[*shin Retro Qix <3.]

"Stupid People don't learn from their mistakes. Smart People learn from their mistakes. Wise people learn from other people's mistakes."

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"Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It?s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn?t at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that?s where you will find success."
? Thomas J. Watson

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When There is No Wind, Start Rowing!

The above phrase is, as you know, based on "sailing". Or a boat driven by wind power.

At one time, all boats were driven by wind or man, not by an engine or prop. Now sailing is pretty much pleasure.

Wind represents the power neccessary to get your ship moving!

Now when it seems like there is no "juice" to get your business going, what will you do?

Sit and wait for the wind to pick up? Or grab an oar and start MAKING some things happen?

In the seminars and conferences I teach, you will likely hear me at some point say:


"Do not let what you don't have, stop you from using the things you do have."

So what is the practical application of this?

Don't have a big budget for advertising? Pick up the phone and start calling from the yellow pages (or white).

Don't have fancy software to get things done quickly? Use older discount software, get the same results, it will just take more "time" and "twiddling" as I call it.

Can't afford to hire an employee? Check the local high school and college for an intern program. Put an ad on craigslist (free) for a part time volunteer.

Focus on what you have, and figure out how to use it.

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Following are 3 versions of the same story.


1) Frogs in a Bucket of Milk

Three young frogs, who were as yet unwise about the ways of the world, were out one day exploring their environment. They came to a dairy farm and entered the barn. finding a pail half filled with fresh milk. Not knowing what it was, and being a little too curious and somewhat careless, two of them jumped right into it. Splash! As they swam about attempting to reach the top of the pail, they found that the sides of the pail were too high and steep to reach.

The third frog, being more timid, only jumped onto the top rim of the bucket. He looked down at his two comrades struggling below to jump out of a white substance. After some failed attempts, he shouted down to them, "You?ll never make it. Face facts and prepare to die!"

But since self-preservation is the first rule of life for humans and animals alike, they continued to struggle for as long as possible. The frog on top continued to shout down, ?You?ll never make it. Give up and die peacefully.? Unfortunately, one of the two struggling frogs did not continue and disappeared below the surface never to be seen again.

The one remaining frog was determined not to give up, and he continued to struggle despite the discouragement of his comrade on top of the bucket. He kicked and squirmed and kicked and squirmed until, at last, all his churning about in the milk had turned the cream on top into a big hunk of butter, which was solid enough for him to climb onto and get out of the pail!

When rejoined by his comrade, he thanked him profusely for all the encouragement he shouted down to him. He would never have made it without his help. The frog who survived was deaf.


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2) Frogs In a Pit

A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going about their froggy business, when two of them fell into a deep pit. The other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be done to help their companions. When they saw how deep the pit was, the rest of the dismayed group agreed that it was hopeless and told the two unfortunate frogs in the pit that they should prepare themselves for their fate, because they were as good as dead.

Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs tried with all of their might to jump out of the pit. The other frogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless, and that they wouldn't be in that situation if they had been more careful, more obedient to the froggy rules, and more responsible. They continued shouting that they should save their energy and give up, since they were already as good as dead.

But the two frogs continued jumping as hard as they could and became quite weary. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to the calls of his fellows. Spent and disheartened, he quietly resolved himself to his fate, lay down at the bottom of the pit, and died as the others looked on in helpless grief.

The other frog continued to jump with every ounce of energy he had, although his body was wracked with pain and he was completely exhausted. Once again, the crowd of frogs started yelling for him to accept his fate, stop the pain and just die. The weary frog jumped harder and harder and?wonder of wonders?finally leapt so high that he sprang from the pit. Amazed, the other frogs celebrated his miraculous freedom and then, gathering around him asked, ?Why did you continue jumping when we told you it was impossible??

Reading their lips, the astonished frog explained to them that he was deaf, and that when he saw their gestures and shouting, he thought they were cheering him on. What he had perceived as encouragement inspired him to try harder and to succeed against all odds.


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3) Frogs Climbing a Tower

There once was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a climbing competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.

A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants. The race began. No one in the crowd really believed the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower.

Heard throughout the race were statements such as, ?Oh, way too difficult,? ?They will never make it to the top,? ?Not a chance they will succeed,? and ?The tower is too high.?

The tiny frogs began collapsing, one by one?except for those who, in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher. The crowd continued to yell, ?It is too difficult! No one will make it!?

More tiny frogs got tired and gave up. But ONE continued to climb higher and higher. This one refused to give up!

At the end of the race, all had given up climbing the tower except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top!

All of the other tiny frogs wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it. They asked him how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal.
It turned out that the winning frog was DEAF!!!!

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My Thoughts

I will be brief and say that your words, and what you hear have power. So much so, that the Bible actually describes it as a matter of "life and death".

What you say will impact your destiny. Your reality is shaped by your words.

Likewise, what you hear, impacts what you think and therefore what you believe and say.

I want to encourage you to drown out, avoid and flat out run away from negative voices in your life. If the people around you are not cheering you on, you need a new group of people to be around.

Stick with positive people, or in the least, people who will respond favorably to your efforts. No matter what you are trying to be around.

Also, lets all make an effort to be cheerleaders for others. We are all guilty of at some point discouraging someone without knowing it. Lets make efforts to speak "LIFE" into our own lives and those we encounter on a daily basis.

What you think and what you say will change your world...for better or worse.