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Michael Hume Articles

Guest post by: Michael Hume

Health Habits: Build Yourself Up - Click To Read Article
I can't say I'm much of a "handy man." When it comes to my career, I'm a writer, not a builder. And when something needs fixing around the house, I'm still a writer - I write checks to professionals who are much better than I am at the handyman thing....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, XIX - Click To Read Article
Does your team seem to be frozen in indecision, or in "analysis paralysis?" Is morale low? Have you taken over a unit that's been ruled with an iron fist, or which has such a history of political behavior and in-fighting that folks are afraid to make a move (ANY move)? In short, does your business seem like it's swimming in spaghetti because it's populated by people living in fear? It can be tough to operate as an inspirational leader in an environment like that....

The Conscience Of A Restorationist, XIV - Click To Read Article
What happened to us, America? We built the strongest, most prosperous nation in the history of the world by being home to the hardest-working people in history. You used to hear so much about the American Work Ethic, about how people came to the United States, worked crazy-hard, built businesses and created opportunities for entire families and generations of new Americans. That work ethic now seems to be more a part of America's history than a key feature of the nation today....

Take Care Of Your Business, XIII - Click To Read Article
The choices you make regarding how you use your TEA – your personal resources of Time, Energy, and Attention - will go far toward determining which of your own inner natures you allow to dominate you. There are two types of person out there, and in each of us: the critical, political, cynical inner "Victim," and the appreciative, collaborative, creative inner "Entrepreneur." When you wisely invest your TEA in positive pursuits, you feed your inner Entrepreneur and starve your inner Victim....

Don't Germs Have Rights, Too? - Click To Read Article
Bain Capital invests in companies, makes them leaner and more competitive, and more often than not, they "save" the companies in which they invest. It's fashionable to talk about how Bain "runs up the company's debt" before they start axing employees - and only some crazy tea partier would point out that's because Bain loans their clients money when others wouldn't. It's like the bank that was crazy enough to give you a mortgage - didn't they "run up your debt?" Usually, a company is lucky to be Bain's client - it would've died, but for Bain's intervention. But at what price? I mean, do you really have to lay off unproductive employees just because it saves the company? How cruel....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, XVIII - Click To Read Article
It's easy to see why people follow the upbeat-energy leader. People like to win, and they like to spend their time and energy winning instead of worrying. The upbeat leader inspires that sort of attitude in her team... and, under such optimistic leadership, people find themselves doing more and accomplishing more than they otherwise thought they could....

Health Habits: Exercise Your Brain - Click To Read Article
And don't forget to exercise your brain, including your feelings. Especially if you own your own business, you need to find a way to stay happy, and work on things that keep you sharp. Those who live to stay smart often turn out to be smart about how (and how long) they live!

The Conscience Of A Restorationist, XIII - Click To Read Article
Start a business, write a song, take on a project at work. Do something inspiring. Undertake your own American restoration project. Understand that you'll barely get away with it, if you do at all... but don't be scared. We've been barely getting away with it for more than two hundred years....

Take Care Of Your Business, XII - Click To Read Article
Pay attention to what motivates you. We're all driven to some extent by fear, but Victims and Entrepreneurs fear very different. things. Victims are afraid to try. Entrepreneurs are afraid not to try. Victims are afraid they won't "get" enough. Entrepreneurs are afraid they won't "do" enough. Victims fear what's ahead. Entrepreneurs fear looking back with regret. Victims fear failure; Entrepreneurs don't fear failing (they know they'll learn from their failures), but they're often scared they'll miss an awesome opportunity....

What Is "Truth," Anyway? - Click To Read Article
I know it's an election year, and there are a few million radicals out there (Tea Partiers, capitalists, right-wingers, Constitutional restorationists, Republicans, and people who own a business) who keep fanning the flames of discontent with their subversive facts, but come on. Let's all just calm down. Stop asking questions, and get back to loving Barack and chanting "Yes We Can!"...

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, XVII - Click To Read Article
Your personal brand of inspiration has to be genuine. That's why I generally advise my leadership clients to start with a style of inspirational leadership that would work on themselves. What have leaders done to inspire you? Start with those things. It's likely to be easier to inspire from a place of authenticity when you do....

Health Habits: Fat Is Not Your Fate - Click To Read Article
If you own your own business, believe me, I know how hard it can be to justify what looks like a major investment of time and energy in becoming a regular at the gym… and unless your business calls for regular physical activity, you might be tempted to give up on exercise and let yourself fatten....

The Conscience Of A Restorationist, XII - Click To Read Article
I can't say I've always been an awesome American citizen. Like many people of my generation (especially those of us lucky enough to "come of age" during the Reagan administration), I had better things to do. I was working. I was starting and raising a family. I was getting on with my life, and I assumed our country's leaders had the situation under control. After all, the economy was booming, I could always get a better job, and the Cold War we'd all feared during my military service was over....

Take Care Of Your Business, XI - Click To Read Article
In your business mission, there will be times when you are off your game - just like an ordinarily-competent golfer who has a round in which he can't seem to hit the green to save his life. Before you reach for help from a pro, make sure you'll get the most out of your coaching by first coaching yourself. And don't be your own worst critic - be your own BEST critic with Brutal honesty, renewal of your personal standard of Excellence, a Sense of humor, and enough guts and adventure to keep Trying....

Free '65 Haircut Sinks Romney's Campaign! - Click To Read Article
The point is that this Romney guy, aside from being a Republican and a churchgoer and a free-market businessman (all bad enough!), was caught possibly practicing unlicensed hairstyling...!

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, XVI - Click To Read Article
Get to know an inspirational leader, and you'll find she has two key attributes that less-inspiring people don't enjoy; she has great interpersonal awareness (meaning, she knows herself well and can accurately "read" other people), and she's driven by a deep sense of purpose....

Health Habits: Berry Important - Click To Read Article
Deepak Chopra, M.D., famously noted that ninety-eight percent of the atoms in our bodies were not there a year ago. We're constantly regenerating! That makes your daily health habits particularly important, especially if you have the sort of busy schedule typical of most of my clients (leaders, consultants, and people who own a business). You want next year's body to be able to deliver the energy and vitality necessary to your mission....

The Conscience Of A Restorationist, XI - Click To Read Article
This year, we face a monumental choice in America, with nothing less at stake than the very nature (and future) of our nation. Forget the parties. Forget the candidates. Forget all the hype you hear, because more than nine-tenths of it will come only from the minority's brain-ray machine. All you need to know is this: some want you to see yourself as a loser, and they'll be feeding your inner Victim whenever they get a chance. When you see that, make sure you vote for their opponents, no matter what else you see or hear....

Take Care Of Your Business, X - Click To Read Article
We each will be dominated, to a greater or lesser extent, by the inner image we nourish. So a great way to feed your inner Entrepreneur (and starve your inner Victim) is to think of yourself as being in business for yourself, even if (and especially if), in a commercial sense, you are not. The Victim in your workplace acts as though it's the "company's" job to make sure he survives... the Entrepreneur next to him operates as though the company's survival depends upon her, and her performance. The two mindsets are completely opposed to one another....

Twice The Crime, In Half The Time! - Click To Read Article
As we learn daily in the national media, there's nothing wrong with America today that can't still be blamed on the guy who left the country in such a mess almost four years ago. You remember - when gas was around $1.90, unemployment was around four percent, and our national deficit was around $8 trillion. Look at any of these indicators, and it's easy to see why Demediacrats everywhere say Barack Obama is twice the president Bush was! And in half the time! Only hard-core capitalist pigs want that Bush mess back....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, XV - Click To Read Article
Great leaders are inspirational leaders, and inspirational leaders are inspired people. What has inspired you? It might've been an impactful moment or event, or even the sort of personal awakening you might experience as you take in the beauty of the natural world. Most people will say they've been inspired by other people - sometimes in ways they didn't expect, and struggle to describe. The most inspirational leaders see the potential in others, and they help people discover inner inspiration....

Health Habits: Work At Home - Click To Read Article
Many of us don't have the luxury of working at home. Personally, I've commuted to work most of my adult life, and I've become very familiar with driving-and-parking, riding the bus, riding the train, and carpooling. But if you own a business, you might be well-served by exploring how much of your company's work can be done in the homes of your people....

The Conscience Of A Restorationist, X - Click To Read Article
There are lots of projects you could take on to do your part in the great restoration of America. You could run for the school board. You could start a business. You could become a citizen journalist, a citizen educator, or a citizen candidate for office. You should pick something that's a good match with your own talents and skills. But whatever else you choose, it's not a bad idea to be a good neighbor....

Take Care Of Your Business, IX - Click To Read Article
Entrepreneurs aren't as concerned about "fairness." They want to make sure everything is good, and constantly getting better. Life is not about what they get, it's about what they become. For the Entrepreneur, it's all about being the best you can be - a mindset which is totally foreign to the Victim....

Yellow Journalists Go Red, But Feel Blue - Click To Read Article
Obviously the only way to keep America safe and free is to gut as much of its citizens' strength and liberty as we can get away with, and the president and his Demediacrat coalition have been sprinting away with great chunks of both for three years. Running like they stole something - which they did! But now, when she needs it most, the government must step in to help one of its biggest allies. I'm referring, of course, to the New York Times....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, XIV - Click To Read Article
There are many ways to coach another person, but two major strategies: the direct approach, which relies primarily on the coach's knowledge and experience, and the indirect approach, by which the coach seeks to ignite the coachee's inner wisdom. When you're coaching a junior person - a potential leader who's just rising in terms of her knowledge and experience - she'll be thankful when you stick with the direct approach....

What Are You Sick And Tired Of? - Click To Read Article
Do what you can to keep your body healthy, and your energy high enough to drive your business mission. When your body is the battlefield between the bugs and the drugs, try to make sure you give the drugs the best chance they can have to help you win....

The Conscience Of A Restorationist, IX - Click To Read Article
We're not black or white, or hispanic... we're Americans. We're not men or women... we're Americans. We're not rich or poor... we're Americans. We’re not old or young… we’re Americans. We're supposed to be ONE nation, under God. We must hang together, or we'll be divided, and conquered. Whatever other restoration projects you take on - however you help restore our limited-government, free-market republic - make sure your values and behaviors bolster American unity. We value diversity in America, sure, but that doesn't mean we don't value unity. Unity is the foundation of our republic. Always has been, and always (as long as we can keep our republic) will be....

Take Care Of Your Business, VIII - Click To Read Article
Make, don't take. Expect to take care of yourself and others, not to be taken care of. Thinking of ways to create new opportunities beats sitting around and lamenting the opportunities politicians say you never got. It beats it every time....

I Know: You Should Start A Business! - Click To Read Article
I bumped into an old buddy in cyberspace the other day, and we met for a quick drink to catch up. He had decided to start a business, possibly because there has always been something seriously wrong with the guy, so of course I wanted to hear all about it. We met at a little watering hole next-door to his business (a little downtown coffee shop)....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, XIII - Click To Read Article
If you want to be an inspirational leader, get inspired to coach other inspirational leaders. Stop babysitting your people, and look creatively for ways to make them the best they can be, and give them their best possible chance for success. In the process, you'll be your best, you'll be inspired, and you won't be able to avoid being an inspiration to others....

Successful Entrepreneurs Have The Health Habit - Click To Read Article
You're no victim, you're an entrepreneur... so you've started a business, or you're just about to do so. You are not going to rely on the government, or on anyone else, for your livelihood. You're not going to wait around for the government's ham-handed efforts to reduce joblessness to have a positive impact on your life (which is good, because the prospects are not promising). You're going to create your own job, your own opportunities. And while you're at it, you're creating opportunities and jobs for others....

The Conscience Of A Restorationist, VIII - Click To Read Article
There's room for thousands of personal restoration projects in our education system. What's yours? You may be able to take on a big project, or yours might be modest... but no project is too small for such an important restoration. The future of our country literally depends on it....

Take Care Of Your Business, VII - Click To Read Article
Things are tough these days, and you often feel as though your dreams are going down to defeat. But take care of your business, at all costs. Hang in there, and you'll lick 'em tomorrow....

Mom! He Got More Than I Got! - Click To Read Article
You will always find "prosperity" after "progressivism." That is, if by "always find," you are referring to looking these two words up in the dictionary. In the real world, of course, it turns out to be just the opposite... and subversives in our culture, from those who own a business to those who support one-percenters like Mitt Romney, always seem to fall all over themselves pointing this out....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, XII - Click To Read Article
If you aspire to be a more inspirational leader, as do the majority of my clients, it means you dare to relate with people around their most important problems, and in the most meaningful way possible. It's a challenge. If it weren't hard, you probably wouldn't feel like it was worth taking on. But if you work closely with the toughest people on the toughest problems, you're going to experience interpersonal conflict. Someone's going to step on someone's toes....

Be A Model For Your Kids - Click To Read Article
Do you have little kids in your home? If so, I applaud your courage and hard work - it takes plenty of both to raise kids these days. When they reach a certain age (around adolescence), you may become convinced otherwise, but your kids take most of their cues from you. You should do whatever you can to keep yourself healthy for your own sake - but developing (and displaying) great health habits is even more important when you have kids watching everything you do....

The Conscience Of A Restorationist, VII - Click To Read Article
America's in the midst of a great ideological struggle - perhaps the most important such struggle since the Civil War. The very existence of America (at least as founded) is at stake. On one side are "progressive" statists, masters of divisive politics, who seek to centralize control over American life within a powerful authoritarian government. Their only opposition is found among those who seek to restore America to limited government and a free-market, opportunity-based society....

Take Care Of Your Business, VI - Click To Read Article
It's Easter-time, and it seems like an appropriate time to talk about this notion of the ability to "rise again." Jesus rose from the dead; and, just as we Christians can take good lessons from the leaders and founders of other religions, anyone can take a worldly lesson from the event celebrated this time of year. You'll get knocked down in life. Will you get back up? A true Entrepreneur will get back up every time....

What Grinch Stole Dr. Seuss' Lorax? - Click To Read Article
Dr. Seuss has passed on. But he left to his niece, for her garden, a wonderful, magical piece. This piece for his niece was so magical that you would have to say anyone'd want this small statue. But now it is gone. Purloined from the lawn! The niece says the piece is now gone from the lawn....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, XI - Click To Read Article
Give some thought to how you can build your inspirational leadership by becoming a great influencer (and influencee). Do some reading, get some coaching, and go for it. You have nothing to lose but the perception others might have that you think you have everything figured out already....

Make It Your Business To Exercise - Click To Read Article
The most successful entrepreneurs are characterized by good health and vitality. They don't let the daily grind of running a business (or driving a leadership mission) keep them from taking care of themselves... they know their business and mission depend on their own energy level and fitness, and they make it a priority to stay healthy....

The Conscience Of A Restorationist, VI - Click To Read Article
What can you do? You might run for office or support a campaign, seeking to restore freedom to our nation's political process. You might write letters or start asking questions at public meetings, seeking to restore true "citizen journalism" as the watchdog for our freedoms. Or you could unleash your entrepreneurial spirit by doing the one thing Americans have always done better than anyone: start and run a business....

Take Care Of Your Business, V - Click To Read Article
What makes a leader? If you think about it, the only real requirement for being a leader is to have someone follow you. Look around: you have followers, whether or not you are officially labeled a "boss" of anyone....

What Do I Need Zinc For, Again? - Click To Read Article
What's the one thing business owners and leaders have to do better than anything else? Well, thinking and deciding are probably right at the top of any list of your "must-haves" if you own your own business or make your living as a leader. You have to keep your mind sharp. What might not be as obvious - it certainly hasn't been obvious to some of my over-stressed clients - is that your mind's health depends on your body's....

The Conscience Of A Restorationist, V - Click To Read Article
We must restore America, as founded. What project can you dream up and take on? How can you help the restoration? Educate yourself, then write a book. Teach a class at a local college. Start a business. Take on an entrepreneurial initiative within your existing business. Or work on restoring something we used to have in America and which would've come in handy when the progressives conducted their insidious campaign: journalism....

The War On Women! - Click To Read Article
March 1st (or maybe it was February 29th... I don't remember exactly... sometime that week, anyway): A date which will live in INFAMY! In a sudden and deliberate attack by the empire of treacherous tea-partiers, Republicans, entrepreneurs, what have ya, Admiral Rush Limbaugh called a woman a bad name. The Demediacrat Coalition was quick to respond, though, with a targeted smart-bomb of rhetoric describing Limbaugh's gaffe as the first salvo in the Republican Party's WAR on women....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, IX - Click To Read Article
Assertive leaders can be quite inspiring. People who don't believe this are often confusing assertiveness with aggressiveness; the difference is that assertiveness is merely confident presence and expression, while aggressiveness is generally about "winning" and, in fact, about inflicting some sort of harm on another. Naturally, you wouldn't be at all inspired by an aggressive person, but you might well find an assertive person inspiring....

Your Business Depends On Your Vitality - Click To Read Article
Being an entrepreneur is demanding. Many of my clients are entrepreneurs, and they're characterized by a willingness (some might say a compulsion) to work much harder than the average person. Whether you own a business, or you're the type of entrepreneur who's simply on a driven mission in your existing job, you probably push yourself pretty hard. In some cases, that admirable work ethic can be pushed too far....

The Conscience Of A Restorationist, IV - Click To Read Article
What's your project? You could do something related to the media, or you could start a business, or you could write a book. How about politics? Most of us never think of ourselves as "political" in our mindset (the progressives are much more into that)... but it's true that evil will flourish when good people do nothing. So some of us need to take on a project in politics, in order to aid the restoration of America. Here are some thought-starters....

Take Care Of Your Business, III - Click To Read Article
Lately, it's been all-the-fashion to talk about the "evils" of competition. Especially in America, where current election-year rhetoric features quite a bit of hot air about "fairness," "corporations are not people," and "shame on The One Percent," leaders play to the inner "Victim" of their constituents by claiming the government can make sure everyone gets their fair share of life's bounty....

This Election Year's A Gas! - Click To Read Article
This week, the new numbers came out, and wow! The president's approval number is now 5.29.9, and gas is at 41%... of your life savings. And they've stopped putting a number on unemployment - the Bureau of Labored Statistics is simply calling it "dang near all y'all"....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, VIII - Click To Read Article
You're a leader, and you want to be a great one. You want to be a more inspirational leader, an ambassador of the entrepreneurial spirit whether you work in the employ of an organization or you own your own business. Whatever your mission, if you're like most of my coaching clients, you know things will go better if you can be a great, inspirational leader....

Health Habits: Play That Funky Music! - Click To Read Article
I know, you're very busy with your business. Whether you own your own company, or your entrepreneurial spirit is fulfilled in your work for someone else's firm, you're so busy you often struggle to find time to consistently undertake key health habits, such as exercise. But you need to make time for your vitality, whatever it takes. Your business, and your mission, depend on it....

The Conscience Of A Restorationist, III - Click To Read Article
With the explosion of progressivism in America, every major institution that influences public opinion has been overrun by collectivist/statists, from the movie theater to the classroom. That means that your kids (along with the rest of us) are constantly bombarded with leftist messages. Every day, they hear that business is the problem and ever-bigger government is the solution. They are told all the time that anyone who opposes Barack Obama and the current statist government is a racist, a bigot, a homophobe, a sexist, and a greedy wealth-mongerer....

Take Care Of Your Business, II - Click To Read Article
You are in business for yourself, regardless of where you work or who owns the cash flow you're helping create. Even a government worker with an entrepreneurial spirit realizes she's a business, and sees her employer as the biggest (perhaps exclusive) customer for her time, energy, and talents. The sooner you realize this key foundation for a good career attitude, the better and faster your career will progress....

Occupy The Vote! - Click To Read Article
They say that if you're in your twenties and you're not a liberal, you have no heart - and that if you're in your forties and you're not a conservative, you have no brain. This is true, of course... so the key to attaining our Utopian national bliss is to make a few simple changes to our voting laws! I mean, if we work it right, we can make people vote so brainlessly they won't even know they're voting....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, VII - Click To Read Article
I hope this true story gives you a little inspiration... because without becoming and staying personally inspired, you can never be an inspirational leader for others. Whether you own your own business, or your leadership mission is undertaken in the service of a firm you don't own, you want to be as inspirational a leader as you can be these days....

Take Care Of Your Business - Click To Read Article
Are you taking care of your business? Today, whether you own a commercial enterprise or not, you are pretty-much in business for yourself. And your business will take care of you, ultimately, if you take care of your business....

