Favorite Weekly Thoughts
- Each week I send to friends and clients a
"Weekly Thought". The intent is to support people with a positive idea to be
motivational and useful in their daily lives. The topics often include ideas on
Leadership, Customer Service, Relationships, and Life in General. To get this message just
send me an e-mail.
Here are some samples of the material I have used in the past.
- THE LEADER
- By Haim Ginott (modified by Loren Lasher)
- I have come to a frightening conclusion.
- I am the decisive element in the workplace.
- It is my personal approach that creates the climate,
- It is my daily mood that makes the weather.
- As a leader, I possess tremendous power
- to make a person's life miserable or joyous.
- I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.
- In all situations it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or
- de-escalated, and a person humanized or de-humanized.
- ATTITUDE
- By Charles Swindell
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of Attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.
It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.
It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.
It will make or break a company... a church... a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the Attitude we will embrace for that day.
We cannot change our past... We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our Attitude...
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me... and 90% how I respond to it.
- OUR CUSTOMERS
- OUR CUSTOMERS... Are The Most Important People In Our Business.
- OUR CUSTOMERS... Are Not Dependent On Us- We Are Dependent On Them.
- OUR CUSTOMERS... Are Not An Interruption Of Our Work-
- They Are The Purpose Of It.
- OUR CUSTOMERS... Do Us A Favor When They Call-
- We Are Not Doing Them A Favor By Serving Them.
- OUR CUSTOMERS... Are A Part Of Our Business-Not An Outsider.
- OUR CUSTOMERS... Are Not Cold Statistics-
- They Are Flesh And Blood Human Beings With Feelings And Emotions.
- OUR CUSTOMERS... Are Not People To Argue Or Match Wits With,
- But Are To Be Welcomed Warmly And Graciously.
- OUR CUSTOMERS... Are Deserving Of The Most Courteous
- And Attentive Treatment We Can Give Them.
- OUR CUSTOMERS... Are The People Who Make It Possible To Pay Our
- Salaries.
- OUR CUSTOMERS... Are The Life-Blood Of Our Business, Just As We Are!
- THE DOER
- By Theodore Roosevelt
It is not the critic who counts; not the person who points out how the strong stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better.
The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena;
Whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; Who strives valiantly; Who errs and comes short again and again;
Who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends oneself in a worthy cause;
Who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst
If he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
THE STARFISH
We often would like to think that our effort to make a difference yields benefits to others. At times it feels like there is so much to do. It is important to remember that we must make the commitment to be an active participant in making things better rather than being a sideline observer, to do whatever we can to make a difference. This story will share a positive thought.
As a tired man walked down a beach at dawn, he saw ahead of him what he thought to be a dancer. A young person running across the sand rhythmically bending down to pick up stranded starfish and throwing them far into the sea.
The man gazed in wonder as the young soul again and again threw small starfish from the sand into the water.
He approached the youth and asked why she spent so much energy doing what seemed like a waste of time. Saying that there were so many starfish and only one of her. The youth explained that as the tide went out the starfish would die if she left them in the morning sun. The man responded, "But there are miles of beach with hundreds stranded starfish. How can you make a difference?"
The youth bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, then returned to the man and said... "made a difference for that one!"
The man was bewildered and left. The following morning the man was found, with the youth, throwing starfish into the sea.
TWELVE TIPS FOR A POSITIVE ATTITUDE
More than 100 years ago, author Robert Louis Stevenson offered the following tips for maintaining a positive attitude. They still apply today.
1. Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure in simple things.
2. Make the best of your circumstances. Everyone has problems.
3. Don't take yourself too seriously. Don't think that somehow you should be protected from misfortunes that befall others.
4. You can't please everybody. Don't let criticism worry you.
5. Don't let your neighbor set your standards. Be yourself.
6. Do the things you enjoy doing, but stay out of debt.
7. Don't borrow trouble. Imaginary burdens are harder to bear than the actual ones.
8. Hate poisons the soul, so don't carry grudges. Avoid people who make you unhappy.
9. Have many interests. If you can't travel, read about new places.
10. Don't hold postmortems. Don't spend your life brooding over sorrows and mistakes.
11. Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.
12. Keep busy at something. A busy person never has time to be unhappy.
LESSONS FROM GEESE
- Author Unknown
FACT 1: As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone. LESSON: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.
FACT 2: When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it. LESSON: If we have as much sense as a goose, we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.
FACT 3: When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position. LESSON: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.
FACT 4: The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. LESSON: We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one's heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.
FACT 5: When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock. LESSON: If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.
- THE WISDOM OF EIFERMAN
- George Eiferman, Mr. America 1948, Mr. Universe 1962
- I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.
- TALENT God-Give
- Be Humble FAME Man-Given
- Be Thankful CONCEIT Self Given - Be Careful
IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS! Probably the greatest discovery anyone can make is that we can change our life for the better, by changing our immature, negative attitude to a mature, constructive attitude. We live in the direction of our thought patterns. Let us have our attitude work for us instead of against us.
THE 10 DAILY EXERCISES 1. Eye exercise - see the perfection in others. See the everlasting beauty in human kindness.
2. Tongue exercise - speak from the heart instead of the mouth.
3. Facial exercise - a smile often repeated.
4. Hearing exercise - when we speak we learn nothing. Listening is the teacher. Listen then speak.
5. Brain exercise - think only constructive thoughts. Good readings are to the mind what exercise is to the body.
6. Leg exercise - walk toward knowledge, wisdom, health, and the brotherhood of all men.
7. Breathing exercise - inhale the great works of music, art, literature and philosophy. Exhale spitefulness and other negative thoughts.
8. Strength exercise - have the strength to endure when things are unendurable, to pass the next test after failing the last one.
9. Heart exercise - have the heart to constructively improve yourself, your environment, community and country.
10. Soul exercise - we are never alone. Walk with God.
- Trainings and Speeches that...
- Potential Development, Unlimited
- P.O. Box 703 • Kaneohe • HI • 96744
- (808) 239-6155 Fax (808) 239-4654
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