exposure to what you perceive as their wrong or bad or unwanted behavior or perspective—you have given birth to an improved situation.

And just as they helped the problem side of the equation to come into focus, they helped the solution side of the equation to come into focus, also; and that solution waits for you in your Vortex of Creation.

Solar System Creation

Through our daily meditation process, you will come into alignment with those solutions and creations that are in your Vortex, and from inside your Vortex, you will feel appreciation for everyone who contributed to its becoming.

When you make peace with those who differ in desire and belief and behavior from your ideas of what is appropriate, you do not perpetuate what you consider to be wrong.

Instead, you align with the solution side of the equation that has been waiting for you in your Vortex of Creation.

—Abraham 

This is 8 of 32 practical expanded quotes excerpted from Abraham’s new Getting into the Vortex Guided Meditation CD and User Guide that will be available everywhere on Nov. 15, 2010.

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Be Authentic, Accept 100 Percent Responsibility for your Well-Being, and Be The Change

 Be Authentic, be yourself no matter what, accept 100 percent responsibility for your well-being, and be the change YOU want to see in the world (Mahatma Gandhi).

Ed and Deb Shapiro wrote a book by the same name Be The Change: How Meditation Can Transform Your Life. In one word... beautiful.

Bob Proctor's Insight of the day Friday story eloquently illustrates this. Listen well, watch your thoughts, guard your tongue and observe your actions. This way you will know all you need to know about YOU. Read on!

A Touch of Lemon

A Troubled Freshman

When I met Mr. Jim Lemon, I was a sixteen-year-old freshman at Houston's Jackson Junior High and the chances of my finishing high school were slim. I was a troubled teenager with an attitude, living in a neighborhood that fostered troubled teenagers.

Mr Lemon

Mr. Lemon taught American history and it was clear from the first day that his classroom was not going to be disrupted. It was apparent very quickly that Mr. Lemon was quite different from the other teachers I had known. Not only was he a disciplinarian, but also he was a great teacher. He would never settle for my usual standard of classroom work. Mr. Lemon pushed and prodded and never tolerated the mediocrity that had become my standard.

Report Cards

On the occasion of our first semester report cards, Mr. Lemon called me aside and asked how it was possible that I was a B student in his class and a D and F student in the rest of my classes.

I was ready for that question. I passionately told him about my divorced parents, the local gangs, the drugs, the fights, and the police - all the evils that I had been subjected to. 

Accept Personal Responsibility

Mr. Lemon listened patiently and when I was through he responded, "There's a problem with your list Mr. Phillips, you are not on it."

Then Mr. Lemon explained that the only person responsible for my situation was me. And the only person with the potential to change my situation was me, and that when I personally accepted that responsibility I could make a significant change in my life. 

He convinced me that I was failing not because I was a failure, but because I was not accepting the responsibility for my results in those other classes. Mr. Lemon was the first teacher I had who made me believe in myself. He inspired me to become a better student and he changed my life.

Lessons from Mr. Lemon

Ten years later, I spoke to him again. I was preparing to graduate from Chaminade University in Honolulu.

It had taken weeks of telephone calls to find him but I knew what I had to say. 

When I finally did get Mr. Lemon on the telephone, I explained what his brutal honesty had meant to me, how I finally graduated from high school, and how I was a proud staff sergeant in the Army. 

I explained how I had married the most beautiful and wonderful woman of my dreams and how we had a beautiful a daughter.

Most of all I wanted him to know that I was about to graduate magna cum laude after going to school for four hours a night, four nights a week for three years. I wanted him to know that I could never have done any of these things if he had not been a part of my life.

Graduating with Mr. Lemon

Finally, I told him that I had been saving money for two years so that I could invite him and his wife to come to Hawaii at my expense to be part of my graduation. I'll never forget his response. Mr. Lemon said, "Who is this again?"

Lessons Learned

I was just one of hundreds of students whose life he changed and he seemed genuinely surprised of his impact.

Perhaps none of us realize the impact that we have on other people nor do other people have any idea how much of an impact they have on us. 

How much, then, should we be aware of our influence on others to make sure that it is for the best? And how much more should we tell those who have had a positive impact on our lives?

Rick Phillips

Rick Phillips is a motivational speaker and trainer. You can visit his website at: www.rickphillips.com or feel free to email your comments to pssd@earthlink.net

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You Gotta Have Faith

Image via WikipediaPeople, you gotta have faith whether it's in God, the Universe, Infinite Intelligence, Mahomet or the little tin man from Oz. Grab it, hold onto it and never let it go. Here's a story from Bob Proctor's Insight for the day that says it all.

