Tuesday, April 13, 2010

100/ o Principle

Excerpt from The 100/0 Principle, by Al Ritter
What is the most effective way to create and sustain great relationships with others? It's The 100/0 Principle: You take full responsibility (the 100) for the relationship, expecting nothing (the 0) in return.
Implementing The 100/0 Principle is not natural for most of us. It takes real commitment to the relationship and a good dose of self-discipline to think, act and give 100 percent.
The 100/0 Principle applies to those people in your life where the relationships are too important to react automatically or judgmentally. Each of us must determine the relationships to which this principle should apply. For most of us, it applies to work associates, customers, suppliers, family and friends.
STEP 1 - Determine what you can do to make the relationship work...then do it. Demonstrate respect and kindness to the other person, whether he/she deserves it or not.
STEP 2 - Do not expect anything in return. Zero, zip, nada.
STEP 3 - Do not allow anything the other person says or does (no matter how annoying!) to affect you. In other words, don't take the bait.
STEP 4 - Be persistent with your graciousness and kindness. Often we give up too soon, especially when others don't respond in kind. Remember to expect nothing in return.
At times (usually few), the relationship can remain challenging, even toxic, despite your 100 percent commitment and self-discipline. When this occurs, you need to avoid being the "Knower" and shift to being the "Learner." Avoid Knower statements/ thoughts like "that won't work," "I'm right, you are wrong," "I know it and you don't," "I'll teach you," "that's just the way it is," "I need to tell you what I know," etc.
Instead use Learner statements/thoughts like "Let me find out what is going on and try to understand the situation," "I could be wrong," "I wonder if there is anything of value here," "I wonder if..." etc. In other words, as a Learner, be curious!
Principle Paradox
This may strike you as strange, but here's the paradox: When you take authentic responsibility for a relationship, more often than not the other person quickly chooses to take responsibility as well. Consequently, the 100/0 relationship quickly transforms into something approaching 100/100. When that occurs, true breakthroughs happen for the individuals involved, their teams, their organizations and their families.

Monday, April 12, 2010

A Walk in the Mountains (author unknown)

Something to think about...:)

A son and his father were walking in the mountains.
Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain:
"AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"
He receives the answer: "Who are you?"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"
He receives the answer: "Coward!"
He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"
The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."
And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"
The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"
The voice answers: "You are a champion!"
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.
It gives you back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.
If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.
This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;
Life will give you back everything you have given to it."
YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Every Day is a Gift

Excerpt from:Every Day is a Gift, by Barry Gottlieb

"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."~The Dalai Lama

What does "True Abundance" mean to you?
According to Wikipedia, the definition of abundance is "the opposite of scarcity." I believe true abundance is not measured by what you have; rather, it is measured by what you give.
In our culture, it seems that most people are caught up in their "need for greed." Perhaps this is why so many people struggle to find their happiness, and why over 25% of the people in our country suffer from anxiety. We live in a culture where we are taught to judge a person based on what they have, rather than on who they are and what they contribute to society.
I was very fortunate to have met a professor that changed my whole way of thinking. I was one of those people with a, "What's in it for me" attitude when I started his class. By the end of the semester though, my philosophy and my attitude had changed. Forever! This is what I learned:
"You can have anything you want in life, if you will just help enough other people get what they want."~Zig Ziglar

I challenge you to focus on this philosophy for an entire month! Here are some action steps that will help you stay focused on this incredible gift:
ACTION STEPS
Gratitude.
Every night before you go to sleep, recite aloud at least ten things for which you are grateful.
Forgive. Let go of the past. Forgive those who have hurt or angered you. Stop carrying this poison around with you every day.
Love. Be sure to tell those people in your life who mean so much to you that you love them and appreciate them.
Donate. Go through your closets. Anything you haven't worn or used in the past year, box it or bag it and take it to a place where those who are less fortunate will benefit from your donation. Get your children involved!Praise. Make time to praise. Look for and recognize the good in others.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Committment

I could not sleep (which is odd for me...I usually sleep quite well !) but woke up and have been checking e-mail....I found an article about committment, and thought I would share an excerpt that I thought was great......

