Time and health are two precious assets that we don’t recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted. ~ Denis Waitley

Laughter is the most healthful exertion. ~ Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland

Good friends are good for your health. ~ Irwin Sarason

Health and cheerfulness mutually beget each other. ~ Joseph Addison

Make sure the outside of you is a good reflection of the inside of you. ~ Jim Rohn

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Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the life-long attempt to acquire it. ~ Albert Einstein

A loving heart is the truest wisdom. ~ Charles Dickens

Honesty is the first chapter in the Book of wisdom. Let it be our endeavor to merit the character of a just nation. ~ Thomas Jefferson

Every now and again take a good look at something not made with hands, a mountain, a star, the turn of a stream. There will come to you wisdom and patience and solace and, above all, the assurance that you are not alone in the world. ~ Sidney Lovett

It takes humility to seek feedback. It takes wisdom to understand it, analyze it, and appropriately act on it. ~ Stephen R. Covey

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. ~ Confucius

The time for extracting a lesson from history is ever at hand for those who are wise. ~ Demosthenes

It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts. ~ John Wooden

It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts. ~ John Wooden

Wisdom is the quality that keeps you from getting into situations where you need it. ~ Doug Larson

Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself. ~ Oprah Winfrey

It only takes one lie to taint your entire testimony in a court of law. Honesty is a vital part of having a good reputation. ~ Jim Rohn

Each of us must be committed to maintaining the reputation of all of us. And all of us must be committed to maintaining the reputation of each of us. ~ Jim Rohn

Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time. ~ Jim Rohn

Don't mistake movement for achievement. It's easy to get faked out by being busy. The question is: Busy doing what? ~ Jim Rohn

Being at the right place at the right time can only happen when you keep moving toward the next opportunity. ~ Arthur Pine

Ability, Motivation and Action by Chris Widener

Ability, Motivation and Action by Chris Widener

"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." —Lou Holtz

There are three primary aspects of your life that will determine whether or not you are successful in your endeavors. You will not be successful if you have only one or two. You must have all three working together. Consider them like the three legs of a "stool of success."

Ability
 The level at which you are able to actually do things. Your skill level. If you have a high level of skill, that's good. And the better you get, the better it will be for you. To the degree that you can perform your actions at higher and higher skill levels, the more and more success you will find in your chosen field.

Motivation
 The level at which you are able to find "a reason to act." This is the internal drive that you find that enables you to exercise your abilities. To the degree that you can find a way, or ways, to keep yourself motivated, you will see yourself right in the thick of things, carrying out your actions to the best of your abilities, and succeeding accordingly.

Attitude
 This is the mental state that you have while carrying out your actions to the best of your ability. It is the way you view the world around you and choose to see it, either positively or negatively. To the degree that you can maintain a positive attitude about yourself, others, and the circumstances you find yourself in, you will see yourself achieving greater and greater things.

"But Chris, can't I get away with just two?"

No.

What if you have high skills and motivation but a rotten attitude? People will stay away and hinder your success. What if you have a good attitude and motivation but poor skills? People will like you, maybe even root for you, but go to someone else with the skills they need. What if you have great skills and attitude but no motivation? Well, you'll be sitting on the couch like a lazy slug while the go-getters are out there making your money and achieving your dreams!

No, it takes all three. So let's ask some questions:

Ability: How highly skilled are you? Is your skill level holding you back? How so? What could you achieve if you just took your skills to the next level beyond where they are right now? How would improving your skills improve the bottom line of your success?

Motivation: How motivated are you? Why do you answer that way? What would your spouse or close friends say? Would they say you are as motivated as you say you are? Why or why not? Why do you have the level of motivation that you have? What could you do to find a higher level of motivation? What would happen if you became super-motivated for the next period of your life? What great things would happen?

Attitude: Do you have a good attitude or a poor one? How would you rate yourself? What about when things go wrong? Are you more of an optimist or a pessimist? What would happen if you took your attitude to the next level for the next 60 days? What if you just chose to have an incredible attitude? What would be the ramifications?

"The world cares very little about what a man or woman knows; it is what a man or woman is able to do that counts." —Booker T. Washington

This is so true. People will judge you on what you accomplish, not what you know or what you talk about. In fact, if you know a lot or talk a lot but do not accomplish anything, people will wonder what happened. So the question is whether or not you will take the actions necessary to deliver on your potential. To do so, you will need to focus on the three legs of the stool of success: Your ability, your motivation, and your attitude.

Take some time this week to give some serious thought to these three areas. Your success depends on it! And when you have done some reflection, put the conclusions you come to into action!

Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week. ~ Spanish Proverb

No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit. ~ Andrew Carnegie

Putting off an easy thing makes it hard. Putting off a hard thing makes it impossible. ~ Charles E Wilson

You have to have your heart in the business and the business in your heart. ~ Thomas J Watson

The optimist sees opportunity in every danger; the pessimist sees danger in every opportunity. ~ Winston Churchill

To win without risk is to triumph without glory. ~ Pierre Corneille

Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven't half the strength you think they have. ~ Norman Vincent Peale

Resolve says, ‘I will.’ The man says, ‘I will climb this mountain. They told me it is too high, too far, too steep, too rocky and too difficult. But it’s my mountain. I will climb it. You will soon see me waving from the top or dead on the side from trying. ~ Jim Rohn

I like a person who knows his own mind and sticks to it; who sees at once what, in given circumstances, is to be done, and does it. ~ William Hazlitt

Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve. He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind. ~ Leonardo da Vinci

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing. ~ Abraham Lincoln

To think we are able is almost to be so; to determine upon attainment is frequently attainment itself; earnest resolution has often seemed to have about it almost a savor of omnipotence. ~ Samuel Smiles

Resolve to be a master of change rather than a victim of change. ~ Brian Tracy

He who is firm in will molds the world to himself. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

People do not lack strength; they lack will. ~ Victor Hugo

Enterprise is better than ease. ~ Jim Rohn

What is a friend? I will tell you... it is someone with whom you dare to be yourself. ~ Frank Crane

So many fail because they don't get started; they don't go. ~ W Clement Stone

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Human beings have the remarkable ability to turn nothing into something. They can turn weeds into gardens and pennies into fortunes. ~ Jim Rohn

