An old pencil maker took his newest pencil aside, just before he was about to pack him into a box. Imagining the little fellow as a person he recalled a few things about the pencil. “There are five things you need to know,” he said to his pencil, “before I send you out into the world. Always remember these five things - never forget them - and you will become the best pencil you can be! “The first thing is to remember that you will be able to do many great things, but only if you put yourself in someone else’s hands. “From time to time you will experience a painful sharpening, but remember that this will make you a better pencil. “Also, keep in mind that you will be able to correct any mista

There was a group of students who decided to go white water rafting. They had never been before and they were excited. When they connected with the guide they were told that conditions were a litter rougher than normal. As they got their tutorial from the guide, he told them: "when i want you to paddle I am going to call out where I want to you paddle to - not what i want you to paddle away from. So I may yell out - right bank - meaning paddle toward the right bank of the river rather than steer away from those rocks!" What the guide meant by this is that whatever he called out needed to be the focus. If he called out "stay away from the rocks" all the group would focus on were the rock

A well-built boat can withstand a storm if the captain who is navigating knows what he or she is doing. An experienced and knowledgeable captain can guide a boat through the worst storm, and arrive on the shore safely. Sometimes we need to travel through stormy weather to get to our goals - it could be a rough transaction, a failed sale, falling off the diet or maybe a week where we didn't hit our goals. But here's the deal - you just need to take a moment and refocus on your path and take control Of the wheel so you can sale your ship back on course. Don't worry about past experience; just start being more conscious of today. Rough waters can push you back and slow you down - but they can

What does it mean to be "strong"? The gym I belong to is focusing on this for the month of July and it has got me thinking.... many of us think of being strong as physical strength or over coming a big hurdle. And yes that is true. But being strong also means - Holding true to yourself Doing what you need to do, even when uncomfortable and scary Spending time with family or a loved one and not working - because it is what needs to be done Taking time off to heal and re-energize yourself Knowing when and what to say NO to We are all strong. Everyday! Sometimes we may not feel it - but we are. This week - focus on what makes you strong. Is it in your follow through, your mindset or even

What does brushing your teeth for two minutes in the morning do ???? Absolutely nothing ! Where the power and protection come in is when you brush your teeth both morning AND night every day .... you can't just do it once and hope for a healthy mouth. THe same goes in life and business. If you want growth and health for your dreams you must commit daily. It will take ... More than one day of making calls More than one work out More than one day of good habits It will take more. And it will take more consistently So this week think about where you want to go and what it will take. And then make the commitment to bring it every day.