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·
Sleep less. This
is one of the best investments you can
make to make your life more productive
and rewarding. Most people do not need
more than 6 hours to maintain an
excellent state of health. Try getting
up one hour earlier for 21 days and it
will develop into a powerful habit.
Remember, it is the quality not the
quantity of sleep that is important.
And just imagine having an extra 30
hours a month to spend on the things
that are important to you.
·
Set aside one hour every
morning for personal development
matters. Meditate, visualize your day,
read inspirational texts to set the
tone of your day, listen to
motivational tapes or read great
literature. Take this quiet period to
vitalize and energize your spirit for
the productive day ahead. Watch the
sun rise once a week or be with
nature. Starting the day off well is a
powerful strategy for self-renewal and
personal effectiveness.
·
Do not allow those
things that matter the most in your
life be at the mercy of activities
that matter the least. Every day, take
the time to ask yourself the question
"is this the best use of my time and
energy?" Time management is life
management so guard your time with
great care.
·
Use the rubber band
method to condition your mind to focus
solely on the most positive elements
in your life. Place a rubber band
around your wrist. Each time a
negative, energy sapping thought
enters your mind, snap the rubber
band. Through the power of
conditioning, your mind will associate
pain with negative thinking and you
will soon possess a strongly positive
mindset.
·
Always answer the phone
with enthusiasm in your voice and show
your appreciation for the caller. Good
phone manners are essential. To convey
authority on the line, stand up. This
will instill further confidence in
your voice.
·
Throughout the day we
all get inspiration and excellent
ideas. Keep a set of cards (the size
of business cards; available at most
stationary stores) in your wallet
along with a pencil to jot down these
insights. When you get home, put the
ideas in a central place such as a
coil notepad and review them from time
to time. As noted by Oliver Wendell
Holmes: "Man's mind, once stretched by
a new idea, never regains its original
dimensions."
·
Set aside every Sunday
evening for yourself and be strongly
disciplined with this habit. Use this
period to plan your week, visualize
your encounters and what you want to
achieve, to read new materials and
inspirational books, to listen to soft
soothing music and to simply relax.
This habit will serve as your anchor
to keep you focused, motivated and
effective throughout the coming week.
·
Always remember the key
principle that the quality of your
life is the quality of your
communication. This means the way you
communicate with others and, more
importantly, the way you communicate
with yourself. What you focus on is
what you get. If you look for the
positive this is what you get. This is
a fundamental law of Nature.
·
Stay on purpose, not on
outcome. In other words, do the task
because it is what you love to do or
because it will help someone or is a
valuable exercise. Don't do it for the
money or the recognition. Those will
come naturally. This is the way of the
world.
·
Laugh for five minutes
in the mirror each morning. Steve
Martin does. Laughter activates many
beneficial chemicals within the body
that place us into a very joyous
state. Laughter also returns the body
to a state of balance. Laughter
therapy has been regularly used to
heal persons with varied ailments and
is a wonderful tonic for life's ills.
While the average 4 year old laughs
500 times a day, the average adult is
lucky to laugh 15 times a day.
Revitalize the habit of laughter, it
will put far more living into your
life.
·
Light a candle beside
you when you are reading in the
evening. It is most relaxing and
creates a wonderful, soothing
atmosphere. Make your home an oasis
from the frenzied world outside. Fill
it with great music, great books and
great friends.
·
To enhance your
concentration and powers of focus,
count your steps when you walk. This
is a particularly strong technique.
Take six steps while taking a long
inhale, hold your breath for another
six steps, and then exhale for six
steps. If six steps is too long for
the breaths, do whatever you feel
comfortable with. You will feel very
alert, refreshed, internally quiet and
centered after this exercise. So many
people allow their minds to be filled
with mental chatter. All peak
performers appreciate the power of a
quiet, clear mind which will
concentrate steadily on all important
tasks.
·
Learn to meditate
effectively. The mind is naturally a
very noisy machine which wants to move
from one subject to another like an
unchained monkey. One must learn to
restrain and discipline it if one is
to achieve anything of substance and
to be peaceful. Meditation for twenty
minutes in the morning and twenty
minutes in the evening will certainly
provide you with exceptional results
if regularly practiced for six months.
