Signs of the Times

In preparation for my May 15 seminar titled “Straight Talk about Success and Spiritual Growth”, I sent potential attendees to this seminar a list of four questions.  These questions asked about their goals/plans for happiness for the upcoming year as well as their current frustrations (from both a personal and business point of view).  The response was tremendous and I will share with you what is on the mind of our fellow brothers and sisters.  Responses came to Houston from as far away as California and Pennsylvania.  Responders included CEOs, presidents of large organizations, business owners, married individuals, as well as single parent head of households.

I have taken the responses and categorized them into the following areas: Finances, Spiritual, Work/Life Balance, Creating and attaining goals, Family/Personal Relationships and Health issues.  A summary of their concerns are as follows:

1. Finances were the leading concern with double the response of the next leading issue.
2. Spiritual and life balance issues were the next leading concerns with equal responses.
3. Attaining goals and family/relationships concerns were next with equal responses.
4. Health concerns brought up the rear with the fewest number of responses.

It is not surprising, as a result of these economic times, that finances is first and foremost on the minds of an overwhelming majority of those that responded.  Responses ranged from working to have enough disposable income in order to make ends meet to being able to budget enough money for retirement.

The next leading concern of the responders was having enough time to give to God and being able to balance the work life with life outside of work.  These were followed by creating and attaining goals that one sets for themselves and their businesses while maintaining amicable personal and family relationships.  I was indeed surprised to see that health was not a major concern.

Are you looking for someone to provide you with a step by step guide to help deal with your finances, goals, relationship with God/family, health and maintaining balance in your life?  If so, I suggest you attend my “Straight Talk about Success and Spiritual Growth” public seminar on May 15, in Houston, Texas.  In this seminar, we will discuss how to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way to having success in every facet of our life.    You will learn how to identify and nourish the spiritual part of your being that feeds the success mechanism which lies deep within you.

We will also provide a CD set via the Internet which will discuss in greater detail the information provided in this seminar.  For more information about the seminar and how to register, you may go to the following website: www,asapresents.com/Seminars.html.

Are We Putting the Cart Before the Horse?

I may not be the first to say this but I am concerned with our country’s obsession with instant gratification. It seems that we are constantly bombarded in the media by the newest, the prettiest and the biggest of anything out there and the need to have it now. Understand that I do not blame the media because it serves a purpose in bringing us information. What concerns me is it seems that we are becoming focused more on profits and less on service. I think this is putting the cart before the horse. Let me give you an example.

When I first opened up my personal computer service business in the early 1980s, I was focused on how to troubleshoot and repair this new phenomenon called the IBM personal computer. I found out that it was extremely difficult for the owner of an IBM personal computer to have it repaired after a malfunction. IBM stipulated that its customers had to remove any non-IBM components prior to returning the unit to a regional service center for repair.

There were a number of problems with this approach. The first problem was caused by removing the non-IBM component. Many times these components (such as memory cards and communications ports) were the source of the problem. An additional problem was also caused by the fact that the service center was often times located a number of miles away from the customer’s location. This fact in and of itself caused the customer to be without their computer for weeks.

I thought to myself what if someone started a business that would go to the clients home or place of business in order to troubleshoot and repair the customer’s computer regardless of any third-party equipment? This passion overwhelmed me and within six months I had resigned my position with IBM and began the lonely life of an entrepreneur. However, I was an entrepreneur with a passion. My passion was to provide exemplary customer service. I found that my profits rose as I focused on ways to improve service.

I successfully followed that formula for over 20 years. During one of those years my company was recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the 500 fastest growing privately held corporations in America. The point I am making is that as leaders we have to be able to identify and articulate those values that we hold sacred. I do not advocate that we go back to the old way of doing things. That would be like saying we should throw away the Internet and never use the media.

My point is that we should recognize they are tools that we can use to implement our values throughout our organization while we focus on creating those programs that provide lasting value to our clients as well as profit to our organizations. Let’s put the horse back in front of the cart.

Failure Is Not Always Fatal

Do you know that “it’s not what happens to you in life that matters; its how you deal with what happens to you in life that matters”? Never think that you are the only one that has difficulties and setbacks in life. Most of the people that we call leaders today have experienced a number of failures and setbacks in their personal and or public lives before reaching that defining moment that qualified him/her as a leader.

Let me give you an example. When I grew up as a child in Chicago I never took the opportunity to learn how to swim. However as I began my training to become a Naval Aviator I found out that I had to pass a very extensive swimming test that included a one-mile swim while wearing a flight suit. Now I really wanted to become a Naval Aviator but if, prior to choosing that career, someone had told me I would have to pass that exhaustive of a swimming test I probably would have chosen another option.

As the day of the test approached I spent all of my free time practicing in the pool. On the day of the test I jumped into the pool and flunked that sucker bigger than Dallas. As a result, my entry into flight training was delayed until I could pass the test. I was at a decision point in my life. I could either choose another military career or I could learn from my failure and take the makeup test in 30 days. How many of us know that “failure is not always fatal”?

I chose to take the makeup test and concentrated on those parts of the swim where I was weakest. I found a qualified swim instructor to help me turn my weaknesses into strengths. I wish that I could say that I excelled in every part of the makeup test but I didn’t. However I did pass and that was my goal. I went on to have an exciting career as a Naval Aviator. The point that I am trying to make is that leaders learn from their failures and recognize that “success is not always final and failure is not always fatal”.

Be Strong & Courageous

What is it that is holding you back from living your life to its fullest potential? Is it fear of failure? Are you concerned what others might think? Or, are you waiting until you “straighten out” a few of the problem areas in your life before you move forward? Let me share with you that whatever “it” is will become insignificant compared to the growth you will achieve as you begin to maximize your fullest potential as a human being.

First, you must be strong in the faith that whatever you need will be supplied at the precise moment it becomes necessary. You must be strong in the belief that your personal goals are worthy/attainable and that whatever circumstance or situation in which you currently find yourself will soon become your testimony to others. You must be strong in the belief that whatever it is you wish to accomplish will benefit yourself as well as those around you.

Secondly, you must be courageous enough to do whatever it takes to live out your belief in these convictions. Sometimes this belief in your convictions requires that you take a step or two backwards before you can move ahead. Others may not understand what you are doing and why. But you will! You must be courageous enough to START NOW!

Stop looking to others for your success. Plan your work and work your plan. Be strong and courageous!

Can anyone tell me the source of “Be Strong and Courageous”?
Peace…Al