I'm Running for the kids at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

I'll be running in the upcoming St. Jude Half Marathon on December 5, 2009. Again this year I'm running as a St. Jude Hero, raising money for the kids at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, where no child is turned away because of financial reasons.

You can log onto my personal web page with St. Jude and donate to help the cause. Any amount will be appreciated. Simply go to www.mystjudeheroes.org/triley and make a donation. Thanks for supporting the kids at St. Jude and the wonderful people who are working there to end childhood cancers.

Are You Connecting or Bonding?

I had a breakfast meeting this morning with a man I met over the internet. Sounds creepy doesn't it? My wife raised her eyebrows when I told her. My son and brother made funny innuendos about it...my brother suggesting I not tell our mother. But what I have taken from our breakfast this morning, is the very best of what the internet has to offer, and what an invaluable experience it is to have a friendly discussion over coffee between two new friends.

Mike and I first met through Twitter. I liked his Tweets, and his Re-Tweets, and some of the folks he was following. On his website, and blog, I discovered a mutual interest in Faith-based Leadership principles and styles. You can find him on his blog. From there you can check out his website, Lead Change Now. I remember finding his blog entry: "Why I'm Not Following You on Twitter" a great read. If you are losing followers on Twitter, I suggest you check this out.

A while back, Mike had mentioned to me via email, that he had once lived in the Memphis area, and still had family here. And then last week, he sent me an email telling me he would be here this week visiting family, and he wanted to know if I'd like to get together for breakfast or coffee some morning. So, that's how our breakfast this morning came together.

It was a great hour or so of swapping stories, sharing faith, and finding out our many, uncanny similarities. We discovered we both are the eldest of three sons, have worked with family in business, love playing golf with dad and brothers, and moved around the country quite a bit as we were growing up, among other things. These stories and experiences have created a new bond with us, that I hope will continue even though he lives several hundred miles away. In that one hour conversation we learned more about each other than the months of connecting on Twitter, Linkedin, and blogs. Even though those technologies created the connection, the bond was made by face to face conversation over coffee and pancakes. Hopefully we can continue to connect through the internet...but I look forward to adding to our bond, the next time we can meet.

As always, I'd like to hear from you; what does the internet do for your relationship building? Do you have bonds or connections? Leave a comment, or send me an email at nfinity22@gmail.com.

Happy Father's Day-Thanks Dad

It was the middle of winter in Chicago and the evening news reported that a foot or more of snow would be falling over night. So, what did my father do? He set the alarm clock an extra hour early- 4:30 am instead of 5:30 am - so he could get up to shovel snow away from the garage door to get the car out, so he could make it to the train station on time so he wouldn't be late for work. He and my mother were married on Labor Day, a day off, in 1957 because he didn't want to miss work. Their honeymoon was a trip from the small Iowa town they were married in, to Chicago, where he was expected to report to work the next day. This man, my dad, loved work. But with this same nearly insane drive, he loved people; especially his family.

He's been gone nearly nine years now, after a valiant battle with cancer, but our memories keep him alive and well in our hearts. I remember the time he tried to make a skating rink in our back yard during a late winter in Iowa. He carefully built a wooden frame and then put down a thick black plastic secured to the frame. At evening's end he put the garden hose into the structure, and left the water running, by accident I think, through the night. The next morning we went out side to see our skating masterpiece only to see the neighbors next door out as well; somehow the water had broken through the plastic and run down the hill leaving 6 inches of water in the neighbors newly remodeled basement. Fortunately Mr. Martin was an insurance agent and was fully covered.

I remember a lot of golf with my brothers and my dad. He didn't have a guys group he played with, he preferred playing with his boys. I remember working together for many years, in a family business. I remember holidays, and weekly Saturday night meals of steak and potato, scotch, and conversation. Mostly he listened to his sons ramble on about politics, sports and what he called our "impressions of the day." I can see him now just sitting back in a big easy chair on those nights taking in the conversation and laughter. And always asking at some point in the evening about the gas grill: "Did you turn the grill off?"

