Book Review . Uplifting Stories . Me Time . Motivational Advice . Positive Thinking . Personal Growth . Talents . Relationships: Divorce/Marriage . Career . Health . Fitness . Mastermind Groups . Frequent Wall Street Journal Contributor
You learn a lot when listening to people. Always keep your ears open. You never know the impact they will have on your life.
When I talked with David Mezzapelle, (who is a frequent contributor to the 'Wall Street Journal') over the telephone, I told him that I would like to have a copy of his book. He told me that he would have the publishing company sent me a complimentary copy, so I don't have an autographed copy of his book.
You may not be on a course that you are comfortable with at the moment. Be honest with yourself. From here make those changes that will restore the course you are meant to travel. But don't overlook a change of course that may have happened for a good reason.
The keys to achievement are:
1. Be clear about what you want.
2. Know you will achieve it.
3. Take dedicated and determined action.
4. Never give up.
5. Go for it!
At Merrill Lynch, there are 5 principles: Client, Focus, Respect for the Individual, Teamwork, Responsible Citizenship, and Integrity. Shortly after Mr. Daniel P. Tully became chairman, he had these principles chiseled in their lobby floor at their world headquarters in NY and posted in every office around the globe in the local language.
Reading Contagious Optimism will allow the reader to appreciate and understand the principles that people of all races, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds live by have exhibited during their life's adventures. ... Mr. Daniel P. Tully, Chairman Emeritus, Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc,. Hobe Sound, Florida
Understand, respect, and embrace other people's uniqueness. That is the foundation of any relationship - spouses, significance other, family, friends, etc.
Divorce is an unfortunate process that many people face. There's a moment often you realize that you have survived, emerged intact, and have strength you didn't know you had. ... Kerry Moeykens, Covington, Kentucky
It is suggested that you use this precious opportunity to rediscover yourself.
Overtime, you might have forgotten your unique gifts and are only thinking of what you don't like about yourself or your life.
Many people feel the need to stay busy to keep their minds off of this stressful time. Let this time also include pampering yourself. Take this time to experience life even for only ten minutes ... just simply be you!
Knowing your purpose will give you a true sense of who you are, and why you were put on this earth.
When you have discovered the "gold nugget" you already are, you will start to live your life with more ease and to enjoy the feeling of peace.
Divorce is not easy or fun but you can make it through this time of your life by realizing you will make it.
Sooner or later, all of us are exposed to a toxic person. That person can be a family member, a significance other, a boss, or a coworker. A toxic person exhibits mood swings, short temper, and inconsistencies as well as impulsive behavior. This type of person is very good at controlling people and situations because he or she knows how to use charm to keep the victim engaged.
Celebration time is right around the corner so take a deep breath and get started.
If you are spiritually inclined, prayers help.
Verbal and physical abuse as well as infidelity, lying, gambling, substance abuse can lead to the end.
Marriage takes two; it is not one person's fault for the demise of the relationship. Not playing the part of the victim will help you to move on and find life after divorce.
When Nancy Ferrari, interviews psychologists, therapies, relationships experts, the common thread in their advice for a successful relationship is communication. There is no perfect relationship however; in order to live in harmony with your mate, it takes work. Working on a marriage or relationship requires attentiveness, as well as respect, trust, and honesty.
She places a high premium on qualified marriage counseling therapy.
David Mezzsapelle, the author shares please don't tell yourself and him that you don't have what it takes to be the next golf sensation, musician, athlete, executive, or anything else. Contrary to what you think, you absolutely do have what it takes.
Building talent is one of the few tools for success that is not contigent on anything other than hard work. Your talent is the direct result of the hard work and practice you put in sure, there are some people that have an unfair advantage of knowing someone already in the field.
Whatever it is you are working toward picture yourself already there.
There are many scholars, theologians, motivational speakers, athletes, philosophers, and industry titans that have proven this.
Acknowledge where you are lacking and prioritize what it takes to improve. The brain and body together will accomplish the rest.
Do you know what your talents are?
When we are searching to find our true self, we are finding our talents along the way. Sometimes, it may even require us to deviate from an established patch and change our career.
Our talents are directly connected to our passions. When we have the courage to follow our passions, we will excel in what we do because we invest our whole energy into it.
It is also about joy, and fulfillment, growth, and a search for meaning, inner peace.
To be physically healthy you need to be mentally healthy as well. To start, believe in yourself and consider that mind exercise is just as important as physical exercise.
There are many talented people in the world who have achieved very little. On the other hand, there are many not so talented folks who have soared to amazing heights. Lisbeth Calandrino calls them "over achievers."
We all have talents - the question is which talents we choose to utilize. Some people fear failure while others fear success.