Learned sages of the East have been
advancing the many benefits of
meditation for over 5000 years. Learn
to be still.
·
The average person
doesn't spend even 30 minutes a month
in total silence and tranquility.
Develop the skill of sitting quietly,
enjoying the powerful silence for at
least ten minutes a day. Simply think
about what is important to you in your
life. Reflect on your mission. Silence
indeed is golden. As the Zen master
once said, it is the space between the
bars that holds the cage.
·
Enhance your will-power;
it is likely one of the best training
programs you can invest in. Here are
some ideas to strengthen your will and
become a stronger person: Do not let
your mind float like a piece of paper
in the wind. Work hard to keep it
focused at all times. When doing a
task, think of nothing else. When
walking to work, count the steps that
it takes to get all the way to the
office. This is not easy but your mind
will soon understand that you hold its
reins and not vice versa. Your mind
must eventually become as still as a
candle flame in a corner where there
is no draft. b. Your will is like a
muscle. You must first exercise it and
then push before it gets stronger.
This necessarily involves short term
pain but be assured that the
improvements will come and will touch
your character in a most positive way.
·
When you are hungry,
wait another hour before your meal.
When you are laboring over a
difficult task and your mind is
prompting you to pick up the latest
magazine for a break or to get up and
go talk to a friend, curb the impulse.
Soon you will be able to sit for hours
in a precisely concentrated state.
·
Sir Issac Newton, one of
the greatest classical physicists the
world has produced, once said: "if I
have done the public any service, it
is due to patient thought." Newton had
a remarkable ability to sit quietly
and think without interruption for
very long periods of time. If he can
develop this so can you. c. You can
also build your will-power by
restraint in your conduct with others.
Speak less (use the 60/40 Rule =
listen 60% of the time and speak a
mere 40%, if that). This will not only
make you more popular but you will
learn much wisdom as everyone we meet,
every day has something to teach us.
Also restrain the urge to gossip or to
condemn someone who you feel has made
a mistake. Stop complaining and
develop a cheerful, vital and strong
personality. You will greatly
influence others. When a negative
thought comes to your mind,
immediately replace it with one that
is positive. Positive always dominates
over the negative and your mind has to
be conditioned to think only the best
thoughts. Negative thinking is a
conditioned process whereby the
negative patterns are established over
and over. Rid yourself of any
limitations and become a powerful
positive thinker.
·
Make an effort to be
humorous throughout the day. Not only
is it beneficial from a physical
viewpoint but it diffuses tension in
difficult circumstances and creates an
excellent atmosphere wherever you are.
It was recently reported that members
of the Tauripan tribe of South America
have a ritual where they awake in the
middle of the night to tell each other
jokes. Even tribesmen in the deepest
sleep wake to enjoy the laugh and then
return to their state of slumber in
seconds.
·
Become a highly
disciplined time manager. There are
roughly 168 hours in a week. This
surely allows plenty of time for
achievement of the many goals we
desire to accomplish. Be ruthless with
your time. Set aside a few minutes
each morning to plan your day. Plan
around your priorities and focus on
not only those tasks which are
immediate but not important (i.e.,
many telephone calls) but especially
on those which are important but not
urgent, for these allow for the
greatest personal and professional
development. Important but not
immediate activities are those which
produce long-term, sustainable
benefits and include exercise,
strategic planning, the development of
relationships and professional
education. Never let the things which
matter most be placed in the backseat
as compared to those that matter
least.
·
Associate only with
positive, focused people who you can
learn from and who will not drain your
valuable energy with complaining and
uninspiring attitudes. By developing
relationships with those committed to
constant improvement and the pursuit
of the best that life has to offer,
you will have plenty of company on
your path to the top of whatever
mountain you seek to climb.
·
Stephen Hawking, one of
the great modern physicists of the
world, is reported to have said that
we are on a minor planet of a very
average star located within the outer
limits of one of a hundred thousand
million galaxies. Are your problems
really significant in light of this?
You walk this Earth for but a short
time. Why not become devoted to having
only a wonderful experience. Why not
dedicate yourself to leaving a
powerful legacy to the world? Sit down
now and write out a list of all that
you have in your life. Start first
with your health or your family - the
things we often take for granted. Put
down the country we live in and the
food we eat. Do not stop until you
have written down fifty items. Once
every few days, go through this list -
you will be uplifted and recognize the
richness of your existence.
