With Regard To Life

Social Media

Before I started writing this blog a little more than a year ago, I did not have a clue about what Facebook was or how it worked. And I could not have cared less. I did not want or need it. And Twitter? What a waste. Thank God for this blog. I do not feel that way any more. When I began writing, the individual who helped me said I must have a Facebook account because that is where most people would read the blog. I now see the possibilities social media has to offer. Don't be fooled. I am not an authority, but I have changed my attitude and am going to make it part of my life. I am meeting with friends who are helping me understand this phenomenon. It is overwhelming, but I must learn to use it because it is not going away. Social media is a revolution. The world has never seen anything quite like it. Today's Winning Thought: Social media is so overwhelming, but there is power in it.

Sales

Nothing happens until something is sold. A friend told me that one day when I was a young man struggling early in my sales career. The first, and most important sale you need to make is to sell yourself. Zig Ziglar might just be the leading authority on selling. He has said a loyt of things, and has taught countless people about sales and life. But two things he said are so powerful that you must learn it and hold it very close to your heart. Ziglar said, "You cannot consistently perform in a manner that is inconsistent with the way you see yourself." And his other gem is equally as powerful. "You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want." Sales is an honorable profession. William Wrigley, Billy Graham, Abraham Lincoln and J.C. Penney were all in sales. In Penney's case, he was 56 years old, $7 million in debt and in a sanitarium. He started over and the rest is history. You are not $7 million in debt and in an institution. So, you are better off than Mr. Penney. Whether you are selling a product, service, or an idea, stay focused and believe in yourself. Pay close attention to your communication skills, which includes listening. Today's Winning Thought: We are all in sales. Every day, we sell to ourselves to our spouse, our our friends, our employer, our co-workers and our customers. You will need a plan and self-discipline. Happy and successful selling.

Believe In Yourself

The people who predict the winners of Major League Baseball races and post-season champions would tell you that the Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Indians are two of the worst teams in baseball. They might not have used the word "worst" but they certainly would not have said they will play late into October. No way, not this year. Some might even have said the two teams would be out of the race by Easter. They would have missed that projection by a mile. Easter is a week away and the Royals and Indians are tied for first place in their division. The two teams are off to a great start, but they should not stick their chests out too far. They have only played less than 10 percent of their schedule. Not everyone believes in these two baseball teams but the players and coaches do. Right now, that is all that matters. Has someone written off your chances of success? Is there someone who doesn't believe in you? The important question to ask yourself is do you believe in you? You are always going to have naysayers in your life. Hear them out, consider their words and move forward. While you are moving, be realistic, get wise counsel and do not stop believing in yourself. Today's Winning Thought: "A wise man has great power, and a man of knowledge increases strength; for waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers." -- Proverbs 24:5-6

Look Again

I pay attention to logos. Much of what I do involves logos, so I notice them. I noticed one today that I have seen many times before. Today, I really saw it for what it is. I was some distance away and looking from a different angle. It did not look the same. For the first time, I saw it for what it was supposed to be. Are there things or people like that in your life? Are there people you see every day who you need to look at differently? Somebody who needs an encouraging word, a helping hand, a meal or a handwritten note? Probably too many to count. The next time you see them, really notice them. Pay more attention and look at them a few seconds longer. Look at them differently. Look for an opportunity to serve. Today's Winning Thought: You don't have to save the world, just start with one person. Today would not be too soon to start.

The Richest Man in Babylon

I am in Colorado as I write this post. This does not have to have a Colorado angle, but I thought of someone from here who changed the world. George Clason was a Colorado businessman. He owned a mapmaking company. He recorded his thoughts and put together some pamphlets, which he later distributed to financial institutions. A few years later, Clason put them together in book form. The book was entitled The Richest Man in Babylon. This blog is about life and the things with regard to life. I did not set out to write as much as I have on the topic of money and personal finance. It is just where I am right now. It bothers me terribly to see so many people struggle financially when it does not have to be that way. Poor spending habits, a plan that is not solid, if there is a plan at all, and a lack of self-discipline have left too many people without a lot of options. I have been broke and stupid. Some might argue that I am still stupid. When I put my life back together, I vowed to share all that I have learned to keep others from traveling the hard, uncertain road I was once on. So, here are Mr. Clason's words of wisdom. (I hope someone forwards his thoughts to their representative and senator. Make sure you encourage them to read it). "A part of all you own is yours to keep." "Budget thy expenses that thou mayest have coins to pay for thy necessities, to pay for thy enjoyments and to gratify thy worthwhile desires without spending more than nine-tenths of thy earnings." "Own thy own home." "He must pay his debts with all the promptness within his power, not purchasing that for which he is unable to pay." (Put an asterisk by that one). "Gold slippeth away from the man who invests it in businesses or purposes with which he is not familiar or which are not approved by those skilled in its keep." Today's Winning Thought: "Better a little caution than a great regret." -- George Clason

