Change your mind, change your life

I've been doing a lot of reading lately and I've come across really interesting concepts from Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

Most common strengths of successful investors

It's time to consider some of the positive traits that will propel you forward on this journey to financial freedom. Robert shares with us that the strengths most common to people who succeed in business and investing are:

Vision — The ability to see what others do not see

Courage — The ability to act despite fear

Creativity — The ability to think outside the box

Self-confidence — The ability to withstand criticism

Self-control — The ability to delay gratification

Do you have any of these traits? What are they? Continue to nurture them and allow them to grow your financial future. If you are missing some of these traits, set some goals and objective to develop those traits in your life as well.

I personally find that each of these could be a stumbling block sometimes, but that "Self-control" seems to be the one most people struggle with. We tend to want our gratification right away instead of waiting for the treasure that we will acquire at the end of our journey. Once you have learned this important principle, I'm sure you will be able to see the success you have been looking for all your life.

In closing, remember that "The times are rapidly changing, and if you want to be rich, your approach to money and investing has to change too." ~ Robert Kiyosaki

How to get a billionaire's attitude

I was listening to an amazing conference call tonight and thought I should share that with you all. Bill Bartmann is the only homeless bankrupt gang member ever to become a billionaire and his conference tonight was about what we have to do to get a billionaire's attitude and how to achieve the results.

There were many things that could help most of you in that call, however, I wish to concentrate on how to get a billionaire's attitude because frankly, if you want to make it big, you all know that you have to hang out with those that have achieve that status and he certainly qualifies.

Here are the three main things you need to focus on:

1. Be able to recognize a great opportunity when you see it.

It is not only important to find a great opportunity at the right moment to be able to cash in our idea, but equally important if not more is the ability to recognize what COULD be a great opportunity.


2. Replace your thinking of "It will never work" with "What if?"

Don't assume you can't do this, take a bite out of the apple and see how it feels. Replace the negative thoughts with positive thoughts and actions and you will see that everything around you will change.


3. Treat people with dignity and respect

Everybody deserves to be treated with respect. I have always lived with the motto "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The golden rule applies, especially in business. Don't be fooled into thinking that you can get away with anything. The truth is, you CAN'T. I find that when we treat the people around us as we would like to be treated, one of two things will happen. The countenance of our interlocutor will change or we will decide not to be associated with them anymore. Either choice is fine. The sooner you will realize that, the better you will feel about your business.

In closing, remember that "The only thing better than a great opportunity is one that everyone else cannot see and does not want."
— Bill Bartmann

How to spot a great business partner

If you're trying to take your business off the ground, then you have to follow some simple rules. A very important lesson I learn at the very beginning is that you will have to learn how to spot a great partner, because down the road, you want to be associated with people that will have great business acumen.

1. You want to be working with people that will call you... not the other way around. You don't want to be chasing after someone. If they need something, they have to be able to call you and vocalize their needs.
   
   
2. You need people that will follow instructions. Who wants to be working with people that cannot follow a simple instruction? If they don't, you'll be wasting your valuable time, time you could have used to train someone that is willing and ready to change their life.
   
   
3. Find someone who has lots of energy and is positive. People want to follow leaders, not someone who doesn't seem to know where they are going or talk like they barely woke up!
   
   
4. Work with people that are teachable. Need I say more? Let's just put it this way, if I wasn't teachable, I wouldn't be here teaching you these simple principles. You have to be able to absorb, assimilate and have the desire to share what you learn.
   

May you be blessed to find the right business partners that your lives may prosper and that you may be able to pay it forward to those in need around you.

Three proven business strategies that you can begin to implement within your own entrepreneurial ventures

Here are a couple of secrets I have learned from millionaires and mentors that I want to share with you as I know they can help you in your business.

1. You Don’t Have to Invent Anything to be Successful

You don’t have to have a great invention or original idea to be a successful entrepreneur. You can do some leg work to take an idea or product that already exists and find out what it is missing from that product that there is a demand for. To put it simply, transform something already on the market so that it meets a need that exists.
Dr. Farrah Gray
"Millionaire by 14"

2. Get Creative

Start your business in a different way and get creative about it. Don’t wait for financing. Instead use your brain and figure out how to start marketing and selling your product now.

If you can’t sell your product, idea or service now... there’s a good chance that you still won’t be able to sell it after throwing money at it. So financing is not a determining factor.
T. Harv Eker
"NY Times Bestseller"

3. Borrow Credibility

When you are starting up your business you don’t have the credibility factor on your side. This is why it is critical to surround yourself with strong mentors and associates.

