Knowledge fueled by emotion equals action. Action is the ingredient that ensures results. Only action can cause reaction. Further, only positive action can cause positive reaction.

Action. The whole world loves to watch those who make things happen, and it rewards them for causing waves of productive enterprise.

I stress this because today I see many people who are really sold on affirmations. And yet there is a famous saying that “Faith without action serves no useful purpose.” How true!

I have nothing against affirmations as a tool to create action. Repeated to reinforce a disciplined plan, affirmations can help create wonderful results.

But there is also a very thin line between faith and folly. You see - affirmations without action can be the beginnings of self-delusion. And for your well-being there is little worse than self-delusion.

The man who dreams of wealth and yet walks daily toward certain financial disaster and the woman who wishes for happiness and yet thinks thoughts and commits acts that lead her toward certain despair are both victims of the false hope which affirmations without action can manufacture. Why? Because words soothe and, like a narcotic, they lull us into a state of complacency. Remember this: TO MAKE PROGRESS YOU MUST ACTUALLY GET STARTED!

The key is to take a step today. Whatever the project, start TODAY. Start clearing out a drawer of your newly organized desk … today. Start setting your first goal… today. Start listening to motivational cassettes … today. Start a sensible weight-reduction plan … today. Start calling on one tough customer a day … today. Start putting money in your new “investment for fortune” account … today. Write a long-overdue letter … today. ANYONE CAN! Even an uninspired person can start reading inspiring books.

Get some momentum going on your new commitment for the good life. See how many activities you can pile on your new commitment to the better life. Go all out! Break away from the downward pull of gravity. Start your thrusters going. Prove to yourself that the waiting is over and the hoping is past — that faith and action have now taken charge.

It’s a new day, a new beginning for your new life. With discipline you will be amazed at how much progress you’ll be able to make. What have you got to lose except the guilt and fear of the past?

Now, I offer you this challenge: See how many things you can start and continue in this — the first day of your new beginning

The young boy, the young girl, says, “Someday when I get out of school, move away from home and start to college, I’m really going to have fun, I’ll be happy and life will be great.” The college student says, “Someday when I graduate, get my degree, get a job, my own apartment, I’ll be happy and am really gonna’ live!” The young couple says, “When we get moved into our new home, get that promotion and join the Country Club, we’ll really be happy and life will be so good.” Mother and father say, “Someday, when those kids get out of school and we get this place paid off, we’re really gonna’ be happy and truly enjoy life.” The accountant says, “When tax season’s over…”; the teacher says, “When school’s out…”; the farmer says, “When the crops are in…”; the technician says, “When this program’s completed…”; the engineer says, “When this job’s done…”; the speaker/entertainer says, “When this tour’s finished…”; the candidate says, “When I’m elected…”; the coach/player says, “When the season’s over…”; the statistician says, “When all the numbers are in…”; the health minister says, “When I see what the others are gonna’ do…”; … ad infinitum. The older couple says, “Someday when we retire, we’re really gonna’ enjoy life, do all those things we’ve been wanting to do but never seemed to take time to do…we’re gonna’ be happy ‘n have a good time then!”

On the way out, they look back longingly and say, “Wow! If only I had it to do over again, I’d have gone barefoot to school in the spring like Billy Bob did… ‘n slipped off to the creek with Ralph Raymond and Joe Day to go swimming after school like they did. If only I hadn’t gotten married so young, I’d have gone to Alaska with Ed, Kendall and Pete… what fun that would have been! If only I’d borrowed the money, taken the chance, and developed that idea of mine into a business like Ed did instead of taking a job with the Grist Mill because of the security they offered, two weeks vacation with pay each year… a company car and expense account… an insurance program… retirement, social security, ‘n a gold watch. If only I could do it over again, I’d smile more, worry less… I’d take chances, I’d travel to exotic places, meeting interesting people, ride motorcycles, fly airplanes and hot air balloons… I’d hike mountain trails, zip across the desert, camp out, canoe, portage, fish, hunt, laugh, love and live! Oh, if only I could live it all over, I’d take better care of myself, exercise more often, drink less booze ‘n more juice… eat less fat ‘n more veggies. I’d treasure every day, love everybody, thank God for my blessings and lessons, my successes and my setbacks…” if only…”, I’d be happy and truly live every day!”

There’s an old fable…and the title of a recent great book by Mark L. Feldman and Michael F. Spratt that goes, “There were five frogs on a log… four of ‘em decided to jump. How many frogs are left on the log?