The Conscience Of A Restorationist, II - Click To Read Article
You have lots of important projects to take on in the near future, as have the rest of us who need to make a contribution to the new "resistance." Those projects will place you under attack from the well-financed, well-practiced statists who will work hard to shoot you down. So start by creating your best, strongest immunity: a solid bedrock of personal values, and a clear understanding of your own beliefs and character. Make it your first project. If you do, you'll find in yourself a strong urge to ensure it isn't your last....

Easing The Radical Transformation - Click To Read Article
You gotta hand it to the president: he's got that whole transparency thing going on, big time. He told us four years ago that, if elected, he'd radically transform the United States of America... and, boy howdy, has he ever! You can hardly recognize the place....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, VI - Click To Read Article
If you're like most of my coaching clients, you are always on the lookout for ways to improve your leadership - and you want to be a more inspirational leader. One thing we've learned over the years of leadership counseling is that, if you want to be inspirational for others (especially as a leader), you have to be inspired. Almost anyone can hold down a solid management job, but great leadership requires inspiration....

The Conscience Of A Restorationist - Click To Read Article
As a freedom-loving wealth-mongerer, you have an important restoration project to undertake. You have to do your part to help restore America to the free-market Constitutional republic it once was, and can be again. Our freedom to start a business, run an enterprise, build prosperity, protect ourselves, seek Divine grace, and pursue happiness depends on this project of American restoration....

Appreciate Your Adversaries, X - Click To Read Article
If you can appreciate your adversaries, you can be an inspirational leader. If you can't, chances are you'll never be seen as more than a competent manager... and, over time, even that modest sort of reputation might be beyond your reach....

End-Of-Life Counseling For America - Click To Read Article
That President Obama ROCKS! I know, right? I mean, we need to re-elect that dude right away, if for no other reason than his awesome health care reforms... he's a man with a plan for our country. An end-of-life plan....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, V - Click To Read Article
Are you inspired? If you are not an inspired person, with a wealth of experiences and perspectives which have served to ignite your passion for what you do, you will never be an inspirational leader. Great leadership - the sort of leadership others see as inspirational - requires the leader to be personally inspired. That's why you hear the most inspirational leaders tell stories from time to time: it's a great way to "harvest" the inspiration they've developed in themselves and offer it to others....

Health Habits: Protect Against Cancer - Click To Read Article
Cancer is still one of the biggest threats to your life. Medical advances have made cancer a little less of an absolute death sentence, but it's still pretty scary. Life in our modern world makes it nearly impossible to keep toxins out of our bodies... and one result of an overly-toxic life can be the growth of cancer. New research, though, points out the cancer-fighting qualities of certain nutrients you may be overlooking....

Progressivism Isn't Progress, XII - Click To Read Article
Taking the country back from the progressives is the biggest project we've ever faced - even bigger than the World Wars and the Great Depression (which many now believe was caused by the very governmental intrusion that purported to "solve" it). In fact, in the progressive movement, America may finally have met her match. We may well end up willingly destroying ourselves, generations after other "super power" regimes learned the same lessons we're about to learn the hard way....

Appreciate Your Adversaries, IX - Click To Read Article
You have an adversary or two in your life... someone who seems to oppose you at every turn... someone you're thinking about right now, without whom life would be so much easier. How have you dealt with that person? Have you tried showing him some kindness, or empathy, with the crazy notion that you might just turn the relationship around? Have you tried appreciation?

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, IV - Click To Read Article
It's made me sad, over the years, to see so many promising young leaders (and business owners) who just don't seem to have any passion - for anything. They're all very good at what they do... but by the time they get to me (or any number of my fellow executive coaches), they've come to a point in their lives and careers where they're just not into it. And the first thing they want me to tell them is how they can find their passion....

Eat Your Vegetables... Or ELSE! - Click To Read Article
"Your pet carrot will live," the doctor said, "but it's going to be a vegetable for the rest of its life." Maybe you've heard that old joke, and you've probably heard the old expression "You are what you eat." Synthesize these two, and add the recent brainless activity of a guv'mint school lunch inspector, and you see how serious our dear leaders are about eating vegetables....

When You're Hot, You Really Are Hot! - Click To Read Article
Ever hear that old expression, "When you're hot, you're hot"...? There was even a popular song in the early 1970s with the same hook - the chorus proclaimed that when you're hot, you're hot... and when you're not, you're not. The idea is that, sometimes, you just get on a roll. Things are going well, and maybe your luck is on a high... but mostly, YOU are performing well. And each success drives you to another, greater success....

Progressivism Isn't Progress, XI - Click To Read Article
Things we used to think were outlandish are now business-as-usual. Things we used to do, or say, or even think, have now been proclaimed wrong and bad... and we no longer do, or say, or try to think those things. That's progressivism....

Appreciate Your Adversaries, VIII - Click To Read Article
No. You don't have to do this. You might do it anyway... we all do, sometimes... but you don't have to. You're bigger and better than that. And your unexpected (and undeserved) extension of kindness and patience might be just what your adversary needs to save his day, his month, his year, his job, or even his life....

Again, With The Occupation? - Click To Read Article
Are you overcome with a feeling of deja vu, all over again? If you're like me (and I know I am), you might be. Just four short years ago, in 2008, some giants from New York won an epic contest over some patriots, despite the fact the patriots were favored. And it's, like, happening again....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, III - Click To Read Article
Inspirational leadership - or more of it, anyway - is the goal of many of my coaching clients. Increasingly, leaders recognize that command-and-control isn't enough to get the job done these days, when a generation of their teammates are more interested in "having" a job than in "doing" the job the leader remembers signing up for years ago. So, since inspirational leadership requires being an inspired person, we've been talking about how to become more personally inspired....

Keep The NEWSS In Mind - Click To Read Article
It's not about politics. Whether or not they're fans of the president and his party (and his other policies), Americans generally are not fans of the health care reform legislation they pushed through two years ago and are now in the process of implementing. It will change the nation economically, for sure, but it will also make deep changes in the way Americans keep themselves healthy....

Progressivism Isn't Progress, X - Click To Read Article
The word "progessive" sounds good, because it makes you think of "progress." But since it is slowly taking America (and the rest of the world) away from the principles of liberty, private property, and limited government upon which the nation was founded (and which made the United States the greatest engine of strength and prosperity for all the world's peoples in the history of the human race), progressivism definitely isn't progress....

Appreciate Your Adversaries, VII - Click To Read Article
Inspirational leaders learn to recognize the difference between the small percentage of opponents they encounter who can't be won-over, and the vast majority of adversaries - the ones who might be ameliorated or even converted to willing participants in collaborative relationships. Strong leaders learn to see the good in others, and to focus more on being appreciative and less on showing they can give an incisive critiques....

Smartest President EVER! - Click To Read Article
We're in a tight spot here in America, possibly because NO ONE could've realized how badly the previous U.S. administration had balled things up - not even the smartest president ever, who got us to give him the job based on the assurance that he - and only he - could fix it. Here we are, though, more than three years later, and just look at how brilliantly it's all coming together....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration, II - Click To Read Article
In the first part of this series, I talked about planting the seeds for personal inspiration... about beginning to take a positive view of the people you know, the society of which you're a part, the place in which you choose to live. Next, to keep yourself inspired, you need to develop habits which bring balance to what you put into your mind and heart. You need to make it your goal to stay inspired; it should be part of your professional practice as a leader. Here are four practices to start with....

Health Habits: Get Fit, Save Money - Click To Read Article
You know what they say: "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." That's what's happening with health care in the United States, and perhaps throughout the world of "Western socialism" today. The good intentions which may have spawned such government interventions as the recent American health law ("Obamacare") seek to reduce the overall cost to society of medical care. But, like most liberal or big-government initiatives, Obamacare is actually dramatically increasing health care costs while radically reducing the quality and availability of care....

Progressivism Isn't Progress, IX - Click To Read Article
If the progressives get their way, your efforts to do your best will not only be unappreciated, they'll be opposed. The mass victim mentality that will dominate the society will replace "Be all you can be" with "Who do you think you are?"... "Work hard to get ahead" with "Why do you think you can have something I don't have?"... and "It's important to make a good impression" with "Why are you trying to make the rest of us look bad?" When "fairness" reigns, personal excellence will become a bad thing....

Appreciate Your Adversaries, VI - Click To Read Article
Learn to recognize when your adversary is a person who's in a tough spot - but still your teammate - and when they're an enemy who needs to be defeated. Even if you think you can't turn the relationship around, remember that, for most of the adversaries you end up with, appreciation is the way to go. Especially if you're serious about being an inspirational leader. Get known as an appreciative leader, and you'll inspire everyone around you....

What's With The Party-Pooper In Chief? - Click To Read Article
Normally I'm very supportive of our president. After all, he has the toughest job on the planet, and it must be incredibly difficult to get up every day and do the often-self-abasing things he has to do to get the job done (meaning, get re-elected with a record of "governance" like his). But he's really dropped the ball on this Keystone Pipeline thing. I mean, Mardi Gras is right around the corner, and he's depriving the gulf states of the smoothest Got-danged beer out there....

Great Leadership Requires Inspiration - Click To Read Article
Go out and take a walk. As you stroll around your city, town, or countryside, think of all the good things about it and remember why you chose to live there. Get out of town and take a hike in nature. As you walk around, think about all the wonderful things about your state or nation, and why you're blessed to live there. Walk around your home, inside and out, and think about all the reasons your own home is such a blessing, too....

The NEWSS Helps Keep The Bugs Away - Click To Read Article
You're going to pick up bugs, such as cold viruses, from time to time. But how badly they affect you, and how long they stay around, depends on how well you're doing on keeping yourself vital and strong. The better your health habits, the better you'll fare against the bugs....

Progressivism Isn't Progress, VIII - Click To Read Article
It sounds like "progress," but that's only one example of how they deftly make one thing look (or sound) like another in order to produce the desired emotional effect. Everyone likes progress! But few people realize that progressivism is about as far from progress as tyranny is from liberty....

Appreciate Your Adversaries, V - Click To Read Article
This series has focused on how you can make your own life happier (and more productive) by learning to appreciate your adversaries. It's true: sometimes, you have to oppose and defeat a committed adversary; but you'll often do better by starting with a mindset of appreciation. See your opponent as just another human, like yourself. Find something good about her. And remember - from her perspective, you are the adversary... and you need to learn why....

Progressivism Isn't Progress, VII - Click To Read Article
I still hear otherwise-brilliant people (including the erudite Newt Gingrich and talented talker Glenn Beck) refer to this "progressivism of the right," claiming that it leads to fascism as inexorably as "progressivism of the left" leads to communism. That's wrong. It's true that progressivism is a disease that's infected all major American institutions of influence, including both political parties, but in fact progressivism only "progresses" in one direction: toward the left, toward big government, and toward totalitarian statism....

The More You Sweat... The Less! - Click To Read Article
You've heard that wonderful expression, "Don't sweat the small stuff... and it's all small stuff!" In fact, I'm pretty sure some writer has made a boatload of money with little books bearing similarly-worded titles. But the fact is, if you own a business - or if your leadership mission is a challenging, "entrepreneurial" one - you have to sweat the small stuff. It often seems as though your business and mission depend on it....

One Percent Rap, Dog! - Click To Read Article
Let's rap about that evil One Percent, testament! They cry, they occupy, downtown in stinky tents. Ain't fair that some got money, while other mothers don't... even if they risk and work while other mothers won't? But take from the residents, and give to the government, all you gonna get is just a different One Percent....

Get Your Mind Out Of The Gutters - Click To Read Article
I'm an inspirational leader, and that's because I'm an inspired person. Being inspired is a prerequisite to inspiring others - a fact of which I often remind my clients. So whether it's in the board room, on the shop floor, in your business, or out in your father-in-law's back yard, you should look for inspiration anywhere you can find it. If you didn't have the opportunity today to get dirty helping an old man clean out his roof gutters, I feel sorry for you. Because it did me a world of good....

Health Habits: Supplement Your Brain - Click To Read Article
Guess what! Your brain does not operate on its own… it’s attached to the rest of you. If you keep your body healthy, your brain will be healthier too, and you will be giving your brain a better chance to help you stay smarter and live a longer life of abundance and vitality....

Corporations Are Not People! - Click To Read Article
So we're hanging out in California the other day, because space travel is now affordable and we thought we'd explore a different planet and see if we could find any intelligent life. We didn't. But we did find a lady in a wheel chair, rolling around a resort city with a big sign reading "Corporations Are Not People!" and collecting alms....

How's Your Masterpiece Coming Along? - Click To Read Article
We were hanging out in Malibu this week, because we can, and we decided to go see what "The Getty Villa" is all about. I figured we'd spend a few minutes walking through the rich guy's old house, checking out some cool antique furniture and remnants of an opulent lifestyle of the past. Turns out it's a huge, full-blown art museum, and four hours later we still hadn't really seen it all....

Appreciate Your Adversaries, IV - Click To Read Article
On the occasion of the annual holiday honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., it's appropriate to think again about how to be a more inspirational leader. Being more inspiring is one of the top goals of most of my leadership clients, and they know it all starts by being more inspired themselves. And a great technique employed by inspirational leaders is to learn to appreciate their adversaries....

The More You Sweat, The Less You "Sweat" - Click To Read Article
You've heard that wonderful expression, "Don't sweat the small stuff... and it's all small stuff!" In fact, I'm pretty sure some writer has made a boatload of money with little books bearing similarly-worded titles. But the fact is, if you own a business - or if your leadership mission is a challenging, "entrepreneurial" one - you have to sweat the small stuff. It often seems as though your business and mission depend on it....

Progressivism Isn't Progress, VI - Click To Read Article
One of the big ways the progressives seek your support is to continuously adjust your expectations downward - your expectations of prosperity and abundance, of lifestyle, of enjoying the fruits of honest labor, of a long and happy life itself. They constantly bombard you with messages about how unfair all of those things are, and how evil it supposedly is that some enjoy prosperous lives while others don't....

Appreciate Your Adversaries, III - Click To Read Article
Who are your "adversaries" these days? You probably have one or two (hopefully not a lot more than two) people who seem to oppose you in work, and in life. In some cases, your adversary sets himself in solid, committed opposition to you, and can't be dealt with in any way but to fight the good fight and defeat him. But for most of life's adversaries, I'd say it's better to first try a little appreciation....

Maintaining Our Spending Superiority - Click To Read Article
Now that the long-awaited second Carter term is entering its fourth year, we should not be surprised that the president is finally getting a handle on defense spending. He was on the TV contraption the other day, announcing we'll be slashing our defense budget, but "we'll still maintain our military superiority." After all, he argues, we ought to be able to get by on a budget still greater than that of the next ten nations combined....

Progressivism Isn't Progress, V - Click To Read Article
Collectivists in the United States knew a bloody revolution wouldn't work in America... so they sought to achieve the same ends slowly, through the "evolution" of progressivism. They've been called liberals, socialists, left-wingers, and a variety of other terms - but the "politically correct" label they prefer is "progressive." That's because the term reminds you of "progress" - but progressivism is anything but....

Get Happy To Get Healthy - Click To Read Article
If you want to look around for reasons to be depressed and unhappy, you'll have an easy time of it these days, no doubt. The economy's in a shambles, a lot of people are out of work (you might be one of them)... and if you own a business, or run somebody else's business, you know it's very tough sledding out there. It's easy to fall into a victim's attitude....

Get Inspired: Silence Your Cell Phone - Click To Read Article
We're blessed to be able to spend some of the winter in our second home in California, and here, it's time for the Palm Springs Film Festival. There are few indoor activities as fun as watching movies (I didn't say there were none), and we often think of early January as "cinema season." And for those seeking inspiration, the movie theater may be just the place....

Appreciate Your Adversaries, II - Click To Read Article
We all end up with adversaries in life - people who seem to oppose you at every turn, sometimes for no particular good reason. You've met a few strong Entrepreneur-types, though, who seem to acknowledge the reality of adversaries but live as though their aspiration is not to have any opponents at all. That type of person has realized that appreciating her adversaries is an excellent form of attitude maintenance, that it keeps her better nature strong while leaving her lesser nature wanting....

You've Seen This Movie Before - Click To Read Article
With the cinema season on the top of my mind, yet ever-mindful of my health habits (as well as those of my coaching clients, whether they own a business or carry out a different kind of leadership mission), I was intrigued to read about a study reported earlier this year in the "Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin." Researchers studied popcorn consumption by movie patrons, and their findings were interesting....

What A Beautiful Year - Click To Read Article
It was a weird year, and in many ways, a difficult year. It was a year of uncertainty, even a year of adversity for many people. It was a mean year for politics, a brutal year for business, and a disastrous year for the economy. But it was also a beautiful year....

Progressivism Isn't Progress, IV - Click To Read Article
The progressives have erected a formidable fortress in the American administrative state. With it, they may well achieve their Holy Grail objective - the collapse of the free market system, the eradication of prosperity, the "equalization" of everyone, and totalitarian government control of the population. We will cease completely to be the nation we were established to be (and the nation we've struggled to act like for decades). We'll still have a "one percent," but they'll be our government masters, not our entrepreneurial employers....

Thank (God) For Godless Holidays - Click To Read Article
Now that the holidays are over, we can get back to the business of America. And thank God - no, strike that, thank the "community" - we have a president who understands what the business of America is (crony socialism, of course!)....

The Year That Wasn't - Click To Read Article
So here's a look back at some zany highlights from 2011 - stories you never heard, and which, according to the media and the government, never actually happened....

Appreciate Your Adversaries - Click To Read Article
It's the season of love and joy. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, who brought a message of love to the world and taught us to love our enemies... which many of us find hard to do. If you struggle with loving your enemies, maybe you can start by appreciating your adversaries....

You're Getting Sleepy... Sleepy... - Click To Read Article
It was just one of those mornings... I woke up after only four hours of sleep, and I just couldn't get back to Dreamland. My brain insisted on getting on with the day, well before my body was ready....

'Tis The Season To Count Blessings - Click To Read Article
There are two types of person out there (actually, within each of us) - the Entrepreneur, who's a glass-is-half-full optimist, and the Victim, for whom life is always bad and getting worse. The holidays seem to amplify these types: during the holiday season, you see these two characters almost overplay their parts. The happy are happier... the sad are downright miserable....

The Academic Roots Of Progressivism - Click To Read Article
It all started when America decided to hire an erudite professor - a guy who sold things like hope and change, a guy who sounded smart when he said not-so-smart things, a guy who looked better than his Republican opponents - to the presidency. They wanted a change. They just forgot that, when things change, they might get worse - not better....

How Snow Can Give You A Warm Feeling - Click To Read Article
I've lived in Colorado most of my life, so I have to admit that my approach to snow is unconventional. OK, some would call it eccentric. In fact, many have called me rubber-room-crazy, right to my face, for the way I tend to dress when it's snowing....

Think About Your Health! - Click To Read Article
How many Christmas parties have you visited so far this season? I've visited at least a dozen - a couple as a guest and a few in my role as a singer with the Original Dickens Carolers in Colorado. And there are plenty more to come. How, during this festive season, do you keep from making too many bad dietary choices?

Personal Initiative Is Not Dead - Click To Read Article
If you want to be a more inspirational leader (as do most of my clients), you have to be inspired. One way you'll know you're getting there is when you find yourself inexplicably driven to take on big challenges against tall odds....

Dickens Would Love "A Broncos Carol" - Click To Read Article
The ol' Broncos were dead - as dead as a doornail. This must be clearly understood (and at 1-4, believe me, it was clearly understood), or nothing of the miraculous can be perceived in that which follows....

Progressivism Isn't Progress, II - Click To Read Article
In graduate school, they taught us the parable of The Boiling Frog... and, though I think they meant us to take away a different lesson, the parable provides a perfect way to describe "progressivism:" the slow war against freedom, strength, and prosperity being waged in the United States since the late 19th century....

Workers Of The World, Untie! - Click To Read Article
Maybe the reason a community organizer could rise to the highest office in the land is that, well, the leftist community has always been in great need of organization. The trouble with socialism, as Maggie Thatcher said, is that you eventually run out of other people's money... but the trouble with socialists seems to be that they can't ever agree on which of them is best suited for totalitarian leadership of the Utopia they envision....