If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck and hangs out with other ducks...guess what, everyone sees another duck! You can effectively borrow and leverage the credibility of your mentors and associates until you build your own.
Delatarro McNeal
"The Greatness Guy"

I hope this 3 easy tips will help you start on your journey of financial freedom.

To your success!!

Believe in yourself

Have the courage to take action

"Courage is going from failure to failure without loosing enthusiasm."
— Winston Churchill

Believing in yourself is one of the first steps to success. If you don't have confidence in yourself, it will be difficult to succeed in anything. Here are ways to improve that.

1. Learn how to make decisions based on your experiences that you believe. If you don't have your own thinking, you can never be successful.
2. Set goals. When you set goals, you have control.
3. Recognize when you achieve your goals, so that you will build your confidence.
4. Consider reasons you fail. Everyone fails to achieve some goal, but if you learn from the failure, you will be more likely to succeed.
5. Use realistic expectations to judge your success. Do not expect to run a four minute mile, until you have trained and conditioned for running.
6. Listen to critics, but never let them convince you that you are less than you are. Some critics will tear you down to make themselves look bigger and better, while others will offer critical advice to help you make changes to improve yourself.
7. Give your time and energy to others. When you do this, you will get positive feed back and get respect from others. These are building blocks for self respect, which is essential to believing in yourself.
8. Believe in yourself, you will do your best.

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."
-- Eleanor Roosevelt

Why do we do what we do?

Tonight as I sit down listening to my training, I kept thinking, I have to share this with all of you. This video comes from the best known public speaker. Tony Robbins needs no introduction in my mind, but for those of you who are not familiar with him, Mr. Robbins makes it his business to know why we do the things we do. The pioneering life coach has spoken to millions of people through his best-selling books and three-day seminars.

About this talk
Tony Robbins discusses the "invisible forces" that motivate everyone's actions — and high-fives Al Gore in the front row.



Now kick back and enjoy. I took a notebook and after a short 20 minutes speech, I have filled 3 pages!!! It goes to tell you what kind of speaker he is. Along with the Art Williams video that I have shared previously, this one goes down as one of my all time favorite. After that speech, my life can NEVER be the same!!!!

Transformations CAN happen! Never forget that.

Do more than is expected... and then some (cont'd)

Lesson No 13
Learn to serve —
"One of the most beautiful compensations in life is that no person can help another without helping themselves."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love that quote. I have found that to be so true because when we loose ourselves, our own problems seem to be alleviated and suddenly our stature becomes different. Burdens are individual stumbling blocks that have been placed on our path that we may learn to use our talents and all that was given us that we may be able to push ourselves in order to discover our hidden talents and source of strength.

Early in life I have learned that if I was to live a productive life I should learn to give back to people around me. Now as a child, those were lessons that really molded my life and helped me become a very rounded individual.

My favorite scripture on the subject comes from King Benjamin who counsels everyone who hears his voice to serve their heavenly King. That scripture is found in Mosiah 2:17 in the Book of Mormon.

"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn ^awisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the ^bservice of your ^cfellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."

What a glorious thing to know that when we are serving others we become the helping hands of God. That thought alone brings a smile to my face. I can recall times in my life when answers to my prayers came in the form of someone giving me a hand at the most unexpected times when no one even knew of my own personal trials but my Father in Heaven. He promised us that he would take care of us and he has never broken his promise.

By serving others, we rid ourselves of our selfish thoughts and learn to humble ourselves in front of our maker. It is quite humbling sometimes to help someone in need as it helps us realize how blessed we are to have all that we do. Lets us impart of our substance and really understand the wealth that we have been given. May we be able blessed enough to find people to serve, that we may learn the value of life and the lesson that God wants to teach us.

Do more than is expected... and then some (cont'd)

Lesson No 12
Lead yourself —

Leader of one, leader of many; if you can't lead one, you can't lead many. How true!

In my daily life as a tourist guide, I see this happening all the times. Of course when I stand in front of everybody, they have no choice to listen to me you would think, right? Wrong. While adults are usually pretty respectful, when it comes to children or even better teenagers, it's another ball game all together!

So what do I do to get their attention? I go down to their level.

"What does that mean?" In essence it means that I speak to them in a language that they can relate to. I figured that if I were in their shoes, would I want to listen to someone about historical facts for a couple of hours? Honestly maybe not always, it would all depend on how it was presented to me. In other words, in order to lead them and get them to do what I want, which is to listen, I have to captivate their attention. I'll admit that sometimes it requires me to be very creative. In general though, I have found that humor and getting them involved, i.e. for them to participate in an activity is what works best for me.