The most common answer is one. The second most popular answer is none… because, they reason, if four decided to jump, the remaining frog probably went along with the majority. The right answer is five!

Deciding to do something and taking the action to do it, are two entirely different things! My Daddy used to say, “Aiming to, don’t pick no cotton!”

The leaders… the real winners in life are the ones who evaluate the situation, make a decision and take action! Got something that’s bothering you? Write out in a clear, complete statement, not a question, the challenge you are facing. Ask yourself, “What are the causes of this situation?” Often you resolve it there… if not… then ask yourself, “What are all the possible answers to this challenge?” Write out all the possible answers… brainstorm, don’t evaluate. Then review all the possible answers… decide on the best possible answer… then ACT… do it now!

Get rid of the “Someday I’m gonna’…” and the “If only…” syndrome, and get on with LIFE!  

The pursuit of happiness. It’s one of our unalienable rights spelled out in The Declaration of Independence, but what does it mean to pursue happiness? When so many of us are unhappy and empty, how can we find joy?

To begin with, we must learn to reconcile the ambition to do with a willingness to be.

As change agents, leaders sense all is not well in the world. We see problems and search for solutions. Yet, if we only focus only on what is wrong, we miss the joy of the blessings in our lives - family, friendship, health, and freedom. We have to offset our discontent with the status quo by finding contentment in the life we have been given.

As leaders, we are lean and hungry, looking for opportunities to improve and grow. However, we find joy by being comfortable in our own skin. Happiness comes when we learn to take pride in our talents and to smile at our quirks.

We have an inner drive to do something - a restlessness to make something happen. At the same time, joy is discovered in the peaceful quiet of a soul at rest. Alongside our restlessness for change, we have a need for relaxation and recreation.

We won’t fully experience joy until we’ve answered life’s biggest question: Why am I here?

Without a life purpose, we flounder around without direction or joy. Life coach SuEllen Williams encourages clients to write out their life story in five-year increments, noting life-altering events and influential people. During the exercise, clients will often discover a predominant theme that has brought them fulfillment. By re-aligning with what has brought meaning in the past, Williams feels her clients put themselves on track toward the pursuit of happiness.

If we don’t nourish ourselves, joy will elude us.

We nourish ourselves whenever we enter into activities that build our energy reserves. Consider this list of common nourishment sources:

1. Music - What songs lift me?
2. Thoughts - What thoughts speak to me?
3. Experiences - What experiences rejuvenate me?
4. Friends - What people encourage me?
5. Recreation - What recreation re-creates me?
6. Soul - What spiritual exercises strengthen me?
7. Hopes - What dreams inspire me?
8. Home - What family members care for me?
9. Giftedness - What gifts activate me?
10. Memories - What memories make me smile?

To find joy, we must clean up our vocabulary.

We pursue happiness when we banish the shoulda, coulda, wouldas in life and decide that everything is fine the way it is. To reconstruct our vocabulary, it’s important to understand the difference between facts of life and problems. A fact of life is something we cannot change, but we can adjust our attitude about it. A problem is something we can change, and becomes possible when we take responsibility to fix it.

To discover joy, it’s important to celebrate success.

Timing is critical to celebration. Be sure to celebrate after the fact and not before the job is done.

The Kentucky Wildcat football team learned this lesson the hard way. In 2002, the Wildcats led the heavily favored Louisiana State Tigers 30-27 with two seconds left to play. The Tigers had the ball, but they were 75 yards away from the end zone - an impossible distance to cover in one play.

Wildcat players dumped Gatorade on their coach to celebrate the win. Kentucky students poured out of the stands and waited to charge onto the field after the final whistle. The Kentucky quarterback waved his arms toward the adoring fans in a salute of victory.

Then, the impossible happened. The LSU quarterback lofted the football as far as he could throw it. The ball bounced off the fingertips of a mob of players, and landed in the waiting arms of an LSU receiver who raced to the end zone! LSU had won the game on a desperation pass!

Shocked and silent, the Kentucky fans were left to stare at their soggy coach as the LSU Tiger players celebrated their stunning, last-second victory.

In closing, happiness doesn’t always find us, we have to pursue it. Doing so involves a number of steps:

1. Willingness to Be Who We Are
2. Searching for a Life Purpose
3. Nourishing Ourselves Regularly
4. Cleaning Up Our Vocabulary
5. Celebrating Success

In this edition of Leadership Wired, I hope I’ve given you some helpful tips on chasing down joy. Best wishes as you pursue happiness!

