THE CATERPILLAR MUST DIE BEFORE THE BUTTERFLY FLIES

I got thinking about how much fun I had chasing butterflies when I was a kid. Butterflies were everywhere, and they were beautiful in color and design. Today I seldom see a butterfly. Maybe we should put

them on the endangered list.

When I lived and worked in South Florida, I often drove by “Butterfly World.” This tourist attraction houses several beautiful gardens and is the home to thousands of colorful butterflies. People pay $14 to view the flowers and butterflies.

Though I never stopped and toured Butterfly Word, it reminds me of the concept called “The Butterfly Effect.” This theory says that a butterfly flapping its wings in Peking, China contributes to the tornado in Lawrence, Kansas. In other words, small causes have a significant consequence.

This thought suggests that every person can influence the actions, attitudes, and even the health of others. If one person can make a difference, can one act also makes a difference? Why not test, the idea? Decide each morning for the next week that you are going to say, “ Have a great day,” or “Thank you,” (depending on the situation). To everyone you encounter.

Follow this plan for one week. Address everyone with one of the above statements. You judge if the Butterfly Effect works. When you have a positive (or negative) impact on someone, the chances are that person will pass it on like a ripple in the lake.

If you only change your life, that counts too. Remember the caterpillar dies before the butterfly flies.

The Case for Sir Isaac Newton and His Three Laws of “Personal Success”

Asked to explain the source of his scientific greatness, the great British mathematician and physicist, Sir Isaac Newton confessed, “I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I was like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”

If Newton acknowledged to only touching the shoreline of truth, what can we say today about the degree of our commitment to success? Is there an ocean or sea of success opportunity that lays undiscovered before us, while we occasionally find a smoother pebble or a prettier shell?

Born in England in 1643, Newton was raised by his grandmother. (Grandmothers are often the major influence on their grandchildren’s values). Newton worked his way through college. (A important value; work).

While Newton was in college he was writing his ideas in a journal (Note taking is very important; a pencil is better than a long memory). Newton had new ideas about motion, which he called his three laws of motion. Understanding these laws and their application to personal success will aid in the on-going preparation for personal and professional success.  

Newton's First Law of Motion: This law is often called: the “Law of Inertia.” It states an object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an external force.  An object in motion continues in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force.

• What does this mean? This means that there is a natural tendency of objects to keep on doing what they're doing. All objects resist changes in their state of motion. In the absence of an unbalanced force, an object in motion will maintain this state of motion.

• What does this mean for you? People keep on doing what they’re doing in the absence of a powerful positive incentive. If you rest on your laurels you will remain resting unless acted on by an external force. Often, this external force is called,  a “Wake Up Call” and can result from: Unemployment, Underemployment, Competition, and/or Change— either internal or external

Newton's Second Law of Motion: Acceleration is produced when a force acts on a mass. The greater the mass (of the object being accelerated) the greater the amount of force needed (to accelerate the object). This is commonly stated as force equals mass time acceleration.

• What does this mean? Heavier objects require more force to accelerate.

• What does this mean for you? The longer you are comfortable with your status and set in your ways, the more positive incentive is needed to move you.

Newton's Third Law of Motion: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

• What does this mean? Whenever an object pushes another object it gets pushed back in the opposite direction equally hard.

• What does this mean for you? When you attempt to improve yourself there is an equal and opposite reaction that works to keep the status quo or equilibrium. An example of this is Homeostasis described as a tendency to move to equilibrium and away from change back to the former status.

Newton’s Three Laws of Motion Applied to Personal Success

• People keep on doing what they’re doing in the absence of a powerful positive incentive.

• The longer people are comfortable with their status; the larger and more positive incentive is needed to move them.
• When people attempt to improve themselves there is an equal and opposite reaction that works to keep the status quo or equilibrium.

Success Summation

SUCCESS THOUGHT: Be open to new ideas and look for opportunities that often lay undiscovered because you are hectically engaged in doing what you have always done. Don’t be fooled into believing that you will achieve something new while engaged in old activities. Look for ways to apply Newton’s Three Laws of Motion to help you with your on-going self-improvement.

SUCCESS QUOTE: “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”

 SUCCESS ACTION: Today, look past the smoother pebbles and prettier shells and see the great ocean of opportunity that lies before you.

