Issue 14

In Search of an Excellent You
May 25, 2009


Do you Walk the Talk:
http://www.doyouwalkthetalk.com/

"We attribute to luck all our misfortunes but never our prosperity." -C. Regismansset

When Success is a Defeat:Though some may not see it, behind the mask of achievement may lie a great defeat. Beware! All it takes is that you identify success only through the accumulation of money, fame or power.
All economic and financial triumph at the cost of peace of mind and at the cost of the family is a defeat. Failure within success happens to people who try to negotiate peace of mind (those who try to quiet their consciousness), who forget that relationships exist, and who forget their values and morals. Many people live this kind of defeat within a society where appearances and emptiness abound.
Superiority and all that surrounds it is not where true success will remain. If you doubt the dangers of navigating in the waters of superiority, remember that appearances fool people and that arrogance was the tip of the iceberg that sank the unsinkable Titanic.
Also remember that the boomerang always returns, and whoever has sown cactus can't possibly harvest bananas.Success is not in the money or in the prestige. To reach success is to accomplish whatever you set out to do that satisfies your inner being; it is, in part, that which makes you a better person to be around - even if you are alone (you must look in the mirror once in a while.) Unfortunately, some believe this is where it's at. Buy this book, attend that seminar or workshop, get that CD... that all speak to making money and getting rich; I suppose that's fine if you truly believe that money is the answer to all problems and woes. That brings to mind a part of my family (not close to me, but family nonetheless). These folks have never had any money worries; their only concerns were this son who is mentally retarded, the other son who is a paraplegic, the daughter who is a rather 'happy' lady, the uncle who is a pedophile, the alcoholic cousin. Geez, keep your money, please!!!
Of course, you read the books or buy the CDs. They tell you that you can become rich very quickly by, for example, turning property (buy cheap, fix it up, sell). Well, personally this is something I do not have a taste for. I enjoy playing music, I enjoy writing and reading, I enjoy dealing with people, I love to share (share, because I don't know enough to teach). I don't want to do real estate. I don't want to sell this or that product that will keep your intestine clean. I don't want to hawk cosmetics or lotions or potions to my family, friends and colleagues.
I want to be ME. I want to do what turns ME on. I want to live MY dream. Sounds a bit selfish, doesn't it?! Well, not really. If you have ever travelled in an airplane, you may remember the part of the passenger safety instructions dealing with the oxygen masks, something along the lines of, "In case of a change in cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will drop down, etc... if you are travelling with a child, put YOUR mask on first..." You cannot be of much help to the child or to the person depending on you, if YOU ARE CHOKING. Before you can extend a hand you need some level of stability, whether mental or physical, or financial, or educational.And then there are the materials on positive thinking. Think positive and you will become wealthy overnight. You may now be earning minimum wage, but with a positive thought constantly held in your mind's eye, from somewhere the universe will shower you with the millions of your dreams. You may now be driving that 25-year-old jalopy, but soon you'll have your dream ride.
Question is, how prepared are you to turn your life around, to make your dreams a reality, to become a better person for yourself and family and society in general? Do you have a plan? Do you even have a clue?
Excellent You is precisely your avenue to success - however you wish to define success. We will create a new you; a person you probably never knew existed within you. We will create a you who will walk in confidence within any environment. A you who does not go out "looking for a job," but rather is prepared to offer solutions to a problem a company or department may be facing (it may take a personal conversation between you and me for this concept to sink in - drop me an email, dre@hopetrainllc.com - if you want to talk about it). Whatever you seek to accomplish, whether turning properties, or selling insurance, or being a better spouse or parent or employee, or being happy with yourself, or why not, getting rich (but not overnight), Excellent You will take you there. We will ask you to dream, we will ask that you be positive, but we will also require that you put some elbow grease into the project.
Like anything in life, you get out what you put in. Dreams, and work, and a vision, and determination, and sharing are all required implements for the most exciting and fulfilling rebirth you will ever experience. I'm waiting for you.Yours in Success and Achievement,
Dr. Manuel Escalante (Dr. E)

How To Become Rich and Retire Young

The following is the story of how my wife Kim, my best friend Larry Clark and I, began our journey from broke, to rich, to retired in less than 10 years. When Kim and I started, we were nearly out of money and filled with doubt. We all have doubts. The difference is what we do with those doubts.
In December 1984, Kim, Larry and I were on a skiing holiday. At night we would discuss our plans for the future. Kim and I were on our last few dollars and Larry was in the process of building another business. On New Years Day, we tried to set some goals. Larry wanted to do more than just set goals for the coming year, he wanted us to set goals that changed our lives.
"Why don't we write a plan on how we can all become financially free?" he urged. I had talked about it and dreamt about it. But the idea of being financially free was always in the future, not today. "Let's write it down," Larry said. "Once we write it down, we have to do it, and we'll support each other on the journey." Kim and I looked at each other doubtfully. "It's a good idea but I think I would rather just focus on surviving for the next year." "Come on," said Larry. "Let's go for freedom. I don't want to spend my life working just to pay bills. I want to live. I want to be rich. I want to travel the world while I'm young enough to enjoy it."
I recalled the words of my rich dad: "The biggest challenge you have is your own self-doubt and your laziness. It is your self-doubt and your laziness that define and limit who you are. It is your self-doubt and laziness that deny you the life you want." It was time to choose. "OK, let's set the goal to be financially free." That was New Year's Day 1985. In 1994 Kim and I were free. Larry went on to build his company, which became one of Inc. Magazine's fastest growing companies of the year in 1996. Larry retired in 1998 at the age of 46 after selling his company. How did we do it?
It's not about how we did it. It's about why we did it. From 1985 to 1994, Kim, Larry, and I focused on rich dad's three paths to great wealth:
Increasing business skillsIncreasing money management skillsIncreasing investment skills
The why is because I wanted to challenge my own self-doubts, my laziness and my past. It was the why that gave us the power to do the how.
My arguments against Larry's idea were things like: "But we don't have any money"; "I can't do that"; "I'll think about it next year, or once Kim and I get settled". Rich dad had told me: "Whenever someone says something like 'I can't afford it', or 'I can't do it' to something they want, they have a big problem. Why in the world would someone say 'I can't afford it' or 'I can't do it' to something they want? Why would someone deny themselves the things they want? It makes no logical sense." My own whys I was fed up with being broke and always struggling for money. I was tired of being average. My parents had struggled under a mountain of bills. Most painful of all, my beautiful wife Kim was in this financial mess because she loved me.
Things got worse for us before they got better. Kim and I lived in a car for about three weeks after our money ran out. So things did not get better just because we made the decision to retire rich, but it was the reasons why that kept us going. Rich dad used to say: "If you want something, be passionate. Passion gives energy to your life." Passion is a combination of love and hate. "If you want something you do not have, find out why you love what you want and why you hate not having what you want. When you combine those two thoughts, you will find the energy to go get anything you want."
For example, I would create the following list:

LOVE

Being rich

Being free

Buying anything I want

Expensive things

Having other people do what I don't want to do

HATE Being poor

Being required to work

Not having what I want

Cheap things

Doing things I don't want to do

So sit quietly to find and define your loves and hates. Then write down your whys. Write down your dreams, goals and plans on becoming financially free, retiring early and retiring as young as possible. Once it is in writing, you may want to show it to a friend who will support you in achieving your dreams. Take a look at this paper with your dreams, goals and plans on a regular basis. Talk about it often, ask for support, be willing to continually learn, and before you know it, things will begin to happen.
I have heard many people say: "Money doesn't buy happiness." That statement has some truth to it. But what money does do is buy me the time to do what I love and pay other people to do what I hate doing.-- Robert Kiyosaki

Issue 13

In Search of an Excellent You
May 18, 2009

The Beauty of Personal Development in 10 Words
When you begin to watch this video, you will notice the life changing words of inspiration.

Masterytv.com Presents Jim Rohn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZru3_vygc0

When you're going through hell, don't stop-keep walking. Failure must be understood. To accept problems blindly is to let yourself be defeated by fatalism; it is to give up. Failure has causes that are clear and identifiable. The most salient of these: spiritual emptiness, lack of values, immaturity, weak education, lack of a sense of proportions, bad communication, deficient relationships, barriers to teamwork, selfishness, pride, absence of thought or intuition, , lack of follow-up, no evaluation, negative attitudes, no motivation, not learning from mistakes thus repeating them, and bad planning or no planning at all.