You have the ability right now to learn what it takes to earn whatever income you want. That’s a pretty strong statement, but don’t discount it until you’ve read the rest of this article.

Do you know that the majority of today’s leaders in business were in sales at one time or another? The selling skills they learned to make others feel welcome, comfortable, important, and to trust their expert advice has taken them far. It can do the same for you.

Whether you’re in sales now or thinking about going into sales what matters most is your attitude about what you’re doing to earn your living. What are you willing to do in order to achieve your goals? How many “no’s” are you willing to take before getting to the “yes’s” that you need? How much are you willing to change what you are today to get what you want tomorrow?

Let me give you a head start on your road to success. I already know what the great ones do. I have taught proven-effective selling skills to over four million students during the last 30 years. Selling is my hobby. It’s my passion. Helping others learn better and more professional ways to serve others is what my business is all about.

Begin by internalizing everything you can possibly get your hands on about your product or service. Become a product of your product. Use it yourself. Talk with clients who use it and love it. Believe in it! People will say “yes” to you more on your conviction and enthusiasm for your product than any fact or figure you may quote.

Note: If you are new to selling, don’t settle for selling just anything. Find a product you can become passionate about. It’ll make all the difference.

Next, start working on your people skills. There are right and wrong ways to approach people. Your #1 goal when you meet someone new is to have them like you, trust you, and want to listen to you. It may seem elementary, but to have someone like you, you must be likeable. That means you smile. You make eye contact. You introduce yourself. Ask their names. Repeat their names so you know you are pronouncing them correctly. Your desire to be accurate and correct makes a powerful, positive impression.

Establish common ground. People buy from people who are like them. If you like the same sports team, that’s common ground. If you live in the same area, that’s common ground. If you’re around the same age with kids in close grades in school, that’s common ground.

Your next step is to determine the clients’ needs. I’ve developed a quick and easy-to-remember method for this. It’s called the NEADS qualification sequence. Remember that you’re trying to determine their “needs” but spell it NEADS to remember what to say.

The first letter, “N,” stands for Now. Ask them, “What do you have now?” Unless they’ve won the lottery or inherited millions, few people drastically change what they have now other than to make their lives better. So, knowing what they have now will help you understand where they’re coming from.

The next letter, “E,” stands for Enjoy. “What do you enjoy most about what you have now?” They’ll want to keep the good stuff when considering any change. So your product or service will need to at least cover what they enjoy.

The “A” stands for Alter. “What would you alter (or change) about what you have now?” This is where they will tell you what they need. Ask as many questions as you need to get a clear picture of what they’re telling you. Repeat your understanding of their needs back to them and get them to agree that “yes, that’s what we’re looking for” before going any further.

The “D” in NEADS stands for Decision-Maker. You need to know if they’re truly the decision-makers. Ask, “John and Mary, if we’re fortunate to find the right home/investment/insurance program for you today, who other than yourselves would be involved in making a final decision?” If there’s someone else involved in the final decision, you’ll need to find out who and present your product to all of them. Never make a product or business presentation to a non-decision-maker unless you just need the practice. If they’ve told you what they need and that they’re the decision-makers, then and only then will you move into presenting the benefits of your product or service.

The “S” in NEADS is for “solution.” You must impart to your clients that you and your company are in the ‘solution’ business—the business of helping others resolve whatever challenge brought you together.

Since no one wants to feel they’re ‘being sold’ expect most potential clients to object about something. It’s a natural reflex. Know that if a potential client objects that they’re feeling moved toward making a buying decision. You see, people aren’t going to waste their time objecting to something they’re not interested in. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

The great ones in sales prepare answers to the most common objections for their product or service. The answers are psychologically sound and help the buyers rationalize the decision—only if it’s truly good for them.

Now don’t forget the final step: Ask for the sale! Don’t laugh this one off thinking you’d never forget that. A study was done years ago where people were asked why they didn’t make a purchase after a product had been demonstrated to them. The most common answer was, “We were never asked!” Top professionals in sales know anywhere from five to 25 ways of asking for the final “yes.” Those are called closes and if you’re in sales to be successful, you’ll want to start mastering as many as possible as soon as you can.

You have what it takes to learn to become the best in your field. Just make the commitment and get on with it!

