New Years Resolutions. I do not make them because they rarely work.

New Years Resolutions. I do not make them because they rarely work. Without accountability to someone they almost always get lost somewhere in life. I found something that works for me very well. Previous year reviews. Try it. Remove the negative and soar.

1.    Grab a notepad and create two columns: POSITIVE and NEGATIVE.

2.    Go through your calendar from the last year, looking at every week.

3.    For each week, jot down on the pad any people and activities that triggered peak positive or negative emotions for that month.

4.    Once you’ve gone through the past year, look at your notepad list and ask “What 20% of each column produced the most reliable or powerful peaks?”

5.    Based on the answers, take your “positive” leaders and schedule more of them in 2018. Get them on the calendar now! Book things with friends and prepay for shit now! That’s step one. Step two is to take your “negative” leaders, put “NOT-TO-DO LIST” at the top, and put them somewhere you can see them each morning for the first few weeks of 2018. These are the people and things you *know* make you miserable, so don’t put them on your calendar out of obligation, guilt, FOMO, or other nonsense.

Try it, be vocal about how it goes.

Remember you are always in the right place at the right time, if you have the right attitude.

Thanks to Timothy Ferris for PYR. It can change your outlook and life.

Pay it forward

Imagine the possibilities

Make your work match your dream.

Small Wonders

Your path

Success

Speak kindly

Doomsday predictions

In the last year, I have been to several conferences centered on how to increase business and become more profitable. Hundreds of classes and seminars offered. Amazing, inspiring speakers. There are tons of people out there willing to show us, give us, teach us the best practices.

Doomsday prediction started about 1990. I was part of an internet steering committee for Toyota in 1996, 1997. Fast forward to 2017, its déjà vu all over again. The keywords have changed, but the doomsday prediction has not.

I will probably lose some interest here but will summarize anyway. The majority of classes and seminars are focused on how to drive more customers to your business. All are singing the same tune. Change or die. If you do not make it fast and easy, you must be transparent, must give the customer all they are looking for up front. If you do not change, you will die. Your business will falter.

SEO, SEM, face book lookalike, google, google my business, keywords, ad clicks,70% of your marketing must be the internet. If you do not respond in 15 minutes to an internet lead, they will go elsewhere. Stop with the tricks; customers will not put up with it. Wait, you must have tricks on your website to get the consumer to click thru. Clicks are key; customers hate dealerships, give everyone the option to buy online, click to buy, if you do not cater to millennials its over.

We continually look for the answer in data, look for the best practice, others tell us how to do it.

I listen to them, then check their websites. Trick payments, trick prices, no disclosure.

Sounds like a parent, do as I say but not as I do because it does not work. We continually look for the golden egg. Listen to others, look for the next best practice, copy others, living on hope and a prayer that it will work. Many of us give lip service to what sounds good then do it the way we know works anyway. If we are successful, it was our new process. If it does not happen, we find an excuse.

Recently out of 50 speakers at a seminar I went to, two mentioned what is most important. What would that be? Read Richard Branson's quote below.

Advertising from 1995 Price and low payment plus free stuff, advertising from 2018 price and low payment plus free stuff. Wait, change or die?

Recent surveys from Driving Sales,

What customers say they want

1-     Like the salesperson

2-     Transparency

3-     The process serves the customer.

What their actions say they want

1-     A deal

2-     Overcome my fear

3-     Must negotiate to feel like I got a deal

4-     A deal

Nothing in the seminars about overcoming the fear a customer feels. Give them all the information and they still want to feel like they got a deal.

What best practices work?

Take the top 20 dealers in the country? What are their processes, similar but different? The majority do not live by the three things a customer says they want.

Do all of these best practices work? No, they do not.

Good advice, stop looking for best practices. Finding the best practice should not be our goal. Finding what works best for us should.

Our first focus is on the wrong demographic. Richard Branson said it well.

Branson recently revealed that Virgin does not put the customer first. In fact, Virgin employees are the company's top priority. It should go without saying if the person who works at your company is 100 percent proud of the brand and you give them the tools to do a good job, and they are treated well, they're going to be happy.

We need to find what works best for us. How? We need to ask better questions. Find our best practice.

Take care of employees first.

People don’t just work for a paycheck — they want a purpose.

People are not just pursuing job satisfaction — they are pursuing

development.

People don’t want bosses — they want coaches.

People don’t want annual reviews — they want ongoing

conversations.