Just Two Tickets to Indy

"The first time you accept 'good' is the last time you will see excellence." John Ulmo

We had talked about the possibility and it's ramifications for weeks as test after test failed to confirm or refute the diagnosis. 

But now we sat in my office crushed by the reality that it was true; John had ALS, Lou Gehrigs's disease. The insidious affliction strikes the muscular system of its victim, eventually draining the body of all strength to support even breathing and a beating heart.

John had been my business partner, my friend and my mentor for many years. He was the kind of friend who pushed you beyond what you thought you could do. John always saw you not for what you are but for what he thought you could be, and then he never let you settle for anything less. One time I objected to his expectations and he responded patiently, "Rick, I wouldn't be much of a friend if I let you settle for what you think is your best."

We sat in the office crying and holding hands like two adolescent children, realizing that the crippling death sentence would not allow John to live for more that two years. Finally, I asked him to think about the one thing he had always dreamed about doing, something that he had not done yet. Was there some event he would like to see with Bonnie, his loving partner? 

Would it be the running of the bulls in Spain or would he want to see the Great Wall of China, the Parthenon or the Wailing Wall?

His response was actually predictable. John was a lifelong car-racing enthusiast; he had always wanted to go to the Indianapolis 500. Unfortunately, it seemed that the tickets for the event were long tied up in corporate commitments or with fans that handed their seats down through the family as a legacy.

However, I confidently told John it would be no problem. Many of my clients had connections to the automobile industry from tire makers, to paint and oil producers to parts suppliers; someone was certain to have access to just two tickets to Indy. 

But my confidence was misplaced. Time after time, I was told that even though my request was noble, the corporate allotment was predetermined for years in the future. The 1996 Indy 500 came and went and I was unable to get the tickets for John and Bonnie.

I took advantage of my position as a professional speaker for fifteen months. I asked over 100 audiences for the tickets and my hopes sagged, as the 1997 Memorial Day classic loomed nearer. John's faith remained and his fortitude drove him to lead his hectic life as his body declined and strength drained away. 

He would often say, "This disease thinks it has me. Well little does it know, I got it and it hasn't seen anything like me."

For all of his positive faith, I knew in my heart that 1997 would be John's last chance to see the event. By the time I became desperate enough to call them the brokers and scalpers were out of tickets. In a depression for weeks because I had failed to act sooner, I could barely face John and Bonnie. I had failed to make his wish come true. He reassured me that he appreciated the idea and my efforts but said, "You are going to die stressed out over this ticket thing before I die of ALS."

Then, just two weeks before the event, the telephone rang and Peggy Zomack of Cooper Power in Pittsburgh asked the question that stopped my breathing.

"Rick," she asked, "are you still looking for those Indy 500 tickets?" Then she had to ask, "Rick, are you still there?"

I couldn't say anything. My voice was paralyzed. Eventually, I got the words out and through joyful tears assured her she was heaven sent. She put the tickets in overnight mail, and I called Bonnie.

"Bonnie," I said, "tomorrow, before 10:00 A.M. I will have in my hands two tickets to the 1997 Indy 500 for you and John." She and I rejoiced for several more minutes through bouts of more tears. Then a horrifying thought struck me. "Bonnie!" I said, "The 500 is just two weeks from now, I don't know how you will be able to find a room."

"Oh, don't worry about that," she replied, "I paid for the room almost a year ago. I knew if I showed that much faith in Him, God would provide the tickets somehow."

Rick Phillips

Rick Phillips is a motivational speaker and trainer. You can visit his website at: www.rickphillips.com or feel free to email your comments to pssd@earthlink.net

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WHAT! Who, me? I Can't Do That!

Image via Wikipedia

WHAT! Who, me? I can't do that! How often have you said or thought this? It's often the typical response when someone tells you to do something good for yourself, indulge yourself a little, pat yourself on the back...

Well, I just received a fabulous story from Bob Proctor's Insight of the Day which demands to be shared on this very issue – keeping a "ME" file.

I love the idea – sort of like keeping a gratitude journal but more complete – and I intend to start one immediately for myself. Read on!

Everyone Needs a "Me" File 

During a dinner with friends I mentioned an e-mail I'd received from a 13-year-old thanking me for the way my commentaries had influenced his life. I was clearly proud of the note, and Sally Kinnamon said I should save this and other affirming mementos and put them in a "Me" file.

At first I thought she was being sarcastic, but she assured me she was quite serious. Sally came upon the idea while training in-home nurses, who often work in isolated conditions with little or no affirmative feedback.

