Changing the Calendar by Jim Stovall

Each year as January 1st approaches, most of us engage in the time-tested ritual of getting a new calendar. I realize a lot of people use electronic devices and cell phone applications to document their upcoming activities and commitments, but nevertheless, there is that annual feeling of a fresh start and a new beginning. It puts me in mind of the first day of school with a clean notebook or a fresh tablet. The future seems pregnant with possibility.  

Many people engage in the annual frustration of establishing New Year’s resolutions. These rarely work because most resolutions require us to change our performance or modify our behavior. Change doesn’t result from getting a new calendar or declaring a New Year’s resolution. Change happens when we face the discomfort of giving up our old patterns and established routines. Most goals and resolutions go unfulfilled because people simply never buy in to the proposition that true and lasting change is possible.  

Your past does not equal your future. Virtually everything in your life today is based upon choices you’ve made in the past. Whether it’s your job, your career, your friends, your hobbies, your physical fitness, your attitude, your financial stability, or your faith, your life today is but a reflection of the choices you have made in the past.  

We live in a society in which not many want to take responsibility for their current conditions, their performance, or the results they live with. Unfortunately, unless or until you and I accept the fact that we are where we are because of the choices we’ve made in the past, we cannot accept the promise and the possibility of tomorrow based on the choices we make today.  

Either we control our lives or we don’t. If we control our lives, we can change course anytime we want, including New Year’s Day. If we believe we don’t control our destiny, we will live out our lives as victims with our only consolation being the excuses we develop and the ability to blame others. As you contemplate the New Year, please accept the premise on which everything depends—change is possible and in your control. 

As you go through your day today, take responsibility for past choices and choose greatness 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, including the Wisdom for Winners series. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. Follow him on Twitter (@stovallauthor) or Facebook (@jimstovallauthor).   

Give Yourself a Christmas Present by Napoleon Hill

May I suggest that this Christmas you can give yourself a present which will bring you riches in abundance, peace of mind, and attract to you enduring friendships? 

The present I have in mind is something which only you can give yourself, and it happens to be the only thing over which you have complete control. 

It can change your entire life so completely that every circumstance you experience—every transaction you have with others—will bring you definite benefits. 

It can help you transmute sorrow and adversity into powerful spiritual qualities which may add new strength to your religion, in times of emergency. 

It can banish all forms of fear and substitute faith with which you can direct your activities to ends of your own choice.  

This gift is so miraculous that it will extend to the lives of your loved ones and make them richer in the values which count for most in life. 

It will attract to you new and unexpected opportunities for advancement in your occupation.  

And it can rekindle the fires of love and friendship where they may have grown cold by neglect. 

It can remove the causes of many physical ailments and help you enjoy a dynamic, healthful physical body. 

It can give you the magic power to convert enemies into friends.  

It can put something into your handshake which was not there before and give your spoken words forcefulness that will command respect and attention from others. 

It can give you the alertness of mind with which to make definite and accurate decisions. 

There is no substitute for this gift which only you can present to yourself. 

Its name is a positive mental attitude. 

It costs nothing except the will to appropriate it; however, the only way you can keep it is to give it first position through usage in the habits which control your daily living.  

Source: Success Unlimited, December 1954; pages 10–11. 

This excerpt is from Napoleon Hill’s Gold Standard, an official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. Listen to it now on Audible!

Earning the Right to Be Wrong by Earl Nightingale

The most important subject a person can learn, I suppose, is how to get along well with others. And one of the most important rules in mastering this most difficult subject is knowing when to be wrong, even if you’re right. 

There is no more exasperating human being on earth than the one who insists upon being right all the time. This is the person who feels that to be wrong, or not know the answer to something, means, at least for the moment, the end of the world.  

I was spending some time with friends in Arizona some time back. One night we were going someplace in the car and my friend’s father was driving. We came to the road where we should turn, and seeing that our driver was going to go blithely by the turnoff, both of us suddenly told him that this was where we should turn. It caught him by surprise; he suddenly braked the car and managed to make the turn, not easily, and as he did so, he said, “I know. I know this is where we turn.”  

Now, the fact of the matter was that he had not known. It was apparent to everyone in the car, but he was just one of those people who simply cannot admit there’s something they don’t know. My friend winked at me. But later he said, “I wish Dad would admit once in a while that there are things in the world he doesn’t know; I wish he would admit he can be wrong like the rest of us.” 

How much better it would have been, how much more human a person he would have been, if he simply smiled and said, “Thanks for telling me. I’d have gone right on by.” This would not have diminished him one whit in our eyes; it’s perfectly human to make mistakes or not know something. But his actual response—his obvious cover-up and attempt to make us think he had known about the turnoff—did diminish him in our eyes. It caused us to feel sorry for him, and it pushed him a little ways out of our circle of companionship. 

The worker who insists upon always being right is disliked by his associates, his subordinates, and his boss. He’d be much better off to make it a point to be wrong once in a while and say so. 

The smart manager and executive knows the value of being wrong occasionally, even when he’s right. There will come times when he’s going to have to insist upon being right, so he can afford to graciously give in when it comes to small and unimportant matters. 

In Nation’s Business, it is suggested that before you tell a subordinate that you’re right and he’s wrong, ask yourself exactly what’s to be gained and what is to be lost by deflating him. It might be a small matter to you; it could mean a complete loss of face to him. 

Giving in is also better for your health. Dr. George Stevenson of the National Association for Mental Health says, “Even if you’re dead right, it’s easier on your system to give in once in a while. And,” he added, “if you yield, you’ll usually find that others will, too.” 

Try it with the members of your family. You’ll be amazed at how it cuts down on the number of arguments and the way you’ll find other people suddenly saying to you, “No, I’m wrong and you’re right.” 

It’s a whole lot better to say you’re wrong, even when you know you’re right, and get along well with others than it is to insist you’re right at the expense of being disliked. 

Known as the “Dean of Personal Development,” Earl Nightingale was a Gold Record-winning radio broadcaster who dedicated his life to encouraging people on their journey to joyful, purposeful living. This is an excerpt from Nightingale’s Your Greatest Asset: Creative Vision & Empowered Communication, which contains some of Nightingale’s most inspiring broadcasts on the subjects of brainstorming, problem-solving, decision-making, goal achievement, and interpersonal communication. It is available tomorrow from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Porchlight Books, and other fine retailers—preorder your copy today, and sign up here to receive free Nightingale-Conant book samples!

Dealing with Family Drama by John Martin

The mental and emotional toll of family drama can be mitigated by understanding on an intellectual level the complicated dynamics of any and every family. Imagine the layers of emotion involved with the psychology of birth order, individual personalities, spouse’s personalities and backgrounds, and then add family traditions, religion, parents’ personalities and backgrounds, and children and siblings’ individual personalities.  

By understanding these numerous layers and variables, you can take everything that occurs lightly rather than becoming instantly insulted or hurt. Let go of family baggage and disputes—they are always going to happen, hopefully more infrequently as you grow older. The reality is realizing that family is a combination of unique individuals who lived (or currently live) in the same house, and all your experiences at home with your siblings and your parents, perhaps grandparents and aunts and uncles too, add up to the way you see and handle family and other relationships today. 