I remember him never missing a Sunday or Holy Day Mass. I remember him taking us to church to say a Rosary and to light some candles. As a kid I dreaded going for the Rosary, but I always felt better-more peaceful after wards. I remember the time when I was 5 or 6, just he and I went to an early 6:00 o'clock Sunday Mass. There was hardly anyone in the church, and no altar servers. He knew the priest, (he always knew the priest in every parish we lived in), and he went up to serve. I thought at the time how neat that was, that my dad was up there helping out the priest. Later when I got the chance to be an altar boy, I jumped at the chance...to be like my dad.

At his funeral, the church was overflowing. Some people even had to gather in the family life center next to the church. This was for a guy who never held any public office or was part of any kind of mass organization. He just touched people deeply and intimately, one soul, one kind gesture at a time. One gentleman came up to me at the funeral and told me that my dad had for several years sent him a card every year, on the anniversary of the founding of the Marine Corp. Both he and my dad were Marines, not having served together, but just sharing that mutual bond. I had never heard of that from my dad. Who knew of all the other little selfless acts he did for others, just like that annual anniversary card? But that was how he lived his life: reaching out, in joy, in love, in small ways to let people know how special they were. That was his gift to others, his vocation. That was his gift to us too, his family. Through his smiling Irish Eyes, he made us and those who knew him, feel like Kings and Queens.

Thanks dad for those memories, and thanks for the path you mapped out for us. I hope to follow you, like that little altar boy in the making those many years ago. And I hope those of you who read this will consider reaching out and making someone feel special, a King or a Queen today, in memory of my dad...my hero.

Jesus as a Networker - Patience

If you have been involved in a business that relies on networking, and really what business doesn't use connecting with individuals through friends and relationships to foster sales and/or services, then you know there are times when you have to have great patience. Patience is rooted in that other oh so challenging virtue: humility. Without humility, patience is nearly impossible to endure. Here's a test, picture yourself in one of these scenario's: a fisherman (or fisher-person) on the sandy banks of a large lake, under the shade of a tall oak on a warm summer's morning, sitting in a comfy lawn chair, watching the bobber lazily float with the gentle waves? Or do you see yourself out in the choppy waters of the Gulf of Mexico, frantically reeling in a prized blue marlin for hours at a time, while the boat heaves up and down, muscles straining while the salty Gulf waters spray in your jubilant red-sunburned sweating face? If you consider yourself the salty Seafaring adventurer this message is most likely for you.

It's a good thing Jesus was such a humble person, because the people around him were constantly testing his patience. How many times do we read about Jesus teaching his followers day in and day out about his message of love, and forgiveness? And yet, people didn't always "get it." Sometimes we don't "get it" today either, but gee whiz, these people were sitting there right in front of him. How much more plain could that be? I think the thing that tested his patience the most though were the 12 Apostles he had personally chosen, and some of the Apostle's family members. I guess mothers just want the best for their kids. But I'm sure James and John wished their mom would tone it down a bit in the seating arrangement department.

There seemed to be special difficulty in getting on message from the key 3 to 5 guys who became the early leaders of the Church. To think that they were listening to these teachings day after day, week after week, from the greatest Rabbi of their time, and yet they clearly had times when they just weren't "getting it." Jesus, in moments of weakness, at the end of long days of preaching would say to them in exasperation on various occasions: "how long have you been following me? how many times have you heard this stuff? If you aren't getting this, how do you expect the other people to understand? How are you going to explain this after I'm gone? I wonder if I have time to find another 12?" He actually never said the last thing, but I bet he thought it a few times.

For me, to take my time with a plan or project usually is not a problem. I read in Og Mandino's "The Greatest Secret in The World," from the scroll marked III "The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal." I was also blessed with parents who taught, and more importantly, showed me that hard work, with patience will provide the rewards of life.

However, I am human and my patience are tested daily by rude drivers, a sometimes glacier-speed computer, prospects who won't commit to my program, weight loss, books I want to read but can't get to, patches where my lawn won't grow...all kinds of things test my patience. The key for me is to step back, breathe deeply and try to remember that God is with me. He's not going to make the rude driver more courteous, my computer lightening fast, or that darn bare spot green up. But he is with me through all this, and going through anything difficult or unpleasant, is always better when going through it with a friend.

