Those "Instant" Successes

Many times an unknown person does something spectacular and suddenly becomes a "hero," a public figure, an "overnight success," the object of much envy. Let's explore this "overnight success" syndrome.

Several years ago Gary Spiess from White Lake, Minnesota, did an incredible thing. He sailed his ten-foot boat across the Atlantic Ocean in just 54 days. Most of us can only imagine what he endured to complete his 54-day ordeal, but suddenly the whole world knew who he was.

What is the real story? Did he just have a good idea, implement it and "luck" into celebrity status? The reality is that Gary had worked, planned, sacrificed and studied for three years to build his boat. He committed not only his money but 100% of his spare time for three solid years. He had to chart his course and plan every detail, down to the minutia - including maximum use of his space and the proper food, clothing and water to carry. Once the trip began, so did the danger. The most dangerous and difficult part was fighting the violent seas of the Atlantic Ocean. The seas often combined with a driving, bitterly-cold rain, which chilled him to the bone. By the time he reached England, he was so brutally battered by the cruel sea that his entire body was black and blue. Yes, it's true he had his day in the sun, but it's safe to say that he had sacrificed and worked in order to receive his rewards.

Most of us are not interested in doing anything of that nature, but it is safe to say that if we're going to accomplish anything of significance, and particularly if we're going to maintain that significance, long hours of planning and even more of hard work are required. But it's also safe to say it's worth it because the effort is temporary but the satisfaction and rewards can be long-lasting. Message: Give it your best shot and I will SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

- By Zig Ziglar

Keep Moving!!!

Life gives answers in three ways.

It says yes and gives whatever you want.
It says no and gives you something better.
It says wait and gives you the best.

If you're committed to your dream,
you will win anyways.

Don't just dream, Live your dream.
Keep moving towards it.

- Unknown -

Inspiring Story - Trouble Tree

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.

On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

"Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied." I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again."

He paused. "Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there ain't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

As the rains set in and our traffic troubles on our city roads lead to frustration and despair, lets each find that tree to hang our troubles and get on with our lives - wet, yet cheerful!

- Author Unknown

What is Family?

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.

He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,


"While dealing with a stranger,
common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.


Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the
surprise, you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."

He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway."

I said, "Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers,
especially the blue."

FAMILY
Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days.
But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family, an unwise investment indeed, don't you think? So what is behind the story?


Do you know what the word FAMILY means?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

- Author Unknown

Self Employment.

A jobless man applied for the position of 'office boy' at a very big firm.

The HR manager interviewed him, then a test: clean the floor. "You are hired" he said, give me your email address, and I'll send you the application to fill, as well as when you will start. The man replied "I don't have a computer, neither an email".

I'm sorry, said the HR manager, if you don't have an email that means you do not exist. And who doesn't exist, cannot have the job. The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do, with only $10 US in his pocket.

He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy a 10 KG tomato crate. He then sold the tomatoes in a door to door round. In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital. He repeated the operation 3 times, and returned home with $60 US. The man realized that he can survive by this way, and started to go everyday earlier, and return late. Thus, his money doubles or triples every day. Shortly later, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles.

5 years later, the man is one of the biggest food retailers in the US. He started to plan his family's future, and decided to have a life insurance.

He called an insurance broker, and chooses a protection plan. When the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him his email. The man replied: 'I don't have an email'. The broker replied curiously, you don't have an email, and yet have succeeded to build an empire. Do you imagine what you could have been if you had an email?

The man thought for a while, and replied: an office boy!

The moral of this story:

1: Internet is not the solution to your life.
2: If you don't have internet and you work hard you can be a millionaire.
3: If you received this message by email, you are closer to be an office boy, rather than a MILLIONAIRE.

- Author Unknown

Thinking Like A Winner

After studying the research done in cognitive psychology over the last 25 years, I've come to a simple conclusion: The degree to which you feel in control of your life will largely determine your level of mental well-being, your peace of mind, your happiness and the quality of your interactions with people. Cognitive psychologists call this a “sense of control.” It is the foundation of happiness and high achievement. And the only thing in the world over which you have complete control is the content of your conscious mind. If you decide to exert that control and keep your mind on what you want, even when you are surrounded by difficult circumstances, your future potential will be unlimited.

Your aim should be to work on yourself and your thinking until you reach the point where you absolutely, positively believe yourself to be a total winner in anything you sincerely want to accomplish. When you reach the point where you feel unshakable confidence in yourself and your abilities, nothing will be able to stop you. And this state of self-confidence comes from, first, understanding the functioning of your remarkable mind and, second, practicing the techniques of mental fitness over and over, until you become a completely optimistic, cheerful and positive person.