Focus not on what you think you're lacking, but rather on all the resources and resourcefulness you have. Give yourself a strong enough WHY and you will figure out the HOW.
"Convert the shame of financial disaster into your new start! Take the disgrace you feel out of consumer debt, by not looking back at the financial mistakes but instead look at the new beginnings and education that the experience offered you." ... Amy Beller, Southold, New York
Audi continues to significantly outgrow its primary U.S. competitors, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, in percentages of sales increase. Brand leaders now consider Audi likely to reach its goal of 1.5 million sales in America before earlier established deadline in 2015, and rather abruptly Audi of America has become a key partner in the German parent company's goal of overtaking BMW in global premium - segment sales.
The Audi transformation in the United States didn't come easy.
To be sure, Audi still faces a number of issues as it seeks to build on its accomplishment.
One doesn't need to rewrite their business plan nor reinvent the wheel. Just by initiating an analysis of your organization, you are already taking a step in the right direction toward success.
Ricky Wade grew up in Jamaica and was no stranger to poverty. He was directly exposed to it but knew that hard work and positive energy would yield success. There is always someone who is worse off than you. Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald's, said it best, "You have to give back to the community that supports you."
Don't be scared to alter a long-term plan when things don't work out.
Ricky came to the the United States as an immigrant. His uncle gave him a piece of advice that was one of the most valuable assets that he took with him. He said "Be true to yourself, be disciplined, and stay focused. That advice led him to an assistant manager position in Miami, Flo
In April of 2001 he achieved the unimagimable for a McDonald's corporate employee - he purchased seven stores and became a franchise in Palm Beach, Florida. Together with his wife Lissette, they then grew to eleven stores and a staff of 500 people. Today his goal is to achieve twenty-five stores within the next ten years.
His family takes great pride in helping inner city kids focus on the positive and molding them into good citizens. Making a different may be a lifelong journey but providing opportunities for low-income youth yields a positive environment and a brighter future for everyone.
Karen Wright was dead broke. She'd heard others say this, but she'd never personally been that far out on a flimsy limb before.
Fear and panic overcame her pride as she stood before her Church congregation and she finally admitted the truth out loud. She needed work, any work. She tried not to think of the $250/hour her consulting clients used to pay. She took a job for a park ranger at $9.05 per hour.
She hated her situation! She wanted her old life-clean and respected.
She decided that cleaning toilets did not define her and went to work the following morning with her baseball cap raised, a smile on her face, and friendly words for those she engaged in conversation - ever while picking up trash.
The past two years have not been what she would have wanted. She used to consider those who settle for low-paying jobs as lazy and ignorant. She often say, and believe, that great work comes to those who do small work with dignity and pride.
Those who serve the welfare of others focus upon the act of giving. She'd always focused on what she could get in return.
Success is not tied to a financial worth.
Sometimes you have to leave all you know to find what is worth knowing.
Only those who serve will ever Lead.
The Standard and Poor's 500 Index, a broad gauge of Stock Market performance, fell by nearly 40% in 2008. Many seemingly safer investments, such as bonds issued by state and local governments, were also hit hard. Just as marketers were about to hit bottom, many folks pulled their money out and put it into bank accounts and money market instruments. By doing so, they locked in large losses in stocks and other securities.
Some forecasters believe that the ensuing years could bring a significance recovery in the nation's economy, even as unemployment remains high by historic standards. If interest rates rise, some types of bonds, such as those sold by the U.S. Treasury, may actually lose value.
Many are avoiding stocks altogether.
This isn't a pitch for investing in stocks. Diversification has never been more important. There are mutual funds that invest in a mix of stocks, bonds, and other assets all at once if you aren't wealthy and can't afford to pay a professional advisor to manage your money.
By taking charge of your financial situation you may be able to reduce the risks of getting hurt the next time around.
As a child, Mr. Harvey Rephen, ESQ. witnessed many of life's hardships suffered by the people around him. The best way he could be of service is a common debt advocate. One of many profound lessons that have come out of his past is that there is no shame in financial difficulty. What makes a person rich is not the size of their wallet, but rather the size of their heart and principles.
Congress created the FDCPA (the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act) to regulate practices such as these.
The FDCPA protects the consumers' right by limiting the who, what, where, and how of debt collection. The primary power of the FDCPA is that it gives you, the consumer, the right to sue any debt collector violating your rights.
It is extremely important that all physical evidence be saved, such as messages left on your answering machine, letters received, and a written call log containing the date, time, and content of any conversation with any debt collector.
The FDCPA can stop the harassment and abuse and even take you from despair and financial devastation to hope and freedom.
A person's true wealth is based on something even more valueable than money; it;s based on the integrity of the person and how they choose to live their life.