People don’t want to fix their weaknesses — they want to

develop their strengths.

It’s not just my job — it’s my life. One of Gallup’s most important

discoveries is that everyone in the world wants a good job.

More so than ever in the history of corporate culture, employees are

asking, “Does this organization value my strengths and my contribution?

Does this organization give me the chance to do what I do best every day?”

Because for most people, a job is no longer just a job — it’s their life as well.

To be cont.

Lose more, Win more

You decide what is amazing.

Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat

It’s your life and your business. Do you have one more degree? One more stroke? One last turn?

Two hundred and eleven degrees is hot—hot enough to burn you and to melt butter. Put 211-degree water in a locomotive, and nothing happens. Heat that water one degree, and a several-ton locomotive begins to move. What power comes from just one degree.

In the last 25 years, in all the major golf tournaments, the average margin of victory has been less than three strokes. Three strokes out of 288 is one small difference. Number one in the world on the PGA Tour earnings stand at over $8,000,000 for the year and number one hundred at $1,200,060. The average-per-round difference is less than two strokes—$7,000,000 for less than two strokes per round.

In 2016, the margin of victory for the men’s 100 meter was .08 seconds—less than one/tenth of a second between gold and immortality or silver, obscurity, and an answer to a trivia question.

At the Indy 500 over the last 10 years, the average margin of victory has been 1.54 seconds. The first-place prize money has averaged $2.578,813, and second place is $921,321, which is a difference of over $1,600,000 for 1.54 seconds in a 500-mile race.

One extra degree will run a locomotive across America; one less degree, and it will just keep you warm.

One extra degree can make all the difference.

To get what we have never had, we must do what we have never done. Belief fuels enthusiasm and explodes into passion. It ignites our minds and hearts and makes us act. It fires our hearts and souls. It helps us to achieve that one extra degree in business and life. It separates the good from the great.

It’s your life and your business. Do you have one more degree? One more stroke? One last turn?

“The only thing that stands in the way of a person and what they want is the will to try it and the faith to believe it possible.”

Believe it, try it, put your heart into it, and let your mind believe it is you. Your subconscious will make it happen.

- Partial credit to the 212th degree.

You made the decision to work

I have set hundreds of goals.

37 plus years ago I started a journey and am still climbing. It was not a lifelong dream of mine to become a car salesman. I started as a short-term solution while I prepared to go to Fresno State. I threatened to quit at least once a day for years. Many Sales People suffer from this affliction. Our business can be feast or famine. It took several years for me to realize what I needed to do to become successful as a salesperson.

I have set hundreds of goals. In moments of reflection, I wonder how many I have accomplished.

Learn fluent Spanish, this goal I have set and reset too many times to count. Still cannot speak Spanish comfortably. 

Open a Bar/Music venue in St. Marten,

Run the #1 Toyota dealer in the Denver Region.

Lose weight. Gain weight, Get a six-pack.

Retire at 50.

Many, Many More.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Think of your journey. List all the goals you have made, accomplished or not. In my case there are 100s more, I did not achieve.

I set goals and reached many of them. I have a tattoo of the sun and moon combined to remind me always to look up, never back.

Why do you accomplish some goals and not many others?

Several times in my life I have declared I am going to learn conversational Spanish. I spend money on the workbooks and flash drive to play in my truck. I start, the first week I can introduce myself, say hello. The second week I skip a day or two because I am too busy. I go back to it. Now I have to start over, forgot how to introduce myself. After the fourth time going thru module one, I start to procrastinate.

Wait, I wrote it down, I believe, I committed, I made a schedule. Still can't introduce myself.

“Many of us have convinced ourselves that we can break our own personal rules ‘just this once.’ In our minds, we can justify these small choices. None of those things, when they first happen, feels like a life-changing decision. The marginal costs are almost always low. But each of those decisions can roll up into a much bigger picture, turning you into the kind of person you never wanted to be.”

However, conceding “just once” is a slippery slope—the proverbial thin end of a wedge. If you allow yourself to compromise just the once, you can wind up doing it frequently.

It’s easy to unearth some justification to infringe upon your decision or break commitments you’ve made to yourself.

Make a decision. Set up a green line. You have to step across the line.

We have crossed over to the other side. It is the beginning of changing our behavior and reaching our decision.

The way is the decision. Everything we are, everything we will become, what we have. Came to us because we made a decision. Good or bad.