The magic formula that successful businesses have discovered is to treat customers like guests and employees like people. ~ Thomas J Peters

No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined. ~ Harry Emerson Fosdick

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

Great works are performed, not by strength, but by perseverance. ~ Samuel Johnson

Experience is not what happens to a man. It is what a man does with what happens to him. ~ Aldous Huxley

Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. ~ Booker T Washington

The unthankful heart... discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings! ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. ~ William Arthur Ward

Develop an ‘attitude of gratitude.’ Say thank you to everyone you meet for everything they do for you. ~ Brian Tracy

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others. ~ Marcus Cicero

There is no better opportunity to receive more than to be thankful for what you already have. Thanksgiving opens the windows of opportunity for ideas to flow your way. ~ Jim Rohn

You don’t have to fear defeat if you believe it may reveal powers that you didn’t know you possessed. ~ Napoleon Hill

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. ~ Henry David Thoreau

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. ~ Thomas Paine

The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. ~ Dennis Waitley

Everything depends upon execution; having just a vision is no solution. ~ Stephen Sondheim

Failure is not about insecurity. It’s about lack of execution. ~ Jeffrey Gitomer

The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs... one step at a time. ~ Joe Girard

Develop a compulsion to closure. Once you begin, refuse to stop before completion. ~ Brian Tracy

There is nothing so fatal to character as half finished tasks. ~ David Lloyd George

Some people plant in the spring and leave in the summer. If you’ve signed up for a season, see it through. You don’t have to stay forever, but at least stay until you see it through. ~ Jim Rohn

I had rather do and not promise than promise and not do. ~ Arthur Warwick

Have the dogged determination to follow through to achieve your goal; regardless of circumstances or whatever other people say, think, or do. ~ Paul Meyer

Don't mistake movement for achievement. It's easy to get faked out by being busy. The question is: Busy doing what? ~ Jim Rohn

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. ~ Lou Holtz

Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time. ~ Jim Rohn

We all start out with the same alphabet. We are all unique. Talent is not the most important thing; discipline and dedication are. ~ Charles Gordon

As an Entrepreneur, we fail more than we succeed, but when we win…we make 1000 times more than the failures! ~ Jordan Belfort

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Thoughts are things! And powerful things at that, when mixed with definiteness of purpose, and burning desire, can be translated into riches. ~ Napoleon Hill

Don't place your mistakes on your head, their weight may crush you. Instead, place them under your feet and use them as a platform to view your horizons. ~ Author Unknown

Regardless of your lot in life, you can build something beautiful on it .~ Zig Ziglar

It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret. ~ Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Vitamins for the Mind by Jim Rohn

Reputation

Each of us must be committed to maintaining the reputation of all of us. And all of us must be committed to maintaining the reputation of each of us.

Accuracy builds credibility.

The Bible gives us a list of human stories on both sides of the ledger. One list of human stories is used as examples: do what these people did. Another list of human stories is used as warnings: don't do what these people did. So if your story ever gets in one of these books, make sure they use it as an example, not a warning.

It only takes one lie to taint your entire testimony in a court of law. Honesty is a vital part of having a good reputation.

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. ~ Charles Beard

Learn to help people with more than just their jobs: help them with their lives. ~ Jim Rohn

You don't lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case. ~ Ken Kesey

Earn as much money as you possibly can and as quickly as you can. The sooner you get money out of the way, the sooner you will be able to get to the rest of your problems in style. ~ Jim Rohn

Some people have learned to earn well, but they haven’t learned to live well. ~ Jim Rohn

Morale is when your hands and feet keep on working when your head says it can't be done. ~ Benjamin Morrell

Creative ideas flourish best in a shop which preserves some spirit of fun. Nobody is in business for fun, but that does not mean there cannot be fun in business. ~ Leo Burnett

Lifestyle is the art of discovering ways to live uniquely. ~ Jim Rohn

Believe in yourself, never give up and go about your business with passion drive and enthusiasm. ~ Peter Jones

Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else’s hands, but not you. ~ Jim Rohn

Success Is Everything by Jim Rohn

Someone once said to me that success isn't everything, and I think I know what they really meant. I believe they really meant that money wasn't everything, and I certainly agree with that. But I do believe that success IS everything.

First you need to succeed to survive. We must take the seasons and learn how to use them with the seed, the soil and the rain of opportunity to learn how to sustain ourselves and our family.

But then second is to then succeed to flourish in every part of your life. Good question to ask mature people: "If you could do better, should you?" And I think almost everybody would answer the question in the positive. If you could improve your health, shouldn't you do that? If you can learn more, shouldn't you do that? If you could earn more and share more, shouldn't you do that? If you can improve your relationships and spirituality, shouldn't you do that? And I think that is what success is really all about. It is not just a destination that is set for everybody to try and go for.

It is like Zig Ziglar said, "Improving in every area of your life to see if you can with satisfaction at the end of the day, week, month and year, say ‘I have made excellent progress this year, for myself, for my family, for my business, my career and my health.'" I think that kind of success everybody recognizes is legitimate and something we should all strive for.

Interesting phrase in the Bible that says strive for perfection—not that we can ever reach it. But it is in the striving, to be a little bit better today than yesterday, in our speech, our language, our health, everything we can possibility think of.

So yes, in my opinion, success is everything!