If divorce, death of a parent(s), or separation was part of your childhood, it can be even more complicated. Or there may have been preferential treatment given to one sibling. Maybe it was you who was favored. Maybe there was a rivalry within the family between sisters or brothers or uncles or parents, etc. Try to see each situation with the perspective of understanding the complicated dynamics of your family and be forgiving, or at least patient. It is highly likely, given the variety of circumstances, that family relationships will be challenging. 

If you are part of a family who get along well and with whom you can converse and enjoy a few hours together on weekends and holidays and help each other out in life, you are blessed. Consider your family a success if you are not always fighting or if you still all speak to each other in a friendly manner and stay in touch. Many families are not so lucky and it is no wonder why. Grasp the truth behind the incredibly complicated dynamics of relationships in today’s society and you will be on the way to adopting a perspective of grace when dealing with your family. 

 This is an excerpt from John Martin’s forthcoming book, Choose Your Perspective: 7 Tips for High Performance through Intentional Thinking, which will be released by Sound Wisdom on December 17, 2019. You can preorder your copy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Porchlight Books, and other major retailers. 

Finding Your Personal Motivation and Passion in Life by Shawn Doyle

Webster’s defines passion as: “Pervading spirit, ruling passion, master passion, fullness of heart, flow of soul.” 

Why is it important to feel passion for what you are doing, both professionally and personally? 

One reason is that if you are passionate, you are motivated. If you are motivated, then you are passionate! 

Have you ever met someone who is passionate about his or her work? It probably made a huge impression on you.  

Think about it. Whenever you experience someone who is energetic and passionate in a store, restaurant, or business, doesn’t it impress you? When you experience the opposite of that, doesn’t it make a negative impression?  

Having a passion for what you do has several advantages: 

• It keeps you fired up and motivated. 

• It makes what you are doing fun. 

• You can be an inspiration to others. 

• You will be more productive. 

• You will be more successful. 

People who are passionate have more energy, enthusiasm, and charisma. It is like a high-powered jolt of electricity. A person who is passionate loves what they are doing so much that they eat, drink, and sleep it.  

So you are now saying to yourself, “But what if I am not like that? What if I am not filled with that kind of passion? What if I never feel that kind of passion?” You may also be saying, “This guy is crazy, and the passion thing is for the birds.” 

If I may, I would like permission to be very blunt with you: you haven’t found what you are passionate about. If you are not passionate about your work and your life, then change it! Stop complaining and do something. Life is too short to keep doing what is passionless and mundane. But you must make that decision. 

I recently stepped into an elevator and said, “Hello, everyone.” Everyone on the elevator looked at me like I was a little crazy and kind of mumbled. Come on! Wake up, world! When you feel passionate, energized, upbeat, optimistic, and proud of what you are doing, you will be motivated to get more accomplished than you ever thought possible, and your energy will be contagious. 

How to Find Your Personal Motivation and True Passion 

Are you married or in a committed relationship? If you are, you probably had to look around for a long time before you found the right person. How did you find the right person? More importantly, how did you know it was the right person? As your mom and dad used to say, “When you are in love, you will just know.” So you knew you were passionate about this person, and they knew that they were passionate about you. 

Professionally, the same rules apply. You will know when you find the profession or job that you can be passionate about. In order to find out what you are passionate about, you must search anywhere and everywhere. 

Here are 5 suggestions for finding your personal motivation and true passion: 

1. Go Back 

Look back at your childhood and teen years, and ask yourself, “What was I passionate about back then?” Could it be that you still are passionate about that area? It may be an old flame that is dormant and waiting to be reignited. Take some quiet time and think through that. Can you think of something deep in the back of your mind? 

2. Go Out  

Part of the problem many of us face is that we keep doing things the same way and doing the same activities over and over. We never do anything new. Try to read new magazines, travel to new towns, and go to a museum that you have never visited. In our family, every other Saturday is “family day,” and this sacred day is set aside to go somewhere. The family day has one simple rule: it must be spent somewhere that we have never been. Seeing new sights and visiting new places just may stimulate your imagination and lead you to discover a passion that you were not aware existed. The bottom line is that if you haven’t found your passion so far, then you need to change your methods. 

3. Vacate 

If you go on vacations every year, plan to go to different places. If you live in the mountains, go to the beach. If you live at the beach, go to the mountains. The different places you go will stimulate your imagination and help you to uncover your true passion for what you love. You may accidentally run into the passion of a lifetime and a new career. 

4. Read 

As Dennis Kimbro says, “Leaders are readers.” Read constantly, and read about topics that you have an interest in knowing more about. Even if you have a slight fascination with a topic, get a book and read about it. Surf the Net and try to find out more about it. Read the trade journals of that particular industry. For example, if you have an interest in being a police officer, read about police officers. Better yet, call your local police department and ask if they allow citizens to ride with them. The only way you are going to find out is to experience as closely as possible the area in which you have an interest. As the old Alka-Seltzer ad said: “Try it—you’ll like it!” I recently had someone call me who was interested in the training industry. I asked them how much they knew about it. They said they knew nothing about it. I gave them several resources, said I would be happy to help them in any way I could, and told them to touch base and let me know how things were going. The person never called me back.  

5. Find a Coach 

If you go to a local gym, you have the option of hiring a personal trainer, or coach, who is an expert in fitness and nutrition. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could hire a “success coach”? Well, there is good news: there are personal success coaches nationwide who can coach you. For a fee, these trained professionals will work with you over the phone or in person and help you with your overall life goals. 

Knowing Passion When You See It 

When you keep searching for your life passion and you finally find it, how will you know that you have found it? There are some symptoms, which are very easy to recognize: 

• You will be excited about it long-term. 

• Your wheels will be turning 24/7. 

• Even though it is your work, you would almost be willing to do it for free. 

• When time flies by—that is a big clue! 

• You will give 197% willingly. 

• You will talk about it with friends and family constantly. 

Please understand that being passionate and motivated will make you different than many people in our society. This is a great distinction, but keep in mind that it will open you up to criticism. You will be the one saying that the world is round when everyone else says that it’s flat. 

For some reason, people will try to negate what you are doing. They will cut you down and try to tell you all the reasons why you can’t, won’t, and shouldn’t—and they will take pleasure in the act! Tell them politely that you really appreciate their input (kill them with kindness), and then tell them that you have to go because you have things to do! 

I was once offered a new job, and it was a great growth opportunity. My wife and I both decided to go for it, and I gave notice at my old job and decided to move from South Florida to Philadelphia. The negative comments were expected, but they still amazed me. 

• “You are taking a big risk.” 

• “I can’t believe you are leaving after being here eight years.” 

• “It’s a stupid mistake.” 

• “Philly is a big city—I don’t see you as being a city person.” 

• “I don’t believe you are moving to Filthy-delphia.” 

If we would have listened to and believed these ridiculous, and incredibly negative, comments, we would have never moved and we would have missed out on one of the best experiences of our lives. Don’t let the negative people in this world shape your vision of the future! You must fight the good fight and always maintain your passion for work and for life.  

Having passion will drive you on days when you need to be driven. It will separate you from most of the people in your society. In a job interview, passion will increase your chances of landing the job. For promotions, being passionate will increase your chances of being promoted (if it doesn’t, you may be working for the wrong company). 

Passion pushes your pure profitability potential, your productivity potential, promotion potential, professional potential, and your personal fulfillment potential!  

That is the personal motivation and passion differential! 

