When Shaquille O’Neal arrived in Miami from the L.A
Lakers, he had a message for the championship-hungry White Hot
fans Am gonna bring the Championship to Miami, I promise.
Frankly in as much as I love and trust Shaq, I thought that was
too much of a promise. But Shaquille had a vision and he
believed in the possibility of achieving that vision. This
vision and other principles outlined below constitute the
success secrets of the 2006 NBA Champions, the Miami
Heat

1.Vision

You see everyone needs a vision in life. Whatever you
wish to attain in your life, create a picture of that as if it
had already happened. As Arnold Schwarzenegger puts it
what you do is to create a vision of who you want to be, and
then live into that picture, as if it were already true

2. Team Work

Miami Heat’s victory is a team victory. Their triumph is the
result of team work. Yes, team work! You
might take that as given but it is common for people to be in a
team and yet there is no team work in that team. Team
work is the golden key to success when working with
others. I guess you remember Shaq’s troubles with Kobe in L.A.
yet when the Big Man arrived in Miami, he called Dwayne
Wade (Flash) and talked to him about the need for
them to co-operate and avoid undue tension and it did really
work. At the end of the day Miami Heat won, Shaquille
O’Neal won, Dwayne Wade won…that’s the miracle of
creative co-operation. It leads to multiple victories if
conducted with the spirit of harmony and a positive mental
attitude. Star (and senior) players like Alonzo
Mourning and Antoine Walker had to take the back seat
and allow young Dwayne (and Shaq) to take the leadership on the
court. This called for sacrifice and at the end of the day
Alonzo, Walker and Payton all got their due reward
when the long illusive ring finally adorned their fingers.

3. Perseverance

Perseverance was another key, in fact it was the bed rock
of the Heat’s success. The perseverance of this
team was epitomised by the never-say-die attitude of
Dwayne Wade. In Dwayne Wade’s Lesson in Perseverance

I wrote about how
Flash was hospitalized on the very day of this match,
being sick with flu. Sports Illustrated reported that Wade spent

“half-time and the first three minutes of the second half
tethered to an IV”.

However, this obstacle would not stop the young dynamic star
from doing his best; he was described as dehydrated earlier that
day but whilst I (and some match commentators) were wondering
whether Wade would be effective in the game or even play to the
end, he was WHITE HOT with energy and he
persevered to the very end including a spectacular
scoring of “10 points in less than 9 minutes”.

The Miami Heat further demonstrated another lesson in
perseverance when they rose from a demoralizing 2-0 defeat in
the first games of the final series and rose above the odds to
claim the championship.

4. Faith

The biggest success lesson I learnt in the 2006 NBA
Finals came from Heat Coach Pat Riley. When the wise
coach was interviewed on ESPN on the eve of game 6, he was asked
what would be his strategy for game 7 if he lost 6. “am not
thinking about game 7″ was his reply. Further pressed for
comments on his strategy if he lost the sixth game, Pat Riley
was still cool and confident. “I packed only one shirt, one suit
and one tie”. I could not believe my ears but his insistence
showed me that the great motivator did pack only one set
of clothing when he travelled to Dallas for game six. Then I
said to myself “Pat Riley and the Miami Heat will win
this championship on game 6!”

You see faith is the corner stone to enduring
success in any field. Faith in God, faith in your God-given
talents, and faith in your team mates.

You now have the success ingredients of the Miami
Heat. Go ahead and implement them in your life NOW, whatever
your calling. You will certainly celebrate your own
Championship victory very soon.

“You will always encounter folk who don’t agree with what you want to do….Always hope for help but expect the contrary. It is the entrepreneur’s dilemma.”

Dr. Bruce Winston, author of Be a Leader for God Sake

Understanding values starts at an early age, not as an organizational leader. It’s something that grows with the individual. While taking a graduate class last semester, I accepted the challenge to become a better student. Over the break, I worked to improve my writing, read erudite material, and prepared myself mentally for the new scholarly challenges. As the semester came to a close, I found myself weary of the numerous growth-building projects. Through this time, I read Act 1-2. I became revived. I recalled how the Holy Spirit guides me. I found this fact throughout my life journey. Witherington, an author, argues that the Holy Spirit’s presence throughout Acts is a distinguishing mark of Christianity.