Money. Money. Money. There just seems to be less of it these days but there actually could be more in your pocket. If you were to think back to when your parents were making ends meet and you were about 12 or 13 you probably witnessed a lot of ways to save money. 

Some place between 1990 and 2008 we lost our minds! We put value and created our  reputation on things, labels and lavish dinners.  So here we are today, did all that spending make a difference to anything more than debt? Don’t feel bad, we all got caught up in it at some time.  Do we blame our parents? Most likely not. Do we blame the media? Maybe, movies and shows do influence us. Or do we just blame the keeping up with the Jones or better yet, let’s pass up the Jones again and again.

Here are some money saving ways to help you get back to a normal and healthy reality for life:

1)   Plan your day and your errands saving gas. Make a list and pack up your trunk with laundry before you leave the house.  If you can’t fit it in today you are prepared for a quick drop off on the way home from the soccer field.

2)   Eat healthy and make your lunch each day. While preparing dinner, prepare lunch for work. Get the kids involved and teach them about eating healthy and about saving money.

3)   Start a coop of sorts. Get your friends and family together and take advantage of low bulk prices at Costco or Sam’s Club. Rotate the responsibility of purchasing cleaners, meats and other staples then split the bill for added savings.

4)   Use coupons! Each Sunday there are $10.00 to $20.00 in savings in the newspaper. Check the market’s ads for additional savings and go to a market that double your coupons. Often times you can combine the doubled coupon and market savings receiving an item for a savings and you might even get it for free. One week I saved $100 off my grocery bill. Yes, I said $100.00! It took me 30 minutes to cut and sort the week’s coupons.

5)   Buy scout and school discount books helping a charity at the same time. This year the Boy Scouts in my area sold a book for $10.00. Within the book it offered 3 items for free, 1 coupon for $10.00 of my total grocery bill, another for $15.00 off my bill and other coupons.

6)   Jump on the Internet in search of coupon sites or onto the manufacturer’s site.

7)   Eat out during the week and save. Many restaurants are offering substantial savings or free desert during the week. It is a nice break and you can take your time on the weekend making something you enjoy.

8)   Gas prices are up so use Mapquest.Com to find the best deals on gas in your area each week.

9)   Google provides a free 411/information service on cell or other. Just dial (800) g00g-411 or (800) 466 4411.

10)  If traveling or you want a change of atmosphere while on your computer check out Freewifi.Com for nationwide and international free wifi location and get connected.

11)  Skype.Com is a great way to call and save. Easy upload and used all over the world.

12)  Cheap.Cheap.Cheap.Com for deals of the week and coupons galore for all kinds of stuff.

13)  Search local banks for free checking.

14)  Go basic cable, do you really have time to watch the same movies over and over again. It will be summer soon and you will be outdoors and on vacation anyway.

15)  Keep the blinds and curtains closed on hot days, it really does save money on your air conditioning bill.  

16)  Going on vacation? www.strategicconcepts-ca.com has vacations to amusement parks, Hawaii, St. Thomas and other fun places at a big savings. Their incentives are purchased in bulk by companies such as Pepsi, GE and others providing the consumer savings.

17)   (800) contacts is the way to go if you are a contact wearer. Safe, quick service and delivered to your door.

18)   Shop online and save at Target and other stores. Free shipping and/or discounted items all to encourage you to shop online.

19)   I recently saved $50 just by walking across the parking lot from the Verizon Store to Circuit City. They offer all the same services and telephones a discount.

20)  Talk to mom and dad, you will most likely find some great ways to save and invest in your future.  

Learn to save and teach your children a valuable lesson. There is more to life than keeping up with the Jones!

One day Mr. Shoaff said, “Jim, if you want to be wealthy and happy, learn this lesson well: Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job.”

Since that time I’ve been working on my own personal development. And I must admit that this has been the most challenging assignment of all. This business of personal development lasts a lifetime.

You see, what you become is far more important than what you get. The important question to ask on the job is not, “What am I getting?” Instead, you should ask, “What am I becoming?” Getting and becoming are like Siamese twins: What you become directly influences what you get. Think of it this way: Most of what you have today you have attracted by becoming the person you are today.

I’ve also found that income rarely exceeds personal development. Sometimes income takes a lucky jump, but unless you learn to handle the responsibilities that come with it, it will usually shrink back to the amount you can handle.

If someone hands you a million dollars, you’d better hurry up and become a millionaire. A very rich man once said, “If you took all the money in the world and divided it equally among everybody, it would soon be back in the same pockets it was before.”

