Saturday, October 29, 2011

How Safe Are Your Perceptions?

Any person who selects a goal in life which can be fully achieved, has already defined his own limitations. – Cavett Robert

In his book, Winning Every Day, legendary football coach Lou Holtz shares a story about a
man whose car tumbled into a ditch. He called a farmer for some help, but the
farmer said, “You’d need a team of young stallions to pull that car. I only
have one horse, Dusty. He’s blind and old. We’ll bring him over to the ditch,
though, and see what he can do. But don’t expect too much.”

The farmer hitched Dusty to the car, snapped a whip in the air, and said, “Pull, Jimmy
pull!” Dusty never moved. The farmer snapped the whip again and said, “Pull,
Sammy pull.” Dusty still didn’t move. The farmer snapped the whip a third time
and said, “Pull Charley pull.” Dusty remained still. The farmer snapped the
whip the fourth time and said, “Pull, Dusty pull.” With one mighty tug, Dusty
yanked the car out of the ditch.

The grateful driver shook the farmer’s hand and said, “Thanks for freeing my car; but
there’s something I don’t understand. Dusty never moved when you kept calling
him by those different names. Why didn’t you just call Dusty by his name from
the start?” The farmer replied, “I had to call out those three names first.
Dusty is blind. If he’d thought he had to do all that work by himself, he never
would have even tried.”

The perceptions you have go a long way not only in defining your leadership style
but in shaping the direction of your organization. Get it wrong and the
consequences can be devastating. Despite the perceptions of the farmer, the horse
accomplished the task and removed the car from the ditch. What will be the
consequence of your perceptions? Here are three things to remember as you
formulate your perceptions about your organization and your people.

Perceptions shape your reality. The perception you place on your
organization or colleagues is a powerful belief. Consider this; if the people
in your organization were to rise to the level of your perception of them,
would your organization be in a better place?

While it’s been said that perception is reality, that statement is not quite true. It
becomes true when you and your team take ownership of it. Sherwood Eddy said,
“Faith is not trying to believe something regardless of the evidence; faith is
daring to do something regardless of the consequences.” And this is the secret
to your leadership. The greatest compliment you can give to your team is a
faith in them that surpasses your perceptions of them.

Perceptions shape your direction. What you believe about your people
and what they buy into shapes the direction all of you will travel. Consider
this; if the people in your organization were to go in the direction of your
perceptions of them where would that take you? Your perceptions are to your
organization what a rudder is to a ship. Perceptions navigate the direction of
your organization.

John Maxwell writes, “Being able to navigate for others requires a leader to possess a
positive attitude. You’ve got to have faith that you can take your people all
the way. If you can’t confidently make the trip in your mind, you’re not going
to be able to take it in real life. Sometimes it’s difficult balancing optimism
and realism, intuition and planning, faith and fact. But that’s what it takes
to be effective as a navigating leader.” If you are not comfortable with the
direction you are taking your team then examine your perceptions. Your team
deserves a leader with a positive attitude who has faith in their ability.

Perceptions shape your destiny. If you want to know what the future
has in store for you as a leader and that of your organization then look no
further than your perceptions. Consider this; if you and your organization are
going to live out the destiny of your perceptions of them, do you have a bright
future?

Your team deserves a leader who does not put a lid on potential, but by his or her perceptions
communicates that its future is bright and its possibilities are limitless. Abraham
Lincoln said, “The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at
a time.” And one day at a time our perceptions shape our reality, our
direction, and our destiny. How safe are your perceptions?

By: Doug Dickerson
Source: Leader's Beacon

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Steve Jobs' 10 Secrets to Building a Huge Empire

Steve JobsSteve Paul Jobs was born on February 24th, 1955. He is known to be the Chairman, co-founder as well as the CEO of the Apple Inc. He was also the former CEO of well known Pixar Animation Studios. He was also represented among the Board of Directors of the Walt Disney Company. Not bad!

He completed his studies in California and later he did his frequent after-school lectures in Palo Alto at the Hewlett Packard Company. In a few months time, he was hired in the same place and from there his career started to accelerate. The great personality exhibited by Steve Jobs was told and appreciated far and wide. He was referred to as one of Silicon Valley’s leading egomaniac by Fortune Magazine.

It was in the year 1976 when he founded the company he named Apple Inc. Presently, Jobs is referred to as the single largest shareholder in the Walt Disney Company and also one among its Board of Directors. His presence and appreciation in both the computer as well as entertainment field is remarkable.


With his fame, he is well known for whatever came out from his mouth and was thus noted to be quoted. In casual conversation, Steve Jobs seems to come up with earth-moving quotes. The mastery of this is that most of his quotes can be applied to the the jobs we all have, the careers we all seek, and the lives we all want to lead.

