Think & Create

We’re getting used to Web 2.0 these days. Look at the number of Web 2.0 sites that exists today – Facebook, Wikipedia, Digg, MySpace, Friendster and many more.

Web 2.0 relies on public participation. But what happens when people stop participating?

Did you know that Wikipedia lost 49,000 editors in the first quarter of this year alone. How will Wikipedia survive?

Did you also know that Digg is going down the drain?

Read this excellent article by Mike Elgan on Web 2.0.

by Jim Rohn

You may be wondering why I would call this article a Thankful Thanksgiving. Aren’t all Thanksgivings Thankful? Unfortunately, no. As a person who has experienced over 75 Thanksgivings, I recognize that being thankful is something that we have to work at, even on Thanksgiving.

If your home is like most, your Thanksgiving day will be very busy, with either traveling to where you want to go or preparing your home to have others over for the day. Either way, that can be very hectic and emotionally trying, which doesn’t lend itself to preparing your heart to be reflective and thankful. In fact, Thanksgiving weekend is the most traveled weekend in America. Airports are full, and not always providing much room for contemplation of your good fortune.

This means all the more that if we want to be the kind of people who are characterized by thankfulness, then we must make sure that we focus on it, and not just on Thanksgiving Day, but at all times during the year.

Here are a few key words as well as some thoughts that are simple and practical to apply; something you can use right away in your quest for becoming more thankful:

Time. Set aside time regularly to be quiet, to reflect. We live in the fastest paced time ever. From the moment we awake to the moment we collapse into bed, we have the opportunity to go at full speed and never slow down. If we schedule time every day in which we can be quiet and reflect, we will free our hearts and minds up from the tyranny of the urgent and rushed.

Thought. Give thought to the many blessings that you have. Living in a consumer culture, most of us are fully aware of what we do not have and how we absolutely must have “it”. But how often do we reflect upon that which we already have? Take some time each day and think of one or two things that you have that you may typically take for granted and then take a moment and give thanks for those. In fact, I make it a part of my reflection time to review a list of things that I’m thankful for.

Generosity. Be generous toward those with less and not envious of those with more. We tend to look at others who may be wealthier than ourselves and think, “I sure wish I had what he does.” That kind of thinking breeds envy and jealousy rather than contentment. What can we do to break that cycle? I would suggest being generous to those who are less fortunate than yourself. Go to work at a food bank. And not just during the holidays – everybody works there then – but on a regular basis during the year. That will remind you of how good you really have it.

Ask. Ask a friend what they are thankful for. The next time you are at lunch with a friend, ask them what they are most thankful for. You will be amazed at the answers you receive and you will create a meaningful bond with your friends as you focus on this powerful question.

Acknowledge. Lastly, tell those you love how thankful you are for having them in your life. So many times we neglect to take the time to craft the words to express to those closest to us what their presence in our lives means to us. Take the opportunity of Thanksgiving Day to write them a note or sometime during the day put your hand on their shoulder, look them in the eyes and tell them. Let them know what they mean to you, and in return you’ll begin to create the possibility of deeper, richer, more fulfilling relationships with those you love.

Of course we should do what we can to make the most of the day we call Thanksgiving, but wouldn’t it be a shame if the only time we reflected on our blessings was that one Thursday in November? And the answer is, of course! So let’s do our best to be aware of the many great gifts that we have each and every day of the year. As we do so we will see our hearts soar and our minds will experience more and more at peace as we regularly remember and remain aware of our good fortune.

Happy Thanksgiving!

by Jim Rohn
(Excerpted from The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle)

Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. We do not fail overnight. Failure is the inevitable result of an accumulation of poor thinking and poor choices. To put it more simply, failure is nothing more than a few errors in judgment repeated every day.

Now why would someone make an error in judgment and then be so foolish as to repeat it every day? The answer is because he or she does not think that it matters.

On their own, our daily acts do not seem that important. A minor oversight, a poor decision, or a wasted hour generally doesn’t result in an instant and measurable impact. More often than not, we escape from any immediate consequences of our deeds.

