Dale Carnegi - Abstract

Carnegie was also like Franklin in that he saw the amassing of wealth merely as a means to an end, an end the men shared—retiring early, becoming a man of culture and letters, writing, doing public service, and being an active citizen. Carnegie was not only a “captain of industry,” but a husband and father, an abolitionist and peace activist, a writer and world traveler. And he was one of the greatest philanthropists of all time.

Abstract from - the following link

2013: An Optimistic Call for Reflection, Reassessment & Action

Move before you are ready... Any result-oriented individual that's always focused on moving forward must be willing to accept challenges outside their comfort zone. Only by abandoning our familiar "safe place", can we truly discover our inner strengths. In the Chinese language, the symbol that represents crises comprises of  two characters; danger and opportunity.

Semantically speaking, if we look deep enough, there's an opportunity that lies in every difficulty. This is more than just a "glass-half-empty or half-full" analogy - this is short mantra that holds the key to greatness for all those who are willing to accept it.

A wise man once said, "Those that look are many, but those that see are few". The next time you're met with some sort of opposition - before you blindly react and fold under the pressure, take a few seconds to reassess the situation and see any new opportunity that might be lurking in the shadows. This strategy can help us switch gears in life from a dormant/reactive state to an alert/active state.

Don't shy away from difficulty or sudden challenges, take the time to reassess the situation and you might find an advantage. I'll round this post up with a favorite quote of mine by Thomas Edison; " Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work".

Mastery by Robert Greene

Just reading Robert's new book and I'm really excited about it. The first time I read his first Best Seller was in 1998 - The 48 Laws of Power. I'm an avid fan and I look to apply most (not all) of his strategic advise on how to live life to the best of my abilities.

http://powerseductionandwar.com/blog/

"Never say Never, because Limits, Like Fears, are only an Illusion."

MJ

"Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed."

Arthur Schopenhauer

Five Tips to Help Strengthen Will Power

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhi wasn't physically a huge man but he will forever be remembered for breaking the British shackles from the  Indian colony...

According to Baumeister, willpower is not a personality trait, a skill or a virtue. Instead, it operates like a muscle. And as such, it can be strengthened - but also easily exhausted (Baumeister 2003).

Act in line with our highest goals, and not with our immediate appetites. 

Challenges are there to limit successes, but with the right attitude and willpower we still can achieve extraordinary feats...

In the 1960s, Walter Mischel tested four-year-old children for self-control in "The Marshmallow Test": the children were each given a marshmallow and told that they can eat it anytime they want, but if they waited 15 minutes, they would receive another marshmallow. Follow up studies showed that the results correlated well with these children's success levels in later life.

Focus on long term goals... like a career path... 

Five Tips to Help Strengthen Will Power

1. Reset your internal hard drive: Know thyself... Focus on your goal: Intensity beats extensity every time... "You are the only person on earth who has your ability." Zig Zigler
2. Surround yourself with the right people: "Tis better to be alone than in bad company." George Washington. Understand the demand placed on you by your relationships and prioritize.
3. Get to work: Stop analyzing, over thinking or doubting... start doing... read biographies, research alternatives, ask people.... keep working on it... "I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work." - Pearl S. Buck
4. Believe: “You may fetter my leg, but Zeus himself cannot get the better of my free will” Epictetus quotes (Greek philosopher associated with the Stoics, AD 55-c.135. Fear Nothing: Nihil Timendum Est. You're never failing once you're trying... the only true failure is failing to try...
5. Take good care of your physical body: Eat well, sleep well and dress well and every other thing you do will be done well...

References:

http://www.ideafit.com/library/how-to-strengthen-willpower-part-1

Photo Courtesy: http://www.articlesweb.org/lifestyle/strengthen-your-willpower

Men of Honor!

I can't propose that everyone wants to be the best they can and live life the right way, but for those of us that do... here's a tip for change... Lead a life of honor... Respect authority, our parents, our spouses, our relatives and everyone we come across. We may not agree with others all the time but because of our quest to become the best, we'll honor them.

The irony of such an ideology is that some people may think that they are being honorable for the sake of others, but that's not the case... We lead honorable lives for ourselves. We're the ones that have to live with ourselves anyway.

Men of honor keep their head up and do what's right out of respect for themselves.

It's true that sometimes we may fall off the wayside of the track we would like to live, but a great philosopher once said, "It's not where you stand that matters, but the direction you are going".

Let's continue to sow seeds of greatness in our lives by living honorably and kick negatives like pride, jealousy, sarcasm and disrespect out the door. Remember, this doesn't mean we're weak, but it shows our strength to deliver upon our own expectations.








Photo Courtesy:
http://www.du.edu/studentlife/studentconduct/honorcode.html


Pic

A Better Man Post #1

“ No longer talk at all about the kind of man a good man ought to be, but be such. ”

— Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

STRATEGY; The Art of Transforming Ideas Into Action

Focus on a lifestyle that bridges the gap between knowing and doing.


With each passing day, moment, second... life is slipping away... Make it count by being the best every moment requires.


"Space we can recover. Time, never." Napoleon Bonaparte

"A man's whole life is a succession of moment after moment".

If one fully understands the present moment,

there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. 

Live being true to the single purpose of the moment."

Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Pressure Makes Diamonds

Embrace challenges...

Limits, like fears, are often just an illusion...

MJ

“Ne Te Quaesiveris Extra.”

“Do not seek outside yourself... Look within ..."

Employ the Key of Confidence... Always...

Constantly second guessing yourself is very dangerous. Fortune is a woman and whoever wants her must be adventurous, as opposed to proceeding cautiously. I love the way Robert Greene shed more light on the subject of confidence in chapter 28 of his bestseller, "The 48 Laws of Power". He says, Enter Actions with Boldness: If you are unsure of a course of action, don't attempt it. Hesitation puts obstacles in your path, boldness eliminates them."

In life, not many people get second chances... It's not a Nintendo game, there's no replay button... Move ahead, forge forward with confidence and if you're lucky and you have a second chance of doing it again... Then make it better. 

I have no doubt in my mind that the human being is an amazing machine... a machine which, if maintained and efficiently maximized, can do miracles... As individuals, opportunities are limitless for those who eliminate the barriers of fear. Don't be a scientific calculator with an an owner who uses it for only basic arithmetic.

A favorite quote of mine goes thus, "On the lands of hesitation, lay the bones of countless millions who on the dawn of their victory lay down to rest, and while resting they died"...

I'll end this heartfelt rant and begin my weekend with the following Latin line: 

Nihil Timendum Est... 

Fear Nothing.

The Pen is the Tongue of the Mind

Photo Courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/qisur/4350431493/

No Fear. No Surprise. No Hesitation. No Doubt.

Richard Templar