Let's take a look at some of the great quotes of this modern day tech and media leader.
  1. To Build up Confidence
    We don’t get a chance to do that many things, so every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life. Life is brief, and then you die, you know?"

    Steve Jobs is confident in whatever decisions he makes and he talks about what has taken him to great heights. He also insists all of us to be good to the heart as our lives are short and death can arrive at any time.
  2. On Confidence and Creativity
    That happens more than you think, because this is not just engineering and science. There is art, too. Sometimes when you’re in the middle of these crises, you’re not sure you’re going to make it to the other end. But we’ve always made it, and so we have a certain degree of confidence, although sometimes you wonder."

    People are terrified at times. However, those that make choices based on real criteria, regardless of the conceptual nature of them, can confidently stand behind them and are able to shake off the uncertainties that arise.
  3. On the Experience as a User
    Our DNA is as a consumer company – for that individual customer who’s voting thumbs up or thumbs down. That’s who we think about. And we think that our job is to take responsibility for the complete user experience. And if it’s not up to the par, it’s our fault, plain and simple."

    User satisfaction is not just for business owners. Your boss could be considered as a user of your output. By mastering your trade and ensuring a complete and accurate output (albeit a report, a design, an article, etc.), your 'users' will be happy and reward you with continued business.
  4. On Focus
    People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.

    The real meaning of focus is not the simple yes. Instead, it is all about the ideas which are imparted by picking and sorting the best out. Careful detection and estimation of your plans and the ideas and strategies taken to implement them are what Steve Jobs is talking about.
  5. On Passion
    When I hire somebody really senior, competence is the ante; they have to be really smart. But the real issue for me is, are they going to fall in love with Apple? Because if they in love with Apple, everything else will take care of itself.

    This comes down to passion. When you have passion for what you do, good results and dedication are sure follow. Identifying your passion is difficult but once there, work is no longer work. As a worker, find and live your passion. As an employer, get employees to really see the vision and their role in taking the company there.
  6. On Leadership Qualities
    So when a good idea comes, you know, part of my job is to move it around, just see what different people think, get people talking about it, argue with people about it, get ideas moving among that group of 100 people, get different people together to explore different aspects of it quietly, and, you know – just explore things."

    Cisco Systems had a great motto at one point that read, "We are stronger together than we'll ever be apart." Many times, good ideas are made great by seeking input from others. By surrounding yourself with people that you'd admit are smarter than you, greatness has a chance.
  7. On Product Tactics
    It’s not about pop culture, and it’s not about fooling people, and it’s not about convincing people that they want something they don’t. We figure out what we want. And I think we’re pretty good at having the right discipline to think through whether a lot of other people are going to want it, too. That’s what we get paid to do.

    This is about legitimacy. Getting paid is great but executing on a long term vision based on demand is a true art.
  8. On Succession Planning
    I mean, some people say, ‘Oh God, if [Jobs] got run over by a bus, Apple would be in trouble.’ And, you know, I think it wouldn’t be a party, but there are really capable people at Apple. My job is to make the whole executive team good enough to be successors, so that’s what I try to do.

    The real work of a CEO is to lay pipe (sort of speak). A good CEO is laying the groundwork for an organization to succeed on its own - today and tomorrow. Much of this has to do not only with the people that surround you, but letting go of the ego.
  9. On LayOffs
    We’ve had one of these before, when the dot-com bubble burst. What I told our company was that we were just going to invest our way through the downturn, that we weren’t going to lay off people, that we’d taken a tremendous amount of efforts to get them into Apple in the first place – the last thing we were going to do is lay them off.

    When you make a concrete effort to only hire the best employees, releasing them may cost more than keeping them around. Sure. Unproductive employees need to go but mass layoffs versus a strategic realignment that moves expertise, is a clear alternative. Choices like this, short term gain versus long term impairment, are critical ones to make.
  10. On the job of Recruiting
    Recruiting is hard. It’s just finding the needles in the haystack. You can’t know enough in a one-hour interview. So, in the end, it’s ultimately based on your gut. How do I feel about this person? What are they like when challenged? I ask everybody that: ‘Why are you here?’ The answer isn't very important, it’s the meta-data."

    The recruiting job is tough indeed and not as easy as you'd think. If you, as a hirer, get to someone's core, you have a chance at understanding them. This is what Steve Jobs would love to say about the entire process of hiring people for work. He also finds it similar to looking out for the needles in the haystack which is simply as impossible as it should be.

There are plenty more quotes given out by Steve Jobs. However, these form a decent foundation that you can take to you life in the effort to find great success, for attaining hopes, and building up a real huge empire!
 