So I suggest that you evaluate your product, program or service. If it seems sound and still holds the qualities that first attracted you to it, then take some time to check your humility. Give it the same evaluation process and if it also seems to be in balance with your life, then emotionally, and spiritually, take yourself from the choppy waves of the outer Gulf, and settle onto a cool lake bank and keep an eye on the bobber. The fish are most certainly there. And being there with the Fisher of Men, will make the catch that much more abundant and fruitful.

So, what do you think? How do you handle patience? How does patience, fit into your business or life plan? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the ways patience play a part in your life. Please leave a comment, or send me an email at nfinity22@gmail.com.

The Greatest Networker in the World

I have often wondered why Jesus was born, raised, and ministered in such a small remote corner of the world; and more curiously, at a time when communications were extremely limited. If his message was of such vital importance, why did he not live in a more central location such as Rome of his time, or a New York of our time? Other than his birth narrative, the details of his childhood up to the beginning of his adult ministry are quite sketchy. We know he spent some of this time in exile in Egypt, obviously under cover. His home of Nazareth was such a backwater, no-place, no-traffic-lights, one donkey, kind of town, one of his early close followers said of the place: “can anything good come out of Nazareth?” What an insult. Apparently the Nazareth Chamber of Commerce had its work cut out for it.

Virtually no one at that time was literate, except for the religious authorities. Mass communication, was simply word of mouth. With such an important story to tell, these things make me wonder why Jesus wouldn’t have made his debut closer to our own time, especially with all of the wonderful communication mediums we have at our disposal. Wouldn’t it be more efficient to spreading his message, to see the healings, and the miracles, live with Geraldo, Anderson Cooper or as a special guest on Oprah? And then, wouldn’t those events reach an even larger mass audience once they’ve been You Tube’d , Facebook’d, and Twittered into the cyber-sphere? Who wouldn’t become a follower if we saw these things right before our eyes? Who wouldn’t’ be sold on the mission? Doesn’t it seem like it would be a slam dunk to close the deal through this method? So, why did he do it, the way he did?

Well, I’m quite sure I don’t know, and may never know the reason for Jesus choosing to bring his message into the world, where he did, and when he did. But, maybe there are some lessons we can take from his approach to sharing his message.

Jesus mission started with close personal relationships.

In a very remote, dusty part of the expansive Roman Empire, Jesus shared his story with locals and his kinsmen. We know there was something very attractive about him, and many of those who were fortunate to see him in person, were drawn to him through his warmth and personality. Of the hundreds and thousands of folks he spoke to however, only 12 were chosen to become his most intimate friends and compatriots. Imagine that: with a mission as important as changing the world, he chose only 12 fairly common and regular guys to be part of his inner circle. It was not necessarily an exclusive club, like a secret society or closed door country club organization; but for some reason he felt like these 12 were sufficient to be the core team. He worked extra hard with these guys to fully prepare them to share and continue his mission and good works. In one instance he told them he was the vine, and they were the branches. They were all of the same plant, and eventually they were to go out and create their own branches…all the while, the entire organization, continued to feed from the same original vine.

In my business there are many times when I wish I could send out a mass email or put up a website, or post something on one of the many social media outlets to have contacts sign up left and right onto my program. But year after year I have not found this approach to be very effective. The kind of business program I offer is just an old fashioned handshake, pat on the back, “how are the kids’s doing?” kind of business. It takes time, and energy to create the personal relationships needed to go into business together. This may be Cyber-space heresy, but in some business models, to get your message out there most effectively, you’ve got to do it through the building of meaningful relationships. And in the same way, you’ve got to train those in your inner circle to go out and create their own branches through slowly building realtionships. As Jordan Adler, one of the top producers in our company, and one of the most successful business entrepreneurs I know is fond of saying: “The short way is the long way, and the long way is the short way.” …Which is to say, there are no shortcuts to building our business.