If you want to attract pain, heartache, crises and negativity into your life, keep in the mind this list of issues - they will certainly take you to a dark place. On the other hand, if you want to succeed, face them and defeat them; the choice is yours.

As I have spoken of failure, it would appear that I condone it and that it should be received as a positive life experience. Nothing could be further from the truth. I see long-term failure as nothing more than an absence of desire, of thinking, of planning. Short-term "failure" may require that you seek public assistance (maybe food stamps or temporary shelter) for a little while-not good, but acceptable; nothing shameful about it. Long-term failure keeps you under public assistance forever and tends to provide negative lessons and influences on your offspring. With this in mind, the best leader is not the one who finds solutions to problems, but rather the one who is prepared for the curved balls that life may throw; the best leader is the person who prevents and avoids problems, for this person knows that failure does not strike because of bad luck or as a result of a predetermined destiny.

Preventing failure is a way to program success. Choose to create your own destiny. Do you have a plan to reach your desired level of Excellence?

Yours in Success and Achievement,
Dr. Manuel Escalante (Dr. E)











Hope Is the Great Activator
"Without hope what good is tomorrow?" We are surrounded by people who need hope in their lives. We don't often see their need because a lack of hope is not easily communicated. People aren't prone to say, "I need hope." Nonetheless, when we listen closely, we can hear the cries of the hope-needers. Or oftentimes we can see it in their actions.
For example: The student with no hope of passing won't study. Why bother? The sales person with no hope of making the sale won't make the call. What's the purpose? The couple whose marriage is in trouble won't seek counseling because (they think) it's all over anyway. The relative who hasn't spoken to you for three years won't try. What's the hope? The senior citizen who doesn't think anyone would be interested in helping him won't ask. The nurse who doesn't think anyone appreciates her wisdom won't offer it. The manager who doesn't see a chance of being promoted often gives up. Why try?
But give any of these individuals hope and some exciting things can happen! . . .
You were born to win! But in order to be the winner you were born to be, you've got to plan to win. You've got to prepare to win. And then, and only then, can you legitimately expect to win.
Winning is not an accident. It's a result of a deliberate plan. A plan filled with hope and encouragement. Would you like to be a powerful person? Or a more powerful person? Then you need hope. People who build hope into their own lives and who share hope with others become powerful people. Doors open for these people!
Now here's the good news: Hope is a choice! Yes, that's right. You can make a decision to be a hope-filled person. You can make a decision to share hope with others. Even if your own need for hope is running a little dry, you can still give others hope. In the process of doing so, watch what happens. Your personal hope quotient is bound to rise.
Author John Maxwell says if there's hope in the future there's power in the present.
Hope is the great activator!If you want to make things happen in your life, and you want to encourage others to make things happen in their lives, rely on hope! Discipline yourself to see the "hopeful" side of any incident. Include expressions of hope in your self-talk. Share words of hope with the people who surround you. Are we offering you a "head in the sand" approach to life? Are we saying that you should walk around with a smile on your face and a song in your heart, oblivious to daily reality? Of course not. However, we do believe that we have a choice. Hope is a choice. We can look at any unfortunate or bothersome situation and say it's hopeless, or we can look for the hope in that situation. The choice is always ours! Take a moment today and think about the last 24 hours. Did you spread hope, either by words or action? Or did you choose the opposite approach? Are you a hope-giver? Do you want to be? Look forward now to the next 24 hours. Think of three ways that you can be a hope giver. Now go do it . . . and watch what happens!
-- Zig Ziglar

Issue 2

In Search of an Excellent You


The Center for Excellence of the Hope Train LLC is committed to helping our readers grow both personally and professionally by consistently applying time proven principles and ideas in areas such as time management, leadership, communication, sales, investment, marketing and goal setting from many of today's recognized authorities on success. We thank you for reading and for forwarding this on to others who might benefit.

Yours in Excellence,

Dr. Manuel Escalante
Edward Rodarte, MBA

Made for Success
"Some folks go through life pleased that the glass is half full. Others spend a lifetime lamenting that it's half-empty. The truth is: There is a glass with a certain volume of liquid in it. From there, it's up to you!" -- Dr. James S. Vuocolo
I'm often asked the question, "How can I best help my children, spouse, family member, staff member, friend etc. improve/change?" "How can I help change someone else?"My answer often comes as a surprise and here it is. The key to helping others is to help yourself first. In other words, the best contribution I can make to someone else is my own personal development. If I become 10 times wiser, 10 times stronger, think of what that will do for my adventure as a father... as a grandfather... as a business colleague.
The best gift I can give to you, really, is my ongoing personal development. Getting better, getting stronger, becoming wiser. I think parents should pick this valuable philosophy up. If the parents are okay, the kids have an excellent chance of being okay. Work on your personal development as parents; that's the best gift you can give to your children. If you have ever ridden in an airplane, then you might have noticed the oxygen compartment located above every seat. There are explicit instructions that say "In case of an emergency, first secure your own oxygen mask and then if you have children with you then secure their masks." Take care of yourself first... then assist your children. If we use that same philosophy throughout our whole parental life, it would be so valuable.
If I learn to create happiness for myself, my children now have an excellent chance to be happy. If I create a unique lifestyle for myself and my spouse, that will be a great example to serve my children.


Charting Your Course!
Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.
We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.
We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.
And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life - and it all begins with your very own power of choice.

Move Out of Your Comfort Zone
What will your life be like when you've achieved your most deeply held dreams? Let's take a look at how you can start living your dreams this very day. Do you have a dream, a vision of the life you wish to live? How specific is that dream? How clear is that vision? How do you intend to reach it? What obstacles stand in your way? Are your fears holding you back or are you using them to move you forward? Your fears can actually lead you to success. Fear is an intense emotion. But that doesn't mean it has to control you, or even stop you. Fear can prepare you and push you forward just as strongly as it can hold you back. Fear heightens your awareness and increases your physical strength. Fear brings your mind to sharp focus. With all that going for you, does it make sense to just run and hide? Of course not. Fear gets you in shape to take action!Are you waiting for things to get better before moving ahead? If you're serious about success; you need to start taking action today. If you're waiting for things to be perfect, you'll wait forever and nothing will ever get done. The way to achieve is to bloom where you're planted, to do what you can, where you are, with what you have. It's easy to think up excuses for not taking action. "If only I had more hours in the day. If only I had a better job. If only I could meet the right person." But excuses won't bring you anything of value. You've got to change your "if only" into an "I will." "I will make better use of my time. I will work on improving my career. I will create and nurture my relationships." Take a chance. Have faith in yourself. Your circumstances will improve when you make the effort to improve them. Start where you are right now. You have everything it takes to reach for whatever you desire. Stop wishing. Use your time, your energy, your thoughts and efforts to make it happen! You'll be glad you did! -Les Brown

Issue 3

In Search of an Excellent You

Made for Success

Four Words that Make Life Worthwhile

Over the years as I've sought out ideas, principles and strategies to life's challenges, I've come across four simple words that can make living worthwhile. First, life is worthwhile if you Learn. What you don't know Will hurt you. You have to have learning to exist, let alone succeed. Life is worthwhile if you learn from your own experiences - negative or positive. We learn to do it right by first sometimes doing it wrong. We call that a positive negative. We also learn from other people's experiences, both positive and negative. I've always said that it is too bad failures don't give seminars. Obviously, we don't want to pay them so they aren't usually touring around giving seminars. But that information would be very valuable - we would learn how someone who had it all then messed it up. Learning from other people's experiences and mistakes is valuable information because we can learn what not to do without the pain of having tried and failed ourselves.We learn by what we see so pay attention. We learn by what we hear so be a good listener. Now I do suggest that you should be a selective listener, don't just let anybody dump into your mental factory. We learn from what we read so learn from every source; learn from lectures; learn from songs; learn from sermons; learn from conversations with people who care. Always keep learning.Second, life is worthwhile if you Try. You can't just learn; now you have to try something to see if you can do it. Try to make a difference, try to make some progress, try to learn a new skill, try to learn a new sport. It doesn't mean you can do everything, but there are a lot of things you can do, if you just try. Try your best. Give it every effort. Why not go all out?Third, life is worthwhile if you Stay. You have to stay from spring until harvest. If you have signed up for the day or for the game or for the project - see it through. Sometimes calamity comes and then it is worth wrapping it up. And that's the end, but just don't end in the middle. Maybe on the next project you pass, but on this one, if you signed up, see it through.And lastly, life is worthwhile if you Care. If you care at all you will get some results, if you care enough you can get incredible results. Care enough to make a difference. Care enough to turn somebody around. Care enough to start a new enterprise. Care enough to change it all. Care enough to be the highest producer. Care enough to set some records. Care enough to win.Four powerful little words: learn, try, stay and care. What difference can you make in your life today by putting these words to work?-Jim Rohn

