Act In Spite of Fear

There are all kinds of fears that plague a person. If we listened to our fears, some days we would probably never get out of bed.

There’s the fear of poor health
  The fear of having an accident
    The fear of the sky falling
      The fear of an economic collapse

Experts say the fear of public speaking is the number one fear of all.

And there is the fear of fear itself, I suppose.

In every instance of fear that we face, we just need to do it! We need to act in spite of fear.

Denis Waitley, highly successful speaker and writer says, “FEAR stands for
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real.

That’s what it all boils down to.

So, what is it that we fear exactly?

I remember anticipating going to college while in high school. I looked at my brother’s college year books from past years and dreamed of the day I would set foot on campus.

When the day finally arrived I made the fifty mile trip, un-packed my stuff, then lay down on the bed in my dorm room. I felt this awful sense of fear and loneliness.
I was afraid of getting out and enjoying and exploring my new territory.
 I didn’t know if people would like me and accept me.
  I was afraid of making a fool of myself.
   I wanted to be Mr. Cool, Mr. Big Man on Campus.

But what if I failed?

Finally I had to face my fears, pull myself up off that bed, plant one foot in front of the other and begin the journey for which I had longed. I had to get out there and meet people and begin making friends. All it took was that first step. But I had to face my fears and just go do it. I’m so thankful I did just that.

For most of my adult life I’ve had this desire to write, but fear kept me from attempting it, and if I did attempt some things, fear kept me from showing them to anyone.

Before I had my first magazine article published in 1979, I almost abandoned it because of fear. I’m so glad I didn’t. I received a check for $22 for that first article. Wow! I was rich … for a day.

I’ve sung solos when I’ve been afraid.
I’ve given speeches when I faced fear.
I’ve been on job interviews when I’ve faced fear.
I’ve done lots of stuff in the face of fear. And I made it through all of them. I’m still standing.
I’ve grown and learned from every situation in which I’ve faced my fears.

And I am alive!

Some wise person once said, “Face your fears and the death of fear is certain.”

What fears do you face?
               What is the worst that could happen if you faced your fear and did it anyway?
                              What is the best that could happen?

Those are really the only two questions that matter when it comes to facing our fears, aren’t they?

Let me encourage you.

Act In Spite Of Your Fears!

The Fourteen Most Powerful Words

We use words, we use body language, we use gestures, we use vocal inflection. In short, we use tools in our day-to-day human interactions. The more skillful we use these tools of our trade, sometimes the more successful we become.

So, for today, let’s focus on the words we use.

In a study conducted a few years at Harvard University, it was discovered that the following words were considered the most powerful ones to use in everyday human contact.

How many do you currently use?

How many are used in your company's 

sales and marketing literature?

Here’s the list.
You              Results
Money         Health
Save            Proven
New             Guarantee
Easy            Free
Love            Important
Discovery   Safety

Did you notice the word “sale” is not listed?

Neither are these words:
I, Me, My, Our, Buy Now, Deal, Discount,
     and a few more with which we sometimes pepper our
     conversations.

This week’s thought is short and simple. Use as many of these key words as you can every chance you get.


Write them

               Speak them

                              Use them.


Oh, by the way. Here’s a bonus. (That’s a good word!)

Here are three more that were added later, so I guess we should really call this the Key 17 List.

Because          Together          Advantage

What a timely reminder of The Power of the Right Word Spoken at the Right Time!

Tools For Your Trade

Can you imagine a carpenter showing up for work without any tools in his vehicle or strapped around his waist?

Would a track star show up at the Olympics without her favorite running shoes and other critical apparel?

Of course the answer is “NO” every time.

We go prepared or we go home empty handed.



Here are some critical tools I want to share with you that just might make a difference in your work life.

Audible is a sight where, for a small membership of $14.95 per month you can download audio books. You are given one credit per month with your subscription, and that entitles you to one free download for every credit you accumulate. The nice thing is that the credits accumulate and you can build them up each month.  Look at some of the titles I’ve downloaded.

Aspire by Kevin Hall
Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni
Mindset by Carol Dweck
Good to Great by Jim Collins
The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle
25 Ways to Win with People by John C. Maxwell
Acres of Diamonds by Russell Conwell, as told by Denis Waitley
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

And so many others. I’ve had my membership for over three years and what a wealth of information I have in CD format so that I can turn my automobile into a Rolling University, as Denis Waitley and Zig Ziglar call it.

This is a tool that I can’t imagine being without in my business.

Check it out!

Books Books Books
Are you a reader? Have you developed this habit that all super-successful people attribute to their success?