Before you build a better mousetrap, it helps to know if there are any mice out there. ~ Mortimer B Zuckerman

Eat dinner with your kids. It makes your family life better and gives your children a better shot out there. ~ Denis Waitley

You cannot succeed by yourself. It's hard to find a rich hermit. ~ Jim Rohn

Questions provide the key to unlocking our unlimited potential. ~ Anthony Robbins

Your self-worth influences your net worth. In other words your net worth = your achievements. And your self-worth allows you to believe in yourself enough to reach your achievements. ~ Denis Waitley

If kids clearly see the promise, they will gladly pay the price. ~ Jim Rohn

Create a story of WOW that will be retold. ~ Jeffrey Gitomer

The people who try to be impressive are really the least impressive. ~ Denis Waitley

Kids don't lack capacity, only teachers. ~ Jim Rohn

It takes a lot of things to prove you are smart, but only one thing to prove you are ignorant. ~ Don Herold

About humility: If you have the real thing (or are the real thing) you don’t have to flaunt a loud expensive imitation. The people who shout the loudest are calling for help. Confidence can afford to be silent, knowing it will be noticed. ~ Denis Waitley

Kids ought to have two bicycles: one to ride and one to rent. ~ Jim Rohn

It takes a lot of things to prove you are smart, but only one thing to prove you are ignorant. ~ Don Herold

Failure is not a person, it’s an event. Learn from it, don’t wallow in it. ~ Denis Waitley

Even kids can get started on becoming financially independent. Kids can make profits long before they can legitimately earn wages. ~ Jim Rohn

Dress for success. Image is very important. People judge you by the way you look on the outside. ~ Brian Tracy

What is powerful is when what you say is just the tip of the iceberg of what you know. ~ Jim Rohn

Humility is serving others with grace. ~ Denis Waitley

How many languages can a child learn? As many as you will take the time to teach them. ~ Jim Rohn

I believe of all the people I see, still I'd rather be me! ~ Denis Waitley

I believe in caring and sharing, rather than comparing. ~ Denis Waitley

In sales there are going to be times when you can’t make everyone happy. Don’t expect to and you won’t be disappointed. Just do your best for each client in each situation as it arises. Then, learn from each situation how to do it better the next time. ~ Tom Hopkins

I believe that good health means more than wealth. ~ Denis Waitley

If you want to amend your errors, you must begin by amending your philosophy. ~ Jim Rohn

Now, if you want to get rich, you have only to produce a product or service that will give people greater use value than the price you charge for it. How rich you get will be determined by the number of people to whom you can sell the product or service. ~ Earl Nightingale

I believe in this and the next generation, and believe we'll build a better nation. ~ Denis Waitley

Women have an incredible ability to pick up on emotional signals. For example, there are some wolves that are so clever they have learned to dress up like sheep. Man says, “Looks like a sheep. Talks like a sheep.” Woman says, “Ain’t no sheep! ~ Jim Rohn

Life is a series of sales situations, and the answer is NO if you don’t ask. ~ Patricia Fripp

To succeed in sales, simply talk to lots of people every day. And here’s what’s exciting—there are lots of people! ~Jim Rohn

I believe that although I may not be the best looking in the group, I'll always be looking my best in every group! ~ Denis Waitley

Measure your emotions. You don’t need an atomic explosion for a minor point. ~ Jim Rohn

Demonstrate to your customer the difference between price and cost. The price is what it takes to purchase the item. The cost is the amount the customer eventually pays. They are not the same. ~ Brian Tracy

I believe that I am a good as anyone in the world. Although I may never be on the cover of Time or People magazine, I still have time to be one of the people who make a really positive difference in the world. ~ Denis Waitley

Civilization is the intelligent management of human emotions. ~ Jim Rohn

Home Depot knows ‘the more they help, the more they sell.’ Oh by the way, for the ‘bottom liners’ who disagree, it’s also vice versa.” ~ Jeffrey Gitomer

I believe that all people have the equal right to become all they are willing and able to become. ~ Denis Waitley

Our emotions need to be as educated as our intellect. It is important to know how to feel, how to respond, and how to let life in so that it can touch you. ~ Jim Rohn

Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity. ~ Louis Pasteur

I believe in myself. ~ Denis Waitley

Evaluating Your Associations, Part 2 by Jim Rohn

Last week we took a look at the power of influence in our lives and how it is possible to be nudged off course a little at a time until, finally, we find ourselves asking, “How did I get here?”

We then asked three key questions:

“Who am I around?” You've got to evaluate everybody who is able to influence you in any way.

“What are these associations doing to me?” That's a major question to ask. What have they got me doing, listening to, reading, thinking and feeling? You've got to make a serious study of how others are influencing you, both negatively and positively.

“Is that okay?” Maybe everyone you associate with has been a positive, energizing influence. Then again, maybe there are some bad apples in the bunch. All I'm suggesting here is that you take a close and objective look. Everything is worth a second look, especially the power of influence. Both will take you somewhere, but only one will take you in the direction you need to go.

This week, let's discuss three ways to handle associations or relationships that are holding you back.

1) Disassociate. This is not an easy decision, nor something you should take lightly, but in some cases it may be essential. You may just have to make the hard choice not to let certain negative influences affect you anymore. It could be a choice that preserves the quality of your life.

2) Limited association. Spend major time with major influences and minor time with minor influences. It is easy to do just the opposite, but don't fall into that trap. Take a look at your priorities and your values. We have so little time at our disposal. Wouldn't it make sense to invest it wisely?

3) Expanding your associations. This is the one I suggest you focus on the most. Find other successful people who you can spend more time with. Invite them to lunch (pick up the tab) and ask them how they have achieved so much or what makes them successful. Now, this is not just about financial success; it can be someone who you want to learn from about having a better marriage, being a better parent, having better health or a stronger spiritual life.

It is called association on purpose—getting around the right people by expanding your circle of influence. And when you do that, you will naturally limit the relationships that are holding you back. Give it a try and see for yourself.

Emotions will either serve or master, depending on who is in charge. ~ Jim Rohn

Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~ Dr. Suess

Often the best way to create change is not to try to convince others to change, but to change ourselves.~ Daily Om

Chinese Proverb: Be slow to promise but quick to perform.

A man who dares waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life. ~ Charles Darwin

Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others. ~ Brian Tracy

Happiness is not a matter of good fortune or worldly possessions. It's a mental attitude. It comes from appreciating what we have, instead of being miserable about what we don't have. It's so simple—yet so hard for the human mind to comprehend. ~ Bits and Pieces

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody. ~ Bill Cosby

If you would persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect. ~ Benjamin Franklin

Persistence-The act of holding firmly & steadfastly to a purpose, state, goal, or undertaking despite obstacles, warnings, or setbacks. ~ B Bennett

Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can't change. Life's too short to be anything... but happy. ~ Anonymous

‎Teamwork... is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. ~ Andrew Carnegie

The most difficult thing is your decision to act…the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers… You can do anything you decide to do ~ You can act to change and control your life ~ Your course of action is your own reward. ~ Amelia Earhart

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. ~ Albert Schweitzer

An idiot is someone who keeps doing the same thing expecting different results. ~ Albert Einstein

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. ~ Abraham Lincoln

A Daily SUGGESTION...To Your ENEMY ; FORGIVNESS , To An OPPONENT ; TOLERANCE , To A FRIEND ; Your HEART , To A CUSTOMER ; Good SERVICE , To All ; CHARITY , To Every CHILD ; A Good EXAMPLE and To Yourself ; RESPECT !!!

