It's not the goal that matters

How often I found where I should be going
only by setting out for somewhere else. Buckminster Fuller

Everyone tells you to set goals and make lists. But how many of us actually take the time to do that? About 3%.

3%. Thats not a lot of us is it. And yet if you have a look at who is successful it is the 3% who set goals - I am discounting inheritance and Lotto here.

Setting goals can be a daunting task as you have to put something on paper and do things that move you towards them. Some of those things are hard, some of them might lose you friends, or you might upset some people. As humans we really don't like doing that and if the going gets tough we give up.

Think about this though - the goal itself doesn't matter, it is what we learn and how much we grow on the way to the goal that counts. That sounds exciting.

Every Monday my goal is to have the MondayMotivator written and away before 9am. By having to write about a new subject each week I learn about what I am writing about. That makes it easier for me to do the MondayMotivator because I like learning new things. It's exciting and challenging and makes it easier to hit my goal.

Have a terrific week and set goals that challenge you, stretch you and allow you to learn something new.

Why did you bother turning up?

I've got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time,
somehow things will work out in the end. Larry Bird

If you arent going to put 100% into your day you may as well stay at home. If you don't like what you're doing, find something you do like. Otherwise, your bad attitude affects everyone around you, and in the case of my brother's nurse, that can't be good for someone trying to recover.

I realise we all have to pay the mortgage, so if you aren't passionate about your work I have a suggestion: find something outside of work that you are passionate about. Doing this could change your attitude at work as there will be spill-over enjoyment from your new hobby.

This week get involved in something you enjoy. Google things you are interested in, read inspiring books, play Scrabulous on Facebook. Do something that makes you smile. You will bring that smile with you to work tomorrow and make someone else's day.

My Lobotomy - Howard Dully

I have just finished reading 'My Lobotomy' by Howard Dully. An incredible story of a life interupted by an evil step mother, a distant father and a Doctor with a penchant for lobotomies.

Howard writes that everyone is a victim in someway and it is up to you to either use it as an excuse for failure, as he did for many years, or decide to you want something better for your life and go for it.

It is an amazing story and I trust Howard will become the successful man he was destined to be. I find it astonishing that even today children are mistreated by Doctors, who never have to ask for second opinion, and prescribe drugs to kids who are a 'handful' at home.

Books I've been reading ...

There have been a few of them lately and I will put them all up soon.

The one that made the biggest impact on me so far has been 'A Piece of Cake' by Cupcake Brown.

Her amazing story is a must read for everyone. Think you can't be who or what you want to be? Read this book, nothing is impossible.

The ABC's of Life (from a entry on Cup's blog)

Accept differences. Be kind. Count your blessings. Dream. Express thanks. Forgive. Give Freely. Harm no one. Imagine more. Jettison anger. Keep confidences. Love truly. Master something. Nurture hope. Open your mind. Pack lightly. Quell rumors. Reciprocate. Seek wisdom. Touch hearts. Understand. Value truth. Win graciously. Xeriscape. Yearn for peace. Zealously support a worthy cause.

Hospitals and head injuries

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you. John E. Southard

This week Im at a bit of a loss of what to write about.

My strong, capable brother is now in hospital with a head injury.

He can only have visitors for short periods of time as the struggle of acting normal, joking, making everyone think he is fine, takes a lot of energy and wears him out.

Visiting him over the weekend, we have seen, that some of our hospitals are manned by nice people who have English as a second langauge and are so busy that patient care and comfort almost comes second.

I have realised that the front we sometimes put up is useless and you have to wonder why it was put it up in the first place. It just keeps people away and prevents them from knowing how you really feel.

So what have I seen this week that is inspiring?

I have seen friends and family rally together to look after my brothers son so his partner can be with him.

I have had some amazing conversations that have shown me that people really do care - people I wouldn't even expect things from have shown great kindness.

I know my brother will get better, I know he will have a lot of help to get him back on his feet and I trust there will be people with him every step of the way.

Have a terrific week and know your friends and family are there for you if you ask for help.

It doesnt take much. A smile, a touch, or a friendly word.

Courtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart. Henry Clay

What if you treated everybody as if they had a sign hung around their neck saying, "Make me feel special."

What difference would that make to your life, the way you treat people and your success?

I am not exactly the most patient person and have to practice being patient in all areas of my life. I have found that being patient with someone can make them feel special. It might be something as simple as waiting patiently for an extra one or two minutes while they think about what they want to order.

If you are in an industry like Real Estate making everyone feel special could be the x factor that gets you a listing or sells a property.

It doesn't take much: a smile, a touch, or a friendly word.

Remember the "Make me feel special" sign as you go about your business today and see the difference it makes to your experiences and others around you.

Why I'm behind in the news

I wish there were a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence. There's a knob called "brightness," but that doesn't work.

I'm always behind in the news. Mostly because I very rarely watch it.

My reason: Watching the news every day has been proven to give you a skewed view on life. A University of Florida professor, C. John Sommerville, recently wrote a book about it,stating, 'it can make you dumb!'

Here are a few disadvantages of watching the daily news taken from Sommerville's new book:

1. You shouldn't watch the news first thing in the morning or just before bed because it encourages feelings of sadness, grumpiness, and anger. Watching the news colors how you see the world with its broad strokes of death, destruction, betrayal, and hopelessness.

2. You shouldn't watch the news because judging, making wrong conclusions, assuming, and extrapolating incorrectly are all automatic. When you watch the news, you're rarely given the full story. You don't know what's really going on, why things happened, or who was involved.

3. You shouldn't watch the news because when you're talking to people and you focus solely on the news, you lose the opportunity to really connect with others. When you watch the news, you're less likely to share information about your life, hobbies, activities, and struggles.

4. You shouldn't watch the news because it steals time from family, hobbies, pets, goals, relationships, and other interesting and fun stuff in life! When you watch the news, you're not pursuing your goals or hanging out with your friends.

Don't watch the news this week, read a book or spend the time with your family. The doom and gloom will melt away and you will have a new, positive perspective on life.

A Positive Attitude amongst the doom and gloom

Oh, my friend, it's not what they take away from you that counts. It's what you do with what you have left. Hubert Humphrey

Last night I was watching Sunday on TV One and saw one of the best examples of creativity coming from a positive attitude.

The piece was about how the property market is about to 'crash' and one of the people they interviewed started off saying he had got in too deep and brought too many houses at once that he couldn't sell. At this stage I am thinking to myself, 'Here we go, another doom and gloom story.'

Now here's the bit that made me sit up and pay attention. He is stuck with a huge mortgage and has six weeks to sell or lose everything. He comes up with the brilliant, creative idea to rent out the houses by the room.

Problem solved.
Now he's getting a return of 15% and is buying more houses. This idea came to him because he decided to stay positive and keep in mind there was a way out of his predicament.

Think of a problem you have. Now look at it from all angles with a positive attitude. You will be surprised and amazed at what ideas will come to you in that state of mind.

Banksie talks sense

I read a post by Dwayne Alexander about John Banks the Mayor of Auckland, NZ recently.

It was printed out for me by someone who felt it was very important I read it. John is a straight talking, goal setting, man of faith who gets things done.

Read the article here.

MondayMotivator 10 March: How to really annoy people.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright

Have you ever noticed how much it annoys people when you have a positive attitude?

You will be asked questions like: Why are you always smiling? Are you always this positive?

And they will be thinking: 'What's their secret' or 'they must be hiding something'.

What if you're just a positive person? What if going to work is something you really enjoy because you're passionate about what you do.

Being positive makes you stand out of the crowd. Standing out scares the crap out of most people but not you. You want to be the best and are striving for it, go for it. Be the best!