"there is a remarkable difference between a commitment of 99% and 100%. At 100%, you are seeing your problems all the way through to their solutions. At 99% we can still find a way to take the path of least resistance...and usually do."~ Vic Conant

Monday, March 1, 2010

Go ALL OUT for takeoff !!!

Momentum: An analogy of an airplane taking off.

When a pilot gets clearance for take off and pulls the airplane on to the strip he points the plane down the run way and goes through the last series of checks and then he gives the plane full throttle and keeps it at full throttle until he reaches take off speed and the plane lifts off the ground. He keeps it at full throttle until he reaches a certain altitude when he backs off on the throttle and can begin to cruise. Two things we can draw from this is in order to get off the ground we must give full throttle and the other is that you can not keep it at full throttle or it will burn up the engines. If you were to only give it half throttle you would never get off the ground and if you were keep it at full throttle you would burn out.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

12 Success Factors

12 Success Factors to look for when choosing a Home Business
With over 9 years of having my own successful home business, I have built a real, reliable monthly income that has allowed me to still be at home with our kids, but also pay off debt, and create financial security for our family. I have been able to do so right from the comfort of my home and have helped and continue to help so many other families to do the same.With my experience and with researching dozens of different types of home businesses, I would like to share that when choosing a home business, there are some key success factors that I believe are critical for long term success. Every one is just as important as the next. The only business I know of so far with all of these factors, is the one I represent..:)

1. Company track record - How long has the company you're considering representing been in business? What are the company's annual sales each year since in business? Does the company print average income statistics for business builders? It should and you should ask for them. Proof of long term sales, success and growth is critical with choosing any business.

2. Financially sound - Does the company have outstanding debt? Joining a company that is debt free is something I highly recommend to lessen any risk to you.

3. Strong management team - What are the backgrounds and credentials of the management team? You want to join a company that is run with integrity and strong leadership.

4. Unique consumable products - Are the products of the company, products that people actually need, use, run out of and repurchase month after month. Do the products have any trademarks or patents allowing for exclusive rights meaning no other company can copy them. If the products are not consumable, meaning something that a person would only buy once, then that is a business that will not be viable long term. If the products are consumable, however not necessarily a need, that will lesson your chance for long term success. Products needed, and consumed monthly makes for a solid business model.

5. Wide market appeal - Are the products something everyone needs and uses on a daily basis? If the products are specific for a certain gender, age group or body size for example, you lessen your market as it is not something for everyone.

6. Competitive prices - Are the products comparable in price or less expensive than the competition? If they are too expensive this is not a business that will produce great results.

7. High customer reorder rate - Does the company share it's reorder rate? Meaning how many customers that purchased from the company last month, reorder again the following month? If the re-order rate is low, the business will not be viable as new customers simply replace your old customers producing no real growth or a secure, residual income.

8. Low initial investment - If the cost to join or start is too high it makes for more risk and difficulty in attracting customers and business partners.

9. Low monthly requirement - If there is a high monthly requirement, customers/business builders may end up with an inventory or products they do not need. If there is a low monthly product requirement, then customers are getting what they need for personal use each month, and from a business standpoint you know customers are purchasing each month which creates the security and true residual income.

10. Rewards for leadership development - Does the company reward you for helping others in your business succeed? If there is any way the company could remove business builders from your business because of their success, be very careful about joining. There should never be potential for you to lose great partners.

11. Risk-free - Is everything 100% guaranteed? If not, I would advise against joining.

12. Anyone can be successful - Is the business plan set up for anyone to be successful at any time? If it's a company that says "Ground floor" opportunity, or "Get in Now", be very wary. If only the people who join at the beginning can be successful, then eventually people will get hurt.Well, how does the company you are with or considering measure up?
Hope this was helpful..:)