Lessons For Life

December 12, 2009

• Successful Entrepreneur – The Phoenix Way to Unlimited Success And Happiness

  

  Soar Above The Rest By Design

  You're familiar with the myth of the phoenix, the legendary firebird that dies every 500 years only to be reborn from its ashes, more beautiful and resplendent than ever before?

  That's what you're looking to do, isn't it? Rise from the ashes of your old life and be reborn as a successful businessperson?

  Fortunately, the way has been traveled before. Many folks have had to start from scratch and grow a business from the ground up. I call them the Phoenix Entrepreneurs.

  The Phoenix Entrepreneur Rising From The Ashes

  Just like the bird, Phoenix Entrepreneurs rise from the ashes of an old life, a life that was no longer viable.

  In the beginning, they felt just like you probably do now: scared, unsure, and probably pretty alone.

  Yet they made it.

  They created businesses that have withstood the test of time and nourished not only their own families, but the families of hundreds (if not thousands) of employees. If you don't believe me, just read No, You Don't Need a College Education to be Successful And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

  There are Phoenix Entrepreneurs all over the place. It's an illustrious group and one you can join! All it takes is following a few simple steps and thinking a certain way.

  If you need a point clarified, just ask. Leave a message on the blog and you'll get not only my years of experience, but the experience of all the others who respond to your question.

  Ready?

  Keep reading to find out how Phoenix businessmen and businesswomen think and act to grow a successful business.

  Think Like The Phoenix Entrepreneur To Succeed

  Read more on Successful Entrepreneur – The Phoenix Way to Unlimited Success And Happiness…

November 23, 2009

• Looking Back Over 30 Years To Look Forward To Life!

  

  Sometimes Looking Back Gives Us A Great Appreciation About Where We Have Been AND Where We Are Going

  I was a but under the weather the other week, couldn't go to church, and on came one of my favorite TV shows: Sunday on CBS.

  The show provided a few Looks Back over 30 years, and I quickly began taking notes.

  I'm old enough that I remember most of this and though I may not have appreciated it until it was presented in an overview, SO much has happened during the time since I was in college.

  Three Mile Island
  The Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union both crumbled
  The President of the United States has changed several time, in completely peaceful ways, unlike many countries around the world
  Iraq and Iran grew in military power
  9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq
  China grew in economic power
  Women gained seats on the Supreme Court
  A black man sits in the most powerful chair in the USA and a black man is the best golfer in the world

  As the show continued, I became aware of some of the scientific advances (I think most people would say they're advances) that have taken place. My dad would often say in some of the many speeches he would give that you can look around the room and MOST of the things you could see were created within the past 30 years.

  The Hubble Telescope is flying high
  Cloning of plants and animals
  Anti depressants, Viagra, Cancer stoppers
  Vaccines

  Words and actions and fads zoom by us and we seldom stop to notice when they come or when they go.
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November 19, 2009

• Successful Entrepreneur – Can I Make It As An Entrepreneur?

  

  How Can You Make Your Business Successful When Working By Yourself?

  These are uncertain times, and it can cause even the bravest soul to think twice before launching a new business.

  • Will I be able to pay the mortgage?
  • Can I put food on the table?
  • Will my kids have clothes and shoes?
  • Can I do this on my own?
  • Is there any way to know I will succeed before I begin?

  I can hear you now: "I want some assurances!"

  Unfortunately, there is no blueprint for success, no surefire way to tell if a person can make it in the land of the self-employed. However, most successful entrepreneurs have a few traits in common, a few habits and ways of thinking that push them toward success.

  Here As Some Traits I Think Are Most Important

  They believe in themselves. The most important trait successful entrepreneurs have in common is an unswerving faith in themselves and their ability to get the job done.

  They know they are capable of completing any task, no matter how daunting. Even if they don't know exactly how it will get done, they know they can figure it out and make it work. Even just this attitude sets them apart from 99% of the rest of the world.

  Successful entrepreneurs know they can go head-to-head with anyone and come out on top. They thrive on competition and improving themselves through battle in the business arena.

  They don’t shy from competition, they see it as part of the fun they have in this game.

  “It's kind of fun to do the impossible.” Walt Disney

  They visualize success. Successful entrepreneurs keep what they want to manifest forefront in their thoughts.

  Successful entrepreneurs SEE the business they want to create and keep a picture of it in their heads all the time. And visualization isn’t all they do: they write down their goals and strategies to be sure they stay focused.

  • They see themselves acquiring product and moving it out to distribution centers.
  • They see the product moving off shelves and reorders flowing in.
  • They see the service they provide helping their clients succeed.
  • They see themselves shaking hands with business partners, closing deals, and the deal working out smoothly to the benefit of all parties involved.