This article originally appeared here on ShawnDoyleMotivates.com and has been edited for inclusion on the Sound Wisdom Blog. 

 For more business and personal development insight from Shawn Doyle, check out his titles from Sound Wisdom, including his Jumpstart Series. The latest book in this series is Jumpstart Your Happiness: Your Jolts to Prosperity, Motivation, & Living with Intention, which is available to purchase from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Porchlight Books, and other retailers. 

Good Old Days? by Jim Stovall

I often hear people lamenting conditions in the world today and describing how idyllic life was during what they lovingly call “the good old days.” I would be the first to admit that we have to deal with challenges and obstacles here in the 21st century that our ancestors could not have imagined and certainly did not have to face.  Nevertheless, these are the “great, new days.” We have more opportunities, more free time, more technology, more mobility, and more longevity than any human beings that have ever inhabited planet Earth.    

In 1900, the average American family spent 76 percent of their household income just for the basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter. Today, even though we have access to a greater variety of nutritious food year-round, have vastly larger wardrobes, and live in much bigger and more comfortable homes, we only spend, on average, 37 percent of our income on food, clothing, and shelter.  

Throughout most of recorded history, human beings had to toil from daylight ’til dark just to keep themselves minimally fed, clothed, and sheltered. Success in life, along with wealth, brings us choices. Today, we can have virtually anything we want, but most of us can’t have everything we want.  We have so many choices that it creates the sensation of confusion as opposed to options.  

If you visit the cereal aisle in your local grocery store, you will be confronted with hundreds of choices. So much so that the vast majority of your options are not even considered. On the other hand, if you decide to order cereal from a restaurant menu and there are only three selections, you have a tendency to weigh each option and pick the one you consider to be most favorable.   

If you will focus your financial resources in one specific area, you can make an amazing impact with the disposable income we all have. As an example, considering that the average family among us spends 37 percent of their resources on food, clothing, and shelter, if you decided to make some sacrifices, you could get that number down to approximately 25 percent, leaving 75 percent of your income available to impact your lifestyle. With that significant amount of flexible spending options, a young person could decide to retire in their 40s, or travel around the world each year, or buy their own airplane, or any other significant choice they may want to make in their life. Any of these are possible, but all of them are not. 

Unfortunately, most of us unconsciously waste our significant disposable income on things we don’t even really want or need. There’s nothing wrong with any specific purchase as long as it’s not keeping us from something we want or need more than the item we are buying. Daily gourmet coffee or pizza deliveries added up over a lifetime can buy you a comfortable retirement, a college education, or many other financial goals you may have for your family.    

As you go through your day today, work hard for your money, and make sure it works hard for you.   

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).   

Accountability Is Not Just for the Workplace by Sam Silverstein

I spend a lot of time talking to teams and leaders about what accountability looks like on the organizational level—in the workplace. But it’s just as important to take a close look at accountability in our relationships with people outside of the workplace. In fact, I believe true accountability always starts at the level of the individual, not the level of the organization. 

Let me share an example of what accountability on the individual level looks like in action. I have a dear friend name Mike Domirtz. Mike doesn’t live in St. Louis, so I don’t see him a lot face to face. But I’ve known him for years, I keep in touch with him regularly, and he is a powerful, enduring, and positive presence in my life. 

Mike called me at the end of December last year and said, “Sam, I keep meaning to ask you, what’s your word for 2019? What one word are you going to keep coming back to, day after day, no matter what happens?” He often reaches out like that. 

As it happened, the word I had chosen for 2019, as my daily compass point, was gratitude. Mike and I started talking about gratitude: how important it is, the remarkable power it has to transform one’s perspective and one’s world, and why it made so much sense for me as a returning point of focus for the coming year.  

Throughout this conversation, Mike was supportive, thoughtful, and insightful, asking all the right questions and making lots of relevant observations. The call went on for about half an hour. When we got off the line, I couldn’t stop thinking about what an important person Mike was in my life. I realized I wanted more of those kinds of conversations—and that I wanted to be there for Mike in the same way he had just been there for me. 

That’s when I got to thinking about some other changes I wanted to make in 2019, based on the power of Mike’s personal example. For instance, I knew that I wanted to make a habit of prayer and journaling time in the early morning, and I knew that this kind of morning practice was already part of Mike’s routine. The more I thought about it, the clearer it became that there was an idea I needed to suggest to Mike. 

A couple of days later, I called Mike. I told him I wanted to start following his example of setting aside early-morning time for reflection and journaling. Then I suggested a mutual commitment that I thought would get 2019 off to a great start for each of us. What if we were to begin the day with some time to ourselves and some journaling…and then communicate with the other on a daily basis about how our morning time was going? What if we did a check-in call every morning for the following twenty-one days, so we could review what was working in our morning routine? What wasn’t? What were we noticing? What had we learned? What had we decided to change in our lives as a result of our prayer and journaling time? 

Mike instantly agreed. And the insights we have both gained from that process have been phenomenal. 

In the popular vernacular, Mike is—and has been for about a decade—my “accountability partner.” And I am his. But I think we take that relationship a little deeper than it usually goes. I’ve had a lot of accountability partners over the years. But in my experience, there is no one quite like Mike. There is a certain special synergy in our relationship. It’s not really me “holding Mike accountable” or Mike “holding me accountable.” We inspire each other to follow through on our commitments to ourselves to grow, develop, and learn. That’s how strong the relationship we’ve built is: It actually makes us want to be more accountable to our own best selves. That’s where the magic happens! 

Mike’s commitment to be accountable to me, to support my becoming the best possible version of myself, makes me want to return the favor—and it also makes me want to live up to the high standard he has set for me. That kind of inspiration is what makes great things possible, not just in the workplace, but everywhere else in life. 

I hope you have someone like Mike in your life—but more importantly, I hope you choose to be someone like Mike, in a relationship outside of the workplace. Do what Mike did: Reach out! Be accountable! Make a commitment to support someone’s becoming the best possible version of themselves! Inspire someone! 

Sam Silverstein is dedicated to empowering people to live accountable lives, transform the way they do business, and create a more accountable world. He helps companies create an organizational culture that prioritizes and inspires accountability. His latest book, I Am Accountable: Ten Choices That Create Deeper Meaning in Your Life, Your Organization, and Your World, is available tomorrow from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Porchlight Books. You can follow Sam on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Nine Secrets of Happy People by Shawn Doyle

Happy people do certain things that unhappy people don’t. Want to be even happier? Check through this list to see which ones you are already doing and which ones you need to do more. 

Have you ever noticed that there are some people who just seem to be happy all the time? I know you have met them—they are people who love life, who have energy, and who seem to enjoy everything they do. They are so darn pleasant to be around. Some people even wonder if they are really that happy, but guess what? They are! So what is their secret? It’s actually pretty simple: Happy people do certain things that unhappy people don’t. Want to be even happier? Check through this list to see which ones you are already doing and which ones you need to do more: 

1. They count their blessings. Happy people, no matter what, sit down on a regular basis and consider what they are grateful for. They are grateful that they’re employed, they are grateful that they have their health, they are grateful that they have their loved ones, family, and friends, etc. So in order to be happy, it is important not to take what you have for granted and to understand the things that you should be grateful for. 