Even though I may grow tired of these college assignments, the continual stretching of my mental capacity, and the conflicting demands, I need to depend more of the Holy Spirit. Why? If I believe that God divinely calls men and women to serve, I must also believe that He equips them. Maya Angelou once said, “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t complain.” Likewise, an individual who is destined to lead must continue to grow, make changes, and calibrate his or her attitude. During this process, don’t complain.

References:

Holy Bible (Contemporary English Version)

Witherington, B. (1999). The acts of the apostles. Grand Rapids, MI: The Paternoster Press.

© 2006 by Daryl D. Green

Daryl D. Green has published over 100 articles in the field of decision-making (personal and organizational), leadership, and organizational behavior. Mr. Green is also the author of two acclaimed books, Awakening the Talents Within and My Cup Runneth Over. He is a columnist, lecturer, professor, and management consultant. Mr. Green has a BS in engineering and a MA in organizational management. Currently, he is a doctoral degree in strategic leadership. For more information,visit his website at http://www.darylgreen.org

“Any committee is only as good as the most knowledgeable, determined and vigorous person on it. There must be somebody who provides the flame.”
Lady Bird Johnson

My friend works for a local church as an office manager. Initially, he was zealous about making changes to antiquated church systems. Unfortunately, the church leaders didn’t want to progress as quickly. He was discouraged and disempowered. How could this happen at a church?

Let’s discuss the liberating aspect of empowerment. After Jesus’ death, we find His disciples demoralized and frightened (John 20:19). They had looked for Jesus to restore Israel. Didn’t Jesus promise them a new kingdom? In Luke 24:1, the disciples meet the resurrected Jesus, and they celebrate. However, in Luke 24:51, Jesus departs again. The disciples are left with only a promise. They wait.

In Act 2, we find the Holy Spirit equipping the disciples, encouraging their hearts, and empowering them to preach the Gospel. The disciples learned to follow the Holy Spirit and allow Him to liberate them from their fears. Miller, author of the Empowered Leader, maintains every Christian who desires to become a leader must first know how to follow. Malphurs, a value-based guru, argues that every organization must have committed values and must passionately stand for something. Likewise, organizations need to be passionate about their followers and empower them so that they can be successful.

References:

Malphurs, A. (1996). Values-Driven Leadership. Grand Rapids, MI: Bakers Books.

Miller, C. (1995). The empowered leader. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

© 2006 by Daryl D. Green

Daryl D. Green has published over 100 articles in the field of decision-making (personal and organizational), leadership, and organizational behavior. Mr. Green is also the author of two acclaimed books, Awakening the Talents Within and My Cup Runneth Over. He is a columnist, lecturer, professor, and management consultant. Mr. Green has a BS in engineering and a MA in organizational management. Currently, he is a doctoral degree in strategic leadership. For more information,visit his website at http://www.darylgreen.org

Last night I was watching the movie Broken Trail. Robert Duvall’s character, Mr. Ritter made this poignant statement when talking to his nephew that you can’t measure wealth by money. Yet, how many people use money as the standard to not only measure their wealth but their own success?

One of the activities that I share with all of my clients is for them to define success. During the last almost 10 years since I have been working with individuals, coaching small business owners and training employees in multi-billion dollar corporations, I have learned that very few people have ever defined success in their own terms.

Until my 40’s, I, too, was one of those individuals. Then I read the following definition of success within a Leadership Program published by Resource Associates Corporation,

Success is the continual achievement of your own predetermined goals, stabilized by balance and purified by belief.

After several years and expanding my own knowledge about continuous performance improvement, I amended this definition to include the following:

“Success is the continual achievement of your own predetermined goals, stabilized by balance, purified by belief and aligned with your purpose.”

Then a few more years passed. When writing a book with a colleague, we both realized that our definition for success again had changed and evolved.

Success is a continual self-discovery of new positive attitudes and strategies that tap our limitless energy by connecting our passion, purpose and performance. Through written goals and action plans, we will direct our behaviors to achieve our dreams and support our core values.