You leave old habits behind by starting out with the thought, 'I release the need for this in my life'. ~ Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

There is no such thing as can't, only won't. If you're qualified, all it takes is a burning desire to accomplish, to make a change. Go forward, go backward. Whatever it takes! But you can't blame other people or society in general. It all comes from your mind. When we do the impossible we realize we are special people.

In school you get the lesson and then take the test ... In life you take the test and then get the lesson. ~ Unknown Source

Lifestyle is the art of discovering ways to live uniquely. ~ Jim Rohn

Books, like friends, should be few, and well chosen. ~ Samuel Paterson

Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together. ~ Vista M Kely

In every phenomenon the beginning remains always the most notable moment. ~ Thomas Carlyle

To solve any problem, here are three questions to ask yourself: First, what could I do? Second, what could I read? And third, who could I ask? ~ Jim Rohn

Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else’s hands, but not you. ~ Jim Rohn

The greatest gift you can give to somebody is your own personal development. I used to say, ‘If you will take care of me, I will take care of you.' Now I say, ‘I will take care of me for you if you will take care of you for me.' ~ Jim Rohn

I believe in caring and sharing, rather than comparing. ~ Denis Waitley

The more we give of anything, the more we shall get back. ~ Grace Speare

The only place you'll find success before work is in the dictionary. ~ May B Smith

I believe that good health means more than wealth. ~ Denis Waitley

For every sale you miss because you’re too enthusiastic, you will miss a hundred because you’re not enthusiastic enough. ~ Zig Ziglar

Now, if you want to get rich, you have only to produce a product or service that will give people greater use value than the price you charge for it. How rich you get will be determined by the number of people to whom you can sell the product or service. ~ Earl Nightingale

You Are What You Repeatedly Do

You Are What You Repeatedly Do

First you make your habits, and then your habits make you.

You become a slave to your constantly repeated acts.

What at first you chose, at last compels.

Your thoughts lead you to a purpose.

Your purpose moves you to take action.

Your actions form your habits.

Your habits determine your character, and your character fixes your destiny.

Your habits are either the best of servants or the worst of masters.

Once in motion, a pattern tends to stay in motion.

© 2009 YourDailyMotivation.com

Know what you sell in terms of the customer. They don’t care about your product or service; they care how your product or service is used to benefit them. Are you telling them in terms of them or you? ~ Jeffrey Gitomer

To succeed in sales, simply talk to lots of people every day. And here’s what’s exciting—there are lots of people! ~ Jim Rohn

Life is a series of sales situations, and the answer is NO if you don’t ask. ~ Patricia Fripp

In sales there are going to be times when you can’t make everyone happy. Don’t expect to and you won’t be disappointed. Just do your best for each client in each situation as it arises. Then, learn from each situation how to do it better the next time. ~ Tom Hopkins

Internalize the ‘Golden Rule’ of sales that says, ‘All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust. ~ Bob Burg

Describe your product in terms of what it ‘does,’ not in terms of what it ‘is.’ ~ Brian Tracy

Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well. ~ Lord Chesterfield

Evaluating Your Associations, Part 1 by Jim Rohn

If you were to evaluate the major influences in your life that have shaped the kind of person you are, this has to be high on the list: the people and thoughts you choose to allow into your life. My mentor, Mr. Shoaff, gave me a very important warning in those early days that I would like to share with you. He said, "Never underestimate the power of influence." Indeed, the influence of those around us is so powerful! Many times we don't even realize we're being strongly affected because influences generally develop over an extended period of time.

Peer pressure is an especially powerful force because it is so subtle. If you're around people who spend all they make, chances are excellent that you'll spend all you make. If you are around people who go to more ball games than concerts, chances are excellent that you'll do the same thing. If you are around people who don't read, chances are excellent that you won't read. People can keep nudging us off course a little at a time until, finally, we find ourselves asking, "How did I get here?" Those subtle influences need to be studied carefully if we really want our lives to turn out the way we've planned.

With regard to this important point, let me give you three key questions to ask yourself. They may help you to make better analysis of your current associations.

Here is the first question: "Who am I around?" Make a mental note of the people with whom you most often associate. You've got to evaluate everybody who is able to influence you in any way.

The second question is: "What are these associations doing to me?" That's a major question to ask. What have they got me doing? What have they got me listening to? What have they got me reading? Where have they got me going? What do they have me thinking? How have they got me talking? How have they got me feeling? What have they got me saying? You've got to make a serious study of how others are influencing you, both negatively and positively.

Here's a final question: "Is that okay?" Maybe everyone you associate with has been a positive, energizing influence. Then again, maybe there are some bad apples in the bunch. All I'm suggesting here is that you take a close and objective look. Everything is worth a second look, especially the power of influence. Both will take you somewhere, but only one will take you in the direction you need to go.

It's easy to just dismiss the things that influence our lives. One man says, "I live here, but I don't think it matters. I'm around these people, but I don't think it hurts." I would take another look at that. Remember, everything matters! Sure, some things matter more than others, but everything amounts to something. You've got to keep checking to find out whether your associations are tipping the scales toward the positive or toward the negative. Ignorance is never the best policy. Finding out is the best policy.

Perhaps you've heard the story of the little bird. He had his wing over his eye and he was crying.

The owl said to the bird, "You are crying."

"Yes," said the little bird, and he pulled his wing away from his eye.

"Oh, I see," said the owl. "You're crying because the big bird pecked out your eye."

And the little bird said, "No, I'm not crying because the big bird pecked out my eye. I'm crying because I let him."

