We have all heard of the value of making a positive impression when meeting someone for the first time. It only takes a few seconds for someone to evaluate you. This opinion is usually based on your demeanor, mannerisms, body language, speech, and appearance, but it’s even more than that.

When you meet new people and enter into new relationships, what do you notice? Do you notice the clothes they wear in different settings? Do you notice the first email they send you? Do you notice the amount of time it takes them to respond to your first email or phone call? Do you notice how they interact in the first meeting you’re in together? The fact is, you intuitively notice many things that, when combined together, form your opinion of them…read more

Today I want to talk about making investments that will reap you big dividends. No, it’s not on Wall Street. I’ll share with you a different, much more rewarding way to look at investing—investing in your life and in your relationships.

When I talk about investing in your life, I’m referring to the fundamental, universal truth that says, “What you give, you get back.”

• When you show love, you get love.
• When you show respect, you get respect.
• When you smile at people, they smile back at you.
• When you show an interest in others, they will show an interest in you.
• When you encourage others, they will encourage you.

President Kennedy’s famous words from his inaugural address in 1961 are a fitting mantra for today’s lesson…read more

As I went about my normal routines the past few weeks, I listened closely for some attention-grabbing examples of sarcasm to include in today’s lesson. I was dismayed at the amount of sarcasm I heard.

When I began to intentionally evaluate the damaging effects of sarcasm, I was utterly shocked at how inappropriate, culturally offensive, and downright cruel most of the sarcastic, off-the-cuff remarks turned out to be. A few decades ago, they were called cut-lows—what a fitting label.

This experience only reinforced my belief that sarcasm doesn’t belong in our interactions with one another…read more

Today, we will be exploring the hidden value in the opinions of others, and I urge you to be open-minded and receptive as you read this blog. This is capable of affecting your potential for better on a number of different levels.

Opinion can be defined as a thought, a view, or a concept formed in the mind about a particular subject. It’s a conclusion or belief held with confidence but not substantiated by positive proof or knowledge. Because of this, many people are fearful of accepting someone else’s opinion. Elizabeth Cady Stanton—an activist and leader of the early women’s rights movement— said, “The moment we begin to fear the opinion of others…the divine floods of light and life no longer flow into our souls.”…read more

Does it bother you when someone thoughtlessly cuts you off in traffic? How about when you’ve been waiting in an endlessly busy line and someone waltzes right in and slips ahead near the front?

When these things happen to me, I usually end up thinking something along the lines of, “Hey buddy, I’m just as busy as you!” or “Oh really, you think you’re more important than the rest of us?”

Sure, these responses may sound a bit silly after the fact, but we all have similar reactions when someone barges in and unfairly imposes their agenda on us…read more

I have heard many powerful quotes during my life, however, there is one that I continue to replay in my mind over and over again. Jim Rohn, my mentor, said, “Success comes from a series of good decisions made over time while failure comes from a series of bad decisions made over time.” The reason I continue to replay that quote is because of its significance.

If you want to live a successful life both personally and professionally, you absolutely must take pride in your decisions. These decisions include everything from the little decisions you make throughout each day as described in Our Lives Are a Mirror Image of the Little Decisions We Make to the big decisions outlined in How to Make a Critical Decision, which includes how Bill Clinton used a mastermind team…read more