2. They surround themselves with positive people. One habit of happy people is that they do not spend very much time with people who are negative or pessimistic. Nope. They instead spend their time with people who are upbeat, optimistic, encouraging, and fun to be around. There is no question that the quality of your life is in direct correlation with the quality of the people you spend time with. If you spend your time around unhappy people who growl a lot, you’ll be less happy. If you spend your time around happy people, their happiness is downright contagious. 

3. They enjoy the small things in life. Happy people do not have to wait for the “big events”—they make sure to enjoy the smaller things in life around them, whether it is a beautiful flower that bloomed in the yard, the belly laugh of a baby, a lovely sunset, or sharing a chuckle with a colleague at work. None of these things in themselves are earth-shattering, but happy people take the time to notice them and other small moments that make life so very sweet. 

4. They say “Oh well” when things go wrong. When things go wrong, happy people don’t spend their time dwelling on it; they say “oh well” and acknowledge that it could’ve been worse. If a flight is delayed, they say, “Well, at least it didn’t get canceled.” Happy people do not dwell on negative events—they just say, “Next.” 

5. They help other people for absolutely no reason. Happy people help other people for no reason other than the fact that helping other people makes them happy. Opening the door for someone, doing someone a favor without being asked, showing kindness to another human being, not only makes the other person feel better but it also makes a happy person feel happier because they are doing something good. 

6. They expose themselves to positive materials. Happy people do not spend a lot of time watching violent movies or focusing on bad news on TV. They instead spend their time taking in inspirational and motivational content. They watch movies that uplift them and bring them hope. They read books that inspire and motivate them.  

7. They do things that bring them joy. Happy people have made a list of the things that bring them joy, and they try as much as possible to do these things on a regular basis. They engage in hobbies and activities that they have a passion for and that make them feel happier. It may be baking a cake, assembling a model airplane, or working out—they’ve identified the life activities that bring them joy, and they do them. 

8. They say “please” and “thank you.” When someone does something for them, they say “Thank you very much,” and when they need something they’re polite about it: “Can you please send me the information that I requested?” They also go out of their way to give other people compliments that are authentic and that make the other person feel good about themselves.  

9. They choose to be happy. There are many people in life who have faced a great deal of adversity. However, when you meet those people, you don’t know it because they’ve simply chosen to be happy. Yes, it may sound strange that you can actually make the decision to decide to think happy thoughts instead of negative ones. When people choose to be happy, they are deciding to be the architects of their own lives. They are deciding what attitude they are going to adopt, and guess what? That changes how they perceive the world at large. 

Try to put these ideas into practice, and you will wake up every day as a happier person. 

This article originally appeared here on HuffPost and has been edited for inclusion on the Sound Wisdom Blog. 

For more business and personal development insight from Shawn Doyle, check out his titles from Sound Wisdom, including his Jumpstart Series. The latest book in this series is Jumpstart Your Happiness: Your Jolts to Prosperity, Motivation, & Living with Intention, which you can preorder now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Porchlight Books, and other retailers. 

Eight Ways to Build Trust and Credibility by Adrean Turner

Do you remember playing the “TRUST” game as a child? Shaking and holding your breath, you stood in front of someone and hoped that when you fell backward they would catch you and not let you fall to the ground. It was nerve-wracking to let go and rely on them to keep you from getting hurt. But after they caught you the first time, you were more willing to lean back again and again without fear. That’s because they had earned your trust.   

That same kind of trust is important to build solid relationships for career success. Trustworthy people are invaluable to organizations. They are influencers who consistently demonstrate a pattern of behavior that enhances their credibility. In fact, according to DDI, a global leadership consulting firm, 99 percent of employees think that trust in the workplace is a vital need at work. Trust comes from accepting a person for who they are and appreciating their uniqueness rather than asking them (or expecting them) to be someone else.  

To build trust and increase your leadership abilities to capitalize on opportunities of advancement, here are eight ways to support you in keeping it together: 

1. KEEP YOUR WORD! Reliability is a primary component of trust. Your promise should be as binding as a contract. Follow through on every commitment. Focus on exceeding expectations and building a reputation of accountability. 

2. KEEP GOOD COMPANY! You are the sum of your interactions and experiences. Surround yourself with people of high integrity who are positive, energetic, and results-oriented to inspire and guide you.  

3. KEEP THE PEACE! Learn how to disagree without being disagreeable. Recognize the value in the opinion of others.  

4. KEEP CONTROL! Manage your emotions when you are stressed or under pressure. Your emotional intelligence (EI) has a strong impact on how you are perceived and the way you respond in challenging situations. It’s not only what you bring to the table; it’s how you serve it that matters.  

5. KEEP THE VISION! Remember the overall goal. Gain credibility by helping others achieve their objectives. 

6. KEEP IT HONEST! When you’re open and honest, others don’t have to guess your motivations or intentions. Admit when you are wrong. You’ll be respected for truthfulness and transparency. 

7. KEEP RECORDS! Ask others to write a recommendation for you. Use their words to build your reputation and advance your agenda. 

8. KEEP QUIET! Be a good listener. When people are speaking, give them your full attention. It exemplifies respect and trust and enhances communication. 

Gaining credibility and trustworthiness doesn’t happen overnight. Just KEEP GOING! Don’t be dismayed if at one time or another you let someone down. No one is perfect. But your history will speak loudly of your character if you’ve established a solid foundation. Demonstrate these trusting behaviors to support you in getting there faster. 

 Adrean Turner is an author, certified career coach, speaker, professional development trainer, and business consultant. She leverages 23 years of experience in management, marketing, operations, teaching, and training to partner with individuals, entrepreneurs, and organizations to achieve their maximum potential. For more information and inspiration from Adrean, read her book F.I.T. for Success: Fearless, Inspired, Transformed for Success. You can follow Adrean on Twitter @coachADREAN, on Facebook @coachadrean, on Instagram @coachadrean, and on YouTube @CoachAdrean. 

It Takes Only One Thing to Get Back on Track by Sam Silverstein

How often do we wake up, get into the office and then wish we could escape our day because it is just too overwhelming? There are so many things we need to do, calls we need to make, emails to reply to and stuff on our desk to go through. It goes on and on. Many times we just don’t know where to start and we just want to throw our hands up in the air and walk away. We all have this feeling at some time or another. I know it all too well. 

While we cannot control what comes our way, we can control how we react to it. The frustration and anxiety that comes from being overwhelmed exists because we look at our area of responsibility in totality. What we really need to do is look at a smaller picture. We need to look at the one thing we can do right now that needs to be done. That’s it. Only one thing! 

When I am at work, I can’t get personal things tended to. When I’m at the dinner table, I can’t return phone calls. Well, I can, but then I’d be looking for a new wife and kids! Ask yourself a simple question: “What is the most important thing I need to do now and here, where I am?” Answer the question, and then go do it. 

Once you’ve completed that project, simply ask the question again. In other words, ask the question, do it, and repeat the process. Many times we want to do the easiest thing on our to-do list just so we can mark it off and feel that we’ve accomplished something. In reality, the easiest thing probably isn’t moving us any closer to the completion of a goal. And it only takes away from our productivity. Remember, do the most important thing. 

This single-minded focus will keep you on task and also reduce the frustration that we all face with so much going on. Once we reduce the frustration, we are empowered to get something done. Giving up and leaving will only make it worse tomorrow, so we need to make progress today. 

