March 31, 2014 Focus Point

Reflection Done Right, Will Change Your Life Forever!

"Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action." ~Peter F. Drucker

"Reflection is the pause that gives a person perspective and renewed energy." ~John Maxwell

"To sharpen the saw means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual." ~Stephen R. Covey

"Are the changes that are happening in your life bringing grief or growth?" ~John Maxwell

There is a certain uplift and power that comes into our life when we take the opportunity to sit back and reflect upon the ordinary experiences of the day. In fact, reflection moves ordinary experiences into extraordinary and gives us something to build upon for the future. It is the silent teacher that helps us gain perspective and direction. It is how we turn everyday experience into uncommon insight. We always hear the expression "experience is the best teacher", but evaluated experience is what really moves us to the next level. Experience all by itself is nothing more than just living another day, and the moments that could have been captured evaporate away and become nothing more than the forgotten past.

Mistakes help us to make corrective action so that we do not repeat them. Success's fuel us to determine what action to do more of. In both the good times and the bad times, to be a powerful and successful person always take the time to reflect, and if you do enough of it and in the right way you will be off and running to a better life.

March 24, 2014 Focus Point

Live Life With Intention!

"Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so? Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

"Positive thinkers get positive results because they appreciate the inestimable value of a day, this day, not the next day, but this day, and every day. Today offers at least sixteen waking hours that may be crammed full of opportunity, joy, excitement, and achievement." ~Norman Vincent Peale

"Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal" ~Earl Nightingale

"The opposite of courage is conformity." ~Rollo May

Potential is one of the most powerful words in any language. It implies possibilities. It energizes the soul. It is filled with hope and optimism. What about unfulfilled potential? That phrase takes away all of the energy and is just as equal in negative energy as the word potential is full of positive energy.

In order for us to fulfill our potential in life I believe that we must be highly intentional about setting and achieving goals. In 1956 Earl Nightingale delivered a powerful message called The Strangest Secret. In this message he explains that the reason some people succeed in life and others struggle simple to survive day to day or "die with their music still in them" is that successful people have goals and unsuccessful people do not.

Being intentional implies taking action each day with purpose and on purpose. Intentional people lead their life rather than let life lead them. They do not let circumstances take them away from their purpose, they make their own circumstances, they take control. Intentional people are not only content with activity but with improvement. Because the truth of it is, hard work alone does not guarantee success and having a hopeful heart is not a strategy for success. Don't go to work every day just because that's what people do. Go to work with purpose and motivation to achieve your goals, and to move into the next step in the direction of your success. Don't work aimlessly, work with intention for improvement.

A few questions to ask yourself:

Do you have a plan for personal growth?

Do you have goals for your life and something to work toward?

What are the two or three things that you know if you did them would bring you closer to your goals?

March 17, 2014 Focus Point

If You Get Them On Price, You'll Lose Them On Price

"When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion." ~Dale Carnegie

"Never get tired of doing the little things for others. Sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts." ~Unknown

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." ~John Wooden

I recently sat with a successful business man and we discussed different ideas that successful companies implement to help employees create the environment that their customers will enjoy the most, and what customers expect when they come into the establishment. Every customer has unique and different needs and therefore, one size does not fit all. We need several "tools in the shed" so to speak in order to connect with every customer in their own unique way and to make certain they have a fabulous experience.

This gentleman told me about his own experience as a customer at a clothing store, The Buckle. He and his wife were treated so well that they ended up going back several times, and over the course of a few months spent several hundred and even a couple thousand dollars on clothing. If price is your only focus you may get them in the door, but you will lose them again because price alone is not a strong enough factor to keep them as a customer. Remember the personal touch that every person desires. Remember their name, remember they have their own unique expectations, hold the door for them. All in all, they want to feel important, be noticed, and have a wonderful experience. Like John Maxwell says: "Make them feel like a million bucks".

March, 2014 Leadership Connect

What Are You Doing To Improve Yourself And Others?

"A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval." -- Mark Twain

"Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself." ~James Allen

"Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God." ~Leo Buscaglia

"Greatness is: Intentional, Consistant, Incremental, Improvement." ~Josh Shipp

I was recently on an airplane, and as they were preparing for take off the attendants gave all of the simple instructions that they normally do. As they gave instruction about the oxygen mask, they always instruct to put it on yourself first and then help the person next to you. I was reminded of a life principle that we really cannot give what we do not have. Our experience and knowledge cannot draw from an empty well. As we grow in knowledge and experience then it can be applied into wisdom which is the proper use of knowledge. The more you grow, the more you are worth because the more you can do. If a tree is alive, it is growing. Leaders will get more out of their people when they see more in their people. 

To lead effectively we must work with people in their strengths and by motivating them properly and avoiding manipulation. Manipulation is moving someone for personal advantage, where as motivation is moving someone for mutual advantage. Motivate people outside of their comfort zone but not outside of their strength zone.

You can always do more with and through others if you have first taken the time to improve yourself or in other words sharpen the saw. Whatever your leadership roles, become more effective by growing yourself and then by gaining trust from, and growing others.

March 10, 2014 Focus Point

Become SHARP In Your Communication

"You can always teach a hungry person how to become sharp, but you can never teach a sharp person how to become hungry." ~Les Brown

"The pen is mightier than the sword, if the sword is very short, and the pen is very sharp." ~Terry Pratchett

"The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism." ~Norman Vincent Peale

"There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept." ~Ansel Adams

Many years ago, well known motivational speaker Les Brown, gave a message on being hungry and sharp. He explained that being hungry is the desire to learn and grow. It describes commitment to develop and use the tools that you have been given in life to make your life more meaningful and worthwhile. People who have this desire are much more likely to fulfill their potential and experience greatness. But, he said that "Desire on it's own is not enough, we also need to be sharp."

Below are specifics that we can practice to become sharp in all our communication.

Share a story and make a point

Humor
Analogies or illustrations
References
Pictures - both verbal and written

Excellent communicators are effective in Sharing a story and making a point. They involve Humor in their communication. Humor possibly more than anything else keeps us young at heart. When we laugh, endorphins flood our body and cause us to be and feel healthier. Laughter is indeed like a medicine. Analogies and illustrations help people to form a better visual in their minds and remember what has been said for a longer period of time. References bring credibility to your communication. Pictures always stay with people longer than words. Like the old saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Pictures can offer a bit of a road map for people to follow.

When is the next time you will communicate direction, instruction, or specific detail to someone?

March 3, 2014 Focus Point

What Are You Creating?

"You are a creator, the question is what are you creating?" ~C.S. Hughs

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." ~George Bernard Shaw

"True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new." ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail." ~Napoleon Hill

Do you love life? I love life! It is so wonderful and full of blessedness. Sometimes you really never know what to expect next. But one thing we know for certain is that we can shape, mold, and create the life we choose, and it starts with our thoughts.

In fact one thing that great leaders and teachers of all time have always agreed upon is quite simply that the power to change life rests upon our thinking. It has been said that whatever we think about and thank about, we bring about. Our thoughts lead to action, our action to habit, and habit to being or becoming, and eventually actuality. We can begin to shape our life's experiences and circumstances.

The power is within us and it all starts with our thoughts. What will we create this week?