 

BOOK REMINDER—My book, Mentor In The Mirror is available on Amazon, iBooks and Barnes & Noble. Go to my website: www.wanenalls.com for additional information and a review of the book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You Have Defined Success For You. What Now? #87

This blog isn’t about defining success, we’ve written about that before. In a previous posting, I stated that before achieving success, you must know what success is—for you. You are the only person that can define your success. Someone has said, if you can’t define success, how will you know when you achieve it? Therefore, I assume that you have a definition of personal success—what you want to achieve.

This blog deals with what happens once your definition of success is on paper.

To start, you should list all the positive things the success journey provides you. The list should flow from the confidence that your goal is important. In working to achieve your goal, you know you are investing in a personal high priority. 

An additional positive benefit is, of all the goals you could choose, this goal is the goal for you (it matches your interests, talents, skills, etc). To achieve this goal, you will need to focus your activity on accomplishing the goal and not dilute you effort on secondary activities.

A key activity to achieving your goal is to have or develop a positive attitude.

People traveling their road of choice to success know that a positive attitude is the prelude to reaching their destination. Successful people know a passive attitude built on wishing, wanting, or hoping will not provide the infrastructure for achieving personal goals. Ancient Chinese teacher and philosopher Confucius, wisely stated, “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential…these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”

People with positive attitudes view themselves as a work in progress. They continually look for activities that bring them closer to their goal; and avoid actions that impede their goal achieving. Every single activity you engage in either brings you closer to or moves you further from your goal. Therefore, evaluate all possibilities and spend time on what matters most.

People with positive attitudes focus on what they want and not what they don’t want. They see the preverbal glass as half-full; if not, full and overflowing? They believe things are good and will get even better. Each time they score, they are juiced to go for another score.

People with a positive attitude bring their “A” game all the time, every time. In any task they undertake, people with a positive attitude do the best they are capable of doing. They aren’t concerned with being great but focus on being the best they can be (“best” being defined as what you believe you can do plus some stretch for the capacity you don’t realize you have).

The result of a positive attitude is knowing that you gave your best. Former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden said it this way, “You experience success when you have the peace of mind that comes from know you have done the best of which you are capable

People with a positive attitude constantly look for ways to improve. Perhaps the most obvious sign of a person with a positive attitude is their enthusiasm for learning. Learning leads to improvement and one of the best ways to learn is to read and learn from the leading experts and authorities in your field of interest. Personal education is not complete with the last formal education class.

In addition to having a positive attitude (will, desire and urge to succeed), I believe the best way to find personal success is to actually look for it. View your strengths, weaknesses, and interest from your goal perspective. Ask yourself: “Do I have or, can I acquire the needed skills or attitude for reaching my goal? Do I have the will, desire and urge to achieve the ultimate outcome? In his book, The Master Key to Riches, Napoleon Hill writes, “The only thing over which you have complete control is your mental attitude.” A positive attitude is necessary to success and you have complete control of your attitude.

Two action steps that help develop a positive attitude: First, accept responsibility for your own success. In doing this, you demonstrate a level of personal accountability and enthusiasm. It shows that you have a winner’s attitude and not a victim mentality. When you accept responsibility you make a statement: “I am a performer!”

Second, accept that you are responsible for your own continuous learning: updating knowledge, skills and improving on personal strengths. By doing this, you will boost our level of performance to a new level and then keep it there.

Being responsible for your own success and your own continuous learning tells everyone that you expect to be successful. Perhaps Brian Tracy was thinking of this when he wrote, “Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and important, although difficult, is the high road to pride, self-esteem and personal satisfaction.

Three Point Success Summary

SUCCESS THOUGHT: People with a positive attitude have a life-long self-improvement plan that enables them to think beyond the crisis of the day. Their plans emphasize the reading and studying of the writing of experts in their field of interest. Then, they quickly make application of the principles that caused these writers to be successful.

SUCCESS QUOTE: “Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.” Napoleon Hill

SUCCESS ACTION: Commit to a life-time of learning and having a positive attitude.

What I Would Say to a College Freshman Class on their First Day #80 102211

Though I am not a school teacher or college professor, I have a goal to teach an introductory college business course. Why college level? The student or a benefactor is paying for their opportunity to obtain an advanced education. They are here because they want to be here.

The second reason for teaching college level students is that for most of them this is a time of seeking, searching and being open to new things and thinking outside the box. Many students are searching for the answer to, "How do I succeed, whatever the field of study?"