What I have learned from this experience is that it is OK to use someone else’s definition initially. However, since each of us are unique individuals, we truly need to define success for ourselves based upon our own experiences. This definition should not be limiting as Mr. Ritter recognized when talking to his nephew but ever expanding. So, the question for you is:

If not, maybe it is time to take the time to commit your definition of success to writing. This may be one of those hidden obstacles keeping you from reaching your success.

Leanne Hoagland-Smith coaches small businesses to large organizations and high school students to entrepreneurs to double performance by closing the gap between today’s outcomes and tomorrow’s goals. Please feel free to contact Leanne at 219.759.5601 or visit http://www.processspecialist.com/ and explore how she can help you from the free articles to the improvement tips.

One quick question,if you could secure one new client or breakthrough that one roadbloack, what would that mean to you? Then, take a risk and give a call at 219.759.5601 to experience incredible business.

Mention that you read this article and receive a complimentary 60 minute coaching session.

Is there a potent mission to being an artist at the time of the 9/11 and of a depressed economy? Could it be that troubled times are indicative of the tremendous societal need for visionaries to show up as leaders, and offer ecologically sound creative solutions to the current challenges humanity is facing? And if there is truth to the contemporary artist mindset appearing to be enslaved by its own conditioned beliefs and subsequent identities, how then can it be freed? This presentation will progress through ten ideas revealing a pathway for the artist in all of us to travel. It will reveal how the creative power to be shifting reality can promote the success and acceptance for which artists have longed. It will stress how coming back to serving the community will “multidimensionalize” the process of art making and give it meaning. In this journey, the ten following principles build upon each other to illuminate what artists and leaders have in common: the fierceness of their vision.

1. Purpose
If communication is the main purpose of art disciplines, in what ways can one make it proficient?
And if it is the artist’s passion and raison d’être to express, how can he/she convey his/her message so that it will be perceived as accurately as possible and received as fully as may be? It has been said before that communication is not what is being said, but the result of what is being said. Mastering a skill, be it drawing, writing, sculpting, painting, dancing, acting, etc, is a beginning in optimizing the receptivity of what is being said. Although crucial, such mastery is not enough; it has to be fueled by the heart, which is the real transmitter of the message, enabled by its devotion to a higher cause. In effect, the heart (heART) knows that “This is not about me!”

2. Order
It appears that artists are repelled by the thought of order, and fascinated enough by chaos they have elected it as their domain. Yet in scientific terms, isn’t chaos part of order? Why therefore settling for just a tiny part of the vastness? Maybe another reason why order is so unacceptable to the current artist mind is that it is traditionally associated to male and linear behavior. Interesting interpretation, as order was in ancient time revolving around the keeper of the hearth, a feminine role honored as the most beautiful role of all. Returning to it was more than a goal to every hunter, it was a true inspiration and the replenishing of his strength. Could it be that artists, by denying themselves order, also reject the nurturing, and the vitalizing properties of order? The practicality of order (finding stuff, gaining in productivity) joins to a spirituality of order (going from freeing physical space to mental space, and from experiencing shame and isolation to having a greater social impact.)

3. Absence of self
The question here is who is speaking? Is it the mature leader whose creative ability brings a solution, or is it the wounded child who monopolizes attention? How important is it to dress differently, or obey an atypical social code? One can easily confuse freedom with the rebellion of independence, which actually aims at dissociating and refusing to be dependent on anyone. In the end, this is not freedom, only a guise for freedom. Such response is contrary to the purpose of art, to communicate and therefore build bridges. Being different cannot be the issue, being authentic is! When connectedness is created, it won’t trigger fear or rejection of those who follow their own drummer. Just like it makes sense to start with a blank canvas, it makes sense to relate to another after one has emptied the heart from any childhood pain. And although not being absorbed by societal sleep and indoctrination is essential to art, successfully delivering naturally follows simplicity (absence of self) and clarity (order)!