I have found that when I follow this practice for an entire day, I am able to achieve an amazing amount of work. At the end of the day, I realize that I not only was able to get a lot done, but I got the most important things done and, as a result, I feel really good about myself. 

Try this system for the next three weeks. Use it every day. First thing in the morning ask yourself the question, and then go at it. After three weeks, you’ll notice that you have developed new habits, that you will have greater focus, and that your productivity will shoot through the roof. That’s what being accountable is all about! 

Sam Silverstein is dedicated to empowering people to live accountable lives, transform the way they do business, and create a more accountable world. He helps companies create an organizational culture that prioritizes and inspires accountability. Pre-order his new book, I Am Accountable: Ten Choices That Create Deeper Meaning in Your Life, Your Organization, and Your World, now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Porchlight Books. You can follow Sam on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

How to Control Your Head Trash by Noah St. John

If you’re familiar with my work, you’ll know that I use the term “head trash” to refer to the persistent, nagging voice—otherwise known as your inner critic—that tells you that you’re not enough: not good enough, not likeable enough, not believable enough, etc. 

To get a sense of the big picture, think of the movie A Beautiful Mind. If you haven’t seen this movie, it’s about a brilliant mathematician whose visions—hallucinations, really—negatively impact his life. They interfere with his family, with his work, and limit his potential. By the end of the film, he has managed to control—not eliminate—these apparitions. There’s a scene in which he is helping his wife put on her coat, and he sees one of the creations of his mind. Noticing his hesitation, his wife asks him if he’s okay, and he tells her he’s fine. The idea is that despite having this very insistent head trash, he is able, finally, to control it and not let it disrupt his life. 

While it’s not always possible to eliminate your head trash entirely, you can prevent it from limiting your success. The following are four strategies for controlling your inner critic: 

1. Bring your head trash into your conscious awareness. Part of what makes head trash so insidious is that it operates mostly at an unconscious level. So the first step in controlling it is becoming aware of what specifically it is saying. As you go through your life, trying to advance your career, build your business, etc., when you hear that voice that says, “I don’t think I can do this,” what reasons is it giving you? I’ve identified about 100 types of head trash, but there’s probably more. What specific negative comments is your head trash entertaining? And, more importantly, what is the most debilitating one?  

2. Understand the cost. What is it costing you to believe your head trash? What is it costing you to hold on to it? My head trash causes me to question if anyone will believe me—even though I have all this social proof of people following my method and adding six, seven, and even eight figures to their income. If I believed that head trash, I wouldn’t be reaching out to people, writing books, doing live events, because I’d be giving in to the voice. Just like with the mathematician in A Beautiful Mind, you can hear your head trash without heeding it. 

3. Use my Afformations® method. Get enough proof that what your head trash is saying doesn’t hold any weight anymore. If you’re wanting someone to buy your product, join your network/team, or align themselves with your cause, you must present an argument, and the reasons you give them can help combat your head trash. For example, I might respond to my head trash about people not believing me by asking myself, “Why do people believe me? Why do the right people believe me?” My answer will start retraining my brain to focus on the value I am adding. 

4. Obtain the support of people who believe in you, probably more than you believe in yourself. A great place to do this is at my Freedom Lifestyle Experience event, where you’ll be surrounded by other likeminded individuals invested in their success—and yours. Visit FreedomLifeX.com for more details.  

If you follow these guidelines, you’ll be able to talk back to your head trash. You won’t never think a negative thought again—that’s a promise only a “shelf-help” guru would give you. But you will be able to control your head trash and prevent it from sidelining you on your success journey. 

Don’t let your head trash hold you back from living the Freedom Lifestyle of your dreams. Order a copy of my new book, Power Habits®: The New Science for Making Success Automatic®, and learn how to leverage the five systems of support to: 

• Make a definitive difference in the world 

• Have a genuine impact on the people you’re here to serve 

• Supercharge your ability to attract more wealth and abundance 

• Enjoy more time off without the guilt 

• Overcome the fear of failure so you can achieve more while working less 

100 Worst Employees by Jim Stovall

This week, I’m enjoying the most recent installment in one of the greatest ongoing privileges of my life as my latest book is released. Well over forty times, I have worked diligently to gather my thoughts, get them down on paper, and wish them well as they find their way around the world to my readers. 

As in any worthwhile venture, I have a lot of people to thank. Dave Wildasin and his team at Sound Wisdom publishing continue to be willing to put their reputation behind my words. With this particular title, I had the honor to work with my longtime friend and colleague, Kristine Sexter. I met Kristine, and came to know and appreciate her, when she was the president of our state chapter of the National Speakers Association. I thought I had seen her at her best in her presidential role, but I was surprised to learn that she was even more valuable as a co-author.   

100 Worst Employees: Learning from the Very Worst How to Be Your Very Best  is a follow-up to a book I had out several years ago entitled, 100 Worst Bosses. In addition to being hilarious, sad, and poignant, the true stories in 100 Worst Employees are extremely instructive. 

You and I might disagree on what makes a great movie, wonderful meal, or a memorable song, but we can virtually all agree when we experience a bad one. The first step in being the best at anything, is to avoid being the worst. Subtle qualities of world class performers are often hard to pick out, but when you observe someone who is the worst at something, their traits scream at you and refuse to be ignored.  

I can hear people all around the world reading this column and saying, “Jim, I don’t have a very good job, and I don’t plan on staying here any longer than I have to, so why should I worry about my performance?”  

For better or for worse, the way we do anything is the way we do everything. If you show me someone who does a poor job mowing the grass, washing the car, or folding the clothes, they will likely do a poor job at everything they touch.  

The road to having a great job, or even owning your own business, begins with doing the job you currently have with pride and excellence.  Endeavor to be the kind of employee that you want to manage or have working in your company someday. 

As you go through your day today, start being the best by learning from the worst.  

Today’s the day!  

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network, a columnist, a motivational speaker, as well as a published author of many books, including The Ultimate Gift. His most recent book, co-authored with Kristine Sexter, is 100 Worst Employees: Learning from the Very Worst How to Be Your Very Best, which is available on October 15, 2019, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Porchlight Books, and other fine retailers.

Always Do Your Best by Shep Hyken

Our mantra at Shepard Presentations is to Always Be Amazing. Those three words are very important. They are totally consistent with what we stand for, what I write about in my books and articles, and how we conduct ourselves at work every day. It’s simple… 

• We want to be amazing for our employees. 

• We want to be amazing for our clients. 

• And we want to teach our clients to be amazing to their customers, clients, guests, members—and anyone else they do business with. 

I’ve written a book titled Be Amazing or Go Home. In it, I discuss the concept of consistency and use acting legend Richard Burton as an example. The focus is on consistently doing your best. Every day Burton tried to perform at his best. When he performed in plays, night after night, as he was walking out on stage, he would say, “I want to be so good tonight that I cheat the audience that was here last night.” In other words, be better today than yesterday. 

That’s a lofty goal, but one worthy of trying to achieve. Maybe you do it. Maybe you don’t. Regardless, you give it your best shot. Often, it’s the effort of trying your best that gives others confidence about you. That’s what brings customers back—when they can say, “I can depend on them to always do what’s best.” And, if for some reason there is a failure, it won’t be for lack of effort.  

