Turn the Arrow Around

Which way is your arrow pointing most of the time? Toward you or toward others? Who are you most interested in serving, yourself first, or others.

By serving others, you are actually serving yourself, because the return that you don't even expect will be greater than the return that you do expect when the arrow is pointing inward. Service provides some of the greatest gratification. Helping others is like no other.

I am not saying that I do it, I am saying that it works.

Keep your eye on the arrow!

The Magic Story

There is an answer to the Scorpion and the Frog story. There is a way to success and excellence despite a nature that might be difficult to overcome. If you have the time, read The Magic Story by Frederic Van Rensselaer Dey. Even though it was written in 1900, it offers some great advice.

http://books.google.com/books?id=tdU0AAAAMAAJ&dq=the+magic+story&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=F9voSovFFsGOtgeWw833Bg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Check it out.

The Richest Man in Babylon

I have been blogging for quite a while and have forgotten to remind readers of this story. I learned of the story, The Richest Man in Babylon, about 26 years ago and have been telling people about it since.

It is a common sense story about how you can gain financial independence no matter how much you earn. If you have not read the story, I strongly advise that you seek out a copy of the printed story or the audio version and read and re-read it.

If you follow the simple, common-sense advice of the author George S. Clason, you might just be amazed with yourself. It is not easy advice to follow but it is a very sound and proven technique to achieving financial stability.

Check it out.

Get Comfortable With Yourself

In order to be the person who you want to be, you need to be comfortable with who that person is.

What on earth does that mean?

It means that so many people are unhappy with who they are that they are angry or unhappy a lot of the time. I have mentioned before that we need to peel back the anger.

Get to the bottom of what makes you unhappy and discover if that is part or your nature. If it is and you want to change it, you can.

Conversion and Commitment

So, if there are aspects of your "nature" that are blocking you from the kind of success that you want, how can you change? How can you convert? What do you need to change about yourself fundamentally in order to enable the kind of success that you want?

These are great things to think about but difficult to carry out.

The Scorpion and the Frog

If you have not ever heard this story, check it out. Google it.

I contend that people can change their nature but it takes a conversion and a commitment.

Everyone is Gifted

I just finished a book titled Home by Marilynne Robinson. In this book, she depicts an individual who has lead a very troubled life. It seems to me that his troubles stem from the fact that he does not understand his gifts.

To make matters worse, his father is pretty inflexible about understanding the gifts of the main character, his son. Everyone is gifted in some way. Finding out what those gifts are and how to use them can only lead to success.

Paint vs. Aluminum Siding II

After further consideration, I believe that aluminum siding is certainly progress. It is more protective, probably less hazardous, and easily as appealing.

We still need to look for was, though, to be more connected with our surroundings.

Teamwork

Ordinary people working together will accomplish extraordinary things. There is no substitute for a spirited team. That does not mean that an individual cannot excel.

You may have heard the saying that there is no I in team. I don't like that saying. A real team will encourage the best "I" in everyone.