The college environment exposes students to new surroundings, influences and circumstances. In their new setting, concepts, values and even thinking processes are challenged. It may be during the college years students learn a person can think and grow rich; that the mind, once stretched like a rubber band never returns to its original shape; a person’s attitude controls their actions, and by identifying a desired effect and working back to identify the causes that created that effect, the student can take action to get the same effect.

As students file into their first class, I give each one a handout that has printed on it seven quotes. These quotes set the tone for the upcoming semester.

• “The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by alerting their attitudes of mind.” —William James

• “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” —William Shakespeare

• “To every person there comes that moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder to do a very special thing unique to him. What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared for the work that would be his finest hour.” —Winston Churchill

• "Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of value. He is considered successful in our day who gets more out of life than he puts in. But a man of value will give more than he receives."— Albert Einstein

• “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chose field of endeavor.” —Vincent T. Lombardi

• "The key to happiness is having dreams. The key to success is making your dreams come true."
— Anonymous

• “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.” — Abraham Lincoln

After introducing myself and welcoming the students, I start the class by answering one of their big concerns: How do I get a good grade in this class?

I have an unusual grading system; every student begins the class with a score of 100 points—an "A". It is up to the student to maintain that grade by scoring high on tests, turning in well-written papers and on-target class participation.

If the first class was the only class of the course, they would all leave with their "A." But, for all the students I saw taking notes, I would add 10 points, giving them an A+. The reason: "A small pencil is better than a long memory." That is the first great lesson of this class.

Next, while I had their attention, I make a homework assignment. Yes, 15 minutes into the first class I hear a collective groan. Remember, no one said life is fair or easy. The assignment is to bring to the next class a list containing two of your personal strengths and one personal weakness. The only guideline is that students must be honest with themselves. I would offer several examples of both traits. For strengths: achiever, competitor, passionate, caring. Weaknesses could include: procrastinator, unmotivated, non focused, uncommitted.

I give a preview of the lesson that will take place when we cover personal strength and weaknesses later in the course by stressing that It is strengths that you build on to achieve your goals and not improvement of weaknesses. The goal is to minimize weakness as you maximize and leverage your strengths.

Moving on, I cover the importance of time management and stress that the best time to start on their present homework assignment is as soon after class as possible. Begin now to purge procrastination from your vocabulary.

I spend time on high level planning including goal setting, developing priorities, and the importance of focusing. I explain that in future classes we will be drilling down to the finer points in personal planning and the ways to achieve their goals. The path they take may not be my path. We can take different paths to the goal, but we must reach the goal.

Planning should result in focused actions. We evaluate the potential or payoff and rate the action by asking ourselves, “Is this the best use of my time?” “What is the payoff of this action?" "Does it bring me closer to achieving my goal?” If you determine the action has low payoff, eliminate it from consideration and choose another course of action. Be judicious of your time; don’t waste valuable time on actions with limited payoff. You have three capital assets: Attitude, Knowledge and Time.

I assure them that when setting goals they must determine what they will give in exchange for the achieving the goal. These are the specific actions needed to achieve the goal. Here is where you test desire. Are you willing to do what is needed to achieve the goal?

Someone has said, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Without a destination and a plan for getting there, you will end up somewhere, but probably not where you want to be. My goal for each student is that they get to where they want to go.

Before the first class ends, I hope to see the light come on for many of the students as they discover that this class is about stretching oneself, always pushing the envelope. Robert Browning expressed the underlining motivational essence of the class when he wrote, "A man's reach should exceed his grasp."

The last minutes of the class, I focus on values and how they drive our actions. Our attitudes and behaviors flow out of our values. Therefore, core values determine who and what we will be. It is a certainty, we reap what we sow. The Law of Cause and Effect is still a law. Therefore, values drive what we do and what we do is what we become.

As the first class ends, I stress that while focusing on achieving your goals, don't miss opportunities that spring up unannounced. These opportunities often appear disguised as problems or potholes on your road to success. Before deciding to alter or change your course vet any new opportunity using your propose as the guideline. Ask, "Will this action bring me closer to achieving my purpose? Success—however you define it— is living your true purpose. Never forget that your purpose is why you are here.

For a typical 19 year old freshman, he or she has another 56 years or 20,440 days to live. Ask any senior citizen and they will say those years fly by. Many people including students in this introductory class will reach their 75th birthday and regret that they had not early in life discovered who they really are and spent more time following their heart and dream.