By: Manish Pandey
Source: Dumb Little Man

Saturday, October 22, 2011

The Best Way to Drug Your Employees

I would have been on time but an employee stopped me with a legitimate safety concern, so I walked into the meeting five minutes late.
My boss had his back turned as he wrote on a whiteboard, so I slipped quietly into a chair and made a cringing, lips pursed, “sorry…” face to the group.

“Glad you could grace us with your presence,” my boss said, without turning around.

“I’m sorry, I –”

“I don’t give a crap what you’re sorry about,” he interrupted. Voice rising he said, “Don’t want to hear your excuses either. If you can’t be on time don’t show up at all… hell, come to think of it, why don’t you just leave.”

I was shocked. He was often volatile, but never like this — and never towards me. As I started to apologize again he whirled around, pointed to the door, and said, “Seriously. Get out. Now!”
When I still didn’t move he held out his hand, palm down, and flicked his fingers towards me as if to say, “Shoo.”

So shoo I did: Embarrassed, angry, humiliated, ashamed, outraged… you name it, I felt it.
For the next few hours I was worthless. I fumbled from task to task and struggled to stay focused with employees who needed me. I kept trying to pull myself together but couldn’t — and I felt like a failure since I couldn’t just suck it up and move on.

As it turns out, I shouldn’t have felt like a failure. My inability to move past the incident wasn’t completely my fault.

My boss had drugged me.

“A disrespectful behavior automatically triggers a squirt of cortisol into our brains,” says Paul Meshanko, founder and Managing Partner of Legacy Business Cultures. “Cortisol shuts down the prefrontal cortex and triggers the flight or fight mechanism. So our focus turns inward and we lose the ability to fully engage with other people, to help other people, to be creative and energized and motivated — because our body automatically concentrates on surviving, not thriving.”

Disrespectful behaviors come in all flavors and generate different size doses of cortisol, of course. Getting tossed from the room was fairly extreme (at least based on what I was accustomed to) and as a result so was my physiological reaction.

It can take between three and four hours for a sizable disrespect “injection” to wear off. A sneer or a snarky comment would have generated a smaller squirt of cortisol and less of a physical reaction, and the effects would have lasted for a shorter period of time.

“But even when the initial effects finally go away, the process isn’t over,” Paul says. “When we think about a particular incident later we receive another squirt of cortisol and feel similar effects. Disrespect is like the anti-gift; instead of the gift that keeps on giving, it’s the ‘gift’ that keeps on taking.”

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. When we are treated with respect, a dose of serotonin and oxytocin is squirted into our brains.
Encouragement, praise, appreciation… even the smallest behaviors that help create a more respectful workplace can automatically trigger a powerful biological response, leading to:
  • Improved self esteem
  • Greater job satisfaction
  • Better cooperation and teamwork
  • Higher productivity
  • Greater customer satisfaction
Hard to believe? It’s not: When we feel better about ourselves — and we feel better about the people who lead us — we try harder. And we treat others better, too. Think about the best boss you’ve ever had; he or she made you feel capable, respected, and valued. We will run through walls for those leaders.

And it doesn’t take much on your part. Say an employee deftly handles a customer complaint. You praise her and squirt! — she’s more motivated, more enthusiastic, shows more initiative… all because she feels good about herself and the job she does. Studies show that something as simple as a sincere compliment makes it much more likely a behavior will occur again in the future and much more likely that behavior will occur without prompting.

Your interactions with employees — in fact with everyone — trigger biological responses. That’s just how it works; in simple terms, our bodies automatically react to certain stimuli, so we in effect drug each other through our actions, at work and elsewhere. Sincerely compliment your significant other and the response is automatically positive; yell at your children and they naturally shut down. They can’t help it.

We can’t help it. It’s how we’re made.

So you have a choice:
  • Treat employees with indifference or, worse, a lack of respect and their performance suffers, often for hours; or
  • Actively treat employees with respect so they will be happier, healthier, and much more productive.
The choice is always yours, and here’s the great part — it’s a choice you get to make hundreds of times a day.

By
Source: BNET

Saturday, October 15, 2011

13 Incredibly Simple Ways to Overcome the Fear of Failure


Imagine if you could do anything in the world without feeling fear or any negative feelings whatsoever.
The fear of failure is instilled in us from early childhood because of overly protective parents. It’s not easy to hear the words “No!” over and over again.
After awhile you start getting cautious about what you do. You constantly look to an authority figure to see if it’s okay.
As we grow, this negative belief becomes unconscious. You don’t even know it’s there. You just live your life as best as you can.
Overcoming fear of failure is not easy by any means, but it can be done, especially if you are determined to take your personal growth to the next level.
There is no magic pill that will transform you into a fearless hero, only steps that will take you closer to freedom from the imaginary jail cell of your mind.