·
You must have a mission
statement in life. This is simply a
set of guiding principles which
clearly state where you are going and
where you want to be at the end of
your life. A mission statement
embodies your values. It is your
personal lighthouse keeping you
steadily on the course of your dreams.
Over a period of one month, set a few
hours aside to write down five or ten
principles which will govern your life
and which will keep you focused at all
times. Examples might be to
consistently serve others, to be a
considerate citizen, to become highly
wealthy or to serve as a powerful
leader. Whatever the mission statement
of your life, refine it and review it
regularly. Then when something adverse
happens or someone tries to pull you
off course, you quickly and precisely
return to your chosen path with the
full knowledge that you are moving in
the direction that you have selected.
·
No one can insult or
hurt you without your permission. One
of the golden keys to happiness and
great success is the way you interpret
events which unfold before you. Highly
successful people are master
interpreters. People who have attained
greatness have an ability which they
have developed to interpret negative
or disempowering events as positive
challenges which will assist them in
growing and moving even farther up the
ladder of success. There are no
negative experiences only experiences
which aid in your development and
toughen your character so that you may
soar to new heights. There are no
failures, only lessons.
·
Take a speed reading
course. Reading is a powerful way to
gain many years of experience from a
few hours of study. For example, most
biographies reflect the strategies and
philosophies of great leaders or
courageous individuals. Read them and
model them. Speed reading will allow
you to digest large quantities of
material in relatively small periods
of time. Remember people's names and
treat everyone well. This habit, along
with enthusiasm, is one of the great
success secrets. Everyone in this
world wears an imaginary button that
screams out "I WANT TO FEEL IMPORTANT
AND APPRECIATED!".
·
Be soft as a flower when
it comes to kindness but tough as
thunder when it comes to principle. Be
courteous and polite at all times but
never be pushed around. Ensure that
you are always treated with respect.
·
Never discuss your
health, wealth and other personal
matters with anyone outside of your
immediate family. Be very disciplined
in this regard.
·
Be truthful, patient,
persevering, modest and generous.
·
Soak in a warm bath at
the end of a long, productive day.
Reward yourself for even the smallest
of achievement. Take time out for
renewal of your mind, body and spirit.
Soon all your more important goals
will be met and you will move to the
next level of peak performance.
·
Learn the power of
breathing and its relationship with
your energy source. The mind is
intimately connected with your
breathing. For example, when the mind
is agitated, your breathing becomes
quick and shallow. When you are
relaxed and focused, your breathing is
deep and calm. By practising deep,
abdominal breathing, you will develop
a calm, serene demeanour that will
remain cool in the hottest of
circumstances. Remember the rule of
the Eastern mountain men: "to breathe
properly is to live properly."
·
Recognize and cultivate
the power of autosuggestion. It works
and is an essential tool in
maintaining peak performance. We are
all performers in one way or another
and it is particularly valuable to use
such techniques of athletes and public
figures for our own enhancement. If
you want to become more enthusiastic,
repeat "I am more enthusiastic today
and am improving this trait daily".
Repeat it over and over. Purchase a
legal notepad and write out this
mantra 500 times. Do it for three
weeks with regular practice and feel
that this quality is developing. Very
soon it will come. This is a strategy
that Indian sages have employed for
thousands of years to aid their
spiritual and mental development. Do
not be discouraged if the results are
not immediate, they will certainly
develop. The spoken word is a powerful
influencer of the mind.
·
Maintain a diary to
measure your progress and to express
your thoughts. Writing out not only
your successes but your troubles is
one of the world's most effective
methods of erasing the worry habit,
staying in optimum state and
developing precision of thought.
·
Stress is simply a
response which you create in the
interpretation of an event. Two people
might find that a given event results
in quite different responses. For
example, an after dinner speech might
strike fear into the heart of an
inexperienced speaker while a strong
orator views it as a wonderful
opportunity to share his thoughts.
Understanding that the perceived
negative effects of an event or task
may be mentally manipulated and
conditioned towards the positive, will
allow you to be a peak performer in
all instances.