Here is timely exercise. Take your age and subtract it from 75. The difference is the time you have remaining. Enjoy the remaining years by enjoying every day, every moment of time. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "The time is always right to do what is right."

My final words to the class, are, "Let go and grow. Enjoy the moment. Grades, while important, are not the "why?" you are here. When you find the answer to your "why?", you will find what you truly want from life—what you truly want to become."

SUCCESS THOUGHT: Believe in the learning process, not just the curriculum. Success—a degree, position, power, responsibility—is the result of a developmental process that includes: goal setting, defining priorities, focusing on strengths, time management, maintaining a positive attitude, commitment to values and a commitment to execution. The process helps mold, execution is what creates the success.

SUCCESS QUOTE: "Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right." —Henry Ford

SUCCESS ACTION: Add these words and phrases to your "working" vocabulary: Carpe Deim, Commitment, Effectiveness, Enthusiasm, Execution, Excellence, Integrity, Passion, Positive Attitude, Priorities, Purpose, "My pleasure", "How can I help?" "Thank You!

When You Win, Everyone Wins #79 090511

The full benefit of a self-improvement program is that everyone around you benefits. Improving yourself, improves those around you. You cannot become a winner without promoting the winning spirit in others. There is no solo success. Your achievement is a challenge for others to achieve.

Here are twelve steps for improving yourself and those around you.

1. Define Specifically What You Want to Achieve

The first step to success is to clearly define what you want to achieve. Successful people are those who are doing what they really want to do and are doing it on purpose with a minimum effort. Your goals should be few and all realistic (some should have a stretch in them to challenge).
Keep in mind, goals should be consistent with your core values.

2. Know "Why" You Want to Achieve the Goal
Identifying the true purpose for achieving a goal may require you to enter a new paradigm and move out of your comfort zone. Having a big "Why" acts as a driving force to achieve the "What"—the goal. "Why" is the inflective force needed to move people out of their comfort zone.

3. Determine The Action Steps Needed to Achieve The Goal

Whereas in step two, you determined "why?" you want to achieve a specific goal, now you layout the "what" and the "how" you are going to achieve your goal. Successful people constantly think in terms of actions priorities. Be resolute. Refuse to waste a single minute on any activity that doesn't move you toward your goal.

Once you have the actions steps, execute. Execution is the link between goal and achievement, between dream and reality. Do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done. Execute!

4. Set A time Line For Achieving The Goal
Start you plan today. The time you have now is the only time you have. There is no extra time at some unspecified future date. There is an old Chinese Proverb that says, "The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is today." Action leads to success; inaction results in failure. Set a time line that includes a deadline—the ultimate motivation tool.

5. Choose To Be Positive

Contrary to what some people believe, you can always choose to have a good day, even if the events of the day seem insurmountable. By choosing to have a positive attitude it is amazing how circumstances bend to accommodate you. Think positive. A positive attitude serves as a powerful driver of actions. It makes you attempt even more. Be positive, upbeat, and enthusiastic today and every day.

6. Expose yourself to Something New today In Each of the 4-E's
People are a product of their: Education, Experiences, Entourage and Environment. Successful people use each day to learn something new, try something new, meet someone new, and visit new places, outside their comfort zone. Are you growing in each of the 4-E's?

7. Enjoy Today As If It Were Your Last
See today for what it is: the present and the present is all you are guaranteed. Ask yourself, "Is what I am doing today going to help me achieve my goal? If the answer is "yes", then keep doing it. If the answer is "no", then redirect your activities to tasks that are better aligned with your goal. Life is too precious to moor in the harbor. Set sail.

8. Make Good Decisions
Gather all the pertinent facts. Unless you have at least two choices, there is really no decision to be made. Know what the decision has to accomplish. When you are in doubt, go with the choice that brings you closer to goal achievement. Never be afraid to choose. Remember, choosing not to choose is making a decision. Risk avoiders and successful people are not family.

9. Define the End Of The Day In the Beginning Of The Day
Spend a minimum of 15 magic minutes first thing each morning planning your day. The goal is to control your day and not let it control you. At the beginning of the session ask yourself, "Will doing these things help me end the day the way I planned it?" If you answer "yes", good. If you answered "no" develop another course of action. Always look for actions that bring you closer to your goal.

