The Secret to Confidence is Preparation by Max Steingart

There can be no great courage when there is no confidence or assurance.Half the battle is in the conviction that you can accomplish what you undertake.

With practice you’ll come to a point of competence in anything.You’ll find yourself accomplishing your goals with grace and confidence.

It’s then that you’ll do things that you never dreamed you could do.You’ll discover powers you never knew existed.

Confidence doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s the result of constant work and dedication. If you’re prepared, you’re able to feel confident.

Words from a Winner!

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever."



"I take nothing for granted. I now have only good days, or great days."~ Lance Armstrong

Martin Luther King Jr.

As we acknowledge Martin Luther King Jr. day, we remember him as an inspirational visionary and speaker. He captivated the world with his “I have a dream” speech, one of the most quoted speeches every delivered.
We should also remember Dr. King as an incredible example of accomplishment.

Between 1955 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over 2500 times. He wrote 5 books and as well as numerous articles. He led a Bus boycott that lasted 382 days and resulted in the Supreme Court declaring that segregation on buses was unconstitutional. He planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of black voters and led protests that were noted the world over. In this time he was arrested over 20 times, assaulted at least 4 times, had his home bombed, was awarded 5 honorary degrees and was named as Time Magazines Man of the year in 1963. He won the Nobel Peace prize in 1964. A lifetime of accomplishments made even more incredible when you consider that when he was assassinated in 1968, he was only 39 years old.

Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed BIG dreams and put his energy into executing on his plan – a great example for all of us.

To commemorate this day I wanted to share a couple of my favorite quotes of his:

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause and say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well."

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."

Great words from a man who demonstrated vision and passion.

Cam

Goals Get You Going!

"People with goals succeed because they know where they are going. It's as simple as that." - Earl Nightingale

A powerful strategy and explanation comes to us courtesy of Les Brown. Les is an author, speaker and success coach who delivers what I believe to be a concise strategy for guiding you towards your goals and life vision. Here’s what Les has to say:

“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 ten 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 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 ten 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!”

"A goal properly set is halfway reached." - Abraham Lincoln

A great action plan that is practical and do-able. The next step is yours!

Cam

Today's Quote - January 10, 2010

"I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that as one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours...and he will live with the license of a higher order of things."

~ Henry David Thoreau

Og Mandino - The Victory of Success

One of my favorite authors of inspirational books is Og Mandino. Although his full name was Augustine Mandino, named after his grandfather, he went by the nickname “Og.” He was born December 12, 1923 and died on September 3, 1996. As a writer Og wrote over 20 books including The Choice and The Greatest Secret in the World.

No inspiration library should be without some of his writing, as the theme of his work contains many strategies for success and the development of a full and rich life.

His books also contain many, many great and inspiring quotes. Some of my personal favorites include:

“My dreams are worthless, my plans are dust, my goals are impossible. All are of no value unless they are followed by action. I will act now.”

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.”

“I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply ALL my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.”

“Always render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be.”

“The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting goals and achieving them. Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams.”

“Live this day as if it will be your last. Remember that you will only find ''tomorrow'' on the calendars of fools. Forget yesterday's defeats and ignore the problems of tomorrow. This is it. Doomsday. All you have. Make it the best day of your year. The saddest words you can ever utter are, ''If I had my life to live over again. ''Take the baton, now. Run with it! This is your day! Beginning today, treat everyone you meet, friend or foe, loved one or stranger, as if they were going to be dead at midnight. Extend to each person, no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness and understanding and love that you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.”

If you have not yet taken the opportunity to read some of the books written by Og Mandino, make a point of doing so this year. You will be glad you did, and will be the wiser for it.

Feel free to share your thoughts with me as well. I would love to know your impression!
To your continued success!!

Today's Quote - January 6, 2010

“Your ability to discipline yourself to set clear goals, and then to work toward them every day, will do more to guarantee your success than any other single factor.”

Brian Tracy

Solid Words from Colin Powell

A new year, a fresh start. A time to consider your habits and your plan.
As you begin 2010, consider these words of wisdom from Colin Powell:

The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve.
Anytime you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.
An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people.
As you grow your associates will change.
Some of your friends will not want you to go on.
They will want you to stay where you are.
Friends that don’t help you climb will want you to crawl.
Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream.
Those that don’t increase you will eventually decrease you.

Consider this:
Never receive council from unproductive people.
Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those that never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how.
Not everyone has a right to speak into your life.
You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person.
Don’t follow anyone who’s not going anywhere.

With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it.
Be careful where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life.
Wise is the person who fortifies his life with the right friendships.
If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights.
“A mirror reflects a man’s face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses.”
The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate – for the good and the bad.

Note: Be not mistaken.
This is applicable to family as well as friends.
Yes, do love, appreciate and be thankful for your family, for they will always be your family no matter what.
Just know that they are human first and though they are family to you, they may be a friend to someone else and will fit somewhere in the criteria above.

“In Prosperity Our Friends Know Us.
In Adversity We Know Our Friends.”

“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.”

Great advice! Ask yourself how these words may apply to you. Make sure that Excellence is your prevailing attitude each and every day and make 2010 your most successful year yet!!

Cam