Jefferson Maguire

Will Smith’s Secret to Success

What does a treadmill have to do with Will Smith’s success as a movie star and actor?

Everything!

When asked by an interviewer to explain his success, he responded:

“I’m not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be outworked. You may be more talented than me. You might be smarter than me. And you may be better looking than me. But if we get on a treadmill together you are going to get off first or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple. I’m not going to be outworked.”

But what about his talent you might ask. After all, he is charismatic, funny and a great actor. Isn’t that the reason for his success? Not according to Will Smith. In fact he considers himself to be slightly above average in the talent category. Rather, he attributes his success to his work ethic.

You may be surprised to hear this because popular opinion says that successful people who have risen to the top of their profession got there because “they were lucky” or “they were chosen” or “they were born with more talent than everyone else.” We overestimate their talent and we underestimate our own.

People such as Will Smith are not super human and they don’t have some mutant gene that makes them better. What makes them stand out is that they work harder. It’s really that simple. When others are wasting time, they are improving. When others are scattering their energy they are practicing and zoom focusing.

Of course talent is necessary to excel at something but natural ability will only take someone so far. The key is to infuse one’s talent with hard work, passion and a drive for excellence.

So what does Will Smith have to do with you?

Everything!

If you want to take your career or “game” to the next level you must be willing to pay the pricethat greatness requires. You must be willing to work harder than everyone you know. There’s no easy shortcut. Hard Work has been, is and always will be the key to anyone’s success. To be your best you must invest all that you are to become everything you wish to be.

15 Ideas for winners

1.  You don’t quit trying when you lose; you lose because you quit trying.

2.  Success is putting your “knows” to the grindstone.

3.  Can-do attitude is the mind’s paintbrush – it can colour any situation.

4.  People never fail at anything – they just give up.

5.  There’s no future in saying it can’t be done.

6.  The will is as important as the skill.

7.  He who doesn’t hope to win has already lost.

8.  There’s no defeat except in no longer trying.

9.  Race to the finish … or walk to the finish – just finish.

10.  Quitters never win. Winners never quit.

11.  Trying times are no time to quit trying.

12.  A person without determination is like a knife without an edge.

13.  In most cases, IQ is less important to a person’s education than I will.

14.  You can’t get anywhere unless you start.

15.  When something can’t be done, watch someone do it.

 

9 Steps to Positive Energy

Positive Energy is a Chain Reaction.

Gordon Dean was a distinguished American lawyer and prosecutor. One of the original members of the Atomic Energy Commission, he became its chairman from 1950 to 1953. It’s said that when Dean died in a plane crash in 1958, among his personal effects was an envelope with nine life lessons scribbled on the back. These lessons aren’t about the law or atomic energy. They’re wisdom about his philosophy of life.

1. Never lose your capacity for enthusiasm.

2. Never lose your capacity for indignation.

3. Never judge people - don’t type them too quickly. But in a pinch never first assume that a man is bad, first assume that he is good and that, at worst, he is the grey area between bad and good.

4. Never be impressed by wealth alone or thrown by poverty.

5. If you can’t be generous when it’s hard to be, you won’t be when it’s easy.

6. The greatest builder of confidence is the ability to do something - almost anything - well.

7. When confidence comes, then strive for humility; you aren’t as good as all that.

8. The way to become truly useful is to seek the best that other brains have to offer. Use them to supplement your own, and be prepared to give credit to them when they have helped.

9. The greatest tragedies in the world and personal events stem form misunderstandings. So communicate!

We are all students of life. Want to get to the head of the class? Pay attention and take notes.

4 Stages of Purpose

1. The Preparation Stage - This stage includes your birth, the family you were born into, your weaknesses and strengths, gifts, passions, the place you were born, and the experiences, challenges, and the lessons you have learned throughout your life that prepare you to be planted. It is this stage that makes you unique and provides you with the characteristics that determine what you will grow into and become. When you progress to the other stages of purpose and look back at the preparation stage of your life, you’ll realize that everything in your past prepared you for the work you are meant to do. Your greatest challenge likely served as the preparation to help you live and share your greatest purpose; and the worst event of your life often prepares you for the greatest assignment of your life.

