Launch Week of 11/1-5/2010 Circle Up!

MAKE FAILURE YOUR BEST FRIEND When you are able to learn from any bad experience and thereby turn it into a good experience, you make a major transition in life. For years I’ve taught something that I think gives useful insight on the subject of change: People change when they… Hurt enough that they have to, Learn enough that they want to, and Receive enough that they are able to. I learned the truth of that statement on a whole new level on December 18, While at my company’s Christmas party, I felt an excruciating pain in my chest, and I went down for the count. I suffered a serious heart attack. My heart attack was a painful and surprising experience, but I feel that God was very good to me in that process. Several excellent physicians rallied around me and made it possible for me not only to survive but also to avoid any permanent heart damage. My cardiologist, Dr. Marshall, told me that men who survive an early heart attack and learn from it live longer and healthier lives than those who never suffer a heart attack. I am determined to learn from the experience. I change me diet. I exercise and try to live a more balanced life. I have to admit that it’s sometimes a struggle, but I’m persevering. I’ve taken to heart Jim Rohn’s comment: “Don’t let your learning lead to knowledge; let your learning lead to action.” USE PAINFUL EXPERIENCES AS A CATALYST TO NOT ONLY LEARN BUT TO LEAD YOU TO GREATER ACTION. Excerpt from the book, The Maxwell Daily Reader, by John C. Maxwell pg /1/10

Circle Up! A LITTLE EXTRA TIME Successful people practice harder and practice longer than unsuccessful people do. Success expert Peter Lowe, who has gleaned success secrets from hundreds of people who are at the top of their profession, says, “The most common trait I have found in all successful people is that they have conquered the temptation to give up.” Giving a little extra time requires more than just perseverance. It requires patience. The Law of Process in my book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership says, “Leadership develops daily, not in a day.” That can be said of any talent we try to cultivate and improve. As you work to give a little extra time to your efforts, it is wise to maintain a longer view of the process of improvement. Such a perspective really helps. Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor who created the memorial to the American presidents at Mount Rushmore, was asked if he considered his work to be perfect. It’s said he replied, “Not today. The nose of Washington is an inch too long. It’s better that way, though.” It will erode to b e exactly right in 10,000 years.” Now that’s patience! GIVE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, EFFORT, AND PATIENCE TO A DIFFICULT TASK OR PROBLEM TODAY. Excerpt from the book, The Maxwell Daily Reader, by John C. Maxwell, pg /2/10

Circle Up! FAILURE IS AN INSIDE JOB. In our culture, too many people believe that contentment comes from attaining material possessions or positions of power. But they aren’t the keys to contentment either. If you are tempted to believe that they are, remember the words of John D. Rockefeller. When a journalist asked him how much wealth was enough, the millionaire, who was at the time one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, answered, “Just a little more.” Contentment comes from having a positive attitude. It means: * Expecting the best in everything – not the worst. * Remaining upbeat – even when you get beat up * Seeing solutions in every problem – not problems in every solution. * Believing in yourself – even when others believe you’ve failed * Holding on to hope – even when others say it’s hopeless No matter what happens to you, a positive attitude comes from within. Your circumstances and your contentment are unrelated. RELY ON A POSITIVE ATTITUTE TODAY TO GET YOU THROUGH DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES. Excerpt from the book, The Maxwell Daily Reader, by John C. Maxwell, pg /3/10

Circle Up! LIFE GIVES YOU WHAT YOU EXPECT The happiest people in life don’t necessarily have the best of everything. They just try to make the best of everything. They’re like the person in a remote village going to a well every day to get water who says, “Every time I come to this well, I come away with my bucket full!” instead of, “I can’t believe I have to keep coming back to this well to fill up my bucket!” A person’s attitude has a profound influence on his approach to life. As a coach before a big game whether his attitude and that of his players will make a difference in the outcome of the game. Ask a surgeon if the patient’s attitude matters when she’s trying to save that life in an emergency room. Ask a teacher if students’ attitudes have an impact before they take a test. One of the things I’ve learned is that life often gives you whatever you expect from it. If you expect bad things, those are what you get. If you expect good things, you often receive them. I don’t know why it works that way, but it does. If you don’t believe me, try it out. Give yourself thirty days in which you expect the best of everything: the best parking place, the best table in the restaurant, the best interaction with clients, the best treatment from service people. You’ll be surprised by what you encounter, especially if you give your very best to others in every situation as well. BEGIN YOUR THIRTY-DAY TRIAL OF EXPECTING THE BEST OF EVERYTHING. Excerpt from the book, The Maxwell Daily Reader, by John C. Maxwell, pg /4/10