Sound Wisdom Blog

Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

Controlling the Creep by Jim Stovall

You may have heard it said that something imagined in one generation can be considered possible in the next generation and can become a reality in the third generation. I would define this as culture creep, and it can be either good or bad. My late, great friend and colleague Paul Harvey often said, “Not all that we call progress is progress.” Everything that is new is not necessarily new and improved. We need to be aware of and control this type of creep in our own personal and professional lives.

You may have heard it said that something imagined in one generation can be considered possible in the next generation and can become areality in the third generation. I would define this as culture creep, and it can be either good or bad. My late, great friend and colleague Paul Harvey often said, “Not all that we call progress is progress.” Everything that is new is not necessarily new and improved. We need to be aware of and control this type of creep in our own personal and professional lives. 

When you consider someone who is guilty of a horrible crime and is in prison today, it is invariably a fact that they didn’t just wake up one day and decide to commit a horrible crime. It’s likely that, at one point, they considered lowering their standards, and then they probably committed a less severe infraction. Over time they found it somehow acceptable to commit a major crime.  

Significant changes in our lives rarely come instantly. They originate from imagining the possibilities and accepting small changes that inevitably result in a new reality. We all have standards that we live by. Some people leave it to organizations or governments to establish rules and laws, but the more enlightened among us establish our own standards that hopefully serve us as we pursue our personal and professional goals.  

I have a number of family members, friends, and colleagues whom I greatly respect. Over time, I have observed their positive standards and have implemented some of them into my own life. I know an individual who has decided that if they’re going out for a big meal and want to enjoy dessert one evening, they commit to doing extra during their workout for that day. I know a businessperson who has a standard involving spending extra time with his family after being out of town for a lengthy business trip.  

The most successful people I know have standards they have reduced to a morning routine or a series of activities they perform during the day. My own mornings involve exercise, meditation, study, and mapping out the activities for my day. This standard routine puts me in the best position to succeed throughout the day and move toward my goals. 

The most successful people I know have standards they have reduced to a morning routine or a series of activities they perform during the day.  

If there’s something in your life you want to improve upon, consider establishing a standard that will control your behavior and let your behavior manage your results. 

As you go through your day today, set your own standards before someone else is forced to set them for you. 

 Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a New York Times bestselling author of many books, including the book-turned-major-motion-picture The Ultimate Gift. His latest book, coauthored with Dr. Greg S. Reid, is Passport to Success: Experience Next Level Living. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

The Art of Entrepreneurship by Jim Stovall

In The Art of Entrepreneurship, readers will discover who should be an entrepreneur and who should not, the truth about myths entrepreneurship, and the quickest and most reliable ways to succeed while avoiding the pitfalls that sidetrack many would-be entrepreneurs. The Art of Entrepreneurship offers real-world experience coupled with Dr. Schneider’s cutting-edge research.

I once again have the privilege of having another book released into the marketplace. Having written over 50 books, you might think I would take a new book for granted, or it might not be as important to me today as it was over 25 years ago when my first book was published. But I can assure you that every book is significant to me and holds a unique place in my heart, mind, and soul. 

The Art of Entrepreneurship is special for several reasons. As a blind person myself, entrepreneurship seemed to be the only career and life path I could take that offered me creative freedom and unlimited potential. Entrepreneurship has given me everything in the world I ever wanted and more. 

This new book is dear to me for another reason. My co-author, Dr. Kevin Schneider, brings his experience and expertise as the executive director of the Stovall Center for Entrepreneurship at Oral Roberts University to our collaboration. In this capacity, he is responsible for training the next generation of entrepreneurs from around the world to bring their talents and visions to the marketplace and create value in the lives of other people. 

The Stovall Center for Entrepreneurship represents the culmination of my career goals and my life’s ambition. In addition to my time, talent, experience, and contacts, starting the Stovall Center for Entrepreneurship involved my donation of $1.5 million. This contribution is significant because when my entrepreneurial journey began, I was going blind and had only $17 to my name. Entrepreneurship has given me both the desire and the ability to make more than a million-dollar commitment to young people the opportunity to travel the road I have been on for decades and has brought me to my destiny. 

In The Art of Entrepreneurship, readers will discover who should be an entrepreneur and who should not, the truth about myths entrepreneurship, and the quickest and most reliable ways to succeed while avoiding the pitfalls that sidetrack many would-be entrepreneurs. The Art of Entrepreneurship offers real-world experience coupled with Dr. Schneider’s cutting-edge research.  

My sincere hope is that this new book will help you and those you care about to explore the gifts you’ve been given and discover how you can prosper as you package and present your gifts to the world through The Art of Entrepreneurship

As you go through your day today, I hope you will enjoy the practical experience and academic principles in The Art of Entrepreneurship

Today’s the day! I once again have the privilege of having another book released into the marketplace. Having written over 50 books, you might think I would take a new book for granted, or it might not be as important to me today as it was over 25 years ago when my first book was published. But I can assure you that every book is significant to me and holds a unique place in my heart, mind, and soul. 

The Art of Entrepreneurship is special for several reasons. As a blind person myself, entrepreneurship seemed to be the only career and life path I could take that offered me creative freedom and unlimited potential. Entrepreneurship has given me everything in the world I ever wanted and more. 

This new book is dear to me for another reason. My co-author, Dr. Kevin Schneider, brings his experience and expertise as the executive director of the Stovall Center for Entrepreneurship at Oral Roberts University to our collaboration. In this capacity, he is responsible for training the next generation of entrepreneurs from around the world to bring their talents and visions to the marketplace and create value in the lives of other people. 

The Stovall Center for Entrepreneurship represents the culmination of my career goals and my life’s ambition. In addition to my time, talent, experience, and contacts, starting the Stovall Center for Entrepreneurship involved my donation of $1.5 million. This contribution is significant because when my entrepreneurial journey began, I was going blind and had only $17 to my name. Entrepreneurship has given me both the desire and the ability to make more than a million-dollar commitment to young people the opportunity to travel the road I have been on for decades and has brought me to my destiny. 

In The Art of Entrepreneurship, readers will discover who should be an entrepreneur and who should not, the truth about myths entrepreneurship, and the quickest and most reliable ways to succeed while avoiding the pitfalls that sidetrack many would-be entrepreneurs. The Art of Entrepreneurship offers real-world experience coupled with Dr. Schneider’s cutting-edge research. 

My sincere hope is that this new book will help you and those you care about to explore the gifts you’ve been given and discover how you can prosper as you package and present your gifts to the world through The Art of Entrepreneurship

As you go through your day today, I hope you will enjoy the practical experience and academic principles in The Art of Entrepreneurship

Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor). His latest book, The Art of Entrepreneurship (coauthored with Dr. Kevin Schneider, executive director of the Stovall Center for Entrepreneurship at Oral Roberts University), is now available to purchase from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other fine retailers.