Maybe your business is that way too. If your business does not lend itself well to the mass communications era we live in, and there are many...at least we have a model to help us to continue to grow and prosper our businesses. From the one vine, we can continue to branch out, and help change the world, in our own sometimes dusty, one-mule-town, corners of the world. But, I am also reminded that in doing business this way, I have created long term lasting friendships that I otherwise would not be able to do through mass internet marketing. This blesses me with business opportunities, but also with a network of great life giving friendships.

I have four more thoughts on how Jesus was the Greatest Net-worker in the World. These will follow here in coming days.

I Get by With a Little Help From My Friends

I’ve been reading this week, John Ortberg's book, “Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them.” Honestly, I bought the book a few years ago, simply because I loved the title so much when I first saw it at the bookstore. And then a few weeks ago while my wife was doing some spring cleaning it reappeared. It was in a stack of books destined for our local library for donatation, but I rescued it to my library. I picked it up again over the Memorial Day weekend. I had forgotten what a good read it was.

One of the parts I really enjoy is the story of the “Fellowship of the Mat.” In Mark’s Gospel there is the story of a paralyzed man who is brought by his friends to Jesus. “They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.” –Mark 2:3-4

Can you imagine this scene, as Ortberg points out in his book? Jesus is teaching in someone’s house, and it is filled wall to wall and even overflowing to the street outside. The friends of the paralytic man have come on a mission to get their friend in front of Jesus; at first it seems impossible. But, one of them has the audacious idea of going up onto the roof, tearing a hole in the ceiling and lowering the man on his mat into the house in front of Jesus. These were some very determined friends! What is it that creates friendships like this? Maybe part of the answer is because the paralyzed man let them: He let them carry and care for him.

Ortberg writes: “It is a very vulnerable thing to have someone carry your mat. When somebody’s carrying your mat, they see you in your weakness. They might hurt you if they drop you.

There is this gift between these friends: trusting vulnerability and dependable faithfulness. This mat, which according to society should have created a great gulf between him and them, instead became an opportunity for servanthood and acceptance. This group becomes the Fellowship of the Mat. Wherever human beings love and accept and serve each other in the face of weakness and need, there is the Fellowship of the Mat.”

I was reminded by this story of friends helping friends of a time some years ago when we first moved into our present home. Shortly after we had moved in my wife had been admitted to the hospital for treatment of an MS flare up. We were new the neighborhood, but had lived in the same town for about 10 years. It was late summer and being at the hospital and doing work had kept me from getting to the yard work for a week or so. The lawn was getting kind of shaggy, but I just did not have the time to get to it.

One late evening during this time, I was stopping by the house to check the mail and pick up a few things before heading back to the hospital. I turned the corner and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. In the fading light of dusk, a lady in a black business suit and high heels was sweeping my sidewalk. And a man was finishing up mowing my lawn. I soon recognized the two people as our best friends, Jon and Denise. A new neighbor of mine told me a few days later that he thought I had some kind of weird, role playing lawn service. They had done such a great job though, he wondered if I could give him their contact info. I told him he probably couldn’t afford them because they were part of a priceless friendship.

However I still recognize one of the obstacles to this great and rich relationship builder for me and maybe many of us is a lack of humility. Isn’t it tough to let others, do for you? I know it is a constant challenge for me. I want to be the caretaker, the fixer. I want to be the consoler. I want to be the brilliant friend who came up with the idea of carrying the paralyzed man onto the roof top. I don’t want to be the one helpless, stranded and in need of help. I don’t want to break the cardinal rule of friendship, according to Seinfeld: “Can you take me to the airport?” And yet I am. I am in constant need of assistance. I am in constant need of prayer. I am just too proud to reveal this; too proud to ask for it, at least as often as I should.

As I continue on my life’s journey, I will try to remember that friendship is two-way relationship built on a mutual need of support and service. It is just as important to let others do for you as you do for them. And I will try to remember the verses from “The Servant Song”

“Let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I may have the grace
To let you be my servant, too"

Peace to you and all your friends.

What Do You Think About, on Your Birthday?