Charting Your Course!
At the Crossroad
It is a beautiful sunny spring day, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and you find yourself on aroad with a beautiful scenic route. All of a sudden, you hitthe brakes and realize that you have come to a crossroad.Wait a minute you say, this crossroad is not supposed to be here. This was supposed to be a straight and easy path. What happened, and where did it come from?This crossroad is much like life. In our lives, there comesa time when we find ourselves at a crossroad -- at the crossroad of decision. We find ourselves at a place where we are on the road of no return, and do not know which way to go.Wishing that we can turn back to re-do various things that we cannot change, or wishing that we can just simply do various things completely different. The road of no-returnexists in all of our lives, but it is not the road of no-return that should concern us at this present crossroad --it is the road of the future.Which road to take, or not to take is vital, and because the road of no return is what brought you here, it is also the road of no return that will allow you to decide on which road to take for the future.This road may mean a new relationship, or making changes in your existing relationship. This road may mean a new job.This road may mean self-enlightenment or spiritual renewal.This road may mean making a big move in various areas ofyour life.Whatever your crossroad may be -- you must choose it wisely and carefully. And remember, the road you take today will determine where you will find yourself tomorrow.Make the decision today to take the right road. Choose the road that will allow you to live purposefully -- because after all, this is your life.-Audrina Jones Bunton


Move Out of Your Comfort Zone

No matter what goals and dreams you desire, there's a good chance it's going to mean reaching beyond what you believeyourself to be capable of.This fine line between what we think we can achieve and cannot is often referred to as one's comfort zone.Whether it's giving a report in class, or preparing to make a speech to the board of directors at your company -- we all have a point where we begin to doubt what we're made of. Can we really pull it off we ask ourselves?Perhaps you're asking yourself something similar at thisvery moment in your life. Let me assure you -- the answer is YES! Yes you can.Now that's not to say you're not going to be scared, or perhaps even hear your knees knocking. Fear, is simply partof being human -- to some degree, we all deal with it.The key is to manage that fear and not allow it to hold us back. At the risk of belittling something as serious as overcoming one's fears... I'd like to offer up this little acronym to keep in mind the next time you find yourself faced with one of life's less then comfortable situations...
F = alse
E = vidence
A = ppearing
R = eal

Josh Hinds

Issue 4

In Search of an Excellent You!

"What the mind can conceive and believe the mind can achieve." -Dale Carnegie

Recessionary Salary Questions?
How much should I ask for? Can I still negotiate if I'm desperate to take a job? How do I know if I'm overpaid or underpaid? How can I hold out for higher pay when there's someone waiting in the hallway who'll work for lower pay? [...and they're just as qualified as I am, too?] Can I still push back on salary offers in these recessionary times? Or am I seen as greedy? How do I ask for better-than-average salary if I think I'm a better-than-average candidate?
Today you can download practically up-to-the-minute data for thousands of job titles at the speed of light. I suggest you consult these five sites for Salary data.

JobStar.org Nothing beats JobStar for getting to the raw data at its source! You'll find over 300 links to surveys from associations and magazines.

PayScale.com Nothing beats PayScale for up-to-the-minute salary information. These profiles enable PayScale to provide real-time and highly relevant information about what an individual should be paid based on their unique personal job attributes (job title, location, experience, skills and education). Salary.com Salary.com is the oldest commercial internet site for salary data. Originally designed with HR department in mind, it now offers info to individuals. It reports that in 2008 it had more than 2.4 million unique monthly visitors, out of a U.S. workforce of 142.5 million.

Indeed.com Indeed is a website that amounts to "one stop shopping" for job listings on the internet. They don't have proprietary listings from employers; instead, they are a free search engine for [almost] all the job listings and descriptions in cyberspace. As such, they are able to assemble a great number of salary ranges as part of their job postings. GlassDoor.com With voluntary input from employees at 14,000 companies, you can mine some helpful salary info from this site. It's a combination of the bell-curve statistical sampling of salaries attached to jobs like yours, and the unique things about you that put you at the first or 99 percentile on that curve.



What Is A Good Life?
The ultimate expression of life is not a paycheck. The ultimate expression of life is not a Mercedes. The ultimate expression of life is not a million dollars or a bank account or a home. Here's the ultimate expression of life in my opinion, and that is living a good life. Here's what we must ask constantly, "What for me would be a good life?" And you have to keep going over and over the list. A list including areas such as spirituality, economics, health, relationships and recreation. What would constitute a good life? I've got a short list.


1) Number one, productivity. You won't be happy if you don't produce. The game of life is not rest. We must rest, but only long enough to gather strength to get back to productivity.
2) Next are good friends. Friendship is probably the greatest support system in the world. Don't deny yourself the time to develop this support system. Nothing can match it. It's extraordinary in its benefit. Friends are those wonderful people who know all about you and still like you.
3) Next on the list of a good life is your culture. Your language, your music, the ceremonies, the traditions, the dress. All of that is so vitally important that you must keep it alive. In fact it is the uniqueness of all of us that when blended together brings vitality, energy, power, influence, uniqueness and rightness to the world.

4) Next is your spirituality. It helps to form the foundation of the family that builds the nation. And make sure you study, practice and teach. Don't be careless about the spiritual part of your nature, it's what makes us who we are, different from animal, dogs, cats, birds and mice. Spirituality.

5) Next - here's what my parents taught me. Don't miss anything. Don't miss the game. Don't miss the performance, don't miss the movie, don't miss the show, don't miss the dance. Go to everything you possible can. Buy a ticket to everything you possibly can. Go see everything and experience all you possible can. This has served me so well to this day. Live a vital life. Here's one of the reasons why. If you live well, you will earn well. If you live well it will show in your face, it will show in the texture of your voice. There will be something unique and magical about you if you live well. It will infuse not only your personal life but also your business life. And it will give you a vitality nothing else can give.

6) Next are your family and the inner circle. Invest in them and they'll invest in you. Inspire them and they'll inspire you. With your inner circle take care of the details. When my father was still alive, I used to call him when I traveled. He'd have breakfast most every morning with the farmers. Little place called The Decoy Inn out in the country where we lived in Southwest Idaho. If a father walks out of the house and he can still feel his daughter's kiss on his face all day, he's a powerful man. If a husband walks out of the house and he can still feel the imprint of his wife's arms around his body he's invincible all day. It's the special stuff with the inner circle that makes you strong and powerful and influential. So don't miss that opportunity. Here's the greatest value. The prophet said, "There are many virtues and values, but here's the greatest, one person caring for another." There is no greater value than love. Better to live in a tent on the beach with someone you love than to live in a mansion by yourself. One person caring for another, that's one of life's greatest expressions.So make sure in your busy day to remember the true purpose and the reasons you do what you do. May you truly live the kind of life that will bring the fruit and rewards that you desire.

Dr. Manuel Escalante

Edward Rodarte, MBA

Issue 5

In Search of an Excellent You!

Greetings!

"You must constantly ask yourself these questions:

Who am I around?

What are they doing to me?

What have they got me reading?

What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going?

What do they have me thinking?

And most important, what do they have me becoming?

Then ask yourself the big question:

Is that okay?"