4. Innovation
What does it take to be innovative? Innovation requires that an individual move beyond his or her comfort zone, and be willing to fail. Thus it starts in an act of faith, and in a relaxation. Mind power is creativity: I create more of “that” by placing my attention on it. Therefore knowing how I can better control my attention becomes very important. Much has been said on the power of positive thinking, and little on its connection to relaxation and trust. If I trust my next play will be the most inspired, and choose to place my attention on that thought, it will be. Where there is trust, there is confidence, because something else, greater than me, is allowed to come in. Very possibly worrying about an outcome, and trying too hard prevents the solution to spontaneously occur. Just like a womb needs to be receptive to be fertilized, the mind has to be free of the possession of negative thinking (anxiety, blame, shame, depression, obsession) to be able to in-novate.
The absence of the conditioned self, the doubter, the skeptic, the worrier, the hard worker, will then “close the deal,” which explains how great geniuses always have their best ideas in the most unexpected situations, e.g. brushing their teeth, buying groceries. That is precisely the time when they are trying so little they allow another way of looking at it…

5. Commitment
Great leaders are highly competent, because they are dedicated to a high level of performance, learning, growth, and improvement. How can an artist espouse such curiosity and steadfastness? Picasso mentioned how he had to forget all the roses, before he could paint one. How then can one give up the thought that one knows something, and truly keep an explorer mind, a child mind? And if I think I know, what is the motivation behind my actions? Commitment, and courage go hand in hand, as they both require full engagement, no less. What is keeping me from deciding to do the next right thing, from marrying my own mission and vowing “I do?” People do not follow leaders who are not committed. Commitment and responsibility can be measured by the hours you spend and how you spend them, the money you spend and how you spend it, and by what you do for others. Spend a few minutes each day analyzing your time, your checkbook, and your volunteer
work. Look closely at where your time goes, how you spend your money, and how you give back to community. You may be very surprised at what you find.

6. Integration
Integration is the process by which to harmonize the disparate elements that emerged from the previous exploration. Thus awareness is a necessary ingredient to integration, and leads to active transformation. Concurrently, Art and leadership are akin to alchemy, to the mysterious merging of forces that ends in oneness. From this initiation, both the leader and the artist come to know that it is simultaneously all about me, all about you, and all about we. The “we” viewpoint allows for integration of all parts, you and me, creator and audience, leader and team. No separation. Think of your body, your emotions, your mind, and your soul as one team that can function amicably. See how much time you are giving to building your body (your buddy?) physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Use every “challenge,” every stain on the canvas, every slip of the tongue, every error or mishap as a body/buddy building opportunity, and please, do not forget to rest your muscles, be they physical or emotional, thus bringing more integration to the workout life is giving you.

7. Integrity
From integration comes integrity… That is one way to look at it! It is the time when buttons all line up, when such wholeness, such candor, such impeccable honesty is attained, that authenticity becomes the spokesperson of one’s promotion. This speaking is not efforting in any manner. As a matter of fact, it lives beyond words. It is an art and a science, generated by the natural responsiveness and response-ability of someone who has a vision, and no personal agenda. This quality of response and presence, this “purity” (no other word) makes that being irresistible and a magnet. There is where to account for the charisma of great leaders. Ask yourself: am I willing to take the responsibility for my present situation, and for all the decisions to come? The bad news is: you did it all! The good news is: you do it all! What do you choose to create?

8. Financial empowerment
A common understanding is that money is energy exchanged. You offer that service, which is valuable to me enough that I will pay for it… It is puzzling that artists would be in such financial survival, as they are so gifted, and so “rich” inside. It has been said that creating art is a constant act of generosity. So where is the hook? The image of a receiver comes to mind, where some channels are noisier than others. If turning a dial will make for a better reception, what dial can I turn to receive money more directly, i.e. more abundantly? That is a worthwhile question. Financial empowerment is directly related to integrity, as integrity is the filter, which wipes out any possible noise. It is the real energy behind the exchange, as it insures the buyer that the seller’s heart is in the right place, and that his/her intents in all actions are for the good of all.