Everytime a student comes to compliment me on how much they have appreciated the tour, I feel 10 times more rewarded then if it would come from an adult. Why? Simply because I had to work harder to get it, but also because I was able to transfer some of my knowledge to the younger generation who are the leaders of tomorrow. Fear not, they have eyes and ears and even though sometimes you may think they are not listening, they are watching your every moves. Bottom line is they will connect with you if you take the time to connect with them.

So how do I lead? I always lead by example because in the end, no matter what I say, it is what I did for them that they will remember. It's like the saying "Don't ask what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country!"

Do more than is expected... and then some (cont'd)

Lesson No 11
Take action —

Action is the gaz in the tank... without it, the car will not run!

How many projects have you started and left on the side without returning to finish what you have started? What happened? Did you loose focus? Are you missing the time and energy you need to move forward? A lot of times we start something because we feel compelled to, only to leave it when it gets too time consuming or complicated. How many great opportunities have you left on the table because of your lack of focus? Sometimes it seems like we are predetermining that we will fail, simply because we are self-sabotaging ourselves. 

Let's not fall into that trap; all you need to do to overcome that situation is to take action and stay focus. Afterall a ship crossing the ocean would never get to its destination if as soon as he lost track of the horizon he would just let go of the wheel. Hold on to your navigation bar. Keep your focus on the destination, not on the journey and you will be reminded everyday why you are doing the things that bring you forward in life. The winner never loose focus of his destination and whatever the journey may bring, he moves forward with the assurance that he will cross the finish line. Be among the winners!

Do more than is expected... and then some (cont'd)

Lesson No 10
Find balance —

The first thing to point out is that work isn’t separate from life — it’s a part of it. Once you’ve created space in your life for the things you love, it’s just a matter of finding the right balance between them. Wouldn’t it be great if we could fill our lives with all the things we love doing? Now if we’re blessed to have a job we love, we’ll have to make sure it doesn’t have negative consequences (on your health or family relationships for example), for many people it’s better to have other things balancing out their lives.

Why is a balance between several things that you love better than just one thing that you love? Well, there are a number of reasons that would depend on your situation. For one thing, if you have an office job you might not be getting outdoors enough, or getting enough exercise, and your health might suffer. Another reason is that you might have family and/or friends and if you work all the time you’re neglecting them — and those relationships will suffer. You might also get lonely if you work all the time. Another major problem is burnout — working all the time (or doing any activity all the time) can lead to stress and fatigue, and could make that activity less enjoyable.

Variety is a good thing — it keeps life interesting. So mix things up a bit. Here are some ideas for doing that:

Schedule time blocks — Schedule chunks of time throughout your week for all the things that are important. I suggest scheduling everything but work first, this will ensure that you get everything in and that work doesn’t overwhelm the schedule.

Set limits — This is good for work or anything else that you tend to do too much. If you work 10-12 hour days, for example, set a limit of 8 hours per day, and stick to it. If you have a flexible schedule, you might consider working even less if you’re trying to make more room. What I’ve found is that if you set a limit, you’ll find a way to do the essential tasks within that limit. That might mean eliminating the non-essential tasks, cutting back on time-wasters such as casual Internet surfing, or things you don’t absolutely need to do yourself.

Make dates with family and friends — Instead of just saying, “I want to spend more time with my family and friends”, try actually making dates with them. That might mean romantic dates with your spouse or significant other, or non-romantic dates with your friends or kids or other family members. You don’t have to call it a date, but just schedule time with them on a regular basis to do something together. It doesn’t even have to cost money — it could be something simple like taking a walk in the park or playing board games or cooking dinner for each other or watching a DVD with popcorn.

Make dates with yourself — Often we make time for our family or other loved ones, but we neglect ourselves. Schedule time for yourself, doing something you love doing by yourself. Whatever it may be, kayaking, reading, running, doing crafts, meditation, yoga, going on hikes, surfing, etc. Just make the time and don’t miss that date!

Have a partner — Sometimes it helps to make an appointment with a partner, whether that be a training partner or someone who is going to help you with a project or do a hobby with you. This works well whether it’s first thing in the morning, or right after work, or during lunch or on the weekends. Oftentimes you’re more likely to stick to an appointment if you have a partner.