It's easy to let influence shape our lives, to let associations determine our direction, to let pressures overwhelm us, and to let tides take us. The big question is: Are we letting ourselves become what we wish to become?

Next time, we'll take a look at the three forms of disassociating from negative influences.

The ability to convert ideas to things is the secret of outward success. ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little. ~ Edmund Burke

I believe in this and the next generation, and believe we'll build a better nation. ~ Denis Waitley

Women have an incredible ability to pick up on emotional signals. For example, there are some wolves that are so clever they have learned to dress up like sheep. Man says, “Looks like a sheep. Talks like a sheep.” Woman says, “Ain’t no sheep!” ~ Jim Rohn

A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be. ~ Tom Landry

Look for role models who have succeeded in achieving goals similar to your own—individuals with whom you can personally identify. ~ Denis Waitley

Apprentice for two years to a great, inspiring leader who’ll mentor and teach you. Execute his or her requests with excellence and elegance. Meet and befriend all his or her friends, associates, bankers, clients, suppliers and actively keep them in your own Rolodex. ~ Mark Victor Hansen

No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively have to find people who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals. ~ Brian Tracy

If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you’ll achieve the same results. ~ Anthony Robbins

My mentor said, ‘Let’s go do it,’ not ‘You go do it.’ How powerful when someone says, ‘Let’s!’ ~ Jim Rohn

No man is capable of self-improvement if he sees no other model but himself. ~ Conrado I. Generoso

I believe that although I may not be the best looking in the group, I'll always be looking my best in every group! ~ Denis Waitley

Measure your emotions. You don’t need an atomic explosion for a minor point. ~ Jim Rohn

Don’t wait. The time will never be just right. ~ Napoleon Hill

All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small. ~ Lao-Tzu

You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great. ~ Les Brown

He that waits upon fortune is never sure of a dinner. ~ Benjamin Franklin

Start from wherever you are and with whatever you’ve got. ~ Jim Rohn

To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first. ~ William Shakespeare

The act of taking the first step is what separates the winners from the losers. ~ Brian Tracy

The most important key to achieving great success is to decide upon your goal and launch, get started, take action, move. ~ John Wooden

Do not wait for leaders. Do it alone, person to person. ~ Mother Theresa

Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start. ~ Nido Qubein

The only question to ask yourself is, how much are you willing to sacrifice to achieve this success? ~ Larry Flynt

Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity. ~ Sean O'Casey

I believe that I am a good as anyone in the world. Although I may never be on the cover of Time or People magazine, I still have time to be one of the people who make a really positive difference in the world. ~ Denis Waitley

Civilization is the intelligent management of human emotions. ~ Jim Rohn

Never, never, never, never give up. ~ Winston Churchill

Success is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve. ~ Wilfred A Peterson

I believe that all people have the equal right to become all they are willing and able to become. ~ Denis Waitley

Our emotions need to be as educated as our intellect. It is important to know how to feel, how to respond, and how to let life in so that it can touch you. ~ Jim Rohn

You can if you think you can. ~ George Reeves

Motivation is a contraction of motive and action. ~ Denis Waitley

Emotions will either serve or master, depending on who is in charge. ~ Jim Rohn

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. ~ Phyllis Diller

Vision is the art of seeing things invisible to others. ~ Jonathan Swift

The important thing is not to stop questioning. ~ Albert Einstein

Positive thinking won't let you do anything but it will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. ~ Zig Ziglar

Stop stewing and start doing! ~ Denis Waitley

Emotions will either serve or master, depending on who is in charge. ~ Jim Rohn

Being miserable is a habit; being happy is a habit; and the choice is yours. ~ Tom Hopkins

The secret to momentum in life can be found in the word ‘momentum.’ You create it moment by moment. ~ Doug Firebaugh

The key to success is for you to make a habit throughout your life of doing the things you fear. ~ Brian Tracy

Nothing needs reforming so much as other people’s habits. ~ Mark Twain

Good habits are as addictive as bad habits, and a lot more rewarding. ~ Harvey Mackay

When you do the wrong thing, knowing it is wrong, you do so because you haven’t developed the habit of effectively controlling or neutralizing strong inner urges that tempt you, or because you have established the wrong habits and don’t know how to eliminate them effectively. ~ W. Clement Stone

The truth is you don’t break a bad habit, you replace it with a good one. ~ Denis Waitley

Be sensitive to the plight of others. You have to know about the tragedies as well as the triumphs, the failures as well as the success." ~ Jim Rohn

Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. ~ John Wooden

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. ~ Helen Keller

Character is a quality that embodies many important traits, such as integrity, courage, perseverance, confidence and wisdom. Unlike your fingerprints that you are born with and can’t change, character is something that you create within yourself and must take responsibility for changing. ~ Jim Rohn

You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” ~ James D. Miles

We generally change ourselves for one of two reasons: inspiration or desperation. ~ Jim Rohn

What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do. ~ Aristotle

Whether you are a success or failure in life has little to do with your circumstances; it has much more to do with your choices! ~ Nido Qubein

The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance. ~ Nathaniel Braden

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. ~ Mohandas Gandhi

Between stimulus and response, one has the freedom to choose. ~ Stephen Covey

The time is always right to do what is right. ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Lasting change is possible only when the need for change is both understood and internalized. ~ Denis Waitley

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I… I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. ~ Robert Frost

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character. ~ Stephen Covey

Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character. ~ Stephen Covey

The more you care, the stronger you can be. ~ Jim Rohn

Vitamins for the Mind by Jim Rohn

Vitamins for the Mind
by Jim Rohn

Basics/Fundamentals

Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.

There are no new fundamentals. You’ve got to be a little suspicious of someone who says, “I’ve got a new fundamental.” That’s like someone inviting you to tour a factory where they are manufacturing antiques.

Some things you have to do every day. Eating seven apples on Saturday night instead of one a day just isn’t going to get the job done.

Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines, practiced every day; while failure is simply a few errors in judgment, repeated every day. It is the accumulative weight of our disciplines and our judgments that leads us to either fortune or failure.