I have a birthday coming up in a few days. It's not one of those milestone birthdays. I had the big Five-O, last year, so this is just another passing year. No fanfare, black candles on the cake, tombstone yard signs, or biting humorous cards...well, my sister-in-law will probably still send one of those, since I am the oldest of this current generation of my family, in-laws included. I am forging ahead, where no man (or woman) has gone before, at least in terms of days on the planet. And she loves to remind me of this.

As this date gets closer, my attention has been focused on the life questions. I was wondering, why do I annually focus on the life questions, at this point in my life: at birthdays?

I attended a luncheon seminar on Tuesday of this week; Chris Crouch, president of DME Training and Consulting told about a famous executive, who had attained tremendous success as defined by our culture, who went to the Dr. to see about what seemed like a minor issue. Over the course of a few days...I'm sure you are ahead of me on this story...it was discovered that he had 3 inoperable brain tumors; the prognosis for this type of condition was not good. It was actually, the worst case scenario: 3 to 6 months to live. In fact he did pass away within that time period. But during his remaining time, he altered his life dramatically, and thus died a peaceful and satisfying death. It was such at least in terms of what he had left to work with, the 4 months; and apparently much more so, than if his life had been taken quickly by an accident or massive stroke or heart attack.

Later that same evening of the lunch, I was discussing with a friend of mine who had been at the lunch as well, how we viewed this story. He told me he had a few regrets over the past years, some things he would have done differently. I agreed with him. There were certainly some things we both would have liked to have done differently over the course of our lives. But then I asked about the now What would we do differently about the now; and the going on from here part. We both thought about it, discussed it and I think we came to the same conclusion: not much, not much differently. Of course an unexpected financial windfall would alter the plans to some effect. We agreed we would like to travel with loved ones to see places we wanted to visit; a veritable "Bucket List" of things if you will. And we agreed it would be nice to be able to be financially generous, again with our loved ones to provide for them beyond our current means, now and after we are gone, in excess of the life insurances, investments, etc. already in place. But the likelihood of the wealth thing does not seem to be on the immediate horizon, so we went back to the more realistic: going on from here thought.

I would like to think, that if given the news that I had but a short time left on this earth, I would pray more, love more, give more. But, I would not have to reinvent myself to do these things. They are already part of the fabric of my daily life. I might want to ramp it up a bit, just to let those in my life know how much I truly care for them; but it would not be the complete turning my life around kind of experience that many people may contend with when faced with their imminent demise.

And so, as I head into the second 1/2 century of my life, and I ponder my own perennial big question, this time reminds to do the important things, more deeply and more often. I am so grateful to my parents, my wife and family, good friends, and my God, for the gift of showing me a path to walk along; a path that gives me a life of peace and joy. As I think back to, "Why do I consider these things as my birthday approaches," I believe this time to pause and reflect, is actually a gift from God. In this gift,is a reminder, of the good things in my life. With this gift, how could I ask for any better birthday present than that?

An Unexpected Card on an Unexpected Day?

I have a friend, author/lecturer John Cox who tells me there are 44 things you can do, that will change your life, for the better. So far he has only told me one of them: smile when you first get up in the morning. So now when I first awaken, I sit on the edge of my bed before putting on my slippers and I just sit for a moment and smile. It is such a nice feeling. Now I am finding myself even doing it, on occasion throughout the day. It must release some endorphins or something, because there is a nice calming effect that comes over me. It's peaceful.

This made me think of similar daily acts. I have a mission to enlist people to send a heartfelt, personal card a day. On average, a person will send about 10 cards per year. That's less than a card a month, on average. "Why would you send a card a day?" you might ask. Well, can you remember the times you've gone to the mail box, or in your office mail, and in amongst the clutter of bills, junk mail, and such, there was a greeting card from a friend? Think for a moment: how did that make you feel when you opened up the envelope and inside was a humorous, or touching note? I know I get a spark of excitement at the mailbox, when I see what appears to be a greeting card from a friend or relative. The anticipation grows as I go into my house to open up the card. I feel great knowing someone has taken the time to reach out to me, and has expressed something personal, something that two friends can share. This whole process of sending and receiving a card is a joyful experience. By sending a card, a person can feel the joy of brightening another's day, and building on their bonds of friendship. The philosophy is that you send out good, and the good returns to you. It's a wonderful "unselfish" way to feel good!