2. The Planting Stage - The planting stage begins once we decide to plant ourselves where we are to be our best and make a difference. For many, this means planting yourself in your current job. For others, it might mean starting your own business, non-profit or initiative. For some it might mean a decision to let go of your selfish desire and vision and allow yourself to be used for a bigger purpose. The important thing is to realize that everything in your life has prepared you to be planted. You just have to decide to do the planting. During the planting stage you may not know what your bigger purpose is, however you simply start by living with purpose and have a desire to make a difference. Just as the seed must die to itself so it can give life to something greater we must plant ourselves and serve others to become all that we are meant to be. Once you plant yourself, then you proceed to the next stage.

3. The Growth Stage - When you decide to plant yourself you will begin to grow almost immediately. In this stage the seed gives birth to the plant. This is where you grow and your roots spread. You will experience all the right conditions to ensure your growth. Beginner’s luck happens here. The right people show up and the right situations present themselves in order for you to grow. You will experience events that help you soar to new heights, but you will also face adversity and challenges that strengthen your roots. You will experience nourishment that helps you grow in order to reach the final stage. And you will be pruned like a bush and experience things that appear to be setbacks but are really designed to help you fully grow into all you are meant to become. You will experience moments when you say, ‘I can do this’ and ‘I’m on the right path,’ and you will also experience challenges and face people who test your will and make you doubt yourself and your path. Unfortunately, far too many people give up in the growth stage. The tests become too powerful and overwhelming, and their will and faith falter. Sadly enough, many give up just as they are about to move to the fourth and final stage. If they had persevered throughout, they would have been able to experience the greatest feeling in the world.

4. The Harvest Stage - This is the stage where you reap the harvest you have sown with your seed. During the harvest stage your purpose becomes so clear you can say it in a simple sentence. It’s a time of great abundance. You give, you give, and you give, and you are replenished. What you give comes back to you exponentially. When you reach the harvest stage you are able to look back and see how all the stages are connected. Your past prepares you to be planted. You plant yourself so you can grow. You grow so you can produce a harvest that will produce fruit and your fruit produces seeds in others that change lives.

Note: to Joe Dodgson, keep this and read it to little Noah as he grows up to help him on his path through life.

11 Benefits of Being Positive

Over the years I’ve done a lot of research on the positive effects of being positive and the negative effects of being negative. The research is clear. It really does pay to be positive and the benefits include enhanced health and longevity,
        
happiness, career advancement, athletic performance, team building and financial success. Being positive is not just a nice way to live. It’s the way to live. In this spirit here are 11 benefits of being positive.

1. Positive People Live Longer - In a study of nuns, those that regularly expressed positive emotions lived on average 10 years longer. (The Nun Study)

2. Positive work environments outperform negative work environments. (Daniel Goleman)

3. Positive, optimistic sales people sell more than pessimistic sales people. (Martin Seligman)

4. Positive leaders are able to make better decisions under pressure. (Heartmath.org)

5. Marriages are much more likely to succeed when the couple experiences a 5 to 1 ratio of  positive to negative interactions whereas when the ratio approaches 1 to 1, marriages are more likely to end in divorce. (John Gottman)

6. Positive people who regularly express positive emotions are more resilient when facing stress, challenges and adversity. (Several Studies)

7. Positive people are able to maintain a broader perspective and see the big picture which helps them identify solutions where as negative people maintain a narrower perspective and tend to focus on problems. (Barbara Fredrickson)

8. Positive thoughts and emotions counter the negative effects of stress. For example, you can’t be thankful and stressed at the same time. (Several Studies)

9. Positive emotions such as gratitude and appreciation help athletes perform at a higher level.(Heartmath.org)

10. Positive people have more friends which is a key factor of happiness and longevity. (Robert D. Putnam)

11. Positive and popular leaders are more likely to garner the support of others and receive pay raises and promotions and achieve greater success in the workplace. (Tim Sanders)

Reproduced with the kind permission of Jon Gordon, author of ‘The Energy Bus’

Positively Contagious

Colds and Flu is not the only thing you catch at work. Turns out you are just as likely to catch someone’s bad mood and negative attitude. Yes, the latest research demonstrates what we’ve all known to be true, emotions are contagious. Researchers call them emotional contagions and they impact our work environments, productivity, teamwork, service and performance in significant and profound ways.