If we have not bothered to read a single book in the past ninety days, this lack of discipline does not seem to have any immediate impact on our lives. And since nothing drastic happened to us after the first ninety days, we repeat this error in judgment for another ninety days, and on and on it goes. Why? Because it doesn’t seem to matter. And herein lies the great danger. Far worse than not reading the books is not even realizing that it matters!

Those who eat too many of the wrong foods are contributing to a future health problem, but the joy of the moment overshadows the consequence of the future. It does not seem to matter. Those who smoke too much or drink too much go on making these poor choices year after year after year… because it doesn’t seem to matter. But the pain and regret of these errors in judgment have only been delayed for a future time. Consequences are seldom instant; instead, they accumulate until the inevitable day of reckoning finally arrives and the price must be paid for our poor choices—choices that didn’t seem to matter.

Failure’s most dangerous attribute is its subtlety. In the short term those little errors don’t seem to make any difference. We do not seem to be failing. In fact, sometimes these accumulated errors in judgment occur throughout a period of great joy and prosperity in our lives. Since nothing terrible happens to us, since there are no instant consequences to capture our attention, we simply drift from one day to the next, repeating the errors, thinking the wrong thoughts, listening to the wrong voices and making the wrong choices. The sky did not fall in on us yesterday; therefore the act was probably harmless. Since it seemed to have no measurable consequence, it is probably safe to repeat.

But we must become better educated than that!

If at the end of the day when we made our first error in judgment the sky had fallen in on us, we undoubtedly would have taken immediate steps to ensure that the act would never be repeated. Like the child who places his hand on a hot burner despite his parents’ warnings, we would have had an instantaneous experience accompanying our error in judgment.

Unfortunately, failure does not shout out its warnings as our parents once did. This is why it is imperative to refine our philosophy in order to be able to make better choices. With a powerful, personal philosophy guiding our every step, we become more aware of our errors in judgment and more aware that each error really does matter.

Now here is the great news. Just like the formula for failure, the formula for success is easy to follow: It’s a few simple disciplines practiced every day.

Now here is an interesting question worth pondering: How can we change the errors in the formula for failure into the disciplines required in the formula for success? The answer is by making the future an important part of our current philosophy.

Both success and failure involve future consequences, namely the inevitable rewards or unavoidable regrets resulting from past activities. If this is true, why don’t more people take time to ponder the future? The answer is simple: They are so caught up in the current moment that it doesn’t seem to matter. The problems and the rewards of today are so absorbing to some human beings that they never pause long enough to think about tomorrow.

But what if we did develop a new discipline to take just a few minutes every day to look a little further down the road? We would then be able to foresee the impending consequences of our current conduct. Armed with that valuable information, we would be able to take the necessary action to change our errors into new success-oriented disciplines. In other words, by disciplining ourselves to see the future in advance, we would be able to change our thinking, amend our errors and develop new habits to replace the old.

One of the exciting things about the formula for success—a few simple disciplines practiced every day—is that the results are almost immediate. As we voluntarily change daily errors into daily disciplines, we experience positive results in a very short period of time. When we change our diet, our health improves noticeably in just a few weeks. When we start exercising, we feel a new vitality almost immediately. When we begin reading, we experience a growing awareness and a new level of self-confidence. Whatever new discipline we begin to practice daily will produce exciting results that will drive us to become even better at developing new disciplines.

The real magic of new disciplines is that they will cause us to amend our thinking. If we were to start today to read the books, keep a journal, attend the classes, listen more and observe more, then today would be the first day of a new life leading to a better future. If we were to start today to try harder, and in every way make a conscious and consistent effort to change subtle and deadly errors into constructive and rewarding disciplines, we would never again settle for a life of existence, once we had tasted the fruits of a life of substance!

by Les Brown

Goals give you a purpose for taking life on. People who live without goals have no purpose, and it is obvious even in their body language. They are on permanent “Idle,” they slouch, they list from side to side. Their conversations dawdle. They telephone you: “Hey, I’m just calling. I wasn’t doing anything, so I thought I’d call you.” Well, don’t call me. I’ve got things to do.

