Notable Quotes #32

April 24, 2008
Notable Quotes #32

Good Afternoon!

I can’t believe it’s Thursday already!  I know you typically receive this on Tuesday, but hey…what a nice surprise on Thursday right?!?!!

 We have explored the first two scrolls from author Og Mandino; the first being, “Today I begin a new life” and the second being, “I will greet this day with love in my heart”.  Today we will look at the third scroll…”I will persist until I succeed“

“I will persist until I succeed.
If I persist, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed.
I was not delivered into this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins.
I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep.
I will hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious.  Let them join the sheep.
The slaughterhouse of failure is NOT my destiny.” (Emphasis mine)

This is a large excerpt this week, but I think it’s appropriate.  I have written on persistence quite a few times in the past, but the way that Og Mandino discusses it really makes a ton of sense to me.  I have thought that being persistent meant to endure, keep on, keep going, which it does…but it is also SOOO much more.  To persist or be persistence is not just based in actions, but in our attitudes.  That’s the part I was missing!  I have talked so much about having a positive mental attitude and yet I TOTALLY missed it!  We(I) often persist with actions, but my attitude has already given up…already thrown in the towel.  My “persistent” actions are pretty much worthless at this point. 

I believe that Mandino takes persistence to the next level…We need to have an attitude of persistence.  This means associating with those who will continue to encourage us, not pull us down.  We need to learn POSITIVE selective hearing and tune out those who are weeping and complaining because they ARE contagious, and that can only hurt, not help us.  We need to have the attitude that we were not delivered into this world in defeat, and that our destiny is NOT the slaughterhouse. 

What kind of “Persistent” attitude do you have?  Are you a lion in sheep clothing?!?  If so, ditch those threads and be the lion you’re meant to be!  Don’t follow the heard to the slaughterhouse!

Until Next Time,
Heath

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Notable Quote #31

April 15, 2008
Notable Quotes #31

Good Afternoon!

Last week I said how great it was to finally be coming into spring…Well, on Sunday I saw something I wasn’t expecting…SNOW!  I couldn’t believe it either.  It was way to warm for it to stick and it didn’t last for more than 5 or 10 minutes, but still it was snow in April.  I have heard of April showers, but I didn’t know it meant April SNOW showers! 

Last week I mentioned that we were going on a journey together through 10 scrolls that contain little nuggets of truth that we can apply to lives and watch the effects that they have.  These scrolls come from Og Mandino’s book, The Greatest Salesman in the World.  Scroll #1 was; “Today I begin a new life.”  This week…Scroll #2.  Enjoy!

Scroll #2:
“I will greet this day with love in my heart.
For this is the greatest secret of success in all ventures.
If I have no other qualities I can succeed with love alone.
I will greet this day with love and I will succeed”

To me, this scroll is one of the most interesting of the 10.  I have never really thought of “love” as a component of success, much less one of the greatest.  It forced me to open my eyes and truly seek what is meant by the thought of greeting this day with love in my heart.  After reading the entire scroll it became almost as clear as mud, but I kept digging and stumbled upon a couple themes. 

The first theme is to look at all things with love and therefore be born again.  Love the sun as it warms my bones, yet also love the rain as it cleanses my soul.  Love the light as it shows the way, yet also love the dark as it shows the stars.

The second theme is with love in our hearts we can overcome those stumbling blocks that life places in our path.  Og Mandino said, “Muscle can split a shield and even destroy life, but the unseen power of love can open the hearts of men…I will make love my greatest weapon and none whom I call can defend against its force.”  I never thought about it like that, but it’s true, just flexing our “muscles” seldom works.  No one likes to be bullied, but when we show compassion or love we obtain far superior results.

When we start to look at all things with love and greet each day with love in our hearts, the results will amaze us!  People around us will not only hear us, but they will actually begin to listen!  When we begin to convey words of encouragement instead of disdain, people will choose to be around us and therefore expand our circle of influence!  Do you greet each day with love?  Do you show compassion/love to those you come in contact with? 

Until Next Time,

Heath

Notable Quotes #30

April 8, 2008
Notable Quotes #30  

Good Afternoon!  

I don’t know about you but I am HAPPY that Spring is here.  It’s nice to witness the world wake up from its winter slumber and see all the trees, flowers and even the grass bud with anticipation of things to come!  I have decided to take a different spin on the Notable Quotes.  Over the next few weeks I want to share with you my thoughts and insights on a book I have been reading by Og Mandino entitled,
The Greatest Salesman in the World.  I hope that you find it as useful and as eye-opening as I have.  I would also recommend that you go to your library and pick up a copy to read.  It’s a short, yet extremely powerful read.  I would love to hear your thoughts on it as we embark on this journey together.  Here we go!  

As a intro, this book was written with the profession of Sales in mind, hence the title.  However after reading numerous reviews and the book itself, it’s apparent to me that this book is for anyone who is living and breathing.  It can be applied to numerous different occupations or to life in general.  The book reads like a story and not necessarily a bullet point list of things to do in order to be successful.  The ideas are presented in the form of 10 ancient scrolls.  Each scroll presents a nugget of truth, that when applied can have a drastic effect on one’s life, both personally and professionally.  Now for the first scroll:  

Scroll #1: 
“Today I begin a new life.
Today I shed my old skin which hath, too long, suffered the bruises of failure and the wounds of mediocrity.
Today I am born anew and my birthplace is a vineyard where there is fruit for all.
The career I have chosen is laden with opportunity…”  

Isn’t it nice when we are given a second chance?!  Like I mentioned before I love Spring time because it offers a fresh new outlook on life.  No matter what happened over the winter, the trees, flowers, and grass have no recollection…They start NEW!  We can too!  However, in order to do this we must reset our mind and “train” ourselves to not be held hostage to our past failures; we must strive to break the chains of mediocrity and begin a NEW life!  We must be willing to put the past behind us and reach for the future.  

I challenge all of us, this week, to look deep inside, and see what’s holding us back.  What’s holding YOU back from being the person you are meant to be?  Keep in mind that the past has helped to shape us into the people that we are today, but it doesn’t have to mold you into the person you will be tomorrow.  Take the attitude that TODAY you are beginning a NEW life!  I guarantee you’ll be amazed at what a little attitude adjustment can do!  

Until Next Time,
Heath

Notable Quotes #29

April 1, 2008
Notable Quotes #29

Good Afternoon!

I hope that this edition of Notable Quotes finds you HAPPY!  You’ll understand shortly!!!  Now for the quotes…

Happiness is not in our circumstances but in ourselves.
It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire.
Happiness is something we are.
John B. Sheerin

Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy.
Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don’t put off being happy until some future date.
Dale Carnegie

These two quotes I think are great in representing what the key to happiness is…It’s about being happy and content with where you are, who you’re with, and what you have.  We need to have the mindset of happiness.  We often make excuses for why we’re NOT happy, but fail to realize and recognize the times when we are.  When I look back on the times I was the happiest it wasn’t that I had tons of money, or that I had the best job…I was happy with where I was, who I was with and what I had.

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard, (or possibly even said myself) that if I had a different job or if I didn’t live here things would be better and I would be happier.  Funny thing is, when a new job comes or the location changes happiness doesn’t always follow!  Happiness is truly a matter of the heart and the mind.  We can either choose to be happy or we can choose to be unhappy.  What’s your choice???

Until Next Time,
Heath