HAPPINESS

"Cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity." -- Joseph Addison

"Happiness is essentially a state of going somewhere, whole-heartedly, one-directionally, without regret or reservation." -- William H. Sheldon

"The days that make us happy make us wise." -- John Masefield

"Always be happy, never be satisfied." -- Mark McKeon


Have a great Week!
-Edward Rodarte, MBA

May I Borrow $25
A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door. SON: 'Daddy, may I ask you a question?' DAD: 'Yeah sure, what it is?' replied the man. SON: 'Daddy, how much do you make an hour?' DAD: 'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the man said angrily. SON: 'I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?' DAD: 'If you must know, I make $50 an hour.' SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down. SON: 'Daddy, may I please borrow $25?' The father was furious, 'If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish frivolities.' The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down , and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $25.00 and he really didn't ask for money very often The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. 'Are you asleep, son?' He asked. 'No daddy, I'm awake,' replied the boy. 'I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier' said the man. 'It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $25 you asked for.' The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you daddy!' he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father. 'Why do you want more money if you already have some?' the father grumbled. 'Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,' the little boy replied. 'Daddy, I have $50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.' The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness. It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts.

Do remember to share that $50 worth of your time with someone you love. If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours.

But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.





Job Hunting: Strategies for finding employment on the Internet.

Looking for a job may never be the same. With the huge growth of employment-related Web sites on the Internet, a job-seeker cannot afford to overlook searching for a job electronically.

Successfully navigating this frontier, however, requires new skills and strategies. The focus of this article is to provide you with a roadmap that will guide you through the maze of Web sites related to career development and job-hunting and give you directions to the best resources currently available to job-seekers. Before we begin this journey, one caveat: Job-hunting on the Internet should, in no way, be your sole means of looking for a new job. The traditional methods of networking, job boards, classified ads, and targeted job searches should still be part of your overall job-hunting plan.

The Internet simply expands the job-hunting resources that are available to you. For those unsure of their career direction, the first step might be to one of several Web sites that offer Career Assessment Tools, such as the Ansir Self-Perception Test or the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, which score results from online questionnaires and provide suggestions of appropriate careers for your type.

If you only have one type of resume, then you should definitely start here. Most job-hunting experts now talk about three kinds of resumes:

The traditional resume: this version has all the bells and whistles, including nice formatting. The focus is on action verbs and accomplishments.

The scannable resume: this version is a stripped down version of your traditional resume, in plain text for easy scanning into computer databases. The focus is on nouns and phrases, as well as key accomplishments.

The Web-based resume: this version is similar to your traditional resume, but published on your personal Web site so that is always available to potential employers. See some sample Web resumes.

Once you've honed your skills in these areas, the next step is to develop a strategy for job-hunting on the Internet. If you're a college student or recent college graduate, your approach will be much broader than if you are a seasoned veteran, partly because of the need for confidentiality of people currently in the workplace, partly because of the availability of Web sites at different career levels, and partly because a less developed network. Keeping these issues in mind, there are four different types of Web resources for job-seekers:

Job networking Web sites and discussion lists. There are thousands of Internet-based discussion lists on almost every subject and profession imaginable. Join one or more of these lists and network with people in your field; employers sometimes subscribe to these lists to screen potential candidates. Finally, many professional organizations have Web sites that have forums to facilitate networking.

Specialized job sites. There are also hundreds of specialized job Web sites, from employment recruiters of all types to specialized job databank sites that focus on a specific industry. If you're an executive, you might want to go to FutureStep. If you're an accountant, you might want to go to JobsinThe Money. And if you're a marketer, you might want to go to Marketing Jobs.

Company sites. If you have a specific set of companies you would most like to work for, the best solution might simply be to go the each company's Web site and review job postings. Many of these companies allow you to apply online, and they often list the contact person so you should be able to easily follow-up, as you would if you sent a cover letter and resume to an employer.

Will these steps guarantee you success in finding a new job or career? No. No method is guaranteed to work, but as more and more companies go to the Internet for faster and more efficient job searches, it does not make sense to ignore this new avenue of networking and job-hunting.

Unlocking Potential:
Is morale and productivity down with your team? Do team members have difficulty seeing the horizon because their gaze is fixed on the ground? Unlocking the door to team member motivation can seem a complex issue but leaders should never underestimate the power of a "thank you."It articulates the value of each member's contribution tothe team and says that he or she matters as a person. To open the doors and release the potential that each team member possesses, try these different keys:

Key #1: Reward People Differently. Just as performance differs between team members, so should the rewards you use. Reward the behavior you want to see! A smile, a "thank you"or a well-deserved "Great Job!" go a long way in keeping motivation high.

Key #2: Ignoring It Doesn't Make It Go Away. Dealing with a carrier? That person that "carries" their negativity around like a disease and tries to infect the entire workplace? Emotions are contagious and that negativity can quickly spread through an entire department. Don't ignore it, address it - talk with your team member about what is going on and what you can do to help. Always remember to seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Key #3: Be Concise on What Warrants Rewards. Let's face it, clarity motivates! Team member empowerment and freedom come from knowing what needs to be done and what they get as a result. Don't keep rewards a secret and let people know the WIIFM (What's In It For Me).

Key #4: Be a Coach, Not a Critic. No team member finds the act of failing rewarding. Walk along side team members -help them along. Team loyalty and mutual respect emerge from a collective effort. Root for the home team and WIN!

Key #5: Build Them Up Publicly. Work to find people doing things right and let everyone know about it! Yell it from the rooftops! You'll be surprised how it motivates the whole team! Conversely, negative "publicity" should never be given in front of ANYONE - it impacts the overall work atmosphere and all team members end up getting punished.

Key #6: Be Fair. No team member should ever feel like doing a good job on your team is like peeing his or her pants in adark suit (it gives them a warm feeling but no one notices). Keep the balance of rewards in check with open communication and an atmosphere of collaboration.

Key #7: Have Fun! Enjoying what you do is a reward that goes far beyond the bottom line. 85% of Fortune 100 companiesconcern themselves with making sure that employees have fun and enjoy what they do. Play a game, have a contest or just share funny stories. You will find that it will boost loyalty, retention, and productivity! Don't be fooled, it takes time and effort to match the right key to the right door but it is worth the effort. When opened, you will not only have a team member that has higher morale and productivity, you will also have one that knows that you care. As a leader, isn't that the thanks we need?

Make a positive impact today!-Chip Lutz

Dr. Manuel Escalante

Edward Rodarte, MBA

Issue 6

In Search of an Excellent You!


Greetings!
Leaders, whether in the family, in business, in government, or in education, must not allow themselves to mistake intentions for accomplishments. Managers help people to see themselves as they are. Leaders help people to see themselves better than they are. Leaders must not be naive. I used to say, "Liars shouldn't lie." What a sad waste of words that is! I found out liars are supposed to lie. That's why we call them liars -- they lie! What else would you expect them to do? We must learn to help those who deserve it, not just those who need it. Life responds to deserve not need. My mentor said, "Let's go do it," not "You go do it." How powerful when someone says, "Let's"! Leaders must understand that some people will inevitably sellout to the evil side. Don't waste your time wondering why; spend your time discovering who. We could all use a little coaching. When you're playing the game, it's hard to think of everything.A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.As a leader you should always start with where people are before you try to take them to where you want them to go.
Have a great Week!

-Edward Rodarte, MBA






Four Words That Make Life Worthwhile

Over the years as I've sought out ideas, principles and strategies to life's challenges, I've come across four simple words that can make living worthwhile.First, life is worthwhile if you Learn. What you don't know Will hurt you. You have to have learning to exist, let alone succeed. Life is worthwhile if you learn from your own experiences - negative or positive.

We learn to do it right by first sometimes doing it wrong. We call that a positive negative.

We also learn from other people's experiences, both positive and negative. I've always said that it is too bad failures don't give seminars.

Obviously, we don't want to pay them so they aren't usually touring around giving seminars.

But that information would be very valuable - we would learn how someone who had it all then messed it up. Learning from other people's experiences and mistakes is valuable information because we can learn what not to do without the pain of having tried and failed ourselves.We learn by what we see so pay attention. We learn by what we hear so be a good listener. Now I do suggest that you should be a selective listener, don't just let anybody dump into your mental factory. We learn from what we read so learn from every source; learn from lectures; learn from songs; learn from sermons; learn from conversations with people who care. Always keep learning.Second, life is worthwhile if you Try. You can't just learn; now you have to try something to see if you can do it.