Many people just muddle through life. They don’t read informational material; they don’t even pay attention when they watch television. If you ask them what they are watching, they mumble-mouth, “Nothin’. I’m just lookin’.”

What are your goals for your career? For your relationships? For your spiritual life? Develop a schedule for the next month, the next six months, the next year, five years and 10 years. Write it all out.

Let’s take one of the most common goals: You want to make more money. If that is your goal, then take some practical steps toward realizing it.

First, determine specifically how much money you want to make. Then double that amount and make that your goal. Even if you don’t reach the higher amount, you will probably still find yourself making more than your original goal.

Second, decide the amount of energy you are willing to expend to reach your goal. How many hours are you willing to work a day? How many jobs are you willing to hold down? What sort of work are you willing to do?

A third step in this process is to develop a practical plan of action and to get started immediately. Chart out where you want to be in relation to your goal in the next month, six months, one year, five years and 10 years. Get started today. Go apply for that second job now! Go enroll in that career training program now! Ask for that raise now!

And, finally, make sure that you have all of this written down so that you can review it every morning and every night and envision yourself taking these steps, doing them and succeeding!

by Jim Rohn

* There are two parts to influence: First, influence is powerful; and second, influence is subtle. You wouldn’t let someone push you off course, but you might let someone nudge you off course and not even realize it.
* We need a variety of input and influence and voices. You cannot get all the answers to life and business from one person or from one source.
* Attitude is greatly shaped by influence and association.
* Don’t spend most of your time on the voices that don’t count. Tune out the shallow voices so that you will have more time to tune in the valuable ones.
* “No” puts distance between you and the wrong influence.
* You must constantly ask yourself these questions: Who am I around? What are they doing to me? What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? And most important, what do they have me becoming? Then ask yourself the big question: Is that okay?
* Don’t join an easy crowd; you won’t grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high.
* Some people you can afford to spend a few minutes with, but not a few hours.
* Get around people who have something of value to share with you. Their impact will continue to have a significant effect on your life long after they have departed.

by Phillip Humbert

This week I was talking with a colleague about technology and computers, and told her about my policy of replacing our computers every 18 months, or sooner. She exclaimed that she couldn’t afford that, and my comment was that I can’t afford not to.

The rule is that the most productive workers, and ultimately the most successful people, always have the best tools. Period.

To earn more, you must do or produce more, and that requires better skills, more knowledge, more efficient methods, and of course, the very best tools. To compete in tough economic times:

1. Learn more. Continuous learning is a must. Brian Tracy points out that if you read one book per week, in ten years you will have read 500 books, and then he asks: “Would reading 500 books give you an edge over your competitors, knowing that most people never read at all?” I think the an swer is obvious.

2. Get the best equipment. I replace our computers because I do not want “down time.” I replace them as insurance against failed hard drives and burned out chips. I replace them (and up-grade our software) because I trust Murphy’s Law that if systems can fail, they will fail, and at the worst possible moment. I want our office to be a “problem-free zone” where we work without frustration or distraction. Get good equipment.

3. Expand your network. There is great truth that “it’s who you know that counts.” Through my network of amazing people I can get the answers to almost any question or find a solution to any problem. The good people in my network assist me, and they support my clients. My network is perhaps my most valuable asset. It provides me with what I need, when I need it, virtually every time.

To earn more, get better tools.

Make Today Count!

Years ago, my parents were involved with a support group for cancer patients c alled “Make Today Count!” The genius behind the group was that when life got short, the participants got very clear about their priorities.

For many of us, life seems “endless.” We know of course, and that someday our days will end, but on a practical level, we live as if we have forever, as if there will always be another chance, another year, another opportunity. We pretend we are immortal and spend our days accordingly.

Big mistake!

The difference between extraordinary performance and run-of-the-mill performance is usually found in the “little things.” We know that education, intelligence, wealth, even personality do not explain the difference between high achievement and failure. It’s not even close!

The truth is that highly successful people use better, smarter, more effective strategies. They know their top priorities and focus their time, their energy, their creativity and all their pow er on their few, top choices.