·
Read "The Seven Habits
of Highly Effective People" by Stephen
Covey. It contains a wealth of wisdom
and powerful insights into further
developing your character and
enhancing your personal relationships.
·
Become a committed
audio-tape user. Most personal-mastery
programs and books are now offered in
this format. Listen to these
inspirational materials on your way to
work, whilst waiting in the line at a
bank or while you wash dishes in the
evening. Make your car a college on
wheels and use the drive time to make
knowledge your best friend. All down
time can be very effectively used in
this productive fashion. Use such
opportunities to learn and continually
expand your mind and its vast
potential.
·
Try fasting one day
every two weeks. During these fast
days, drink fruit juice and eat fresh
fruits only. You will feel more
energetic, cleansed and alert. Fasting
also has a salutary effect on your
will-power as you are subverting the
otherwise pressing impulses in your
mind calling on you to eat more.
·
Keep a radio-cassette
player at your office and listen to
soft, soothing music throughout the
day. Place pleasant scents and
inspirational pictures in your
workplace. By the magic of
association, your work will become
something you enjoy even more and
arouse a very pleasant feeling within
you. Budget your time on trips such
that you can spend half an hour in the
airport bookstore. They always contain
the latest and best self-mastery books
and tapes given that those who travel
by air are of a group that finds value
in these materials.
·
Read "As a Man Thinketh"
by James Allen. And don't just read
this little book once, read it over
and over again. It contains an
abundance of timeless wisdom on living
a fuller and happier life.
·
Remember that
forgiveness is a virtue that few
develop, but one that is most
important to maintaining peace of
mind. Mark Twain wrote that
forgiveness is the fragrance the
violet sheds on the heel that has
crushed it. Practice forgiveness
especially in those situations where
it is seemingly difficult. By using
your emotional forgiveness muscles
more regularly, petty wrongs, remarks
and slights will not touch you and
nothing will penetrate your
concentrated, serene mindset.
·
Empty your cup. A full
cup cannot accept anything more.
Similarly, a person who believes that
he cannot learn anything else will
stagnate quickly and not move to
higher levels. A true sign of a
secure, mature individual is someone
who sees every opportunity as a chance
to learn. Even the teachers have
teachers.
·
The Two Minute Mind is
an excellent exercise for developing
concentration. Simply stare at the
second hand on your wristwatch for two
minutes and think about nothing else
for that time. At first your mind will
wander but after 21 days of practice,
your attention will not waver during
the routine. One of the greatest
qualities a person can develop to
ensure his success is the ability to
focus for extended periods of time.
Learn to build up your concentration
muscles and no task will be too
difficult for you.
·
Drink a cup of warm
water before a speech. Ronald Reagan
employed this strategy to ensure that
he maintained his honey-smooth voice.
Mastery of the art of public speaking
is a noble goal. So dedicate yourself
to it. You will be judged by the
calibre of your communication skills.
·
When you stand and meet
someone, stand firm and steadfast. A
telling sign of an unfocused, weak
mind is constant fidgeting, shifting
of the eyes and shallow breathing. Act
tough and you will be tough. Have
courage and inspire others with your
actions. But always be considerate.
·
Ask not what this world
can do for you but, rather, what you
can do for this world. Make service an
important goal in your life. It is a
most fulfilling investment of time.
·
Remember, in the
twilight of your life, when all is
said and done, the quality of your
life boils down to the quality of your
contribution to others. Leave a rich
legacy for those around you to savour.
·
Once a week, arise at
dawn. It is a magical time of day. Be
still, go for a walk or simply listen
to an old Ella Fitzgerald recording.
Take a long, hot shower and do 100
pushups. Read one of the classics. You
will feel alive and invigorated.
·
Remain slightly aloof.
Do not let everyone know everything
about you. Cultivate a mystique.
·
Master the art of public
speaking. There are few natural
speakers. One great trial lawyer
stammered dreadfully but through
courage and strength of conviction, he
developed into a brilliant orator.
Role model anyone you think is a
highly effective, influential
communicator. Visualize a picture of
this person. Stand like him, smile
like him, and talk like him. The
results will startle you.