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

Reframing Your Memories by Jim Stovall

Very few things in life are either all good or all bad. Even in the worst of times and during the most difficult of circumstances, there are lessons to be learned that can impact who we are and what we do for the rest of our lives.

Photo by ian dooley on Unsplash

Most people in the professional development or personal achievement fields would agree that we can control our present thoughts and impact our future success. The idea that we can change our circumstances now and in the future has become universally accepted, but very few people consider the possibility of altering our memories. While we can’t change the past, we can reframe, reconsider, and reevaluate the way we look at it. Very few things in life are either all good or all bad. Even in the worst of times and during the most difficult of circumstances, there are lessons to be learned that can impact who we are and what we do for the rest of our lives. 

While we can’t change the past, we can reframe, reconsider, and reevaluate the way we look at it. 

One of my earliest memories as a child was on a Sunday night in 1964 when my parents let me stay up late to watch the Ed Sullivan Show with them. I don’t know that anyone in our family was interested in that show, but on that particular night, The Beatles were performing for the first time on national television in America. My parents were not big Beatles fans, but they understood the power of that moment in our culture, and they shared it with me. Throughout the ensuing years, I became a huge fan of The Beatles and their music. Their impact cannot be fully understood unless you consider how revolutionary they were during that point in time. 

Recently, hundreds of hours of film rediscovered in The Beatles archives. This film was shot over many days while The Beatles recorded one of their last albums. Rumors of the band’s imminent breakup abounded during that time, and it was considered to be a difficult period for these four young men who had grown up together and changed the world. Over the years, the four Beatles and the other people in the studio for those sessions have recalled how uncomfortable and turbulent those recording sessions became. 

However, when the voluminous amount of film was meticulously reviewed to create a new documentary, it was revealed that, for the most part, those sessions were very positive and upbeat. There were a few brief conflicts, but they had to do more with the creative process than any personality conflicts. The two living Beatles were surprised to discover that the film evidence of those sessions did not match up with their own memories. 

You and I have the opportunity to look at our past and rediscover a new reality. Failure is fertilizer for future success. 

Failure is fertilizer for future success. 

As you go through your day today, reconsider your past as you plan for your future. 

Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor). His latest book, coauthored with Greg S. Reid, is Passport to Success: Experience Next Level Living, which you can preorder wherever books are sold.

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

The Myth of Not Deciding by Jim Stovall

We succeed or fail in virtually every area of our lives based on the decisions we make. Decisions often make us nervous because we realize there could be unfavorable consequences if we make the wrong choice. The potential outcome causes many people to rush, delay, or avoid a decision. With every decision we face, there is an optimal window of time to both make and implement the decision. This optimal time comes when we have had an opportunity to gather as much information and input as possible while all of our options are still open.

We succeed or fail in virtually every area of our lives based on the decisions we make. Decisions often make us nervous because we realize there could be unfavorable consequences if we make the wrong choice. The potential outcome causes many people to rush, delay, or avoid a decision. With every decision we face, there is an optimal window of time to both make and implement the decision. This optimal time comes when we have had an opportunity to gather as much information and input as possible while all of our options are still open. 

Many people rush to make a decision because they don’t want to deal with the anxiety surrounding the analysis of the available choices. These people often make poor decisions with dire consequences because they did not have the benefit of quality information and input that would have helped them make a good choice had they simply taken the time to evaluate all of the resources available to them. 

Suppose you are planning an outdoor activity, and you are worried about inclement weather. There’s no reason to make a decision 30 days in advance if you have the opportunity to wait until the day before the event to get a clearer picture of weather conditions and the short-term forecast. 

Delaying a decision beyond the optimal window of time to make a choice can be as detrimental as rushing a decision. If a high school student is struggling to decide where to apply to college, there becomes a point when the application deadline begins to eliminate their available options. If you delay a decision, you will begin to lose options. If you postpone long enough, you will lose the opportunity to decide at all. 

Either rushing or delaying a decision will damage your ability to make good choices. The first decision you need to make is, when do you need to decide? You need to choose a date that will give you ample time to gather all pertinent information and evaluate it. And you need to decide before deadlines, or other external forces, begin to erode your options. 

The worst way to handle a looming decision is to avoid it altogether. The people who avoid decisions are left with the least desirable options available or no options at all. If you avoid deciding what you want to enjoy in the banquet of life, you will find yourself eating leftovers or going hungry. 

As you go through your day today, commit to making the right decisions at the right time for the right reasons. 

Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including the Wisdom for Winners series. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

Delayed Gratification by Jim Stovall

There is not one simple overriding key to success. Instead, there are a number of keys that make success possible. However, one of the most significant concepts among the keys to success is that of delayed gratification. Olympian Peter Vidmar said, “Don’t sacrifice what you want most for what you want now.” Few things in life that are worthwhile come easily or are attained quickly.

There is not one simple overriding key to success. Instead, there are a number of keys that make success possible. However, one of the most significant concepts among the keys to success is that of delayed gratification. Olympian Peter Vidmar said, “Don’t sacrifice what you want most for what you want now.” Few things in life that are worthwhile come easily or are attained quickly. 

I’ve long believed that there’s no shortcut to anywhere worth going. One of the most significant indicators of future success came to light through research done on preschool children that became known as The Marshmallow Test. In this research, a preschool-aged child was taken into a small room and told to sit at a table. On the table in front of them was one marshmallow. The only instructions given to the child was that they could eat the marshmallow now, or if they waited five minutes, the researcher would come back and give them a second marshmallow. That simple test proved to be an amazingly accurate indicator of how children would succeed throughout their education and career. 

Many of our ancestors grew up in an agrarian society. They lived on farms and daily observed the cycle of planting and harvesting. Farmers worked all year and basically had one payday after they harvested their crops. People who are willing to plow, plant, fertilize, and cultivate their fields in hopes of a good crop later in the year understand delayed gratification. 

Higher education offers many lessons in delayed gratification. Obviously, students are studying today putting in effort and energy that will pay off years down the road in the form of a degree. College students are often faced with the dilemma of enjoying a night out with friends now or studying for a test that will potentially result in a good grade later. Success in life comes when we can strike a balance between smelling the rose today and planting roses that will be enjoyed in the future.   

The recipe for failure is quite simply short-term, bad decisions repeated regularly. If you eat poorly today and neglect to exercise, it will have little, if any, effect on your long-term health. However, if you make it a regular, ongoing habit, it can literally kill you. The difficulty arises that if you eat well and exercise today, you won’t experience positive results as quickly as tomorrow. Success is cumulative. 