As we know all too well, one negative employee can pollute an entire team and create a toxic work environment. One negative leader can make work miserable for his/her team. An employee in a bad mood can scare away countless customers. Complaining can act like a cancer and spread throughout the entire organization and eventually destroy your vision and goals. And pervasive negative attitudes can sabotage the morale and performance of teams with great talent and potential.

That’s the bad news… but there’s also good news.

Positive emotions are just as contagious as negative emotions. One positive leader can rally a group of willing people to accomplish amazing things. One Chief Energy Officer who sits at the welcome desk can positively infect every person who walks in your business/school/workplace. One positive team member can slowly but surely improve the mood and moral of her team. And pervasive positive attitudes and emotions at work can fuel the morale and performance of your organization.

Emotional contagions are the reason why when I speak to businesses, schools and sports teams I say that everyone in the organization contributes to the culture of it. You are not just a creation of your culture but rather you are creating it every day through your thoughts, beliefs and actions. What you think matters. How you feel matters. And the energy you share with others, whether it’s positive or negative, really matters.

You can be a germ and attack your organization’s immune system or you can act like a dose of Vitamin C and strengthen it.

So the next time you head into work with a bad mood you might want to stop before you walk in the door and consider what your boss would say if you had the Swine Flu. She would tell you to stay home until you are healthy and not contagious. And in that moment, as you stand at the door you have choice: You can go home so you don’t infect anyone with your bad mood, or you can choose to get healthy right there, change your attitude, and decide to be positively contagious.

Kindly reproduced from articles by Jon Gordon.

6 Rules for Great Relationships

1. Be Real
Call it being authentic. Call it being yourself. The fact is that few things are as powerful as standing in the presence of a person who is really really comfortable in their own skin. What I’m suggesting is that you speak with your unique voice and that you live under your true values and that you present the real you to the world around you. Please trust me on this one. I promise you that when you get to the last hour of your last day, you will regret having lived the life society sold you versus the life that you knew deep within was meant for you.

2. Smile
Sure this sounds obvious. But what makes greatness is the daily executing around simple ideas. And if smiling during good and hard times was so easy, then why is it so hard for most people? I travel across the planet constantly. But no matter whether I’m in Qatar or Napa, Buenos Aires or Malaysia, Mumbai or Amsterdam, a quick and genuine smile to a stranger always connects. Unites. Uplifts.

3. Use People’s Names
The fantastic Dale Carnegie taught us well. He observed that a person’s name is the sweetest sound to their ears. And yet, it’s so very easy to forget to go the extra mile and remember - and then use - someone’s name. World-class communicators get that when they address people by name, it brings them closer. And makes them stand out.

4. Look People In The Eye
Okay. I really need to rant mildly on this one. Sure we all have our smart phones and iPods and PCs. But this new way of communicating where our mouths move while we speak to the person in front of us but our eyes stay on the screens before us sends a message to that person that they just are not that important. The best gift you can give a customer+teammate+loved one is the gift of your presence. In this age of easy digitization, giving the human being you’re communicating with 1000% of your attention is a spectacular method to lead the field. So, look people in the eye. Engage with what they are saying. Make them feel special. No, make them feel—for the brief moments they interact with you - that they are the most important person in the world.

5. Be Honest
Again, simple, I know. But leadership and success really does come down to the daily doing of a series of fundamentals staggeringly well. Be the most honest person you know. Let your ethics drive your behavior. And please remember, anyone can be honest when times are easy. The true measure of your leadership is how honest you are when everything’s falling apart.

