For Personal Success Create Positive Momentum
By admin | January 28, 2010
With 2010 well under way, are you creating positive momentum or have you stalled out? If you’re looking for a surefire source of momentum, then make every effort to learn and implement new information and skills. Yes, you may have to invest time and money into learning. But it can make all the difference.
Here are three personal success tips to keep you building personal momentum.
1) Avoid Ignorance
“The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.” – Elbert Hubbard
What you don’t know can hurt you. Whenever an individual or company ceases to learn or reduces its storehouse of knowledge, decline swiftly follows. In today’s climate, change happens too quickly for businesses and individuals to fore go learning. Unless individuals make a concerted effort to gather information and re-educate themselves, their organizations will suffer the negative momentum of ignorance.
2) Guard Against Negligence
“Negligence is the rust of the soul, that corrodes through all her best resolves” – Owen Feltham
Executives at Philip Morris were well aware of the health hazards of smoking, yet they chose not to warn customers about the harmful effects of their products. When the truth about tobacco became widely known, the public was outraged at the company’s negligence. Scads of lawsuits were filed against Philip Morris, alleging that it deliberately withheld information from customers. To date, the company has paid out millions of dollars in court-ordered settlements, and is on the hook for millions more.
When companies refuse to act on important information – then they are said to be negligent. Philip Morris failed to respond properly to the information at its disposal, namely that its products fostered addiction and had adverse health effects. In the end, the company paid dearly in financial penalties and lost significant momentum.
3) Take Action
“An organization’s ability to learn, and translate that learning into action rapidly, is the ultimate competitive advantage.” – Jack Welch
In 1987, Merck realized it had a drug that could counteract river blindness, a disease endemic to impoverished regions. At great expense to its pocketbook, Merck agreed to provide the drug to all who needed it, as long as they needed it. In the 20+ years since making that commitment, the company has provided over 600 million treatments.
Merck’s public image was boosted exponentially as a result of its generosity. The best and brightest minds in the pharmaceutical industry flocked to Merck to associate themselves with an organization that genuinely seemed to care. By putting its knowledge to work in such a benevolent way, Merck enjoyed a surge of momentum.
Wishing you a larger life,
BB
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Dealing With Uncertainty
By admin | December 29, 2009
“The greatest loss of time is delay and expectation, which depend upon the future. We let go the present, which we have in our power, and look forward to that which depends upon chance, and so relinquish a certainty for an uncertainty.” – Seneca (5 BC – 65 AD)
What’s This Uncertainty About?
Well, according to Seneca uncertainty has been with the human race for quite some time. Where’s this uncertainty come from? Fear about the future? Fear of the unknown almost always cause stress. However, experts estimate that at least 90% of the things we worry about never come true! Yet, how much time and energy do we waste worrying about what may never come?
If you’re feeling anxious or worried about what might happen, use these tips to help alleviate your fear and stress:
Avoid worrying about the “What ifs.”
Instead of sitting around imagining all the bad scenarios that could possibly happen, funnel your energy into taking action to improve your situation, find a solution to your challenge, or work around the problem.
Adopt an optimistic attitude.
Redirect your thoughts so you vividly imagine good outcomes. It’s a funny thing, but expecting good outcomes more often results in the positive outcomes you desire!
Live in the moment.
As mentioned earlier in these posts, when you’re focused on this moment, worries about the future just don’t exist.
Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
BB
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Exercise To Reduce Health Stress
By admin | December 14, 2009
A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. – Paul Dudley White
Exercise is paramount to optimum health. Exercising not only burns off excess calories, but it also rushes extra oxygen throughout your body and brain to help in cell function, which keeps your heart, circulatory system, lungs, and muscles in shape.
Exercise releases stress and helps you maintain a healthy metabolism. It warms you up in the winter and makes you look good all year round!
So exercise not only prevents stress, but also helps eliminate it. If you exercise at least 3 times per week, it’ll help you combat stress.
Strive to be active whenever you can: take the stairs instead of elevators, go for a walk with your friends, and play with your kids. The goal is to keep moving and enjoy a healthy lifestyle!
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For Personal Success You Must Know Yourself
By admin | November 18, 2009
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” — Sun-Tzu, legendary Chinese general.
Thankfully, most of us are not facing life or death battles, but the idea still holds true. You need to understand fully both the great gifts with which you have been graced and the inherent shortcomings that accompany those gifts. We must understand that the things we do well and the blind spots that often accompany our gifts. When we understand both our gifts and our shortcomings, we can move beyond the shortcomings, leverage the gifts and motivate ourselves to success in our chosen goals. Always remember that all gifts are double edged swords – they have both a light and dark side.
Wishing you a larger life,
BB
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How To Handle Conflict For Personal Success
By admin | November 10, 2009
“Heat and animosity, contest and conflict, may sharpen the wits, although they rarely do; they never strengthen the understanding, clear the perspicacity, guide the judgment, or improve the heart.” – Walter Savage Landor
Today’s tip for personal success concerns unresolved conflicts. These conflicts can be a constant source of stress and distraction. Are you harboring anger or resentment against a loved one, friend, or co-worker? It’s time to learn how to let it go!
Use these personal success tips to eliminate this type of stress:
1. Bring it out into the open. If you’re hurt, let the other person know. It’s possible that they’re unaware of how the event affected you. Once it’s out in the open, try to resolve it together.
