I KNEW YOU WOULD COME

There were two childhood buddies who went through school and college and even joined the army together. War broke out and they were fighting in the same unit. One night they were ambushed. Bullets were flying all over and out of the darkness came a voice, "Harry, please come and help me."

Harry immediately recognized the voice of his childhood buddy, Bill. He asked the captain if he could go. The captain said, "No, I can't let you go, I am already short-handed and I cannot afford to lose one more person. Besides, the way Bill sounds he is not going to make it." Harry kept quiet. Again the voice came, "Harry, please come and help me." Harry sat quietly because the captain had refused earlier. Again and again the voice came.

Harry couldn't contain himself any longer and told the captain, "Captain, this is my childhood buddy. I have to go and help." The captain reluctantly let him go. Harry crawled through the darkness and dragged Bill back into the trench. They found that Bill was dead. Now the captain got angry and shouted at Harry, "Didn't I tell you he was not going to make it? He is dead, you could have been killed and I could have lost a hand. That was a mistake."

Harry replied, "Captain, I did the right thing. When I reached Bill he was still alive and his last words were 'Harry, I knew you would come.

http://great-motivational-stories.blogspot.com/2008_05_25_archive.html

7 Persuasion Tips To Help You Reach Your Goals

Having exceptional persuasion skills is one of the most essential abilities to possess in today's fast-paced society. We need the support and cooperation of other people to help us in our goal setting efforts. The saying "No man is an island" is an undeniable truth.

Here are some hot tips to effectively influence and persuade anyone you desire.

1) Be nice and friendly.

Smile to brighten up the day. Make a sincere compliment to encourage and raise their spirits. Simple little things like these count a lot.

Make them feel that whenever they need support or just someone who can give them guidance, you'll always be there to lend a hand. They would tend to be more receptive to people that they trust and respect.

If you want to ask your boss a favor, do everything you can to please him. Overdeliver and exceed his expectations. Soon, he will notice your efforts and can easily be receptive to your persuasion efforts.

2) Enter their world.

You must understand the situation according to their point of view. Set aside your personal interests and focus on them.

Just pretend that if you are them, what would you do? What would be your suggestion? Then take the appropriate action that would be beneficial to them.

Copy them. Observe how they act, how they speak, and how they think. If they rub their hands while they talk to you, act like them. If they speak at a clear and slow pace, try to do the same thing. This is called mirroring.

In due time, the people you're mirroring will subconsciously feel more comfortable with you. It's as if they see themselves in you.

However, you must proceed with caution. Mirroring is different from mimicry. Do not let them be aware that you are copying them. They might interpret it as mockery and you'll just get into hot water.

3) Consistency is the key.

This persuasion technique rests on a person's need to remain consistent with what he has said or promised. People who say one thing and then do another are generally unapproved of.

In order to be accepted in society, people do their best to stick to their words. It's a matter of honor and integrity. The more a person values these concepts, the more he will stick to his word. You can easily use this to your advantage.

For example, if Senator A has recently announced his commitment to the environment, it would be a good time to solicit help for your eco-friendly organization. After all, he has just said it himself. Backing out now would diminish his name.

4) Provide them with undeniable proof or evidence.

Explain to them how your ideas or opinions could be the most effective methods to implement. Show them undeniable proof that you have the best product by way of testimonials, before and after scenarios, and detailed comparisons against your competitors.

Just make sure that all your claims are true and verifiable. Always maintain a good reputation.

5) Greed is gold.

Let's face it. People can be greedy sometimes. But when it comes to persuasion skills, greed is not something to frown upon; it's something you use to get people right where you want them!

Are you selling lottery tickets? Appeal to people by regaling to them tales of what could be. Are you selling jewelry? Get people to buy them by way of compliments. Tell them how great the stones look on them and how they'll be the envy of everyone else.

6) Use the word "because."

How often do we use the word "because" in a real sentence? In my opinion, we don't use it often enough. Sure, we use it when writing letters, but do you have any idea how powerful this word is when used verbally in actual sentence?