Last week I mentioned five books I wouldn’t be without. Let me give you some others.



You can order any of these books by clicking on the following link.
Up-Words LifeLines Book Store

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (See Page 8 on LifeLines)
Three Feet from Gold by Greg Reid and Sharon Lecther, based on
     Think and Grow Rich  (See Page 2 on LifeLines)
Aspire by Kevin Hall  (See Page 1 on LifeLines)
The Law of Success by Napoleon Hill (See Page 8 on LifeLines)
Any Og Mandino book you can get your hands on
     (See Pages 8-9 on LifeLines)
John C. Maxwell has so many, you can’t go wrong with any of them
     (See Pages 2,3,4 on LifeLines)

Expose yourself – to the minds of some great and successful thinkers through these audio recordings books.

Strap on your tool belt!

Books

Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, a very famous motivational and inspirational speaker, was fond of saying, “Five years from now you will be the same person you are today, except for the people you meet and the books you read.”

Imagine that! Your major influences are people and books.

Well, guess what? I have four great books for you to consider. Notice I didn’t give you much to go on in the descriptive content of these books. Check them out on line, read some reviews and choose the ones that most strike you for this moment in time in your life.

If you want to add any of these suggestions to your personal library, click on the LifeLines Book Store link which takes you to my Amazon Associates link.  Add your selection to your cart and follow the instructions for checking out.  Thanks for your support.  The link is LifeLines Books

Aspire, by Kevin Hall. I first read this book in January 2010, and have read it twice more since then. It is such a great read that I can’t help but continually dip into this masterpiece. You need to check this out – NOW!

(Lifelines Page 1, Position 4)


Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni is a masterpiece of a story-book with some impressive business principles tucked neatly inside. The story-form is one of the best I’ve come across. It is one of those I couldn’t put down. I will read or listen to this book on audio CD at least once more this year yet.
(Lifelines Page 1, Position 5)

How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie is a classic book, and one I highly recommend. These principles are timeless and practical. Nearly everything I know about relating to people is something I picked up first in this book.
(Lifelines Page 1, Position 6)






Og Mandino’s classic The Greatest Salesman in the World is truly a classic in every sense. The ten principles, or Ten Scrolls, are mainstays in the people and sales business and let me encourage you to follow the plan, mark out your calendar and actually follow Og’s plan for the ten scrolls. It will take ten months, but my-my, how it will impact your life in so many ways.
(Lifelines Page 1, Position 7)

Of course I would be remiss if I failed to mention the Bible. I try and dip into this in some form or fashion every day of my life. Sixty-six books, choice parables, interesting stories, life changing message.
(Lifelines Page 1, Position 8)


Earl Nightingale used to remind us to read for 30 minutes per day. I’ve heard John Maxwell promote this, Brian Tracy, and a great host of other men and women who have made their impressive mark on civilization.

Get lost in a great book tonight!

Who knows where we will find you?

Winning with People

We individuals in the people business either win with people or we seek other lines of work. I want to paraphrase what some famous business icon from by-gone days once said. “I will pay more salary to the individual who has the ability to get along with people than for any other skill he/she may possess.

The ability to get

along with people!

How do you measure up in this realm? What is your score?

Let’s look at a few skills one needs for succeeding and winning with people.
1. Look them in the eye.
Eye contact means acknowledgement. Acknowledgement means I see you, I recognize you and I value you. Ignore a person and you have just signaled that you don’t value them. People notice whether you notice them or not.
2. Use their name properly.
I have stressed this in other blog posts, but I can’t get very farm from this most critical skill. People love the sound of their own name. Get it right, remember it and you will go a long way in earning the right to be heard and to tell your story about the wares you represent.
3. Treat everyone with whom you meet with great respect.
They are, after all, worth knowing, worth your time and attention, and worthy of respect.

There is a man who used to come into a retail store where I worked. After talking with him for less than 30- seconds the first time we met I knew he had some mental challenges. He lived in an adult family home near my place of business, and he had a one-track conversation in every encounter. He would ask about some of the products we sold, express an interest in one particular item, and then, as an end of our conversation, he would say “I like rock music. I’m better than Elvis.” And he would walk away.

Every time he came in I had a choice to make. Would I brush him off, ignore him, belittle him? Or would I give him the courtesy of a smile, a greeting and a bit of attention. That’s all he ever demanded – a little bit of attention.

Remember Mary Kay Ash’s phrase – Imagine that every person you meet is wearing an invisible sign around their neck that says “Make Me Feel Important.”

More thoughts on this topic later. Digest, talk about these, and put them into action!