1. Identify the Root Cause

“Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald
Where does your fear of failure originate?
Sit down, take a few deep breaths, ask yourself when your fear of failure was formed, and observe what you see, feel, or hear.
When you see what caused your fear of failure, you’ll also see that your mind’s interpretation is far from accurate.
If your parents were overly protective, or if you had a particularly strict teacher, you’ll see that they did it because they want the best for you.
It’s easy to see how the you of the past interpreted events as he or she did. But if you look at the event as an outsider, you will see that it had nothing to do with you.
It’s crucial to examine all of your negative beliefs, because they have a big influence on how you live your life.

2. Simplify

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” — Leonardo da Vinci
Complexity is hard to visualize, and if you try, you will feel overwhelmed. Everything will feel hopeless and not worth doing, because you just don’t know how.
When I began my online journey, I was overwhelmed to say the least. I had no idea of where to go, what to do, or how to do it.
When I simplified the tasks that I needed to do, it all became much easier. I had no problem taking action because I had broken everything down into actionable pieces.
And if I didn’t know what to do, I’d ask someone, or join a training program.
I took the task of starting a website and broke it down to coming up with a domain name, buying hosting, getting a website up and running, and getting a simple design.
It also didn’t hurt that I was determined to make it work. If you don’t have that fire burning inside of you, you should think twice about moving forward.
Find your passion, and boldly go where you have never gone before.

3. Failure is Inevitable

“It is foolish to fear what you cannot avoid.” — Publius Syrus
Let’s face it, failure is inevitable if you want to live a remarkable life. I know you want to live a life full of passion, meaning, and purpose.
We all do.
But it’s not going to happen if you succumb to your fears and try to look for a more comfortable way out, because there is none.
Sooner or later you will have to overcome the fear of failure, and you will have to overcome many other fears during your lifetime.
Sometimes it’s overwhelming, frustrating, and exhausting. I know, I’ve been there, but the more you move through tough periods, the faster you’ll grow.
If you want the life of your dreams, make failure a part of your life.
Embrace it.

4. Fail More. Succeed More.

“There is no failure. Only feedback.” — Robert Allen
The more you fail, the more you succeed.
I was lucky to learn that lesson early in my life. When I became a professional poker player, I was 18, and I already knew that the more feedback I got, the faster I would learn.
I crave constructive criticism. It is a chance for me to improve what I’m doing.
I never assume that I know it all, nor do I assume that I am above failure. Even the most successful people fail every single day.
The difference between the successful and the not-yet-successful is the realization that failure is simply a stepping stone, not a permanent event.

5. Failure is Temporary

“Failure is an event, never a person.” — William D. Brown
Failure feels permanent, but it isn’t. You and I both know that, but we don’t act like it is so.
You may imagine yourself failing and the movie in your head stops there. If you let the movie play, you will realize that that failure may be exactly what you needed.
It may be the messenger of the lesson you needed to succeed down the road. Failure isn’t easy, but it is what will make you the person you want to become.
I’ve failed more times than I can count, yet I still fear failure. The difference now versus when I was in my late teens is that I know that the fear of failure is just a thought.
It conjures up feelings in my body that feel bad. It has no bearing in reality. It is often exaggerated and out of control.
Most people never stop to observe their thoughts. And they never stop to ponder that their thoughts could be wrong.
Why give your thoughts all that authority if they make you feel bad?

6. Free Your Mind

“The mind is everything. What you think you become.” — Buddha
See your thoughts for what they are … thoughts.
Thoughts can be eliminated, feelings can be alleviated, and fears can be overcome.
You can do this by taking massive action and facing your fears. You can also use methods such as The Work, EFT, and meditation.
I have personally been using EFT since I was 16. I have been meditating on and off for the same time. And I recently got acquainted with The Work.
I won’t delve into how you can use them in this article, because it would simply take up too much space, so I suggest you visit the websites of EFT and The Work, and read my article on how to meditate.
There’s more to life than being a slave to your mind, your programming, and the beliefs of society. You think what you become, so make sure you get it right on the inside before you blame the outside.
So many people try to get more money, better relationships, and seek happiness only to end up where they started.
They seek something outside of themselves, when everything they wanted was right in front of them.

7. Shift Your Perspective

“Failure teaches success.” — Japanese Saying
Who taught you that failure was a bad thing?
It feels bad, so it must be bad. Is that really true?
Every belief and thought that makes us feel bad needs to be examined. What good does a fear of failure do us?
It’s easier said than done to eliminate negative beliefs, but it all starts with being aware that a problem actually exists.
The last thing you want to do is get mad at yourself for not being perfect. We all have our unique fears and they are there for a reason.
Your fears will help you grow in the way you need to grow. You realize your negative beliefs when they need to be realized. There is no rush. This is not a competition. You’re doing perfectly.
Look at each failure as a blessing in disguise. It is not through success that we become wise, but through our failures.
I learned this lesson particularly well when I played poker for a living for half a decade. In poker, luck is a big factor, which means that you can play well, but still lose for weeks and months.
It can be extremely frustrating, but what it teaches you is discipline, and it teaches you to constantly improve your game.
It taught me one of the most valuable lessons of my life, which is to look at the negative periods as times of learning.
The same goes for life. Whenever you’re faced with something particularly difficult, learn from it and grow, because it will pass.