When you're trying to reason out the need for a second chance to your boss, for example, you don't say "I deserve a second chance for all my hard work." Instead, you say, "I deserve a second chance because I worked really hard on this project."

That word alone gives you an air of maturity and credibility that will always work to your advantage.

7) Satisfy their existing needs and wants.

Being self-centered is basic human nature. People usually attend to their own concerns and well-being before attending to others'. If you can prove that your proposal will provide more advantages to them than to your own, then they will probably accept it.

If you could concentrate more on their interests, desires, needs, and expectations, then you would satisfy their cravings for attention. Moreover, it would show that you really care about them. Mutual trust and respect would be established.

This is the most important thing to remember when persuading anyone. No matter how close you are to becoming like them or how compelling your evidence is, if it does not satisfy the "What's In It For Me?" test, your persuasion endeavors will not produce satisfactory results. Always bear in mind how they will benefit from your actions.

Want to discover the most powerful secrets to persuade anyone to do almost anything? Then check out How To Be An Expert Persuader...In 20 Days or Less. This power-packed program reveals the most sensational persuasion secrets to change people's behavior, skyrocket your income, win lots of friends, captivate the opposite sex, and make anyone subconsciously like and trust you. Click Here Now for more exciting information.

By By Michael Lee, Author of How To Be An Expert Persuader

Critical Questions for SWOT analysis

You may find the the transferable skills questionnaire useful when answering some of the questions about your strengths and weaknesses.

When considering the opportunities and threats in your field of work, looking at job descriptions may give you a clearer idea of what is required to progress in your field.

Strengths

•          What are your advantages?

•          What do you do well?

•          Why did you decide to enter your field upon graduation/ leaving school?

•          What were the motivating factors and influences?

•          Do these factors still represent some of your inherent strengths?

•          What need do you expect to fill within the University/ your department?

•          What have been your most notable achievements?

•          To what do you attribute your success?

•          How do you measure your success?

•          What knowledge or expertise will you bring to the University that may not have been available before?

•          What is your greatest asset?

Weaknesses

•          What could be improved?

•          What do you do badly?

•          What should you avoid?

•          What are your professional weaknesses?

•          How do they affect your job performance? (These might include weakness in technical skill areas or in leadership or interpersonal skills.)

•          Think about your most unpleasant experiences in school or in past jobs and consider whether some aspect of your personal or professional life could be a root cause.

Opportunities

Where are the promising prospects facing you?

What is the "state of the art" in your particular area of expertise?

Are you doing everything you can to enhance your exposure to this area?

What formal training and education can you add to your credentials that might position you appropriately for more opportunities?

Would an MBA or another graduate degree add to your advantage?

How quickly are you likely to advance in your chosen career?

Useful opportunities can come from such things as:

•          Changes in technology and markets on both a broad and industry-specific scale

•          Changes in government policy related to your field

•          Changes in social patterns, population profiles, lifestyle changes, etc.

Threats

What obstacles do you face?

Are the requirements for your desired job field changing?

Does changing technology threaten your prospective position?

What is the current trend line for your personal area of expertise?

Could your area of interest be fading in comparison with more emergent fields?

Is your chosen field subject to internal politics that will lead to conflict?

Is there any way to change the politics or to perhaps defuse your involvement in potential disputes?

How might the economy negatively affect your future company and your work group?

http://pd.nottingham.ac.uk/eng/Personal-Development/Planning/Self-Analysis-Tools/Critical-Questions

Bob Proctor - Believe It, Expect It You'll Have It!

Bob Proctor One of the most sought-after speakers in the world for professional coaching and company seminars and a Teacher in the wildly popular film, The Secret, Proctor is considered one of the living masters and teachers of the Law of Attraction.

For over 40 years, Bob Proctor has focused his work and teachings on helping people use the power of their mind to achieve prosperity, rewarding relationships and spiritual awareness. He is the best-selling author of "You Were Born Rich" and has transformed the lives of millions through his books, seminars, courses and personal coaching.