The start-of-the-day plan helps you prioritize important projects and prioritize valuable time. Work on what matters and don't get off track.

10. INVEST IN YOURSELF
The purpose for investing in yourself is to make yourself more valuable. Investing in self keeps you growing and contributing . As you become more valuable, you achieve a reputation as a professional and create a broader area of influence to do good. The great motivational expert, Earl Nightingale said it this way, "If you spend one extra hour each day in the study of your chosen field...you'll be a national expert in five years or less."

Set aside some prime time for investing in yourself on a regular basis.

11. Execute And Be Effective

Execution is the most basic key to success and bridges the gap between plans and results delivered. Be a doer. In doing, you gain momentum and momentum is a game changer and the most powerful force in winning.

Be effective, get the right things done. People see you as an effective performer, an insurer of your success and a contributor to the success of your organization. Effectiveness is like the Equator dividing the successful from the failures. Don't confuse effectiveness with effort. Focus on results, not activity.

12. Have Fun And Celebrate Successes
Be passionate—truly care about what you do— and have fun at the same time. Don't be afraid to celebrate. Big achievements call for immediate celebration. Celebrating immediately reinforces achievement and leads to further achievement.
Celebrate achievement, not activity.

Three Point Success Summation

SUCCESS THOUGHT: In the final analysis, personal success is within and it is within reach. As you improve yourself, you improve those around you. Share the 12 Steps for Improving Yourself with an associate, friend or family member and discuss how the steps helped you jumpstart your life and career.

SUCCESS QUOTE: "Treasure today, it is the only time you have. Make it your masterpiece."—Wayne Nalls

SUCCESS ACTION: Define specifically what you want to accomplish and do it!

The Power of Positive Expectations #69

While positive thinking and positive attitude are often paired with each other, neither automatically or necessarily lead to success. Failure can thrive when it is paired with either one; or, both.

The problem doesn't lie with the word "positive". The problem occurs when we deceive ourselves and believe that by focused thinking or having a positive attitude we can have whatever we desire. Positive thinking, "I know I can," and having a positive mental inclination toward a project or problem doesn't guarantee success.

While positive thinking and a positive attitude are more likely to be found in people who succeed, they take second and third place to the power of positive expectations. When we anticipate the occurrence of a positive outcome and expect positive things to happen, we will do all in our power to make them happen. Success is the result of a positive performance. Success is the results of doing the right things. Leonardo da Vinci left us with this great thought: "I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do it."

Longing for success is not the same thing as expecting success. It is our chief duty to execute the required actions steps and move toward our goal with each step until we achieve that goal.

I think that many people today live—if one can call it living— with fewer expectations than past generations. I constantly hear phrases like, "What is, is!" and, "Whatever will be, will be." lack of positive expectations can be summed up in the title to the hit song, Que Sera Sera
("What Ever Will, Be Will Be").

It wasn't long ago that parents held the idea that their children would be better off financially than they were. Optimism ruled. People envisioned a better day and even a better tomorrow.

Up to a few years ago people believed that even in economic turndowns the pendulum would swing; the rain would be replaced by the sunshine. Their positive attitude told them that when the circumstances where right, things would be better.

Circumstances are seldom right. You never have the capacities, the strength, the wisdom, the skills and talents you ought to have. You must always do with less than you need in a situation that is different from what you would have chosen for your special talents.

It is truly amazing the number of people that go to work each day with little or no expectation of succeeding. The reason people fail to achieve success is that they don't expect to be successful. For the unsuccessful, hopes, wishes and dreams have replaced expectation as the method to success. As someone has said, "Hope is not a method." To achieve and reach goals people must first expect success and second execute the action steps leading to success.

Having positive expectations means you have confidence in yourself and your fellow workers. You look forward to the challenges that face you. You are not presumptuous and you don't deal in probabilities. You execute with assurance and confidence expecting victory. Execution paired with expectations is the mental edge that results in victory.

Do you plan on carrying your dreams with you to the grave? Dreams that if turned into actionable ideas and executed would provide you with a better lifestyle, improve the status for family, friends, neighbors or even mankind. Why would anyone be so selfish that they would let their dream die for lack of expectation.

When we don't expect , we disrespect ourselves, our strengths, our abilities, and our purpose for being on planet earth. In essence we say, "I can't change things"," I have to go with the flow", "Whatever will be will be", "What is, is! If you subscribe to any of these false assumptions, let Amelia Earhart's advice challenge you: "Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn't be done."

