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Welcome to Your Achievement Ezine
Issue 371 - July 9, 2008
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"Get excited and enthusiastic about your own
dream. This excitement is like a forest fire -- you can smell it, taste it, and
see it from a mile away."
Denis Waitley
Today's issue includes:
1. Your Achievement Article - Remembering George and Abe by
Harvey Mackay
2. Your Achievement Quotes - Expectation, Experience and Faith
3. Your Achievement Tips - Grandma's Gift (excerpted from Chris Widener's NEW
book, The Art of Influence)
4. An inspirational movie for you!!
5. More Information
1. Your Achievement Article
Remembering George and Abe by Harvey Mackay
When I was a student at the University of Minnesota, I carried around a 3 by 5-inch leather-bound dictionary. I still remember the cover, with a picture of Abe Lincoln sitting on a log with an axe beside him. The inscription read: "I will study hard, and some day my chance will come."
With Independence Day occurring this past week, I'd like to share some of the business and life lessons that I've learned from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Their fundamental wisdom remains pertinent and useful today. (If the language seems sexist, please consider the times.)
Whether as general or president, George Washington knew plenty about leadership. The following passage, taken from a 1775 letter, talks about how to treat the people who have to follow you into battle. The advice holds up well, especially when put into a business setting: "Be strict in your discipline; that is, to require nothing unreasonable of your officers and men, but see that whatever is required be punctually complied with. Reward and punish every man according to his merit, without partiality or prejudice; hear his complaints; if well founded, redress them; if otherwise, discourage them, in order to prevent frivolous ones. Impress upon the mind of every man, from first to the lowest, the importance of the cause, and what it is they are contending for." Check out Washington's Rules for Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation. It's interesting— and still true today.
Thomas Jefferson wrote an evaluation of Washington in 1795: "He errs as other men do, but he errs with integrity. His mind was great and powerful, without being of the very first order...and as far as he saw, no judgment was ever sounder. It was slow in operation, being little aided by invention, but sure in conclusion. He was incapable of fear, meeting personal dangers with the calmest unconcern. Perhaps the strongest feature in his character was prudence, never acting until every circumstance, every consideration, was maturely weighted. His integrity was most pure, his justice the most inflexible I have ever known...."
Washington had some financial moxie as well. As commander in chief of the American forces, Washington refused a regular salary and worked for expenses only. He came out substantially better than he otherwise would have. That's my kind of guy! When he was offered the U.S. Presidency, he volunteered to work for expenses again—but this time Congress insisted he have a fixed salary.
For the record, Washington was one of the richest men in America. At his death his holdings were worth about half a million dollars and included: 33,000 acres of land in Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and the Northwest Territory; $25,000 worth of stocks; 640 sheep; 329 cows; 42 mules; and 20 workhorses.
Not true for Abraham Lincoln. He failed in business, lost numerous elections, lost his sweetheart and had a nervous breakdown. But he never quit. He kept on trying and became—according to many—our greatest president. As with so many great achievers, Lincoln faced numerous challenges. In fact, he was forced to borrow money for train fare to his own presidential inauguration!
One of Lincoln's neighbors in Springfield, IL, heard children crying in the street and rushed out of his house to investigate. There he found Lincoln with two of his sons, both of whom were sobbing uncontrollably.
"Whatever is the matter with the boys, Mr. Lincoln?" he asked. "Just what's the matter with the whole world," replied Lincoln. "I've got three walnuts, and each wants two." Some things never change.
Lincoln once was criticized for referring to the Confederates in kind terms. The woman critic asked the President how he could speak generously of his enemies when he should rather destroy them. "Why, Madam," replied Lincoln, "do I not destroy them when I make them my friends?"
Most of us are familiar with Honest Abe's dry wit and wisdom. On persistence, he said, "I do the best I can, I mean to keep going. If the end brings me out all right, then what is said against me won't matter. If I'm wrong, 10 angels swearing I was right won't make a difference."
We get a real insight into Lincoln's stand on character with this gem: "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
Could you pass the test?
Mackay's Moral: I cannot tell a lie: We can—and should—learn plenty from these two presidents.
-- Harvey Mackay
Throughout history the words of great leaders have inspired, comforted, persuaded, and motivated us.
Ben Franklin was an entrepreneur, an inventor, an author, a statesman, but most of all, he was one of the fathers of our country. In many ways, he was the "glue" that held the American Revolution together.
Thomas Jefferson was our country's first secretary of state and third president. He is also best remembered as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Both Franklin and Jefferson were known for their ability to communicate in a very engaging way. They truly understood the art of bringing ideas to life with words.