8. Self Growth

“Supposing you have tried and failed again and again. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call “failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down.” — Mary Pickford
We all have the same basic fears. While same get through them easily, others get stuck. Use your fears as signposts that tell you where you have room to grow.
Fear of failure is something everyone faces at one point or another. This isn’t the end of the world, but the beginning of an amazing journey.
I know you may feel like being afraid of failure is horrible. That is because you imagine it to be so in your mind. Look at the pictures and thoughts that come up when you think about the fear of failure.
What do you see? Do you see yourself failing in front of a large group of people, which then proceed to laugh and point?
They are nothing but thoughts. You can get through them if you want to. You’ve already taken the first step by reading this article.
Even if you wanted to go back to your comfortable existence, it’s already too late, because the seed has been planted by you reading this article ;)

9. Embrace Fear

“We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
Everyone is afraid to one degree or another. No one is different. It’s ingrown into our biological mechanism.
The sooner you befriend your fear, the faster you can keep moving forward. It is not fear that stops you from going after your dreams, but what you decide to do because of those fears.
You can reprogram the way you react to your fears, thoughts, and worries. Whenever I am working on something that is important, such as doing what I love, and a fear pops up, I know I will get through it.
The alternative is giving up, which isn’t an option.
If you are determined to go after your passion, your fears will become insignificant in comparison.

10. Take Action

“I failed my way to success.” — Thomas Edison
We have more knowledge at our fingertips now than ever before in history. The internet gives you access to endless amounts of courses, guides, and training programs.
No matter what you want to do, you can learn. It’s fantastic. But it can also be paralyzing and a breeding ground for fear.
The what if thoughts enter your mind and you start worrying about this and that. No matter what, if you take action, you will eventually end up in the right place.
When you blend action with the guidance that comes from your heart, your progress will be fast, powerful, and fulfilling.
You see, while most people sit at the sidelines waiting for the perfect moment, you will be out there learning, doing, and growing.
That is what will get you to the life of your dreams.

11. Imagine Your Future

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” — Vincent van Gogh
Sometimes negativity helps.
Imagine your future if you let every fear you had control your life.
What does it look like?
Where would you end up?
Do you think you would regret it when you’re at the end of your life?
Now imagine your life if you had overcome every fear on your path. You would be living the life of you always desired.
You would look back at your life without regrets. Sure, you may have done some foolish things, but they just added some spice to your life.
You can sit home and feel sorry for yourself all you want, but it isn’t going to make your life different. Only you have the power to change your life, so you might as well start now.

12. Stay in the Now

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha
Most of us live in either the past or in the future.
We regret what we’ve done (or not done), or we worry about what’s to come.
Using the past and present is fine when done with a purpose, like #11 up there, but letting your mind run amok will do you no good, as you probably already know.
There are no problems in the present. You are okay right now. You have a roof over your head, you have food in the fridge, and you feel fine.
You would be fine without a roof as well. What would make it not okay is your mind, and the stories it tells around your situation.
Accept the gift that is the present moment.
Breathe, smell, hear, and enjoy who you are, right now. You already have the key to your happiness.

13. Follow Your Passion

“No man is a failure who is enjoying life.” — William Feather
Last, but definitely not least is to follow your passion. We both knew this was coming ;) .
If you decide to follow your passion, you will be much more likely to blast through your fears.
You know, like me, that doing anything other than going after your dreams is not an option. I might feel secure in a regular job, but I would never be happy or fulfilled.
Sometimes I feel like I am not living life, but life is living me. I go with my feelings and my heart. I do what excites me.

It’s an interesting way to live, and I invite you to try it.

Overcoming fear of failure is as hard as you make it. When you face your fears, you will realize that they are nowhere as bad as you thought they would be.

So what will it be?

Your fears, or the life of your dreams?

By: Henri
Source: Wake Up Cloud

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

What Does Your Opportunity Look Like?

What Does Your Opportunity Look Like?

A story is told some years ago about a young energetic man who began work as a clerk in a hardware store. Like many old-time hardware stores, the inventory included thousands of dollars’ worth of items that were obsolete or seldom called for by customers.
The young man was smart enough to know that no thriving business could carry such an inventory and still show a healthy profit. He proposed a sale to get rid of the stuff. The owner was reluctant but finally agreed to let him set up a table in the middle of the store and try to sell off a few of the oldest items. Every product was priced at ten cents.