I offer one caution regarding the power of positive expectations. Don't expect overnight success or set unrealistic goals. To believe in the impossible (overnight success) only leads to frustration, stress and the inevitable failure. And failure, once achieved, can lead to additional failure as we confirm for ourselves, "we are failures." This is of itself flawed thinking, we may fail, but we are not a failure until we forgo our positive expectations and quit doing. Keep expecting success. Keep doing until you reach your goals.

You'll pardon me for cutting to the chase, but I believe the power of positive expectations is clear. When you have positive expectations you will engage in specific actions that transform your desires into reality.

My high school friends loved the song, Que Sera Sera. It won the 1956 Academy Award Song for Best Original Song. But don't adopt, Whatever Will Be, Will Be as your manta. Fate is not a synonym for positive expectation.

Three Point Success Summation

SUCCESS THOUGHT: Can you really say that you expect tomorrow to be better than today? When you go to bed tonight, do you sleep sound knowing that the morning will bring a fresh new day with exciting challenges and opportunities. Or, do you expect more of the same old stuff? Make the best use of positive thinking and have a positive attitude. More importantly, tap the power of positive expectations and you will perform in a manner consistent with your strengths, talents and desires.

SUCCESS QUOTE: "Good is not good, where better is expected." —Thomas Fuller

SUCCESS ACTION: Expect success and have a relentless bias toward action.

Be Your Own Hero #61 031010

There were a lot of things I liked doing as a kid growing up in Central Florida. One of my favorite activities was reading and trading comic books. A comic book cost a dime and delivered a million dollars of high adventure and escapism.

All the kids read and traded comics. Some comic books were more valuable than others and when you traded them, you would give two or three less popular comics for a single Lone Ranger, Batman or Superman book. These heroes had extra value, even if was only in our minds.

These hero books have come a long way. I recently read that a copy of the first comic book featuring Superman, a 1938 edition of Action comics No. 1, sold for $1-million at auction. Wish I had known about economics back then. Invest a dime and seventy-two years later sell your investment for a million dollars. Heck, why not invest in two copies?

A lot of kids dreamed of being able to move faster than a speeding bullet, being more powerful than a locomotive and having the ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound. In reality I know no one with those capabilities other than Superman.

People attach the term hero to sports figures, movie stars, political leaders, and yes, comic book characters. They think of these people as having divine strength, talent and the ability to defy the law of gravity, remain ageless, or be bullet proof.

Unfortunately, most of us have never looked at ourselves as a hero. We often view our abilities, talents and strengths as flaws, failings and weaknesses. Instead of always wishing we were someone else, we should realize that it is ok to be me.

I have observed that some people over estimate their ability and self importance. But it has been my experience that more people have the tendency to sell themselves short. The people I meet day in and day out don't consider themselves heroes. But anyone, in any role, who consistently performs at their best is a hero. True, they are not legendary figures with great strength or god-like ability. Real heroes deliver on time, on budget, and on target.

In their best-selling book, Now discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton tell how great managers do no not help people fix their weaknesses. "Instead they capitalize on them. They try to help each person become more and more of who he already is."

The only way to be a hero is to become more and more of what you are. The only barrier to being a hero is your failure to perform at your best. Good enough isn't good enough, because the competition is performing at a good enough level. The only way to be a hero is to refuse to be classified as a good performer.

It isn't always possible to get agreement on just who is a hero but there are a number of situations that can develop where a person stops or ceases to be a hero.

• When you stop learning, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop caring, you stop being a hero.
• When you cease to be enthusiastic, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop setting authentic goals, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop short of the goal, you stop being a hero.
• When you cease being a team player, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop innovating, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop being a cheerleader, supporter, and encourager, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop living our core values, you stop being a hero.
• When you cease to have integrity, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop thinking, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop accepting corrective criticism, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop raising the bar, you stop being a hero.
• When you no longer delight your customer, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop being true to your principles, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop being productive, you stop being a hero.
• When you no longer have a positive attitude, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop adding value, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop believing you are in business for yourself, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop holding yourself accountable for outcomes, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop taking responsibility for our career, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop pursuing excellence, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop being the master of your time, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop taking care of your health, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop being an aggressive listener, you stop being a hero.
•When you stop acting and began reacting, you stop being a hero.
• When you lose your sense of humor, you stop being a hero.
• When you don't follow up, you stop being a hero.
• When you can't say, "I was wrong", you stop being a hero.
• When you stop leading by example, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop being the master of your time, you stop being a hero.
• When you stop believing in yourself, you are no longer a hero.