These two great men are featured in Peggy Anderson's beautiful coffee table gift book...Great Quotes from Great Leaders.
The book also features inspiring words from many Americans and world figures known for their commitment to the principles of freedom, including George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, and Mahatma Gandhi.
Use this link to watch a four-minute movie that will give you a sneak peek at the collection of wisdom offered in the book –
www.TheGreatQuotesMovie.com/
"One man has enthusiasm for 30 minutes, another for 30 days, but it is the man who has it for 30 years who makes a success of his life."
Edward B. Butler
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"Enthusiasm is the color of inspiration and
courage."
Nido Qubein
2. Your Achievement Quotes
EXPECTATION
"I believe in the perfect outcome in every area of my life! Expect to be successful! Expect to win!" -- Brian Tracy
"It is funny about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the very best you will very often get it." -- W. Somerset Maugham
"Life... It tends to respond to our outlook, to shape itself to meet our expectations." -- Richard M. DeVos
"Today I live in the quiet, joyous expectation of good." -- Ernest Holmen
EXPERIENCE
"That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach." -- Aldous Huxley
"Mistakes are painful when they happen, but years later a collection of mistakes is what is called experience." -- Denis Waitley
"The good times we put in our pocket. The hard times we put into our heart." -- Les Brown
"Don't let the learning from your own experiences take too long. If you have been doing it wrong for the last ten years, I would suggest that´s long enough!" -- Jim Rohn
FAITH
"The leader seeks to communicate his vision to his followers. He captures their attention with his optimistic intuition of possible solutions to their needs. He influences them by the dynamism of his faith. He demonstrates confidence that the challenge can be met, the need resolved, the crisis overcome." -- John Haggai
"Nine requisites for contented living:
Health enough to make work a pleasure.
Wealth enough to support your needs.
Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them.
Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them.
Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished.
Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor.
Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others.
Faith enough to make real the things of God.
Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
"When you come to the edge of all the light you know, and are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: there will be something solid to stand on, or you will be taught how to fly." -- Barbara J. Winter
"Fear of failure and fear of the unknown are always defeated by faith. Having faith in yourself, in the process of change, and in the new direction that change sets will reveal your own inner core of steel." -- Georgette Mosbacher
"Friendly is at the epicenter of your
business, but it's only a seed that must be germinated, and then nurtured --
every day. The value of friendly is beyond measure -- it costs nothing, yet
it's worth a fortune. And it's the most contagious disease known to man --
catch it." Jeffrey Gitomer
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"When enthusiasm is inspired by reason;
controlled by caution; sound in theory; practical in application; reflects
confidence; spreads good cheer; raises morale; inspires associates; arouses
loyalty, and laughs at adversity; it is beyond price." Coleman Cox
3. Your Achievement Tips
Grandma's Gift (excerpted from Chris Widener's NEW book, The Art of
Influence)
...She didn't have a gift in her hand. Just an envelope. Marcus hoped it wasn't five dollars. As she got close to Marcus, she handed it to him and said again, "I really think you will like this. At least I hope you will."
This is the best gift ever? Marcus wondered. It couldn't be a huge check because he knew that his grandma didn't have that kind of money. What could it be? There was only one way to find out. He tore open the envelope and inside found a simple card that read:
A WEEKEND WITH BOBBY GOLD
JUNE 19-23
Along with it was a slip of paper with a phone number that said cell.
Okay this was strange. Bobby Gold was only one of the most famous billionaires in America. Marcus was very aware of who he was, but what did the card mean? Margaret smiled softly as she watched Marcus's confused look.
"I don't get it Grandma. Is it a seminar or something? Is he speaking somewhere? What do you mean by 'a weekend'?"
"I mean you will be spending the weekend -- actually four or five days -- with Bobby Gold. I arranged the whole thing." She was beaming now. Margaret and Bill also looked happy, while Marcus and Jack just looked quizzically at each other.
"Okay, so I must really be in the dark. How am I going to spend a weekend with Bobby Gold? And what am I going to do with him?" The thought crossed his mind that perhaps his grandma might be pulling his leg.
"Oh yes, I suppose it appears strange doesn't it? I arranged for you to spend that time with Bobby so he could teach you a little about business. That should be fun, don't you think?"
"Well, sure, Grandma, it sounds great, but how did you pull this off?" He still wasn't sure it was actually true.
"I called him and asked him if he would do it for me." Beatrice said matter-of-factly.