One of my favorite books is "You, Inc. The Art of Selling Yourself," by Harry and Christine Clfford Beckwith. Their advice is aimed primarily at business relationships, but I think this translates very well in personal relationships as well. They write about the unexpected card: "Millions of companies send their clients and valued business associates holiday cards. That's one reason you shouldn't. Instead, find special occasions throughout the year to write not twenty people, but just one at a time. Choose a time uniquely appropriate to the client. Birthdays are good, but a card that shows you know more about the person works much better. Try the day of their first child's birth, for example. or the day after their alma mater wins a big game.
The most vivid way to show someone that they matter is to take time. You do want them to notice. So, don't send expected messages at expected times. Send special highly personal ones at special times-times that are special to that person alone."
It's not just how you say thanks, but when and how well.

John, in his book "It's Only Earth," also talks about the value of friends, and how truly good friends add value to your quality of life. Think how those friendships, and business relationships will be 3 months, 6 months, a year from now, if you have reached out on a consistent basis and shared yourself with them, through the magic of a personal greeting card? As I share this with my friend John, maybe he will agree: there are 45 things you can do to change your life for the better.

5 Daily Goals to Reap Rewards: #5, Perseverance

Some years ago I was trying to start a new business from scratch. Most of the initial business plan had fallen through, and I was trying my best to work with Plan B, C, or even Plan Z. I had a product to sell, and I had customers to sell to, and I knew in my heart of hearts that the two together made perfect sense, for all three of us: the manufacturer, the customer, and me the agent. So, I continued to trod along week in and week out, trying to land this one large, particular customer.

One Friday evening, as I arrived back to my home office, after another positive meeting with my prized potential customer, I reported to my wife that "things were looking very good. We should know something by next Friday." (Keep in mind that this was about the 5th or 6th such report that I had given my wife, each on a Friday evening about this same time.) To which she shouted in my face: "Don't you get it, there is NO NEXT FRIDAY! You need to get out of this!"

All these years later, those words are still burned deeply into my memory. We were struggling financially because of the shifting business plan. We had no income on the horizon, most of our capital to get us started was running out, so she had every right to question my navigation of what seemed at the time like a cruise on the Titanic. But, I held steady and continued on.The next week, and for weeks thereafter I continued to call on that customer again and again. But, I also started spreading my efforts out into the market and reaching out to some smaller customers. Slowly but surely we began to add these smaller distributors, and our business started at last to become a profitable enterprise. And then one day, after we had created a decent presence in the market, that original, next Friday customer called me, with an order. The buyer asked no questions about pricing or terms. He just gave me a P.O. number with a large quantity of product.

The moral of the story? Stick with it; but maybe at some point reevaluate and adjust your strategy. Keep going forward, but if you run into a wall, adjust your approach. Maybe there is a door just to the left or right of the wall you keep walking into. But by all means, don't give up. If you are self employed, maybe you can create a tracking system to make you accountable for sales calls made, or phone calls, or appointments set. The company I represent now, has a great tool we call the Daily 8. It sets out particular tasks to do each day, and the tasks are assigned points. The goal is to get 8 points each day. Some days you may hit more, some days less. At the end of the week if you've hit 40 points you most likely will have your reward.

Maybe you are lucky enough to have a friend or a spouse who can support you and act as a sounding board when you think you are going crazy because no one in the world seems to see the value of your product the way you do. I am lucky to have both. I have a good friend who keeps me on track, and helps me sharpen my approach to selling my product and programs and he cares about my success. And my wife still wonders sometimes about next Friday, which still seems to be an issue on occasion after all these years. But she is a wonderful life partner who helps me stay centered and grounded.