Ignore the call to goodness and embrace Heroism. If you get used to being a hero, you'll continue to be faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Heroes— like you— have powers and abilities for beyond those of mortal competitors.

A fictional hero is worth a million dollars. As your own hero, what are you worth?

Three Point Success Summation

HOG THOUGHT: It takes people with all kinds of skill, talents and abilities to build a successful organization. The transformation happens when each member of the team contributes their best to the team. This way, the organization is comprised of a team of heroes. The spotlight may not be on you, but it will be on the team. Enjoy the illumination you help create.

HOG QUOTE: "The ordinary man is involved in action, the hero acts. An immense difference." —Henry Miller, Author

HOG ACTION: Look in a mirror. Do you see a hero? If you want to be a hero, you have to think and act like a hero.

Get Stuck on a Thing Called Hope #53

There is the “hope against hope” where the person hopes without any basis for expecting fulfillment. When I purchase a lottery ticket and hope to win the fifty million dollars or so, I hope—I would like to win. But, I honestly have no expectations of claiming the money.

Then there is “hope” where a person expects to win. Winning is being successful and hope is not in the luck of the draw but in the confidence born out of the desire to win plus having a plan and executing the steps necessary to achieve the win or goal.

In the mega-hit Rogers and Hammerstein musical, South Pacific, the leading lady, Nellie sings “A Cockeyed Optimist”. This song contains the memorable optimistic words, “I’m stuck like a dope on a thing called hope.” While we may think of a “dope” as a simpleton or stupid person, the message is not from a dim-witted individual. This is no half-empty glass philosophy.

People can learn a great deal about personal success from this great Broadway play and later box-office hit. Like Nellie, successful people are optimist. I don’t think the definition of an optimist as one who sees the glass half full does justice to the word. A true optimist is one who believes in their ability to produce the best outcome. They use their ability to optimize; to add water to the glass and thereby make it more than half full. An optimist sees opportunities, acts positively to remove the pessimism engendered by obstacles and expects to be victorious.

Get in the habit of being positive. Think more about the good things in your life than the bad. See the sunrise in every twenty four hours. Yes, nighttime comes with the setting sun, but a rooster’s crow in the morning signals a new day.

Being negative, like sprouting weeds, just happens. Being positive, like cultivating flowers, takes work. Gratefulness is a powerful tool for that work. And the resulting beauty is worth the investment.

Being positive is easy, fun and works. Start by being thankful. The more often you are thankful, the more often you will be positive. A principle often overlooked: the more positive you are, the more reason you have to be positive.

A positive performance begins with a positive attitude. If you are having a bad day, stop and ask yourself, “Why”? When you have determined the cause for your negativity, stop. The problem or circumstances are real. But, it is your reaction to the problem or circumstances that determines whether you respond in a positive or negative way. Blame someone else or fate and you will respond negatively. If you accept the reality of the situation and determine to make the best of it, you respond in a positive way and things naturally get better.

I don’t know why so many people are negative thinkers. For many people negativity is a natural, normal and first reaction to problems. Their intuition tells them that this is what they should expect. Instinct urges them to accept what they deserve. My experience is that negative people too often have the motto: “What is, is.” This type of acquiescence leads to accepting negative situations as a part of my lot in life and just another link in my chain of failure.

If you think this way, you have given control of your life to the “dark side of the force”, fate. Luke Skywalker, of Star Wars fame invites you cast off the negative force and come over to the positive force. Let this Force make you hopeful, optimistic and expectant. You may not be a Jedi, but the Positive Force can be with you.

The message of the song, A Cockeyed Optimist is, to have hope; expect to succeed. Unfortunately, many people live a life of hopelessness. These pessimists see themselves as victims and not victors. As Winston Churchill’s once declared, “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Make an effort every day to see opportunity in all circumstances.

In my experience in business and life, I find that success favors the optimist. Practice positive expectations and see your self being successful. Get stuck on hope and you will get stuck on success.

HOG THOUGHT: There are many reasons to be negative. One for being positive: Being positive leads to success. A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will put you on the autobahn to success.