It is hard to keep that which has not been obtained through personal development.

So here’s the great axiom of life:

–TO HAVE MORE THAN YOU’VE GOT, BECOME MORE THAN YOU ARE–

This is where you should focus most of your attention. Otherwise, you just might have to contend with the axiom of not changing, which is:

–UNLESS YOU CHANGE HOW YOU ARE, YOU’LL ALWAYS HAVE WHAT YOU’VE GOT–

You already have everything you need to create a wonderful life for yourself. You know everything you need to know to be your own best friend, a gentle guide, a teacher and a helper to yourself so you can be truly happy and fulfilled.

You can learn how to become your own psychotherapist for life, and how to resolve the difficulties that stand between you and personal joy.

Be Honest With Yourself
The starting point of becoming your own best friend is for you to be perfectly honest with yourself and your relationships. Refuse to practice self-delusion or hope for the best. For example, when something is making you unhappy, for any reason, the situation will tend to get worse rather than better. So avoid the temptation to engage in denial, to pretend that nothing is wrong, to wish and hope and pray that, whatever it is, it will go away and you won’t have to do anything. The fact is that it probably will get worse before it gets better and that ultimately you will need to face the situation and do something about it.

Deal With Your Problem at a Higher Level
There’s an old saying that you can’t solve a problem on the level that you meet it. This means that wrestling with a persistent problem is often fruitless and frustrating. For example, if two people who are in a relationship together are constantly fighting and negotiating and looking for some way to resolve their difficulties, they may be attempting to solve the problem on the wrong level. Dealing with the problem on a higher level, those people would ask the question, “In terms of being happy, is this the right relationship for us in the first place?”Find the Right Job For You
Many people work very hard and experience considerable frustration trying to do a particular job. However, in terms of their own happiness, the right answer might be to do something else, or to do what they’re doing in a different place, or to do it with different people-or all three. Here are a few questions for you to answer in this arena of happiness. Write them down at the top of a sheet of paper, and then write as many answers to each one as you possibly can.

What Would It Take?
The first question is: “What would it take for me to be perfectly happy?” Write down every single thing that you can imagine would be in your life if you were perfectly happy at this very moment. Write down things such as health, happiness, prosperity, loving relationships, inner peace, travel, car, clothes, homes, money, and so on. Let your mind run freely. Imagine that you have no limitations at all.

What is Holding You Back?
The second question is a little tougher. Write down at the top of a page this question: “In what situations in my life, and with whom, am I not perfectly happy?” Force yourself to think about every part of your day, from morning to night, and write down every element that makes you unhappy or dissatisfied in any way. Remember, proper diagnosis is half the cure. Identifying the unsatisfactory situations is the first step to resolving them.

Determine Your Happiest Moment
The third question will give you some important guidelines. Write down at the top of a sheet of paper these words: “In looking over my life, where and when have I been the happiest? Where was I, with whom was I, and what was I doing?”

Decide What to Do
Once you have the answers to those questions, think about what you can do, starting immediately, to begin creating the kind of life that you dream of. It may take you a week, a month, or a year, but that doesn’t matter. Every single thing you do that moves you closer to your ideal vision will be rewarding in itself. You’ll become a more positive and optimistic person. You’ll feel more confident and more in charge of your life, and you’ll achieve true peace of mind.

Action Exercises
Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, examine your business and personal relationships carefully. Is there any situation you wouldn’t get into again if you had it to do over?

Second, make a list of every single thing in your life that would make you happy and then think about what you could do to begin achieving them.

Third, allow yourself to dream and fantasize about your ideal life, what it would look like and feel like, and then do something every day to make it a reality.

 Decide What to Do
Once you have the answers to those questions, think about what you can do, starting immediately, to begin creating the kind of life that you dream of. It may take you a week, a month, or a year, but that doesn’t matter. Every single thing you do that moves you closer to your ideal vision will be rewarding in itself. You’ll become a more positive and optimistic person. You’ll feel more confident and more in charge of your life, and you’ll achieve true peace of mind.

Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit. – Napoleon Hill

“If you are never scared, embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take chances.” — Julia Soul

“You stop being average the day you decide to become a Champion, because the average person won’t make that decision.” Tom Hopkins

Make a strong and permanent commitment to invest your talents only in pursuits that deserve your best efforts.” Nido Qubein

Change before you have to. – Jack Welch

“You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.”  Woodrow Wilson