Have You Counted Your Blessings Lately? - Click To Read Article
'Tis the season to count your blessings... just as it was last month, and just as it will be next month, and the month after. Each of us contains two basic characters - the Entrepreneur, and the Victim, and we'll each by dominated by the character we "feed." Counting (and recounting) your blessings feeds your inner Entrepreneur, and starves the lesser self I call your inner Victim....

Christmas Present: Put A Tebow On It - Click To Read Article
Inspirational leadership requires that you be inspired, first and foremost. So to deliver a fresh dose of inspiration, please pardon me if I bring in the "G-word" today - "God." Because whether or not you are a fan of the unabashedly-religious Tim Tebow, or of my beloved Denver Broncos (for whom he plays), or even of sports in general... I'm here today to tell you that you are Ebenezer Scrooge, and the Spirits are coming to call....

There's A Reason Holidays Are For Kids - Click To Read Article
Life's too short, and my clients - busy, accomplished people all - are often in danger of letting too much of their lives go by without inspiration. You know how to seek out the sort of inspiration that works for you, and where to find it. Don't let the busy-ness of your daily life become an excuse for failing to be inspired. It's inspiration, and inspirational leadership, that truly makes your business worth doing in the first place....

Progressivism Isn't Progress - Click To Read Article
If you own a business, or seek to build wealth through investing, watch out. Beware the march toward big-government tyranny euphemistically labeled "progressivism" these days. Things will get much worse before they get better, no matter what we do now... but if we're committed to real American ideals, business (and the people) will return one day to prosperity. The first step, though arduous, is clear: halt progressivism, wherever you find it, in order to return to progress....

Get Your Mechanics Adjusted - Click To Read Article
Whether you own a business, or work as a leader in an organization, or simply make your living through investing (nearly all of my clients fit into one of those categories), you need to take personal responsibility for your own vitality. Your mission (possibly even the life of your company) depends on your personal vitality and energy. By the way: so does your own happy life....

The Investment You Can Create - Click To Read Article
Think about it: every professional who's hung out a shingle and built a client list has created property. Every writer who's published a book has created property. Everyone who's ever come up with a good idea and turned it into a commercial enterprise has created property....

One Of The Most Inspiring Leaders Ever - Click To Read Article
This is an ode to one of the most inspirational leaders I've ever known: my wife. And since I've had the privilege to meet and work with a surprising number of the world's best business leaders over the past several years, calling her that is saying something....

The Turkeys We Send To D.C. - Click To Read Article
You've heard the old joke, the one they tell every year at this time: "Know why they aren't having Thanksgiving in (Chicago)? They sent the turkey to Washington!" Usually, the quip refers to the president - any president - but lately, all the elected federal officials from both parties have been particularly turkey-like....

Don't Try To Convert A Victim - Click To Read Article
Whatever your career aspirations, you will not arrive at your destination without learning how to deal with the Victims you'll encounter. Find your own style - every effective leader's is different. And whatever you do, don't fall victim to victimhood yourself. You are an Entrepreneur in spirit, and a positive inspirational leader as demonstrated in the activities you do in just being yourself, every day....

Are You Running For "Victim?" - Click To Read Article
My name is Joe Average, America, and I'm here today to announce that I'm running a campaign. I'm here to announce that I'm a candidate. For a heart attack....

Thankful For The President - Really - Click To Read Article
Happy Thanksgiving. And here's to the president. I wouldn't say he's the founder of our feast, but he's a decent fellow, our elected leader, and a person worthy of at least some gratitude from all of us....

Why Small Government Is Better - Click To Read Article
I've written at length about what I see as the biggest need in the United States today: renewing limited government. Why? Because the strength and prosperity of free people throughout the world depends on limited government in the U.S. The more government grows, the more the economy shrinks, taking down with it the freedom, prosperity, and strength of all free nations....

The Trouble With "Capitalism" - Click To Read Article
Finally, it dawned on me that the president does, indeed, have a grand plan for fixing the mess we're in, and you Obama-fans are to be heartily congratulated for knowing this erudite leader would be smart enough to solve it all. He isn't borrowing mountains of cash from China... no! He's selling off unneeded portions of the U.S. to the Peoples' Republic! Starting with Hawaii. Which is why Hawaii is now part of Asia, which is why the president said that, probably....

Help Somebody Today - Click To Read Article
The ability to inspire others starts by being inspired yourself. If you are a sad-sack who sees no great passion in life and daily work, you'll never be a particularly inspirational leader. So find a way to turn on your own lights, and keep them lit, and you'll have great potential as an inspirational leader....

Do You Really Need More Reasons To Exercise? - Click To Read Article
You know you have to work hard to keep from getting madly out of shape in the next few weeks. If you already have a personal vitality program, good for you... the battle will be easier. If not, it's probably an excellent time to start....

Get Your Fill On Blueberry Hill - Click To Read Article
This summer, the University of Alabama at Birmingham released some research findings about one little thing you can do to reap healthy rewards, even if you're a busy person. Just eat your blueberries....

Low Morality Does Not Inspire People - Click To Read Article
Many of my clients want to be more inspirational as leaders, and like most of us, they have an eye on the interesting event that started as "Occupy Wall Street" and has now spread to include tiny protests that seek to "occupy everything" in America. Is this an example of inspirational leadership, or the spread of something closer to an infectious disease?

It's A Blurb! It's A Blame! It's Super Committee! - Click To Read Article
It was August, it was hot as heck, and the situation was dire. The president needed his credit limit increased in time for the holidays, or the world would be destroyed! So he took the sort of drastic action only a career politician with vast experience in community organizing could take: he appointed a committee....

Renewing Limited Government: Currency Inflation - Click To Read Article
Slowly, over time (one might say, progressively), we can get rid of currency inflation and get back to a solid dollar. If we did, and we renewed the other essential limits on our government, we'd enter an era of unprecedented worldwide peace, strength, and prosperity....

If You Can't Win On Merit, Cheat! - Click To Read Article
Seen another boffo Republican presidential debate on the TV contraption t'other night... well, part of it, anyway. And I got to thinking: Man, I want that deal! I want to be up in front of all those people, getting to say all those smart things, being the guy who has all the answers on how to fix America....

Inspirational Leadership: The Art Of Appreciation II - Click To Read Article
I've written often about the primary "need" expressed by most of my clients - the need (or desire) to increase their inspirational leadership. I've also written a good deal about the two basic types of people out there - the Entrepreneur, and the Victim. It turns out the two concepts are linked. It's all about appreciation of yourself and of others....

Inspirational Leadership: Do It Your Way - Click To Read Article
If you want to be a more inspirational leader, as do most of my clients, you first have to be inspired. It's natural to think of inspirational role models who've helped ignite your passion for what you do (whether you own your own business or toil in the service of an organization) and think, "I want to do what he does," or "I want to be more like her." That might work... but a lot of the time, it doesn't....

Don't Go Into The Water - Yet - Click To Read Article
This July's edition of the journal "Medicine, Science and the Law" reported findings that might interest you if you're a swimmer. It's a little morbid: the researchers basically conducted a review of 536 autopsies, and they found that nearly eighty percent of those who'd drowned accidentally did have visible stomach contents. Mom was right: it's dangerous to eat and swim....

Renewing Limited Government: Tenure Limits - Click To Read Article
Limit the factory of big-government liberalism that the American academic institution has become, and you'll go far toward restoring freedom, prosperity, and strength to America (and to the worldwide economy she leads). And the easiest first step toward a more sane academe would be to limit faculty tenure at all schools, colleges, and universities....

They Sure Make Oakland Look Like Paradise! - Click To Read Article
A few years ago my company sponsored a sales contest (back when companies were allowed to do business by selling things). It was a big deal. First prize was a week-long vacation in Hawaii. Second prize was a week in San Diego. Third prize was a week in Palm Springs. There was also a consolation prize for next-to-last place: a week in Oakland....

Inspirational Leadership: The Happy Accident - Click To Read Article
A good executive coach can help you skill-up with techniques to help bring out the best in your people. But whether you own a business or work as a leader (emerging or established) in an organization, the first step toward greater inspirational leadership is to stop trying to inspire others before you've done the work to rekindle your own personal inspiration. And the best coaches help you do THAT as a top priority....

Real Hope For The Future - Click To Read Article
I couldn't be more proud of my offspring - all of them - but since it's her birthday today, I'll tell you about my youngest. As far as I know, she's not a celebrity (and also not wanted by law enforcement)... she's just a "normal" twenty-something. But if all normal twenty-something Americans were more like my daughter, we'd indeed have a bright future in store....

The Spooky Rise Of Halloween - Click To Read Article
You may recall that "A Christmas Carol" is indeed a ghost story... but I'll bet most people watch the movie only at Christmas time. I prefer to use the film to remind myself to keep Halloween in its proper place - as a fun, spooky holiday for kids - and to keep Christmas on top as my personal favorite holiday....

Renewing Limited Government: Limit Unions - Click To Read Article
We can, and must, limit the runaway growth of corrupt labor unions in America. Workers should have the choice to organize, but not be forced to be bled by high dues and high taxes which go to ruin the very companies that employ them. Keep the unions... but limit them to the good and noble function for which they're intended....

Don't Worry: Eat Fat And Be Happy - Click To Read Article
Guess what! Not only should you pull up short of cutting all the fat out of your diet, you should actually make sure you're getting enough of the right kind of fat. Your very happiness might depend on it....

Hoping For A Meaningful Change - Click To Read Article
Babies are helpless little critters who need their forebears to take care of every aspect of their lives. Mom and Dad need to feed the baby, clothe the baby, bathe the baby, shelter the baby, teach the baby, and save money so they can educate the baby and help the baby get a good start in life. And regularly, when the baby (who can't do ANY of this for himself) gets stinky, he needs Mom and Dad to change his smelly pants....

Inspirational Leadership: The Art Of Appreciation - Click To Read Article
The most inspirational leaders are, first, inspired people. Though they might seem scarce, you can still find inspired folks out there, going through the same hard times and working the same kinds of jobs as everyone else... but they set themselves naturally apart through their upbeat everyday actions. And if you study them, as I have, you find they start by developing an ability to appreciate people....

Renewing Limited Government: Litigation - Click To Read Article
You can't convince me that tort reform can't be successful in America. You can't tell me that damages can't be limited without limiting the true freedom of Americans. And if you could institute such limits, the overall society would greatly benefit from the added freedom enjoyed by the marketplace....

Tough Times Giving You A Headache? - Click To Read Article
Hey, it's no secret that times are tough, and you (or someone you know) might be developing some health complications to go along with the wealth complications our society is facing these days. There's a lot of stress out there, and though some stress is okay (and necessary), an out-of-balance excess of stress can cause a lot of trouble for your vitality. And one of the most common stress-related maladies is the onset of chronic tension headaches....

Live Right, Work Hard, And Trust Your Team - Click To Read Article
Yesterday, I saw something remarkable during a professional football game, the likes of which I used to see all the time but haven't seen in awhile. It was a stunning last-minute comeback led by a young, much maligned quarterback, whose skills are thought by experts to be suspect and whose most prominent strength seems to be that elusive and hard-to-quantify "will" to win....

Vacation Can Be Good For Your Business - Click To Read Article
No matter what you do, if you're like my clients, you have to bring your "A game" to your work every day. If you own your own business, your performance (and, therefore, your vitality and level of energy) are key to the company's success. Some entrepreneurs claim they don't have the time (or, ironically, the energy) to undertake a "health kick;" however, staying fit is good for business....

Who's Inspiring You Today? - Click To Read Article
Draw inspiration from the great people in your life, wherever you find them - don't leave out the ones with whom you don't agree on everything. Cultivate that inspiration. Because now it's your turn... you have to live a life that inspires the generations to come....

Even In Small Bites, Spending Is Hard To Swallow - Click To Read Article
I'm a nice guy, right? And I really hate to be critical. Really, I do. But I find myself needing to level some biting criticism at what the U.S. administration is cooking up these days....

Renewing Limited Government: Regulations - Click To Read Article
America's 40th president said many spot-on things about the massive growth of government his "progressive" foes always sought. One of my favorite quotes is this little quip Ronald Reagan had to say about the federal government: "It's like a baby. It's an alimentary canal with an appetite on one end and no sense of responsibility on the other...."

Liberal Friends: Is This OK With You? - Click To Read Article
Wasn't America better when we had an objective presentation of the facts and the people made up their own minds? Liberal friends, weren't YOU better when you had to present a cogent argument for your proposals and win a fair debate over your opponents? I love my friends, even when I disagree with them... so I have to ask, is all this stuff OK with you...?

Nice Work, If You Can Sit It - Click To Read Article
A few days ago I heard on the radio contraption that you can make anywhere from $350 to $650 a week to join the "movement," and all you have to do is occupy! I'm definitely going to apply, because I have TONS of experience. I've been occupying various places for years. I'm occupying a space right now! I can do this....

Inspirational Leaders Know How To Commit - Click To Read Article
The holidays are coming, and for many people, it's the most inspiring time of the year. That's certainly the case for me, and for many of my clients who are seeking to ramp-up their inspirational leadership. So this is a bit of a warning to those high-achievers among you: as the old saying goes, don't bite off more than you can chew this fall....

Renewing Limited Government: Bureaucracy - Click To Read Article
Bureaucracy in the federal government is a little like bad weather: people complain about it, but nobody does anything about it. Jokes aside, the citizenry of the United States, intended to be enlightened and to rule itself, has slowly accepted huge and growing levels of ineffective federal bureacracy as inevitable, much like rain, snow, or high winds. But the time has come for America to see the difference. Bureaucracy can, and must, be limited....

Get The NEWSS: Exercise Makes You Smarter - Click To Read Article
Bottom line: you need to exercise. Whether you own your own business, work for someone else, or are a gentleman or lady of leisure, if you want to keep your marbles rolling around in your head, you need to develop the habit of hitting the gym....

Inspirational Leaders Aren't Angry People - Click To Read Article
Maybe you can't convince, but you can definitely influence other people. Agitators know this, and they are skilled at bringing things out of their followers that serve their (the agitators') purposes... often, especially during these days of "occupation" protests, those things include anger, outrage, and misdirected (or undirected) passion. But inspirational leaders bring out very different things that make their followers better people... and here's how they do it....

It's Time To Bring An End To... Everything! - Click To Read Article
What is "Occupy Wall Street" all about, you ask? Well, it's hard to say (without knowing)... all we have to go by is what the protestors themselves say to reporters. It's becoming increasingly difficult to get reporters to go in there (now that the dedicated young protestors have been marinating in their natural un-bathed juices for a few weeks), but when they do, they learn, uh, not much. Many protestors they interview actually have no idea why they're there. But others do seem to be against some stuff, such as banks, and wealth, and capitalism, and (as one intelligent young man summarized) everything....

Three Primary Reasons To Become An Entrepreneur - Click To Read Article
For some time, I've written and spoken about the difference between two basic types of person out there these days: The Victim, and The Entrepreneur. The Victim needs to be taken care of... the Entrepreneur takes care of herself, and others. The Victim is competitive, and views life as a win-lose (sometimes even a lose-lose) proposition; the Entrepreneur is collaborative, and sees life as win-win. Victims blame others; Entrepreneurs are self-reliant, and get things done....

Renewing Limited Government: Debt Limits - Click To Read Article
U.S. government debt should be limited to a fraction of what it is today - say, one trillion dollars after we've had a chance to renew limited government for a few years - and the limit should be strictly enforced. It's not only possible; if we want the nation to survive, it's necessary....

How To Recognize Inspirational Leadership - Click To Read Article
The line is sometimes fuzzy between inspirational leadership and run-of-the-mill agitation. When leaders stand on soap boxes and deliver passionate speeches, the words and tone often sound the same. But to me, the difference between agitation and true inspirational leadership is often found over time. If you follow something, and it makes you a better person, it was inspirational leadership. If it brings out your less desirable qualities, it probably wasn't....

Are Your Days Adding Up To Your Life? - Click To Read Article
See if this sounds familiar: you roll out of bed and hit the alarm, feeling groggy, feeling like you didn\'t get enough real rest. You deal with three family problems before you start your commute to work - the kids, the spouse, even the dog seems to be in a negative mood. Traffic is hell. The first meeting of your day turns into a gripe session, and is followed by more griping in impromptu \"breakouts\" around the office or shop. You have plenty to gripe about, and it\'s tempting to join in....

How's Your Night Life? - Click To Read Article
A slew of new research confims what we've known all along - you have to take care of your physical vitality if you expect to perform at your intellectual peak. In fact, several new studies talk about the importance of an often-neglected health habit: getting a good night's sleep....

Shocking Shark Shenanigans! - Click To Read Article
The bottom line is this: the Tea Party is a major threat to our increasingly-socialist way of life. Left unchecked, they'd have us go back to the failed policies of the past, under which people got away with insane capers like starting a business, building wealth, or even furnishing others with private employment. Say it isn't so! We must not go back! We must always, always lean forward....

Renewing Limited Government: Tax Limits - Click To Read Article
In latter years, Americans have fallen asleep, and have allowed their elected (and unelected) leaders to dodge the Constitutional limits on government... far too often, for far too long. Until we get back to true limited government, as defined by the Constitution, America will continue to slide toward the collectivist abyss that has claimed every great nation in history....

Successful Entrepreneurs Have Running Buddies - Click To Read Article
When you make the decision to go it alone, don't go it alone. Find trusted advisors with whom you can kick around ideas and exchange inspiration. When times get tough - when you're at that spot on the jogging trail where you find yourself bent over, hands-on-knees, gasping for air and looking for the courage to take on the next length... it's handy to have a running buddy who simply says, "Come on, let's go, you can do it...."

Health Habits: Can The Pop - Click To Read Article
I bet you didn't know that there's a "Morbidity And Mortality Weekly Report." Well, there is, and in an edition of the report this June readers got more statistics on how hard soda pop is on your body....

Renewing Limited Government: Spending Limits - Click To Read Article
We have to renew limited government in the United States, or the entire world will enter a new era of darkness the likes of which no one can foresee. There are at least ten limits we could impose on government (and, in some cases, on what I see as quasi-governmental U.S. institutions) that would have a remarkable turn-around impact on our economy - and on our society. And one of the first, if not THE first, is to limit government spending....

Get Outside Before The Snow Flies - Click To Read Article
Technically, according to whoever's in charge of the calendar, today's the first full day of Fall. Whatever you were going to do this summer, if you haven't done it by now, the calendar says you've missed it....

Get The Facts And Fight The Smears! - Click To Read Article
Well, guess what! It's campaign season again (like that ever ends), and we have a whole new snitch site: "AttackWatch.com," complete with Soviet-style black-and-red graphics, which asks us to "get the facts, fight the smears!" Otherwise, those non-liberals in the media (both of them) might convince some people to vote against the president's re-election....

Inspirational Leadership: Morals Are Required - Click To Read Article
If you want to be an inspirational leader, figure out your values. Sure, there might be exceptions... but the existence of very-rare exceptions shouldn't destroy the need for the moral "rules" that separate good behavior from bad. And, to put it bluntly, you will never inspire greatness in anyone if you don't have an obvious set of moral rules by which you consistently live....

Build Your Health To Build Your Wealth - Click To Read Article
America - and much of the rest of the world - is overweight. My home state of Colorado is perenially the "least overweight" U.S. state according to surveys, but that moniker itself is indicative of the trend... we used to call it the "most lean" or "most fit" state. People move here to take advantage of the outstanding climate and outdoor opportunities, so there are thousands of fit-as-a-fiddle Coloradans. But you can still go to any store in the cities and see grossly-fat people who seem to have blown up like balloons....

What Are You Harvesting? - Click To Read Article
Talk about a cliche - we actually went for a drive in the country last Sunday. That's right, a "Sunday Drive," like people used to do two and three generations ago. It was delightful to roam around the southern Colorado countryside, with no time pressures and no particular destination. We ended up patronizing a roadside "farmer's market" fruit-and-vegetable stand, and it got me thinking about inspiration....

You Will Notice What We Tell You To Notice! - Click To Read Article
Just the other day... months and months after the fact... the venerable Washington Post reported that, though it went "largely unnoticed" at the time, Islamicists were at the center of the "Arab Spring" revolutions earlier this year, including the more recent regime change in Libya....

Health Habits: Vitality Isn't Magical - Click To Read Article
You need to use your brain in renewing your personal vitality... but use it to discipline yourself toward productive health habits, not to engage in the sort of "magical thinking" that keeps some people fat and lacking energy....