The regular, systematic investments in your retirement plan or investment portfolio will seem insignificant at the moment but will make you wealthy in the future. 

As you go through your day today, make choices that will bring you success in the future. 

Today’s the day! 

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including The Gift of Giving, co-authored with Don Green, the executive director of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

Patience and Procrastination by Jim Stovall

Patience is a significant element of success, and procrastination is a significant element of failure.

To an outside observer, patience and procrastination can look the same. The difference between patience and procrastination can be determined by whether you’re waiting on something or something is waiting on you.

Photo by Ümit Bulut on Unsplash

Photo by Ümit Bulut on Unsplash

Patience is a significant element of success, and procrastination is a significant element of failure. 

To an outside observer, patience and procrastination can look the same. The difference between patience and procrastination can be determined by whether you’re waiting on something or something is waiting on you.  

If you drive by a farm during the springtime and there appears to be no activity underway, it may be because the farmer has already planted and is patiently waiting for the next phase of his activity, or it could mean the farmer is procrastinating and avoiding the task of planting, which could endanger or ruin his crop.  

“The difference between patience and procrastination can be determined by whether you’re waiting on something or something is waiting on you.” 

I meet many aspiring entrepreneurs at speaking engagements, movie premieres, and book signings. When I inquire about their current project or next opportunity, they will often use platitudes such as, “I’m waiting for my ship to come in,” or “I’m waiting to get all my ducks in a row.” In reality, they never sent a ship out, and they’ve been waiting so long, their pier collapsed; and not only are their ducks not in a row, but they flew off or died of old age a long time ago.  

If you have a dream, a goal, or an ambition, it requires some activity today. I have written almost 1,000 weekly columns that are read by countless people around the world in newspapers, magazines, and online publications. I hope each column contains some useful advice or powerful principle, but without exception, every column—including this one—ends with the phrase “Today’s the day!”  

It doesn’t matter what you know now if you don’t do something today. Maybe it’s only a matter of studying something or meeting a key person, but you need to be doing something today. There will be days when your activity will involve patiently waiting for something you have done to develop or emerge into reality.  

If you have called an influential person to make a key contact, you may be patiently waiting for the person to call you back, or you may be afraid to make the call, so you are simply procrastinating. Patience is productive. Procrastination is useless. 

“Patience is productive. Procrastination is useless.” 

Patience involves celebrating the task you have done while waiting for the seed you have planted to grow. Procrastination involves avoiding what you know needs to be done, which makes a mockery of your passion, your goals, and your destiny.  

As you go through your day today, utilize patience and reject procrastination. 

Today’s the day!  

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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor). This and other motivational pieces by Jim can be found in Wisdom for Winners Volume Three, an official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. You can listen to the audiobook here on Audible

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

Small Details and Big Results by Jim Stovall

Rarely do we ever make a 100% improvement. We, instead, make one hundred 1% improvements. It’s the small details that produce tiny margins that can make all the difference. If you think about why you do business with the companies and individuals you choose to spend your money with, many times you will realize that their products and services may be no different than their competitors, but you chose them because of some small gesture or minor convenience they offer that made all the difference to you.

Photo by Japheth Mast on Unsplash

The concept of going the extra mile is among the many transformational thoughts that have become the enduring legacy of the author Napoleon Hill. If you watch a horse race, oftentimes the difference between first place, second place, and the other horses in the field is such a slim margin that they have to utilize a photo finish to determine which horse won, as well as which horses finished out of the money. While the difference may be fractions of an inch, the result can be dramatically different. 

The first-place horse in one of the Triple Crown races receives millions of dollars in prize money, endorsements, and future payouts, while other horses in the field—who ran almost as fast over an entire mile—may leave the track with almost nothing to show for their efforts.   

Rarely do we ever make a 100% improvement. We, instead, make one hundred 1% improvements. It’s the small details that produce tiny margins that can make all the difference. If you think about why you do business with the companies and individuals you choose to spend your money with, many times you will realize that their products and services may be no different than their competitors, but you chose them because of some small gesture or minor convenience they offer that made all the difference to you. 

“Real competition begins when most people are ready to quit.”

Shortly after Muhammed Ali became the heavyweight champion of the world, he was asked how many push-ups he did each day. He responded, “I don’t start counting till it hurts.” Ali understood that the real competition begins when most people are ready to quit. My late great friend and mentor, legendary coach John Wooden—during his unparalleled run of winning ten championships in twelve years—taught his teams that while it may appear that basketball games are won or lost on last-second shots, in reality any basket made or missed throughout the entire game could have made all the difference. 

In your personal or professional life, think about the small and insignificant things that can make all the difference to those around you. 

I consult with several real estate firms, and I find the real estate industry to be a great proving ground for success principles because everyone has access to the same listings at the same price. However, with this totally level playing field, some real estate professionals make millions of dollars per year while others are working for less than minimum wage. The difference is not the property or the price. It is the service, the attitude, and the small details that make all the difference.  

As you go through your day today, you can win big victories if you pay attention to small details.  

Today’s the day! 

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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including the Wisdom for Winners series. His most recent book, a collaboration with the Napoleon Hill Foundation, is Dear Napoleon: The Living Legacy of Napoleon Hill and Think and Grow Rich, which collects the stories of real people whose lives have been altered by the work and wisdom of Napoleon Hill. Jim Stovall is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

Just Say “No” by Jim Stovall

Unless we learn how to say “no” to the things that are wrong for us in our personal and professional lives, we won’t be able to say “yes” to the right things. Our lives are a constant struggle between the elements of time and money. Typically, we start out as young adults and have very little money but a lot of flexible time. Then, based on our efforts, later in life we often find ourselves with a lot of money and far less free time.

Photo by Gemma Evans on Unsplash

Photo by Gemma Evans on Unsplash

Unless we learn how to say “no” to the things that are wrong for us in our personal and professional lives, we won’t be able to say “yes” to the right things. Our lives are a constant struggle between the elements of time and money. Typically, we start out as young adults and have very little money but a lot of flexible time. Then, based on our efforts, later in life we often find ourselves with a lot of money and far less free time.  

Wealth and money bring choices in our lives. We can buy products that we hope will make our lives better and more convenient, or we can buy services that replace our efforts, resulting in us having more free time. Unfortunately, too often, we value our money more than our time. This is an unwise calculation because we can always acquire more money, but we are all allotted a finite amount of time each day, and we are allotted a finite number of days here on earth.  