Remember, you are always in the right place at the right time, if you have the right attitude.

Make a decision

Motivation Myths and meaningless Goals

Goals are Useless; Motivation is a Myth.

Goals are Useless; Motivation is a Myth.

Tomorrow is the first day of the month. Most managers or teams will have you set a goal for the month. Some will break it down to the week, some the day. You will be motivated, ready to do it. It looks easy, do this, and it will happen. Just as surely as 2 + 2 = 4. Easy, or so it looks. How many of us reached our goals last month, last year?

 If Pareto’s Principal is true, 20%. I think that number is high. Pareto was smoking something.

You are not in sales. What was your goal to start the year? Save 10% of your income, lose weight, workout more. Why did you not reach your goal?

Goals and Motivation. Are they a myth or old wives’ tale?

If not, why don’t they work?

Managers, team leads, closers usually set goals and motivate one of two ways.

What is your goal for this month? 8, no let’s set that at 12. Ok, your goal is 12, how are you going to do it?

Ok, Bob your closing rate last month was 25%. You sold ten cars, what is your goal for this month? 12, good choice, now how do you get there? 12/.25 = 48. 48/ 21 working days = 2.3. 2.3 customers per day easy, your goal needs to be bigger. You can sell 12 easily.

Set a goal, showed them how to reach it. Natural right, math is math. Why do most sales people not hit their goals?

Goals and Motivation. Are they a myth or old wives’ tale?

The key is in the decision. Everything we have comes about because of a decision we made.

Each decision affects what you become. We form our decisions, and our decisions form us. There is no escaping this; the smallest choices are important because - over time - their cumulative effect is enormous.

Never overlook the obvious: The nature and direction of your life change the instant you decide what you want to pursue. If you have indeed made the decision, goals and motivation are the paths you take.

Draw a line in the sand, make a conscious decision to step over it. Decide today. What do you want? Once we make that decision, we are a force of nature. Incredible. Make it happen. It is up to you.

Think about it – your decisions represent and express your individuality. You seal your fate with the choices you make. You define yourself by your decisions.

Your dialogue with success is ultimately a solo one. Decisions made must be your own if you are to call your life a success.

Be the ruler of your decisions, do not let them rule you.

Remember, you are always in the right place at the right time if you have the right attitude.

Life is a constant surprise to me. We never know what will happen next, what we will see. What important person will come into our lives or which one we will lose. Life is change. If we are lucky we will find comedy in it. We must be thankful for every moment of every day no matter how flawed.

An open letter to my Dad

Tom,

You were my best friend. I loved that you came to my work and just talked. “Your mom is driving me nuts; can I just sit here for a while.”

Come on back whenever you want.

You stopped and showed me the Cadillac of hitches you bought. I did not know at the time, you would never use it. We towed the jeep up to Soapstone one last time for you. I cracked the grill on the jeep, thought to myself, “when Tom sees this he is going to be mad.”

You allowed Mom to meet Tom again. She never stopped talking about “Tommy”.

Whenever I get discouraged about the world, I think of you. Would what I am doing now make you proud? If not I do not do it.

“As we look back over time
We find ourselves wondering…
Did we remember to thank you enough
For all you have done for us?
For all the times you were by our sides
To help and support us…
To celebrate our successes
To understand our problems
And accept our defeats?
Or for teaching us by your example,
The value of hard work, good judgment,
Courage and integrity?
We wonder if we ever thanked you
For the sacrifices you made.
To let us have the very best?
And for the simple things
Like laughter, smiles and times we shared?
If we have forgotten to show our
Gratitude enough for all the things you did,
We’re thanking you now.
And we are hoping you knew all along,
How much you meant to us.”

Tom, I promise, I will never forget. I live every day to make you proud.

Bad attitudes are like a cold

There is a story of two men who decided to go duck hunting. They came out on a boat early in the morning. After shooting the first duck, one of the hunters, who brought along a dog, sent his dog to fetch the duck. The dog leaped from the boat, ran across the surface of the water, and retrieved the duck. The dog’s owner smiled with pride, but the other hunter said nothing.

A while later, they shot another duck. Again, the dog scampered across the water and retrieved the duck. Again, the second hunter was silent. Finally, the dog’s owner said, “Did you notice anything particular about my new dog?” To this, the second hunter replied,

“Yes, he can’t swim.”