That brings me to another example of doing your best. Sometimes you may need a reason. That reason can be your personal motivation. I recently read a quote by another legend, this time in the sports world. It is said that baseball icon and Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio was asked by a reporter, “Why do you play so hard every single day?” DiMaggio replied, “Because in the stands there may be someone who is seeing me for the first time or for the last time, and they expect my best.”

Yes, DiMaggio was a fierce competitor and came to every game to win. And it was his second reason that added fuel to that motivation. Just like Richard Burton, Joe DiMaggio knew people came to see him play. They came to see him do his best. And he never wanted to let them down. 

So, what’s your reason for wanting to do your best? What inspires you to be the best you that you can be? When you find it, and you live it, you’ll come to work to be your best. Your customers will appreciate you. Your colleagues at work will appreciate you. And, you’ll appreciate you! 

Shep Hyken is a customer service expert, keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling business author. His most recent book from Sound Wisdom, Be Amazing or Go Home, is available now for purchase from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Porchlight Books, and other fine retailers. Get your copy now and discover how Amazement can transform your business culture, improve employee retention, increase sales, and boost customer loyalty.

Three Self-Assertiveness Strategies to Gain More Power and Influence by Adrean Turner

Building assertiveness is the key to getting your seat at the corporate table and enhancing your interactions with others.

During my tenure as a corporate employee in the manufacturing division of a Fortune 500 company, I was often the only female in team meetings. I knew that speaking up and communicating ideas effectively were important for my success. I could never become a member of the “good ol’ boys club,” but I could influence their respect for me and their perception of my contributions to organizational goals.  

As you seek success in business, personal relationships, or any venture, it helps to take stock of your level of self-assertiveness. Assertiveness is the ability to express yourself honestly without undue self-doubt or anxiety. Assertive people are confident, self-assured, and often recognized as leaders. It’s apparent not only in their communication, but in their behaviors as well. 

 While some people are born assertive, for others self-assertiveness is a cultivated skill. I was fortunate enough to attend an all-girls high school that focused on ways to be effective in these kinds of settings. 

If you need solutions to deal with an office bully, overzealous friend, aggressive business partner, or to improve your negotiation skills, implement these three strategies to gain control and enhance your interactions with others. 

 1. Identify your boundaries and set limits.  

Don’t be a pushover. Figure out where to draw the line when dealing with others. How much abuse are you willing to take? Be honest with yourself and avoid letting self-doubt stop you from defining new boundaries. 

Start by writing down your plan to manage various situations. Research suggests that externalizing your thought process improves your chances of making a lasting impact on your future behavior. Pay attention to your internal reactions. Recall past situations in which you let someone go too far. How did you feel? At what point could you have put your foot down? Write it. See it. Say it. And put it into action. 

 2. Eliminate toxic relationships. 

Empower yourself by letting go of individuals and partnerships that drain your energy and stifle your growth. If discussions and collaborations are unhealthy, it’s time to move on. While the split may be painful initially, you will flourish once you’re free of those influences. 

Simply begin by declining meetings, limiting conversations, engaging in other activities of interest, and cultivating new relationships. You don’t have to make a grand announcement or hold a forum. Let your actions speak for you. You’ll build self-esteem and confidence, which will attract individuals who will treat you with the respect you deserve. 

3. Think on purpose. 

As you become more assertive, you’ll need a strategy to deal with individuals who overstep your boundaries. Maintain a calm demeanor for effective communication even if they become defensive. The individual may feel as if they’re under attack, especially if you haven’t taken them to task before. In this situation, they will likely try to derail you by changing the subject. Use the ASSA method to keep discussions on topic and to the point: 

• Alert the person that you would like to speak with them. 

• State your grievance clearly and calmly. 

• Sell the benefits of them altering their behavior. 

• Agree that they’ll do things differently in the future. 

 You’ll likely find that becoming assertive will change your life. You’ll gain the confidence needed to develop beneficial relationships with colleagues, partners, and your management team. And you’ll attract opportunities that facilitate personal and professional success. 

For tips to “Get Rid of Misperceptions about Success,” check out this video below. 

This article originally appeared here on www.coachadrean.com. 

Adrean Turner is an author, certified career coach, speaker, professional development trainer, and business consultant. She leverages 23 years of experience in management, marketing, operations, teaching, and training to partner with individuals, entrepreneurs, and organizations to achieve their maximum potential. For more information and inspiration from Adrean, read her book F.I.T. for Success: Fearless, Inspired, Transformed for Success. You can follow Adrean on Twitter @coachADREAN, on Facebook @coachadrean, on Instagram @coachadrean, and on YouTube @CoachAdrean. 

Being Happy for the Joneses by Jim Stovall

An abundance mindset is the key to wealth and fulfillment.

The phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” has become synonymous with wanting things we don’t have. Too often, this emotion involves acquiring things we don’t need while spending money we don’t have in order to impress people who don’t care. In my own journey from poverty to prosperity and through the research involved in writing many of my books, I’ve come to the conclusion that permanent wealth has less to do with money than our attitude. 

There are two basic worldviews relating to money. There is a scarcity mentality which assumes there’s a finite amount of wealth so that if someone else succeeds, you inevitably fail; and then there is an abundance mentality involving the belief that there is more than enough for everyone to acquire all they need and want. If there were a litmus test for your view of wealth, it would involve how you feel when others around you succeed. If you are happy for them and celebrate their success, you have an abundance mentality. On the other hand, if you are jealous or resent their success, you have a scarcity mentality. 

I have long believed that if you took all the money in the world and divided it up evenly, within a few short years, those who are currently wealthy would be wealthy once again, and those who are failing financially would find themselves struggling again. This example precludes the many people around the world who do not have access to a free enterprise capitalistic society in which they can succeed or fail based on their own merits. 

Acquiring wealth requires purpose and focus. Unless there’s something you want specifically to do with money, there is no reason to have it. The only three items you can spend your money on are things, memories, and security. A portion of every dollar you have should be spent on your current needs, a portion should be saved and invested for your future needs, and a portion of every dollar should be given away. 

 Most people spend all they earn and a little bit more via consumer debt having little or no savings or investments for the future and rarely, if ever, think about giving. Constant and habitual giving is another indicator of an abundance mentality. Only those who believe they either have or are in the process of acquiring abundance can freely give to others. Before you change your spending budget, your investment plan, or your retirement vehicle, change your attitude regarding money. You can never out-earn, out-save, or out-invest a scarcity attitude. If you believe you are always destined to struggle financially, you will create the circumstances to meet your expectations. On the other hand, if you envision yourself living a life of abundance and providing for people and causes that you care about, your thoughts will manifest themselves in your life. 

As you go through your day today, examine your attitudes about money, and change your life. 

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).

Steps to Create Wealth by Sharon Lechter

If you ask 100 different people how they created their wealth, I guarantee they all will tell you the same thing. The biggest key to wealth is buying, building, or creating income-producing ASSETS, and all wealthy people have them. When planning the steps to create wealth for yourself and your family, focus on buying, building, or creating ASSETS.  

Wealth and Income Are Different 

Many people learn by watching their families, friends, or culture that high income means you are wealthy. But we all know someone that has made a lot of money and lost a lot money…leaving them financially broken. The first of the steps to create wealth is to understand what wealth is. Whether by traditional employment, self-employment, or through investments—income does not equal wealth. Equity builds wealth. What is the value of the assets you hold? Do they produce ongoing revenue for you? Cash flow is important, and when your cash flow from your assets exceeds your expenses, you are financially free. But it is the equity in your assets that provides your wealth. 