Take A Cue From Heroes: "Let's Roll!" - Click To Read Article
Like nearly all Americans, I was acutely aware yesterday of the ten-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our country. I watched some documentaries, spent some time with family members with whom I'd spent the day ten years ago... and watched again the haunting movie which depicts the heroic actions of passengers on "United 93" during that now-long-ago tragedy....

Renewing Limited Government: Page Limits - Click To Read Article
No one has talked about page limits, but I believe it's a serious idea that would productively limit the growth of the government beast while costing America nothing. The Constitution of the United States was fewer than fifty pages long - no federal legislation should be longer....

Taking Exception To America - Click To Read Article
President Obama famously said he believed in American exceptionalism in the same way Brits believe in British exceptionalism, and the Irish believe in Irish exceptionalism, etc. Of course, if everyone's exceptional, no one is... which I think was the president's point. There's nothing special about you Americans! Sit down and shut up!...

Health Habits: Watch The Hidden Calories - Click To Read Article
Americans love their snacks, and June's edition of the journal of the Institute of Food Technologists reported that the trend is not only continuing, but growing. If you're an average American (no such thing, right?), the Institute says you get about a fourth of your total daily calories from snacks....

How Can You Inspire A Person In Crisis? - Click To Read Article
If your journey along the road of inspirational leadership places you in a position to help a person in crisis, here are three ideas to consider as you reach out (or respond)....

Renewing Limited Government: Term Limits - Click To Read Article
In America, the "land of the free," the government has run amok. The Founders, who fought (and in some cases, died) to leave a country wherein citizens were to rule and the government was supposed to be limited, would be shocked at the size of the behemoth that is the modern federal government. And many states have just as bloated a bureaucracy....

The Earthquake That Ate Washington! - Click To Read Article
Seismologists watching California fear the "San Andreas Fault," because it can cause earthquakes that bring a lot of damage. President Obama talks more about "Bush's Fault," which apparently caused the unlikely recent D.C. earthquake... though it's the current president's policies that're doing all the damage....

Happy Labor Day! - Click To Read Article
Today in the United States is one of the handful of national holidays that enjoys nearly universal observance: Labor Day. The first Monday of September, we take a day off to pause in remembrance of the sacrifices and achievements of the American worker.

Lessons From Skyline Drive - Click To Read Article
About half an hour west of our southern Colorado home, up in the scenic Rocky Mountains, is a road that presents an amazing adventure... and more than one lesson for aspiring inspirational leaders....

Who Says There Are No Jobs? - Click To Read Article
Despite record levels of unemployment, we all know, of course, that our president is on the case. He's the Jobs President... if you don't believe it, just ask him, or any of his sycophantic Demediacrats! But only those who are sufficient Biblical scholars to have heard of Job (with a capital "J") understand that it's really a case of mispronunciation of the vowel....

What Growing Up Means - Click To Read Article
Twenty-seven years ago today, I became a father for the second time. The event of my beloved son's birth served as another major wake-up call for me: as I held that baby for the first time, I kidded around, but I was struck with a deep realization that I was a grown-up. And that I better act like one....

Renewing Limited Government II - Click To Read Article
A century of progressivism, culminating these days as the Obama administration seeks to "fundamentally transform" our society from one fueled by free-market entrepreneurship to a European-style socialist state, has skirted (or ignored) the original limits established to constrain the growth of the government state. Here are a few ideas worth considering (and in need of inspirational leadership from the grass roots) to renew our commitment to limited government and restore our free republic....

The NEWSS Can Help Your Memory - Click To Read Article
This June's issue of the "Journal of Neural Engineering" reports that scientists are making progress on a sort of "prosthetic memory switch" they hope will help victims of Alzheimer's disease, stroke, or brain injury. Their research on rats has been promising, and has enhanced their (the rats') memory capability....

Renewing Limited Government - Click To Read Article
The whole idea behind America is that, at least with regard to daily life in a temporal world, the people can rule themselves. The nation's founders, in establishing the framework for this great experiment (which is what it was, 235 years ago), realized that government would grow to fill all unguarded space in terms of power, and therefore they worked hard to set up a constitutional system of "limited" government....

Successful Entrepreneurs Stay Inspired - Click To Read Article
Times are tough, and you might often find it difficult to renew your optimism and inspiration. You might be "too busy," at least as you see your work and your hectic life. But don't let your personal inspiration fall from the top of your priority list. It's not a "nice-to-have." Personal inspiration, in times that challenge us all, is a must-have ingredient to your life of health, wealth, and happiness.

Are You Living In Stress City? - Click To Read Article
Most people think stress is a killer. It can be, but only in excessive amounts. You may know someone who says they "thrive on stress," and though your friend may just be an adrenaline junkie, the same could be said of the human race. Stress gets our attention, and switches on the "fight or flight" instincts that were key to our ancestors' survival....

What Color Is Your Taco? - Click To Read Article
Invited by a dear friend who's a savvy collector of Native American paintings, I took a quick day-trip this weekend to the annual Indian Market in Santa Fe. I met a handful of the best Native American artists in the world (introduced in most cases by my friend), and feasted my eyes on some amazing works of art in "The City Different," which is an artwork in its own right....

What Happened To Your Energy? - Click To Read Article
An entire market has sprung up around that "two-thirty tired" feeling you have when your personal energy is low. Some of the all-natural supplement drinks, particularly liquid nutraceuticals that include real-food extracts (and not much caffeine), are helpful. But the high-sugar, high-caffeine "buzz" drinks can hurt you. You'd be better off with an overall healthy lifestyle....

When Mars Attacks, The Economy Roars! - Click To Read Article
When I was a student at the Graduate School of Public Administration (our school colors were red and more red; our motto, "Sempre Turfbuildus"), they made us study the works of major geniuses in such fields as economics and massive government. One of the chief geniuses in both fields was Paul Krugman, who was an advisor to President Clinton (and now claims President Obama among his adherents)....

Do Your People Know You? - Click To Read Article
Many of my coaching clients aspire to be more inspirational as leaders. They want to have the "deeper" sort of relationship with their team, with their customers, even with their vendors, that encourages a very meaningful, often personal sort of dialogue. But some of them think they can encourage their people to "open up" without doing so themselves....

Renew Your Optimism, Renew Your Inspiration - Click To Read Article
In the last few days I've had some inspiring discussions with clients and potential clients. I've learned that many people are "down" these days, overly-anxious about their work, their jobs, their careers. But I've also learned that there are excited, positive people out there anticipating (and working to create) a great future....

Business Makes, But Government Takes - Click To Read Article
A "Demediacrat" said the other day that, if the government puts people to work digging a ditch and then filling it in again, it's not a bad thing. "At least they're productively employed," was the assertion....

There's No Substitute For The NEWSS - Click To Read Article
Your body is a complex set of systems that work together to keep you at your energetic best. It's a network that's so well designed, it can compensate for the rotten things you do to yourself, in many cases. But my clients - entrepreneurs and others who look to develop themselves in the key areas of health, wealth, and inspirational leadership - know how important it is not to give short shrift to their health. Everything in this life depends on it....

How To Calm An Angry Person, III - Click To Read Article
Inspirational leaders tend to take on tough challenges, and dare to tackle the world's most difficult problems. Because of that, and because human nature is what it is, a good leader is likely to step on some toes now and then. You might be doing everything right as a leader, and still be in a position to need to know how to calm an angry person....

It's The Imaginary Economy, Stupid - Click To Read Article
It's a bit early, kind of, but the national media is really into this whole 2012 re-election campaign. And the eighty percent of national news personalities who tend to "lean forward" (possibly because it's much easier than trying to find and report actual facts) refer to it precisely as the "2012 re-election" because, well, they have determined that the president deserves your vote - again....

Strengthen The Things That Remain - Click To Read Article
I've been saying for more than a year that a global depression was on the way, and that it would make the Great Depression of the 1930s look like the salad days. It's not beyond imagining that the recent world economic events are the beginning of just such a depression. But it's only money....

Downgrade Should Shock Nobody - Click To Read Article
By now you know that Standard & Poor's downgraded America's federal debt, attaching a negative outlook to the rating that promises more such downgrades in the future (barring stark changes in the current government's economic direction). For the first time in the history of such ratings, America is no longer considered a safe bet....

Is China Running Out Of Our Money? - Click To Read Article
It's been said that the trouble with collectivist economic approaches, such as socialism and communism, is that, eventually, you run out of other peoples' money. If there's a lesson from the last century of adventures in collective statism, I guess it's that the big collective economies only work for a while, and only if there's a bigger free-market economy out there (like ours has been), cranking out growth and creating markets for the rest of the world....

Happy Birthday, Colorado - Click To Read Article
I think there's a reason Ayn Rand picked Colorado as the fictional last bastion of entrepreneurship in the dark world she described in "Atlas Shrugged." And today, when those who want to ride in the wagon are beginning to overburden those who are willing to pull it, American can take a lesson from the Centennial State. This nation is not about victims, or collectivism, or false socialist ideals. It's about rugged individualism. It's about being willing to start a business, to create opportunities where none existed before, to build wealth through toil and ingenuity....

Health Habits: Protein After Exercise - Click To Read Article
If you're focused on your health and vitality, no doubt you realize the importance of daily discipline, especially in terms of exercise. Whether you travel a lot, or work a stressful job, or own your own business, you know you need to maximize your energy level in order to handle the rigors of your work. You want to make sure every move you make to enhance your health really counts....

How To Calm An Angry Person, II - Click To Read Article
If you want to be an inspirational leader, you have to deal in the realm of emotions. I've had several clients over the years who sought to manage from pure logic, from rational analysis, from a perspective that "the numbers will tell us what to do." That's OK for management, and people certainly appreciate knowing they're doing the logically-correct thing, but it's an approach that falls short of the sort of inspirational leadership that ignites the passion to go beyond the "correct" to the "great...."

Make It A Month Of Inspirational Leadership - Click To Read Article
As I looked out at the dark, sparsely-lit landscape that had been, a few hours earlier, the scene of blazing sunset color, I counted down the last few minutes of the month, and quietly welcomed August. I spent a few minutes reflecting on how July went, and how the month had changed me, and what progress had been made on my personal mission of health, wealth, and inspirational leadership....

They Blinded Us With "Science!" - Click To Read Article
I finally found my true calling the other day, when I had the sad fortune to find a dead bunny rabbit just off the front porch of our country home. I conducted a thorough examination of the bunny's carcass before properly disposing of it - by which I mean, I looked at it from a safe and comfortable distance. I could not see what might've caused the bunny's demise, so of course I concluded that the poor wretch paid the ultimate price for the sinful climate change caused by humankind....

How To Calm An Angry Person - Click To Read Article
Maybe it's the summer heat. Maybe it's the general frustration with the economy, the government, whatever. Perhaps it's even the growing realization of a global conspiracy against wealth. Whatever the cause, people seem a little angry these days....

Health Habits: Keep Smiling At Adversity - Click To Read Article
Economy got you down? You're not alone. A lot of people are struggling to do their jobs these days... or to find a job... or to keep their job. Add other bits of diversity to the struggle, such as a fight with a friend, a divorce, a death in the family, or the like, and it can be tough to keep a positive attitude....

Love Is Still The Answer - Click To Read Article
Mourning, revenge, anger... they're always natural human reactions to catastrophes like these. But they should never find action. They're never the answer. The Answer, as it has always been and always will be, is love....

Government Takeover: We're Boiling - Click To Read Article
In business school I learned of the parable of the boiling frog - the story that illustrates how gradual, progressive movements can radically transform a situation. It's a story all Americans should understand today....

Health Habits: The Gym Makes You Smarter - Click To Read Article
According to researchers at the famed Mayo Clinic, exercise boosts blood flow to the brain, and helps it absorb and utilize the oxygen and nutrients which literally fuel your thinking. The better shape you're in, according to these reports, the faster you may think....

Don't Vote For Me In 2004 - Click To Read Article
Here's a true story of idiocy and self-deprecation. After the Twin Towers fell in 2001 (and after a few days of shock and mourning), like most big-mouths, I started spouting off about what I would do if I were president of these-here United States....

Be An Adventure Capitalist - Click To Read Article
Entrepreneurs are Adventure Capitalists. To them, most of whom own a business, the opportunity to create a viable commercial concern - to find and keep happy customers - is the great adventure of life. Like almost all famous businesspeople of all time, they fail time and time again, but never lose that spirit of adventure that tells them they'll hit it big one day....

Two Views Of America's Future - Click To Read Article
Believe it or not, I never cared much for politics. It always seemed like the political machinations of running the country were happening someplace far away, that people who cared deeply about such things were "on it," and that there wasn't much a single person could do to change things, anyway. Besides, I was generally too busy raising kids, running a business, or leading a team to give politics much time or thought....

Personal Responsibility: The Natural Event - Click To Read Article
If you're looking for a way to make an inspirational positive change in your life, start by scouring your behaviors and mindsets for anything that betrays your inner Victim. Maybe you've allowed some of the wrong notions to creep into your thinking... things you never used to think... stuff that never used to bother you... negativity that never was supposed to be part of you....

Your Business Depends On Energy - Yours - Click To Read Article
Every now and then, we all run into a low-energy day. Even if you do a great job with your daily health habits, it can happen to you any time. Here are some ideas to help get through those melting-ice days....

Inspirational Leadership On The Links - Click To Read Article
People are inspired by greatness. But they're also inspired by the honest effort to achieve it. Some of the most inspirational leaders I've ever known were young, talented people who hadn't put in anything close to 10,000 hours, but who were clearly and visibly on their own personal program toward greatness....

Peas And Carrots - Click To Read Article
I am as proud of the president now as I've ever been, or ever will be. Just the other day, he proclaimed that we need to "eat our peas." And I think we should give peas a chance....

Don't Raise The Debt Ceiling, Ever - Click To Read Article
Regardless of the wheeling and dealing that's been going on for weeks in the hallowed halls of Washington, there is no good reason to raise the federal government's debt ceiling. Ever....

These Storms Aren't Really Storms - Click To Read Article
There is no truth to the rumor that the president's hometown will now be known as the "Appropriately Windy City, No More Windy Than Any Other...".

Today Is Your Lucky Day - Click To Read Article
It's 7-11-11 today, and those are some lucky numbers. But before you go out and buy that lottery ticket, take a few minutes to remember all the things that should make you feel like every day is your lucky day....

Inspirational Leadership: Start Something - Click To Read Article
Years ago, I decided to start a business on the side, in the performing arts. I held auditions, picked some talented young singers, wrote and arranged several entertaining tunes, and launched a six-voice acappella group. In our fifteenth month, we booked twenty-two paid gigs, which is quite good....

Time To Declare A New Independence - Click To Read Article
Happy Fourth of July. Enjoy the party! And while you're at it, think about how you can be part of the next generation of inspirational leaders dedicated to refounding the republic we call "the land of the Free, and the home of the Brave...".

Dad's Job Advice - Click To Read Article
As a counselor to consultants and other business operators, as well as to personal clients, I'm often told stories of work woe. Most people (especially those who have a coach or counselor) have at least some degree of dissatisfaction with their job....

Health Habits: Keep Score On Your Fitness - Click To Read Article
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services publishes "Physical Activity Guidelines" for adults. In 2008, those guidelines called for moderate-intensity aerobic exercise at least 150 minutes a week, vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise at least 75 minutes a week, and strength-training at least twice a week....

Inspirational Leadership Requires Character - Click To Read Article
One media personality caught my attention about three years ago, principally because everyone (and I mean everyone) was against the guy. Entire well-funded organizations had come into existence with the sole (or main) purpose of discrediting and slandering him. Any guy in the media who's so reviled by everyone else in the media, I reasoned, must be worth getting to know....

Debt Ceiling? What Debt Ceiling? - Click To Read Article
The other day, we're driving down the road, and I see a big AWESOME boat and trailer parked out in front of a dealership. "Cool!" I say. "I'm getting that!" But Colonel Wife was all, like, no way we could afford to spend that kind of money. But I go, "Ridiculous. We'll just raise our Debt Ceiling...".

Your Business Will Be As Healthy As You Are - Click To Read Article
Business owners - especially the ones who know they have to do whatever it takes to make the business successful - are extremely hard workers. Nothing wrong with that. But some lose sight of the fact that if their personal vitality fails, so will their business. As far as your little business is concerned, you are critical. You're too big to fail....

Three Reasons Now's The Time - Click To Read Article
Many of my clients are thinking about starting a business, but wonder about the timing. After all, the economy's a mess, right? It is, but that doesn't mean it's a bad time to make an investment, even a big one such as a business start-up....

Inspirational Leadership: Show And Tell - Click To Read Article
There's no doubt - as the leader, you have to, well, lead the way. Take a good look in the mirror (and get feedback when you can), and make sure you're embodying the right things. And don't be shy about sitting your folks down and being the teacher and coach. If you have the right attitude about it, you're not overstepping your bounds or micro-managing - you're providing help for which your team will likely be appreciative....

Hey, Maybe This Will Win An Award! - Click To Read Article
Tell you what: those national news-media folks in America are awesome. I know, right? I mean, when I was a young aspiring journalist (I think it was during the Taft administration), they made us report boring stuff, like facts. It must be much more fun to be a journalist these days, when the industry has evolved beyond all that....

How To Care About People - Click To Read Article
If you truly don't care about a person, it's impossible to show them any empathy, let alone respect. And without these foundational elements, you'll never inspire good things in others. That's why I've made inspirational leadership, with empathy as a cornerstone, the foundation of my coaching practice....

Just Say No To Adverse Drug Reactions - Click To Read Article
See how long you can go before you become dependent on "government medicine," and how long you can avoid the adverse affects which have skyrocketed in the last decade and show no signs of slowing....

Three Ways To Win With Empathy - Click To Read Article
Many of my clients want to be more inspirational as leaders, but suffer in that quest because too many of their interactions with teammates degrade from dialogue to debate... and frustrating debate, at that. Whether you own a business or have a leadership role in running the business, you know that no one is inspired by such arguments. So here are three suggestions for leaders who'd rather skip the debate and interact in dialogue....

Too Big To Fail: Part Of The Story - Click To Read Article
I didn't know what to expect from a network whose producers happily broadcast leftist Bill Maher's periodic rants... but I should have expected exactly what "Too Big To Fail" delivered: part of the story, with some very key ingredients left out (or distorted). That's just what you get when the progressives have overrun (and merged) the information and entertainment industries....

Your Vitality Is Your Personal Responsibility - Click To Read Article
You need your energy to run your business, take care of your family, investigate new wealth-building strategies, and live your life to the fullest. Don't assume for a second that government medicine will take care of you as you approach your sunset years. Since a pound of cure will not be available to you at any price, you need all the ounces of prevention you can get....

Inspirational Leadership: A TEAM Activity - Click To Read Article
You have a "TEAM" of personal resources available to you as you go about developing (and demonstrating) inspirational leadership, and you'll want to make sure to engage all of those resources. I'm referring to your Time, Energy, Attention, and (in the case of the entrepreneurs among you) Money....

Leadership Traits - Does Your Leader Have These Traits? - Click To Read Article
I've been a leadership counselor for years, but since the last presidential election I've come to realize that I've been doing it all wrong. Clients often ask me what the great leadership traits are, and of course no one has a comprehensive list. But given what I've learned since 2008, I've revised my list of the core traits that make a great (as far as you know) leader. Here are some of the biggies....

Start Your Business Venture Now - Click To Read Article
During the Great Depression, more millionaires were created than at any other time in history. They were the Entrepreneurs, the ordinary people who didn't lose their way, and didn't lose their nerve. They realized that times of extreme calamity present new and unprecedented opportunities. They cut themselves loose from the stranglehold of socialist administration, and went out and started a business....

Finding Inspiration In A Tough Economy - Click To Read Article
If you feel down about the current state of affairs, look around your local community and find the ordinary people who are still doing extraordinary things. Get to know them. Find out the "why" behind what they're doing... it'll inspire you....

The Wiener That Ate New York! - Click To Read Article
But wait: what's this? Turns out Wiener, who just last summer found time in his hectic Beck-bashing schedule to marry a young protege of Hillary Clinton's, has been sending tawdry self-portraits over the internet to various OTHER young women, such as a college girl in Seattle. Really? Seriously, Congressman...?