Keep in mind: no one who ever achieved success, did not experience failure as well. It was not meant for this world to only enjoy success. So, the failure, or hard times you may now be experiencing are just preparation for you to truly enjoy the successful reward awaiting you, as long as you keep trying! Isn't that what life is all about, working through our failures, to reach our success, and then enjoying our reward.

5 Daily Goals to Reap Rewards: #4, Integrity

I read the other day in my local paper, a letter to the editor. This has become one of my favorite parts of the paper. I think you get a real sense of the wide spectrum of thought from the community by reading these letters. Anyway, I read one last week that has stuck with me. It was all about integrity.

A gentleman told the story of shopping at his local WalMart. After making his purchase at the automated check-out stand, he noticed there was a problem with his change. He was supposed to have received 3 dollar bills and some loose change. Instead, he received 3, five dollar bills and some loose change. When he realized the mistake that had been made, he went to the manager in charge of overseeing the machines. He followed the young person back to the machine; it was opened up, and they discovered that the wrong dollar denomination was put into the $1.00 slot. Therefore, five dollar bills had been dispensing, rather than one dollar bills, all day long!

It made me wonder: what a rare thing integrity is these days. It took one person, well into the afternoon to bring to the store's attention a very serious problem with the store's cash machine. How many folks walked out the doors, with 5 times more change than they were due? Maybe some didn't pay attention. Maybe that particular machine wasn't used that much that day. But maybe some people thought,"WalMart is a multi-billion dollar mega corporation, and they won't miss a few bucks," or, "I deserve this money because of the hard run of luck I've had lately," or worse, "I just don't care."

How many times a day do you have the opportunity to do the right thing, even though perhaps no one will know the difference? If you make integrity, one of your goals, one of your daily steps along your journey, people can't help but see you as different, as apart from the crowd, as special. You'll be someone who customers rely on to guide them through difficult times; you'll be someone in special relationship with them, in the good times and the bad. Your daily steps of integrity will create a large and faithful following, and a great reward on the journey.

5 Daily Goals to Reap Rewards: #3, Balance

"Please accept my resignation. I don't care to belong to any club that will have me as a member."

-Groucho Marx

Do you ever feel you need to resign from some of your obligations, clubs, committees, organizations, etc.? Sometimes do you feel like you are being pulled in too many directions, or maybe just too far in one direction? I think we all feel that way at one time or another. It’s only a problem, if you’re feeling that way more often than not. That’s when you need to reevaluate, and try to find your balance.

I had a friend some years ago, Don Jordan, a very successful restaurateur, currently retired, who introduced me to the three legs on a stool approach to life. You may have heard this before; think of a stool with three legs. If you put too much weight on one or two of the legs, you likely will tip over. If you don’t have all three legs firmly on the ground, you will also possibly tip over. And of course, a stool cannot properly function with less than three legs. Three legs, equally on the ground create a nice balance. The three legs for Mr. Jordan and me are Faith, Family, and Business. With these three aspects in life, balanced, life is good. Life is rewarding.

Whenever I look back over my life, I can see times when things seemed to have been much too difficult and chaotic. If I’m honest, I can also see where something at that time was out of balance. Maybe I was spending too much time and energy on one of the three legs. At other times, life was easy as can be. I think those times reflected a good combination of the 3 legs. I was in harmony with my Faith, family, and business. I was in balance.

I am a big believer in the Retreat experience. I try to do at least one weekend retreat a year. I believe time spent in quiet, away from the noise of the world, helps me to evaluate and recognize what is important in my life. It’s what helps me decide what is in balance, what is out of balance, and how to make adjustments. It is essential to make time for yourself, to listen to your inner spirit, and to listen to the heartbeat of your life. Do this often, daily if possible as you start your day. Make it a daily goal to be in balance with your world. Life is a long and wonderful journey; make it rewarding with all three legs of the stool on the ground.

5 Daily Goals to Reap Rewards: #2, Passion

Following along the thought that if we set our goals on the shorter term things, the daily things we do throughout the day, the steps rather than the marathon, to attain our reward; the second goal after gratitude: we need to act with passion. For what great feat was ever accomplished without passion?

