The Seven C's Of Success

by Brian Tracey

Clarity - Eighty percent of success comes from being clear on who you are, what you believe in and what you want.

Competence - You can't climb to the next rung on the ladder until you are excellent at what you do now.

Constraints - Eighty percent of all obstacles to success come from within. Find out what is constraining in you or your company and deal with it.

Concentration - The ability to focus on one thing single- mindedly and see it through until it's done takes more character than anything else.

Creativity - Flood your life with ideas from many sources. Creativity needs to be exercised like a muscle, if you don't use it you'll lose it.

Courage - Most in demand and least in supply, courage is the willingness to do the things you know are right.

Continuous learning -- Read, at the very least, one book a week on leadership to keep you abreast of new trends. And just as you eat and bathe, organize your time so you spend 30 minutes a day exploring e-mail, sending messages, going through web sites, because like exercise, it's the only way you can keep on top of technology.

Achieving Success by Expecting Success

by Zig Ziglar

When you plan and prepare carefully, you can legitimately expect to have success in your efforts. When you recognize and develop the winning qualities that you were born with, the winner you were born to be emerges.

When you plan and prepare to make a sale, for example, you can legitimately expect to make a sale. Although not all your expectations are going to come to pass, you give yourself an infinitely better chance of succeeding by taking the proper steps.

Regardless of your goal--losing weight, making more sales, furthering your education, earning a promotion, saving money for a new home or an exotic vacation--you can expect to achieve your goal if you plan and prepare for it.

Also understand that the path from where you are to where you want to be is not always smooth and straight. The reason for the twists and bumps is simple, and it has nothing to do with you.

It has more to do with the fact that not everyone is as interested in your success as you are. Some people may accidentally hinder your efforts; others who are in competition with you and have little or no integrity may try to sabotage your efforts.

Keep in mind, though, that when you hit those roadblocks your character, commitment, and attitude are the determining factors in your success... Carefully review your plan of action, seek wise counsel, and be particularly careful to feed your mind good information.

An optimistic, positive mind is far more likely to come up with creative solutions than a mind that dwells on setbacks and difficulties.

Bottom line: expect success and you can achieve it!

The problem

"If you start to think the problem is “out there”, stop yourself. That thought is the problem.” Stephen Covey

Toil

"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it." John Ruskin, 1819-1900, Artist and Author

Which are you?

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee,"
she replied
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.
The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?“

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her daughter.
"When adversity knocks on your door,
how do you respond?
Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"
Think of this: Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?

Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff?
Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you……
May we all be COFFEE

They don't walk in your shoes... Click, Click, Click!

By Pauline Fraser

Pauline was born and raised in Nova Scotia and now calls British Columbia home. She is married and has three children, including a daughter with autism. Raising a special needs child was not how she had planned to spend her life, but now that she has, she wouldn't change a thing. Her daughter has taught her so much about life and living that she can't imagine how empty life would be without her
We ducked into the dimly lit thrift shop to get out of the rain. Like so many things since our daughter's birth, I hadn't planned on a trip to this place. But I figured we'd see what they had since we were there.

"Hi, today is stuff a bag day. Would you like one?" The clerk asked.

"What is stuff a bag day?"

"You take a bag and stuff it with what ever you want and it's only $3. Best deal in town."

"Okay, sounds great," I said, despite the fact I hadn't planned on buying anything.

I took my six-year-old daughter's hand and we started to wander around. Suddenly there was a tug on my hand and my attention was being directed to the shoe section. She shares my weakness for shoes, so we stopped for a minute to look. I let go of her hand and she reached out to touch a pair of shiny black shoes with a strap and silver buckle.

"Buy me?" She inquires.

"Oh, Sweetie, they are tap shoes. You aren't taking tap."

"Buy me?" She repeats.

"Well, let's try them on."

She sits on the floor and removes her bright pink rain boots, with Barbie on the sides, and easily slides the new shoes on. A perfect fit. When she stands up she hears 'click.' She takes a step. Click, Click. Slowly recognition dawns, as she makes the connection between the shoes and her moving feet. Click, Click, Click. "Buy me?" With a hopeful look in her eyes. Again, "Buy me, peas?"
"Okay Sweetie, take them off and put them in the bag."

We look around some more and get a few t-shirts, pants, books and games and a naked baby doll. Well, it's stuff a bag day - might as well get my money's worth, I think to myself.

The sun has come back out as we emerge from our little side trip and we continue on our way. As we near the car, Amara reaches for the bag. As she climbs into the back seat, I give her the bag wondering what treasure she is looking for. The shoes, of course. She is my daughter after all.

"My wear." It's not a question, so I took the tag off and helped her with the buckle. Our next stop was the grocery store and these shoes were made to make noise, especially on my little girl's feet. This could be interesting...