Health Habits: Watch The Long Hours - Click To Read Article
You need your energy... and you need to avoid working yourself to death. Even if your work hours are unavoidably long, you can still maintain good discipline in the five key daily health habits I call The NEWSS: Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sleep, and Supplements....

Exploration Can Bring Inspiration - Click To Read Article
The other day, I went looking for North Park. Eventually, I found it, and along the way I found beauty, solitude, and a surprising amount of inspiration....

This D-Day, Reflect On Personal Responsibility - Click To Read Article
It is not because they felt no fear that those inspirational leaders are remembered as heroes. They were almost all scared to death. No, they're remembered as heroes because they felt the full measure of fear about the near-impossible feats they were about to undertake, and they knew the long odds associated with the incredible personal risks they were about to take... but they did it anyway....

Wealth Building Depends On Low Taxes - Click To Read Article
The hue and cry in American society today is "tax the rich." Some on the left even screech "Eat the rich!" The collectivist/statists currently running the U.S. government continue to barrel down the road of high taxes and high spending, encouraging class envy, and putting America firmly on a path toward confiscatory taxation. And they, along with their sycophants in the media, never seem to run out of fools who can be persuaded that this is the correct course for the country....

Yeah, Let's Go Back To 1967! - Click To Read Article
I don't think the president was speaking only about Israel. In truth, I think Mr. Obama was trying to tell us that he really just wants the whole world - everybody, all of us - to go back to '67....

Dream It, Do It - But Be Equipped - Click To Read Article
If you want to inspire people, start by not making them mad every day. Start by finding out what they need to do the best job possible, and by giving it to them....

Go Play Outside! - Click To Read Article
You need your energy to run a business, take care of your around-the-house chores, stay at your best on the phone, make the right financial decisions, and do all the things essential to living the life you want to live. You have to take personal responsibility for your vitality. While some elements of fitness are pure drudgery during the winter (schlepping to the gym, running on the treadmill, etc.), things get much more fun when the weather's nice....

Don't Get Sucked Into Class Envy - Click To Read Article
The progressive would-be opinion makers want to play to your sense of victimhood. They want you to look with envy upon those with more than you have, and to demand "your" share of what they've earned. They want you to spend your precious life energy being pissed-off at rich people....

Be The Inspiration You Want From Others - Click To Read Article
It's scary at times, but be thankful for your Entrepreneurial urges. Make sure you build those muscles of personal responsibility, and that you're ready when the crash comes. Want to be an inspiration to others? Then be the inspiring Entrepreneur (at least in spirit) you truly are, and do what successful Entrepreneurs do, whether you own a business or not....

Should The Government Help Beggars? - Click To Read Article
As our nation continues its debate (fight) over entitlement reform, we beg (forgive me) this essential question: are we a society of entrepreneurs, or of beggars? The more we push toward redistribution of wealth, the more weatlh we'll eventually run out of - leaving even the beggars, well, begging. If we can swing back to being a nation of wealth-builders, though, there will actually be more wealth for everyone....

There's Still Inspiration Out There - Click To Read Article
As often as you can, surround yourself with entrepreneurs. Recharge the positive side of your personal battery. That energy will help you when you need to bring the best out of people who, for whatever reason, can't seem to see the good around them. And bringing out the best of such people is a big part of what inspirational leadership is all about....

Time To Honor Real Inspirational Leaders - Click To Read Article
Enjoy your weekend. Our fallen heroes would certainly want you to do that. And I hope you'll also spend a little time this weekend in observance, and that doing so will impart some inspiration to you that will last throughout the year. I coach entrepreneurs, folks who own a business, and other aspiring inspirational leaders in business... but you have to agree, the real inspirational leaders are the ones who gave the full measure of sacrifice on the battlefield so that we could live in a free society....

Health Habits: Stay Fit In High Places - Click To Read Article
When you take your body to a place significantly higher than it's used to, you need to modify your daily health habits to maximize your energy and reduce your chance of contracting altitude sickness....

Does Prosperity Always Encompass Wealth? - Click To Read Article
There's a global economic storm coming that's going to make the Great Depression of the 1930s look like good times. Despite proclamations of recovery by the mainstream media and other mouth-pieces who represent the world's money-elite (the U.S. and other governments, the Federal Reserve, financial "advisors" and the biggest global banks), real experts say real hard times are just around the corner....

Cling On, Bitter Clingers! - Click To Read Article
If we're going to borrow billions of bucks from our buddies in China and send those bucks to Egypt, I would rather we sent them directly to individual Egyptians and God-fearing Muslims... perhaps they have some bitter clingers in their own small towns who don't yet have a Walmart Super Center and could really use some of our money. Let them start businesses and make investments... after all, the U.S. government will tell you it's perfectly OK for anyone to make profits and build wealth, as long as they're not doing that in America....

Every Life Is An Inspiration - Click To Read Article
You may not know it, but today's a big day in history. On this date in 1940, a person you've never heard of was born in northern Oklahoma. She lived a short and difficult life, and she changed the world....

Health Habits: Keep Your Balance - Click To Read Article
You have to have a well-rounded, multi-faceted approach to maintaining your vitality. Why? Because whatever you do, your modern lifestyle is likely to make it tough to stay healthy. Not only are times demanding (requiring your best energy and efforts), experts say they're likely to get worse. So you have to take personal responsibility for your health....

What Are Your Dreams Waiting For? - Click To Read Article
Thank God for hard-charging, high-flying cadets like my niece. We need her out there, soaring into the wild blue yonder... and we also need entrepreneurs in every family, with their feet firmly planted on the ground and their dreams free to fly through the heavens. When the predicted crash has come and gone, the entrepreneurs in every family will be the ones who make our nation soar again....

Don't Be Defeated By Inaction - Click To Read Article
We all end up in tough circumstances in our lives. These days, when the global economy is reeling (and when many experts say things will still get MUCH worse before they get better), a lot of people are struggling just to get by. But as I've learned over the years from the clients I've met who've overcome adversity, inspirational leaders aren't people who never get into tough spots, but are those who have the ability to work their way out....

Thank You For Your Service - Click To Read Article
Whether you agree or not with the "mission" they've been given in certain parts of the world, our military members deserve our appreciation, and our gratitude. It's not too much to ask. And you should always look for things to appreciate. Being good at appreciation is one of the first steps toward becoming good at inspiration....

Presenting The Unprecedented President - Click To Read Article
This week, President Obama used his favorite word several more times. That word is "unprecedented." Easily, the present president has used that word to a degree which is without precedent, unprecedented by any of the preceding previous presidents who previously preceded him. Easily....

Health Habits: Remember Your Protein - Click To Read Article
I've often said that it isn't what you eat, but what you DON'T eat, that can harm your health. Make sure you're getting your nutrients, especially protein. And if you want to be good at remembering things, don't forget to take your supplements....

It's The (Growth Of The) Economy, Stupid - Click To Read Article
Let me explain why I think every American family should have at least one good, solid entrepreneurial venture going these days....

Inspirational Leaders Keep An Upbeat Attitude - Click To Read Article
Many people - including lots of my clients - aspire to be inspirational leaders. Inspirational leaders start as inspirational people, and people who easily inspire others are those who have that infectious, almost-automatic positive outlook on life....

Health Habits: Make Sure You're Well-Adjusted - Click To Read Article
If you haven't tried chiropractic care, or if it's been awhile, give it another look. You definitely can't be your best if you have chronic pain or fatigue... and you might be amazed at what a good spinal adjustment can do for you....

It's Re-Election Time! Get The Picture? - Click To Read Article
So while everyone was thinking about the brave troops who finally capped Osama Bin Laden the other day, I was also thinking about whether or not they had a 71-Quebec out there with them on that mission (that's Army Talk for "journalist," or at least it used to be). I guess they must have, because this week's big news is President Obama's decision not to release the photos that were taken of Dead Terrorist Number One. So since the global paparrazzi corps was busy sobering up in London after Will-'n'-Kate, and since civilian "journalists" only take pictures of car chases and tornado damage (when they can squeeze those things in around their grip-and-grin work at the White House), any photos that existed had to have been taken by some hard-working military journalist....

Appreciate Your Own Best Strengths - Click To Read Article
Lately, some of my clients have been a little down on themselves, and I'm finding that it's often because they're forgetting to play to their strengths. If you find yourself spending too much time doing stuff you don't like, and aren't good at, try to balance that work with projects you know you can do well....

Don't Shrug Off This Movie! - Click To Read Article
As a book, Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" stands as one of the greatest works of literature in history. As a movie, "Part I" is pretty good... the performances are at least OK, and the faithfulness to the story is outstanding. But as an event, the release of this movie is nothing short of amazing....

Gas Price Signs: Unfair Right-Wing Messaging! - Click To Read Article
Gas has never been this expensive in America - and experts say this is just the beginning. But wasn't this all supposed to be George W. Bush's fault? As I recall, Bush, somehow in cahoots with Big Oil and Terrorist Oil Cartels, single-handedly drove gas prices pretty high in 2008, and that's why we desperately needed to elect Barack Obama. But Bush has been gone for more than two years now, and gas is higher than ever. How could this be?

Inspirational Leadership: It's About Them, Not You - Click To Read Article
The bottom line is this: if you want to inspire someone to give you their best, you have to stop looking and acting like a theater critic and, instead, come across with empathy and appreciation. To do that, you first need the mindset that the discussion should be less about you and more about the other person... and then you need to practice (with good help) to make it happen....

Can Inspiration Be Found In A Death? - Click To Read Article
I don't feel like rejoicing in Bin Laden's death. I certainly don't feel like this is bad news, of course - the world is better off without him - but it's not a party. It occurs to me that, 31 years ago, perhaps I would not have been all that inspired if Carter's hostage-rescue mission had been a success, since undoubtedly that success would have been accompanied by death. But I believe inspiration starts with appreciation, and there are many things to appreciate in today's news of victory....

Health Habits: It's All In Your Head - Click To Read Article
Many of my coaching clients have come to me in a condition I can only describe as "stress mess." They were working too many hours, living on caffeine and processed crap/food, getting little sleep, taking no vitamins, and hitting the wine and beer a little too heavily. Needless to say, these conditions keep you from performing at your best, and make it extremely hard to get work done or run a business. Worse, once you're in the stress mess, all it takes is something like a fight with your spouse or an unexpected gas price hike to make you flip right out....

A Century Of Leadership - Good And Bad - Click To Read Article
It might be simplistic, and I certainly invite discussion, but today I'm ranking the men who've held the office of President since 1911 in terms of how well they did in resisting this "progress" toward socialism/collectivism by their overall support of the U.S. Constitution. My thinking is this: if, as the foremost leader of the federal government, the president can do a good job at fulfilling his/her oath to uphold the Constitution, prosperity generally becomes much easier to obtain in America (and, frankly, elsewhere in the world). When the president fails to protect the Constitution (or, worse, attacks it), he or she aids the progressive march toward collectivism - but pulls the nation away from prosperity and strength....

The Coming Economic Basket Case - Click To Read Article
Hey, guess what! It's Easter weekend, and all over the world, folks' thoughts are turning to baskets. Homemade, store-bought, or recycled from last year... pretty baskets filled with colored eggs and candy. Oh, and don't forget the festive "basket of currencies" with which they're planning to replace the U.S. Dollar as the world's reserve currency....

Don't Take Your Life For Granted - Click To Read Article
As you may know, many of my clients are seeking to increase their inspirational leadership. You can't be an inspirational leader until you're inspired, and you can't be inspired without being happy and appreciative of the many wonderful things that surround you. So take an inventory of the things (or people) you might be taking for granted, and find a way to be more appreciative of them now....

The Miracle of Failure - Click To Read Article
If you're trying to build your inspirational leadership, make sure you have good stories to tell about your successes. But don't leave out the lessons from your failures. Those might be the most inspiring stories you have to tell....

Turn Your Body Into A Fat-Burning Machine - Click To Read Article
You need to take personal responsibility for your own health and vitality. Times are tough already, and experts say far worse times are coming before things get better. So you're going to need your energy to run your own business, succeed in your work, and manage your investments (financially and otherwise)....

Get In The Business Of Getting Into Business - Click To Read Article
People are making excellent incomes online these days, and enjoying the lifestyle of freedom and prosperity that comes with internet business ownership. Perhaps the greatest opportunity is in recruiting - inspiring others to start their own home businesses, and coaching them to success in their enterprises. If you don't have a Big Idea for an internet business that no one's thought of before, you can join any number of legitimate, lucrative, ready-made platforms for your own business....

Three Places To Look For Inspiration - Click To Read Article
If your passion and inspiration are waning, try one or all of these three things to give it a new boost. Consider it a "spring cleaning" for your soul, if you like....

I Want You To Be Stinking Rich - Click To Read Article
The progressives who've ended up with power in America want you poor, and dependent upon the government for your very livelihood. I don't. I want you to be stinking rich, and making the nation (and the world) a better place for all of us....

The Best Leaders Are Inspired People - Click To Read Article
Work to spot the inspirations, great and small, in your own life. They're all around you. And here's another thing I'll tell my clients, and you: I believe your Life wants to be inspired. You are meant to be excited, happy, and full of the joy of your life. So don't just focus on the miles you have to go; rejoice in the miles behind you, and enjoy the moment you're in....

What's The Best Internet Business To Start? - Click To Read Article
Of course, you have to make a TEAM of investments (Time, Energy, Attention, and Money) to get into any business, and that never changes. These days, though, you can get into business in cyberspace for a fraction of the TEAM investment previous generations needed to open retail stores, car washes, or law offices. And there are plenty of online business opportunities out there. But which one's best....

Health Habits: Prevention's Your Only Choice - Click To Read Article
Smart industry observers have been worrying about looming shortages of doctors and cures ever since the beginning of the "health care reform" debate in every western nation. The progressives, of course, ridiculed such worries as unfounded. But last month's edition of "Cancer" magazine reports the shortages are real, and they're already upon us....

A Few First Steps Toward Inspirational Leadership - Click To Read Article
One of the first bits of advice I can give my clients is that they will not begin to develop a reputation for inspirational leadership until they eliminate (or significantly reduce) the things they do that actually de-motivate the very people they're trying to inspire. Many managers, knowingly or unknowingly, fall into patterns of behavior their teams find uninspiring. Here are some of the more common patterns, and what you can do to stay out of the traps and move toward inspirational leadership....

Three Strategies For Crash-Proof Wealth Building - Click To Read Article
Experts say the powers-that-be have already taken us past the point of no return on global financial collapse, and it's just a matter of time. What can you do to prepare? How can you build wealth, and what is still possible in terms of crash-proofing your prosperity? The first three strategies you should consider are entrepreneurship, education, and engagement....

Inspirational Leaders Play Show-And-Tell - Click To Read Article
The most inspirational leaders know how to lead by example, but beyond that, they are excellent show-and-tell masters. They are well beyond simply not letting their employees see them doing the wrong things... they take the time and initiative to show folks how to do the right things. They don't just give orders and advice, they also give demonstrations and training. They don't wait to be asked for directions; they're willing to jump in with examples....

Be Creative With "Hidden" Exercise - Click To Read Article
You should do everything you can to make time for your health. But if you truly can't take on a regular exercise regimen, be creative. Find ways to get your heart rate up - at least a little - by finding hidden exercise in your everday chores....

How To Increase Sales Performance - Click To Read Article
Sales is actually a subset of the company's overall marketing effort - it's the primary tool through which a business finds its customers (just as Customer Service is the subset of marketing activities responsible for keeping those customers). When revenue lags, the marketing manager (or entrepreneur) has to look first at how to increase sales performance. And it turns out Sales has its own lesser-known set of 4-P fundamentals: Planning, Prospecting, Presenting, and Paperwork....

Inspirational Leaders Make No Excuses - Click To Read Article
Whatever your line of work, you're going to run into adversity. The most successful people in life are not the ones who seem to have everything handed to them, but the ones who run into deep trouble and find a way to handle it....

Successful Entrepreneurs Know Their Strengths - Click To Read Article
I still work hard, as any entrepreneur does, but I now spend my time like a CEO (not like a salesperson, and not like the "administrator" I think my introverted style was driving me to be early-on). I focus on the things I do best, and let some high-power pros do for me the things I don't want to do (or don't do well). And now I coach my new-entrepreneur clients to consider strategic outsourcing as a way for them to do the same....

What To Do When You're Lacking Inspiration - Click To Read Article
The primary source for "inspiration" in business is to focus on "Why." Why do you do what you do? Why'd you choose that career, that industry, that company? Why did you decide to start your own business? Figure out "Why," and you'll find inspiration pretty quickly. I'm a former journalist, and they trained us in journalism school to look at the Ws - Who, What, When, Where, and (of course) Why. (They also threw in How, and constantly lamented the fact that word did not start with W.) If you're struggling with what to do when you're lacking inspiration, try these other "Ws" and see if they don't point back to "Why."

Where Are All The Small Businesses? - Click To Read Article
Sure, the economy is tough, and it's hard to run a successful business even when times are good. You have to make a lot of good decisions, minimize your mistakes, delight your customers, motivate your team. In any time or place, it can seem like an uphill climb. But lately, I've been saddened by seeing too many nice little businesses fail....

Spring Cleaning? Don't Forget Your Colon - Click To Read Article
Even if you're doing well with your daily health habits, toxins from our modern lifestyles are building up inside you all the time. These toxins tend to be stored in your digestive system; specifically, experts say people carry as much as 25 extra pounds of undigested waste in their colons, and it's a good bet you are carrying at least ten extra pounds there right now. A good cleansing program is the only way to defeat the long-term effects on your health of modern toxicity....

Inspirational Leadership: It's Personal - Click To Read Article
It's a simple lesson, and you're never too old (or too important) to learn it. People trust people they know, and they trust those who can somehow come across as a "business casual" person regardless of how they're dressed. If you want to develop more inspirational leadership, think about how you're sharing your true, personal self with your clients. You may have to lead with business solutions, sure, but don't forget to have a pulse. After all, do you want your clients and customers to trust you, or simply plug into your knowledge and download it? Isn't the relationship more important than the business problem you're solving...?

The Best Technique To Train Sales Reps - Click To Read Article
Here are some of the reasons role-playing really works. First, it puts salespeople in situations they don't face every day, re-familiarizing them with the right methods for handling difficult objections. Role-playing is also good medicine - part of the reason it's successful is precisely because it makes salespeople a little uncomfortable and forces them to stretch themselves. It's also the best way to build empathy for customers - in a typical role-play, one of your salespeople is playing herself, but another is playing a customer, and will likely bring "pretend" challenges to the exercise that replicate the real challenges he's faced in the field. Finally, there is simply no better way to practice the skills of selling, and no professional in any field does her best work without practice....

What's The Importance Of Purpose And Direction In Business? - Click To Read Article
Any professional entrepreneur knows that running a business is too hard to do without an overwhelming drive and motivation. Every single day, part of you wants to give up, to go back to your old trade-time-for-money job, to sell the equipment and move to another state. It seems like there are endless forces arrayed against you, and you are tempted to whisper doom to yourself all the time. But that voice in your brain grows softer with each day, week, and month of success in business, which only comes when you have a real "why" driving you....

What Role Should The Government Be Playing In Health Care? - Click To Read Article
The government is geared to take as much control of your health care as it can, even though your care will be better the less government intervenes. So don't rely on government health care. Take personal responsibility for your own vitality, and reduce your dependence on the government's role in medical care. Your discipline in your own daily health habits is the most important factor (by far) in the future of your own personal vitality....

Two Lessons From The Global Economy - Click To Read Article
The future will belong to Smart Entrepreneurs: people who are willing to bet on themselves and take initiative, but who also have taken the time and energy to educate themselves about what's really going on in the global economy. Experts say more "new money" wealthy will be created during the coming few months than at any time in history... and that should be highly inspiring to you....

Inspirational Leadership: Personal Transformation - Click To Read Article
You are meant for abundance, for wealth, for a fulfilling and joyous life. But you may be "possessed" by a different character, and that character may be mired in a mindset of scarcity, of poverty, and of misery. It won't be easy to step back into your true self after wearing such an alien costume for so long. But you can do it. Be the successful entrepreneur you know you want to be... then you will do what such people do... and then you will have what such people have....