There is only a slight difference between landing a plane safely and crashing at the end of the runway, but that slight difference is the difference between life and death. In achieving your goals and creating the life you truly want, it’s the small differences that ultimately determine your long-term results.

Winners know and use effective strategies! Highly successful people review their strategies and measure their results to see if they are “on course.” Are they getting what they want? Are they making progress? Every day they ask, “Is it working?”

I have identified about a dozen key strategies in high achievers, but the first and most fundamental strategy is that high achievers MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT!

Cancer patients understand this. They focus their time, they plan their days, they do “first things first” and they GET THINGS DONE. No distractions! When you have limited energy, when you&r squo;re sick and weak most of the time, when your days are numbered, things get very clear.

In his excellent book, Thinking for A Change, John Maxwell details his strategies for organizing his work a month in advance and reviewing again at the start of each day. He is a master of planning and making every day count!

I am not convinced it is necessary to work extremely long hours, or to work extremely hard. Often, we can achieve a full day’s RESULTS with just one action, if it is the RIGHT action at the right time, done in the right way. High achievers do the right things, at the right time, and they do them every day.

Most people rush quickly, thoughtlessly through life. We are all busy, but are we really getting anywhere? Is all that energy and activity moving us forward? With high achievers, day by day, the answer is an emphat ic YES!

Plan your days and work your plan. Before leaving your office in the evening, or first thing in the morning, outline your day. Review your schedule, choose your most important activities, and focus on them! Every single morning, I list the three most important things I want to do that day. They may be work or play or something in between, but they are my CHOICES and once committed to them, I don’t go to bed until they are done.

The first strategy of high achievers is to make each day count! Focus on things you can control. Know your top outcomes and the key strategies for success, and put all your time and effort into those few things. I think it makes a nice difference.

“Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”
– Mother Teresa

“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.”
– Jeremy Kitson

“We don’t know who we are until we see what we can do.”
– Martha Grimes

“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

by Chris Widener

One of the keys to success is to have successful relationships. We are not islands and we don’t get to the top by ourselves. And one of the key ways to grow successful in our relationships is to be “life-giving” people to others. Every person we meet, we either give life to or take life from. You know what I mean. There are people who encourage you and when you are done being with them you feel built up. Then there are others who you feel torn down by. Successful people are people who have mastered the art of building others up.

One of the ways we build people up is to praise them. There is power in praising people! Something begins to happen in them, in you, and in your relationship when you praise someone. Remember a time when someone told you something about yourself in a praising manner? It was great, wasn’t it? You probably liked that person more after they praised you, didn’t you?

Now I am not talking about praising people for the sake of praising people. I am talking about honestly looking for and praising positive character traits and actions of others around you. Don’t lie to people. If they have done something wrong, correct it, but when they do something right, praise it!

With that said, here are benefits of and ways to start praising people.

Benefits

* Your relationship grows. Life is about relationships. Family relationships, friends and co-workers. When we begin to praise people for their positive aspects, our relationships grow. It puts them, and us, on the fast track.
* Your leadership and influence grows. Who is going to have greater leadership and influence capacity in the lives of their followers, the one who tears down or the one who builds up?
* Stronger relationships and loyalty. When the person is appreciated and praised, they become fiercely loyal, because they know that you care for them, love them, and appreciate them. This will take you to success.
* Happier, more fulfilled people. I truly believe it is our job to build others up, and that they need it. It is a good thing to invest in the lives of others by praising and encouraging them. Even if we never get anything in return, it is the right thing to do to build up other people. Someone else will always come along to tear them down; the successful person will instill in them the power of praise!

Some Ways to Praise

Character traits
Is there someone you know who is joyful? Hard-working? Honest? Then let them know how much you appreciate that in them. You can do it with a word or a card, or a phone call. Say something like this, “You know, Tom, I think it is great that you are such a hard worker. It seems like you are always the first one here and the last one to leave. You really set a good example and I want you to know how much I appreciate that.” Simple!