Click, Click, Click - people turn to look as we enter the store. Click, Click, Click. I can feel the disapproving stares of the proper people. People who would never allow their daughter to wear tap shoes to the grocery store. I hold my head up with pride. The click, click, click is music to my ears.

"Excuse me dear. Is your daughter in tap this year?"

"No." I replied.
"Well why on earth would you allow her to wear tap shoes, here, of all places? They make such a noise."

"Yes, isn't it wonderful?"

"Wonderful? My dear, this is not the place to wear those shoes."

"Oh, I think this is the perfect place to wear them. You see she asked for them."

"Just because she asked for them, doesn't mean you have to get them for her."

"You don't understand," I said. "When she was a baby, we were told she would never walk or talk. It has taken a lot of hard work and patience but she asked for the shoes and the click, click, click says that she can walk."

My daughter, who is always on the move, is 18 now and will graduate from grade 12 in June. It has not always been easy, but it has all been worthwhile. She has taught me that it doesn't matter what others think. They don't walk in your shoes.
And just like the ladies in the purple hats*, sometimes you simply have to wear tap shoes to the grocery store - if for nothing else, just the sheer joy of hearing the click, click, click.

* Ladies in purple hats are groups of women who have reached a certain age and now can allow themselves to enjoy life without fear of what others think.

Quotable quotes

"Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."
--James M. Barrie, Scottish novelist and dramatist

Create Dream-Team Relationships for Success

by Mark Victor Hansen

Success is not a solo project - it is something that needs to be shared. And success is not a competition. There's plenty of it to go around. We just have to work together - with the same goal in mind - to ensure success.

It's all about synergy - the concept of adding one plus one and getting eleven - not two. It's the idea that people working together can accomplish far more than they could working separately. Incredible power can be released when people work together. Associating with like-minded, success-oriented, joyful individuals - or Dream Teaming - is the most amazing success tool that exists.

Anyone who achieves great success - anyone - must have a Dream Team. Instant solutions exist in Dream Teaming. They help you to take your ideas and expand them into greatness. A Dream Team will help you focus on your goals - whatever
they may be. What characteristics should your Dream Team possess? In order to have a successful Dream Team, you'll need at least one more person with whom you have a common purpose. You have to have a partner to think through situations and circumstances.

These people should have limitless vision and work together for a single goal. Both your hearts and your heads have to be in harmony with one another. You may even have several Dream Teams for different goals - that's okay. Always be on
the lookout for the best people and then ask them.

Lastly, remember this: All of us have self-doubt, but remember that your Dream Team sees more in you than you see in yourself. You're there to cheer each other on, to encourage one another when you become weary, to identify bad habits and help change them. The members in your Dream Team tell you the truth so that you can be all that you can be. Together, you and your Dream Team can master and conquer anything.

Action Step: In closing I'd like to offer one simple exercise from "How
To Think Bigger Than You Ever Thought You Could Think" that I'd like you to complete in the week ahead: When you envision your dream life, with whom do you see yourself working and associating? Who are your friends? What characteristics do your Dream Team members possess? It is necessary for you to visualize the kind of people you plan to bring into your life, because these are the people you will attract to you.

This exercise is simple. Sit in your favourite chair, in a quiet room with your favourite inspirational music playing. Have a pen and notebook handy. Now sit back, close your eyes and see your life as you want it to be.

Who's there with you at work and at play? Who are the people in your industry that you admire most? Who do you want to learn from? Who do you want to laugh with? Who do you want to call "friend?" What attributes would these people have? Would they be joyful, funny, talented, positive, unselfish, energetic?

Make a list of 50 prestigious, influential, and powerful people, with whom you want to work, play, grow and do business. This may take a while, but it is one of the most important stepping-stones to achieving the life you envision.

Don't Quit

by Vic Johnson

"Your circumstances may be uncongenial, but they shall not remain so if you only perceive an ideal and strive to reach it. You cannot travel within and stand still without." -- As A Man Thinketh

For many years I have carried around a poem called Don't Quit. One of the lines says, "stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit." In our darkest hour it's hard to see the end of our circumstance. All we can think of is our conditions worsening. But it's usually at this time that our greatest growth can occur if we'll see the moment as a growth opportunity. If we'll see it as a time to learn how to control our thoughts toward an ideal that we cherish.

Remember in Science class when we learned that "a body at rest tends to remain at rest or a body in motion tends to remain in motion." This is especially true when overcoming circumstances because "paralysis" usually keeps us in the condition longer than we'd like.

But even more important, is that once we've started in motion, even though it may not seem like much, know this - it's now only a matter of time before you're out, totally out, of the situation that has got you down today.