LifeSuccess Productions takes you to a different experience of Bob Proctor's works.

99 Personal Development Questions Your Brain Will Thank You For

There is a saying ‘ask the right questions and you’ll get the right answer’.

Perhaps too many of us are asking questions that limit our thinking. Or we declare statements to the world which limit all the possibilities.

Going by experience, you’ll probably skim the questions below, that’s okay, that ones that need to stand out to you will show themselves to you. (Not spooky, you actually can probably read much faster than you think you can!)

Who do you blame?

Do you play to work, or work to play?

When did you last laugh so much it hurt?

Can you picture the child you once were?

What advice would you give the ‘5 year old you’?

If you woke up tomorrow with no fear, what would you do first?

What was your biggest worry five years ago, do you still feel the same about it at this minute?

What’s the most marvellous thing you have ever seen with your own eyes?

Who did you last gossip about, how do you feel about it now?

What promises have you never carried through for yourself?

If you could change one personal rule, what would it be?

What relationships have ended? But you can’t let go?

Are you a starter or a finisher?

Where would you take a road trip?

Who in your life do you wish you’d met sooner?

Have you ever expected ‘love in return’? Did you get it?

When did you last say thank you and sincerely mean it?

Can you remember what present you received on your last birthday? Who did you spend it with?

When did you last talk yourself out of something when deep down you wanted to do it?

Do you always want the answer to ‘what are you thinking about?’

Who do you need to get in touch with because it’s been to long?

When did you last do something for nothing in return?

Do you live your life around days of the week?

When did your heart last ‘skip a beat’? Why?

How are things going for you, now?

How do Mondays feel for you?

Do your practice ‘self love’ or ‘self loathing’?

What’s your greatest achievement to date?

What must you do daily to keep yourself ‘sane’ ?

Is a year past more important than the next hour to come?

What scares you about your future? Does it matter if it isn’t even here yet?

If you could spend ten minutes with your ‘hero’ alive or dead what would you ask them?

How many hours a week do you spend watching tele and on the internet? How many hours do you spend alone with you?

If we all died at 35, what have you still to do? What did you miss?

If you had to move country tomorrow, where would you go?

What answers are you seeking about your life?

Why does pizza come in a square box?

What are you just not seeing?

Would you love to spend quality time with you?

What aspects of you, do you keep hidden from close friends but expose to loved ones?

Do you like the sound of your own voice? How does it sound when you are complaining?

When did you last listen to the sound of your own breathing?

Are you a goal setter or a ‘whatever will be, will be’ person?

When did you last judge someone who you didn’t know?

What do you need to learn but won’t admit to?

What would you call your autobiography?

How would you hate to be described?

What genius would you be? Why?

When did you last make a mistake and be okay with it?

What would happen if you knew you could not fail?

How does it feel to be photographed?

What do you wish you had invented?

Is trust more important than love, or is it the other way round?

If you could erase an event from your mind, which one would you choose?

What learning from today are you taking into tomorrow?

What makes you special, unique and talented?

If you could ‘dare yourself’ what would it be?

What would your perfect day look like?

What life legacy are you leaving?

Who do you dispose your garbage on?

Are you living your life, or having a life?

What have you given up but used to love?

What one thing do you need to do next to improve your life?

Do you want your children (if you have any) to be ‘just like you’?

Do you stand for what you believe in or are you pleasing others?

What do you consistently attract in your life that is no longer good enough for you?

What questions here have you skipped over because they are too hard for you to handle?

Are you playing games with yourself where the rules are preventing you from reaching your goals?

What does praise and admiration sound like to you?

What does the life you want to live look like?

What risk do you need to take?

How long are you going to be dead?

Would you fall head over heels in love with you?

Are you making your difference in the world or stagnating?

If you woke up tomorrow with a habit gone, what would it be?

If money were no concern, what would you do for the rest of your life?

What negative experience keep happening time and time again for you? When are you going to learn from them?

What (or whom) drains your energy, why do you let it happen?

Where in your life do you give up accountability?

What’s your earliest memory of achievement?