9. Community
That is really the foremost point: the good of all, the good of the community, the good of humanity. As a healing principle, it means that, in the moment you are experiencing a block, there is someone around you who needs you, just as you are. When caught up in self-attack, look for someone around you who is in even more in dire need of assistance. Think of people as the colors that populates your palette, or the notes that delineates your melody… Furthermore, if it weren’t for people, why create art at all? Follows a question for the very courageous, a tough question… Are you ready? Here it is: do you really like people? Yes, is it true that you really, really like people? Even Aunt Martha? Even the sad looking cashier? And if you should come to recognize that, possibly, there are times when you do not like people, then how can you ask them to love you, and support your art? Com-passion is the key to com-munity. Try this a remedy: Repeat to yourself: just like me, this person has felt loneliness, sadness and despair. Just like me, this person is wanting happiness for his or her life… Just like me…

10. Vision
Because art, science, or anything that is created for the benefit of community is born of inspiration from the abstract and imaginative realms, contemporary artists may come to recognize their task as a grounding and redirecting of those primeval patterns of apparent chaos through discipline into expressive simplicity. They may understand the joy and pure pleasure of committing to joining order and responsibility to those more etheric and ecstatic realms. Thus can the artist, the voice of art, earn trust and a hearing, as he and she will have come forth as a servant leader, and bear gifts as the steward of those gifts, rather than the owner. By doing so, a vision of love and beauty will be fulfilled, which is the ultimate and great work that unites artists and leaders, the passionate co-creation that dares thinking possible the emergence of an enlightened civilization.

Forwarding/Sharing
Unless noted otherwise, all material is written and edited by Mahalene Louis, Copyright (c) Soulvision Axis, Inc. (r) 2003. All rights reserved. You may reprint material from “Turn on the Light!” Top Ten in other electronic or print publications provided the above copyright notice and a link to http://www.mahalenelouis.com is included in the credits. Also please send us a copy of the publication. When forwarding this material, please send the entire article intact and unadulterated.

Mahalene is an Inspiration Anchor, an Artist, an Author and the President of Soulvision Axis, Inc., a company assisting visionaries to unleash their creativity and awaken their spirit. She authored the Ten Techniques for heARTful living, as a result of 22 years of study and experience in creativity, communication and human development.

Beyond several local publications and national e-publications to which she is a regular contributor, she currently writes a blog (http://www.mahasblog.com) and publishes a monthly e-zine, Stop Trying, Start Trusting Mahazine, addressed to visionaries, holistic coaches, and consultants on the way to birth their personal and professional leadership. She also offers a Seven Weeks Mini-course, mad from the heART, and mini inspiring movies. Please do feel free to check out her work; http://www.mahalenelouis.com

This is something I learned from a guy in Louisiana. I
worked with him in a different business way back when…

I learned a ton from this guy whether he knew it or not…it’s

too bad he is not successful in business yet, because he
really has some good insight.

I brought it up that you need to want success…want a
business that will earn you profits.

We spoke of hobbies, and how we need to treat our business
like a business! and how a hobby never pays the bills, they
only cost money.

SO WHAT’S THE SECRET?

It all comes back to having that “dream” or a reason why.
But it’s more than that…

It’s hunger; you need to be hungry. Be starving for success.
You know when you can’t focus on anything else except

that need to eat? You start getting the shakes and you need
it. Now bring that feeling and transfer it to your business.

So you need to be hungry. And the insight that this young
guy had was a one liner, and picture this in a Louisiana
accent; “well there are times you could eat…but you are
not necessarily ‘hungry’.” well how huge is that?

I learn from the people I mentor as much as they learn
from me! That was one of those AHA moments.

Of course, we could all eat a little bit of success,
but are we hungry?

So, now every time I look at my business and think to
myself “it’s just not growing as fast as I want” (which,

if you are like me, is never fast enough). I need to ask,
“am I still hungry?” And every single time I can answer

no. I have become comfortable where I am at.

This brings me to another quote. “Success is found
outside our comfort zone.” Think about that! If you
want to be better than you are now, you need to look
beyond yourself and expand. Whether it be physically,
mentally, spiritually or financially. You need to stretch
yourself beyond where you are now.

So if you are having a tough time getting into action;
you look at yourself in the mirror and ask if you just
need a bite of success, or if you want the 5 course meal!

So this week:

-Get hungry!
-Dream big!
-Develop your WHY!
-Be starving for success!

To our success,

Jay Kanik
www.cashcanoe.com

After 10 years of being a mlm junkie I know what works, and what doesn’t. Now I want to shorten the learning curve for as many people as I can.

don’t be a junkie, be a pro