My long-time favourite poem by an anonymous author is worth remembering today:

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill.
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a fellow turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man.
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup.
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar.
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

And that's worth thinking about.

Always Strive to Be a Better You…

600 Reasons to do It Again Next Term by Peter Hall
I cannot begin to share the number of times that I've sat alone in my car at the end of a long day of principaling. I sit, unwilling to turn the key as dusk creeps into the staff parking lot, and wonder aloud, "Why, exactly, do I continue to do this?"
As thoughts of testing, budgets, deadlines, lawsuits, conflicts, and the weather cloud my mind, questions rumble louder than my lunch-less belly: Am I really making a difference? Are children truly benefiting from my work? Will the gains we make today expand tomorrow, or will they wither and collapse before the morning bell rings? Am I actually impacting anything in a positive manner?
If you are a human being, you've likely shared some of those same thoughts, or at least some variation of them. You've wondered about your purpose, your goals, your consequences, your influence, your attitude, and your direction. Then, if you're like me, your worries turn toward dinner, picking up the kids, and the rising price of petrol. So you hustle home.
When the dust of the day settles and I really have time to reflect, I can always find justification for why I keep at it. Here, from my own experiences, are four of the 600 reasons I saddle up each day -- and each year -- and ride again.
Jasmin. Jasmin, a delightful yet disheartened ESL student was reading at a pre-primer level midway through fifth grade. About what one would expect from an English-language learner who qualifies for special education, right? That's what the teachers who worked with her thought, too, and they dropped her from the remedial reading class to get "more bang for the buck" by placing another student with more potential in her spot. With a little attention, a serving of specific instruction, a dose of encouragement, and some serious love, Jasmin progressed to a mid-second grade reading level, and her eyes shone again. Still three years below grade level, she now was equipped with confidence, some beginning skills, and the knowledge that she was not alone in this battle.
Manuel. Manuel, another fifth-grade student, was raised in a house where gang activity ruled. One morning, he was not at school. We soon learned that he was at the hospital with his brother, who had been shot twice during a gang-related squabble. His brother survived, but when Manuel returned to school a few days later he thanked us for steering him straight. He is now our local role model and spokesperson for avoiding gang life. He knows the consequences all too well.
Derek. Derek, who suffers from attention-deficit disorder and its associated anxiety and depression, struggled mightily in school throughout his elementary years. During fifth grade his parents pulled him out of school to live with his grandparents while they sorted out options for his future. Eventually, they requested a transfer to my school. The change in this young man over the course of his sixth-grade year was staggering. His reading level rose three years to grade level, his self-confidence exploded, and he learned the subtle difference between literal and figurative language. He now understands humour and sarcasm, which opens a million doors for every child.
Becky. At our school, literacy is considered the cornerstone skill of a well-balanced education. Some children, like Becky, have circumstances in their lives that might preclude the necessity to learn to read and write. This fourth-grade student suffers from neurofibromatosis. Her body makes tumors, several of which are inoperable in her brain. Doctors doubt she will celebrate her 12th birthday. Nevertheless, she bounds about campus, smiling from ear to ear as she converses with classmates and teachers, embracing her homework assignments and striving to keep pace with her peers in reading and writing. A few months ago, when her father came to the office to tell us they had purchased their first home and would be leaving our school, he had tears in his eyes as he expressed his gratitude for the development of his daughter. Though she may not have a future, she certainly has a future.
When I need a pick-me-up, I turn to my memory bank. I'm sure you can do the same. You can search your own experiences and find those five, 10, or 30 children who you can use to define your impact. Find the Dereks, and the Jasmins of your life -- and take a moment to smile. For every Becky, there are 599 others just like her who benefited in subtle, silent ways from your work. For them, you have offered a ray of light, a moment of inspiration, a touch of life -- and the only place you'll ever know it is in your own heart. You may never see the ultimate growth, hear the gratitude, read the accomplishments, or observe the changes -- but they happen all the same. And you're a big part of it. So saddle up, pardner, and ride again.

Dare To Go After Success In Spite of Your Fears

by Rene Godefroy

Most of us are so intoxicated by our failures and fears that they cause us to be stuck in situations we absolutely hate. Yes, you read it right. We continue to stay in jobs we don't like because of our fears. We continue to stay in abusive relationships that are literally sucking the life out of us because of our fears. Fears are the reason we never attempt to live out our dreams.

Did you know that you and I do everything within our power to avoid pain? Yep. All of us want to be happy and feel good. And few of us are willing to be hurt, disappointed, rejected, or turned down.

We are allergic to failure. Thus, we are afraid to step out and take a risk. Here's what you might want to know: if you are not failing right now, your chances of ever getting what you want are slim to none.