The sale was a success and the young fellow got permission to run a second sale. It, too, went over just as well as the first. This gave the young clerk an idea. Why not open a store that would sell only nickel and dime items? He could run the store and his boss could supply the capital.
The young man’s boss was not enthusiastic. “The plan will never work,” he said, “because you can’t find enough items to sell at a nickel and a dime.” The young man was disappointed but eventually went ahead on his own and made a fortune out of the idea. His name was F. W. Woolworth.
Years later the old boss lamented, “As near as I can figure it, every word I used in turning Woolworth down has cost me about a million dollars!”

Victor Chasles said, “The sure way to miss success is to miss the opportunity,” and this is the challenge for leaders today. What opportunities are before you? Here are three simple reminders to help give you perspective about garnering the most of them.

Opportunities are not always obvious. Even at a young age, F.W. Woolworth saw a golden opportunity for a new business. But this was not the case with his boss. The rationale was there simply would not be enough items to sell for a nickel and a dime to be profitable.

After the eventual success of F. W. Woolworth, the old boss in hindsight realized that he missed out on a tremendous opportunity. And this is the challenge you face in today’s economy. There will always be those making excuses as to why something can’t be done, while others will go out and do it. While others may be oblivious to opportunities around them, do not be discouraged. Focus on your goals and dare to do the impossible. The bottom line: opportunities do not have to be obvious to others, just you.

Opportunities are not always popular. Woolworth’s boss refused to finance his department store idea. The same prologue can be written for many other successful entrepreneurs who, despite rejection and disappointment, forged ahead with purpose and seized their opportunity.

Take FedEx founder Fred Smith as an example. While attending Yale University, he wrote a paper on the need for reliable overnight delivery in a computerized information age. His professor found the premise improbable, and to the best of Smith’s recollection, he only received a grade of C for the effort, but the idea stayed with him.

Jim Rohn said, “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.” And this is why you must embrace your opportunity regardless of how it looks to others or what they say about it. The bottom line: opportunities do not have to be popular with others, just you.

Opportunities are always knocking. We are living in unprecedented times. While many bemoan the current economy and are anxious about the future, this is your time to seize upon the greatest opportunities of our generation. In this environment the opportunities may not be obvious, or popular, but exist for those looking.

Alexander Graham Bell said, “When one door closes another door opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us.” When you focus on the opportunities before you and not worry about the past, you can breathe new life into your future. The bottom line: opportunities will always knock, are you paying attention?

By: Doug Dickerson
Source: Leaders Beacon

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Bruce Lee’s Top 20 Tips for Living a Successful Life

Bruce Lee Statue in Hong Kong

When I grew up, Bruce Lee was one of my biggest role models, and he still is.
He accomplished more in ten years than most people do in a lifetime. So I decided to gather Bruce Lee’s most inspirational quotes in one place.
The quotes below are what I believe it takes to live a successful life and have success in life. These quotes will inspire, motivate, and encourage you to go after your dreams.
With all that said here are Bruce Lee’s top 20 tips for living a successful life.

1. Apply What You Learn

“Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”
How many people do you know that read a lot of books and spend a lot of time buying courses, but never apply the knowledge they learn?
You may even notice these tendencies in your life. It’s hard to take action and apply what you learn, because we’re all afraid of failure, and taking action can be paralyzing from time to time.

However, success in life doesn’t happens until you use the knowledge that you have inside of you. Most of us have exactly what we need to get to our goals, but we make excuses not to even get started.

2. Learn, Discard, Create

“Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own.”
It’s all well and good to learn from others, but it’s not until you take action that you discover what works and doesn’t.
When you discover what doesn’t work, you simply discard it and keep going. When you keep moving forward, you will create your own path.
Living a successful life is all about experimenting and trying new things. The more things you try, the closer you will get to true success.

3. Simplicity

“Simplicity is the key to brilliance.”
If you can simplify your life, your goals, and your tasks, you will not only be happier, you will also get more done and be more successful.
It was not until I started focusing on one single task and one major goal in my life that I started seeing rapid results in the direction of my dreams.
If you’re trying to go after multiple things at once, you will end up accomplishing none of them. Pick one thing that’s the most important to you and go after that.
The funny thing about focusing on one goal is that it seems that you’re neglecting all the others aspects of your life, but when you focus on one goal, magically the other aspects of your life improve, sometimes dramatically.

4. Break Barriers

“Using no way as way, using no limitation as limitation.”
We all have negative beliefs that stop us from being as successful in life as we would like.
The only person holding you back is you. Once you become comfortable with overcoming your fears, you will start seeing dramatic success in your life.
One of the most common characteristics of successful people is that they are willing to try new things and face their fears. They are not fearless, they are merely willing to do what it takes.