Try to make a difference, try to make some progress, try to learn a new skill, try to learn a new sport. It doesn't mean you can do everything, but there are a lot of things you can do, if you just try. Try your best. Give it every effort. Why not go all out? Third, life is worthwhile if you Stay. You have to stay from spring until harvest. If you have signed up for the day or for the game or for the project - see it through.

Sometimes calamity comes and then it is worth wrapping it up. And that's the end, but just don't end in the middle. Maybe on the next project you pass, but on this one, if you signed up, see it through.And lastly, life is worthwhile if you Care. If you care at all you will get some results, if you care enough you can get incredible results. Care enough to make a difference. Care enough to turn somebody around. Care enough to start a new enterprise. Care enough to change it all. Care enough to be the highest producer. Care enough to set some records. Care enough to win.Four powerful little words: learn, try, stay and care. What difference can you make in your life today by putting these words to work?



Make Time For What You Love

What good is achievement if there is no joy in it? So manypeople think that if they just achieve enough then theirlife will be happier. I have found that the majority ofpeople living happy lives are happy despite theircircumstances.They make time for the things that matter to them. If theyenjoy their work, they assure that they do their best at it.If they don't enjoy their work, they find happiness in smallaspects of it as they plan for a better job later on.Stop to smell the roses, but also smell the air after arain. Notice the things you like and take time to appreciatethem.Say thank you as often as possible. Touch the trees as youpass. Sit facing the sunlight as you take a break. Listen tothe sounds that please you. If you have a hard job to do,play your favorite music as you do it.This is the only shot you get at this life. If you don'tlive fully, you cheat yourself out of the joy of being aliveand you deny the rest of us your potential contributions.Your "play" sometimes contributes as much as your "work."What you love reveals the value you bring to the world. Makeroom for it.NURTURE YOUR NATURE

Do You Hustle or Hide?

Most of the time, I'll hallucinate, you're probably really busy. Going, going all day. But how close are you getting to the big dreams?You have fantasies about being able to wear some of those"skinny clothes" in your closet, don't you? Remember that friend of yours you had planned on calling? How about that group of leads that you wanted to work? What about that pile in the back yard that needs to be picked up and hauled away? Man, life doesn't revolve around watching 'Friends' and staying for one more round of drinks. Is that really fulfilling? Do you look back on that with pride or a feeling of accomplishment? Will those happy-hour buddies really snubyou if you left now? Are these people even supportive ofyour far off dreams? The stars of 'Friends' make over a million per episode. How much do you make watching them? Get TIVO and you can watch them when you're too exhausted to do anything fun and rewarding. I know what it's like to have no control over your desires...AND what it's like to transcend them. And it's even tougher to take sometimes, when you do everything you need to do and you still don't get your outcome. Darn frustrating, huh? But here's a rule of thumb. If you're not done, keep going.Does it seem odd to even think about working past 5:00? What about throwing in the exercise video at 10:00 at night? What would happen if you missed your favorite show this week? What would really happen? Shake up your routine. Get out a piece of paper and write down just one goal. A medium-sized goal. Something you've been putting off. Put down the things you need to do to make it happen. Put a date that it absolutely will be done. Again, make it a medium-sized task... something that wouldonly take about 10-20 hours to complete. Make a schedule. Commit to it... and finish it.When I did Real Estate, I made all of my own phone calls to set them up, took care of all the promotion... it was a lot of work.But I was driven by one thing... not being second in the door.If a competitor got there a week or a month ahead of me, it could mean thousands of dollars. I couldn't bear the thought of losing that much money because I couldn't get myself to pick up a 16-ounce telephone receiver to make two or three calls. Look at your fears. Figure out what they're costing you. If you don't ask that person out, you both may miss out forever. If you don't practice, then you're not going to perform well.Plug in your own situation. Do you want those results? Listen to your inner voice. What's it saying when you're worried or having a panic attack... over a very routine thing for most people? When you're stopped cold, notice what you're focusing on and what you're telling yourself. I'll guarantee it's not, "Go for it!" You're most definitely NOT telling yourself that you can do the job... that it's no big deal. Look at the empowering beliefs below and commit them to memory. Say them over and over until you dream about them. Read them constantly.Your circumstances won't change until your thoughts change. Pound that into your head.You know, I must have watched the movies "Rocky" and "Rudy"50 times each. Why? Because nothing changes until you change what you think about. And emotional stories about people who overcome huge odds can inspire you to do the same. Whenever I'm feeling stuck I pull out my empowering questions or my affirmation cards or read/watch an empowering story. It never ever fails to get me back on track and hopeful.Do like the legendary basketball coach John Wooden says and"drink from good books." He reads something powerful and encouraging every single day. And there was no better life coach than him. Do you believe "what goes in must come out?"Then act by what you believe and keep the positive flowing in every minute you can...Set that goal...And get hustling. Do that and something good will always happen.

A Check Up:

Each of us has to take responsibility for our own personal development. A good way to do that is to periodically give yourself a check up from the neck up! This simple exercise will help you track your progress inpersonal development, and show you where you need to spend more time to make improvements.

Read each statement below and answer: "Always/Yes," "Often,""Sometimes," or "Never/No."

* I make choices recognizing how they shape my future.
* I work toward using my full potential.
* I am willing to change.
* I act with honesty and integrity.
* I believe I have the necessary qualities for successwithin me.
* I manage my attitude.
* I associate with positive people.
* I look for the good in other people.
* I give sincere compliments.
* I help others be more successful.
* I take inventory of my positive qualities.
* I find new ways to motivate myself.
* I plan my activities.
* I regularly set goals.
* I believe goals are necessary.
* I believe I can reach my goals.
* I try to improve on yesterday.
* I use my time wisely.
* I learn from reading inspirational stories.
* I am willing to do extra things at work.
* I routinely read motivational material.
* I consider criticism as feedback for consideration.
* I take care of myself physically.

Congratulate yourself for each "Always/Yes" answer that you scored. And then make a plan to improve the areas that need more of your attention. Start with the "Never/No" answers and set goals to move those statements forward, at least into "Sometimes," if not "Often." Use this exercise periodically throughout your career and life to continue tracking your progress. Over time, you will make improvements!

Dr. Manuel Escalante

Edward Rodarte, MBA

Issue 9

In Search of an Excellent You Newsletter
April 19, 2009

"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." Jim Rohn

We will be launching our website this week. This website will host webinars, Pods, Motivational videos and stories. I hope this information creates a roadmap for your continued success.
Stay tuned as we launch a new innovative site that will bring out the best in you.

Sincerely,

Dr. E & Edward

Team Hoyt (Video)
This week's video illustrates the real story of a inspirational love between a father and a son. I hope you enjoy this video as much as I have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flRvsO8m_KI


3 Inborn Fears
All people are born with three inborn fears.
These three fears are:

1. Fear of falling
2. Fear of loud noises
3. Fear of abandonment

As a child, these inborn fears kept you safe. They helped you monitor your life and what's going on around you. They were needed.Think about it, it is fear that gives you the powerful adrenaline rush so that you will have the ability to flee from a situation that is truly unsafe or the same adrenaline rush needed to fight to win! So, it would be fair to say that some fear is healthy and needed.The problem arises when you react to these inborn fears out of habit. It's just what you've always done. It's your pattern. These inborn fears play out in an adult life through real-life situations of sudden change,responsibility, commitment, and success.Each one of these circumstances is inevitable in building abusiness, raising a family, or creating and maintaining a happy marriage. So, if you're caught in the trap of habits and patterns of behavior, oppose them by using your intellect to face the fear - walk in it - and walk through it! Stop responding to these fears by allowing them to affect your behavior or cloud your dream. Make the distinct difference between reacting to fear and acting in fear.When you feel the fear begin to build in your gut, use your intellect to talk you through the childhood fear and into truth. Feeling fearful is normal! Reacting to it is not. Stop reacting to fear out of habit and patterns of behavior!

