Never Fail

"Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail."

Here is yet another thing children know all too well. They don't even know what the word failure means. Ask a child to define failure for you. If they can define it, ask them, "Then what?" Inevitably, their response will be to try again! Children are amazing!

Charles Kettering knew to practice this. He was an inventor, and knew he could not let failure limit the possibilities. So much can be accomplished if we remember that mistakes are not failures. They're simply mistakes.

Believe you can and you will! Remember your dreams, and take action to make them a reality without the fear of failure!

More tomorrow...

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Never Give Up!

"Mistakes are the portals of discovery."

When you dare to dream big, and you are passionate about turning your dreams into reality, you are likely going to make several mistakes along the way. Mistakes are not to be feared! As mentioned Monday, perseverance is the most important objective in seeing things through. Remember, children are wonderfully perseverant!

James Joyce, playwright and poet, knew to embrace mistakes. They provide a different viewpoint than before, and very often lead to amazing discoveries. Mistakes cause you to ask the most important question, "Why?"

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Embrace them! They are the building blocks of discovery. Every child knows this, and while you may have forgotten this over the years, there's no time like the present to remember this.

More tomorrow...

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More Gifts from Children

"The less you know, the more you believe."

Adults can learn a lot from children. Yesterday I asked when did you stop dreaming? It was likely during your adolescent years when you started to think you knew it all. Maybe you tried to achieve something and you didn't accomplish your goal. Maybe you called this failure. Maybe others called it failure. It wasn't.

Bono's quote above is particularly fitting this week. Of all the people on the earth, children bear the greatest gift of belief, and know the least. Or do they. Perhaps they know what is truly important, and if provided proper direction and guidance can achieve miracles.

As adults, we have the benefit of hindsight. We also have the ability to change. Take advice from children, and make today the day you start believing again!

More tomorrow...

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Remember When

"The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible, and achieve it."

Remember when anything was possible? Remember when there were no limits to your dreams? When did you stop believing in your dreams?

American writer, Pearl S. Buck knew the dreams of young children kept alive into adulthood were the catalyst of greatness. Things like air travel, space travel, organ transplants, immunizations, technology, and on, and on. The list is virtually endless. All because people dared to dream big, and make their dreams a reality.

However, dreams alone will not manifest into reality without hard work, determination, and most important...perseverance. Never stop believing in your dreams, and never give up!

More tomorrow...

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How Easy It Is!

"Find a way to fulfill the needs of others in an efficient and elegant manner, and you'll be wealthier than you ever imagined."

It is really that easy! We exist for others. If we simply identify what others need, and fill that need as Tony Robbins suggests in an efficient and elegant manner, the people will reward you. Remember, wealth is not limited to money alone. Wealth comes in many varieties.

Your receipt of this reward will allow you to be more generous, and impact the lives of more people in a positive way. Perhaps you'll spend the first half of your life accumulating money, and the last half giving it all away, like Andrew Carnegie.

From goal setting, to enthusiasm, to confidence, and now generosity. What will next week bring?

Have a great weekend!

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The Right Thing

"Things don't have to change the world to be important."

What if they do? Think of how simply doing the right thing could change the world. Perhaps nothing is more important than doing the right thing. If everyone did the right thing, how would the world change?

I'm not sure that is what Steve Jobs was considering when he stated the above, but it is an interesting addition to our topic this week. If we practice our existence for others, that would be a good beginning to doing the right thing, and would inevitably change the world.

Start with ourselves, and share what we believe to inspire others to do the right thing. If doing the right thing went viral, that would change the world!

More tomorrow...

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Successfully Generous

"I am going to spend the first half of my life accumulating money, and I am going to spend the last half giving it all away."

Andrew Carnegie wrote this to himself in his twenties. He understood early in his life he existed for other people. He understood the concept that in order to keep it you need to give it away.

Existence for others, giving it away to keep it, and acting selflessly will allow you to succeed in ways you only dreamed possible.

What are you generous with?

More tomorrow...

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Exist for Others

"One knows from daily life that one exists for other people."

The act of selflessness is incredibly noble. To truly understand this is not to limit what you can, and should accomplish. To practice this is to understand the more you accomplish and obtain provides you the ability to be increasingly generous to others.

This is what Albert Einstein understood. Great inventors in the world existed because they identified the needs of others, and provided for these needs. Theologians, doctors, teachers, business people, and every member of society exists for other people. We all provide something for the benefit of others, and thus exist for more than just ourselves.

The more successful you become, the more you can do for others. Remember, success is not measured strictly in monetary wealth. What is your definition of success? Whatever it is, achieve it not only for yourself, but remember to keep it you must give it away.

More tomorrow.

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The Perfect Day

"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."

We ended last week with giving it away. Share what you've gained by teaching, mentoring, and donating to others. You'll accomplish more for yourself in the process of doing for others than you ever imagined.

John Wooden was not simply talking about monetary gifts of charity. He was talking about being generous with your time also. Being generous with your time to teach others develops improved clarity of your own direction, and reinforces your beliefs. When you can teach what you know effectively to others, you truly understand what you believe in.

Take time to share something you believe in with others. Do this today, and recognize what you've been missing!

More tomorrow...

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Give it Away!

"To keep it, you have to give it away."

