A great jazz vocal standard is "Accentuate the Positive". It was sung by Bing Crosby, Elle Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin and many other greats. We would do well to heed its message.
There is nothing more destructive to your prospects of success than complaining. It often seems there is so much worth complaining about, the demanding boss, the fickleness of your customers, the IRS. However complaining produces so much negative energy, that it makes it impossible to overcome the issues that are holding you back from your dreams.
Everything that happens can have either a positive or negative impact on the rest of your life. You have the power to choose which it will be. Complaining and self-pity guarantee the negative will take precedence.
Instead of complaining when things go wrong, learn to be thankful. This will cause you to focus on the positive and find a benefit in every situation, even the bad ones.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Preparedness
In the Navy, we had a sophisticated system of preventative maintenance. In other word, we fixed things before they broke. They same can work in business and your personal life.
Buy your wife flowers before she gets mad at you. You may find her more forgiving when you work late and forget to call.
Give your customers the red carpet service before something has gone wrong. Too many businesses only give their best service when someone complains. That is usually too late. You may quiet the shouting, but you have already lost the customer.
Imagine yourself as your own customer. Treat your real customers the way you would like to be treated.
Remember, the golden rule always applies.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Buy your wife flowers before she gets mad at you. You may find her more forgiving when you work late and forget to call.
Give your customers the red carpet service before something has gone wrong. Too many businesses only give their best service when someone complains. That is usually too late. You may quiet the shouting, but you have already lost the customer.
Imagine yourself as your own customer. Treat your real customers the way you would like to be treated.
Remember, the golden rule always applies.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Freedom
Freedom is the right to choose your own frustrations.
You can live however you want, rich or poor, beach or mountains, home or abroad. But you cannot do it all, at least not at the same time.
If you want to live in the mountains, you must accept the frustration of not living at the beach.
If you want to free yourself from enslavement, you must choose freedom
and accept the responsibility comes with it.
There's a price for freedom. You must give up tyranny to enjoy liberty.
It's up to you to count the cost.
And everything you want has a price.
Freedom is the right to choose.
It's the right to create your own life, and assume responsibility for it.
You are free to do whatever you like.
But first, you must give up blaming others for your circumstances.
Accept responsibility for the consequences of your actions and decisions.
Then you can truly choose your own path.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
You can live however you want, rich or poor, beach or mountains, home or abroad. But you cannot do it all, at least not at the same time.
If you want to live in the mountains, you must accept the frustration of not living at the beach.
If you want to free yourself from enslavement, you must choose freedom
and accept the responsibility comes with it.
There's a price for freedom. You must give up tyranny to enjoy liberty.
It's up to you to count the cost.
And everything you want has a price.
Freedom is the right to choose.
It's the right to create your own life, and assume responsibility for it.
You are free to do whatever you like.
But first, you must give up blaming others for your circumstances.
Accept responsibility for the consequences of your actions and decisions.
Then you can truly choose your own path.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Miracles
The question is not whether or not miracles happen, but whether or not you recognize them when they do.
The family comes together in peace. Someone you meet has the ability and inclination to help you with a problem. Out of nowhere, an idea comes that can change your life.
Miracles are all around us. But we become so preoccupied with ourselves and our daily tasks that we fail to see them. Or sometimes we notice them briefly, then get back to what we were thinking or doing before.
Be open to the miracles in your life. Let them build, strengthen and guide you.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
The family comes together in peace. Someone you meet has the ability and inclination to help you with a problem. Out of nowhere, an idea comes that can change your life.
Miracles are all around us. But we become so preoccupied with ourselves and our daily tasks that we fail to see them. Or sometimes we notice them briefly, then get back to what we were thinking or doing before.
Be open to the miracles in your life. Let them build, strengthen and guide you.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Monday, September 14, 2009
Educational Goals
If you want to increase your success, increase your knowledge.
We never get to the point in life where we know it all. And your success will largely be determined by what you know.
(Actually, when I was 15 I knew it all. And now it seems I know less and less each year.)
In an ever increasing technical world, the old adage knowledge is power is more true than ever.
If you have set any goals for yourself, determine what you need to know, not just do, to reach that goal. Then, set about learning it.
The only way to reach your destination is to know the road that will take you there.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
We never get to the point in life where we know it all. And your success will largely be determined by what you know.
(Actually, when I was 15 I knew it all. And now it seems I know less and less each year.)
In an ever increasing technical world, the old adage knowledge is power is more true than ever.
If you have set any goals for yourself, determine what you need to know, not just do, to reach that goal. Then, set about learning it.
The only way to reach your destination is to know the road that will take you there.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Friday, September 11, 2009
Get Up
Solomon wrote in the book we now know as Proverbs, “The man who lives rightly is the one who, if he falls down six times, he gets up seven.”
Failure is nothing but education in the school of success. Do you remember taking tests in school? The lessons you remember best now, are the ones you got wrong then. It is the same way in all of life. Failing does not make you a failure. It just makes you more likely to succeed next time.