She gave each nurse an empty folder labeled "Me" and instructed them to put every form of grateful or complimentary feedback into the file, including cards, notes, letters, and positive performance reviews. 

She said that this folder should be taken out and read whenever any of them felt unappreciated or questioned the value of their work.

Sally acknowledged that most of the nurses were initially reluctant, fearing it was too self-indulgent, egotistical, or just plain silly, but she explained it's not a bragging file to show others how good we are. 

Rather, it's a private collection evidencing the large and small triumphs that give us psychic gratification and reconnect us with the best reasons we do what we do. Eventually, she said, most of the nurses came to use and draw great comfort and encouragement from their "Me" files.

What a terrific idea. You ought to start a "Me" file for yourself and put in it anything that validates what you do at work or home.

The next step, of course, is to be sure you're spending time doing the kinds of things that will fill your "Me" file.

From Michael Josephson www.charactercounts.org

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THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Do You Know Your Weaknesses?

Do you know your weaknesss, and how strong do you believe you are? Have you ever thought about that in-depth or are you like most people who shy away from looking in the mirror? That's my thought for the day.

Most of you know your weaknesses, you know where you need improvement yet you continue to replicate them time after time because it is so much easier to think "that's the way I am, OK" and not do anything about them. You know that is a bloody cop out, don't you!

How are you ever going to progress, how are we ever going to attain the pinnacle of who we are as hu-mans if we do not work our shit, I mean really?! We all have this feeling of lack in different areas and some are worse than others, trite but true.

Just remember one thing though, you cannot change anyone, you can only change yourself – your attitudes and reactions. Time to start acting instead of reacting.

Pity Party of One

I am sitting here writing this hoping to get at least five maybe fifteen minutes or more of Internet connection after 14 days without, and feeling sorry for myself because I contracted a mild case of Dengue Fever which normally kills people (who wait too long to get care after multiple bites). 

Thankfully it was just one bite on my arm because I slept (notice the past tense) with the windows open and the fan turned on high.  I never get sick, not even colds so I was in very good health otherwise I would be in the hospital or in a hole in the ground considering it made me sick like a dog.

So I should feel grateful shouldn't I but I am having a pity party of one because I feel all round that I suck right now and I am not receiving the concern an ill person normally should receive considering that people in the house know how dangerous this fever is and they are responsible for the infestation in their backyard. 

My Weakness

But when you castigate people mentally for their lack – and I have said so without accusation – regardless of how justified you feel (that's me), you  cannot truly expect anything positive from them.

That is one of my weaknesses you see.  I therefore am part of the problem so the change starts with me, as with you; changing my thoughts about what I do not like about what I am living, be real about it, and embracing abundance instead of focusing on lack. 

This is where character counts people and it is a steep climb but the view from the top, ah well...

With that in mind, I open my trusty As A Man Thinketh and here's what I found:

Those who are not prepared for the apprehension of great purpose should fix the thoughts upon the faultless performance of their duty, no matter how insignificant their task may appear. Only in this way can the thoughts be gathered and focused, and resolution and energy be developed, which being done, there is nothing which may not be accomplished.

The weakest soul, knowing its own weakness, and believing this truth – that strength can only be developed by effort and practice – will at once begin to exert itself, and adding effort to effort, patience to patience, and strength to strength, will never cease to develop and will at last grow divinely strong.

As the physically weak an can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.

To put away aimlessness and weakness, and to begin to think with purpose, is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment; who make all conditions serve them and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully.

James Allen

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Cowards, Courage and Confirmity: Character Is What Counts Here!

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Some food for thought from the Professor's pen - that's what I call Bob Proctor - a more genuine, down to earth, wise and profound man I have yet to meet. 

Those who follow his teachings will know that he did not start out that way, none of us do and now we all get to enjoy the result. Character is what counts here!

Take a trip with him as he talks about cowards, courage and conformity. This is one of his Friday's Insight of the Day which changes every day. Therefore you need to subscribe in order to keep a record of his offerings. It is worth doing!

Courage Or Conformity

The late Earl Nightingale was, for many years, the most listened to man on radio. His radio show, "Our Changing World" was broadcast on over 1,000 radio stations around the world. He researched and wrote every show himself. The man virtually devoured books. 

He was consumed with the idea of why so few people succeed in life and so many others do not.

I had the good fortune of working for a number of years with Earl. It was a tremendous learning experience, one I treasure more with each passing year.

We all admire the courageous person and quite often consider the individual who lacks courage, a coward. However, that is not how Earl Nightingale saw it. 

He said the opposite of courage was not cowardness, it was conformity. I believe the more you think about that, the more you will be inclined to agree with him.