Wealth Building: Accelerate Your Prosperity - Click To Read Article
What's the darkest cloud hanging over your head? If you're like most people, it's your financial profile. High debt, a high (and growing) tax burden, and lower earnings can combine to create a worrisome headache for anyone. Sure, the arrival of Spring brings most of us a little uplift in attitude... but to truly revitalize your mindset, start by attacking those dark storm clouds in your personal finances....

Ten Ways To Spring-Clean Your Body - Click To Read Article
It's time to get healthy! If you've spent the winter in sedentary mode, it's time to use the change of seasons as an inspiration to change your health habits. You need to ramp up your vitality and energy so that you'll be at your best to handle the challenges ahead. Here are ten ideas for revitalizing your energy this spring....

Personal Responsibility: Lessons From Japan - Click To Read Article
Who knows how many lives will be lost to Japan's recent disasters before the final tally is taken? One of the most devastating earthquakes in world history, followed by a cataclysmic tsunami, along with danger from damaged nuclear plants... all enough to create crisis in any nation. Remember the ruin of Haiti in the wake of last year's quake? But every nation of the Earth, including the mighty United States, can take lessons from the character of the Japanese people in their struggle against the adversity they now face....

Time To Crash-Proof Your Wealth - Click To Read Article
The truth is this: the wealth-building strategies that worked for the past six decades will not work for the next six years (or less). What's needed now is a new, informed approach to wealth and prosperity that flies in the face of traditional wisdom....

Inspirational Leaders Challenge Themselves - Click To Read Article
If, like many of my colleagues and clients, you want to be a better leader - even a more inspirational leader - you need to keep challenging yourself. The best leaders are the best people... and only by challenging yourself can you be your best. When you're tempted to pull back and ride the tide, focus on some of the things the world's best purveyors of inspirational leadership think about all the time....

Maybe States Could Just Swap Their Senators - Click To Read Article
See, with SWEEP, Wisconsin and Illinois could actually swap senators. Never mind that voters elected them in different places (heck, when has what the voters wanted ever stood in the way of progressive hope and change?)... what matters is that everybody's drinking beer and voting with people they completely agree with. I'm sure there must be a commensurate number of minority Republican state senators in Illinois who'd be happy to commute to Madison to provide a quorum, and to have some beers with other Republicans....

Inspirational Leadership: Renew Your Own Passion - Click To Read Article
Since your own passion is key to your ability to deliver inspirational leadership, how do you renew it? Here are some ideas that have worked for my clients over the years....

Take Personal Responsibility For Your Health - Click To Read Article
Too many of my clients and colleagues are letting their health habits slide. Maybe they feel they're just too busy with other things. Some actually trust in the medical system to "fix" whatever they need fixing, whenever the time comes. But you mustn't do that. You are your own best hope for a long, healthy life....

Happy 94th Birthday, Granny! - Click To Read Article
It truly amazes me to think about what my grandmother has lived to see, from the rise and fall (and ugly reappearance these days) of the communist experiment to the complete transformation of daily life through technological advancement. Perhaps the most wonderful thing about it, speaking selfishly, is the fact that Granny was able to make it to 94. This beloved person, who always had time for me and saved my life on a number of occasions, would not have lived 94 years if the America of 1917 had existed toward the end of her life, instead of at the beginning....

Beware The Modern-Day Music Man - Click To Read Article
Wake up, America. The economy is a "dead man walking," and things are going to get much worse before they get better. Are you ready? Do you have your own source of revenue to protect yourself from the day you lose your job? Do you have a plan to protect your family from hyperinflation and the collapse of our currency? Are you aware of the global conspiracy against wealth, and what you can do about it? It is still not too late. If you get smart now, you might well be one of the informed few who profits greatly from the coming financial disaster. Remember: more wealthy people were created during The Great Depression than at any previous time in history....

Gain Wealth Through Happiness - Click To Read Article
There are two types of people: the Victim, and the Entrepreneur. Many Entrepreneurs own their own businesses; some don't, but instead practice their entrepreneurial initiatives in the employ of others. It's not business ownership that distinguishes the two types: it's a mindset of abundance. Entrepreneurs keep their optimism and joy even when business is "down." Victims are never happy, and more money won't change that....

Health Habits: Exercise Your Outside Options - Click To Read Article
Spring is still almost three weeks away in North America, but in much of the country, "cabin fever" is starting to bring humans back outdoors after months of hibernation. That's a good thing! Getting outside, even for a few minutes a day, can lift your spirits and aid your health and well-being....

Does The Economy Have You Living In Fear? - Click To Read Article
Inspirational leaders approach life with the entrepreneur's sense of optimism. In every problem they see opportunity; in every storm, a coming rainbow. So those among us with a measure of inspirational leadership will see that the time is now to prepare - for disaster, but more importantly for the wealth and abundance to become a safe haven for others....

Government Does Not Create Jobs Or Wealth - Click To Read Article
Americans are starting to see behind the curtain, and they're refusing to buy what's behind it. Average Americans see the declining purchasing power of their dollars from the gas pump to the grocery store. They see someone in their family or neighborhood who's been out of work for over a year. They see unions tear apart state capitols for more rights to bloated salaries and benefits, and they see taxpayers stating clearly that such luxurious jobs can no longer be afforded. They see their own credit card bills and their own shaky retirement accounts. When the media asks them to believe what they're being told instead of what they see, average Americans shake their heads and worry....

Inspirational Leadership: "Why Did You Hire Me?" - Click To Read Article
The most successful leaders know why people choose their leadership, and they continue to develop that "brand" (and adapt it as the market changes) to maximize their success - and that of their business....

Wealth And Prosperity Is A Slow, Consistent Process - Click To Read Article
Since the second world war, people in the western world built wealth primarily by working a salaried job, saving money from their salaries, and investing in standard vehicles such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. It was the slow-and-steady way to get rich, and it served at least two generations very well. But what worked to build wealth and prosperity for the past sixty years will not work for the next sixty months. In fact, the world economy is in such a shambles right now, traditional wealth-building strategies are already at great risk... and only a tiny percentage of investors are aware of this....

If "Onelife" Can Be Saved By Statist Regs... - Click To Read Article
Today, I'm chatting with Joe Onelife, the famous "everyman" you've heard so much about recently. I thought Joe would be far too busy to grant me an interview, given he's the center of so much attention from the liberal-statist cultural crusaders running America (and other nations)... but, being unemployed, it turns out Joe has plenty of time on his hands and was happy to join me in my office today....

Your Mindset Drives Your Vitality - Click To Read Article
You've heard the same stories I've heard, of people who overcame physical limitations, or even beat diseases, in a way that seems miraculous. Personally, I would not bet against a divine intervention in these cases. But you can't help but notice that people who beat long odds are almost always those who cultivate in themselves an attitude of optimism, a positive spirit, and an expectation of success....

Time To Get Rolling! - Click To Read Article
The other day I had an experience that made me feel terrified, relieved, hilariously amused, and reflective... all in the space of about four minutes....

What Makes A Good Management Consultant? - Click To Read Article
Many times during the course of my career as a coach to the world's best consultants, I've been asked what it takes to make a good advisor. The short answer - a synthesis of many key attributes - is that great advisors are all about the development of their clients. All consultants are smart, and have good systems backing them up. The great ones don't focus on their own smarts. Their focus is on the smarts of their clients....

The Entrepreneur Vs. The Victim - Click To Read Article
There are basically two types of people out there in the business world. Even though I'm aware that we all have both types within us, and that we might lean more or less in our dominant direction as circumstances change in our lives, I've learned that one or the other type dominates each of us. I'm talking about the Entrepreneur, and the Victim....

Inspirational Leadership: Ask For Feedback - Click To Read Article
There are at least three good reasons to do this, and why leaders who seek to inspire their teams should consider asking their subordinates for feedback... even advice....

Health Habits: Take Another Look At Your Carbs - Click To Read Article
Whether you're running a business, like most of my clients, or involved in the pursuit of other achievements, you need your energy. If you're carrying around a lot of extra fat, you're not as nimble as you ought to be. Think about how cutting the carbs can boost your energy in a healthy, disciplined way....

Valentine's Day Memories: I (Heart) My Kids - Click To Read Article
There are two kinds of people out there - "Victims" and "Entrepreneurs" - and only when we are operating as Entrepreneurs do we have the spirit to be leaders. And the truly inspirational leaders do what they do because they, like all Entrepreneurs, have a mission to contribute to others. To be inspiring, they have to start by being inspired... and working from a place of love is a great fast-track to inspiration....

Always Respect What You Have To Offer - Click To Read Article
Leaders, sales people, consultants - anyone who makes their living by influencing and encouraging others - these folks know it's key to respect what you have to offer. You are a good deal. A GREAT deal. As a starting point, give yourself permission to realize that about yourself. And make sure you work hard to back up such a bold claim! That's what true entrepreneurs do... they figure out what people really need, and they create the solutions that fulfill those needs....

Unconstitutional Obamacare Law Declared "Void" - Click To Read Article
If Obamacare stands, it will take a few years, but you will lose the opportunity you now have for excellent medical care. It's just a simple fact that government cannot run a nationwide health care system as well as the free market can (it's been proven everywhere it's been tried), and the ultimate losers will be the patients. So don't leave your very health and vitality up to the government....

Hume's "50-100" Rule Of Business Success - Click To Read Article
My experience in these two very-different businesses, both in sales and in management, taught me some valuable lessons which I later developed into a philosophy of entrepreneurship. I call it "Hume's 50-100 Rule of Business Success," and it goes something like this....

Beginning Sales Tips: The Wisdom Of SW 4 - Click To Read Article
Present your offering to qualified prospects. Some will buy (though you may have to handle a couple of objections to make them comfortable with their buying decision). Some won't. So what? There are other qualified prospects out there waiting for you to help them make buying decisions that could literally change their lives....

Move Your Iceberg II: Be, Do, Have - Click To Read Article
Most people who want to improve their lives try to do it backwards. They see others enjoying a better life, and their first desire is to HAVE what those others have. If only they had something different (more money, more time, more energy, whatever), they reason, why, then they could DO the right things and BE the better person. Wrong....

Send Obama To Egypt! - Click To Read Article
Given the leftist-driven uprisings in the Middle East, notably in Egypt these days, wouldn't it make more sense to send Mr. Obama over there? Not that it would take much to entice him to make a fundamental transformation in his own job description, but here are some selling points - advantages for all involved - for the idea of promoting the president to pharaoh....

Focused Action Has The Power To Move You - Click To Read Article
What goals are you pursuing? Getting into shape, renewing your health? Are you launching a new product or business? Are you recruiting a team to help your business grow and prosper? Any of these goals, and a host of others, require focused action. They require a focus on courage and integrity - either to move yourself, or to help others move forward in great strides. As the leader, the focus of the team is largely your personal responsibility....

Personal Responsibility: No Strings Attached? - Click To Read Article
I've made two points repeatedly, and I saw a movie last weekend that confirmed 'em both....

Move Your Iceberg! - Click To Read Article
How do you make a meaningful change in your life? That's the million-dollar question. Without that question, there would be no executive coaching or personal development industry, and I'd be out of business. Nevertheless, I'm going to answer the question, right here, right now. And chances are you're still going to want more brilliant advice from professionals like me....

Statism Of The Union II - Click To Read Article
As far as the observation that both have (or had) the ability to make great speeches, I'll concede that Presidents Reagan and Obama are similar. But the similarities end there. In terms of real substance, Barack Obama definitely ain't Ronald Reagan....

Health Habits: 7 Ways To Defeat Stress - Click To Read Article
I coach people to achieve general excellence in their work - and in their lives. Most of my clients these days are running their own businesses, though I also have many clients who are exercising their "entrepreneurial" muscles in the service of a company they don't own. Either way, the majority of my clients are dealing with major stress issues - some to the point of interference with their job and life satisfaction....

Resveratrol: The Best (Easy) Medicine For Anti-Aging - Click To Read Article
Years ago, researchers from Harvard Medical School (and others) found an impressive nutrient with the power to fight aging, improve cardio-vascular and neurologic health, and help the human body battle everything from fatigue to disease. It's called "resveratrol," and it's the ingredient in red wine that you've heard so much talk about lately....

Socialism In The End Zone - Click To Read Article
Late January in the United States: the season of the State of The Union presidential address, and the run-up to the Super Bowl. As the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers prepare to face each other about a week from now (and as the media bombard us with every exciting detail of that preparation), it might be helpful to remember that American politics is a lot like American football. Two sides battle back and forth in both games, and it's amusing to watch....

What Are You Worth? - Click To Read Article
The other day, I was listening to a highly-successful (millionaire) internet entrepreneur coaching three new colleagues. Each of them had recently decided upon a career transition, leaving their trade-time-for-money jobs to strike out on their own in cyberspace. The coach asked each of them to address three questions: how much money they'd made in the job they just left, why they left, and what they expected to make in their new venture. The conversation went something like this....

The Statism Of The Union - Click To Read Article
The state of America is dreary; the country's in a downward spiral toward statism. We live in a nation where all influential institutions, regardless of how they're chartered, are "owned" by the statists... from the Democrat echo-chamber that our media have become to the boot camps for "progressives" that are our colleges and universities....

Be A Hawk - Click To Read Article
Whatever your endeavor, from getting into shape to driving your business, you need to be smart in the way you use your personal resources of time, energy, and focus. So watch for your own opportunities - watch like a hawk - and be ready, when it's time, to seize them....

Inspirational Leaders Know How To Focus - Click To Read Article
It happens to all of us. No one can stay completely focused, with intensity, all the time. But when you find yourself in a bad patch, when nothing seems to be working in your job or your business, think about renewing your focus....

Personal Responsibility: Protect Your Wealth - Click To Read Article
There's a global conspiracy against wealth today. It isn't obvious - no conspiracy is - but the signs are there if you know what to look for. A "jobless recovery"... a collapsing dollar... runaway government spending... bloated "zombie" entitlement programs that've long eclipsed the policies they were originally intended to implement and now exist with the sole purpose of furthering their own existence... these are all indicators of the worldwide march away from economic freedom and toward collectivist state control. If and when the conversion to global socialism is completed (and the current liberal U.S. government is sprinting as fast as they can toward that day), wealth will be sin, and it will be too late to protect what you've worked for....

Nobody's Inspired By The Blame Game - Click To Read Article
Too much time and energy have been spent by the major institutions of our country (news media, infotainment, government) in debating who or what was responsible for the shooting of Gabby Giffords and others on January 8. It hasn't inspired anyone. Not enough time and energy have gone toward considering who or what is responsible for her recovery, described by her own doctors as nothing short of "miraculous"....

The Investment World Is Changing Fast - Click To Read Article
The modifications to the global financial industry have been minor tweaks in comparison to the changes that are coming. Social, political, and economic factors are combining to fundamentally change the game, beginning in the United States with the progressive government's all-out effort to convert the world's largest economy to socialism. That means the old ways of thinking that've served investors so well for decades will not serve them well in the future....

Government Needs To Change Its Own Health Habits - Click To Read Article
Obamacare is, at bottom, a wild spending spree. It's a government land-grab. It's a transfer of a sixth of the U.S. economy from the job-creating private sector to the wealth-destroying public sector. In a metaphoric sense, Obamacare (having been rammed down the patient's throat with dubious legislative procedures) is like a cancer on our economy. It's a glut of carcinogenic taxes and spending, the likes of which have made our government fat, slow, and stupid....

Successful Entrepreneurs Are Our Last Best Hope - Click To Read Article
Several recent moves by the leftist administration of President Barack Obama are raising more alarms among those who fear a collapse of the global economy. A blunt summary would be to say the president and his colleagues seek to drastically diminish the standing of America in the world. This would be akin to taking a heavy hammer to the foundation of a house, since (as by far the world's biggest market) the U.S. could fairly be said to be the foundation of global economic activity. Diminishing America will lead to poverty and unrest throughout the world....

The Winter Blues Are No Match For Your Optimism - Click To Read Article
If it's been awhile since you've counted up your many blessings, or reminded yourself how much you appreciate the things and people in your life, it's time to do it again. This time of year, folks in the northern hemisphere get a little sad. The holidays are gone, but the bad weather persists... and it seems some days like it will never end! But if you are able to read this, you are living a life of tremendous abundance. Be thankful for it....

Health Habits: Set Goals And Start Now - Click To Read Article
You're feeling a little bloated after the holiday festivities? In most of our societies, that's pretty normal this time of year. No need to panic... but you do need to re-establish some discipline in your daily health habits. The key is to set good goals for your own actions and behaviors, and then start immediately....

Why The Left Must Politicize Tragedy - Click To Read Article
The most despicable thing that happened last weekend was the mass shooting in Arizona. The second most despicable thing was the left-wing media's abandonment of all objectivity in an attempt to baselessly blame the shooting on conservativism, for their own selfish purposes....

Inspirational Leaders Are People Of Action - Click To Read Article
You might be the most empathetic listener and the most confident speaker in the world, but without strong, principled action, your other skills are unlikely to inspire a great followership. People follow those who inspire them, usually because they see the leader herself as inspired... and because they've seen her take on difficult challenges and turn them into inspiring accomplishments. Here are a few ideas for jump-starting your renewed activity for the new year....

Inspirational Leaders Communicate With Confidence - Click To Read Article
There's an old expression the would-be inspirational leader would do well to observe: If you don't believe what you're saying, why should I....

Beginning Sales Tips: Start With The Customer - Click To Read Article
A good number of my clients and readers are emerging sales professionals. One of the biggest mistakes new salespeople make is to adopt a "push" mindset, which drives them to think first of presenting what they have to offer. A seasoned sales pro, though, knows the best approach starts with a customer-oriented mindset that leads more toward getting to know the customer (and her needs) through artful questioning....

Be Courteous As You Renew Your Health Habits - Click To Read Article
Whether you've maintained your regular visits to the gym, or are just embarking on a new membership and a new fitness push, it's important to be respectful of the others you meet at the gym....

Businesses For Introverts: Profits From Cyberspace - Click To Read Article
Lots of would-be entrepreneurs fail to get into business for themselves for one simple reason: they're introverts, and they're convinced you can't be both an introvert and an entrepreneur. But as a clear introvert with entrepreneurial aspirations, I'm here to tell you it just ain't so. Here are three things introverts should consider when they feel the entrepreneurial urge....

Are You Really Listening? - Click To Read Article
Most folks are just starting to dig in again after a relaxing holiday season; leaders are no exception. If, like many of my clients and colleagues, you are always on the lookout for ways to increase your inspirational leadership, this is a good time of year to check yourself out on the key skill that can keep a team inspired by your leadership: your listening skill. Here are some key questions to ask as you check the current state of your own listening ability....

Be An Entrepreneur This Year - Click To Read Article
Whether you own your own business, make your money through investing, or have a traditional job, you need to take personal responsibility for maximizing your Entrepreneurial spirit this year. The challenges out there are tough, and you'll need to bring forth you very best to beat them....

'Tis The Season For Relaxation - Click To Read Article
We're in the middle of the week between the holidays. Most Americans are enjoying lighter work schedules this week, and a festive mood at home. That's a blessing, and you should take full advantage of it....

Inspirational Leadership: Some Resolutions - Click To Read Article
Most of my clients are thinking about how to make 2011 a better year in terms of their own inspirational leadership. Here are three ideas for New Year's resolutions for the leader who wants to maximize her potential to inspire....

Recession's Over? Bah, Humbug - Click To Read Article
Don't be fooled. The recession isn't over, and things are going to get a lot worse before they get better. And it will be personal responsibility, not government takeover of the private sector, that will save the economy....

Inspirational Leaders Endure To The Finish - Click To Read Article
Though the good guys won a very big victory all those years ago, the dark forces of national socialism are still out there today. They're trying to regroup, and through more evolution than revolution, they're still after our freedom. Let's not let the sacrifice of generations of heroes go to waste; let's keep the spirit of the holidays in us, and let's make the most of the freedom we enjoy....

Keep Christmas Every Day Of The Year! - Click To Read Article
Liberal politicians are on the wane here in America, and that's another thing we can all be thankful for this holiday season. Meanwhile, like Christ, let's try to remember to keep the spirit of Christmas in us every day of the year. Even if you aren't Christian, I believe it's that same spirit of brotherly love which I recognize as the Christmas spirit which brings out the best in you. And there's no reason not to bring forth your best every single day of the year....

Start An Internet Business Now - Click To Read Article
There are several reasons now is the perfect time to start an internet business, or to migrate some/all of your brick-and-mortar business to the world of click-and-order....