·
Seek out motivational
speakers committed to character
training and lifelong success. Make it
a point to attend inspirational
lectures each month to consistently
renew the importance of personal
growth in your mind. In a two hour
seminar, you can learn powerful
techniques and strategies that others
have spent many years learning and
refining. Never feel that you have no
time for gathering new ideas, you are
investing in yourself.
·
Read the wonderful book
"Discovering Happiness" by Dennis
Wholey. It will certainly open up new
horizons for you in your quest for an
optimal state of health and happiness.
·
To enhance your
concentration, read a passage in a
book you have never explored. Then try
to recite it verbatim. Practice this
for only 5 minutes a day and enjoy the
results which follow after a few
months of effort.
·
Try entering a 5 km
running race and then a 10 km event.
The adrenaline that flows from the
experience of racing with several
hundred other fitness-minded people is
exhilarating.
·
By constantly pushing
the envelope of your capacity, your
potential will quickly unfold.
Remember, the body will give you only
what you ask of it.
·
Aromas have been proven
to be an effective means of entering a
state of relaxation. Scents have a
very noticeable effect on your mindset
and moods. Purchase the essential oils
of orange and clove bud from your
local health food shop. Put a few
drops of either oil within a cup of
boiling water and inhale the sweet
smelling steam for a few minutes. Then
let the mixture sit in the room where
you are resting. You will gain a sense
of peace and serenity. A little apple
spice in the air has recently been
shown to induce a far more restful
sleep.
·
Cultivate the art of
walking half an hour after you have
finished eating your evening meal.
Walks in natural settings are the very
best. Walking is, perhaps, nature's
ideal exercise. And when you walk, do
not think about work or about the
bills or about the challenges you
might be facing - this will neutralize
many of the benefits. Simply enjoy the
walk. Notice the richness of your
surroundings. Let your senses drink in
the beauty of nature and the crispness
of the air for a change. So many
people who have mastered the art of
growing younger have also mastered the
habit of a daily walk.
·
Start a program of
weight lifting at the gym. Strong
people are mentally tough people. As
you age, you need not lose your
physical nor your mental strength. 75
year-old men are running marathons, 80
year-old women have scaled mountains
and 90 year-old grandparents are
living rich, productive lives. Whether
you are 19 or 93, stay fit, stay
motivated and stay passionate about
life.
·
Never argue with the
person you work for - you will lose
more than just the argument.
·
In terms of business
attire, dark suits (navy blue and
charcoal grey) reflect power,
sophistication and authority. Have you
ever seen a prime minister or
president in a tan suit?
·
Regularly send
handwritten notes to your business
clients and your other relations to
strengthen the bond. Develop a system
which reminds you to send something
valuable to this network at least once
every four months. Send them postcards
when you are away on vacation. If you
have to buy a few hundred postcards
and spend an hour writing, don't
worry. This is an exceptionally good
investment of your time. Another idea
is to send a recent article of
interest to your contacts with a
handwritten note saying that you
thought this would interest them and
that you continue to value their
friendship. Relationship building
should always be a central focus
whether you are a CEO, a student, a
salesperson or a parent.
·
Two of the fundamentals
for a happy, joyful life are balance
and moderation. One must maintain a
balance of all activities and do
nothing to extremes.
·
Drink Jasmine tea which
can be obtained from any Chinese
herbal shop. It is excellent for your
general health and is very relaxing.
Also try placing a few slices of fresh
ginger in a cup of hot water for a
superb tea that will restore vitality
and keep you in a peak physical
condition.
·
Remember that effective
time management makes you more rather
than less flexible. It allows you to
do the things that you really want to
do rather than the things you really
have to do.
·
Do not take personal
development books as gospel. Read them
and take whatever useful ideas you
need. Some people feel they must do
everything suggested and take the
techniques to extremes. Every book has
at least one tool or strategy of
benefit. Take what you need and what
works for you and discard what doesn't
suit you.
·
Become an adventurer.
Revitalize your spirit and sense of
playfulness. Become a kid again. Once
every few months, plan to enjoy a new,
thrilling activity such as white water
rafting, scuba diving, windsurfing,
rockclimbing, joining a martial arts
club, sailing, deep sea fishing or
camping. This will keep your life in
perspective, bring you closer to those
you share the activity with and keep
you feeling invigorated and young.
·
Spend time with Nature.