What does it feel like to change?

Is tomorrow really another day?

What are you thankful for, this moment?

Do you need to see things before you believe them?

If your life were a TV programme, what would it be?

Would you rather be poor and healthy or rich and ill?

If you could learn a new skill today, what would it be?

What in your life exhilarates you? Do you do enough of it?

Do you have any questions you are scared to ask yourself?

When did you last argue with yourself? Was it purposeful?

Would you defend a loved one, if they were breaking the law?

When did you last say something and automatically regret it?

Can you hear your enemies talk about you? What are they saying?

If you could talk to everyone in the world for 5 minutes, what would you say?

Who’s permission are you wanting on to achieve your goals? Will it actually come?

When is the right time to start a new goal?

When did you last speak well of you?

When did you last lie and regret it?

Would you risk making a mistake?

http://dawnbarclay.com/99-personal-development-questions-your-brain-can-thank-you-for

Your words and thoughts have physical power - Will Smith

Your words and thoughts have physical power.

In life many people wonder why things dont always go the way they want them to but do not realize that in every thought they think and words they speak starts the physical formation of what begins to appears in our lives. 

It is normal to have negative thoughts from time to time because we do not live in a perfect world, Or Do We? The key is when a thought like that shows up you just need to make the decision wether or not you want to entertain that though for a long time or if you want to change the path to a better one immediately. This is where skill comes in to play.

With all things you must practice to make perfect, all though some are borne with more talent than other, anyone can hone the skills of being discipline and beat there fears into submission. it was once said "your biggest fear should be fear itself" I would have to say this is pretty right on. Why? Because fear is a negative emotion 
and because of fear you tend to pay more attention to it which starts the physical birth of some kind of reaction.

This is why most people that fear that they are going to get hurt get hurt more than the rest. Or think they are going to be sick and then it happens. If you fear that you dont have enough money to pay the bills and speak and think these thoughts and words everyday then guess what, You are creating the physical reaction to show up in your life. This is why it is good to marinate yourself in unconditional love and positive good words and belief that good things are heading your way at all times. You deserve it, It is your birth right.

Own it. except it. enjoy it. Live it. know it is in your escrow. more and more, every moment. and when the other thoughts of fear come, Do Not Entertain it. leave it behind and get right back on track with the truth! Live every monent of this life like there is no tomorrow, because it is not a rehearsal. 

So Start getting from it what is yours. GREATNESS!!!

3 Questions to Write a Personal Development Plan

We have an amazing team of leaders at Grace Community Church. Part of my role and how God has wired me is to constantly be in development mode, therefore, I continually encourage our staff to develop themselves personally. I realize that as they mature and grow individually; in their careers and personal lives, that the strength of our staff and church will only increase. I put out this encouragement again at a recent staff meeting. Apparently, I said the right words this time, because in the past week almost half our staff mentioned they want to improve their plans for personal development.

Recently one staff member asked me to help them get started writing their personal development plan. Here’s what I shared with him. Perhaps you need this as well.

Take a break from your daily routine, grab a cup of coffee, a pen and some paper, and ask yourself three

questions as a guideline to if you want to improve personally. Keep in mind, I can’t write your plan for you, so these are just tools to fuel your thoughts.

Where am I now?

Be honest with yourself. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Where do you most need to improve? Consider each aspect of your life. Where are you in your career, family, social, financial, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being? Which of these areas are most neglected? In which areas do you excel?

Where do I want to be?

Think in terms of each of the categories above. Think through six months, one year and five years. What areas do you most need to improve? In what areas are improvement most critical? What areas would improve your overall satisfaction with life?

How can I get there?

For every goal you say you want to achieve, write some concrete action steps/a plan to get you there. This is the hardest part, but simply write one or two action steps for each broad goal. You will need to update this plan periodically and you can continually add to and refine these action steps. The key is that you take action to move forward in the direction you want your life to develop. Ask yourself: Where do I need more training? Do I need a mentor? Could I use more practice?