5. Be Open-Minded

“Take no thought of who is right or wrong or who is better than. Be not for or against.”
There’s no right or wrong in the universe. It’s completely subjective.
Getting caught up in the drama of who is right or wrong or who is better than will only distract you from reaching your goals and creating a successful life.
Stay open to new possibilities, and the viewpoints of others. You can never know what you will learn when you explore things you at first thought were pure nonsense.

6. Contribute

“Real living is living for others.”
It wasn’t until I found my passion and started contributing to the world with my writing that I started feeling fulfilled.
We all have our unique gifts that we can use to make the world a better place. These are usually talents and skills you have that you are very good at, and that you like to do.
It doesn’t matter if you like to make jewelry or if you enjoy cooking, because everything is connected to everything else.
You are here to make a difference with the talents you have. There’s a reason why you are you.

7. Manage Your Time

“If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”
We are surrounded by distractions, such as e-mail, Twitter, and Facebook. They are great at connecting us to each other, but they distract us from what is truly important.
Learn to manage your time, and get the most valuable tasks done before you start to play. Use time management courses to get your life in order.
You can often double, triple, or even quadruple your productivity by using just a few simple time management tips.
A good one that I use is to write down the three most important tasks for the next day before I go to bed.

8. Be Flexible

“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.”
Life will throw curve balls at you, so you have to get used to being flexible. The more comfortable you can be with being uncomfortable, the faster you will grow as a human being and the more success you will have in life.
This is exactly what distinguishes successful people from unsuccessful ones. Successful people are more willing to be uncomfortable, because they know that that is the fastest path to their goals.
Whenever you bump into something that makes you feel bad, stay flexible, and find the positive in the situation. I’ve found that most of the problems in my life are blessings in disguise.
The only thing separating positivity from negativity is time.

9. Set Goals

“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”
If you want to create your dream life you want you first have to know what you want. For the longest time I avoided setting goals, because I thought it was unnecessary.
It wasn’t until recently that I discovered that goal setting can not only make me more productive, it can also dramatically increase the clarity I have.
When you set goals, use the S.M.A.R.T criteria, which stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely goals.

10. Be Patient

“A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough.”
One of my weaknesses is my impatience. However, I’ve learned to channel my impatience into getting more done and being productive.
It’s also important to realize that most of the things that are truly valuable in life take time.
For example, I discovered that creating an online business usually takes anywhere from 3 to 5 years, if your goal is a full-time income.
Whatever you do, keep taking small steps each day toward your primary goal, and you will be surprised at how much you can accomplish in just a few years.

11. Kill the Box

“All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.”
It’s easy to get into a rut, which is simply a familiar pattern that feels comfortable. If you truly want to grow as a person and lead a successful life, you have to get out of the box.
In fact, throw the box out altogether, and start following your heart wherever it leads you. This can be as simple as following your highest excitement in the moment.
Most people are stuck in their minds and never listen to their heart’s deepest desire. Don’t let this be you.

12. Control Your Thoughts

“As you think, so shall you become.”
What you think about, you draw into your life. If you’re constantly being negative, you will draw more negativity into your life.
Instead of focusing on the negative, think about what you want to get out of life and focus on the positive.
This is another way of telling you that you have to set goals and focus on those goals as often as possible. The results you will get by doing this will be dramatic.
Most people sit around whining about their miserable life, and then they wonder why nothing good ever happens to them.

13. Take Action

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”
Don’t over analyze and over think. Take massive action even if things aren’t perfect before you start.
Most people that try to get things perfect never get started at all.
I used to be a perfectionist, but I realized that by taking action, I could get much more done and make much more progress.
I also realized that people don’t want perfect. They just want solutions to their problems.

14. Allow

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”
It’s easy to get stuck on what other people would think of you if you became successful. Most people are so afraid of this that they never rise above mediocrity.
It is not up to you to make people happy. You can only make yourself happy, and the way others react is just the way they will react.
Don’t let other people dictate how you live your life. Determine what you want, go after it, and don’t look back. You will be much happier for it.

15. Create Your Own Destiny

“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”
You can make all the excuses in the world, but nothing happens until you stop blaming your circumstances or people in your life, and take control of your life.
It is up to you to take responsibility for your life and create your own opportunities. You may not be able to do exactly what you want right now, but you have the opportunity to take steps toward it.
No one will create the dream life for you. You have to do it yourself.

16. Be You

“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”
As I said earlier, you were born with unique talents, gifts, and skills. When you try to be someone you’re not, you will only attract people into your life that are not in harmony with you.
When you are you, and that includes the weird things about you, you will find that the most amazing and interesting people start popping up in your life.
Sometimes this may take years, and sometimes it can happen in just a few days. Let whatever happens be okay and go with the flow.