Examine your life regularly — In the summertime, I use my kayaking time as a time of reflection, but at other times, I take time before I go to bed each night to review my day. Often our lives become derailed from the track we set it on, and as a result we don’t realize where our lives are going until we really examine them. Or we can get so caught up in a routine that we don’t realize we can change it. Regular self-reflection is the answer: think about how your life is going, how you’re spending your time, and decide whether you need to make changes. Then schedule time to make those changes immediately — or make the changes right away if possible.

Do more than is expected... and then some (cont'd)

Lesson No 9
Keep the faith —
Faith is the ability to believe, even though we cannot see. Now it would be very difficult for me to talk about faith without quoting scriptures, so bare with me as one of my favorite scripture of all time is about faith.

"And now as I said concerning faith—^afaith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye ^bhope for things which are ^cnot seen, which are true." — Alma 32: 21

So by hoping for things which are not seen I take that to mean that we can walk without knowing where we are going, but hoping for a great outcome. Isn't that what we all do on a daily basis? I would argue that everybody has faith. Whether we are willing to call it that or something else, it all means the same thing, we hope for things that are better.

Now my favorite part of that scripture is when he compares it to a seed:

"Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.

But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than ^adesire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

Now, we will compare the word unto a ^aseed. Now, if ye give place, that a ^bseed may be planted in your ^cheart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your ^dunbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to ^eenlighten my ^funderstanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me." — Alma 32: 26 - 28

Let's not be afraid to plant seeds of goodness that the world may be a better place. We all have the power to do something, however insignificant you may THINK it is—it is NOT. Keep spreading love, have faith in others and you will be able to reap the fruits of your labors. NEVER give up! Just do it!

Do more than is expected... and then some (cont'd)

Lesson No 8
Commit to excellence —
The secret of joy in work is contained in one word — Excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it!

So here is one reason my greatest quality is also my biggest downfall — I'm a perfectionist. Sometimes it's a great asset, while at other time I think I overdo a task when little needed to be accomplish because I always go a second mile. Sometimes it pays off, while at other times I'm paying with my time and my health. A healthy balance of both is ideal.

Having said that, I am always committed to give my 100%. It is my trademark. I always strive for excellence because even if I don't always succeed, I'm already a step ahead of everybody. Strive for excellence! It reminds me of a quote that I really love. Reach for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars!"

Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Tonight I finally caught up with the last episode of Dr. Oz on the Oprah show and was reminded of an amazing video I watched last year.

On September 18, 2007, computer science professor Randy Pausch stepped in front of an audience of 400 people at Carnegie Mellon University to deliver a last lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” With slides of his CT scans beaming out to the audience, Randy told his audience about the cancer that is devouring his pancreas and that will claim his life in a matter of months. On the stage that day, Randy was youthful, energetic, handsome, often cheerfully, darkly funny. He seemed invincible. But this was a brief moment, as he himself acknowledged.

Randy’s lecture has become a phenomenon, as has the book he wrote based on the same principles, celebrating the dreams we all strive to make realities. Sadly, Randy lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008, but his legacy will continue to inspire us all, for generations to come.

This is a really very inspirational video. Hope you enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

Do more than is expected... and then some (cont'd)

Lesson No 7
Know the power of kindness —
Acts of kindness are simply the result of living the Golden Rule, which should be rule No 1 on every leader's list.　

Now what is the Golden Rule? Some of you have heard the term before but have no clue what it's all about. When I was about 18, I got introduced to a great American painter and illustrator by the name of Norman Rockwell and soon found myself purchasing one of his famous portrait called "The Golden Rule" which means "Do unto others as you would have them to unto you".

Throughout my several moves, this frame has always held a special place in my house. It is now on the second floor, close to the bedrooms so that everyone can be reminded on a daily basis of that Golden Rule. I am a firm believer in this rule as it has helped me in my everyday life to emulate more the type of behavior that my Savior would be pleased with.

About the painting —
It was an ideal in Norman Rockwell's world that everyone should treat others as they themselves wished to be treated.

It wasn't until 1959 that Norman Rockwell conceived the idea of a Golden Rule painting. He originally wanted to paint it as a ten foot mural for the United Nations. The United Nations was not interested.The idea of the Golden Rule by Norman Rockwell along with his preliminary sketches languished in his storeroom for more than a year. When Rockwell painted Freedom of Worship in his famous series, Four Freedoms, he wanted to illustrated a tolerance for all peoples and creeds. This proved to be impossible.

