Motivated by Something Bigger Than Yourself

That’s the strongest motivation.

People who are motivated by something more than their own wellbeing can do superhuman things, they seem to have an unstoppable determination. They have more than a casual goal they have a crusade.

Just like the soldiers in Iraq and Afganistan. From the generals to the new recruits, they are united in their passion to fight for our freedom. They have looked the enemy in the eye, and know it won't go away by itself. It must be faced and defeated. They know that someone has to do the fighting for our country and they feel compelled to do it. That’s what drives them to run into the line of fire, over and over again. They don’t do it for the pay or glory, they do it because they are fighting for something bigger than themselves. To them that cause is worth the sacrifice and inconvenience and danger.

That’s what motivates firefighters, police officers, and emergency workers.

That’s what motivates people like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers), many of whom have lost children to accidents with drunk drivers.

When his son was abducted from a mall and murdered, John Walsh focused his grief and and anger into making sure children would have the maximum protection under the law and the result was the Adam Walsh Child Safety and Protection Act which established a national sex offender registry and made major changes to laws prosecuting sexual abuse, exploitation and transportation crimes.

People who see the chance to make a difference in the lives of others are the ones who make the extra effort.

They are the ones who serve, volunteer, who give in a variety of ways, small and large, because they know that what they are doing is making a difference. Every day, people take time to do things that they may never be thanked for, but their reward is in knowing that they are making a difference.

I've only named a few ways that we can serve, volunteer and give back but there are thousands. Make sure to take a moment to thank those who serve and protect you—and don't pass up the chance to make a difference in someone else's life.

Dime A Dozen

Some leaders stand out in history. Are you more like President Lincoln or President Tyler? (Remember him? Me neither.) “No one wants to follow a Dead, Dull, Disillusioned Crybaby.” - Art Williams

Mediocre Leaders are a Dime a Dozen but Great Leaders are Priceless.

If you accept a Leadership position plan to give it your best. People want to be inspired.

If people are going to be putting their best efforts into a team they want to know that it counts for something special. The team will always be more energized when they are going for truly Big and Inspiring Goals!

No one wants to follow a weak leader.

Most leaders are mediocre and that’s what’s wrong with the economy, the government and the world. The right kind of Leader can make a big difference in whatever field they are in.

In all areas of life, an inspirational Leader is like water in the desert—they make people come alive. 

So, when you find yourself in a leadership position, then lead, inspire, motivate! Make your team proud and excited to be working with you! Make a decision to make a difference because…

Mediocre Leaders are a Dime a Dozen but Great Leaders are Priceless.

Why Not You?

Shuffle or Hustle

Recently, I got on an elevator, and then immediately in behind me rushed a UPS deliveryman. He was pushing his cart filled with boxes and you could feel the small space almost vibrate with his energy.

You could tell he was pumped up and a man on a mission. He had places to go, things to deliver and a short time to get it done. The result was that he was energized and focused. That’s certainly not the way most go about their business during the day.

Your energy shapes everything around you. How fast you walk. How fast you talk. It paints a picture for everyone else to see how you feel about what you do. It let’s people know instinctively whether or not what you are doing is important and beyond that whether or not YOU are important.

What kind of results do you want? Are you on a commission? Are you on a salary? Watch a delivery person, the energy that they go around with versus somebody who’s on a salary on a job with a guaranteed income. 

Companies generate the energy level of their employees. There’s a difference between the body language of somebody with a top company, somebody with a average or mediocre or floundering company.  What do their employees look like?  How can you tell? You can tell by their energy and body language.

Give them reasons. if you want people to hustle, you’ve got to give them reasons—personal reasons, team reasons, mission reasons. Give them a cause where they see the big picture. If anyone asks the question, "What’s so great about this company?" they should be able to rattle off two, three, four examples. There should be an energy about it. When they talk about their company it should create fire, energy, and excitement. They should get more excited the more they talk about it because it’s reminding them of good things and why they are fortunate to be there.

Find a place that motivates you to hustle. If you shuffle along through life you’ll never do anything great. One mark of high achievers is that they have tremendous energy and excitement about what they do. For you to have a chance at Greatness you must find a place to work that excites you. You must find something to do that excites you, something that you believe in and know can pay off in a big way. Finding an energizing environment to work in releases you to be your best and make the maximum contribution. 

Your hustle will identify you to everyone as someone who has great promise and is on your way up.  You will be enjoying your work and it will show. People will enjoy being around you.

It's the people who hustle who wind up at the top! 