Natural settings have a powerful
effect on your senses which in turn
will lead to a sense of renewal,
refreshment and peacefulness. Peak
performers through the ages have
understood the importance of getting
back to Nature. Start camping or
simply taking quiet walks in the
forest. Rest by a sparkling stream.
Cultivate your own little garden which
will serve as your personal oasis in
the middle of a crowded city. By
cultivating a friendship with Nature,
you will quickly find more serenity,
contentment and richness in your life.
·
Recall the wise saying "mens
sana in corpore sano" which means in a
sound body rests a sound mind. Never
neglect the body which is intimately
connected to the mind. This is your
temple. Feed it the finest fuels,
exercise daily and care for it as you
would your prized possession - because
it is.
·
Be so strong that
nothing interferes with your peace of
mind. A well-known boxer was once
unhappy. When asked why, he said that
he had allowed himself to think a
negative thought. Curb your desires
and stay centered and focused - it
gets easier with practice. You truly
cannot afford the luxury of even one
negative thought. Do not eat three
hours before sleep. This allows for
smoother digestion and a more restful
sleep. For deeper, more renewing
sleep, remember that a daily dose of
exercise promotes good sleep as does a
period of relaxation an hour before
bed. Also do not bring work to bed
with you or think about anything which
might agitate you. Ease yourself into
sleep like a baby being sung a soft,
soothing lullaby. And finally, as
Leonardo da Vinci said: "a well-spent
day brings happy sleep."
·
Be careful about your
reputation. If it is good it will take
you to the highest of heights. But
once tarnished, it will be difficult
to retrieve. Always reflect on your
course of action. Never do anything
you wouldn't be proud to tell your
mother about. Have fun always but
temper it with common sense and
prudence.
·
Find mentors to model
who will guide you in your progress.
The mistakes of the world have all
been made once before - why shouldn't
you have the benefit of the experience
of others? Find someone who has both
courage and consideration for others,
someone who is therefore mature. Your
mentor must have only your best
interests in mind and should be
sufficiently senior to offer you good
guidance on the subjects you seek
assistance with. Everyone needs to
feel appreciated and even the busiest
of executives will find time to assist
a person who respects them and values
their advice.
·
Make a list of all your
weaknesses. A truly confident and
enlightened person will note a
weakness and seek to methodically
improve. Bear in mind that even the
greatest and most powerful people have
weaknesses. Some are better than
others in hiding them. On the other
hand, get to know your best qualities
and cultivate them.
·
Never complain. Be known
as a positive, strong, energetic and
enthusiastic person. Someone who
complains, is cynical and always looks
for the negative in everything, will
scare people away and rarely will
succeed at anything. From a purely
psychological viewpoint, things are
always created twice: once in the mind
and then in reality. Focus on the
positive. Be so mentally tough that
nothing takes you off your planned
course to success. Visualize and
firmly believe in what you want. It
will most certainly come true.
·
Overlook the weaknesses
of your friends. If you look for flaws
you will most surely find them. Be
mature enough to ignore the petty
failings of others and see the good
that each one inherently possesses. We
can learn from everyone. Everyone has
a story to tell, a joke to share and a
lesson to learn. Open your mind to
this and you will learn a tremendous
amount. Friends are so very important
to a happy existence - especially
those who have shared many experiences
and laughs with you. Work hard to make
friendships, and all your
relationships for that matter,
stronger and richer. Call your
friends, buy them small gifts of books
or other items you believe they might
enjoy. The "law of the farm" applies
to relationships as well as to the
rest of life - you reap what you sow
and to have great friends you must
first be one.
·
Be kind, considerate and
courteous. But also be shrewd and know
when to be tough and courageous. This
is the mark of a well-defined
character and you will surely command
respect. It is most useful to read
books on friendliness and enhancing
relationships by being a good
listener, showing others sincere
appreciation and refining other
interpersonal skills. But, to truly
succeed, one must also recognize that
worldly wisdom and shrewdness are
essential skills to foster. Become an
expert in human psychology and be able
to read the essence of people. Never
be taken advantage of and be aware of
the politics around you. Stay above
petty gossiping and office politics
but appreciate that they indeed exist
and know what goes on behind your
back. Every great leader does.