After the United Nations turned down Rockwell's offer of The Golden Rule, he contacted his old friends at The Saturday Evening Post. They were of course interested and the illustration appeared on the cover of an issue in April, 1961.

Looking at this wonderful picture you can see all races represented. There are men and women of all ages. There are girls, boys and babies.

What we see here is the Rockwell Golden Rule, the way he saw the world and the way he wanted the world to be. The same year The Saturday Evening Post cover appeared Norman Rockwell was awarded the 1961 Interfaith Award of The National Conference of Christians and Jews.

Rockwell cherished this recognition above all others because it affirmed his stance that, "all men are members of the One Family of Man under God. When Norman Rockwell did return to his earlier idea, he had decided to use illustrations of people from all over the world. He would also depict them in attitudes of worship to make up for the deficiency's he felt were present in his Worship painting from the 1940s.

Just do it!

So I found this video yesterday and thought that it's worth interrupting what I was teaching. It is a bit old as it dates from 1987 (over 22 years ago), but definitely not outdated.

Art's energy is contagious and his speech left me wanting to hear more. To sum up his 15-minutes speech one could use that simple three letter phrase that Nike copyrighted so long ago "Just do it!"

Now this is a 20 minutes well spent that you will remember for a long time. Enjoy!

Do more than is expected... and then some (cont'd)

Lesson No 6
Remove the chains that bind you —
Unconsciously sometimes we acknowledge that what we hear is right and allow our brain to buy into that belief. Often time, it serves us right, however at times, we should start running the other way when those thoughts are negative and only bring us sorrow and allow us to diminish our self-worth.

The best way to illustrate that is found in one of my favorite quote from Eleanor Roosevelt:
"Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

How true! I hope this will resonate with you also and make you understand that though we highly value the opinion of those we love, we should never let them crush our spirit with their negativism but should rather walk away, having a firm belief that we know our self-worth and are capable of taking criticism for what it is, nothing more!

Do more than is expected... and then some (cont'd)

Lesson No 5
Make the right choice — Right now... today!
You are one choice away from a new beginning, don't miss this opportunity and change your direction TODAY! There is no time like the present, stop procrastinating and move your life into high gear for you have what it takes today to make the changes your want to see tomorrow. Don't waste this wonderful opportunity to grow and proper. Use your time wisely, there is no time like the present.

Here are a couple of quotes that illustrate quite well what I want to exemplify today.

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning."
— Albert Einstein

But one of my all time favorite is:

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery… but today is a gift that’s why it’s called the present."

Don't delay, live for today and remember that this is the present you are giving to yourself!

Do more than is expected... and then some (cont'd)

Lesson No 4
Know the power of encouragement —
Rain and sun are to flowers as praises and encouragement are to the human spirit.

Many times I have sat quietly and watched mothers tending to their children's needs. Last week as I went to the park with my friend's family, I was privilege to hold their new born baby girl while they were playing with their oldest son. As I sat quietly on the park bench I had the opportunity to watch all those that had come to enjoy this beautiful spring day. A couple had just parked their car across the park and the woman soon came in the park to meet her friends. What followed really caught my attention. She went to the playground and grabbed a young man, he must have been around 8 or 9, and seemed to be quite upset at him. Even though I was too far to hear what she was saying, her verbal expression spoke volume about her feelings and how she was addressing this young man.

I felt so helpless as I sat on my park bench thinking what this poor kid must have done to deserve this kind of treatment in public. She dragged him to the man who was waiting by his car only to hear him scream at him. I was shocked. I felt the pain and deep humiliation for this poor boy who was being scolded in public.

I believe we go through life to learn and along the way, we learn to use our free agency that we may experience all that this life has to offer. Sometimes we may make take a wrong turn and get lost and need a friendly hand to get us back on track. I believe we all make mistakes. The way we approach this experience varies widely from people to people and culture to culture. If you could have seen the body language of that young man, you would have understood the pain he must have felt. He literally looked like he shrunk because his posture was now in protection mode as though he was getting prepare to defend himself.

We mostly learn by example. Maybe these parents don't know any better, which would be very sad, but I believe there is always a great example to follow and that is that of our Savior Jesus Christ. When faced with a difficult situation, I often ponder, "What would he do if he was in my shoes?" My answer sometimes really differ from my actions and it is then that I realize what a great opportunity for growth this is.

There is a great quote by William Arthur Ward that illustrate this principle that I would like to share with you.


“Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you.”

May we learn to see the best in people and learn to encourage them on a regular basis that they in turn, may become the best they can be.

