Issue 15

In Search of an Excellent You
June 1, 2009

"Stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you get married, until you have kids, until you quit smoking, or until your kids leave the house. Stop waiting until you retire, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get your new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, or until the first or the fifteenth. Stop waiting until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you win the lottery, or until the cows come home." -Jeffrey Gitomer (Little Platinum Book of Cha-Ching!)


STOP WAITING - your time is NOW.
More should be spoken of the difficult starts, the doubts, the defeats of successful people. Their success was rarely ever neither fast nor easy - nor did they wait. Their success was not the result of good luck but rather of effort and dedication. Victorious people struggled tirelessly before winning; many times they found closed doors and overcame periods of cloudiness. The actor Burt Reynolds remembers the day he and Clint Eastwood were fired from Universal Studios. "They told me I couldn't act. They told Clint that he spoke too slowly and that his Adam's apple stuck out too far. We walked quietly to our cars, then I finally said, Clint, you're a lost cause. I can take acting lessons, but you can't change your Adam's apple." (Times Magazine, January 9, 1978) With a positive attitude and dedication Burt and Clint made it. A good attitude is an excellent companion in moments of misfortune.

Yours in Success and Achievement,


Dr. Manuel Escalante (Dr. E)




Facing the Enemies Within

We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of our fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you've read in the papers. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o'clock in the morning. But once you learn to avoid that situation, you won't need to live in fear of it.
Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us. Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within. The first enemy that you've got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference. What a tragic disease this is. "Ho-hum, let it slide. I'll just drift along." Here's one problem with drifting: you can't drift your way to the top of the mountain. The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future. Take a sword to this enemy.The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure, there's room for healthy skepticism. You can't believe everything. But you also can't let doubt take over. Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities and doubt the opportunities. Worse of all, they doubt themselves. I'm telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart. Doubt is an enemy. Go after it. Get rid of it.
The fourth enemy within is worry. We've all got to worry some. Just don't let it conquer you. Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful. If you step off the curb in New York City and a taxi is coming, you've got to worry. But you can't let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner. Here's what you've got to do with your worries: drive them into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you, you've got to get it. Whatever is pushing on you, you've got to push back.The fifth interior enemy is over-caution. It is the timid approach to life. Timidity is not a virtue; it's an illness. If you let it go, it'll conquer you. Timid people don't get promoted. They don't advance and grow and become powerful in the marketplace. You've got to avoid over-caution.
Do battle with the enemy. Do battle with your fears. Build your courage to fight what's holding you back, what's keeping you from your goals and dreams. Be courageous in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to become.-Jim Rohn