Our destiny changes with our thoughts; we shall become what we wish to become, do what we wish to do, when our habitual thoughts correspond with our desires. ~ Orison Swett Marden

Thinking is not taught in schools! ~ Denis Waitley

Reading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what is read ours. ~ John Locke

Your thoughts are the architects of your destiny. ~ David O. McKay

Walk away from the 97% crowd. Don’t use their excuses. Take charge of your own life. ~ Jim Rohn

You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. ~ James Allen

Winning and losing are both learned habits. ~ Denis Waitley

Your Brain Is the Greatest Computer Ever Created ~ Ron White

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds. ~ Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Habits are like comfortable beds. They are easy to get into, but difficult to get out of. ~ Denis Waitley

You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of. You don’t have charge of the constellations, but you do have charge of whether you read, develop
new skills, and take new classes. ~ Jim Rohn

What the mind of a man can conceive and believe the mind of a man can achieve. ~ Napoleon Hill

First we make our habits, then our habits make us. ~ Denis Waitley

You cannot take the mild approach to the weeds in your mental garden. You have got to hate weeds enough to kill them. Weeds are not something you handle; weeds are something you devastate. ~ Jim Rohn

Instead of my name will you list it as Marketing Tools & Tips by CatherineDWhite If that is too long then just Marketing Tools by :) I got this listed too now.

No problem!

Ask me anything

Your thought is creative. Thoughts held in mind, produce after their kind. ~ Brian Tracy

Habits are like submarines. They run silent and deep. ~ Denis Waitley

If you spend five minutes complaining, you have just wasted five minutes. If you continue complaining, it won’t be long before they haul you out to a financial desert and there let you choke on the dust of your own regret. ~ Jim Rohn

The person who sends out positive thoughts activates the world around him positively and draws back to himself positive results. ~ Norman Vincent Peale

What was your favorite toy to play with as a child?

My Honeyball doll

Ask me anything

If you could only watch one TV show what would it be?

The View

Ask me anything

What's one thing you own that you should probably throw away, but never will?

letters from old boy friends

Ask me anything

Would you rather be rich or famous?

rich

Ask me anything

What was the best advice you've ever received?

Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better ~ Jim Rohn

Ask me anything

Habits begin as offhanded remarks, ideas and images. And then, layer upon layer, through practice, they grow from cobwebs into cables that shackle or strengthen our lives. ~ Denis Waitley

Humility is a virtue; timidity is a disease. ~ Jim Rohn

Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once and a while, or the light won’t come in. ~ Alan Alda

We learn by observation, imitation and repetition. ~ Denis Waitley

We must all wage an intense, lifelong battle against the constant downward pull. If we relax, the bugs and weeds of negativity will move into the garden and take away everything of value. ~ Jim Rohn

One must learn by doing the thing. For though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try. ~ Sophocles

It is an ironic habit of human beings to run faster when we have lost our way. ~ Rollo May

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. ~ C S Lewis

How to succeed? Try hard enough. ~ Malcolm Forbes

A business that makes nothing but money is a poor kind of business. ~ Henry Ford

Try for a goal that's reasonable, then gradually raise it. ~ Emil Zatopek

The secret of a leader lies in the tests he has faced over the whole course of his life and the habit of action he develops in meeting those tests. ~ Gail Sheehy

Never lose a chance of saying a kind word. ~ William Makepeace Thackeray

The Butterfly Effect by Ron White

It was 1960 and meteorologist Edward Lorenz was working in his lab. He
was entering data into his computer in the hope of modeling weather
patterns when he stumbled upon a theory that is known as “The
Butterfly Effect.” He was entering wind speed, air pressure and
temperature into three separate equations that were linked in a
mathematical feedback loop. This equation allowed Lorenz to predict
weather patterns. 

One day Lorenz was in a bit of a hurry and opted to take a shortcut
when entering the data. He rounded the numbers to the nearest one
thousandth rather than to the nearest one millionth (for example, .407
instead of .407349). As a scientist, he knew this would change the
result—however he expected only a minor change. Lorenz was astounded
to discover that this tiny change made a profound impact on the final
resulting weather pattern. This discovery led Lorenz to ponder: Does
the flap of a butterfly’s wing in Brazil cause a tornado in Texas?
Thus, you have “The Butterfly Effect” theory. 

This theory has been applied to all areas of science since Lorenz’s
1960 experiment. 

What does it mean for your life? 

It means that every decision or action that you make—no matter how
small—could potentially dramatically alter the course of your life. My
life, as I am sure is the case with yours, is a testimony to the
butterfly effect. When I was 12 years old, I met a friend named Brian
in P.E. class. More than two decades later, Brian is still my best
friend. At the age of 12, Brian had a thirst for learning and studying
(the other 12-year-olds called him a nerd), and he was a fitness
fanatic. He still has these qualities, and because of our friendship
they rubbed off on me. At the age of 18, I needed a job and he secured
me a job where he worked as a telemarketer. My third day on the job, I
made a telemarketing call to someone in the seminar business. He
thought I was a good telemarketer and offered me a job over the phone. 

Did you follow that? 

You are receiving this email from me, reading my books, or hearing me
speak because I was offered a job at the age of 18 from a seminar
company. I would have never been offered that job if Brian hadn’t
gotten me the telemarketing job, and Brian would never have known me
if we hadn’t met at the age of 12 in P.E! I have an insatiable desire
for learning that began at age 12 and have developed into a fitness
fanatic as well. Most of the major events in my life can be traced
back to a conversation in a gym two decades ago—that is “The Butterfly
Effect.” 

