It's NOT about power...

People with goals succeed because they know where they are going.

- Earl Nightingale


Two friends and I went to play golf one early autumn morning. As we approached the first tee, an elderly gentleman asked if he could play along. We were young and full of ourselves and he looked like he was in his late 80's and would fall over if we sneezed, but since it is proper golf etiquette we waved him over and he joined us. We each took our turn and placed our balls out 270 yards all slightly off the fairway. The elderly gentleman stepped up to the tee and barely hit the ball as it sailed straight ahead no more than 150 yards. We looked at each other and thought, this is going to be a long game. I offered to give him a lift in my cart but he shook his head and said he wanted to walk, which he did as he shuffled forward towards this ball.

It wasn't until the ninth hole that we came to realize that this whisper of a man was winning! Hole after hole he increased his lead. Leaving us further and further behind and by the 18th hole he had beaten us to a pulp. We couldn't believe it! As we left the final hole he turned to us and said "remember boys it not about power, its about purpose, the goal is the hole". We had spent 18 holes trying to show him how far we could drive the ball instead of focusing on the purpose of the game, "getting the ball in the hole".

What are you really trying to accomplish? Whatever it may be, be clear, first with yourself and then with your actions and remember...Its not about power, its about the power of purpose.


-gszabo

What do kids know that we forgot?

If we are to achieve results never before accomplished, we must expect to employ methods never before attempted.



- Francis Bacon

In our home we had a pantry where all of the goodies are kept. On this particular day I opened the door and almost killed myself as I stumbled over a labyrinth of boxes, books and toys arranged to create a rather sophisticated ladder. And at the top of this spire was an empty cookie jar, and in the bedroom? A tuckered out little child, with another success notched upon their belt. What is it that helped this child succeed where so many of us fail?

This may surprise you but children solve problems by a combination of trial and error and observation. They do not have the past to rely on since they have relatively no past. Unlike a child we have past experiences and while this can and should be a benefit, often referred to as "WISDOM" too often it is not. Sadly i see many well intended people trying the same things over and over because this worked for them long ago. In todays world that can be fatal. Today is not yesterday with technological advances moving at an unparalled pace and our economy moving in the exact opposite direction, we cannot expect past successful actions to yield similar results. We must look at what is going on around us, listen to what others are saying, learn from recent experiences, fail quickly and fix what we are doing in realtime, until we get to the cookie jar...

You can do incredibly big things...one step at a time!

-gszabo

To be a winner, all you have to give is...

To be a winner, all you have to give is all you have
--Anonymous

I was told a story of a man who his whole life could never be better than his older brother. One stormy day, along the beach, he challenged his brother to a swimming race out in the ocean as they had done as boys. The older brother said he would race him ONLY if he would finally give up this ridiculous notion that he could ever win. The younger brother agreed.

As the rain poured down close to dusk they threw off their clothes and charged the shore. Into the ocean they went, thrusting forward through the waves, straining every muscle through the icy water, side by side, pressing forward through the tide as if life itself depended on it. As the older brother came up for air at the finish line, out deep in the ocean far past the wave break, he saw that his younger brother had beaten him!

in shock he asked how after all these times did you beat me here? It was simple the younger brother replied as he bobbed in the darkening sea...I didn't save anything for the swim back, and with that he dropped below the water line...the older brother stretched out his arm, grabbed his younger brother and carried him back to shore.

All we have to give, includes all those around us have to give, whether they like it or not...
--GSzabo

There Are No Secrets

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.

--Colin Powell

Can failure hurt your credibility? Actually the opposite is true. During the internet boon many people participated in new business ideas, many of which failed. Participating in these failed attempts actually became a badge of honor for those who could recite the learning's as well as an important commodity on a resume, for companies looking to avoid similar failure.

In spanish there is a common saying "donde tu vas, yo ya vengo" which means "where you are going I have been and am already returning". Therefore I already have learned the lessons you will soon learn. You can choose to learn them on your travels or heed the sage advice of those who have been down that road. Whether you are the traveler, or the traveled, remember that it is learning from your mistakes and the mistakes of others that will accelerate your chances of success in anything you do!

Every time we try we are provided with a wealth of opportunities to learn and grow. All you have to do is REPLACE THE WORD "NO" WITH "KNOW"

--G Szabo