You see, successful people are not successful because they spend their entire lives avoiding fear or being hurt. As a matter of fact, they are successful because they confront it. They live on the edge and dare to do the things they are afraid of. Can you remember the last time you tried something that scared the living daylights out of you? If you can't, your dream will always be just a dream.

The first time I gave a speech was very painful for me. I was so nervous and afraid. My heart pounded as if it were a horse galloping. Today, one would never even imagine I was an extremely shy and introverted guy who once was so afraid of public speaking. Let me tell you, I bombed many times. Now people comment about how natural I am on stage. Why? Well, it's because I didn't give up.

What audacity! I was the Haitian immigrant in Miami who didn't speak any English. I mopped floors at the malls food court, dug holes, and worked as a carpenter's helper. Then I moved to Atlanta. I worked at a warehouse loading trucks. Later, I became a doorman at a hotel. Then I had the audacity to step out and try to be a Motivational Speaker . Do you understand how terrified I was?

I guess I was somewhat naive to think Coca-Cola, Bell-South, and other companies would ever put me on a stage in front of their people. Honestly, to this day, there are still some words I can't pronounce well. Two weeks ago, I was doing an interview with Selling Power magazine. The writer asked me what my secret was. Well, let me share it with you. It's actually one word: Persistence.

As you know, life will throw you some tough punches. It will even knock you down at times. Some of you that are reading this right now are down. Yet others may have just received a big and painful blow and are about to fall down. Don't cry and give up. The secret is to pick yourself up and try again.

Here's something you might want to keep in mind: Take time to learn from others what to do and how to do it. Back in my impoverished village in Haiti, my great grandmother Stephane used say, the bitter the tea, the faster it heals you. And so, there's an opportunity to learn, grow and be healed through pain.

You can either cry or try again. Now some people might suggest that I am not walking in their shoes. Believe me, I know what it is to be broke, in debt, to be starving and sick, and to cry at funerals.

I understand your pain. But the best way to show compassion is to tell you to come out of your foetal position of depression and press on. So let this be your motto: If it's not going to kill me or make me physically ill, I’ll give it a try. We don't really fail at anything. We simply fail to make it work.

Fake it

"Fake it till you make it." Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics

Quotable quotes

"You don't have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things - to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals." - Sir Edmund Hillary, Mountaineer and Explorer

Quotable quotes

"Sometimes the Universe doesn't give us exactly what we want when we want it, because there's actually something better down the road." Sandra Anne Taylor Author of Quantum Success

No Parking Allowed!

By Matthew C. Horne, motivational speaker and leading authority in maximizing human potential and self- development. He is also the president of Optimum Success International and author of "A Massive Dose of Motivation”

My company motto is Your Best Life Possible Awaits You. I say this because your human potential is always beyond your past successes and failures. Your best life possible is what you're capable of living if your vision for your life is beyond the good and bad of your past.

Looking back when your future awaits you is what keeps people parked in life. Parking is an enemy to your limitless possibilities, and will undoubtedly keep you grounded in life. Anything which enters your life and forces you to swing the momentum away from your dream is what forces you to park.

I've made the vow to lose myself in my dream this year. I know that if I lose myself in my dream, then it will begin to make decisions for me which are in accordance with the actualization of my dream.

Your dream, when it consumes you, forms a protective barrier which sets off an alarm when anything poses a detriment to it! So, if you're immersed in your dream, then it becomes difficult to park because the momentum is pulling you in the direction of it constantly, and combating the hindering forces of mediocrity which want to steal your greatness.

Immersing yourself in your dream keeps you looking and moving forward at all times. This is why my favourite book says "Where there is no vision the people perish." Why? Our nature is to surpass any current standing, good or bad, and evolve into the divine beings we are. This occurs as we press towards different marks in life. Forget the good and bad of the past and press.

Never fear failure at the onset of any endeavour. We become discouraged in life when we fall short of our various marks, but if you look back you'll see clearly that every endeavour showed you things about yourself which are pivotal for you functioning at the level you are currently at. You never just stumble into situations in life; you're strategically placed into them with the design that they'll introduce you to some facet of yourself which is in accordance with the true you.

Any situation in life, if viewed correctly, will serve you and not be a deterrent if viewed with an optimistic perspective. There's good and bad in every situation in life. It's just a matter of the perspective you take when viewing the past which determines whether you park, or see the good and allow it to accelerate you towards your vision.

This day, this month, this year, this lifetime, fixate your own NO PARKING sign on your heart, and everything in your life will move you in the direction of your best life possible!

Quotes

"Form the habit of saying 'Yes' to a good idea. Then write down all the reasons why it will work. There will always be plenty of people around you to tell you why it won't work."--- Gil Atkinson

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." Elizabeth Kubler-Ross