He who loses wealth loses much; he who loses a friend loses more; but he that loses his courage loses all. ~ Miguel De Cervantes

You can use the fanciest computers to gather the numbers, but in the end you have to set a timetable and act. ~ Lee Iacocca

Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises. ~ Demosthenes

Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work. ~ Aristotle

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. ~ Dale Carnegie

To think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted. ~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Don't wish it were easier, wish you were better. ~ Jim Rohn

There is no victory at bargain basement prices. ~ Dwight Eisenhower

One may walk over the highest mountain one step at a time. ~ John Wanamaker

I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. ~ Anne Frank

Believe in yourself, and the rest will fall into place. Have faith in your own abilities, work hard, and there is nothing you cannot accomplish. ~ Brad Henry

What you commit yourself to determines what you are, more than anything that ever happened to you yesterday, or the day before. ~ Dr. Anthony Campolo

Make a total commitment to your company, your job, and your career. Uncommitted people have no future. ~ Brian Tracy

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. ~ Dale Carnegie

Make a strong commitment to reach your full potential as a human being. ~ Nido Qubein

If you don’t make a total commitment to whatever you’re doing, then start to bail out the first time the boat starts leaking. ~ Lou Holtz

It takes time to build a corporate work of art. It takes time to build a life. And it takes time to develop and grow. So give yourself, your enterprise, and your family the time they deserve and the time they require. ~ Jim Rohn

There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out. There’s no such thing as life in-between. ~ Pat Riley

I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy. ~Madame Marie Curie

Losers make promises they often break. Winners make commitments they always keep. ~ Denis Waitley

If your energy is as boundless as your ambition, total commitment may be a way of life you should seriously consider. ~ Joyce Brothers

The major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be the far greater value than what you get. ~ Jim Rohn

Sometimes being smart means recognizing when you’re not. ~ Harvey Mackay

You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown. ~ Denis Waitley

When you cannot make up your mind which of two evenly balanced courses of action you should take, choose the bolder. ~ William Joseph Slim

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Be like the turtle. If he didn’t stick his neck out, he wouldn’t get anywhere at all. ~ Harvey Mackay

If you don’t think you can do it, who will? You control the most important tool in success, your mind. ~ Jeffrey Gitomer

The most important opinion you’ll ever have is the one you hold of yourself. ~ Denis Waitley

If you believe in what you are doing, then let nothing hold you up in your work. Much of the best work of the world has been done against seeming impossibilities. The thing is to get the work done. ~ Dale Carnegie

Count the cost first. Don’t pay too big a price for pursuing minor values. ~ Jim Rohn

The most important opinion you’ll ever have is the one you hold of yourself. ~ Denis Waitley

Your belief determines your action and your action determines your results, but first you have to believe. ~ Mark Victor Hansen

Motivation is motive in action. ~ Denis Waitley

Your belief determines your action and your action determines your results, but first you have to believe. ~ Mark Victor Hansen

The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become. That is why I wish to pay fair price for every value. If I have to pay for it or earn it, that makes something of me. If I get it for free, that makes nothing of me. ~ Jim Rohn

It’s not the experience of today that causes us the most stress; it’s the regret for something we didn’t do yesterday. ~ Denis Waitley

Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact. ~ William James

Learn to help people with more than just their jobs; help them with their lives. ~ Jim Rohn

Facing the Enemies Within by Jim Rohn

We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you've read in the papers. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o'clock in the morning. But once you learn to avoid that situation, you won't need to live in fear of it.

Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us.

Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within. The first enemy that you've got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference. What a tragic disease this is. "Ho-hum, let it slide. I'll just drift along." Here's one problem with drifting: you can't drift your way to the top of the mountain.

The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future. Take a sword to this enemy.

The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure, there's room for healthy skepticism. You can't believe everything. But you also can't let doubt take over. Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities and doubt the opportunities. Worst of all, they doubt themselves. I'm telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart. Doubt is an enemy. Go after it. Get rid of it.

The fourth enemy within is worry. We've all got to worry some. Just don't let it conquer you. Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful. If you step off the curb in New York City and a taxi is coming, you've got to worry. But you can't let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner. Here's what you've got to do with your worries: drive them into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you, you've got to get it. Whatever is pushing on you, you've got to push back.

The fifth interior enemy is over-caution. It is the timid approach to life. Timidity is not a virtue; it's an illness. If you let it go, it'll conquer you. Timid people don't get promoted. They don't advance and grow and become powerful in the marketplace. You've got to avoid over-caution.

Do battle with the enemy. Do battle with your fears. Build your courage to fight what's holding you back, what's keeping you from your goals and dreams. Be courageous in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to become.

Motivation is an inner force that compels behavior. Your inner drives will propel you further and faster than external perks. ~ Denis Waitley

He can who thinks he can, and he can’t who thinks he can’t. This is an inexorable, indisputable law. ~ Henry Ford

Managers help people see themselves as they are; leaders help people see themselves better than they are. ~ Jim Rohn

Think of your imagination as a skill rather than a talent and learn to use it. ~ Denis Waitley

If you believe you can, and believe it strongly enough, you’ll be amazed at what you can do. ~ Nido Qubein

Good people are found, not changed. Recently I read a headline that said, “We don’t teach people to be nice. We simply hire nice people.” Wow! What a clever shortcut. ~ Jim Rohn

We can change if we want to. ~ Denis Waitley

One person with a belief is equal to a force of ninety-nine with only interests. ~ John Stuart Mill

My mentor said, “Let’s go do it,” not “You go do it”. How powerful when someone says, “Let’s!” ~ Jim Rohn

You can’t concentrate on the reverse of an idea. A fear is a goal moving in the opposite direction from your desire. ~ Denis Waitley

If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won’t, you most assuredly won’t. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad. ~ Denis Waitley

We must learn to help those who deserve it, not just those who need it. Life responds to deserve, not need. ~ Jim Rohn

The two greatest fear busters are knowledge and action. ~ Denis Waitley

Somehow I can’t believe that there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret—curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable. ~ Walt Disney

The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly. ~ Jim Rohn

Whatever you believe with emotion becomes reality. You always act in a manner consistent with your innermost beliefs and convictions. ~ Brian Tracy

Put up the dream. Put in the knowledge. Put out the effort. ~ Denis Waitley

If you think trying is hard, just wait till you get the bill for doing nothing.

The greatest gift you can give to someone is your own personal development. I used to say, 'If you will take care of me, I will take care of you.' Now I say, 'I will take care of me for you, if you take care of you for me. ~ Jim Rohn

Your mental attitude is something you can control outright and you must use self discipline until you create a positive mental attitude - your mental attitude attracts to you everything that makes you what you are. ~ Napoleon Hill

Your mental attitude is something you can control outright and you must use self discipline until you create a positive mental attitude - your mental attitude attracts to you everything that makes you what you are. ~ Napoleon Hill

How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these. ~ George Washington Carver

How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these. ~ George Washington Carver

Read books, listen to tapes, attend seminars - they are decades of wisdom reduced to invaluable hours. ~ Mark Victor Hansen

The only difference between a rich person and a poor person is how they use their time. - Robert Kiyosaki

Share Yourself by Mac Anderson

One of my favorite habits in life is waking up early on Sunday morning, getting the Sunday paper, making a hot cup of coffee, and kicking back to read about what's going on in the world. It's my quiet time. My time alone to reflect and relax.