I work for a truly fantastic company. I believe in the directors of the company. I believe in my manager. I believe in the mission of the company and I believe totally in the product. I believe in what the product can do for those who use it and for those who receive it. I've experienced the positive effects of using our product over and over again. As you can tell, I have passion for this company and product. However, in any sales effort, there will be discouragement. I get discouraged that sometimes I don't effectively present my product...(at least that must be the case when some people just "don't get it.") Sometimes I can doubt myself, but I do not doubt my product.

Do you have this kind of passion for your company, products and programs? If not, your customers won't see it either. You must do one of two things; you either have to reinvigorate yourself to the products you sell, and become a passionate believer in them, or you need to find another product or company.

If your company offers a large list of items, surely you can find something you can get excited about, and sell with passion. If not, look around at other opportunities. Right now, especially with the struggling economy, the network marketing industry is exploding with new growth. Network marketing can offer you an opportunity to start something new, with a usually minimal investment of time and money. In other words you can start part time, without a lot of money, and with time and effort grow your new business into something special, something long term, something your own, and something you can be passionate about. Don't settle for a mediocre career, filled with drudgery and blah! Set your sights on passionate strides, toward awe!

5 Daily Goals to Reap Rewards: #1, Gratitude

At a very early age I was struck by something my grandfather would say about a certain accomplishment, trait or possession: "Don't be proud, be grateful." I believe it is absolutely essential to practice an attitude of gratitude in business and in life, to achieve greatness.

One late afternoon I was in the car on the way to a sales call, and I got a phone call from one of my customers. He needed to make an adjustment to one of his orders already in the system. This required a call to my company, a few minutes after regular office hours. To my surprise my customer service rep answered the phone. Within a few minutes she had completely handled this new request; I called my customer back to let him know the order had been changed, and everything was good to go. Realizing this was an opportunity to express an attitude of gratitude, I sent my customer service rep a thank you card, with a Starbucks gift card enclosed. I then sent another card to my customer, thanking him for the business, and thanking him for the opportunity to work with him.

A few days later, my customer service rep called me to thank me for the kind card and gift card. She was overwhelmed by the act of thanks; she noted that she had been working in that office for nearly 2 years, and up to that point no one had ever expressed their thanks in such a nice manner. That same day, I had a meeting with my customer, and my card was being proudly displayed on his desk. It was a great way to open up our meeting. From that time on, my customer service rep has always been friendly and helpful when ever I call with an issue or in need of assistance. And my customer knows how much I appreciate his business, and our business relationship has continued to grow, on a personal and professional level.

Make time each and every day to be thankful for the opportunities made available to you. And do not pass up the opportunity to express your gratitude to those who support you: your customers and clients, co-workers and family. "Thank you," may be the best return on investment you make all day.

What are Your Goals? 5 Suggestions to Reap Rewards

There are so many 7 steps and 5 steps, and of course 12 step programs out there, to help you along with life and your career, but I got this idea from playing golf. Who, besides my wife says nothing worthwhile comes from the golf course! I have had over the years this idea that it was a goal of mine to break 80 or 70, or to win a particular tournament or match. But one day I wondered if setting these things as goals may have been the wrong way to look at it. So, I turned this around a little bit and I set my goals to reflect something more simple, more immediate. I made it a goal to approach each and every shot, with confidence, and maybe a few key swing thoughts; left arm straight, head down, smooth rhythm, etc. Not too many thoughts, don't want to overload the system. But, by keeping the goal on each and every shot, my reward would be shooting a great score, or winning the match, or winning the tournament. If I met my goals, I would reap my rewards.

How about your business life? What if you set your goals as, small steps along the journey? Like the golfer who takes the round one shot at a time. Or a marathoner who runs the race, one step at a time? The results of consistently meeting those goals, in the everyday life of your business would surely manifest itself in the rewards of a successful business career.

I suggest 5 goals to incorporate into your swings or steps of life, each and every day, to create a successful reward, in business and in life: Gratitude, Passion, Balance, Integrity, and Perseverance. If you infuse these actions into your daily regimen, and make them your steps along your journey, surely you will reap your rewards.