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Through the course of my day to day networking I end up meeting very talented people. I try not to take for granted a new relationship. There is no telling how we could support each other.

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About My Newsletter

Economic Updates:
As a seasoned financial consultant, I'm connected with several resources that provide real time, up-to-date information, related to the economy, personal finance and wealth. -I send this newsletter out twice a month. -

Newsletter Nuggets:
I'm an avid book reader, networker, public speaker, amateur salsa dancer and  a fan of self improvement. I often find great stories of inspiration and articles  -I send this newsletter out once a quarter. -

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About "Attitude" by John Maxwell

This note resonated with me. I think it's worth taking a minute to read.

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By John C.  Maxwell  August 9, 2010 
It's easy to have a great attitude when things are going our way; everybody can do that. It's when difficult challenges rise before us, and the attitude within us rises to overcome those problems, that attitude becomes the difference-maker. Unfortunately, it's more common for our attitude to fall short of rising to life's challenges. I have come to the conclusion there are five reasons our attitudes fall short of what they should be: discouragement, problems, change, fear and failure.

Discouragement
Everyone gets discouraged. Sydney Harris said, "When I hear somebody sigh, 'Life's hard,' I am always tempted to ask, 'Compared to what?' "
Not everyone responds to discouragement in the same way. In regard to discouragement, there are two kinds of people in the world: splatters and bouncers. Splatters hit rock bottom, fall apart and stick to the bottom like glue. Bouncers hit rock bottom, pull themselves back together and bounce back up. The question is: Are you going to give up or get up? It's a choice.
Here are a few suggestions that will help you bounce when you experience discouragement.

Get the right perspective. You don't have to look very far to see that you have it pretty good.

See the right people. In Winning with People, I talk about the Elevator Principle. There are some people who lift you up and some people that bring you down. When you are discouraged, you need to go find yourself a lifter!

Say the right words. In his excellent work, Spiritual Depression: Its Cause and Cure, Dr. Lloyd Martyn Jones wrote, "Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself rather than talking to yourself?" Remarkable? Think about it. You wake up in the morning, and right away, there are streams of thought coming into your mind. You haven't invited them; you didn't ask for them; you are not consciously doing anything to produce them; they just come. Instead of compliantly listening to them, start telling yourself the positive, difference-making words you need to hear.

ProblemsI love what Malcolm Forbes said about problems: "If you have a job without aggravation, you don't have a job." Like discouragement, everyone experiences problems, but there are some basic principles for handling problems well.

Define what a problem is. Fred Smith taught me many years ago that a problem is something I can do something about. If I cannot do something about a situation, it is a fact of life, not a problem.

Anticipate problems. A problem anticipated is an opportunity. But a problem not anticipated is a problem.

Embrace each problem as a potential opportunity. I've always loved this expression: Problems are wake-up calls for creativity. The great Norman Vincent Peale said, "Positive thinking is how you think about a problem. Enthusiasm is how you feel about a problem. The two together determine what you do about a problem."

Change
Change is a challenge we cannot avoid. Change has been with us since the beginning. Someone said that as Adam led Eve out of the Garden of Eden, he said, "My dear, we live in a time of transition." Realize change is part of life. Decide what you are unwilling to change. For me, that includes my faith and family. Once that decision is settled, be open to and realistic about change.

Here's how I look at change:
Challenges-Change is not easy.
Humor-It helps if I laugh a lot.
Adjustments-It also helps if I am flexible.
Newness-Change gives me a fresh start.
Growth-Growth equals change.
Evaluation-Change forces me to look at my life.

Fear
There are some destructive effects of fear. For example, fear breeds fear; it has the ability to exaggerate itself. Fear causes inactivity. And, by distracting us, fear causes us to take our eyes off the goal. There are three steps to fixing your fears.

Step 1: Discover the foundation of fear. Our fears are not usually based on fact; they are based on feeling. A study by the University of Michigan revealed:

60 percent of our fears are totally unwarranted, meaning the things we fear never come to pass.20 percent of our fears are based in the past, which means they are out of our control.10 percent of our fears are so petty that they can make no difference at all.

Of the other 10 percent, only 4 to 5 percent are real and justifiable fears. Mark Twain said it this way: "I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened."

Step 2: Accept fear as the price of progress. Dr. Susan Jeffers said, "As long as I continued to push out into the world, as long as I continued to stretch my capabilities, as long as I continued to take risks in making my dreams come true,
I was going to experience fear."

Step 3: Develop a burning desire within you. The famous fight manager Cus D'Amato said, "The hero and the coward both feel exactly the same fear, only the hero confronts his fear and converts it into fire."

Failure
Charles Parnell said, "Too many people are having what might be called 'near-life experiences.' They go through life bunting, so afraid of failure that they never try to win the big prizes, never knowing the thrill of hitting a home run or even taking a swing at one." Don't let the fear of failure stop you.

And, don't be stopped by failure. People who are stopped by failure see it from a personal perspective. People who are not stopped by failure see it from a process perspective.