·
Create your image as a
highly competent, strong, disciplined,
calm and decent individual. Find that
crucial balance between working on the
image that you project to the rest of
the world and your inner character.
Create a sense of mystery about
yourself as the truly wise never show
their hand. Do not tell everyone
everything about yourself, your
strategies and your aspirations. The
successful citizens of this world
think thrice before they speak because
a word uttered can never be retrieved.
Make things look easy and people will
say you are naturally gifted. Speak
only good things and people will flock
to you. Never speak ill of others and
all will know you will not malign them
behind their backs. Build your
character and live a highly principled
life. Familiarity breeds contempt is a
very good rule. The stars remain far
above the Earth.
·
You must keep a distance
from all but your closest of
relations. Once people see everything
of a leader he loses his aura and with
it the authority and mystique he may
have created. For example, Ronald
Reagan was known to many as an
excellent leader. He carefully
cultivated his image of a folksy,
considerate politician who kept the
interests of the United States first
and foremost in his mind. At
gatherings of world leaders, he
commanded attention and respect in his
dark suits, surrounded by the
trappings of power such as political
aides, security officers and a convoy
of limousines. As soon as he appeared,
thoughts of authority and power came
to our minds. Did you ever see the
President with his shirt off swimming
at his pool? How about in his dressing
gown after waking up after one of his
long sleeps, hair tousled and beard
grown? Reagan's handlers never allowed
such glimpses because they detract
from the perception of authority. The
American nation was not exposed to
these sights. In the Clinton Era
things changed and you saw the
President eating Big Macs and wearing
baseball caps with a full business
suit. Whilst these scenes may be
endearing to the public, there is
little doubt that President Clinton
was more familiar to us, merely
another one of us and, unlike the
stars above, much closer to the
ground.
·
Learn to organize your
time. It is incorrect to say that by
becoming a meticulous time manager and
living by a carefully defined schedule
you become rigid and nonspontaneous.
Rather, proper organization allows one
to accomplish those goals which are
truly important as well as enjoy
leisure time. Good time management
offers more time for fun and
relaxation - not less. These important
periods are scheduled into the week
just like other commitments which may
appear more pressing.
·
Neither are sacrificed.
Also, discipline yourself and stop
wasting time on all those immediate
and pressing but unimportant tasks
(i.e., the ringing phones) and
concentrate on the activities that are
truly meaningful to your life's
mission. Such activities include time
for self-renewal and reflection, time
forging relationships built on trust
and mutual respect, time for physical
fitness, time to read and think deeply
and time serving others in your
community. Keep well-informed about
current events, the latest books and
popular trends.
·
Many peak performers
read five or six papers a day. You
don't have to read every story of
every paper. Know what to focus on,
what to pass by and what to clip out
and read at another time (many
successful people scan scores of
magazines and papers, clipping out
articles of interest; these articles
go into a file folder which can be
read in your down time). Knowledge is
power. Whether you are an
entrepreneur, a corporate leader or
someone leading a family, you can
profoundly change your life and the
lives of those around you with a
single idea. Just ask Gates, Edison
and Bell. When choosing your life
partner, remember that this is the
most important decision of your
lifetime. The marriage relationship
offers 90% of all your support,
happiness and fulfillment so choose it
wisely. Consider qualities such as
affection, sense of humor,
intelligence, integrity, maturity,
temperament, compatibility and that
indescribable characteristic of
chemistry. If these are present, your
relationship stands an excellent
chance of great success. Move slowly
and let no one press you into an
uncomfortable decision.
·
Never discuss your
personal development activities with
anyone. Your strategies for expanding
your mind and spirit are your own.
Others might not understand the value
of personal-mastery and, further, will
take away your credit when you meet
with success by saying that you relied
on techniques. Keep these
self-development activities to
yourself. Schedule relaxation time
into your week and be ruthless in
protecting it. You would not schedule
another activity into the time planned
for an important meeting with the
president of your company or your best
client so why would you put off a
period to invest in yourself? We must
have time for ourselves to reflect,
unwind and recharge our batteries.
These are the renewal activities that
allow us to maintain peak performance
and are exceptionally valuable
periods. 83% of our sensory input
comes from our eyes. To truly
concentrate on something, shut your
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