It seems people find the negative in any situation. Some people are only happy when they are unhappy. Bad attitudes are like a cold. When someone has one, it is very contagious. If we don’t take some preventive medicine, we can catch it as well.

Most people think they have a great attitude. A great attitude is a discipline. You may be thinking that all this focus on attitude stifles opinion about how to become better. On the contrary, it gives an open forum to discuss actions that concern you and how to make it better.

If you seek something different, make a different decision.

VOB Intro

Tattoo of Popeye

In 2001, I got a Tattoo of Popeye on my upper right arm. Everyone asked why a cartoon. You will have a cartoon on your arm forever. A Popeye that looks like you? There were many comments about it. Mostly about my cartoon nature, never taking life seriously.

As a cartoon character, Popeye was wise. Every episode he said something we all should live our lives around. “ I am what I am.”

Many will criticize this. We should not excuse our behavior because it is what we are. If this is your thought, I will agree. Saying I am what I am, does not justify our behavior in any way. The silver rule should always apply. 

“Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you."

I digress. This is not the meaning I take from Popeye's saying.

Be comfortable with who you are, make mistakes, admit them quickly, do not judge, who you are is enough. Billy Joel sings of the stranger we hide away forever. Hide less, show more.

Work every day to be better than yesterday. Little things can create significant changes. Accept those around you, flaws and all.

If you have to be perfect to be loved, find someone else.

Warts are not necessarily bad traits.

I am not advocating, being stubborn, or using this as an excuse for lousy behavior. We cannot justify some actions, or we will die lonely.

I am saying we all need to love ourselves. Find that person. Be that person. It is okay to be you. Sometimes we make a mistake, we are all different, yet we are all alike.

Most people feel as you do about themselves. In times of darkness, we are who we are. Love that person, be that person. Continue to improve but love yourself.

“ Do not do to yourself that which you would not do to others.”

Remember you are always in the right place, at the right time, if you have the right attitude.

"Grandpa what would happen if you ran over a ninja?

• My 5-year old grandson asked me in the car the other day "Grandpa what would happen if you ran over a ninja?”
• Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies".

·                  Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

·                  Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

·                  I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

·                  Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know" feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?

·                  Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQs. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

·                  There is a great need for sarcasm font.

·                  Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the fuck was going on when I first saw it.

·                  How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

·                  I would rather try to carry 10 grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

·                  I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

·                  LOL has gone from meaning, "laugh out loud" to "I have nothing else to say".

·                  I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

·                  Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies".

·                  I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

·                  I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

·                  Bad decisions make good stories.

·                  Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem …

·                  You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

·                  Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

·                  I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

·                  "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this. Ever.

·                  I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Dammit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

·                  I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

·                  I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

·                  I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

·                  Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

·                  I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

·                  I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

Its a repost from last year, still funny

From ruminations.com:

A Fish Story, sort of

We see the world as we are not as it really is. We continuously look for reinforcement around us. Anything that supports what we think, right or wrong.

Open our minds to the possibilities we do not see, they are endless.

A Fish Story, sort of.

“There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, “Morning, boys, how's the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, “What the hell is water?”

If at this moment, you're worried that I plan to present myself here as the wise old fish explaining what water is to you younger fish, please don't be. I am not the wise old fish. The immediate point of the fish story is that the most obvious, ubiquitous, important realities are often the ones that are the hardest to see and talk about. Stated as an English sentence, of course, this is just a banal platitude — but the fact is that, in the day-to-day trenches of adult existence, banal platitudes can have life-or-death importance. That may sound like hyperbole or abstract nonsense.

A huge percentage of the stuff that I tend to be automatically certain of is, it turns out, totally wrong and deluded. Here's one example of the utter wrongness of something I tend to be automatically sure of: Everything in my own immediate experience supports my deep belief that I am the absolute center of the universe, the most real, most vivid and important person in existence. We rarely talk about this sort of natural, basic self-centeredness, because it's so socially repulsive, but it's pretty much the same for all of us, deep down. It is our default-setting, hard-wired into our boards at birth. Think about it: There is no experience you've had that you were not at the absolute center of. The world as you experience it is right there in front of you, or behind you, to the left or right of you, on your TV, or your monitor, or whatever. Other people's thoughts and feelings have to be communicated to you somehow, but your own are so immediate, urgent, real — you get the idea. But please don't worry that I'm getting ready to preach to you about compassion or other-directedness or the so-called “virtues.” This is not a matter of virtue — it's a matter of my choosing to do the work of somehow altering or getting free of my natural, hard-wired default-setting, which is to be deeply and literally self-centered, and to see and interpret everything through this lens of self.