If someone calls you on the phone or barges into your office unannounced, interrupting your workflow and wasting your time, you often overlook this as a normal part of your professional life. If that same person reached into your wallet and took twenty dollars of your money, you would stop them and make them give you your money back. While it’s prudent and proper to protect your money in this example, it’s far more important and productive to protect your time. 

Oprah Winfrey provided me with a great time management lesson that has had an impact on both my personal and professional life. Years ago, when I started having a bit of success as an author, speaker, movie producer, and columnist, I began receiving invitations to speak at events, make appearances, and do book signings. Some of these offers made sense for me within the context of my professional goals, and others did not. I found myself creating excuses in the form of scheduling conflicts to turn down the offers that did not make sense for me.  

When someone called to ask if I could be at their event on Tuesday the 27th, I might reply, “Oh, I’m sorry I have another event that night.” In my mind, I was saying, “No, thank you.” Oprah helped me to understand that in the mind of the person inviting me to be a part of their event, they heard my excuse as, “I would agree to do it, but I’m already booked for that date and time.” I found myself being trapped into doing events I really didn’t want to do because promoters were willing to move the date and time of their event to avoid my conflict. Oprah gave me the simple, straightforward, and profound answer to any request that doesn’t fit my goals and objectives. Instead of coming up with elaborate conflicts and excuses, I have found it much better to simply respond by saying, “I’m sorry, that’s not going to work for me.” 

This simple but straightforward response can save you a lot of time and avoid potential embarrassment as you strive to fill your calendar with activities that move you toward your personal and professional goals.  

As you go through your day today, manage your money and protect your time. 

Today’s the day! 

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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including the Wisdom for Winners series. His most recent book, a collaboration with the Napoleon Hill Foundation, is Dear Napoleon: The Living Legacy of Napoleon Hill and Think and Grow Rich, which collects the stories of real people whose lives have been altered by the work and wisdom of Napoleon Hill. Jim Stovall is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

Freedom and Success by Jim Stovall

Freedom is an often-misunderstood word. We all grasp the concept of being able to do what we want to do and when we want to do it, but our ideas of freedom often get confused when we think of other people’s liberty, particularly when it relates to those with whom we disagree. The great American patriot Thomas Paine, said, “He who would make his own liberty secure must guard even his own enemy from oppression.”

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

For over 20 years, my column has been read each week by people around the world. The readers of the Winners’ Wisdom columns represent a multitude of nationalities, faiths, creeds, and cultures.  

If you have been a reader of mine for any length of time, you know that I believe that our success is greatly a product of our own attitude, effort, and ingenuity; however, this belief presumes that you live in a free and open society.  

In the two decades I have been writing Winners’ Wisdom, technology has changed the world. In the mid-1990s, most of the readers of my weekly columns accessed my message via a print publication such as a magazine or newspaper. Today because of the Internet, a diverse group of people around the globe read this weekly offering via the Internet. Many of these new online readers live in countries where they face resistance and oppression toward their success, freedom, and happiness.  

Freedom is an often-misunderstood word. We all grasp the concept of being able to do what we want to do and when we want to do it, but our ideas of freedom often get confused when we think of other people’s liberty, particularly when it relates to those with whom we disagree. The great American patriot Thomas Paine, said, “He who would make his own liberty secure must guard even his own enemy from oppression.”  

If you and I believe in liberty and enjoy our own freedom to succeed or fail on our own terms, we must not only tolerate those with whom we disagree, but we must be willing to fight for their rights as well as our own. I believe a true patriot and lover of liberty should be able to readily identify and articulate several beliefs, positions, and practices they disagree with personally but would defend vigorously.  

I’m a voracious reader and find that I gain more enlightenment and deeper learning when reading books written by authors with whom I disagree. In many cases, I find that our areas of disagreement aren’t as deep as I thought they were, and as I begin to understand the motives behind other people’s mission and message, I find a lot of common ground. There is a phrase generally attributed to Native American wisdom that says, “Don’t judge a man unless you have walked a mile in his moccasins.”  

Many times, issues boil down to right versus wrong; in which case, we must stand up for what is right. But sometimes that which we think is wrong is merely a different perspective.  

As you go through your day today, celebrate your own freedom by protecting the freedom of others. 

Today’s the day! 

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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor). This and other motivational pieces by Jim can be found in Wisdom for Winners Volume Three, an official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. You can listen to the audiobook here on Audible or purchase your electronic or print copy wherever books are sold.

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

The Miraculous Mirror by Jim Stovall

We spend far too much time in our lives worrying about what everyone thinks of us when in reality, it is far more important what we think of ourselves. While a mirror can only give us a basic reflection of ourselves as we are viewed by the world, it can be the beginning of a deeper assessment of who we are and who we can become. As a blind person, I’ve always been troubled to hear people say, “I’ll believe it when I can see it.” Then one day, I realized the fallacy of that statement, and I discovered the divine paradox that, “We have to believe it first, then we will see it later.” Therefore, seeing is not believing, but believing is the first step in seeing on a far deeper level.

Photo by Alex Lopez on Unsplash

Photo by Alex Lopez on Unsplash

Here in the 21st century, we take it for granted each morning when we look in the bathroom mirror as we shave or apply make-up, consult the full-length mirror when we check our wardrobe before we leave the house, or glance in the rearview mirror as we back out of our garage. That which we take for granted would have been an absolute miracle to most of our ancestors throughout recorded history.  

As I walk on stage in arenas around the world to share my story with thousands of people, I generally begin by saying, “Please don’t miss the power of this message due to the weakness of the messenger. I have not arrived at the mountaintop I seek, but instead, I am a fellow traveler like you seeking my destiny and higher calling. I do not stand before you today with the answers you are seeking, but instead, I am here with questions. These questions will be as if I were holding up a mirror in front of you. If you will be honest with your assessment, you will discover that you already have been given the answers to the questions that are confronting you.” 

We spend far too much time in our lives worrying about what everyone thinks of us when in reality, it is far more important what we think of ourselves. While a mirror can only give us a basic reflection of ourselves as we are viewed by the world, it can be the beginning of a deeper assessment of who we are and who we can become. As a blind person, I’ve always been troubled to hear people say, “I’ll believe it when I can see it.” Then one day, I realized the fallacy of that statement, and I discovered the divine paradox that, “We have to believe it first, then we will see it later.” Therefore, seeing is not believing, but believing is the first step in seeing on a far deeper level.    

I learned this by living the first half of my life with sight and the second half of my life with vision. Sight is a powerful gift. It tells you where you are and what’s around you. But vision is an infinitely more valuable gift as it tells you where you could be and what’s possible. Without sight, we can adapt and function quite well in the real world, but without vision, we perish. A mirror can be a mere convenience or a powerful tool that allows us to begin to assess who we are and all that we were created to be. 