Now work the plans; take action. A piece of paper with plans of them, or an idea in your head, is worth very little until you take steps to achieve them. Get started today!

This sounds simple, but if you will spend a few hours thinking through your individual plan for personal development, the time could make the difference in achieving or not the goals you have for your life. When you finish this plan, you won’t necessarily have a professional looking document you could turn into your college professor and there are certainly methods more complex for writing a personal development plan, but for me the end goal is progress towards my goals, and we are more likely to do something easy and less time consuming. This is a method I can and do use frequently.

Do you need to do this?

http://www.ronedmondson.com/2010/07/three-questions-to-write-a-personal-development-plan.html

How To Boost Your Confidence!

Advices from Jessica Harlow

10 Power Questions to Improve Your Personal Development

How much time do you really spend on your personal development?

Today I want to ask you ten questions about your personal development and I’d like you to give yourself a score out of 10 for each question. After each question there’s a few other questions to help you answer the main question. Just give yourself a score out of ten for each of the main questions in bold.

Question 1: How clear are you about where you are going in life?

Do you know what you want from life? Do you know where you are going in life? do you have plans to get to where you want to go?

Question 2: How competent are you in the things you do in life?

Do you do just enough in your work to get by? Do you have mastery over the different areas of your life and work? Do you need to learn more to become more competent?

Question 3: How confident are you as a person?

How confident are you in general? How confident do you feel within yourself in new surroundings? How confident do you feel speaking up?

Question 4: How open are you to asking for help in your life?

Can you ask for help, when needed, or do you tend to struggle along?

Question 5: How expressive are you about your thoughts, feelings and life plans?

Can you express your thoughts and feelings to others when required or do you keep everything inside?

Question 6: How creative are you as a person?

Do you express your creativity in life, at work, at home?

Question 7: How open are you when it comes to trying new things in life?

Are you able to try new things without fear of embarrassment? Do you try new things without really bothering what others think?

Question 8: How empathetic are you as a person?

Can you put yourself in someone else’s shoes to see things from their point of view? Are you open to listening to what others feel? Are you open to different beliefs?

Question9: How true to your beliefs and values do you live your life?

Do you live your life according to your beliefs and values or do you stray from them when things get a little tough? Do you listen to others first before putting your own values first?

Question 10: How much control do you have over your own emotions?

Can you control your anger? Can you show your emotions appropriately? Do you think irrationally a lot?

Your score

Once you have completed this, add all the scores together to give yourself a score out of 100 – What was your score?

What do you notice about all the questions above?

All the questions are internally driven. So there are no external factors involved in trying to improve these areas of your life, it’s all you.

This means that if you worked on each area above and tried to improve your score by 1 or 2, your life would improve dramatically. Not only that, but if you improve your score in one area it will have a knock on effect in other areas of your life, so improving each of the above ears has a cumulative effect on other areas e.g. If you improved how clear you were about what you are doing in life, this would improve your confidence, your competence, and your determination to live by your values. So all of the areas are intertwined and have a knock on effect on each other.

Asking questions like these often enough will keep you focused about your personal development and willingness to improve your life in all different areas. Breaking it down into questions like these don’t make the task of personal development so daunting, and it gives us areas to focus on and try and improve.

What areas could you improve upon?

http://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/blog/10-power-questions-to-improve-your-personal-development/

Become Self Confident: Building Self Esteem & Self Acceptance

Listen how to build self confidence and self esteem - good advices from Brian Tracy

Top 7 Things To Do When You Can’t Get Motivated…

A few years ago, I had a business partner who simply couldn’t make himself get things done.

He told me he had the best intentions but simply couldn’t make himself do the things on his to-do list.

At the time, I didn’t have much empathy. We were under deadline and I could not at all relate. I’d always just gotten things DONE when I wanted them done, period.

But since then… I’ve definitely had reason to gain empathy.

In fact, just a few hours ago I was getting frustrated with myself. I wanted things to happen and I just couldn’t make progress.

So I asked myself a few questions, pulled out a few things from my bag of tricks, and presto… I’m here writing my second blog post in an hour.