People who can adjust their natural default-setting this way are often described as being “well adjusted,” which I suggest to you is not an accidental term.”

I took this from a speech called this is water. If you have not heard it or read it, take the time. David Foster Wallace on Life and Work.

The most effective way to do it is to do it.
Amelia Earhardt

Ethics in sales and the Automotive Industry

Several years ago, I attended a seminar titled “Legal vs. Ethical aspects of the Automotive Industry.” To this day I owe a debt of gratitude to Ken Petty. He gave me the courage to be right.

It is interesting to discuss this with anyone. Car Salesman argue about it, outside of the industry most think you cannot use the two in the same sentence.

I have been thinking about this class a lot in the past couple of months. Recently I read about a study conducted concerning relational ethics vs. situational ethics. It was not about the automotive industry. It should have been. In our business, it applies.

What is the difference? We have two ethical standards. One for our personal relationships and one for business. I travel the west extensively visiting dealerships. I witness this double standard everywhere.

Many dealerships are successful with it and justify their actions with the facts they sold a record amount of cars in a month, weekend or year. I think the famous Cookie Jar close is an excellent example of this. (this entails adding money to the price of a car to give back to the customer.) The idea is for them put it in a cookie jar and take cash out each month to cover the payment. I suppose, in a small amount, it is justifiable to some. I often ask, would you do this to your daughter? If not, why is it justified with someone you do not know. It is situational ethics. If we have no real relationship, our ethics change.

During the seminar, Ken asked, “You are selling a car to someone, at first they agree on the price, later changing to a lease. You can raise the price by $3000 and keep the payment where they have agreed. The customer will not know. Do you do it?” Sadly, in a room full of salespeople, two of us were the only ones who voted no.

Before you start judging the Automotive industry, this is prevalent everywhere. It is the reason ecclesiastical leaders use to justify taking advantage of people, especially in Utah.

Many think it is ok to ethically separate personal relationships and business.  One ethical standard for each.

At the risk of being ostracized, I disagree. In life, we are what we are when no one we care about is looking.

Many will disagree with me. I sleep well at night; I am taking care of my family, they are adults free to choose and many more reasons. As long as it works, we all need to beware.

Success at any cost is not success.

Remember, you are always in the right place at the right time, if you have the right attitude.

A Fable called Motivation

A Fable called Motivation

fa·ble

[ˈfābəl]

NOUN

1.      A short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral.

synonyms: moral tale · parable · apologue · allegory · bestiary

VERB

archaic

1.      tell fictitious tales.

"I do not dream nor fable."

I suppose it is a little harsh to call stories about Motivation Fables. Perhaps it is not. We all want to hear about someone who has it worse than we do overcoming their adversity and shining. I applaud anyone who has. I cannot relate to hacking off my hand to survive. These stories give us inspiration and hope. If I want to succeed as bad as I want to breathe, I will be successful. Successful with this much adversity, I should be able to as well.

When we fail, we become our worst critic. It is easy to sit up and take notice, what is difficult is getting up and acting. Everything can be improved. It is the role of the human being to improve your life and world.

Truth takes over from this fable called Motivation, and we are what we are. Can you change? Surely you can. For most of us that change will not come from walking across coals. It will give you a great story but not motivate you to reach your potential.

I have been to many seminars about how to achieve success. Most motivational speaking gets us to act for a few days, then has the opposite effect. Our thoughts turn contrary; it is so easy for everyone I must be a loser. Anyone can do this if I think positive thoughts it should happen. I am a loser, oh what a loser I am. The seminar or training has the unintended effect of turning our thoughts detrimental.

We all can and should find peace and happiness. Take small steps. Its ok to want just to pay your bills, to only be able to walk down the street. You are not less a citizen because you cannot find your success as easy as it always seems to come to others. For every success story, there are hundreds of stories about just surviving. Does that make them less compelling? Does not. These stories should inspire us more.

What thoughts stop us. Where you are in life is a direct result of the views that prevent us from success as well as propel us forward. How difficult is it to think about this when all you are focused on is paying rent, or buying food?

Change is uncomfortable; there is a scientific name. Conscious dissonance.

Why do some succeed, some fail, some just living enough to breathe.

Without a catastrophic event to help you change, how do you do it?