HOG QUOTE: “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” — Willie Nelson, song writer and singer

HOG ACTION: Success is built on positive expectations. Never give up the idea for being successful. Get stuck on HOPE.

Only Motivated People Change #50

It is our well-established patterns or habits that keep us where we are. I am most comfortable with the familiar, the tried and true. The XM radio in my car has, like most car radios, preset buttons. I have five and use only three. One button is for the 50s music— Elvis, Little Richard, The Platters— one button for Old Time Radio—The Lone Ranger, Dragnet, The Shadow, The Whistler, etc. The third button is for Southern Gospel.

Often people allow their habits and love for the familiar to become obstacles to change. We have a built-in system that resists change. Status quo is the watchword. Many will accept the way things are, even if they are bad, instead of venturing out. For these people the familiar is better than the unknown.

When confronted with the opportunity to change the natural reaction is to pull back; play it safe. This is an attempt to avoid or minimize the risk involved in a change. But hanging on to the old, while it may feel good, nevertheless creates additional stress and disillusionment.

Two Reason People Resist Change
People will do almost anything to avoid change and its consequences. The two most common reasons people resist a change are fear and apathy.

1. Fear. People in general fear change. The new is unfamiliar, daunting and therefore potentially precarious. There is a certain amount of security in the familiar and a lot of dread in the unknown. The situation is reminiscent of long ago, when map makers sketched dragons on maps as signs to sailors that they would be entering unknown territory at their own risk. Some sailors took this sign literally and were afraid to venture on. Others saw the dragons as signs of opportunity.

Professional change is almost always accompanied by fear over the loss of familiar boundaries, guidelines, and old values. Many people find it hard to leave the comfort and security of the past behind and enter unknown and untried territory. But as a new success mindset emerges, you must bring your life more in line with your new values and new paradigm.

2. Apathy. It is hard to appreciate the need to change when things are going good. But success can often be the kiss of death because it breeds apathy. Comfort can lead to stagnation.

In today’s world you have little chance of succeeding with yesterday’s No. 2 pencil, a package of carbon paper, or an IBM Selectric typewriter. Success often calls for change that can only be described as transformational. We can learn a lot about transformation and change by looking at insects. Consider the butterfly, formerly a caterpillar which undergoes metamorphosis in its chrysalis and emerges a glorious butterfly. The same creature, which enters the cocoon eventually, emerges, but the change is so remarkable that it cannot be recognized as the same.

The dictionary defines metamorphosis as “change of form or change of character.” It implies a major change—transformation— in form, nature, or function, usually for the better. In the final stage of biological metamorphosis the cocoon splits open and what emerges from the chrysalis is a fully formed adult butterfly, the final predestined form of the insect is realized.

In the seminal book, The Art of Living, the ancient Greek philosopher, Epictetus, advises that to discover our “predestined” state, we must clearly identify the kind of person we aspire to become. It is in the definiteness of the person we want to be that creates the power for metamorphosis and change. As a caterpillar is transformed inside its cocoon into a beautiful entity with wings, so people are changed from within by the power of positive thinking that is channeled into positive actions.

Someone once said, “There is nothing about a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.” But then there is nothing about Harry S. Truman, a failure in business (haberdasher) and perennial political loser that would indicated that this farm boy from Independence, Missouri would become a U.S. President (ranked by most in the top 10 Presidents); As a “caterpillar” there was nothing to indicated Anna Mary Robertson Moses would, in her late 70’s, become the outstanding 20th Century folk artist, Grandma Moses. Her first paintings were given to family member. She later sold her works for $2 to $3. Later, her painting Sugaring Off sold for over $1-million. A beautifully example of a person undergoing metamorphosis is Helen Keller. She emerged from her cocoon of deafness and blindness to graduate cum laude from Radcliffe College and become a world famous author and lecturer—a classic “butterfly.”

An old axiom states successful people do those things that unsuccessful people don’t like to do. In my experience, the number one thing that unsuccessfully people dislike doing is undergoing change.

HOG THOUGHT: Only motivated people change. Change can be easy or difficult depending upon the motivation for change. A strong motivation for change creates a powerful force for a change. Change never happens until it is in the self-interest of the person involved.

HOG QUOTE: “There is nothing about a caterpillar that tells you it is going to be a butterfly.”
—unknown

HOG ACTION: Visualize what you would be—never underestimate your potential--and then take transformational steps to achieve your goal. In the process, you like the caterpillar, are changed.