17. Have Integrity

“Knowledge will give you power, but character respect”
No success in life is worth it unless you have integrity.
It’s very hard to find people that are honest and have integrity as one of their highest values. It’s easy to throw in a lie here and there and try to manipulate people.
Only conscious people realize that this won’t make anyone happy in the long term. It might get you what you want in the short-term but it’s not a recipe for happiness.
Live with integrity, and people will respect you. And best of all, you will respect yourself which is a very desirable character trait.

18. Learn the Rules, Break the Rules

“Obey the principles without being bound by them.”
If you want success in life, learn what other successful people have done to get to where they are.
It’s important to learn the principles of success, but not be bound by them. Once you know what you need to do, follow your heart and your intuition.
If you want to learn how to create a profitable website for example, I recommend you sign up for a training course, and follow the instructions step-by-step.
Once you start seeing success, you can start breaking the rules and begin experimenting.

19. Do Things for You

“Showing off is the fool’s idea of glory.”
Life is not about impressing other people. If you try to show off, it will backfire.
And if you try to seek the approval of others, it will just make you miserable. The only person that needs to approve of you is you.
This goes hand in hand with many of the quotes above. You can only be you, and it is not until you reclaim your unique self that you can be truly great.

20. Believe in Yourself

“You just wait. I’m going to be the biggest Chinese Star in the world.”
Last, but definitely not least are the expectations you have of yourself. Your beliefs will determine the success you have in life.
There are ways to overcome limiting beliefs and negative expectations, but nothing happens until you accept that they exist within you.
And nothing happens until you take full responsibility for the life that you have created in this very moment.

By: Henri
Source : Wake Up Cloud

Saturday, October 1, 2011

What to Look for When Outsourcing Your Marketing

It's not a secret that many companies that downsize, re-prioritize or expand find outsourcing to be a cost effective decision to fulfill certain corporation functions. Outsourcing has become an essential aspect of business strategies and this included the marketing function.
Outsourcing allows a company to put more focus on product development and overall operations. It eliminates the delay the need to hire full-time staff and avoids tasking overworked staff. Many marketing consultants help companies market their products and services without extending their in-house marketing staff. They can often provide the same service as an in-house marketing department, but at half the cost.

By outsourcing you gain the following:

  • Specialized skills and expertise
  • An external perspective and view point
Outsourcing can be intimidating at first, but there are things to look for when choosing a marketing consultant or an outside marketing firm. Here are a few evaluating questions that should assist you in finding a marketing consultant that is right for you.

  • Area of Expertise
Find out what their expertise is in. There are many component to marketing. What do they focus on? Here are common areas of expertise:

  • Search Engine Marketing and Optimization
  • Branding
  • Positioning
  • Affiliate Marketing Development and Management
  • Marketing Strategy and Plan Development
  • Internet Marketing Strategy and Plan Development
  • Lead Generation
  • Sales and Marketing Campaign Development
  • Marketing Classes, Seminars, and Workshops
Figure out what areas you need help in and look for consultants with expertise in those areas.

  • Training/Education


  • What type of training and/or education is important to you. I will tell you that education is important, however experience and hands-on expertise can far out weigh education when it comes down to success in marketing.
    Ask for case studies, referrals, and experience in the areas that you need assistance in.

  • Certifications/Memberships


  • This will also tell you how active they are in the marketing community as well as if they've been certified in certain areas of marketing.

  • Notable Achievements


  • What are the notable achievements that the marketing consultant has achieved. What work are they most proud of?

  • Client References


  • Never hire a marketing consultant without contacting client referrals. We can get very excited about the sales presentation and the marketing brochures we've been handed when looking for a consultant, but the truth is the proof is in the achieved results. If they could not succeed with other clients, what makes you think they can succeed when it comes to marketing your products and services? Call those references, it only takes a few minutes and it is worth your time.

  • Evaluate the Fees


  • Before signing any agreements make sure you are clear in the fee structure. Is it based on milestone payments, paying everything up front, or are they working on a pay-for-performance structure? Be clear about what you will be charged and how those fees are determined.
    There are many marketing consultants out there and with the power of the internet they are not hard to find. Make sure you are comfortable with their experience and that you also feel they understand your marketing goals. They should take the time to listen to you about the vision of where you want to go and what you want marketing to achieve for you before they ever present to you a fee structure. If they are in a rush to have you sign the contract without taking the time to understand your business run away fast and find someone else. They should be patient in the courting process to gain your business, if you feel rushed it will only get worse after the agreement is signed.

    By: Laura Lake
    Source: About.com