Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Harness Your Brainpower by Harvey Mackay

Knowledge is power.

How much do you know about everything? How much do you know about a lot of things? Okay, how much do you know about a few things?

If these seem like odd questions, stop and ponder what you know versus what you don’t. Then consider how you would get along if you needed good information on topics that were outside your comfort zone.

As former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson said, “I not only use all the brains I have but all that I can borrow.”

I would add this: and all that I can buy, if necessary.

I rely on experts for all kinds of information. I preach the importance of building a network of experts before you need them so that they are there when you do. Whether it’s a surgeon, realtor, auto mechanic or a master salesperson, I want the best. And I will return the favor whenever I can, whether it’s business advice, a reference, or tickets to a sporting event, concert or the theatre.

But let me make this very clear: I also rely on my own instincts, because, eventually, it all comes back to me. I weigh the information I receive from others, and make the best judgment I can. For instance, I am the first to admit that most technology baffles me. But show me how a new gizmo can make my life easier, make my business more successful, save me time, or just add to my fun, and I’m sold. That’s why I use a BlackBerry.

I try to absorb and retain as much information from my experts as I can. You never know when it will come in handy, or when you will find another application for it.

Carl Ally, founder of Ally & Gargano, one of the 20th century’s most successful advertising agencies, had an interesting take on knowledge: “The creative person wants to be a know-it-all. He wants to know about all kinds of things: ancient history, nineteenth century mathematics, current manufacturing techniques, flower arranging and hog futures, because he never knows when these ideas might come together to form a new idea. It may happen six minutes later or six months or six years down the road. But he has faith that it will happen.”

All of us have the ability to gain more knowledge. The brain is amazing. While the old theory that we use only 10 percent of our brains has been widely debunked, there’s plenty of evidence that we can increase our brainpower, retention and focus. Plenty of books and websites offer all kinds of help. I’m not endorsing any specific method, but I would encourage you to check out ways to expand your horizons.

In the meantime, you can take some basic steps to improve your knowledge:

Read. Pick out books, newspapers, websites, encyclopedias, anything with information that teaches you something you didn’t already know. Play Trivial Pursuit or watch Jeopardy. Learn something new every day. In my opinion, there are no such things as useless facts. If it’s part of our world, it’s worth knowing. I will get on my soapbox here again: embrace lifelong learning.

Listen. Sounds simple enough, but it’s so easy to be distracted. Focus on the speaker. If you don’t hear it the first time, ask the person to repeat it. Make sure you understand what’s been said. You will be surprised what you can learn.

Pay attention to what’s happening around you. According to MENSA, the organization for people with high IQs, current research shows that at least 52 percent of our intelligence is based on our environment.

Exercise and eat healthy. What’s good for the body is also good for the brain. Another reason not to put off taking care of yourself!

Get some sleep. Our country is chronically sleep-deprived, which negatively affects our thought processes. So along with “beauty sleep,” go for the “smart sleep.”

You will soon learn that you are capable of more than you imagined. You will also learn to recognize your limitations. If you know that you don’t know something, or don’t know how to find an answer, you’ll know it’s time to ask for help. Tap into all the brains you need—they just might not all be housed in your head.

Mackay’s Moral: Sometimes being smart means recognizing when you’re not.

“You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.” - Denis Waitley
“Be like the turtle. If he didn’t stick his neck out, he wouldn’t get anywhere at all.” - Harvey Mackay

Sunday, September 26, 2010

"You may not be able to control the situation, but you can always control your reaction." - Austin Mcgonigle

Friday, September 24, 2010

Thursday, September 23, 2010

"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." - Dale Carnegie

Sunday, September 19, 2010

"Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action." - Benjamin Disraeli

Friday, September 17, 2010

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." - Michael Altshuler

Thursday, September 16, 2010

From The Secret Daily Teachings

To create your tomorrow, go over your day when you are in bed tonight just before you fall asleep, and feel gratitude for the good moments. If there was something you wanted to happen differently, replay it in your mind the way you wanted it to go. As you fall asleep, say, "I will sleep deeply and wake up full of energy. Tomorrow is going to be the most beautiful day of my life."

Good night!
May the joy be with you,
"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst." - William Penn
"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosenfield of endeavor." - Vince Lombardi
"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Seneca
The One Thing that Matters

"We are drowned in paperwork.

Overwhelmed with To Do Lists. Loaded with obligations.

But underneath all the requests, emails, data and urgency, there is always The One Thing.

It's that single thing we could do today to transform our situation, our business and even our life.

We need to get into the habit of looking for it. Then focusing on it. Daily.

Yet 95% of people can't even tell you what it is.

Instead they immerse themselves in busyness, mistaking movement for progress.

As the great author and philosopher Henry David Thoreau wrote: "It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?"

The fact is, you could work only one hour a day and still achieve enormous things, if you just focused on doing The One Thing that really matters.

Or you could work for 12 hours a day (and many do) and make little progress, if you were unaware of what The One Thing is for you.

Every morning before you start work, spend 10 minutes thinking about what your One Thing is. Then do it first.

It's a simple, yet life changing discipline."

There you have it, one hour a day spent well... we mustn't lose sight of what's really important to our success.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

"Whenever you're in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude." - William James

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

“A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided.” - Tony Robbin
www.health2fortune.com

Thursday, September 9, 2010

"There is nothing better than the encouragement of a good friend." - Katherine Hathaway

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

From The Secret Daily Teachings

Begin your day by feeling grateful. Be grateful for the bed you just slept in, the roof over your head, the carpet or floor under your feet, the running water, the soap, your shower, your toothbrush, your clothes, your shoes, the refrigerator that keeps your food cold, the car that you drive, your job, your friends. Be grateful for the stores that make it so easy to buy the things you need, the restaurants, the utilities, services, and electrical appliances that make your life effortless. Be grateful for the magazines and the books that you read. Be grateful for the chair that you sit on, and the pavement that you walk on. Be grateful for the weather, the sun, the sky, the birds, the trees, the grass, the rain, and the flowers.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
May the joy be with you,

"Every achiever that I have ever met says, 'My life turned around when I began to believe in me.'" - Dr. Robert H. Schuller
"Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out if they've got a second. Give your dreams all you've got and you'll be amazed at the energy that comes out of you." - William James
"Be careful what you spend your day touching because it will shape your mind, your body, and your heart." - Sam Keen
"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them." - Mark Twain

Sunday, September 5, 2010

"If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain." - Maya Angelou

Saturday, September 4, 2010

"Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment." - Rita Mae Brown
"A quitter never wins and a winner never quits." - Napoleon Hill

Thursday, September 2, 2010

"Even a mistake may turn out to be the one thing necessary to a worthwhile achievement." - Henry Ford
"Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em,'certainly I can!' - and get busy and find out how to do it." - Theodore Roosevelt
"Simply put, you believe that things or people make you unhappy, but this is not accurate. You make yourself unhappy." - Wayne Dyer
"I never see what has been done; I only see what remains to be done." - Marie Curie
"It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory." - W. Edwards Deming
"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." - Bill Cosby