Action
Same idea as above. “Sue, I don’t know if anybody else has told you this, but your work on the Johnson account was excellent. You have a wonderful ability to communicate the vision of the project, and that helps all the rest of us out in our roles and tasks. Thanks for that. It is greatly appreciated.”

Other ways you can show praise and appreciation is with a card, a gift or time off from work.

Make it your goal to praise at least five people a day. If you can, praise 10 people a day. Or perhaps you can try to praise everyone you come in contact with. It just takes discipline and a little work.

Any way you cut it, though, there is power in praising people. First for them, then for you!

by Chris Widener

“Write checks on a regular basis to those who you want to bless, not those who you owe. Be generous. If you are thinking of one amount, raise it a bit. They’ll be glad now. You’ll be glad now and later.”
—Chris Widener in The ABCs of Success

There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who allow their abundance to pile up and bring them a sense of (false) security, and those who use their abundance to increase not only the joy in their lives but also in the lives of others by being generous.

I believe that the truly successful, those who will change the lives of others and leave a legacy, are the ones who are generous with their abundance. So how do we become generous people? Here are some thoughts.

First, get over your idea that money will bring you security. It won’t. It might make you feel more secure, and it might enable you to purchase things right now, but all money can disappear quite easily. Markets go south, businesses go bankrupt, and fortunes are lost. History is filled with poor people who were once rich and lost it all. This idea that we can and have to keep it all is one of the greatest myths around. So when we give money away, it doesn’t affect us emotionally, bringing out a fear of lost security.

Second, focus on the joy you bring to others when you are generous. I love to be the one to buy something for someone who would enjoy it, to help someone who needs it, or to encourage someone who would be helped by my generosity. There are always people and organizations who will benefit from our generosity and who will be overjoyed by it. And in turn, they will help others.

Third, make giving a planned and methodical task. I write out checks at the beginning of every month to people and organizations that I believe are helping others. I don’t owe them this money; I choose to give it to them. It is something I believe in. Every month without fail I write those checks. It keeps me on track and keeps them encouraged, motivated and moving in the right direction.

As for methodical, remember that, over time, even small gifts add up. Maybe you can’t afford to give or help with $300 today, but you could with $25 a month for a year. There is no way that my wife and I could afford to give a million dollars away at this stage of our lives, but our goal is to do that before we die. And I believe we will hit that because we are pursuing it methodically every month. And when we get to the end of our lives, we will be able to look back at our generosity and see that we made a difference. But you can’t achieve those kinds of goals if you don’t start somewhere and stick to a plan.

Fourth, make your generosity spontaneous. This takes a lot of self-awareness, because I am not suggesting that you get yourself in financial trouble by being foolish, but here it is: Be the generous one of the group. Pick up the check for your friends and others. I have found that if you are wise with your money, you won’t get yourself into trouble by being the generous one. Picking up lunch won’t break the bank. Offer to do nice things for your friends, relatives and co-workers. And then watch your relationships blossom!

Fifth, understand the principle that you reap what you sow. I truly believe that those who are generous, who help others, will always receive back what they need. I live by the principle of John Wesley: “Earn all you can, give all you can, save all you can.” This principle brings our finances into perfect tension. Yes we earn, and all that we can, but we also go at our saving and giving with the same kind of gusto! And what happens, but that we are given more to turn around and be generous with again.

Lastly, and this is key for successful people, never allow there to be strings on your generosity. Do not expect anything in return. That is not generosity but manipulation. Pure generosity is its own reward.

How to start today?

If you aren’t currently on a plan of giving, choose a charitable organization you believe in and write them a check—today. And then write that same check on the first of every month.

If you are currently being generous with your resources, seriously consider an increase! Even a percentage point or two will help you and them. It will stretch you and encourage them!

Be a Success! Be Generous!

When in a relationship, remember these advices:

“Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.”
– Oprah Winfrey

“Good friendships are fragile things and require as much care as any other fragile and precious thing.”
– Randolph S. Bourne

“The purpose of life is to develop loving relationships, and to become a totally loving person.”
– Brian Tracy

“Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these.”
– Susan B. Anthony