Real success comes from accepting you, improving you. Stop comparing yourself to others. It is okay to want to emulate someone; I want to be like them. We must stop comparing ourselves to others. I cannot say this enough. Experts give us the same advice. Set goals, write them down, think positive thoughts, Act as if, should I go on? What most fail to do is give you advice on what to do when you quit. The challenge is to be happy with you, set your goals for you. Stop comparing you to others. If you want to be the fastest man in the world, your goal should not be to beat Usain Bolt. Set your goal to be faster tomorrow than today. Break it down for you. Small changes create tsunamis of effect.

One small change at a time. Do not look at the whole picture and expect it to change. Find the discipline to change one little thing at a time. Your focus can still be on paying the rent or buying food. Perhaps you should let the small stuff that bothers you go. Stop yelling at drivers on the road. Quit worrying about that which you have no control.

Your success is up to you.

Remember, you are always in the right place at the right time, if you have the right attitude.

Ten things that require zero talent #10 Be prepared

Ten things that require zero talent #9 Do extra

10 things that require zero talent. Keys to success # 2 Work ethic

Ten things that require zero talent #8 Coachable

Ten Things. #1 Be on time

Ten things that require zero talent. #7 passion

Ten things that require zero talent #6 attitude

Ten things that require zero talent #5 energy

Ten things that require zero talent #4 body language

Ten things that require zero talent. #3 effort

Well, I don't exactly know what's going on in the world today

Well, I don't exactly know what's going on in the world today

Don't know what there is to say

About the way the people are treating each other, not like brothers

Leaders take us far away from humanity

and lead us to animosity

Listen, just listen

All the children have got some words to say

About the way we live today

Why can't we learn to love each other

It's time to turn a new face to the whole world wide human race

Stop the money chase

Lay back, relax, get back on the human track

Stop racing toward oblivion

Oh, such a sad, sad state we're in

And that's the thing do you recognize the bells of truth

when you hear them ring

Just Stop and listen.

Listen and you might hear the children sing.

You may just hear the children sing.

thank you to Leon Russell for the inspiration

Stay Calm

I strive to be that Umbrella as well.

I strive to be that Umbrella as well. Rock on, Lizzie, Rock on.

Nothing to add. 

Remember, you are always in the right place, at the right time, if you have the right attitude.

But only one out of 20 does that.

Take away the first 15 years of my life, and I have spent 40 plus years trying to avoid failure. Hiding from it, never admitting to it. Wearing it as a cologne. More recently, I have worried less about me failing and more about not risking failure enough. I am reasonably sure that there is not a failure I cannot survive. In fact, if you know me at all, you know there is not a failure I cannot survive. I have had many.

Lose the fear of failure and great things happen to you. Many will say you are lucky. We all know it is the absence of fear, we are failing our way to success!

A quote I love, “Failure is an absolute prerequisite to success; You learn to succeed from failing.
My failures in life are too many to mention. I have always run the other way. Failure was never an option.  It is true; failure is not an option. It is a necessity if you want to succeed.

What is success?

First, we have to define success and here is the best definition I’ve ever been able to find:
“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” Earl Nightingale.

Success is the school teacher who is teaching because that’s what he or she wants to do.

Success is the entrepreneur who starts his own company because that was his dream —that’s what he wanted to do.
Success is the salesperson who wants to become the best salesperson in his or her company and sets forth on the pursuit of that goal.
A success is anyone who is realizing a predetermined worthy ideal because that’s what he or she decided to do … deliberately. But only one out of 20 does that

If you believe success is simply making (or having) a lot of money, you may be setting yourself up for failure. I'm often amazed at how many people define success as making (or having) a lot of money.

It's very strange, because many of the people who think this way are harried, stressed and, frankly, pretty miserable.

 Is success necessary to be happy?

Many measure success regarding monetary wealth. That is achieving financial independence and prosperity. But I feel that success should encompass the following areas;

*Happiness in family life and marriage for the married people.

*Happiness or satisfaction in the occupation or vocation one may have.

*Rich in respect to one's friends and other relationships.

I feel that financial prosperity without the aspects mentioned above does not necessarily mean one is successful.

If anything it means that one is just wealthy, but one's successful life is not complete.

On the other hand, is it possible to have a successful life without being wealthy?

My point for this rambling, we all fail, we can all succeed and find happiness. It is up to us. 

What is your definition?

Remember, you are always in the right place at the right time if you have the right attitude.