As Steve Davis said, "It may not be your fault for being down, but it is your fault for not getting up."

Learn how to overcome the "Big 5," and your attitude will be the difference-maker.

Why bad things happen to good people

I've often heard the the question "Why do bad things happen to good people" and couldn't help think of that while reading these next few thoughts......

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No one starts out their day choosing to be vague, antagonistic, careless or scattered. However, vague naturally shows up when you are not being Explicit.

Negatives like unfocused, reactive and preoccupied just naturally shows  up when you are not being Explicit. No one really plans to fail or wants bad things to happen to them. Negatives like unfocused, reactive and preoccupied are just naturally there in the absence of you making the conscious choice -- and then taking the requisite actions -- to stay focused, well-planned or attentive.

Yes, negatives are already there -- You don't have to put them there!

You certainly don't wake up with the intention of being Unfocused, Noncommittal, Chaotic, Procrastinating, Over-analytical and Efforts-based. Instead, you most probably aspire to be Focused, Dedicated, Competent, Action-oriented, Proactive and Results-oriented. Who wouldn't? 

Yet, when you fail to employ the skills that produce these Positive qualities, failure creeps in a little bit at a time. In the absence of Positive characteristics, Negative traits automatically show up in their place. This concept is so important, it gives rise to The Fourth Principle of Intentional Excellence:

A negative characteristic shows up every time you fail to perform a positive action.

Sad, but true. When you don't perform the right actions, bad things automatically happen!

For example, when you are not Tenacious enough to complete your projects, over time, you will become Scattered and Undependable. When you're not Enthusiastic - not only do you fail to generate positive expectations - but Discouraged, Dejected, Doubtful, Gloomy and Pessimistic ultimately seep into your performance. When you are not Explicit about your goals, you can't help but be Indefinite about your plans and Unfocused about your priorities-- which then leads to your performance becoming largely Ineffective.

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Source: www.thinktq.com

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Is your door open?

(Came to me in a newsletter from a successful business man and life coach. I really connected with it, I think you will too. Feedback is welcome)

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A few months ago I saw an old friend with whom I grew up and had lunch with him.

It was a very memorable 95 degree fall day in Los Angeles.

If you are familiar with October weather in Los Angeles, you know that when the Santa Ana winds are blowing it causes intense heat which makes the fall feel like Indian Summer.

We spent a long time catching up with each other and talking.

We talked about life, career and relationships.

My conversation with him reminded me about a concept

I want to share which I call the "open door."

I believe we get to a point in our lives when we think we know everything.

The problem with this is that many people at this point

believe that they not only know and have experienced everything,

but they also believe that there is nothing new left
to experience and thus become closed.

They are no longer open to life.

They haven't done enough work on themselves to remain open.

I was telling my friend that I am right now the most open that I've ever been in my entire life, which seems to be the reverse of how most people's lives go.

Due to their life experiences - hurt, failed businesses, failed relationships,
love gone bad - they become more closed to life as time goes on and as they age.

As they get older, most people become less open to things.

This is, however, the exact opposite of how you should become in your life as you age.

You need to be the most open to life as you get older,

because you should be learning and embracing every

life lesson as you experience them.

Every single person you've met has been a life lesson for you.

You should not be thinking that certain people were brought into your life just to hurt you, but instead should think of them as people who were in your life to teach you something.

I told my friend that because I'm right now the most open that I've ever been, I am also right now open to whatever possibilities life might bring me.

I’m open to experiencing the most success In my life.

I'm open to experiencing the most incredible love.

I'm open to experiencing the most incredible connection with other people.

The only reason I am so open right now is because of everything

I've experienced in my past.

So I'm really the polar opposite of where most of the masses are at this same point in their lives, and going in the exact opposite direction emotionally that they are going.

The masses tend to go in the direction of feeling more and more wounded.

The masses tend to go in the direction of being less and less open.

Going in these directions, though, are the biggest mistakes in the entire world.

Think about it......

The new person you met today did not hurt you.

The new person didn’t lie to you.

The new person didn’t stab you in the back.

That new person you've met has not cheated on you.

That new person you met did not betray your love for them.

That new person is in your life to explore new things with you based on everything you've learned in your past.

So I think all of you who are spending way too much time thinking about what's happened to you in your past are cheating yourselves.

You're not concentrating on the present, which is where life happens.

If you are not open to the amazing things that could come into your life, then you are just "ripping yourself off" from so much of what is out there waiting for you.

So I want to challenge all of you by asking you this question:

Are you living in the past?

Ask yourself whether you are allowing past failures, mistakes and pain to dictate the way you're currently conducting yourself in relationships,

OR whether you are 100% in tune with what is happening presently so you are

able to embrace whatever is happening to you at this moment.

Living and embracing the present are the ONLY way to live.

Being open to life right now is the only way I'm choosing to live.

I am so open for an amazing life, because I know I'd be cheating myself if I didn't allow myself to experience that.

Sincerely,

David W.