No Big Tax Hike For Americans... For Now - Click To Read Article
I credit the president for taking the heat from his radical left-wing base. After all, he did promise many times to end the hated "Bush Tax Cuts." But the deal passed both houses of Congress, largely because they were able to attach more massive spending (and more sky-high federal debt) to what really amounts to an extension of the status quo on income tax rates. It's not like he's cutting anyone's taxes. So while the liberals howl about "tax cuts for the rich," they're probably secretly rejoicing over this deal. They get one more opportunity to fan the flames of class warfare. They get to keep the country marching toward economic disaster and collectivist government....

Inspirational Leaders Are True Professionals - Click To Read Article
I've mentioned before that there are two types of person, the Victim and the Entrepreneur. The Victim blames everyone but himself for anything that goes wrong, yet relies on others to take care of him... the Entrepreneur relies on herself and expects to take care of business. It should be obvious that only the Entrepreneur in each of us is capable of true professionalism.

Inspire Everyone You Meet - Click To Read Article
Many of my clients are people who own a business or make money by investing, or both; some are captains of industry, some are leaders in other walks of life. Whatever their "calling," the overwhelming majority tell me they'd like to be more inspirational leaders. Here's a tip: if you aspire to inspire great things in others, practice by inspiring small kindnesses in everyday life. Do this by showing kindess yourself....

Don't Rely On Government Health Care - Click To Read Article
Make it easier for your body to recover from the holidays. In a few days, when you start on your New Year's resolutions, you'll thank yourself....

The Face Of The Season - Click To Read Article
I think a major reason our clients hire our caroling group is just that... we get them to smile. We are, of course, cleverly entertaining and wittily amusing. But we also consider it our personal responsibility to bring the real spirit of the season to everyone we meet. And that tends to make people smile....

Keep Breathing This Christmas - Click To Read Article
You don't want to think about all the toxins building up inside your body while you let your health habits slip during the holidays. Thinking about that won't make the season more joyful! And your body becomes more vulnerable to toxins as your stress level mounts. So here are three ideas to help you keep the stress a little lower through the holidays....

Government Takeover Continues Its Deaf March - Click To Read Article
If you haven't yet made your move to start your own business and grow and protect your wealth, you need to get on it. President Obama and his liberal colleagues in the U.S. federal government are marching double-time toward their goal of fundamentally transforming America into a Land Of No Opportunity... and their flawless execution of government takeover that transferred a sixth of the U.S. economy from private to public sector (under the Orwellian label of "health care reform") was only the beginning.

Are You Joyful This Christmas? - Click To Read Article
Find a way to make the holidays joyous for yourself this year. There are plenty of things to worry about out there, from the global economic wreck to the alarming lack of health and vitality in America. But worrying about those things won't make them go away, and will only make you live a fearful and anxious life. And making yourself crazy with the commercialism of the season won't help, either. You need to put some joy into your emotional storehouse, and the Christmas season will provide you with plenty of joy, if you let it.

You Could Be One Of The "Wealthy" - Click To Read Article
The eerily-accurate economic and societal prophecies of Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" are coming true all around us, more and more each day. The liberal "statists," patient in their progressive plan to take over America and the global economy through "evolution" instead of "revolution," now have real control of the essential U.S. institutions... and they're coming for your money. But if enough of us resist the temptation to let them "take care" of us, we can keep them from taking control of us.

It's The Most Wonderful (And Stressful) Time Of The Year - Click To Read Article
Though it's a challenge, successful entrepreneurs know they have to stay disciplined with their health habits, even during the holidays. If you "run out of gas" during this crucial time of the year, who will drive your business when it most needs driving? So here are a few suggestions to help maintain some attention to the five most important daily health habits I call "The NEWSS" - Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sleep, and Supplements.

Personal Responsibility: Bloom Where You're Planted - Click To Read Article
Most of my clients would like to be more inspirational leaders. If this is also true of you, you have to start by being inspired. And I was reminded this morning that good people are often inspired to their best potential in life by learning to "bloom where they're planted."

Ye Who Now Will Bless The Poor - Click To Read Article
One of my favorite Christmas carols tells the story of Good King Wenceslas. Remember him? The moral of the carol is found in the very last lyric: "Ye who now will bless the poor shall, yourselves, find blessing."

Government Takeover: "Bush Tax Cuts" Are Now OK - Click To Read Article
Today's Pearl Harbor Day, but too few in the U.S. are focused on commemorating America's survival of one of the most heinous attacks ever to take place on its soil. Instead, too many people are distracted today by the bomb dropped by the liberal government late yesterday. They've struck a corrupt bargain to extend the current income tax rates only by accompanying that measure with a massive extension of unemployment benefits.

Government Takeover: They Want Your Money - Click To Read Article
Here's another way to look at it: it's not that they necessarily want the government to have your money; it's more that they don't want YOU to have it. They want you to feel miserable and needy, and ready to vote for any candidate and proposal that promises to "take care" of you. They need you to be unemployed, depending on the government for welfare and food stamps. They need you to be a victim.

Want To Be An Inspirational Leader? - Click To Read Article
What might you be doing to bum out your team? Here are a few simple self-diagnosis questions you can ask to check yourself out.

Bad Medicine: Why Your Health Habits Matter - Click To Read Article
Government health care, at its best, is klunky and inefficient as the medical system tries to fit messy cases into the neat rules that govern who's entitled to what. The trouble is that government health care is rarely at its best. Usually it's at something less than its best, and usually people get sicker, wait forever for remedies, and die.

Opting Out Is In - Click To Read Article
Today, I think opting out is a good idea, given what the global economy and our governments have in mind for us.

Think About Others First - Click To Read Article
If you want to be an inspirational leader, think about that. Whatever is troubling you, find someone who's being tormented even more by the same difficulty, and help them battle it. You'll be amazed at how your own obstacles dissolve before your very eyes.

Thanksgiving Reminder: We Started As Socialists - Click To Read Article
Most people have no clue how lucky they are to have the opportunity to do all this. If it hadn't been for one key decision by one frightened leader hundreds of years ago, America as we know it would never have existed.

Medical Rationing: Why Your Health Habits Matter - Click To Read Article
So will medical care really be rationed? And will we really lose health care plans we wanted to (and were promised we could) keep? Unfortunately, the answer to both questions is "yes." It won't happen all at once, and in some cases the pain won't be felt for years... but Obamacare, if left to stand, virtually guarantees government control of all medical care and the inevitable rationing that would accompany that.

Inspirational Leaders Lead In Giving Thanks - Click To Read Article
If you seek to be an inspirational leader, try this: make every day a day of thanks giving. Don't be a showboat of humility, but do allow your gratitude for the many blessings in your life to be visible and transparent. And thank your people, all the time, every day.

Government Standing Pat On Pat-Downs - Click To Read Article
Yes, it's taken eleven months, but the U.S. Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) is finally responding to the threat representated by last year's failed Christmas Day "underwear bomber" attack. And they're doing it by focusing their energy and resources not on actual terrorists, but on... you.

Inspirational Leaders Love What They Do - Click To Read Article
If you want to be an inspirational leader, as do many of my coaching clients, you have to have a "why" akin to that of the second stone layer. It has to be bigger - far bigger - than just about you. If you're working to pay the bills, great. But if you want to be an inspirational leader, you need more than that.

Take The Red Pill Now - Click To Read Article
In "The Matrix," Neo is offered a choice. He can take the blue pill, and his life goes back to "normal." He's told he'll wake up in his bed with no memory of the choice, and "believe whatever you want." Or, he can take the red pill. Do that, he's told, and though you may think you feel like Alice in Wonderland now... your eyes will be opened and you'll learn just how far down the rabbit hole goes.

Brain Drain: Why Your Health Habits Matter - Click To Read Article
The American economy is like a patient with a horrible ailment - it's had a trillion-dollar medical "reform" shoved down its throat. The patient, plagued by plenty of illnesses before Obamacare, might have survived anyway; but now, the prognosis is pretty bleak.

Failures Bring The Entrepreneur Ultimate Success - Click To Read Article
Everybody fails. It's what you see in your failures, to a large extent, that determines your chance to succeed - and succeed big.

Government Takeover: Oh, So Close - Click To Read Article
It has taken over a hundred years, but the progressives have patiently handed down their vision, through the generations. But instead of a vision of edification, it's a vision of evolutionary destruction - destruction of the constitutional republic that is America - destruction of the greatest free-enterprise opportunity-generating machine the world has ever known.

It's Hard Work, It's Luck, And It's Faith - Click To Read Article
When people, such as my beloved offspring or my coaching clients, ask me what my "secret" is, I say that it's simple. There are two types of people in the world, and you have to be as much as you can of the one type and avoid spending much time as the other.

How Much Of Our Lives Will We Let Them Take Over? - Click To Read Article
Sometimes I really have to wonder about the "political correctness" of California, one of my home states. In fact, in California, "political correctness" is really just a politically-correct term for "liberal insanity." And these days, it seems the state's PC Police have a real thing about the U.S. flag.

Doctor Shortage: Why Your Health Habits Matter - Click To Read Article
The looming doctor shortage is only one of the scary aspects of our new "health care reform." It's only one reason your health habits matter, and you need to take personal responsibility for your own vitality now so that you might be less dependent on government medicine in the future.

Inspirational Leaders Are Persistent - Click To Read Article
If you want to be inspirational, you have to be inspired. And to be inspired, you have to be able to see yourself as a success, which will only happen through persistence. So don't quit trying. You're going to succeed. You may not have the opportunity or calling for the sort of heroism displayed by the likes of Sal Giunta... but in your own little circle you can do great things.

Take Personal Responsibility For Your Future - Click To Read Article
It's time for inspirational leadership. Don't wait for others to take care of you... and don't wait to see if the changes will just pass you by. To prepare, think about undetaking these three bold actions.

Life Is Too Short - Click To Read Article
You don't have to be a saint. But If you want to avoid later regret, you need to put your ego aside occasionally, Do enough kindnesses to confirm for yourself that you are the person you always intended to be.

An Interesting Idea Of Inspirational Leadership - Click To Read Article
Obama Flees To India In Wake Of His "Enemies'" Takeover

Government Takeover: It Ain't Over Yet - Click To Read Article
It's been over a century since the "progressive" movement took hold in America. Since then, the movement has sought not to overthrow the country through "revolution," but through "evolution." One small move at a time. A new entitlement program here, a liberty withdrawn there. The ultimate goal is to erode the free-market libertarian republic and replace it with another socialist state wherein the smart government leaders ensure that no one is "left behind" - and that no one can get ahead.

U.S. Issues A Stop-Payment To Its Government - Click To Read Article
Voters Take First Step To Cancelling Obama's Credit Card

Another Historic American Election - Click To Read Article
It seems like there's no story line that hasn't been done (to death) about today's U.S. election. But one that I've heard nothing about is that of parallels between this election and that of 150 years ago.

Bet On Yourself - Click To Read Article
And Beat Those Who Are Betting Against You

Our National Debt: Now, That's Scary - Click To Read Article
I've been hearing a radio ad that's right on the money - literally. It depicts a little kid coming to the door for "trick-or-treat," dressed not as a vampire or a ghost, but as - that's right - the national debt.

Have A Healthy Halloween - Click To Read Article
Too many people gain too much weight during the holidays. There are too many delights... too many temptations. Here are some ideas to help you keep this Halloween weekend more healthy.

Pay No Attention To "Free Advice" - Click To Read Article
When you get inspired to take on something tough, you're bound to get free advice that you can't make it work. Generally, you should thank the advisor but ignore the advice. If everyone who'd ever been advised against a risky venture had heeded the free advice, nothing great would ever have been accomplished by the human race.

Government Does Not Create Wealth - Click To Read Article
In the United States, we're a week away from some big changes... and the midterm congressional elections are only a part of what's coming.

Leadership Needs Inspiration - Click To Read Article
Whether you're shooting for success at your job, or starting a new business, or trying to create wealth in these tough times, or simply undertaking a personal health intitiative... you need inspiration, and that starts with emotion. You simply have no chance to succeed at anything challenging unless you truly care.

Find Some New Appreciation Today - Click To Read Article
If your pursuit of happiness has taken a hit recently, you aren't alone. But the road to recovery starts with appreciation. Think about how you can rekindle your appreciation for The Big Three in your own life.

Entrepreneurs Are Optimists - Click To Read Article
I've long argued that there are two types of people out there. I call them "The Victim" and "The Entrepreneur." You can usually tell the difference by the sort of energy a person exudes. While everyone experiences their own personal ups and downs, the long-term trend you sense from an Entrepreneur is one of optimism, and that from a Victim is one of pessimism.

Can't We All Just Get Along? - Click To Read Article
I heard a radio commentator the other day describe this politicized shift in the definition of "hate." To liberals, "hate" is any opinion with which liberals don't agree.

Foreign Money? Really? - Click To Read Article
Desperate Democrats Make Wild Claims About Why They're Losing

What Are Your Values? - Click To Read Article
Here's one approach to taking your personal values inventory. It may not be a perfect recipe for you (people do vary), but it's sure to start you reflecting on what's important in your life, and to help you find your own way to clarity around your values, your mission, and your passion.

Truly Inspirational Leaders Are Selfless - Click To Read Article
A Recession is when your neighbor loses his job... a Depression is when you lose yours... and a Recovery is when Barack Obama loses his.

Midterm Election: A Shovel-Ready Project - Click To Read Article
When You Find Yourself In A Hole, Stop Digging

Don't Get Discouraged! - Click To Read Article
Upbeat, "feel good" stories are hard to find these days (and you REALLY want to mute those campaign commercials)... but if you dig around, occasionally you find a nugget of pure gold.

Inspirational Leaders Are Driven By Values - Click To Read Article
A little self-reflection, honesty, and journaling can help you sharpen your value-set, which can help you renew your commitment to your personal sense of integrity. There are many right answers to the question "what do you stand for?"... and inspirational leaders know what their own personal answer is.

It's That Time Of The (Election) Year - Click To Read Article
Here we are now, three weeks before the mid-term U.S. elections, and it's Stupid Season. Judging from the ads we see and hear in a constant daily bombardment, we are supposed to be stupid enough to believe anything, and evidence would only confuse us.

Tax Hikes Are Not About Revenue - Click To Read Article
It's pretty simple. When the U.S. federal government decreases income taxes, they increase government revenue by creating more business opportunities, more jobs, and more taxpayers. Investment dollars flow into the country. On the other hand, when the government increases taxes, they decrease government revenue. Opportunities and jobs are lost; investment dollars flow away to other, more-business-friendly countries.

Welcome (Back) To The Age Of DIY America - Click To Read Article
Big Government, Big Media, Big Medicine, Big Everybody, take note: we're starting to ask ourselves what, exactly, we need you for.

We Can Do This - Click To Read Article
Maybe they don't say the same words, and maybe they say it through the actions they take and the behaviors they exhibit. Maybe you get the idea through the values they espouse, and the way they show that tough things are possible by jumping out and doing those things themselves. But the overall message of optimism - the "we can do this" message - is something all inspirational leaders share.

Does Your Job Make You Sick? - Click To Read Article
These days, when a general mood of worry and anxiety is on the rise in many industries, your job could start making you sick before you realize what's happening. If you're starting to miss work, or if you notice that feelings of dread and anxiety seem to precede or accompany your bouts of illness, it could be the beginning of a pattern. But don't just quit. First, undertake three courses of action that might help you get healthy and happy with your work.

Good Means Good - Click To Read Article
In our modern society, our standards for personal responsibility have virtually disappeared, one "progressive" inch at a time. Today, we tend to give ourselves a free pass for some hideous behavior because we've been "good" in other areas of our lives.

Imagine Your Mission Accomplished - Click To Read Article
Here's a simple visioning exercise I've used successfully with many coaching clients who've wanted to pump-up their inspirational leadership. Try it as a starting point, and if it doesn't help you define (or refine) your sense of purpose, seek some coaching and make it more of a guided journey.

What's Your "Why?" - Click To Read Article
What's your "mission?" Here are a few things to think about if you need to create a personal mission in your work, or if it's time to re-evaluate and retool your mission.

Why Not Start A Health Business Now? - Click To Read Article
There are two things you can do to help prepare for the future of limited health care in the United States: get serious about your daily health habits (so you will postpone and diminish your personal need for medical attention), and think about starting a business related to health and vitality (to help others take personal responsibility for their own health habits).

What Have You Done For Others Lately? - Click To Read Article
Life Is Not About Keeping Yourself Entertained

Government Takeover Just Doesn't Work - Click To Read Article
I'm not advocating text/driving. It's dangerous. Before it was against the law, people did it, they had accidents, and some people even died. I am, however, suggesting that there are better ways to attack such a problem than to make a law against it. And this new study proves I'm right. If even one more person died in a traffic fatality because of this law, it's too many.

Entrepreneurs Don't Claim Entitlement - Click To Read Article
The purpose of a private enterprise is NOT to employ people and provide them with benefits. The purpose is to find and keep customers (by delighting them with your products and services) and to increase the value of the enterprise to its shareholders.

Don't Let It Get To You - Click To Read Article
How can you build your resilience, so that life's little upsets don't become big and gloomy, and so that you don't "waste" emotional time? Here are some ideas you can try, all of which have helped my coaching clients from time to time. The governing principle is that you want to strive to be more of a take-charge "Entrepreneur" type, who takes personal responsibility for keeping a positive attitude, and less of a "Victim" type, who drifts along and allows life to just "happen to him."

Make Five Commitments To Your Vitality Today - Click To Read Article
You need to take personal responsibility to protect your vitality. Take charge today; make five commitments, even little ones, to new health habits that will help you take back your energy. The five most important habits I refer to as The NEWSS: Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sleep, and Supplements.

Someone On Your Team Rub You The Wrong Way? - Click To Read Article
You can't make someone like you, and most people think you can't even make yourself like another person. I would agree. There's no magic trick you can use to turn someone from "not my favorite person" to a good buddy... but if you need to inspire someone with whom you don't enjoy a great relationship, there are a few things you can do to try to build more of a sense of collaboration. I've had some success with all three of these, both on the part of clients I've coached and in my own experience; but as they say in those weight-loss commercials, your results may vary.

Thank God For Godless Communism - Click To Read Article
Though many so-called progressives would love to separate them, from my point of view there are two other continua which march more-or-less in lockstep with communism-capitalism. These are statism-liberty, and atheism-faith. If I correctly remember my eighth-grade history (a subject which is, due to the progressivism currently under discussion, no longer much taught), capitalism has as its running-buddies individual liberty and faith in God. Communism's pals, in stark contrast, are authoritarian control of individuals by the state, and denial of the Almighty in favor of an allegiance to the state that amounts to idolatry.

What's So Special About You? - Click To Read Article
The fact is, our only hope is that the home-gaming generation wakes up and realizes that freedom isn't free, the future isn't certain, and the Constitution of the United States that we celebrate today is the only thing that really makes us special. It isn't "us." It's only us if we get back to being the ballast of the world that our Founding Fathers designed our nation to be.

Successful Entrepreneurs Are In It For The Long Haul - Click To Read Article
There are three long-term practices you should incorporate to ensure your health is optimized and your energy is up to the level you'll need to drive your business. If you want to avoid the mess that traditional medical care is becoming, think about how you can incorporate these.

Are You Human? - Click To Read Article
People are like those websites that ask you to read squiggly letters and type what you read into the little box. Have you seen those? It's a security measure: the website wants to make sure you're human, and not a software program or a robot. Evidently robot software programs can't read squiggly letters, so if you can type the right letters into the little box, you must be human.

Economic Reform Needs Reason And Sense - Click To Read Article
I've noticed an interesting trend lately in U.S. national politics: Republicans manage to look and sound stupid while saying smart things, while Democrats look and sound smart while saying stupid things.

Ode To Summer - Click To Read Article
I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to give in just yet. I'm not ready for the fall. Not this year, and not in my life. I have too much to do: too many adventures to pursue, too many fun things to do, too many lessons to learn.

There's An Economic Storm Coming - Click To Read Article
It's time to pay attention to things like the economy, politics, and the way things are going in the world. If you're like me (and I know I am :), these may be things you haven't spent much time or energy on... and, frankly, don't like to think about. But there are major economic storm clouds gathering, and if you educate yourself now about how to deal with the coming storm, you could be one of the few who come out okay - or even way better than okay.