Have a great day!
Lisa Jimenez M.Ed.




The Power of Research
As you know, Winning Without Intimidation applies to practically any interaction and circumstance, from dealing effectively on an interpersonal, social level, to making a sale and even to looking for a new job.This article will look at how we can utilize the power of research in each of these categories. Anytime you wish to move someone to your side of an issue, it helps to know as much as you can about their history, circumstances, likes, dislikes, etc. Yes, you can certainly determine these things when first meeting them through asking questions. However, finding out beforehand gives you two advantages -One is that you'll know these things "going in" and will be able to prepare for your conversation in advance. The other is how good you'll make that person feel as they realize you took time to understand "what they are about."How good would you feel to know that someone thought so much of their meeting with you that they took their valuable time to actually research you? (to avoid misinterpretation on this point, please know that we are talking in terms of what one would consider complimentary to have someone research about them; not private matters. If I don't clarify that, I WILL get letters.) :-)If you're invited to a social gathering, find out from your host about the various attendees' interests, hobbies,political affiliations, families and more. You can then learn about some issues they may enjoy discussing (their travels, successes) and, keep away or tread lightly regarding those issues you know might cause difficulty. Research certainly applies to a sales call. Check out the company through the Internet, as well as those with whom they do business in non-competing areas and, with enough thought, even in competing areas. What are their corporate habits; what is important to them?- Quality? Price? Service? Relationship? A few of the above?All of the above? How does your company measure up? Can you find the answers before you meet with the prospect? And, research the actual prospect to whom you'll present. Who do you know who knows him or her? Research her background. Does he have a family? What are her values? All this and more can be discovered so that you are ready to build a rapport quickly and effectively.Is there some work involved in this? Absolutely... and it'swork your competitors are probably not doing. In his bestselling book, "Never Eat Alone.", Keith Ferrazzi made some excellent and compelling points regarding the value of this kind of research. In today's market, looking for a job is important enough to ensure you have the edge. I remember when I was "young"(okay, no wisecracks, please) and looking for a job with a particular company, Dad would always suggest I go to the library to gather information on that company, its history,the main players, etc. Of course, now all we typically need do is run a search on the Internet. We can also research by asking others -possibly people who work there or have worked there in the past. If you don't know those others, you can network your way to meeting them .Winning Without Intimidation almost always comes down to making others feel good about themselves. Making a good initial impression and positioning yourself for success with that person is always easier when you have information in advance. And, for this, simply apply the power of research.

Issue 7

In Search of an Excellent You

The ultimate goal of the In Search of an Excellent You program is to bring out the best possible person within you. The person you are, whether personal or professional, is the person you created through your thoughts, dreams, and actions-you are here, wherever "here" may be, because you chose the road that brought you to this place.

Commit to an Excellent You. You will be rewarded extraordinarily for the rest of your life.

Sincerely,

Dr. Manuel Escalante & Edward Rodarte, MBA

How A Business Professional Loses Revenue

Forget names of clients and lose referrals and sales

Go blank in the middle of a sales presentation and lose sales

Invest money in seminars, books and CDs and can't recall the info

Forget to call clients and prospects back and lose business

Don't have the ability to talk without notes and pass up opportunities to speak and promote their business

Can't recall competitors' product knowledge and fail to close deals

Have brilliant money making ideas that slip their mind never to be realized

Fail to build relationships with clients when they can't recall kids names, birthdays and spouse names.

The Quality Life

The secret life is the key to a quality life and that in turn is the key to a quality culture, products, and services. Once in New York City, I attended the Broadway play, The Secret Garden. The play was particularly poignant for me that evening because my mother had just died.
The Tony Award winning musical is the story of a young girl whose mother and father die of cholera in India as the play begins. She is sent to live with her uncle in a large British manor. The old house is filled with romantic spirits. As the restless girl explores the grounds of the estate, she discovers the entrance to the magical secret garden, a place where anything is possible.
When she first enters the garden, she finds that it appears to be dead, much like her cousin, a bedridden boy, and her uncle, still haunted by memories of his lovely wife who died giving birth to the boy. In harmony with natural laws and principles, the girl faithfully plants seeds and brings new life to the garden. As the roots are warmed and the garden cultivated, she brings about a dramatic transformation of her entire culture within one season.
In my many years of teaching and training, I have seen several such transformations brought about by proactive people who exercise principle-centered leadership and the Seven Habits in their secret, private, and public lives.
When I returned home to Salt Lake City the next day to speak at my mother's funeral, I referred to the Secret Garden, because for me and many others, my mother's home was a secret garden where we could escape and be nurtured by positive affirmation. In her eyes, all about us was good, and all that was good was possible.
Our Three Lives We all live three lives: public, private, and secret. In our public lives, we are seen and heard by colleagues, associates, and others within our circle of influence. In our private lives, we interact more intimately with spouses, family members, and close friends. The secret life is where your heart is, where your real motives are the ultimate desires of your life.
Many executives never visit the secret life. Their public and private lives are essentially scripted by who and what precedes and surrounds them or by the pressures of the environment. And so they never exercise that unique endowment of self-awareness the key to the secret life where you can stand apart from yourself and observe your own involvement.
Courage is required to explore our secret life because we must first withdraw from the social mirror, where we are fed positive and negative feedback continuously. As we get used to this social feedback, it becomes a comfort zone. And we may opt to avoid self-examination and idle away our time in a vacuum of reverie and rationalization. In that frame of mind, we have little sense of identity, safety, or security.
Examine Your Motives The most critical junctures in my life take place when I visit my secret life and ask, "What do I think? What do I believe is right? What should my motives be?" These are times when I choose my motives. One such time occurred when I first heard Dag Hammarskjold say, "It is more noble to give yourself completely to one individual, than to labor diligently for the salvation of the masses." That statement had such a profound effect on me that I started to say to myself in regard to my relationships with other people, "Wait a minute it's my life. I can choose whether I want to make reconciliation with this person or not. I can choose my own motives."
One of the exciting fruits of the "secret garden" is an ability to consciously choose your own motives. Until you choose your own motives, you really can't choose to live your own life. Everything flows out of motive and motivation that is the root of our deepest desires. Now, when I get into a frustrating or perplexing situation, I enter into my secret life. That's where I find not only motives but also correct principles; that's where the inner wisdom is. As I learn to be proactive in exploring the secret life, I tap into self-awareness, imagination, conscience, and into the exercise of free will to choose another motive.
People who regularly explore their secret life and examine their motives are better able to see into the hearts of others, practice real empathy, bestow real empowerment and affirm worth and identity. A healthy secret life will benefit your private and public lives in many ways. And yet most of us spend our busy days privately doing our thing, never pausing long enough to enter the secret life, the secret garden, where we can create masterpieces, discover great truths and enhance very aspect of our public and private lives. Having a healthy secret life is the key to having a quality private and public life, as well as a quality culture, product or service.-Steven Covey

What Am I Doing Wrong?
A few years ago I called a special meeting. I went to my staff and I told them that the next day at 1:00 we were going to have a special meeting. The topic of the meeting was going to be all the areas that I as their boss could improve upon. One of my employees stood up and said, 'Okay...right now?' I replied, 'No, we will do this tomorrow at one o'clock'. She said very matter of factly, 'Oh... I am ready now.' I smiled and told her that I wanted her to at least PRETEND that it would take her 24 hours to think of how I could improve!
The next day at one o'clock I found out that this employee had gone home and spent one hour composing a list. I think it was the first time she ever put in ANY effort after 5pm! She had 23 areas that I needed to improve upon! The others at the meeting had suggestions as well but not to that extent.
Before the meeting I had informed everyone that their job was secure whatever their suggestions were. I wanted them to be brutally honest so I could get better and the company could improve. They were indeed honest and because they trusted me did not fear for their job with their statements. Of the suggestions, 75% were good and accurate. 25% were totally off base and they were wrong. With that said, not once in the meeting did I defend myself. With every suggestion (right or wrong), I thanked them and wrote it down in my notebook. Never once did I defend or explain myself.
It was a very productive meeting for everyone involved. My employees felt valued because I came to them for advice and the company improved because we changed some procedures. It is hard to accept constructive criticism. However, if you desire to be successful it is quality you must embody.
Ask for constructive criticism from those around you. They will feel valued that you asked and most likely you will become a better friend, manager or spouse because of it. Don't defend yourself... just get better.-- Ron White

From Motivation To Action
With the passing of every year, each of us needs to understand the magnitude of social and economic change in the world. In the past, change in business and social life was incremental and a set of personal strategies for achieving excellence was not required.