Italian psychologist Dr. Roberto Assagioli left us two remarkable pieces of writing, Psychosynthesis and The Act of Will. In those books, Assagioli brought his remarkable intelligence to bear on the entire subject of human potential and human happiness. He studied the mind and personality for his entire lifetime, and he came up with several ideas that are profoundly simple and powerfully effective in helping you and me to lead happier, more satisfying lives. In The Act of Will, he laid out a series of psychological principles, or laws, that can be very helpful to you in understanding the way your mind works and how you can take control of it.

The third of Assagioli's laws is that images or pictures, either from within or from the outside, will trigger thoughts and feelings consistent with them. In turn, those thoughts and feelings will trigger behaviors that lead to the realization of the pictures. For example, when you become absolutely convinced that you are a total winner and you are meant to be a complete success in anything that you really want to do, every picture or image that you see that somehow represents winning to you will trigger thoughts of what you could do to achieve that same state. The picture will also trigger the feeling of excitement that will motivate you to take action.

A friend of mine who was a sales manager had a simple technique to make new salespeople successful, and it worked in more than 90 percent of cases. When he hired a salesperson, he would take that person to a nearby Cadillac dealership and force the person to trade in his current car on a new Cadillac.

The payments on the Cadillac would be substantially more than the new salesperson had ever imagined paying, and he would strongly resist getting into the commitment. However, the sales manager would insist until, finally, the salesperson bought the new Cadillac and drove it home.

No matter how unsure or insecure the salesperson felt, when his spouse and friends saw the new Cadillac and he experienced the pleasure of driving it down the street, he began to think about himself and to see himself as a big success selling his product. And in almost all cases, it turned out to be true. Those salespeople went on to become great successes in their field.

Take every opportunity you can to surround yourself with images of what success means to you: Get brochures on new cars; get magazines containing pictures of beautiful homes, beautiful clothes and other things that you could obtain as a result of achieving the success that you are aiming for. Each time you see or visualize those images, you trigger the thoughts, feelings and actions that make them materialize in your life.

Assagioli's fourth law is that thoughts, feelings and images trigger the words and actions consistent with them. This is another way of saying that your inner impressions will motivate you to pursue the outer activities that will move you toward the achievement of your goals.

Assagioli's fifth law is that your actions will trigger thoughts, emotions and images consistent with them. That has been referred to as the Law of Reversibility. It is one of the most important success principles ever discovered.

- Brian Tracy

The Princess Dress

The phone rang on a Saturday night. It was Kelly.

"Mom, where were you?" she said. "I tried to call you from a store because I want you to help me make up my mind. Oh, Mom, I found the most beautiful dress for my formal! I feel like a princess in it, but it's really expensive. What do you think I should do? Should I buy it?" I didn't have a moment's hesitation. "Yes," I told her. "Buy the dress."

But in those few short minutes on the phone I didn't have the time or the words to explain why I thought she should have the "princess" dress she'd found.

There are so many reasons I would give my daughter. . . .

For growing up without many clothes or vacations, because there was never enough money, and not complaining about either one - that would be one reason.

For studying so hard and doing every extra-credit assignment she could get her hands on, so she could go to college.

For all those times she passed the soccer ball, when she knew she could have easily run and scored but valued being a team player more than being a star.

For that fierce determination when she was slammed in the nose during a game, and despite blood running down her face, kept yelling, "I'm fine, Coach! I'm not bleeding anymore. Put me in, Coach!"

For giving up varsity soccer at college because she had to work and couldn't (wouldn't!) let her grades suffer.

For giving up her spring break one year to build houses for the poor in Tijuana and coming home scraped and bruised and sick and exclaiming, "Mom, that was the most wonderful thing I've ever done in my life!"

For deciding that even though she was supporting herself she could still find the money to sponsor a child in El Salvador who has less.

For deciding that faith is the most important thing of all.

For telling me when I wished I could give her more, "Mom, I think of you as my angel," and reminding me just how priceless love is.

Oh yes, I do think that daughter of mine should have that dress. And she's right that no one will notice that her shoes don't match (since there's no extra money to buy new shoes). I know that people will only see the shining joy in those big brown eyes of hers, and that radiant smile that could light a midnight sky. But Kelly was wrong about one thing. I don't think that she'll look like a princess in that dress of hers: To me, my darling daughter is a queen.

- By Anne Goodrich