As you go through your day today, use the mirror’s reflection of your outward image to begin exploring the depths of your heart, mind, and soul. Today’s the day! 

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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including The Gift of Giving, co-authored with Don Green, the executive director of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

Pre-crastination by Jim Stovall

Our lives are the accumulated total of the things we do, not the things we thought about doing, meant to do, wanted to do, or were going to do when we got time. Procrastination kills dreams, success, and goals. For years, I thought the ideal would be to do everything on time and when I had it scheduled. Then, I discovered pre-crastination. Expert sources tell me that there are over 300,000 words in the English language. Regular readers of these columns in newspapers, magazines, and online publications around the world know that there are occasions when the supply of words in the English language is not sufficient for me, so I create a new word.

Photo by Cathryn Lavery on Unsplash

One of my treasured friends and mentors, Dr. Denis Waitley, is among the greatest success authors and speakers of our time. He often describes a mythical, magical place he calls Someday Isle (Someday I’ll). Denis describes Someday Isle as a tropical paradise where the gentle waves lap up onto the golden sand and the palm trees sway in the warm breeze. Someday Isle would be a paradise on earth except for one thing: nothing ever happens. Someday Isle is the place unsuccessful people go in their minds when they tell themselves and other people, “Someday, I’ll do…” Just like the island, someday never comes. 

Our lives are the accumulated total of the things we do, not the things we thought about doing, meant to do, wanted to do, or were going to do when we got time. Procrastination kills dreams, success, and goals. For years, I thought the ideal would be to do everything on time and when I had it scheduled. Then, I discovered pre-crastination. Expert sources tell me that there are over 300,000 words in the English language. Regular readers of these columns in newspapers, magazines, and online publications around the world know that there are occasions when the supply of words in the English language is not sufficient for me, so I create a new word. 

Our lives are the accumulated total of the things we do, not the things we thought about doing, meant to do, wanted to do, or were going to do when we got time.   

Pre-crastination is the act of taking something we were going to do at a point in the future and doing it now. This column you are reading will be sent out to thousands of sources around the world in the normal weekly rotation we established when this Winners’ Wisdom column became syndicated. Even though my column goes out each week, I decided years ago to pre-crastinate. Therefore, these words were written approximately six months before you are reading them.  

Pre-crastination is a way to pay it forward to ourselves. When today’s schedule permits, I often pre-crastinate and do something I had slated to do days, weeks, or even months in the future. Pre-crastination will allow you to rarely, if ever, have to deal with deadlines. If you’ve ever been invited to attend a once-in-a-lifetime event in your personal or professional life but found that you didn’t have time, you are not a victim of your current calendar as much as you have failed to pre-crastinate.    

Calendars and “to-do” lists exist to serve us. When we do not follow the minimal schedule we have set for ourselves, we have set ourselves up for failure. When we follow our own schedule, we are doing what is expected and can anticipate average or mediocre results. But, when we pre-crastinate, we are doing what the great author and thought leader Napoleon Hill described as going the extra mile. If you will invest the best of your efforts in every minute, hour, and day of your life, your investment will pay off far beyond your wildest dreams.   

As you go through your day today, do everything you have scheduled, then pre-crastinate. 

Today’s the day! 

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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including the Wisdom for Winners series. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

Ideas, Improvements, and Innovations by Jim Stovall

You may have heard the old saying, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” Whether or not this is true, I would at least have to agree that there is very little new under the sun. Most of what we think of as brand-new or cutting-edge is little more than something that has been remolded or reworked. In the world of breakthrough ideas, concepts, or technologies, virtually everything will fall into one of three categories. There are the rare and precious original ideas. These are few and far between, and should be celebrated for the genius they represent. The vast majority of new things are either innovations or improvements on old things.

You may have heard the old saying, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” Whether or not this is true, I would at least have to agree that there is very little new under the sun. Most of what we think of as brand-new or cutting-edge is little more than something that has been remolded or reworked. In the world of breakthrough ideas, concepts, or technologies, virtually everything will fall into one of three categories. There are the rare and precious original ideas. These are few and far between, and should be celebrated for the genius they represent. The vast majority of new things are either innovations or improvements on old things. 

Picasso said, “Good artists copy, and great artists steal.” You are undoubtably as appalled as I was initially when I thought I understood that Pablo Picasso was advocating stealing. But when I read further regarding his thoughts and ideas, I discovered Picasso was telling us that virtually all of us, including great artists, build upon the work of others.  

When you consider true cutting-edge thinkers or creators of original ideas, you might think of people such as Galileo, Alexander Graham Bell, or Einstein, but in each case, they borrowed or built on the work of others. Galileo found an early prototype of a telescope that didn’t work very well. He broadened the lens and extended the device and will forever be remembered as the inventor of the telescope. Alexander Graham Bell found some existing technology and reworked it slightly into what you and I think of as a telephone. Albert Einstein studied the work of at least two other scientists and synthesized their thoughts into his own theory of relativity.  

Here in America, we justifiably think of Thomas Jefferson as the divinely inspired genius who gave us our Declaration of Independence. In reality, phrases and whole sections of what Jefferson wrote were paraphrased or simply copied from John Locke. There are only 26 letters in the alphabet and seven musical notes, so it stands to reason that great art seems familiar as the artists are all working with the same material. 

As the author of over 40 titles who puts my contact info in each of my books, I am contacted by countless people who want to be writers. My best advice to them or you is simply, if you want to be a writer, become a reader. In order to perfect any craft, we must become a student of the top people in the field. In doing so, we can become inspired by their work, build on it, and bring our own art to the world. 

Someone wrote the first song, built the first building, or cooked the first hamburger. Ever since then, creative people have worked hard to innovate and improve the state of the art.  

As you go through your day today, explore what others have done, and then consider what you can do.  

Today’s the day!  

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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including the Wisdom for Winners series. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).  

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

Responsible for Your Response by Jim Stovall

We live in a world that is growing more contentious every day. There are huge social and political divides between people, and social media highlights and magnifies these glaring conflicts. I believe that we should all be responsible for our own rhetoric and demeanor. While I understand it is difficult to respond with kindness, logic, or reason when you feel as if you’re being attacked, in the final analysis, we all have to be responsible for our response.

Photo by Icons8 Team on Unsplash

Photo by Icons8 Team on Unsplash

We live in a world that is growing more contentious every day. There are huge social and political divides between people, and social media highlights and magnifies these glaring conflicts. I believe that we should all be responsible for our own rhetoric and demeanor. While I understand it is difficult to respond with kindness, logic, or reason when you feel as if you’re being attacked, in the final analysis, we all have to be responsible for our response. 