Successful Entrepreneurs Supplement Their Nutrition - Click To Read Article
If you're in business for yourself, and especially if you're one of the thousands of entrepreneurs running an internet business from your home office, you know you have to take personal responsibility for your own health and vitality. No one's going to do it for you, just like no one else can run your business for you. If you don't drive the enterprise, no one will, and that's why you have to have gas in the tank. You have to be energetic and vital.

Liberalism Is A Dangerous Religion - Click To Read Article
I've heard it said that Liberalism - also known as Progressivism, and even as Socialism and Marxism - is a religion. This is an assertion at which liberals scoff. But what is a religion, really? If you look at the elements by which religion is popularly defined, the assertion that liberalism is a religion is pretty hard to refute.

Need Flexibility? Start Your Business In Cyberspace - Click To Read Article
Think about the flexibility an internet business would offer you in four key areas.

Ten Kindnesses You Can Do Today - Click To Read Article
Here are ten ideas for things you can do today (maybe even all ten of them) to show kindness to someone else. Try doing at least one of these things every day this week, and see how you feel. Look back over the week and see if you don't think you had more of a tendency to smile... and less time to think about your troubles.

Successful Entrepreneurs Can Rest Easy - Click To Read Article
Experts vary on how much sleep you need each day, but consider that you probably need at least eight hours. If you're under undue stress, you need more than you're getting.

The Best Defense Is To Be Offensive? - Click To Read Article
I'm a little spooked by all the near misses the bad guys have had lately. I'm afraid all the practice they're getting will improve their game, and it only takes one ball in the basket to make a big mess in our world. Meanwhile, since our government doesn't have to worry about putting energy and resources into the folly of national security that has distracted so many previous administrations, they're free to focus all their efforts on printing money and "fundamentally transforming" our economy with a storm of socialism.

Personal Responsibility Is The Prescription For Anxiety - Click To Read Article
There's a lot of anxiety out there this summer. I've observed a lot of worry among the talented folks I've coached, and often they're frozen by it, unable to contribute the inspirational leadership they've always brought to their teams and organizations. In many cases they need to learn (and practice) a truth held dear by generations of great professional salespeople: If worry is the sickness, action is the cure.

Government Takeover Will Continue - Click To Read Article
Our current government will keep taking over as many aspects of American life as they can, attacking freedom wherever they see it and installing socialist programs in its place, until we stand up and take our government back. It's supposed to be "by, of, and for the People" - it's time we put things to rights.

Inspirational Leaders Are Masters of Appreciation - Click To Read Article
Don't get sucked into the cynical, mean-spirited misbehavior of your own personal crowd scene. Remember that you have a lot of good stuff of which you should be appreciative, and that whatever bad stuff you have to endure, if you really want to, you can change it. Take personal responsibility, and stand out from the crowd.

I've Figured Out President Obama's Religion - Click To Read Article
I've been hearing a lot of talk lately about President Obama's religion (if any). A recent poll discovered that a high and rising number of Americans believe Mr. Obama is a Muslim. This prompted a strong protest from a White House spokesperson, who claimed the president is "obviously a Christian," based on the fact that he does things like meet regularly with spiritual advisors (things that a Muslim would also do, as would a Buddhist or a Hindu or a Navajo medicine man).

Economic "Reform" Is A Dragon You Can Slay - Click To Read Article
The economy is showing scary signs. It's going to get worse before it gets better, and our generation may have to deal with the sort of privations and difficulties faced by our grandparents and great-grandparents in the Great Depression of the 1930s; I only hope it isn't even worse. Are you ready?

Successful Entrepreneurs Have No Drinking Problem - Click To Read Article
Experts vary on how much water you need in a day. If you are a small person, you might need less... if you're overweight, you need more. But a good rule-of-thumb is 64 ounces, or about two liters, every day.

Real Economic Reform Will Be Like Pulling Teeth - Click To Read Article
I had the pleasure of playing golf and having lunch with one of my beloved sons the other day. We covered a variety of topics, from my recovery from dental surgery to his worries about the future of our country and our economy. And it occurred to us that the story of the former was a pretty good allegory for the unfolding story of the latter.

A Christmas Memory On A Hot August Night - Click To Read Article
As I write this, it's a sultry, steamy August evening and I'm thankful for the blessing of a nice air-conditioned home office. For some reason, my mind has drifted to a holiday memory, one featuring very different weather, and a different collection of blessings for which I'll always be grateful.

Inspirational Leadership: It's All Around Us - Click To Read Article
I want to tell you about Dave, a guy I met at one of the health clubs where I work out. I don't know him well (in fact, I have no idea what his last name is)... but he's told me enough about himself over the years that I can relate what I know as his story. And I think it's pretty inspiring.

This Economic Reform Seems Bad For Small Business - Click To Read Article
Yesterday's news included a sound byte from President Obama, urging Congress (and his opponents in the Republican Party) to stop blocking his next stimulus, this one ostensibly for small businesses... right after all of them return from vacation.

Successful Entrepreneurs Exercise Good Health Habits - Click To Read Article
If you're an entrepreneur, you probably think the last thing you have time for is to go on "a health kick." I can relate. I've started and run several businesses, and in each case The Big Idea tends to take over. It becomes your obsession. You question everything you do against the standard of whether the activity advances the business. But consider that it is your personal energy that is the most defining factor in your business' success. If that's true, you better carve out some time to take care of yourself, and your energy level.

Government Takeover Is Never A Good Idea - Click To Read Article
I have argued that there are two sorts of people out there (and inside each of us): the Entrepreneur, who is self-reliant, personally responsible and lives by a sense of obligation to his fellow human... and the Victim, who relies on others to solve his problems, and lives by a sense of entitlement. If, as a society, we lean toward Victimhood, we're in trouble. If we can give Entrepreneurship the upper hand, we might just solve this mess.

Personal Responsibility: Keep Yourself Happy - Click To Read Article
Here's a simple fact: you can't do your best work unless you're happy.

You Are A Dragon Slayer - Click To Read Article
Yes, you are a dragon slayer. You tackle the world's toughest stuff and make it look easy. You dream, and then turn that dream into reality in the face of withering criticism. You're powerful. You are an entrepreneur in the world, creating something out of nothing, and not a victim. You don't call 9-1-1, you ARE 9-1-1.

Successful Entrepreneurs Protect Their Nutrition - Click To Read Article
You might take a shot at doing some great things in the world... and you might fail. But don't fail for a dumb reason. And no reason for failure could be dumber than simply running out of energy and motivation because you let yourself get fat on stupid snack food. It may seem trivial, but it isn't... your inner entrepreneur is hungry and needs you to feed it.

Personal Responsibility: What Entitles You? - Click To Read Article
... What I got to take away with me was a bloody leg, a great story to tell, and another pointed object lesson on the power of maintaining an attitude of self-reliance and personal responsibility.

"Economic Reform" Bringing New Heat To Election Summer - Click To Read Article
Now that the political parties' primaries have largely ended, and with less than three months before the crucial mid-term elections in the United States, the campaigning for America's heart and soul is underway in earnest. U.S. voters will be asked nothing less than what kind of nation they want to be, and there is a crisp divide between the two competing ideologies on offer. One side offers a governing philosophy of high taxes and high (some would say outrageous) spending centered around so-called "entitlements." The other side wants you to agree with Henry David Thoreau, who said "That government is best which governs least," and seeks smaller government, low taxes, and reliance on private-sector entrepreneurialism to drive economic growth and prosperity.

Personal Responsibility: "Winter's Bone" - Click To Read Article
If you're struggling with your confidence, or feeling victimized by your circumstances, I saw a movie over the weekend I can heartily recommend: "Winter's Bone." It should make you appreciate your lot in life.

They Keep Saying The Rich Don't Pay Their Fair Share - Click To Read Article
These are facts: the top one percent of wage earners in America carry a full 40% of the tax burden. That's only about 1.4 million of us, carrying 40% of the load for the other approximately 300 million. And if the tax rates go back to pre-2001 levels, those 1.4 million who have all that money to invest (and with which to employ vast numbers of other wage earners) will certainly keep that money in their pockets... and that means it'll be sheltered from taxation.

Ten Things To Appreciate Today - Click To Read Article
Entrepreneurship is a form of inspirational leadership. Inspirational leadership requires encouragement. Encouragement requires appreciation, both of oneself, of others, and of life's many blessings. So I encourage you to find ten things to appreciate today. Here's a list of ten "thought-starters," blessings for which I find myself thankful today, and I hope it helps SPARK some ideas in you.

Internet Entrepreneurs Can Enjoy Healthy Lifestyles - Click To Read Article
This year, I started an internet business and have been making a transition to a different routine. Several of my friends and colleagues have asked me how I spend my days now, so I thought I would share a description of my daily routine - at least what it's like these days. I expect to continue to learn, grow, and improve both my self and my routine, but here's a current snapshot.

Personal Responsibility: Get Yourself Into Business - Click To Read Article
If you lose your job, what next? I submit that there are two kinds of people in that situation: the victim, and the entrepreneur.

Inspirational Leadership: Three Ideas To Build Inspiration - Click To Read Article
Many leaders want to become more inspirational, for their team, for their clients, for their organization as a whole. Through years of coaching leaders, I've learned that people only seek inspirational leadership from leaders who are, themselves, inspired. Here are three ideas, in no particular order, to help you build your personal sense of inspiration.

Personal Responsibility: The Bucks Stop Here - Click To Read Article
I could relate plenty of stories about times, throughout my career, when I failed to live up to my personal aspiration to be an inspirational leader continuously driven by personal responsibility. Instead, this is a story from early in my career when I had one of my triumphs - and started to "get it."

Successful Entrepreneurs Take Charge Of Their Vitality - Click To Read Article
These days, more and more sharp people are opting out of the traditional job (or have lost their job), and are starting great internet businesses they can operate from home. These entrepreneurs realize many advantages. They're no longer paid to sit in a certain chair at certain times, but for what actions they take to build their business - which usually takes much less time out of each day. Though they can take their business on the road any time they like, they are free from the forced daily commute. But some entrepreneurs struggle with creating a healthy routine when they suddenly become the master of their schedule every day.

Inspirational Leaders Are Great Listeners - Click To Read Article
Inspirational leadership requires empathy... empathy requires deep awareness of the other person... deep awareness requires a gift for excellent listening.

Free Market Capitalism Is The Worst Economic System - Click To Read Article
Sir Winston Churchill famously quipped: "It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried." With apologies to Mr. Churchill, I would suggest a modernization of that quote based on today's political/economic environment in the United States. You hear a lot about the "failure of capitalism," and how bad it is compared with the socialist Utopia long sought by progressives; but in reality, free-market capitalism far outpaces any other economic system.

Personal Responsibility: Count Your Blessings - Click To Read Article
The way things are going in the world today, it's easy to slide into the "victim mentality" and lose sight of your blessings. In my country, our leaders seem to be doing everything they can to amplify this feeling of frustrated victimhood, seeming to prefer government "help" and control to personal responsibility and the can-do spirit that built the country in the first place. In this hot, stressful season, I'm coaching too many people who seem to have lost too much courage.

Government Takeover: Is Your Small Business Next? - Click To Read Article
The President this morning gave another campaign speech highlighting all the things the U.S. government has done to help America's economy. The recently-signed finance reform bill, he noted, will end corruption and bail-outs of those fat cats on Wall Street. Meanwhile, he said the government is working on a $50 billion package of loans for small businesses, ostensibly to create jobs and get the economy moving.

Inspirational Leadership Is Learned When It's Lived - Click To Read Article
I learned one of my life's most powerful lessons in inspirational leadership when I was almost 19, serving as the newspaper editor for the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division. If any of my old buddies are out there, they might confirm this anecdote with a comment or two.

Inspirational Leadership: You Go First - Click To Read Article
If you want to be a more inspirational leader, you have to go first. Take the bold action you want your team to take. Let them see you struggle as you reach for more within yourself than you might think possible... but make sure you can produce a regular flow of success.

Personal Responsibility Keeps You Strong - Click To Read Article
Dependence on the government, and the largesse of entitlements, could bring this republic down.

Economic Reform Leaves America Unhappy - Click To Read Article
If you haven't seen "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio," you should. Normally, Hollywood preaches a predictable liberal sermon about greedy corporations, the evil military, mythical global warming, and the fantasy triumph of progressive ideas. But someone in Tinsel Town messed up with "Prize Winner"... this 2005 movie, starring Julianne Moore and Woody Harrelson, is an outstanding metaphor for the real relationship between the government and the economy in today's America.

Inspirational Leadership Starts With Personal Responsibility - Click To Read Article
Personal responsibility seems to be losing popularity in America these days. At least, if you keep up with the news, you know the current government is operating much more from a position of government intervention and control than from a guiding principle of personal freedom and responsibility. This, though, is excellent news for leaders who have the desire and ability to drive themselves; as leaders who exude an inspired personal responsibility become more scarce, their value in the "leadership marketplace" soars, and great followers seek them out.

Invest In Real Estate - And Worry? - Click To Read Article
See the news today? Standing out in a sea of bad news, experts now estimate over one million American homes will be foreclosed this year. More than half a million have already been lost to foreclosure since 2010 began. In a "normal" year, the U.S. sees only a tenth as many foreclosures. Yikes! House foreclosures up ten times?

HEALTH HABITS of Successful Entrepreneurs - Click To Read Article
In today's stress-filled business environment, a successful entrepreneur needs to maintain his or her energy and vitality in order to be successful. Here are the five most important habits for maintaining a level of health that will help you drive your business... just think about the daily NEWSS.

Small Business Start Up: Now's The Time! - Click To Read Article
There's no question it will be harder and harder to make it on what you earn at work. But before you go looking for a second job from a second employer, you'd be smart to think about making your own job, right at home.

Financial Debt: America's New Public Enemy - Click To Read Article
All this new "reform" debt means more new plants and business locations not opening... more product lines and new innovations not being launched... more research into problem-solving technologies not being sponsored... and more jobs not being created. If you are looking for work, or to improve on your current job, you need someone to invest in you. It's tough hunting this season.

Relationship Stress: Income Is An Issue - Click To Read Article
Nothing stresses a marriage more than financial difficulty. Money is one of the chief things people find to fight about at home. And these days, when money is tight all around, relationship strife is a clear and present danger. There are two things I suggest when a person faces financially-related relationship stress.

I Hate My Job - Click To Read Article
Over the years, it's been my privilege to coach and counsel many sharp professionals who've fallen out of love with their work. In the course of those dialogues, I've developed two simple bits of advice.

Personal Freedom: Do You Own Your Own Job, Or Does It Own You? - Click To Read Article
No matter what you "do for a living," you are in The Business Of You. You have cut a deal and are selling your precious labor resource for an agreed-upon price. How good a deal are you getting? About a decade ago, one of the big corporate catch-phrases was "the war for talent," and employers were in the position of having to pay top dollar to lure the best talent. These days, the scenario is very different: talk of a war for talent has been replaced with the old reliable assertion that "you're lucky to have a job." But you must not buy into this thinking! You have to find a way to own your own resource, to the greatest extent possible, and not get into a situation where your job owns you.

Media Bias: Can Small Business Survive? - Click To Read Article
When I went to journalism school decades ago, we were taught that the media is supposed to be objective. In fact, the true hard-core journalists I knew refused even to vote in elections, just as a precaution against forming an unwanted bias. Wow! What a difference from that day to this. Now we are fed a steady diet by the media, not of the news and facts, but of the "direction" and agenda. Dissent is unwelcome on good days and openly fought on most. Not that it matters, but it's hard to figure out whether we have a state-run media in the U.S. or a media-run state!

Recession-Proof: Have A Second Income Online - Click To Read Article
We all need to take a step back and think about where we are placing our financial bets, and I'm not talking about investments like the stock market. Where are you betting your own ability to generate income? You may have a solid job with a good company, but things change quickly these days, and you never know what will happen in the coming months and years. Do you have other "clients," or are you betting your entire future on how well your company takes care of business - and, by extension, is able to take care of you? Remember, no matter what it says on your business card, you are in business for and by yourself... always have more than one client.

Retire Early: Slow And Steady With A Side Business - Click To Read Article
One of the best ways to hedge your bets financially, and to put away enough money to seriously consider early retirement, has always been owning a business on the side. But if your nest egg is cracked and leaking - or, worse, if you're having trouble even making ends meet - where do you come up with the resources to start or buy a business?

Personal Responsibility: Make Your Own Job - Click To Read Article
Our nation is locked in one of the greatest ideological battles in its history. Some want the government to do more for people, and spend more on social programs such as unemployment. Others see a terrific threat in tax-and-spend tactics that leave us with an unbelievable national debt. Even if we could handle the debt in future generations, will our government's current "stimulus" (bail-out) strategy really accomplish anything positive? Will people have the motivation and inspiration to create and achieve things when the burden of taxes is higher than any of us has heretofore seen? Will we become so dependent on government programs (like unemployment) that we lose both the will and the ability to earn our own livings? Over time, these are clearly dangers.

Online Business: "What, No Big Bank Loan?" - Click To Read Article
What's the fastest, least-expensive legitimate business you can get into these days? The answer is obvious: find a way to do business on the internet.

Internet Entrepreneurs Can Travel! - Click To Read Article
When I entered my most-recent career transition, I knew I wanted something entrepreneurial. I'd been feeling the itch to create a business, something that would contribute some kind of good to the world, for some time. Problem: my wife and I like to travel! In fact, we divide our time between three homes in two U.S. states, and love to travel for fun as well. We're both on the road right now (but, sadly, not together at the moment). So, as much as I could see myself making a killing as owner of the local laundromat or pie diner, I needed to figure out how to scratch my entrepreneurial itch without being tied down to something "geographically specific."

Entrepreneurial Energy: If You Don't Drive Your Business, No One Will - Click To Read Article
Whether running a business is your full-time gig, or you're building an online enterprise after-hours to supplement your income, you need the kind of hard-charging energy you see in successful leaders. Burn-out looms around every corner. So take care of yourself. Don't be dismissive of the idea that if you don't drive your business, no one will, and you'll be out whatever you've already invested in it! That said, you can't afford a time-consuming health regimen. Instead, think of how you can protect your vitality "on the fly" (the way you do everything when you're running a business), and start right now with five things that will make a difference.

RETIREMENT COUNTDOWN: Considering A Second Income? - Click To Read Article
The economy's got us all on edge. While some say it's picking up, others point to gloominess in Europe and elsewhere and tell us the worst is yet to come. Not a comforting thought if you're approaching retirement! And after the market woes of the last 18-24 months, a lot of us have lost a lot of nest-egg, and we have to think about how to rebuild before we figure out how to have the happy retirement life we imagine.

Personal Resources: Your Own Unique - Click To Read Article
If you were left with nothing but the shirt on your back, you'd also have these three personal resources to work with to bring yourself back to health, wealth, and an inspiring life and future. Others may, intentionally or unintentionally, conspire to rob you of these; but no one can really take them from you unless you let them. They're your bedrock assets, your core, your fundamental fallback position. How you use them, separately and in synergy to create other resources, will determine your success and overall well-being.

Performance Anxiety: How To Spot The Professional Advisor - Click To Read Article
All the advisors I've worked with have been smart, qualified, knowledgeable, experienced, and young for people with so much to offer. The overarching difference between the rookies and the pros, though, has been confidence. In short, rookies work hard to project confidence they don't feel, and pros are lazier: they feel confidence, but don't feel the need to show it. Whether the conversation with the client is face-to-face, over the phone, or in writing/cyberspace, for the rookie, it's always about himself and his performance anxiety... am I really qualified to render advice to this older, more experienced executive? For the pro, who has survived the brutal gauntlet required to reach senior consultant or partner status (and the ripe old age of about 35), it's never about her own performance, but about the client and his needs.

Laid Off - Now What? - Click To Read Article
Being laid off is one of the biggest stressors there is - but you can get through it if you understand what to expect and how to transition as smoothly as possible to your "new normal." Each person is different, but handling your job loss will undoubtedly involve certain predictable steps... and here are some thoughts on how to approach the aftermath of your lay-off with the least possible pain.

"Does This Hotel Have A Gym?" - Click To Read Article
It will take self-discipline to regain control of your vitality when you live the stressful life of the business traveler. The good news is that, if you start now, and make firm commitments to one little change at a time, you can do it. You can go from "rode hard" to something more like "road hard." And here are the eight best practices to help you get started.





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