Today, in the knowledge-based world, where change is the rule, a set of personal strategies is essential for success, even survival. Never again will you be able to go to your place of business on autopilot, comfortable and secure that the organization, state or government will provide for and look after you.

You must look in the mirror when you ask who is responsible for your success or failure. You must become a lifelong learner and leader, for to be a follower is to fall hopelessly behind the pace of progress. The power brokers in the new global arena will be the knowledge facilitators. Ignorance will be even more the tyrant and enslaver than in the past. As you look in the mirror to see the 21st Century you, there will also be another image standing beside you. It is your competition. Your competition, from now on, will be a hungry immigrant with a wireless, hand-held, digital assistant. Hungry for food, hungry for a home, for a new car, for security, for a college education. Hungry for knowledge. Smart, quick thinking, skilled and willing to do anything necessary to be competitive in the world marketplace. Working long hours and Saturdays, staying open later, serving customers better and more cheerfully. To be a player in the 21st Century you have to be willing to give more in service than you receive in payment.
These are the new rules in the game of life. These are the actions you must take to be a leader and a winner in your personal and professional life. By mastering these profoundly simple action steps, you will be positioned to be a change master in the new century.
Action Step Number One - Consider Yourself Self-Employed, But Be a Team Player. What this means is that you are your own Chief Executive Officer of your future. Start thinking of yourself as a service company with a single employee. You're a small company that puts your services to work for a larger company. Tomorrow you may sell those services to a different organization, but that doesn't mean you´re any less loyal to your current employer. Taking responsibility for yourself in this way does mean that you never equate your personal long-term interests with your employer´s.
The first idea is resolving not to suffer the fate of those who lost their jobs and found their skills were obsolete. The second is to begin immediately the process of protecting yourself against that possibility - by becoming proactive instead of reactive.
Ask yourself these questions:How vulnerable am I? What trends must I watch? What information must I gain? What knowledge do I lack?
Again, think of yourself as a company. Set up a training department in your mind and make certain your top employee is updating his or her skills. Make sure you have your own private pension plan, knowing that you are responsible for your own financial security.
Entrusting the government or an employer, other than yourself, with your retirement income is like hiring a compulsive gambler as your accountant.
You're the CEO of your daily life who must have the vision to set your goals and allocate your resources. The mindset of being responsible for your own future used to be crucial only to the self-employed, but it has become essential for us all. -- Denis Waitley

Believing in Yourself When Others Don't

I would like to share a video that is priceless.

Have you heard of Paul Potts?

If you haven't, turn up the volume and watch the video now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxOytYLlhiQ

Issue 8

In Search of an Excellent You

When you begin to feel angry or upset, acknowledge the fact that you own your emotions. When you reprimand someone or express your unhappiness, do it privately and try to do so after the urge to fight or defend has subsided. The best way to get your feelings across is when you can speak in a normal voice, without all the warlike body language. Do speak your mind, but criticize the behavior without attacking the other person. When you speak about your anger or dissatisfaction, say, "I feel angry when I see that happening," instead of saying, "You make me angry when you do that." Only you can make you angry, by your reactions to events.

When you are upset, go for a walk, or exercise, to release the sudden build-up of adrenaline in your system. And remember, there is no such thing as winning an argument. There is only winning an agreement. Don't engage in "all or nothing" management. If things don't work out exactly the way you had planned them, salvage a good situation. Be willing to compromise on a solution, but never compromise your integrity!
Take responsibility for your emotions this week.
Sincerely,

Dr. Manuel Escalante & Edward Rodarte, MBA

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How To Love a Task That You Hate

Successful people make a habit of doing those things that unsuccessful people are unwilling to do. Let's face it. If we are going to truly excel in our life and business, than there are certain tasks that we simply must do. Many of these tasks strike us as just plain unpleasant, even painful.
Unfortunately, we are wired to avoid pain. This means that unless we change our perspective on certain Peak Performance behaviors, we will avoid them, and sabotage our own success.On the other hand, perhaps we will do our necessary tasks,but complete them with clenched teeth, furrowed brows and irritation coursing through our bodies. That state is not very pleasant, and will seriously hurt our productivity.
What happens when we need to speak in that mood? We say ugly, unproductive things! What is the ideal solution? It's simple. Learn to love the task that you hate.Yes, you can. Remember, it is not the task that makes your mood. It's what you tell yourself about that task.Now, the first time I discovered this, I was in a moment of motherhood- vexation. Since then, I've applied this strategy to my business tasks with great success too.

Here's what happened...I was in the mini-van driving all four of my children to all kinds of different places. I felt like I had a hundred other things that I should have been doing, and I realized that Idespised the thankless job of taxi-driver. As I sat there scowling and driving, I realized that I needed help.In a still agitated voice I shouted to the kids, "What is great about car time?"

All four glanced at each other, looked confused and asked"What?""What is great about car time?" I asked, a little nicer. "I know I need a new attitude and I'm feeling stuck."Soon, they came up with some benefits:"We get where we need to go.""We get to listen to new music on the radio.""We get to tell you about our day.""We get to be together.""We get to have our gratitude parties."And on they went.

Somehow, after each idea, I felt better.It was true. We so rarely got to be together at home to talk and sing, and laugh. What a great opportunity we had in the car. Why did I possibly hate it so much? From that moment on, I have loved "car time." I've loved it on long road trips when we were stuck in traffic, and I've loved it when we were just coming straight home after school.

I find treasure in having all four of my kids in such close proximity to me. When their dad is around, it's even better.I've learned to love a task that I once hated. Since then, I've helped myself attach pleasure to all sorts of unpleasant tasks, and the result has been what we're all after anyway - greater peace, joy, and more profit.What is it that you need to do? What is keeping you from doing it with a smile?

I once had a staff member who made his living as a tele-marketer. He totally hated it, until he used his acting skills and started making his calls with different foreignaccents. He started setting records at his company becausehe was having so much fun. At that point, he got promoted to something he truly enjoyed.

What is one success-habit that you dread, but which could make you much more successful? Only you know the answer to that.

Whatever it is, here are three empowering questions regarding that task:

1. Why is this task important?
2. What is great about this task?
3. How can I do it in a way that is enjoyable?

Take a few minutes to answer those questions. We would love to hear what you come up with.

Nothing is impossible. You can think, act, and feel like successful people do, and achieve the same results. You're already successful. Now, play to win.
-Gina Parris

Practice Non-Situational Integrity

Integrity, a standard of personal morality and ethics, is not relative to the situation you happen to find yourself in and doesn't sell out to expediency. Its short supply is getting even shorter, but without it, leadership is a façade. Learning to see through exteriors is a critical development in the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Sadly, most people continue to be taken in by big talk and media popularity, flashy or bizarre looks, and expensive possessions. They move through most of their years convinced that the externals are what count, and are thus doomed to live shallow lives. Men and women who rely on their looks or status to feel good about themselves inevitably do everything they can to enhance the impression they make - and do correspondingly little to develop their inner value and personal growth. The paradox is that the people who try hardest to impress are often the least impressive. Puffing to appear powerful is an attempt to hide insecurity.
In the Roman Empires' final corrupt years, status was conveyed by the number of carved statues of the gods displayed in people's courtyards. As in every business, the Roman statue industry had good and bad sculptors and merchants. As the empire became ever more greedy and narcissistic, the bad got away with as much as they could. Sculptors became adept at using wax to hide cracks and chips in marble and most people couldn't discern the difference in quality.
Statues began to weep or melt under the scrutiny of sunlight or heat in foyers. For statues of authentic fine quality, carved by reputable artists, people had to go to the artisan marketplace in the Roman Quad and look for booths with signs declaring sine cera, which translates in English to mean, without wax. We, too, look for the real thing in friends, products, and services. In people, we value sincerity, from the words, sine cera, more than almost any other virtue. We expect it from our leaders, which we are not getting in our political, media, business and sports' heroes for the most part. We must demand it of ourselves.
Integrity that strengthens an inner value system is the real human bottom line. Commitment to a life of integrity in every situation demonstrates that your word is more valuable than a surety bond. It means you don't base your decisions on being politically correct. You do what's right, not fashionable. You know that truth is absolute, not a device for manipulating others. And you win in the long run, when the stakes are highest.