People can make you mad, but they can’t make you respond with anger. When you attack another person—even after they’ve attacked you—you give up the moral, emotional, and social high ground. In many of these heated debates, the demeanor, tone, and anger behind the statements made carry more weight than the issue being discussed. 

If we’re going to make any progress in the world today, we’re going to have to have the benefit of everyone’s best ideas and diverse thought process. In order to diffuse heated debates or arguments, it is helpful to take the personalities out of the discussion. It is far more productive to debate an individual’s position and confront the logic of the stance they are taking as opposed to confronting them personally and attacking them as an individual.  

One of the most valid concepts I took away from my academic training in psychology is the fact that all feelings are legitimate whether you or I feel they are warranted or not. Everyone deserves to be heard and understood, even if you may disagree with their position. It is virtually impossible to achieve consensus when both parties are talking, and even more so when both parties are yelling. Behavioral scientists have proven that people will judge your intelligence in inverse proportion to how much you talk. Among the many nuggets of wisdom left to us by President Harry Truman was his admonition, “Never miss a good opportunity to just shut up.” 

We must pick our battles and choose our debates. Every differing opinion does not warrant our debate. Some of the greatest statesmen, corporate heads, and religious leaders are known more for bringing people together than anything else they may have done during their lifetime. It’s easier to agree on anything if you don’t feel you have to agree on everything. Some of the greatest breakthroughs in human endeavor have come about when people set aside petty differences and chose to move ahead within areas where they could find common ground. 

As you go through your day today, take responsibility for how you respond.   

Today’s the day!  

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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including the Wisdom for Winners series. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

A Cup of Retirement by Jim Stovall

There are many factors in 21st-century life that we must plan for. We should have car insurance to cover us while we’re on the road as well as homeowners or renters insurance to cover our possessions at home. Everyone should have a will whether they are wealthy or not. Many people who do not have significant assets believe there is no need for them to have a will. However, if you have children and die without a will, your state government is going to decide who raises your children. If you’re incapacitated, the state government will decide who handles your money and health care needs. While each of these eventualities can be covered, and may or may not occur, all of us will eventually retire if we live long enough.

Photo by Senior Living from StockSnap

Photo by Senior Living from StockSnap

There are many factors in 21st-century life that we must plan for. We should have car insurance to cover us while we’re on the road as well as homeowners or renters insurance to cover our possessions at home. Everyone should have a will whether they are wealthy or not. Many people who do not have significant assets believe there is no need for them to have a will. However, if you have children and die without a will, your state government is going to decide who raises your children. If you’re incapacitated, the state government will decide who handles your money and health care needs. While each of these eventualities can be covered, and may or may not occur, all of us will eventually retire if we live long enough.  

When most pensions, retirement plans, and Social Security were established here in America, the average retiree only lived a few months past age 65. Today, the average worker reaching retirement age can look forward to 18 years of life in retirement. This is an amazing change and a wonderful development as it offers people many years to enjoy the fruits of their labor. However, we must all be prepared.    

To paraphrase one of my heroes, Charles Dickens, retirement will either be the best of times or the worst of times based upon our planning and persistence. Our parents and grandparents could depend on company retirement plans or pensions, but we are going to have to do it ourselves. If you plan ahead, you will have a much more luxurious retirement than any of your ancestors. But if you don’t plan ahead, it can be devastating without the pension or corporate retirement plan safety net.  

As I review the current statistics regarding retirement balances, it seems to be a tale of two scenarios including the best of times and the worst of times. Some Americans started saving early and have remained consistent. They have invested in prudent growth funds and can look forward to living as literal multi-millionaires in their golden years. On the other hand, many Americans have no savings and no retirement. Their golden years are sadly going to be made of fool’s gold.  

Fully one-third of Americans spend more money on coffee than they put into their retirement savings. These are not poor people but, instead, are people who have poorly managed their assets. It’s easy to put it off to some unspecified time in the future, but all you need to do to receive an abrupt wake-up call is realize that, for most people, a 40-year work-life is what they can expect. If you’ve been working 20 years, you should be halfway to your retirement goals. This should either make you feel satisfied and relaxed as you look at your retirement balance or should give you a wake-up call jolt like a very large cup of strong coffee.  

As you go through your day today, realize that a little planning and preparation now will make a huge difference later. 

Today’s the day!  

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including The Millionaire Map: The Ultimate Guide to Creating, Enjoying and Sharing Wealth. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

Predicting the Future by Jim Stovall

We go to school to learn history and become conversant in things that happened in the past. We read newspapers and get online newscasts that inform us about everything going on in the present. Potentially, the most valuable time-sensitive information would be what is going to happen in the future. Each year, as the calendar turns over, pundits make their predications for the coming twelve months. It is fascinating to look back in retrospect to see what these self-proclaimed experts predicted a year ago and how badly they missed the mark. Abraham Lincoln said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

We go to school to learn history and become conversant in things that happened in the past. We read newspapers and get online newscasts that inform us about everything going on in the present. Potentially, the most valuable time-sensitive information would be what is going to happen in the future. Each year, as the calendar turns over, pundits make their predications for the coming twelve months. It is fascinating to look back in retrospect to see what these self-proclaimed experts predicted a year ago and how badly they missed the mark. Abraham Lincoln said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”  

Things in the past seem to be set in concrete, while events unfolding now seem to be fluid, but the future would appear to be totally random. However, this is not the case. You and I control our destiny, and therefore, we control our portion of the history that is being created. People who are victorious happen to history. People who are victims have history happen to them. I realize that you may have lived through a natural disaster, an economic downturn, or a violent war, but in every case, we can change the perspective of history as we change what the facts mean to us. 

Napoleon Hill taught us that every adversity, every heartache, and every difficulty is endowed with the seeds of a greater good. This means we can look for the silver lining in the midst of any storm cloud. As a novelist and movie producer, I tell human stories. These stories involve people who face unique life circumstances and show how they are impacted by the circumstances or how they impact the circumstances.   

Anytime something happens—whether it seems initially to be good or bad—we are faced with a series of questions including: What is happening? What does it mean? What can be done about it? Where are the opportunities? 

In the midst of the greatest human turmoil, the people we revere as heroes have emerged. Abraham Lincoln himself became, arguably, one of the world’s greatest leaders because he was faced with leading our country through a civil war. Challenges always create opportunities. And opportunities, in turn, create more challenges. All problems may eventually will be solved, but these solutions create more problems. 

The future is a blank slate that comes with a set of circumstances much like a hand of cards we are being dealt. Experts will tell you that any hand of cards can be played well or played poorly. There are no winning hands or losing hands as the cards are being shuffled and dealt. Only the outcomes that we produce make us winners or losers.  