It takes courage to break away from the crowd, to go your own way, to do the thing which may be unpopular. 

It takes courage to stand up for the person who is being unjustly criticized, rather than agreeing and going along with the crowd.  

It takes courage for the teenager to say no, when all the rest of the kids begin going down the wrong path.

Earl Nightingale was correct - the opposite of courage is conforming. It is one reason so few people enjoy any lasting success. It is so easy to go along with the large group.

 

We don't have to stand out, to be different.

The next time you are encouraged to fall into line, to be a sport, and everything in you says no - be courageous and go your own way.  

There is no compensation in conformity.

Bob Proctor

This is a story that is worth passing around as it has a valuable lesson for everyone. Please accept Bob Proctor's gift ebook You Were Born Rich along with some incredible MP3's by going to www.bobproctor.com/freegifts This is also a link that you can share with friends and family. 

Character is what counts here! And let me tell you right now folks, if you have not yet read You Were Born Rich and you need a road map to success, this is it!

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Character Counts: Can You Forgive Without Condoning and Let Live in 2010?

I received this interesting article about forgiveness from Bob Proctor's Insight Quotes. Forgiving without condoning or forgetting by Michael Josephson from Character Counts. I thought it was a great way to start off my postings for 2010.

So, can you forgive without condoning and let live in 2010?  Forgiveness does not mean condoning the wrong that was done to you. You understand that, don't you?

It is about releasing the hurt and pain inflicted upon you which you are still carrying around; and it is dragging you into the ground. And guess what, you aren't doing anything to the other person unless you go out of your way to make their life hell. Are you happy living like that?

When you forgive, I mean truly forgive those who hurt you - believe it or not - the hurt diminishes. Because you're no longer picking at the bloody, pus-filled wound.


Character isn’t something you were born with and can’t change, like your fingerprints. It’s something you must take responsibility for forming. You build character by how you respond to what happens in your life, whether it’s winning every game, losing every game, getting rich or dealing with hard times. Jim Rohn

Time and Healing

It sounds trite but it is accurate to say that time does heal, if you let it. You don't forget because the hurt played a significant part in forming your character.

Yet, at the same time, the memory fades like an old sepia photograph until you can barely see the faces when you allow it. The trauma then feels as if it happened to someone else.

After forgiveness, you become a new person. You now have a life ahead of you; before that you were living on the flames of memory which you kept stoking. This is where character counts.

Forgiving means you decided to say "this is how much I love myself. I honour myself by releasing this burden".

The Act of Forgiving

The act of forgiving erases guilt, shame and all other noxious potions which were floating around in your psyche which did not belong to you.

You release the "other" as well; not from their innate, morale responsibility but from you. Yes, you were keeping them attached to you at the hip with your constant stirring.

Why would you keep an adulterer, a rapist, a pedophile and other such foul creatures in your presence? See what I mean... Believe me, I've been there.

As we say in the Caribbean - time longer than twine and they will get theirs -  your perpetrators will get their just desserts; you can count on it!

    Forgiving Without Condoning or Forgetting

I suspect all of us have been hurt in deep and lasting ways by the words or acts of another. It’s normal in such situations to feel hostility toward the person who hurt us.

If we allow the offense to linger, we may carry the hurt and resentment in the form of a grudge. Usually this causes more unhappiness for us than the person we’re mad at.

Some religions speak of forgiveness as a moral duty, others as a worthy virtue, and still others impose preconditions on the wrongdoer before he or she is entitled to be forgiven. Whatever your religious views, psychologists say the ability to forgive is closely correlated to happiness and mental health.

Some people refuse to even entertain the idea of forgiveness because they don’t think the person they resent deserves to be forgiven. Others don’t want to appear to condone or excuse the conduct and certainly don’t want to reconcile with the person.

The essence of forgiveness is a voluntary decision to abandon continuing resentment, to let go of anger, and to move on. It doesn’t require or imply condoning, excusing, or forgetting. Nor does it require that the forgiver re-establish a relationship with the wrongdoer.

According to Dr. Ben Dean, the capacity to forgive is related to the character strength of empathy. People who can empathize with an offender and see things from that person’s perspective are much better able to forgive. He also says that the older we get, the more forgiving we’re likely to become.

Hmmm. We usually get wiser, too. So maybe it’s wise to forgive.

Michael Josephson
http://www.charactercounts.org/

But the really amazing thing about character is that, if you’re sincerely committed to making yourself into the person you want to be, you’ll not only create those qualities, you’ll strengthen them and re-create them in abundance, even as you’re drawing on them every day of your life. That’s why building your character is vital to becoming all you can be. Jim Rohn



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