One Sunday morning about halfway through my little ritual, I spotted a headline that read "Graduating Student Credits His ‘Angel,' " and I began to read.

A young man who was graduating from college told the story about how Oral Lee Brown was his "real-life angel." In 1987, Brown, a real estate agent in Northern  California, saw a young girl in her neighborhood begging for money.

When she went to the school the girl had claimed to attend, Brown couldn't find her, but that day she made a decision that would change the lives of many other children forever. She adopted an entire first-grade class in one of Oakland's lowest performing schools, and she pledged that she personally would pay for anyone who wanted to attend college.

This would be a great story even if Oral Lee Brown was independently wealthy; however, it is a much greater story considering she was a former cotton picker from Mississippi, making $45,000 a year and raising two children of her own.

Brown lived up to her pledge. Since 1987, she's personally saved $10,000 a year while raising donations for her "adopted first-grade kids." And because of her tremendous act of unselfish love, children who could have been "swallowed by the streets" are now graduating from college to pursue their dreams.

We all seek our purpose in life. Most of us wonder how we can make a positive difference during our brief time on this earth. But asking and doing are different things.

It's hard to imagine that Oral Lee Brown wouldn't have a wonderful positive attitude, because she has thought less about herself and more about others.

This, in my opinion, is a "little secret" that many people never quite understand about life.

Get rid of the negative people in your life - surround yourself with positive
people who believe in you and inspire you.

When you cannot make up your mind which of two evenly balanced courses of action you should take - choose the bolder. - William Joseph Slim

It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters, in the end. - Ursula Le Guin

You have to see opportunity before you can seize it. - Greg Hickman

The two greatest fear busters are knowledge and action. ~ Denis Waitley

The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not a bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly. ~ Jim Rohn

Somehow I can’t believe that there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret—curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable. ~ Walt Disney

The two greatest fear busters are knowledge and action. ~ Denis Waitley

Building a Successful Team by Jim Rohn

Once you've set a goal for yourself as a leader—whether it is to create your own enterprise, energize your organization, build a church, or excel in sports—the challenge is to find good people to help you accomplish that goal. Gathering a successful team of people is not only helpful, it's necessary.

So to guide you in this daunting task of picking the right people, I'm going to share with you a four-part checklist.

Number One: Check each candidate's history. Seek out available information regarding the individual's qualifications to do the job. That's the most obvious step.

Number Two: Check the person's interest level. If they are interested, they are probably a good prospect. Sometimes people can fake their interest, but if you've been a leader for a while, you will be a capable judge of whether somebody is merely pretending. Arrange face-to-face conversation, and try to gauge his or her sincerity to the best of your ability. You won't hit the bull's-eye every time, but you can get pretty good at spotting what I call true interest.

Number Three: Check the prospect's responses. A response tells you a lot about someone's integrity, character and skills. Listen for responses like these: "You want me to get there that early?" "You want me to stay that late?" "The break is only ten minutes?" "I'll have to work two evenings a week and Saturdays?" You can't ignore these clues. A person's responses are good indications of his or her character and of how hard he or she will work. Our attitudes reflect our inner selves, so even if we can fool others for a while, eventually, our true selves will emerge.

Number Four: Check results. The name of the game is results. How else can we effectively judge an individual's performance? The final judge must be results.

There are two types of results to look for. The first is activity results. Specific results are a reflection of an individual's productivity. Sometimes we don't ask for this type of result right away, but it's pretty easy to check activity. If you work for a sales organization and you've asked your new salesman, John, to make ten calls in the first week, it's simple to check his results on Friday. You say, "John, how many calls did you make?" John says, "Well..." and starts telling a story, making an excuse. You respond, "John, I just need a number from one to ten." If his results that first week are not good, it is a definite sign. You might try another week, but if that lack of precise activity continues, you'll soon realize that John isn't capable of becoming a member of your team.

The second area you need to monitor is productivity. The ultimate test of a quality team is measurable progress in a reasonable amount of time. And here's one of the skills of leadership: Be up front with your team as to what you expect them to produce. Don't let the surprises come later.

When you're following this four-part checklist, your instincts obviously play a major role. And your instincts will improve every time you go through the process. Remember, building a good team will be one of your most challenging tasks as a leader. It will reap you multiple rewards for a long time to come.

Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have. ~ Jim Rohn

Whatever you believe with emotion becomes reality. You always act in a manner consistent with your innermost beliefs and convictions. ~ Brian Tracy

Put up the dream. Put in the knowledge. Put out the effort. ~ Denis Waitley

What you give becomes an investment that will return to you multiplied at some point in the future. ~ Jim Rohn

Action eradicates fear. No matter what you fear, positive, self-affirming action can diminish or completely cancel that which you are fearful of. ~ Mark Victor Hansen

Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s when you’ve everything to do, and you’ve done it. ~ Margaret Thatcher

People who want to retire so they can sit under a coconut tree watching the grass grow baffle me. We were created for meaningful work, and one of life’s greatest pleasures is the satisfaction of a job well done. ~ John Maxwell

Knowledge might be power, but only when you take action. ~ Richard Keeves

One of the marks of superior people is that they are action-oriented. One of the marks of average people is that they are talk-oriented. ~ Brian Tracy

What we think or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only thing of consequence is what we do. ~ John Ruskin

Success Is Easy, but So Is Neglect ~ Jim Rohn

Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I think we may safely trust a good deal more than we do. ~ Henry David Thoreau

A man who doesn’t trust himself can never really trust anyone else. ~ Cardinal De Retz

One must be fond of people and trust them if one is not to make a mess of life. ~ E. M. Forster

What you give becomes an investment that will return to you multiplied at some point in the future. ~ Jim Rohn