As you go through your day today, realize that you are writing history and you are the hero. 

Today’s the day!  

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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including The Gift of Giving, co-authored with Don Green, the executive director of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

The Mystery of Life by Jim Stovall

In psychological studies of happiness and satisfaction, researchers found that people with predictable and mundane lives were unhappy, but, ironically, people with some of the most adventurous and unpredictable lives were also unhappy. As in most things, the researchers found that people with a moderate amount of adventure combined with periods of stability were found to be the happiest and most fulfilled.

Control is an illusion. We seek to plan, organize, and manage every area of our lives. While I am a big advocate of financial plans, exercise and health habits, as well as managing the various areas of risk, life is often chaotic and unpredictable. The poet Robert Frost said, “The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.”   

In psychological studies of happiness and satisfaction, researchers found that people with predictable and mundane lives were unhappy, but, ironically, people with some of the most adventurous and unpredictable lives were also unhappy. As in most things, the researchers found that people with a moderate amount of adventure combined with periods of stability were found to be the happiest and most fulfilled.  

The only things we can control are our efforts and our attitudes. We cannot control what happens to us, but we can always determine what we are going to do about it. Recently, I’ve undertaken a study of stoicism, and I’m finding that the philosophy has a lot of merit. Stoics are people who endeavor to face life without emotional swings. Mr. Spock of Star Trek-fame comes to mind. Stoics understand that the best of times are fleeting and the worst of times are often filled with great opportunity.  

Success is more about making the whole world a better place than trying to improve our own world. 

There’s an element of faith in finding the silver lining within every raincloud. I had the privilege of interviewing the legendary football coach Lou Holtz. He expressed his faith and optimism by saying, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future.” 

Long-time readers of these columns know that I believe we need only three things to be happy: something to do, someone to love, and something to look forward to. We can find all of these elements in the best of times as well as in the worst of times. Success is more about making the whole world a better place than trying to improve our own world. Happiness and joy are much more of a decision than a condition of life. We must enjoy the good times, remain optimistic during the bad times, and celebrate it all. 

As you go through your day today, accept every mystery of life as a grand adventure. 

Today’s the day!  

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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including The Gift of Giving, co-authored with Don Green, executive director and CEO of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

Value and Price by Jim Stovall

People who succeed at the highest level over a long period of time create value in the lives of others. Warren Buffett said, “People know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Among the people and organizations with whom I consult, I always caution everyone about the risks of getting in a price war. If the main selling point of your product or service is that it is cheaper than anything else, you will either have short-term success or always be struggling to keep your costs down.

Photo by Fabian Blank on Unsplash

People who succeed at the highest level over a long period of time create value in the lives of others. Warren Buffett said, “People know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Among the people and organizations with whom I consult, I always caution everyone about the risks of getting in a price war. If the main selling point of your product or service is that it is cheaper than anything else, you will either have short-term success or always be struggling to keep your costs down.  

Here in the global economy of the 21st century, it is not hard to find a multitude of people who are willing to work for less money than you may be. I would rather justify my price with value than apologize for low quality. In my personal and professional life, I have found that when I pay for quality products or services, it may be uncomfortable at first, but I am always grateful I looked at quality versus price in the long term. Any time I settle for cheaper services or products, I generally come to suffer the consequences in the long run. Just because something’s more expensive, doesn’t make it higher quality, but when something is significantly cheaper, it is invariably of low quality. 

As an author, speaker, TV and movie producer, or columnist, I strive to never be the least expensive alternative for those I serve. Instead, I strive to be a valuable asset in their lives and careers. When we seek out a surgeon, airline pilot, or babysitter, we invariably think of quality before price. A lower-quality alternative in these areas can be disastrous. However, anything worth doing is worth doing with excellence.  

Any component of your life that does not function with quality will eventually impact every area of your life. It’s important to make sure that when you pay for quality, you get it. If you’re not willing to make an investment in quality, you may want to wait until you can. My wife Crystal and I had a 15-year-old Pontiac that we paid a few hundred dollars for. We drove that car, known as “The Green Dog”—now famously immortalized in several of my books—until we were able to trade it in for a Mercedes. 

I’m not advocating a Mercedes over a Pontiac for you. All of us have to individually determine the things that are valuable in our lives and be prepared to invest accordingly. I know people who like to eat out five nights per week, so they can generally be found at a fast-food location. I also know people who appreciate an elite, fine dining experience, and they would rather stay home for several weeks in order to be able to have one memorable night out.  

There is no right or wrong answer; we just need to make sure that we receive all that we pay for. Hopefully we are all giving high-quality value for the money we receive, and we must be diligent to make sure that our hard-earned dollars bring us the quality we want in our lives. 

As you go through your day today, evaluate worth as opposed to cost. 

Today’s the day!  

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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including most recently Will to Win. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).   

 

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Paycheck to Paycheck by Jim Stovall

Recent government and industry statistics show that 70 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. This means that these individuals are literally less than a month from going into default on their obligations, and bankruptcy is not far behind. When you study the individuals who make up this 70 percent segment of our population, there are some interesting factors that I believe can teach us all some valuable lessons.

Recent government and industry statistics show that 70 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. This means that these individuals are literally less than a month from going into default on their obligations, and bankruptcy is not far behind. When you study the individuals who make up this 70 percent segment of our population, there are some interesting factors that I believe can teach us all some valuable lessons.  

The majority of the population who is living paycheck to paycheck have received several raises over the past five years. When you track their earning vs. spending, these raises make little or no long-term difference. In fact, in many cases, these paycheck to paycheck individuals are actually worse off financially several months after receiving an increase in income. This is because they use their increased income to secure more consumer debt.  

This consumer debt, quite often, is used to purchase things that are decreasing in value. Any time you are involved in an economic model that involves borrowing money, paying a high rate of interest, and acquiring assets that are not worth the amount of the obligation while they continue to go down in value, you are in a never-ending losing cycle.  

If you are one of these paycheck to paycheck individuals who makes up 70 percent of our population, let’s look at some steps you can take to break the cycle. 

  1. Stop all consumer debt going forward. If you find yourself in a hole, literally or figuratively, the first step toward getting out of the hole is to stop digging. Cut up your credit cards and vow to never again buy anything involving consumer debt.  

  2. Give your household a thorough financial checkup. Figure out how much money is coming in and where it is all going. You will be amazed at the amount of money you spend on things you had never really considered. I’m not telling you how you should spend your money, I’m simply saying it should be a conscious decision on your part. You work hard for your money, and it should work hard for you in the areas where you want to spend your income.  

  3. Get on a budget. A budget is nothing more or less than you taking control and ordering your money to do what you want it to do. Your budget is not a confining, inflexible document. Instead, it is there to help you save your sinking financial ship. 