Anabela's family had a good life. They had a nanny, housekeeper, luxury cars, vacationed often, and shopped at Nordstrom. Who wouldn't want the life-style they had?
One day, all that ended when she was laid off. A year passed and they lost their home, their cars, their nanny, their housekeeper, and, of course, shopping at Nordstrom. She believed they would have lived that way forever if the layoff never happened. "Keeping up with the Joneses" seemed easy.
Of course the transition period was difficult, especially when she began cutting coupons, but she realized she was more resilient than she thought.
When not job-hunting, she suggests picking up a book - any book. Spend more quality time with your children and family.
So, her family and her have a different life now, a good life!
Goals help us to achieve. We all need goals in our life.
Anyone who does anything worthwhile has either consciously or unconsciously followed through on goals.
One way to start this journey to get to the destination is through a very simplistic tool - journaling. Journaling is a technique that was originally taken from the therapeutic world in order to help clients identity their feelings and thoughts from a psychoanalytical perspective.
Writers and authors use it to help them document storylines, and teens use it in the form of a diary.
A journal can take several forms, such as a hardbound journal or book, or a spiral notebook, either large or small. You can use a voice recorder or the voice application on your cell phone. You can write on the computer through a word processing document or an online journal.
Share - only if you feel able; you may want to share with someone, such as a friend or a coach, who can help you to clarify and validate your breakthrough and successes.
Emotional and mental abuse made it harder to realize that it wasn't about me. We have been taught that abuse leaves physical scars, but emotional and mental abuse can be just as bad, or even worse, because it's not so obvious.
Faye had to believe in herself enough to walk away from disempowering situations early, rather than hoping things would change later.
Sometimes though, it's best to just let go and move on. Focus only on what you desire.
There are going to be bad days.
Adam Fisher shares after his horrible bount of jealousy and feeling sorry for himself he redirected his anger toward the future. He did his best to explore new markets, secure new clients, and create new sources of revenue. As he typed this story, he invested in several foreclosed properties and have created a wonderful stream of rental income.
Focusing on other people's success with envy is pointless and stressful. There is nothing good that can come from envy and jealousy - nothing!
Sometimes life if full of surprises. Shortly after Brenda Sutton Jones entered the workforce, she took a job with a marketing company in Raleigh, N.C., expecting to get her feet wet in sales and hopefully learn a bit about marketing.
What started out as a job quickly into a career.
One month later she came to work and learned that the new company had changed the lock on her door and taken ownership of all her files - after nine years. She had a number of profitable Fortune 500 clients, including GTE, IBM, & Alcatel.
On the third day after being locked out, she opened her own business.
In December 2010, her marketing company celebrated its 25th anniversary. From time to time she think about that CEO and how much she owe him for giving her the push she needed to start her own company. She believe that his actions were motivated primarily by jealously and envy.
Dr. Barbara Seifert shares we fill our daily lives with so many activities that we don't have enough time to just relax and enjoy. Even our families can exhaust us with their daily demands.
Self-care is one of the most important and basic activities that one can do. Self-care is critical to our physical and emotional wellbeing. If not addressed, emotional problems ca develop such as anger, anxiety, or depression. Health problems can also occur.
Take up journaling to capture these emotions.
Practice forgiveness, which is not forgetting or saying you are "okay" with what another person did, it is about releasing the negative feelings of what happened.
Take five minutes to picture the life you want, and enjoy it.
Learn to say "no."
Practice, practice, practice!
Susan Ross shares on The Mastermind Principle. In a Mastermind Group, the harmonious energy of the individuals connects, creating a powerful synergy (the "Master Mind") used to brainstorm, problem solve, and create powerful solutions that can only come from collaboration. It is truly a meeting of minds in pursuit of common goals, which might seem unreachable on your own.
Joining a Mastermind Group is a commitment to mastering your possibilities. Many icons of the twentieth-century, including Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison, as well as a host of presidents and statesmen, credit the Mastermind process for some of their collective success. Yet we find it a vastly underused business and life-building tool today.
It's utilizing the strengths and experience of others.
There are many types of Mastermind Groups, including same-company or same-industry, women, mixed business, virtual, and more.
The beauty of a Mastermind is that you can make your own rules to suit the group.
And the power of two or more minds focused on a single dream can dramatically increase the manifestation of that dream.
David Mezzapelle, the author has been motivating others to be positive since his childhood.
He has been a guest on various radio and television programs. He is also a frequent contributor to the Wall Street Journal and various other publications and websites around the world.
David was inspired to write 'Contagious Optimism' on his life's experiences, and the encouragement of his Alma Mater, Fairfield University in Connecticut. A portion of each sale will go to the school.