Did you blow a sales presentation? That mistake will make your next presentation that much better.
Did you fail in a business venture? What you learned will your next venture that much more likely to succeed.
No matter how hard you fall, get up. Because the only way to truly fail is to give up and stay down.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Failure is nothing but education in the school of success. Do you remember taking tests in school? The lessons you remember best now, are the ones you got wrong then. It is the same way in all of life. Failing does not make you a failure. It just makes you more likely to succeed next time.
Did you blow a sales presentation? That mistake will make your next presentation that much better.
Did you fail in a business venture? What you learned will your next venture that much more likely to succeed.
No matter how hard you fall, get up. Because the only way to truly fail is to give up and stay down.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Finding your Abundance
Two of my daughters are outstanding equestrians. They own horses and have competed in several show jumping events. I rode a bit as a kid growing up in Texas. I only understand the rudimentary basics of riding. All I know is that the horse will go in whatever direction you point his head. Horses are hard wired to go towards whatever they are looking at. So are people.
An important lesson in success is that you are going to move in the direction of your focus. If you are focused on a bigger house, a fancier car, a nicer watch, you will acquire those things - often at the expense of financial stability. I have worked with many clients who have earned quarter of a million dollar salaries but are flat broke because they bought lots of stuff on large credit limits. If you focus on building an enormous bank account, you may become rich, but usually at the cost of health and personal relationships. If you focus on relationships, you will enjoy closeness to your family and friends, but probably not have much in the bank. A lack of financial security creates its own issues and threatens the very relationships that give you so much joy. So how do you steer your life so you can have supportive relationships, financial security, and enough stuff to enjoy your leisure time? The answer is simple, really. Focus on the abundance that is yours in your talents, knowledge, skills, network of relationships and relationship with God.
Most people have materially less today than they had a couple of years ago. Their homes are worth less. Their retirement accounts have dwindled. Many have lost their jobs. Many of those who have kept their jobs are working harder for less money. In that environment, it is easy to focus on what you have lost. But focusing on loss will only lead you in the direction of more loss.
Instead, focus on how you have grown. What new skills have you acquired? Who has been added to your network of relationships? What have you learned? Have you drawn closer to your God? Now focus on how you want to grow. Make a list of five ways you want to expand your abundance. You could, for example, take a continuing education course in your chosen field, join a new networking group, read a book aloud with your spouse or devote 15 minutes a day to prayer or meditation. Will all this put money in your bank account? Absolutely.
Every successful venture starts with a successful person. Expand your abundance, and your success will expand with you. When you are focused on abundance, employers will want to hire you, clients will want to do business with you, and networkers will want to build relationships with you. As your business and network expands, so will your net worth.
This is, of course, a never ending process. But that is okay, because it is fun and inspiring. What new idea will come to you today? What new insight will broaden your world view? What new relationship will empower your future? Reach inside yourself and find it. Bring it out and share it. Then watch miracles happen.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
An important lesson in success is that you are going to move in the direction of your focus. If you are focused on a bigger house, a fancier car, a nicer watch, you will acquire those things - often at the expense of financial stability. I have worked with many clients who have earned quarter of a million dollar salaries but are flat broke because they bought lots of stuff on large credit limits. If you focus on building an enormous bank account, you may become rich, but usually at the cost of health and personal relationships. If you focus on relationships, you will enjoy closeness to your family and friends, but probably not have much in the bank. A lack of financial security creates its own issues and threatens the very relationships that give you so much joy. So how do you steer your life so you can have supportive relationships, financial security, and enough stuff to enjoy your leisure time? The answer is simple, really. Focus on the abundance that is yours in your talents, knowledge, skills, network of relationships and relationship with God.
Most people have materially less today than they had a couple of years ago. Their homes are worth less. Their retirement accounts have dwindled. Many have lost their jobs. Many of those who have kept their jobs are working harder for less money. In that environment, it is easy to focus on what you have lost. But focusing on loss will only lead you in the direction of more loss.
Instead, focus on how you have grown. What new skills have you acquired? Who has been added to your network of relationships? What have you learned? Have you drawn closer to your God? Now focus on how you want to grow. Make a list of five ways you want to expand your abundance. You could, for example, take a continuing education course in your chosen field, join a new networking group, read a book aloud with your spouse or devote 15 minutes a day to prayer or meditation. Will all this put money in your bank account? Absolutely.
Every successful venture starts with a successful person. Expand your abundance, and your success will expand with you. When you are focused on abundance, employers will want to hire you, clients will want to do business with you, and networkers will want to build relationships with you. As your business and network expands, so will your net worth.
This is, of course, a never ending process. But that is okay, because it is fun and inspiring. What new idea will come to you today? What new insight will broaden your world view? What new relationship will empower your future? Reach inside yourself and find it. Bring it out and share it. Then watch miracles happen.
Ed Wills
WFA Franchise Consultants
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