If you will follow these three simple steps, you will find yourself in the upper 30 percent of people in our society and well on your way to financial independence. 

As you go through your day today, remember you’re going to have to change your financial pattern if you’re going to change your financial results. 

Today’s the day!  

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This is an excerpt from Wisdom for Winners Volume 2, which is now available to listen to on Audible. Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books, including most recently Will to Win. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).   

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

Urgent vs. Important by Jim Stovall

Success in our personal and professional lives is not just a matter of doing things right but also doing the right things. It is very easy to get caught up in activity as opposed to engaging in productivity. There are so many thoughts, ideas, messages, and tasks competing for our attention that we must have a system to filter out the noise and focus on the true path to our destiny.

Photo by Cathryn on Unsplash 

Photo by Cathryn on Unsplash 

Success in our personal and professional lives is not just a matter of doing things right but also doing the right things. It is very easy to get caught up in activity as opposed to engaging in productivity. There are so many thoughts, ideas, messages, and tasks competing for our attention that we must have a system to filter out the noise and focus on the true path to our destiny.  

My late, great friend and colleague, Dr. Stephen Covey, in his landmark book First Things First, introduced people around the world to his four-quadrant diagram. As often is the case with learned and prolific people, Dr. Covey’s wisdom captured and built upon the teaching of a proven leader. Dwight David Eisenhower is unique among U.S. presidents and world leaders in that the pinnacle of this power and productivity may not have been his presidency but, instead, may have been when he was General of the Allied Forces during World War II. General Eisenhower’s command required him to be precise, productive, and prolific at all times. The D-Day invasion probably required more management, oversight, and leadership than any project in recorded history. 

General Eisenhower divided all information and actions into the categories of “important” and “urgent” in a system that has become known as the Eisenhower Box. In this system, combining these two elements gives us four possible categories. First, there are the items that are both important and urgent. These are tasks that demand our immediate attention, and the consequences will greatly affect our outcome. Ideally, with the exception of true emergencies, we should deal with important items before they become urgent. It is important to keep gas in our car, but it is not urgent to fill the tank unless we put it off until we are in the danger zone.  

Second are the items that are important but not urgent. This category is where we should ideally focus the majority of our time, effort, and energy. President Eisenhower said, “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.” Having an estate plan for your family including a will and life insurance, or reviewing long-term goals and objectives within your professional life, or maintaining and cultivating great relationships with friends, colleagues, and loved ones are all vitally important to our success, but we should never allow these activities to become urgent.   

Third are the items that are urgent but not important. This category includes activities that are relatively insignificant which may be expiring quickly. For example, an offer or a coupon to save an insignificant amount of money on something you may not want or need is certainly not important, but if you’re not careful, you may think it’s urgent if you continue to focus on the fact that it expires at the end of the day today. 

 Fourth among Dr. Covey’s quadrants or President Eisenhower’s box are the items that are not important and not urgent. You may wonder why two of the greatest thinkers of the last century would even include this category. They understood that more time is wasted and procrastination justified by junk, clutter, and time wasters. Here in the 21st century, we are bombarded with unimportant, non-urgent things that threaten to flood the landscape of our minds. In order to succeed, we must identify and eliminate these items immediately. Only when we look through the lens of productivity using a system such as Dr. Covey’s quadrants or President Eisenhower’s box, can we focus our effort and energy on the most vital things that will move us toward our goals, dreams, and legacy. 

As you go through your day today, begin to control your activities through your own productivity system. 

 Today’s the day!

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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network, a columnist, a motivational speaker, as well as a published author of many books. His latest book, co-authored with Don Green of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, is The Gift of Giving: Living Your Legacy. It is available to purchase from AmazonBarnes & NobleBooks-a-MillionPorchlight Book CompanyGoogle PlayApple Books, and other fine retailers. Follow Jim on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor). And be sure to sign up to receive free samples of Jim Stovall’s books and audiobooks from Sound Wisdom! 

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Eileen Rockwell Eileen Rockwell

The Gift of Giving by Jim Stovall

During these difficult times, we need to re-evaluate and reset our lives. In a post-pandemic world, there will be many people and causes that need your time, talent, and resources. Determine to become a giver and you will never regret it.

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from StockSnap 

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from StockSnap 

This week I am excited about the release of my latest book. The Gift of Giving, which I co-authored with Don Green of The Napoleon Hill Foundation, may be the most important book among the 48 I have authored to date. First and foremost, the privilege of working with Don Green and The Napoleon Hill Foundation is unparalleled. I don’t know of any individual or organization that embodies giving more than Don and the Foundation. 

Giving is one of the many paradoxes we face in our human existence. You may remember your third grade teacher explaining, “If Johnny has four apples and gives one to Mary, that leaves him with only three apples.” While this is mathematically true, it fails to take into account the intangible benefits of giving that far outweigh one apple. The equation fails to explain that Johnny is left with a sense of well-being and abundance that only comes from the process of giving our time or resources. The equation doesn’t explain that Johnny, now with his abundance mentality, will prosper more in the future and have dozens of apples to share that he might have never had without expanding his mind and spirit. Mary is left with a sense of gratitude that causes her to look at the world in more positive ways, and she becomes a success so she can, in turn, follow in Johnny’s footsteps and become a giver. 

Every bit of our time, talent, and resources should be divided into three categories. Some of it is meant to be enjoyed today, some of it should be saved for our future, and some of everything we receive should be responsibly given away. 

In our society, we are over-extending ourselves on spending for today. We have countless people and books wanting to advise us on how to invest for our future, but there is very little said or done regarding organized, intentional giving.  

In The Gift of Giving, I recount my experience of beginning with a ten-dollar seed that grew into a commitment for a single gift of over one million dollars. It might seem outrageous or out of the realm of possibility in your life, but if you read The Gift of Giving, you will discover that you’ve never met anyone less qualified or less likely to ever have—much less give away—over a million dollars. 

During these difficult times, we need to re-evaluate and reset our lives. In a post-pandemic world, there will be many people and causes that need your time, talent, and resources. Determine to become a giver and you will never regret it. 

As you go through your day today, commit to experience The Gift of Giving

Today’s the day!  

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Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network, a columnist, a motivational speaker, as well as a published author of many books. His latest book, co-authored with Don Green of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, is The Gift of Giving: Living Your Legacy. It is available to purchase from AmazonBarnes & NobleBooks-a-MillionPorchlight Book CompanyGoogle PlayApple Books, and other fine retailers. Follow Jim on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor). And be sure to sign up to receive free samples of Jim Stovall’s books and audiobooks from Sound Wisdom! 

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