"You just picked up the phone and asked a guy worth eighteen billion dollars if your grandson could hang out with him?"
"Exactly."
"Mom," Margaret said, interrupting their obviously confusing exchange, "perhaps you should explain how you know Bobby."
"Oh yes, that's a good idea. It sounds outlandish doesn't it?"
"You know Bobby Gold?" Jack and Marcus said in unison.
"I do. Well, more accurately, I did. You know me, I don't like to brag, so I never told you that I was Bobby's nanny for three years when he was growing up. From the time he was eight until he was eleven -- such a nice young man. But I moved away when your grandfather got transferred for work and I didn't keep up with what had happened to him until I started reading about him and seeing him on television. He has become quite successful, you know."
"Of course I know." Marcus looked at his mom and dad. "Did you guys know that she knew Bobby Gold?"
"No, we knew she was a nanny for a little boy whose family had some money, but we never knew who it was. We didn't know until she asked if you would like this for a gift."
Marcus turned back to his grandma. "So how did you get this arranged?"
"I called him up and left a message with his secretary and asked him to call me. The next day he did. I told him that you were graduating from Northwestern's business school and asked if he would spend some time with you. He remembered me -- we always got along so well -- and he said he would be happy to do it. Then he looked at his schedule and suggested that you accompany him on a little trip he has planned. I checked with your parents and they said that you were free and so that is how it came to be. I thought you would like it."
"Grandma, I love it!" Marcus got up and went over to give his grandma a hug and a kiss to say thank you. She still smelled like flowers. "Thanks so much, Grandma. This is going to be awesome."
She squeezed him tight. "You are welcome, Marcus. I am so proud of you. You should be able to be as successful as Bobby has become."
Marcus stood up. "Well, let's start with my first million before we get to a billion -- or eighteen." He turned to Jack, "Dude, I am going to be hanging with Bobby 'Nothing's Better than Gold' Gold!"
(The above article was excerpted from Chris Widener's NEW book, The Art of Influence)
A Note from Chris Widener...
Hello to all of my friends!
I just wanted to let you know that after 15 months, I am releasing a new book. We launched it through our best-seller campaign July 8th and the following days. The last time we did this, in April 2007, your help put
The Angel Inside as the number one business book and number three overall on Amazon.com. It also ended up number seven on the NY Times and number two on Wall Street Journal best-seller lists!
This year, with my new book - The Art of Influence - my goal is to be number one across the board!
We've also sweetened the pot: If you buy The Art of Influence on Amazon or Barnes and Noble on July
9th or the few days after (the 8th was our launch date), we will throw in over 20 free bonuses (worth several hundreds of dollars). These include bonuses from Zig Ziglar, Jim Rohn, Denis Waitley, Bob Burg, Ron White, and many more. Plus you also save 32% on the price of the book.
Just like all of my books, The Art of Influence is a fast read filled with lots of wisdom.
To learn more about The Art of Influence, the free bonuses and a link to order the book at over 30% off go to:
http://www.ChrisWidener.com/Art-Of-Influence.asp
"Enthusiastic people experience life from
the inside out."
Nido Qubein
4. An inspirational movie for you!!
Throughout history the words of great leaders have inspired, comforted, persuaded, and motivated us.
Having just celebrated the 232nd anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, two of my favorite historic figures come to mind: Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.
Ben Franklin was an entrepreneur, an inventor, an author, a statesman, but most of all, he was one of the fathers of our country. In many ways, he was the "glue" that held the American Revolution together.
Thomas Jefferson was our country's first secretary of state and third president. He is also best remembered as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.
Both Franklin and Jefferson were known for their ability to communicate in a very engaging way. They truly understood the art of bringing ideas to life with words.
These two great men are featured in Peggy Anderson's beautiful coffee table gift book...Great Quotes from Great Leaders.
The book also features inspiring words from many Americans and world figures known for their commitment to the principles of freedom, including George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, and Mahatma Gandhi.
Use this link to watch a four-minute movie that will give you a sneak peek at the collection of wisdom offered in the book –
www.TheGreatQuotesMovie.com/
P.S. Share this extraordinary movie by sending to friends or co-workers. If they enjoy quotes, great photos and beautiful music, you'll be giving them a treat they won't forget. Use this link to watch and share Great Quotes from Great Leaders –
www.TheGreatQuotesMovie.com/
"The key that unlocks energy is desire. It's
also the key to a long and interesting life. If we expect to create any
drive, any real force within ourselves, we have to get excited."
Earl Nightingale
5. More Information
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