If I were writing a single commandment for leadership it would be, "You shall conduct yourself in such a manner as to set an example worthy of imitation by your children and subordinates." In simpler terms, if they shouldn't be doing it, neither should you. I told my kids, "clean up your room," and they inspected the condition of my garage. I told them that honesty was our family's greatest virtue, and they commented on the radar detector I had installed in my car. When I told them about the vices of drinking and wild parties, they watched from the upstairs balcony, the way our guests behaved at our adult functions.
It's too bad some of our political and business leaders don't understand that "What you are speaks so loudly that no one really pays attention to what you say." But it is even more true that if what you are matches what you say, your life will speak forcefully indeed.It's hardly a secret that learning ethical standards begins at home. A child's first inklings of a sense of right and wrong come from almost imperceptible signals received long before he or she reaches the age of rational thought about morality. Maybe you're asking yourself what kind of model you are for future generations, remembering that people are either honest or dishonest, that integrity is all or nothing, and that children can't be fooled in such basic matters. They learn by example.To remind myself of my responsibility to live without wax, with sincerity and integrity, I took the liberty of re-writing Edgar A. Guest's poem, "Sermons We See" to apply to setting an example as a real winner for my children and grandchildren.
I'd rather watch a winner, than hear one any day. I'd rather have one walk with me, than merely show the way. The eye's a better pupil and more willing than the ear. Fine counsel is confusing, but example's always clear. And the best of all the coaches are the ones who live their deeds. For to see the truth in action is what everybody needs. I can soon learn how to do it, if you'll let me see it done. I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run. And the lectures you deliver may be very wise and true. But, I'd rather get my lessons by observing what you do. For I may misunderstand you and the high advice you give. But there's no misunderstanding how you act and how you live. I'd rather watch a winner, than hear one any day.Hey, politician, business leader, motion picture producer, television actor, rock star, sports star. Hey mom, hey dad. Don't tell me how to live. Show me by your actions. You're my role models.

Action Idea: When you talk to others, beginning right now, don't try to impress them by talking about your accomplishments. Let your actions speak for you. Ask more questions.
-Denis Waitley




Mini-Vacations For Maximum Productivity

By re-energizing and renewing yourself frequently, you will avoid burnout and become much more motivated and productive. Don't keep your nose to the grindstone for years and wait for retirement to travel. Balance and consistency are the keys. Enjoy the process, not just the result. Don't fight the passing of time. Don't fear it, squander it, or try to hide from it under a superficial cosmetic veil of fads and indulgences. Life and time go together. Do enjoy each phase of life. Do make the most of each day, and draw maximum joy from each moment.
Many people today are concerned with quality time - time generally defined in part as that spent on recreation, personal pursuits, time with children, spouses and friends. While I certainly believe quality time is important, I believe two other aspects of time are equally important.
First, one must also spend quantity time. The average father spends less than 30 minutes each week in direct one-on-one communication with each of his children. How can we possibly expect good family relationships with so little communication?Second, one must spend regular time. Many supervisors and company presidents go for weeks, even months, without seeing many of their employees. There's no substitute for regular meetings and open forums in which managers and team members can share ideas.
Time has a dual structure. On one hand, we live our daily routines meeting present contingencies as they arise. On the other hand, our most ambitious goals and desires need time so that they can be assembled and cemented. A long-term goal connects pieces of time into one block. These blocks can be imagined and projected into the future as we do when we set goals for ourselves. Or, these blocks of time can be created in retrospect as we do when we look back at what we've accomplished.
It's not in the image of our big dreams that we run the risk of losing our focus and motivation. It's the drudgery and routine of our daily lives that present the greatest danger to our hopes for achievement. Good time management means that you maximize the daily return on the energy and mental effort you expend.
Ways to maximize your time productivity:
· Write down in one place all the important contacts you have and all of your goals and priorities. Make a back up copy, preferably on CD, DVD or Zip disc. Write down every commitment you make at the time you make it.
· Stop wasting the first hour of your workday. Having the chat and first cup of coffee, reading the paper, and socializing are the three costliest opening exercises that lower productivity.
· Do one thing well at a time. It takes time to start and stop work on each activity. Stay with a task until it is completed.
· Don't open unimportant mail. More than a fourth of the mail you receive can be tossed before you open or read it, and that includes e-mail.
· Handle each piece of paper only once and never more than twice. Don't set aside anything without taking action. Carry work, reading material, audiotapes and your laptop computer with you everywhere you go. Convert down time into uplink time.
· Spend twenty minutes at the beginning of each week and ten minutes at the beginning of each day planning your to do list.
· Set aside personal relaxation time during the day. Don't work during lunch. It's neither noble nor nutritional to skip important energy input and stress-relieving time. Throughout the day, ask yourself, "What's the best use of my time right now?" As the day grows short, focus on projects you can least afford to leave undone.
· And as we said at the beginning of this message, take vacations often, mini-vacations of two or three days, and leave your work at home. The harder you work, the more you need to balance your exercise and leisure time.
Action Idea: Plan a relaxing 3-day vacation within the next three months without taking any business work with you. Reserve it on your calendar this week. -- Denis Waitley


To A Child love Is Spelled TIME!
http://www.tacmovie.com/

Fabulous Video! Listed below is a summary of the Video.

In the faint light of the attic, an old man, tall and stooped, bent his great frame and made his way to a stack of boxes that sat near one of the little half-windows. Brushing aside a wisp of cobwebs, he tilted the top box toward the light and began to carefully lift out one old photograph album after another. Eyes once bright but now dim searched longingly for the source that had drawn him here.

It began with the fond recollection of the love of his life, long gone, and somewhere in these albums was a photo of her he hoped to rediscover. Silent as a mouse, he patiently opened the long buried treasures and soon was lost in a sea of memories. Although his world had not stopped spinning when his wife left it, the past was more alive in his heart than his present aloneness.

Setting aside one of the dusty albums, he pulled from the box what appeared to be a journal from his grown son's childhood. He could not recall ever having seen it before, or that his son had ever kept a journal. Why did Elizabeth always save the children's old junk? he wondered, shaking his white head.

Opening the yellowed pages, he glanced over a short reading, and his lips curved in an unconscious smile. Even his eyes brightened as he read the words that spoke clear and sweet to his soul. It was the voice of the little boy who had grown up far too fast in this very house, and whose voice had grown fainter and fainter over the years. In the utter silence of the attic, the words of a guileless six-year-old worked their magic and carried the old man back to a time almost totally forgotten.

Entry after entry stirred a sentimental hunger in his heart like the longing a gardener feels in the winter for the fragrance of spring flowers. But it was accompanied by the painful memory that his son's simple recollections of those days were far different from his own. But how different?Reminded that he had kept a daily journal of his business activities over the years, he closed his son's journal and turned to leave, having forgotten the cherished photo that originally triggered his search. Hunched over to keep from bumping his head on the rafters, the old man stepped to the wooden stairway and made his descent, then headed down a carpeted stairway that led to the den.

Opening a glass cabinet door, he reached in and pulled out an old business journal. Turning, he sat down at his desk and placed the two journals beside each other. His was leather-bound and engraved neatly with his name in gold, while his son's was tattered and the name "Jimmy" had been nearly scuffed from its surface. He ran a long skinny finger over the letters, as though he could restore what had been worn away with time and use.As he opened his journal, the old man's eyes fell upon an inscription that stood out because it was so brief in comparison to other days. In his own neat handwriting were these words:Wasted the whole day fishing with Jimmy. Didn't catch a thing.

With a deep sigh and a shaking hand, he took Jimmy's journal and found the boy's entry for the same day, June 4. Large scrawling letters, pressed deeply into the paper, read:Went fishing with my dad. Best day of my life.