Wealth Is a Mindset 

I believe we live in a world of abundance. You can create the life you want if you are willing to go for it, work hard, aren’t afraid of failing, and learn from others. People who take steps to create wealth and keep it over the long haul understand that it won’t always be perfect. But even in down times, they understand that they have the power to make improvements. How can you cultivate a wealth mindset? First, look at the words you are using and the information you are consuming. If there is underlying negativity or scarcity messaging…it is time to change. Reprogram yourself to have a wealth mindset by seeking out podcasts and affirmations to confirm abundance. And be sure the people you spend time with have an abundance mentality as well. 

Diversify Your Steps to Create Wealth 

Most people think diversification is achieved by having various investments that are all in the same asset category. For example, they own 10 different stocks or other paper assets. My definition of diversification is having different categories of assets. For instance, I own paper assets as well as real estate, businesses, and collectibles, to name a few asset categories. You may have to get some education to learn about new asset categories, but be sure your steps to create wealth include being diverse in the assets you choose. 

Mind Your Own Business 

Your asset column is your business—even when you are an employee. There is no question that you can create wealth as an employee. Having said that, I believe the greatest pathway to wealth and financial freedom is through entrepreneurship. As an entrepreneur, leveraging your own expertise, you can create one of the greatest assets there is…intellectual property (IP). Your intellectual property can be leveraged to create unlimited income, which you can use to invest in other assets. In addition, that IP has value. Gone are the days of businesses holding all of their value in property plant and equipment. The majority of the equity in some of today’s biggest businesses in the U.S. and internationally are their intangible assets, such as intellectual property. How do you start to create IP? Become a solution to a problem and then start creating your own content around that. 

The Takeaway 

There is not one clear definition of what it means to be wealthy. You can be wealthy financially but not wealthy in other areas of your life, such as health or relationships. These steps to create wealth focus on how you can create financial wealth. In doing so, you will set yourself up for the freedom to cultivate wealth in all areas of your life. 

This article originally appeared on sharonlechter.com. The long-awaited new release from Sharon Lechter and Dr. Greg Reid, Success and Something Greater: Your Magic Key, is available on September 17 from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other fine retailers. In this official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation, you’ll learn the success secrets of today’s most prosperous individuals, including John Assaraf, John Ashworth, Michael Houlihan, Bonnie Harvey, and many more. 

The Proven Secret to More Wealth and Happiness by Noah St. John

Most people focus on trying to make money and trying to be happier. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, there’s just one teensy problem… 

It doesn’t work. 

Why not? Because both money and happiness are the RESULTS of other things. 

Therefore, rather than focusing on trying to make more money and trying to be happier (which are results or outcomes), the truth is that we need to focus on what causes money (income) and what causes happiness. 

As illustrated by the Income-Happiness Scale above, there are two main factors that cause Income and Happiness: Activities and Aptitude. Activities are the things you do every day—what you actually do with the minutes and hours of your day. There are two kinds of Activities you can do each day: Low-Value Activities and High-Value Activities. 

Aptitude means two things: how good you are at doing a certain Activity and how much you enjoy doing it. Therefore, there are two aspects of Aptitude: things you Suck At (and don’t enjoy doing) and things you’re Great At (and enjoy doing). 

The Hobby Quadrant 

Let’s start in the lower right-hand corner of the Income-Happiness Scale. When you have a Low-Value Activity that you’re Great At (and you enjoy), you have what’s called a Hobby. What’s the definition of a Hobby? It’s something you enjoy that you don’t get paid to do. Naturally, there’s nothing wrong with having hobbies. There is, however, one slight problem, and it comes when I ask my clients a simple yet profound question: Do you own a business, or do you own a hobby? 

How can you tell the difference? Simple. With a hobby, you’re having fun—see how it’s high on the Happiness axis—yet you’re not making much (or any) money—see how it’s low on the Income axis. As it relates to your business, that’s why it’s crucial to ask whether you own a business or whether you own a hobby.  

The Busywork Quadrant 

Moving to our lower left quadrant, we have Low-Value Activities that you Suck At (and don’t enjoy). That’s what I call Busywork. We live in a world of infinite distractions. You can watch cat videos on YouTube until the end of time. You can waste countless hours on social media. Or you can simply spend the days of your life doing Activities that don’t grow your business and don’t give you either the Income or the Happiness you want. 

Notice that in the Busywork quadrant, your Activities aren’t producing much money, and you’re not enjoying them either. So you don’t even get the benefit of having a Hobby. In fact, one of my clients told me on one of our coaching calls, “Noah, I own a Busywork!” 

Do YOU “own a Busywork”? Or are you just spending too much of your valuable time there? Why is this such an important question to ask? Because TIME is the one resource that can never be replaced. 

The Golden Handcuffs 

Moving to our upper left quadrant, we have High-Value Activities that you Suck At (and don’t enjoy). That’s what I call the Golden Handcuffs. This is where you hate the work you’re doing and feel unhappy and unfulfilled but make good money so feel like you can’t leave your job. It’s called the “Golden Handcuffs” because it’s awfully hard to leave a job that pays well, even if you hate it. 

Living Your Dream 

And finally, we get to the place where we all want to go: where you are doing High-Value Activities that you’re Great At (and that you enjoy doing). That’s where you’re in the quadrant I call Living Your Dream. Why do we call it Living Your Dream? Because when you’re doing High-Value Activities that you’re great at AND that you love doing, you’re not only living your dream… 

It’s like going to heaven without the inconvenience of dying!  

When you’re Living Your Dream, notice what’s happening to your Income. Your Income is going up, but your Happiness is going up too. In fact, there is no limit to the amount of Income you can create and no limit to the amount of Happiness you can experience. 

This article originally appeared on ValueWalk.com. 

You CAN live the life of your dreams and you CAN have the freedom of time and money that you truly desire. Learn how my Power Habits® System can help you transform your unconscious self-limiting beliefs and generate new, more productive habits so that you can earn more, live more, and have the Freedom Lifestyle of your dreams in my new book, Power Habits®: The New Science for Making Success Automatic®. Preorder your copy by September 21 to claim up to $599 in free bonuses, including live video trainings to empower you to live the Power Habits® System. 

How to Define Professionalism by Phillip Van Hooser

There are a lot of people who value professionalism, but there aren’t as many who practice professionalism. I often get asked, “Phil, what’s your definition of professionalism?” Even though there are many definitions to consider, defining professionalism—for me—must focus on practical application. Here’s my definition.  

How to Define Professionalism 

Professionalism is the advanced level at which isolated individuals perform specific tasks or activities. Let me break that down for just a minute. 

1. Work Harder, Go Further 
   First, “the advanced level…” I oftentimes simply say that advanced means “good enough is not good enough” for a professional. In other words, when someone says, “That will do” or “That will pass,” a professional realizes there is still more work to do. The “advanced level” is going past what most people would do to what more could or should be done. So the first part of defining professionalism is the advancement of effort—we work harder and we go further. 

2. When No One Is Watching 
   Secondly, “the advanced level at which isolated individuals…” We don’t earn or prove our professionalism only in front of a customer or an audience. We earn or prove our professionalism when no one is watching. Is our commitment just as secure when there is no one around as it is when we are trying to impress someone? 