Burn With a Plan

Some of the most unique grassland in the world is found in central Kansas along the Kansas Turnpike between El Dorado and Emporia. Each spring, ranchers and landowners burn the grass in the Flint Hills. It is a symbol of spring that dates back to 1863. Burning the grass early in the growing season rather than during the winter minimizes the time the soil is bare and subject to erosion. Fire is just one of the land management tools available to ranchers. Seeing the fire move across the prairie at night is something to see. Watching the new grass turn lush green is equally impressive. That is the tradition. But ranchers never take anything for granted. One small mistake and a little too much wind and things can get out of control in a heartbeat. There is more to it than lighting a match and throwing it on the grass, said one rancher. This fourth-generation rancher said burning does not begin with lighting the match. It begins with a plan. Today's Winning Thought: Don't take life for granted. Live with a plan. And always have a back-up plan.

Money

Life can be hard enough with options. We often make it worse and reduce our options by making poor decisions with our money. I know how painful it can be. I have a Master's degree in negligence with money. I now facilitate a finance class. I reread some startling statistics in the study material this weekend. . . . Only 32 percent of Americans could cover a $5,000 emergency without going into debt. . . . A Parenting Magazine poll indicates that 49 percent could not cover one month's expenses if they were to miss a paycheck. . . . Bankruptcies are soaring. . . . Consumer debt is in the trillions, and rising. . . . More than 60 percent of working Americans experience moderate to high levels of financial stress. Twenty percent of those say it has gotten worse in the last 18 to 24 months. . . . Forty-four percent say they guess when they make their retirement planning decisions. I write a lot about money and literacy because if you do not give them the attention they deserve, you can makee your life miserable. Don't wait another day to review where you are financially. Don't wait another day to get stronger. Today's Winning Thought: You have enough stress in your life. You don't need financial stress too.

Soup Kitchen

My family and friends served more than 350 people at a soup kitchen near our home this weekend. Because the need is so great, the center, which feeds people every night of the year, will soon have a second location. The new building is located in an area with limited access to services to meet their most basic needs. There are more than 900 students in the neighborhood elementary school. Nearly 100 percent of them qualify for free or reduced lunch. The additional building, which will feed families and give them hope, happened because many faithful friends of the ministry stepped up and shared money, gifts and time. This selflessness and giving spirit reminded me of something I read last week. ...God's vision for our life is huge, but you accomplish it through a series of small steps. ...Influence is achieved by affecting one life at a time. ...You won't likely make a difference unless you feel urgency about the need that must be addressed. ...You might have to change the atmosphere of the place to which you have been called. Today's Winning Thought: Every little thing matters. Details matter, when you serve people, whether you are building the building, growing the food, preparing the food or serving the food.

Nine Seconds

You have probably heard about the five-second rule. That is something some mother probably contrived, which means if some piece of food falls to the floor - assuming the floor was pretty clean - you could still eat it if it had not stayed on the floor longer than five seconds. This rule applies only to your home, of course. Then, there is a theory of three seconds. Three seconds is how long it takes to make a decision. I wrote about this a few months ago. That rule encourages a momentary pause before you respond. It allows you to give your first impressions a second thought. And you should know about the nine-second rule. This is not really a rule. Jeffrey Gitomer said nine seconds is all the time we get before our brain makes a decision to stay focused or move to another topic. We live in a nine-second world. And there is more coming at us that ever before. And it is coming at us fast. I don't care what you do at your house with the five-second rule. I would encourage you to practice the three-second rule. And if you are delivering a message, make it clear and concise. Practice on retaining the other person's attention for longer than nine seconds. If you are receiving the message, hang on a little longer than the average of nine seconds. Today's Winning Thought: "The greatest definition for concentration I ever heard is, 'Wherever you are, be there.'" -- Jim Rohn

Time for Kids

I walked into an elementary school earlier this week for my weekly reading session with my second grade buddy, Jayden. Near the front door was a poster that read, "To a Child, Love is spelled T-I-M-E." I don't think it was any coincidence that I saw a billboard the next day that included a picture of a father and his child. The text read, "Take time to be a dad." Spending time with a child is extremely important. However, it is not the most important thing. The most important thing would be investing QUALITY time. That is important because as parents, what we are actually doing is raising and nurturing future adults. They will care for us some day. In some cases, they might even select our nursing home. Even if you are not a parent, you can have a huge influence on a child's life. Take time for kids. Today's Winning Thought: "Whoever shows up the most in a person's life wins the battle for influence. -- Matthew Barnett