Do more than is expected... and then some (cont'd)

Lesson No 3
Keep your goals in sight —
Dream big dreams, but realize that realistic short term goals are the key to success.

Goal setting is a critical step in achieving success in your life. By setting goals, you will be able to accomplish all your tasks in a timely, organized manner. Planning out your goals can help you focus your efforts so that you can quickly reach your goals without becoming frustrated or sidetracked along the way. Goal setting can also give you the motivation you need to be successful, while building your confidence and self-esteem with every goal that you achieve. Confidence and high self-esteem will help you in life, no matter what project you undertake.

While setting your goals, make sure your specific target of performance are S.M.A.R.T., i.e. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely

Remember:

• Make sure your goals are specific
• Choose a time frame for your goals; long or short term?
• They have to be measurable
• They need to be challenging, but achievable
• Last, but not least, make sure they are written for an unwritten goal is only a wish!

I will explain in more details about goals at a future time. But remember that your goals are your dreams with their workboots on! Learn the proven steps to goal setting and use them to achieve anything you really want in life. Put your hands on the steering wheel of your own future and begin moving in a new direction.

Goal setting is not about timing -- it's about decision. There's no better time than now to take control of your life. This life is not a dress rehearsal; it's the only one you've got.

Do more than is expected... and then some (cont'd)

Lesson No 2
Respect all people —
The true measure of a person can be seen in how they treat someone who can do them absolutely no good.

How true! I remember an experience that happened to me in 1995, when I lived in Tunisia. I was working there as a representative for a wholesaler out of Montreal. After the holidays, when I went back to resume my position after spending nearly 5 weeks at home, I return to hotel where I was staying and was greeted as a Queen. I had never seen so many people be so happy to see me. From the moment I entered the dinning room, the Maître D came to wish me Happy New Year and most of the waiters followed his lead, deserting their clients as if they had seen a long lost friend. You should have seen the face of the guests in the dining room at that moment. I bet they were all wondering who I was!!

You see, my job as a rep is to make sure that my customer are always satisfied. In order to do so, I live by the "Golden Rule" which says "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". I have tried to live my life accordingly and it has proven to be the right decision for me. I quickly realized that the love those people showed me was a direct reflection of how I treated them for I have never seen them go out of their way like they did for me that day or for any other requests I had for them subsequently.

A week later, I was to train a new employee that was arriving in Tunisia to replace me and since it was a slow season in Hammamet, we took a rood trip to the South of the country to go and discover what our customers were experiencing. During my stay at the Abou Nawas Hotel, I had become somewhat of a well-know figure because I took the time to greet everyone. From the doorman to the Director of the hotel, I made sure that they all knew who I was. I had befriend the Director of Financial Services and when he transferred to the South, he invited me to go and visit him at the hotel in Jerba. When we arrived at the hotel I inquired about him and he came to meet us in one of the restaurant of the hotel. We sat down and talk about our holiday. I was great to catch up with him. At the end, he asked for the bill. I watched him as he signed the receipt and was surprised that he had to do so. Jokingly I said "Doesn't he know who you are?" His reply astounded me. He said "I have no need of him, so he doesn't need to know who I am!" I was floored by that reply. More than that, I was furious with him. What ensued was a long discussion about human relationship. Obviously we were not seeing eye-to-eye in this situation and I made sure he understood how I felt about his "Better than thou" attitude. When I came back to Hammamet, I was so happy to see my doorman who greeted me with a huge smile and a "Welcome back Nadia". I felt like I was coming home. What a great feeling it was for me to feel so welcome in a far way land.

Respect — everybody deserves it. Don't ever forget it!

Do more than is expected... and then some

Lesson No 1
Build relationships of trust —
Relationships are the glue that hold everything together. The quality of the relationships you build will later determine the stability of your team. By taking the time to really get to know the people you work with, you may gain a better insight on how to relate to others in a way that makes them comfortable to tell you things they usually wouldn't share with a stranger.

You would be surprise to hear what others never take the time to listen once you refrain from speaking and take the time to listen instead, intently, purposely to the person you are talking to. Don't get caught up in multitasking while prospecting — for you would then loose the ability to pick up on the clues they are dropping unconsciously for you to help them on their journey.

From a Christian perspective, I would like to add something that has changed my life forever. Somebody once gave me a magnet for my fridge that says "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" — Hebrews 13:2

My life has been tremendously blessed by angels who have touched my life and changed it forever. May your heart be open to greatness that you too may be able to receive the increase.