We've spent the last couple weeks talking about goals, and accomplishing them. We've all done it before, but we've not been successful every time. It's not because we didn't know how to accomplish our goals. It is simply because we didn't practice what we know every time we set a goal. Now that we've revisited this at a very high level, we'll begin drilling a bit deeper next week.

Before we begin, we need to make a promise to ourselves to practice what we preach. There's many variations of the above quote, but I like Bill's the best. Bill Wilson was speaking about making a promise. A promise is the only thing you can keep after giving it away. In order to adopt any new practice in your life, you must learn it, and teach it before you can make it your own. Let's own it!

More next week...

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Confidence to Succeed

"If you think you can...or think you can't...you're right."

Perhaps the most important part of any achievement is confidence. The most significant accomplishments made in our lives were done so because we had the confidence to succeed! Henry Ford new that you would manifest what you believed possible. If you are confident you will succeed, you will. If you're not, you won't.

However, demonstrate confidence in your actions with wisdom. It is one thing to be confident, and have the knowledge and ability. It is entirely different to lack one of these three. If you're confident you can fly by flapping your arms, you'll be gravely disappointed if you try before obtaining the knowledge, and realize you lack the ability.

If there is something you want to achieve, and you lack the knowledge and / or ability, you can likely obtain both. Confidence is simply believing in yourself that you can. If you believe you can, you will.

Happy St. Patrick's Day. More tomorrow...

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Passion!

"Passion is the genesis of genius."

Let's recap the past week. We know we have aspirations. We know we need to start today! We know what we want to accomplish. We know we need a plan. We know we need to get our head, and heart in the game. Now what?

We talked about enthusiasm, and how important it is in accomplishing goals, and putting your whole heart into your work. Once you are truly passionate about what you do, you'll unlock your true potential. Tony Robbins realized that when he stated the above. Your capability is not limited. That which was once thought an impossibility is now a reality. Passion made it possible!

More tomorrow...

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Where's Your Heart?

"Do your work with your whole heart, and you will succeed - there's so little competition."

Now that your head is in the game...where's your heart? Are you passionate about what you want to accomplish? It's one thing to get psyched. It's a whole new level to be psyched and passionate at the same time!

Elbert Hubbard recognized this when he made the above statement. He new putting you heart into your work put you in a league of your own. So few people truly care about their work, let alone get passionate about it.

If you really want to be successful, don't forget to get your heart in the game! Live with passion!

Have a wonderful, and safe weekend. More next week...

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Get Psyched!

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."

If you want to get your head in the game, you better get psyched! That's what Ralph Waldo Emerson was talking about above. Be enthusiastic about what you're trying to achieve.

Seldom do we accomplish our goals entirely by ourselves. We receive support from others in some way, shape, or form. It may simply be encouragement. Regardless, enthusiasm is attractive! When you're trying to accomplish a goal, the more people you can attract with your enthusiasm, the more likely you are to accomplish your goal.

Let others know the goal you've set for yourself, and get excited about it! You'll find you attract those who want to help you succeed, and you'll accomplish more than you expected! This goes for your and those around you.

More tomorrow...

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What Did You Expect?

"We tend to get what we expect."

If you're going to achieve great things, you don't need to reinvent the wheel. Many people before us have shown us the way, and shared their amazing advice. Like the advice from Norman Vincent Peale above. I thought this was a good next-step to this week's discussion about our future.

If we're going to get started on a goal, and create the proper plan to follow, then we need to get motivated. Step one in accomplishing any goal you've set is to get your head in the game. If you set your expectations to achieve what you're after, then you will tend to get what you expect. I'm sure each of us can recall a situation where this was true. Now let's learn to repeat it at will! Thanks, Norman.

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Future Predictions

"The best way to predict your future is to create it."

Where Charles Kettering left off is where Dr. Peter Drucker begins. He makes it sound so simple! Isn't it though? Think back to something in your life you obtained, because you really wanted it. Was there anything that would have kept you from achieving your goal? Of course not!

That accomplishment was a future goal you set for yourself. Maybe you didn't follow all the steps of goal setting and proper planning, but your conviction to achieve this goal kept you motivated until you stood victorious! Anything in your future is possible. Anything!

Perhaps this time you'll incorporate all the steps of goal setting and proper planning. There's no time like the present to start creating your future. Remember what Kelly Lamb said? If you don't, review last Saturday's post for her words of wisdom.

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What the Future Holds

"My interest is in the future, because I am going to spend the rest of my life there."

Charles Kettering was absolutely correct! We're all going to spend the rest of our lives in the future. Not the past. Whether it was glorious or inglorious, leave it in the past, and take only the lessons learned with you.

We don't know exactly what the future holds. We do know that we continue to face some very challenging times. We've seen many competitors close in recent years, and will likely see more. However, the fact that Monarch Windows and Doors is still here after 123 years provides inspiration, and excitement for what the future can be if we focus our interests there.

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Failure to Launch

"A year from now, you will wish you started today."

That's a quote from Kelly Lamb. I like to think of it when I have an idea that I think is worth pursuing. I also think of it when I have failed to pursue something that I thought was a good idea. Like this blog.

I don't even remember when I first created it, but I thought it was a good idea at the time, and still do. Therefore, I find myself remembering the words of Kelly Lamb.

How many of you have something you should have started a year ago, or longer? How many of you will make today the day you change? How many of you will start today?

Get started! There's no time like the present to start something new!

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