2. Express your emotions creatively. Write your thoughts in a journal or release your negative emotions in a creative outlet like painting, composing music, dancing, or other activities.
3. Put it in perspective. There are much worse things that have or could have happened, right? Be thankful it wasn’t worse.
4. Forgive them. Yes them, holding onto this negativity and conflict has hurt only you. Refuse to let it affect your life any further. Forgive them, let it go, and move on with your life free from this stress. If the other party isn’t willing to forgive, that’s not of your concern. Once you forgive, move on.
5. Here are some daily affirmations you can repeat assist you in healing from stress due to conflict:
- I let go of the anger inside me and I feel free.
- I sincerely forgive others.
- I am strong enough to overcome any negativity.
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For Personal Success Be A Guided Missile
By admin | October 28, 2009
“We are built to conquer environment, solve problems, achieve goals, and we find no real satisfaction or happiness in life without obstacles to conquer and goals to achieve. “ – Maxwell Maltz M.D. author of “Psycho-Cybernetics”
Bill, what on earth did you mean by that title? Well, I’m glad you asked. Both a bottle rocket and the guide missile both operate using the same basic Newtonian laws of physics. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. But do you why do you understand why the flight’s of the two are so different?
Feedback makes the difference.
The bottle rocket has no real target and no mechanism to direct it to a target. Once fired off, it’s in free flight. Any structural imbalance or shift in the wind can knock it off target. The rocket has no way to tell if it is getting closer or further away from the intended target.
The guided missile has the benefit of a constant feedback loop. The target is very clearly fixed (set) and once fired the feedback directs the missile’s flight mechanisms to constantly adjust the flight to stay on target. At any one point in the flight the missile may be blown off course but, the constant correction brings it back on target.
Fire and Forget
So, I’m suggesting that to achieve personal success, you must choose to be like the guided missile. The most important dynamic of achieving personal success is the “what” (the target), rather than the “how” (the path). Your conscious or thinking part of your mind devises the goal, or target. Stay focused on your goal and the subconscious mind will guide you on the path to its attainment. Put the “fire and forget” mechanism of guided missiles to work for you.
Wishing you a larger life,
BB
Author of “Psycho-Cybernetics” Maxwell Maltz
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The 8 Hour Emergency Room Blues
By admin | October 17, 2009
We had a little health scare in the Becker household (everyone’s OK, thanks for asking) Wednesday. Since our family physician was away on vacation, we ended up in the emergency room. It was the usual drill, health insurance info, blood work, x-rays, awaiting results, working to the top triage queue, finally leaving after 8 hours.
As it happened, I had a copy of Peaks and Valleys: Making Good And Bad Times Work For You–At Work And In Life by Spencer Johnson, M.D. in my bag. I took advantage of the “wait time” to do a little reading. “Peaks and Valleys”
Let me share a favorite passage from the book which is “Make Reality Your Friend”. As I sat waiting for my wife to return from a CAT scan, I tried to ascertain the reality of our situation. The reality was that Joan and I were tied of the process, but in truth things weren’t so bad. A group of skilled professionals were working to find the problem and get it fixed. Due to that effort, we found out her condition was not life threatening, treatment was straight forward and both of us walked out under our own power. None the worst for the wear.
Wishing you a larger life,
BB
P.S. Bob Proctor of the movie “The Secret” has a great new program that can change your life in only 6 Minutes A Day. You can check it out at : http://sixminutestosuccess.com
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Do The Opposite For Personal Success
By admin | October 13, 2009
“When you find yourself over your head in a deep hole – stop digging!.” – anon
Take a deep breathe, relax. Review what behaviors lead to your present situation. Then, do the opposite of what put you in the hole.
Credit card bills killing you – only use cash for purchases
Sending too much time watching sports and not participating in them. Turn off the TV and use the time to play.
It’s a simple technique, although not necessarily an easy one.
Try it the next time you find yourself in a hole.
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Is This The End?
By admin | October 1, 2009
“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.” – Richard Bach
Is this the end, or the start of something new?
Many people look at the daily challenges we all face as ends. The end of a job. The end of a relationship. The end of a vacation.
I choose to perceive these things as beginnings, as the start of something new. A new career, the chance to meet new people, the chance to begin work with new vigor.
Why do I choose this strange path? Well, because I choose to be happy. Endings are generally thought of as sad negative things that imply loss. I prefer to be as positive as possible, even when there is evidence to the contrary.
After all since you’re alive, you might just as well be happy about it!
Wishing you a larger life,
BB
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Personal Success Weight Loss Update
By admin | August 31, 2009
I was recently asked how I was doing on my personal weight loss goals. The answer is “pretty darn good, thank you”! Although I’m not yet at my target weight, I have released 34 pounds since the January 1, 2009. I may actually be contributing to global warming by releasing that many calories from my body to the planet!
During my yearly physical in June my physician was pleased, even though he went through all the reasons I need to loss some additional weight. All the numbers that are suppose to be up are and all the numbers that are suppose to be down are headed that way.
Life is interesting isn’t? As we age the things that should be thick get thin – like my hair. Yet at the same time the things that should be thin – like my waist – get thick. Life is just a grand comedy, make sure you take time to laugh.
Wishing you a larger life,
BB
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