6. Choose Good Words
I was up in the mountains last weekend. Wanted to get some breakfast. Walked into a new Italian restaurant that advertised breakfast until 11:30 am. It was 11:40. I asked the man behind the counter: “Is it possible to still get breakfast?” His instant reply: “Absolutely not.” Now I understand this man wasn’t trying to be rude. He was most likely unskilled with his words. Just not a great communicator. But his words had impact (as all words do). A more effective communicator could have said, “I wish we could but we’ve just switched over to the lunch menu. I think you’ll love it. C’mon in and give it a try.” It’s all in the languaging. Instead, his words caused me to try his competitor. And to think that this is a restaurant that just doesn’t care that much.


Reproduced with the kind permission of Robin Sharma.
 

The Root of Success

There once was a tree that produced an abundant supply of fruit.

Everyone marveled at its ability to produce a record harvest each year.

The owner who sold his fruit at the local market had become one of the wealthiest men in town and he was the envy of all who knew him.

However, as the years passed the owner spent so much of his time counting and selling his fruit that he forgot to nourish the root.

He became so prideful and focused on results that he neglected to see the signs that the tree was dying.

Then one day when the owner went to pick fruit from his tree he was shocked to discover that the tree was barren.

“How could this be,” he asked?

But when he inspected the root he found his answer.

The root had dried up.

He was so focused on the fruit that he neglected the root.

He wished there was something he could do but it was too late.

It was a lesson he would never forget!

How about you? Do you focus on the numbers, the outcomes and the fruit?

Or do you focus on the purpose, people, innovation, culture and root of your success.

Always remember the amount of fruit we produce is just an outcome and measurement of how well we are nurturing our root.

If we take care of our root we’ll always have an abundant supply of fruit.

Ignore the root and say goodbye to the fruit.


Reproduced with the kind permission of Jon Gordon, author of ‘The Energy Bus’
 
 
 

Become a Good Observer

We must never allow a day to pass without finding the answers to a list of important questions such as: What is going on in our industry? What new challenges are currently facing our government? Our community? Our neighborhood? What are the new breakthroughs, the new opportunities, the new tools and techniques that have recently come to light? Who are the new personalities that are influencing world and local opinion?

We must become good observers and astute evaluators of all that is going on around us. All events affect us, and what affects us leaves an imprint on what we will one day be and how we will one day live.

One of the major reasons why people are not doing well is because they keep trying to get through the day. A more worthy challenge is to try to get from the day. We must become sensitive enough to observe and ponder what is happening around us. Be alert. Be awake. Let life and all of its subtle messages touch us. Often, the most extraordinary opportunities are hidden among the seemingly insignificant events of life. If we do not pay attention to these events, we can easily miss the opportunities.

So be a good observer of both life and the world around you.

The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become. That is why I wish to pay fair price for every value. If I have to pay for it or earn it, that makes something of me. If I get it for free, that makes nothing of me.

All values must be won by contest, and after they have been won, they must be defended.

Values were meant to be costly. If it doesn’t cost much, we probably wouldn’t appreciate the value.

Count the cost first. Don’t pay too big a price for pursuing minor values.


Kindly reproduced from articles by Jim Rohn

The Grass isn’t Greener

We often think that the grass will be greener somewhere else.

We believe we’ll be happier and more successful anywhere but where we are.

And so we pursue happiness.

And chase success.

Thinking one day we will magically find them. But rarely will we find find happiness and success by seeking them.

I’ve learned if you want success you can’t chase it.

Instead you must decide to make a difference where you are… and success will find you.

I’ve learned if you want to find happiness don’t seek it.

Instead decide to work with passion and purpose… and happiness will find you.

Happiness is a byproduct of feeling fulfilled.

The key to experiencing real success and true happiness is to be The Seed and plant yourself. When you plant yourself where you are with a passionate desire to make a difference you’ll grow into the influencer you were born to be.

When you serve in small ways you get more opportunity to serve in bigger ways.

Your job is to grow yourself and grow others.

The greenest pasture is not somewhere else. It’s the place where you plant yourself and grow into the leader you were born to be. When you do, you’ll produce an abundant harvest filled with real success and true happiness.


Reproduced with the kind permission of Jon Gordon, author of ‘The Energy Bus’