3. Best Effort Always 
   “The advanced level at which isolated individuals perform…” In the end, we all have jobs to perform. Performing is not about a performance as if on stage, but on the other hand, professionals are always on stage. People are always watching us in our workplace, watching us as we interact with customers or with colleagues or even with subordinates. We are always performing, and we must always perform at our best. We must always put our best effort forward for professionalism to be evident. 

4. Committed to Expectations 
   “The advanced level at which isolated individuals perform specific tasks or activities.” The first thing we must understand is what is expected of professionals. As soon as we understand what is expected, then we must commit ourselves to performing at high levels the tasks and activities assigned to us. 

I wrote about “the magic of service professionalism” in my customer service book Willie’s Way: 6 Secrets for Wooing, Wowing and Winning Customers and Their Loyalty: 

Magic (defined)…possessing distinctive qualities that produce unaccountable or baffling effects… It’s not based in the ‘woo-ooo-ooo’ realm of the paranormal. It does not depend solely on entertainment or enchantment to yield its positive effects. This definition comes closest to explaining the mysterious, mystifying, almost magnetic effect…service ‘magicians’ have on their customers. 

Seemingly magical effects on relationships with customers, employees, vendors—even family and friends—can be expected when we know how to define professionalism and diligently practice it. Professionalism isn’t magical, and it isn’t hard to define—professionalism is a simple process that is consistently and masterfully applied.

This article originally appeared on vanhooser.com. Phillip Van Hooser, CSP, CPAE is the recipient of the 2019 Cavett Award from the National Speakers Association. He is committed to helping organizations transform their business outcomes by transforming the talent of their people. His book Willie’s Way: 6 Secrets for Wooing, Wowing and Winning Customers and Their Loyalty is available from Sound Wisdom on September 3, 2019 and can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other fine retailers.

Financial Planning for the Birds by Jim Stovall

Birds are among the most fascinating creatures on earth. Bird watching is one of the most popular hobbies. I believe people enjoy watching birds because birds have mastered the art of flight. Most birds are able to fly, but they do it in different ways.  

Birds are able to propel themselves through thin air by using three different methods of flight. Most birds achieve flight by flapping their wings. This great effort on their part causes them to have enough momentum so that the air flowing under their wings creates lift. Some birds, after they have flapped their wings for a period of time, are able to glide. They can, in essence, coast using the momentum they have previously generated by flapping their wings. The most elite performers and the rarest in the bird world are able to soar. These enlightened creatures, through understanding air currents and thermals, are able to use the environment around them and their understanding of it to fly for hours and many miles with very little or no effort on their own part.  

When it comes to money, we can all learn from our friends the birds.  

Most people among us know no way to survive financially other than flapping their wings through working at a job and living paycheck-to-paycheck. These people work hard and spend every penny they earn—and often a bit more—thanks to our culture of credit.  

Then there are the individuals who have flapped their financial wings long enough to save a few dollars so they can glide for a relatively brief period of time on the income that their previous effort has brought them. While this is better than frantically flapping through your entire financial life, there is still a far better way to travel. 

There are a few elite financial birds among us who have mastered the art of soaring. They started out by working hard for their money while they were learning how to make their money work hard for them. These successful financial flyers can use the financial environment around them via interest, dividends, and capital gains much like the eagles use wind currents and thermals to reach heights others cannot even imagine.  

The next time you decide to go bird watching, don’t forget the financial lessons our feathered friends can teach us. 

As you go through your day today, commit to soaring financially like the eagles. 

Today’s the day!  

This and other motivational pieces by bestselling author Jim Stovall can be found in Wisdom for Winners Volume Three, an official publication of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. 

Proper Etiquette for Business Meals by Jennifer Janechek

Business meals are an integral part of most jobs. Whether you’re on the road meeting clients or employees from other office locations out for dinner, or you’re networking with people over appetizers at a conference, or you’re simply at a company lunch or grabbing a bite with colleagues, it’s important to make the most of these opportunities for your career…as well as to avoid business meal faux pas that could negatively impact your work relationships. 

As common as business dining experiences are, it’s interesting that so little advice exists for how to properly navigate them. I remember the first time I went out to dinner with a boss figure (a professor), I had no clue how to act. I was nervous about eating too much, too little, too messily; talking too much, too little; offending him by insisting or not insisting on paying…you get the idea. Despite having taken interpersonal communication courses in college, I was totally unprepared for this sort of social situation. Even though I felt completely comfortable conversing with professors inside and outside of the classroom, when food was added to the mix I was thrown into an unfamiliar territory and felt awkward about both the conversation and the dining. 

I wish I had been able to read something like Rachael Doyle’s new book The Field Guide to Extraordinary Communication & Connection. In it, Doyle shares several strategies for strengthening your communication skills for the benefit of your professional and personal life. Not only does she provide tips on the content of effective communication; she also offers insight on the where, when, and how of it so that you can make the most of every communication situation and networking opportunity. Included in this comprehensive handbook are two chapters on business meal guidelines, something to which there could—and probably should—be an entire college course dedicated. I’ve summarized the first five tips below (there are 34 helpful hints total!). For more on these and to learn the others, be sure to grab a copy of Doyle’s Field Guide! 

• Get there early, but not too early. 
  Doyle suggests that about five minutes early is ideal. “If you arrive fifteen minutes early, wait in your car or freshen your makeup or comb your hair in the restroom,” Doyle advises. She notes that you should always get the host’s or other diner’s number ahead of time so that in the event of an unexpected delay or emergency, you can notify him or her as soon as possible. 

• Take the initiative to make introductions. 
  Doyle suggests that you introduce yourself to every person in the group rather than relying on the host (who might forget some names) to do so, saying something positive like “It’s nice to meet you” or “It’s good to see you again.” Incorporating each person’s name into your sentences will help you remember their names. 

• Choose your seat wisely. 
  If the host doesn’t plan the seating arrangements, then be considerate about your seating choice, avoiding selecting the two end chairs, which are reserved for the host and/or the more distinguished guests. 

• Treat your server(s) with respect. 
  Being discourteous to the restaurant staff will most certainly leave a negative impression on your fellow diners. Treat everyone with whom you interact with respect and kindness.  

• When it comes to your order, don’t lead—follow.  
  Unless you’re put on the spot and have to order first, it’s a good idea to wait and see what others are ordering so that you can follow their lead. That way you don’t end up ordering, say, a steak dinner when everyone else is ordering sandwiches. (Of course, you should always be considerate about pricing, refraining from ordering the most expensive menu items.) Doyle advises that the same thing goes for dessert—wait to see if others are interested in prolonging the meal and ordering dessert before ordering something yourself. 

These are just a handful of the practical tips for business communication (here, over meals) that you’ll learn in The Field Guide to Extraordinary Communication & Connection. With so many elements to proper business, social, and dining etiquette, Doyle’s book is certainly a welcome resource! 

Rachael Doyle’s new book The Field Guide to Extraordinary Communication & Connection, available on August 20, 2019 from Sound Wisdom, is a comprehensive handbook for impactful communication in and out of the workplace. Covering topics as wide-ranging and as crucial as e-mail etiquette, making the most of social media networking, handling office celebrations, participating actively in meetings, and much more, this book will ensure you’re prepared to handle the gamut of business situations with aplomb. Reserve your copy now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or 800-CEO-Read.