Because of that, I present to you in no particular order –

 “The Top 7 Things To Do When You Can’t Get Motivated”.

7. Ask yourself why. Are you in alignment with what you’re working on? Is it something that truly revs you up and excites you?

One way you can find an answer is to take a couple deep breaths and just ask your gut – “Do I want to be doing this?”

Or, if you’re too stressed to get a clear answer, take out a piece of paper. Label it “Why can’t I get motivated?” and then start writing. See what comes up. If you stick with it long enough, you’ll get your answer.

If you’re not in alignment with whatever you’re working on, be honest with yourself.

It may be time to stop doing it – whether that’s abandoning a project (I have NEVER regretted canceling a project because it didn’t “feel right”… even if my logical counterparts couldn’t understand it) or outsourcing it.

Assuming you ARE in alignment with what you’re working on, here are some more things to do:

6. Listen to classical music at 60 beats per minute. Music at 60 bpm balances the left and right hemispheres of your brain and helps your thinking and creativity.

This type of music always helps me produce better results.

I’ve bought this before and really like it.

5. Work off of a plan. Sometimes to-do lists can be random gobbledygook that ends up just being busy-work. Tim Ferriss once said something to the degree about how being perpetually busy is LAZY. People fill themselves up with loads of crap to to avoid actually thinking.

Instead of loading yourself up with work that may have no rhyme or reason… work off a PLAN.

Set a goal, plan it out (#2 on this post may help), and then create your to-do tasks based off of your plan. If you feel purposeful and know WHY you’re doing what you’re doing, you will likely feel a lot better about doing it.

(Bonus if you break up your plan into small, workable chunks so you don’t feel overwhelmed.)

4. Find inspiration. There are many ways you can inspire yourself:

- Visualize what you’re doing this all for. Think about the emotions you’ll feel when you reach your goal.

PLEASE (!!!) have an emotionally-driven “why” for doing what you’re doing… and remind yourself about it.

- Identify “role models” and model them.

- Read books that motivate you (I personally love Man’s Search For Meaning (which is not meant to be motivational but it inspires the heck out of me), Do The Work, and The War Of Art. I’ve heard some great things about Outwitting The Devil but haven’t read it yet.

3. Move your body. If you feel blocked, it only makes sense to un-block your body by moving it around. This can look like going for a walk, dancing around the house, or some other kind of exercise.

One thing I like to do is just jump around and move my arms, legs, jaw… just shake everything up. It looks crazy, but it ALWAYS snaps me out of a funk.

2. Create accountability. This can look like publicly posting your goal on Facebook, having an accountability partner, or joining a like-minded mastermind where you can share your goals.

If you know that you have to report to other people about what you’ve set out to do, you’ll think twice before ignoring it.

1.  Be OK with it. If you’ve tried to get motivated, and you know that you are in alignment what you’re doing… then just let go. Sometimes these things ebb and flow. I believe everything not only happens for a reason, but for our highest good.

And sometimes letting go and not beating yourself up about it can open yourself up to magic.

For example, a few months ago, I was in a hotel room doing my best to “force” myself to create a presentation. I was set to speak in a couple days and I just couldn’t get motivated to create my PowerPoint.

I pushed and pushed all day, and nothing was happening.

By nighttime, I was getting desperate. I bargained with myself that I would order room service, finish the presentation, and reward myself by getting to go out and play.

Thankfully room service didn’t offer any options I liked, so I walked over to the hotel restaurant. I brought my notebook with me, but mostly just concentrated on eating a fantastic dinner.

Somewhere in between bites of the delicious food and looking at the beautiful aquarium surrounding the restaurant, inspiration just jumped at me.

I got out my notebook and ideas flowed like wine.

It was amazing… as soon as I stopped PUSHING, the flow came.

I suspect the same may happen for you too. 

—

I hope these help you!

If you have any of your own tips, please post them below – I’d love to hear!

http://rachelrofe.com/top-7-things-to-do-when-you-cant-get-motivated