Laziness is Not Your Answer

Do you dream of a day when you don’t have to work?

When you aren’t so busy, always on the run? Wouldn’t that be great? Just relax and rest and do what you want. Don’t you wish you didn’t have to work for a living?

Well here’s the bad news…a life of goofing off isn’t the answer.

A little rest and relaxation is fine, but too much can really suck the joy and fulfillment out of life. When you aren’t working you have lots of free time and you aren’t preoccupied with important things, you find your mind wandering to the trivial. Instead of making something positive happen that can improve your life, you wind up just wasting time. Time slips away.

Too much rest and soon you begin to rust.

Tasks that you once completed in minutes now take hours. The world is filled with imperfections and annoyances that you hardly noticed before now drive you nuts.

Without accomplishment there’s little joy. Without challenges, life becomes stale. For you to be energized you’ve got to be engaged. Those without work have no purpose.

Don’t dread your work, be thankful for it.

"It is the working man who is the happy man. It is the idle man who is the miserable man." —Benjamin Franklin

You Don't Have To

When faced with an opportunity, remember this, you don’t have to.

No one can make you. It's not punishment. It's an opportunity! It's a chance to do something you otherwise would never be able to do. It's a chance to enrich your life, to move ahead.

But it's your choice.

Don’t do it like a belligerent employee, putting in minimum effort, trying to just by and going through the motions. Give it everything you’ve got! You are doing this for yourself.

You chose to do this, no one made you, you are doing it because you want to. This is the situation that you’ve been wanting, to get all the benefit from your hard work and not just help someone else get ahead.

So do it with all your energy, and a smile on your face— because this time it's for you.

Winners Book Club Selection of the Week: The Magic of Thinking BIG

WHAT ARE HIS “WINNER” CREDENTIALS?

Millions of people throughout the world have improved their lives using The Magic of Thinking Big. Dr. David J. Schwartz, long regarded as one of the foremost experts on motivation, will help you sell better, manage better, earn more money, and—most important of all—find greater happiness and peace of mind.

Amazon Editorial Reviews

The Magic of Thinking Big gives you useful methods, not empty promises. Dr. Schwartz presents a carefully designed program for getting the most out of your job, your marriage and family life, and your community. He proves that you don't need to be an intellectual or have innate talent to attain great success and satisfaction—but you do need to learn and understand the habit of thinking and behaving in ways that will get you there. This book gives you those secrets!

• Believe you can succeed and you will
• Cure yourself of the fear of failure
• Think and dream creatively
• You are what you think you are
• Make your attitudes your allies
• Learn how to think positively
• Turn defeat into victory
• Use goals to help you grow
• Think like a leader

CUSTOMER REVIEW: A Manual for Success by newchapter "newchapter" (Atlanta, GA USA)

Simple actionable advice for self-improvement. Basically, we are what we think, so think big.

1. Build confidence in yourself. Action reduces fear, so act.Take small steps at first: Sit in the front everywhere you go, practice eye contact, walk 25% faster, practice speaking up, smile big, use positve words.
2. Think and dream creatively. Believe that it can be done and then the mind finds a way to get it done. Be open to new ideas and be progressive. Stimulate yourself with diverse ideas from diverse people. Capacity is a state of mind.
3. You are what you think. "The price tag you put on yourself, is probably the same price tag that the world will put on you." (pg 75) Dress up. Think your work is important. Think enthusiastically. Ask yourself if you are the type of manager that a subordinate would respect and follow
4. Manage your environment because it is food for your mind. People who tell you that it cannot be done are usually unsuccessful people.
5. Make your attitudes your allies. Live it up. Broadcast good news. Do better work that others expect. Remember people's names. Take initiative to build friendships. Talk less. Listen.
6. Get the action habit. Nothing happens just by thinking. Do not worry about problems. You can handle them as they come. Successful people handle problems as they arise. You cannot buy insurance on all problems. Start now.
7. Turn defeat into victory. Defeat is a state of mind. Be constructively self-critical; do not just look for another reason that you are a loser. Think that there IS A WAY. If it does not work, then back off and start afresh. Get mentally refreshed.
8. Use goals to help you grow. Goal is a dream acted upon. "The important thing is not where you were or where you are but where you want to get." (pg 195) Know where you want to go. Visualize your future.
9. How to think like a leader. Achieving success requires the help of others. Trade minds with the people you want to influence. "What would I think if I were that person?" Be human, and put people first.

The last words of the book, sum up its meaning: "A wise man will be master of His Mind. A Fool will be Its Slave."