  Entrepreneurs have an unswerving belief in themselves and their ability to get the job done. They may not know exactly how they will accomplish a given task, but they know they can figure it out because they see the success they will achieve even before they start.

  They don't think about what could go wrong.

  They never, never, never worry about what could happen.

  Believe me, if you're worrying about all the things that can go wrong, you're not keeping the success-vision of your business at the forefront of your thoughts. You're not visualizing success. In fact, you're visualizing the bad stuff that can happen and all your energy is going into creating it!

  And since what you think about most EXPANDS, be sure to think of all the success and goals you have to achieve and let them be utmost in your thinking.

  Here’s something I learned from a good friend who happens to love to ride his motorcycle when the weather is good.
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September 28, 2009

• Life Lessons – Blue Zones Studies Of The Longest Living Can Help You NOW

  

  What Do People From Around The World Who Live To Be More Than 100 Have In Common

  Over the past few days, Dan Buettner, Blue Zones, and studies about people living to be more than 100 have really caught my attention.

  I'm not sure how LONG I want to live (having seen the low quality of life some people suffer with in their latter years), but I DO want to live WELL.

  Reading some of Dan's writing (and highly recommending his website: BlueZones.com) I want to point out these important items Dan talks about. Take care of THESE and your life expectancy (and quality of life) will expand.

  And how does he know this? He studies what he calls Blue Zones – those pocket around the world where a large percentage of the population lives to be more than 100 years old.

  Places like Loma Linda, CA; Sadinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; and Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica.

  In Okinawa, 50 people out of 100,000 live to be over 100 years old where in most of the USA it's only 20.

  And Mr. Buettner points out that only about 25% of longevity is due to heredity, genes, genetics… the rest is due to the choices people make every day.

  Here are some of the findings:

  Choose Activity, Not Exercise

  In Sardinia where the rate of centenarians is 208 out of 100,000, many of the men are shepherds… they are out walking much of the day. And in Okinawa, they spend time in their gardens. And in Loma Linda (where a lot of Seventh Day Adventists live), they take frequent nature walks.

  Each group has low-impact yet regular exercise. No spinning classes, no weight lifting, no marathons… just regular daily physical activity.

  Recommended: Walk, ride a bike, take the stairs and not an elevator. Cut your grass, get out of your car to open your own garage door, and ditch the TV remote. Personally I park in the really large parking lot at Borders each week and make sure I walk from a far corner to the front door… hey, every step helps.

  Eat Less

  Easy steps here: stop eating when you are no longer hungry rather than stuffing yourself until you feel full. My wife keeps telling me that it takes 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain that you are full… so don't over do it.
  Read more on Life Lessons – Blue Zones Studies Of The Longest Living Can Help You NOW…

September 7, 2009

• Lessons for Life – Optimists Live Longer Than Pessimists

  

  University of Pittsburgh Shows It Pays To Be An Optimist

  University of Pittsburgh researcher, Hilary Tindle, surveyed 100,000 women and then tracked their lives and health for eight years. The study group were all women ages 50 – 79, but let's extrapolate to make some general statements.

  When asked, "In unclear times, I usually expect the best," people answering "yes" were classified as optimists. Those who answered "If something can go wrong for me, it will," as a "yes," they were classified as pessimists.

  And truly, the "best" doesn't always happen and neither does something go "wrong" just because we think it might, but notice that both of these reflect the outlook people have on their lives. These are INNER THOUGHTS expressed in the form of answers to questionnaires.

  All the women were healthy when the study began.

  Interesting Results Based On Someone's Outlook On Life

  After 8 years, the most optimistic women were

  • 9% less likely to have developed heart disease
  • 30% less likely to have DIED from heart disease
  • 14% less likely to have dies from ANYTHING

  After 8 years, those who scored highest in "cynical hostility" were at an even greater risk of dying.

  Ms. Tindle told CNN.com: "When you look at all the risks, pessimists had everything in the WRONG direction."

  She then thought out loud: "The question is, can we take these ingrained attitudes and teach that individual to modify them?"

  How do YOU feel about this? I say YES… we can teach people to think more optimistically… but do some of them really want to LEARN?

  How Do YOU Look At Life's Ups And Downs?

  If you look on the bright side of life, your life will be brighter.

  I'm not talking about just wishing for good things, I mean the deep down inside you when you think good thoughts, you life will improve.

  When it rains, what do you say?

  "What lousy weather it is."

  OR…
  Read more on Lessons for Life – Optimists Live Longer Than Pessimists…