Thank Goodness It's Monday #460

 Tyger Tyger, Burning Bright!

A RED ENVELOPE FOR YOU

-- AND SOME POETRY

Welcome to The Year of The Tiger. You may know that, based on an ancient system of astronomy and astrology, the 15-day festival that marks the so-called Chinese New Year begins tomorrow.

You may also recognize some of the traditions that will be observed over the days ahead to welcome good luck and happiness.

Not surprisingly, many are customs that would fit in any cultural context at the beginning of a New Year. People dress in finery to represent contentment and wealth. Homes are scrubbed clean. Rooms are decorated for the holiday.

Other traditions are unique. The room decorations are paper lanterns and flower blossoms. Walls are adorned with the Chinese characters -- 恭喜发财

-- is one simplified form – roughly equivalent to “Happy New Year” and transliterated in some places as Gung hay fa choy in Cantonese.

In places lacking restrictive pandemic protocols Dragon-dance parades may snake along streets with clashing cymbals and firecrackers exploding to ward off evil spirits. Children and single, unemployed adults look forward to receiving red envelopes stuffed with cash from elders.

Some years ago, as the “elder” co-creator (with Eric Taylor) of a program we boldly called the Best Year Ever Program! I feel obliged to commemorate any “New Year” observance and tie it to our message that –

Anytime is the right time to begin Your Best Year Ever!

So, although you may not be a child or unemployed single, here’s --

A Red Envelope for you.   

Sorry, no cash. (Awwww!)

But in the spirit of these blog posts and TGIM messages, I believe that “Sharing An Idea” is a time-proven strategy that’s –

More valuable than money. Think of it this way: If I have a dollar and you have a dollar, and we give our dollar to one another, we each still have only a dollar. But --

And it’s a Big BUT: If I give you an idea, and you give me an idea, then we each have two ideas that we can contemplate … be inspired by … work on with our individual talents … and craft into something even greater than the original inspiration.

So let’s get back to this idea of astrology and universal truths and my idea of the moment for you --

According to the astrological aspects of the holiday, babies born in a Year of the Tiger are expected to have the following traits:

"They are courageous and energetic, love a challenge or competition and are prepared to take risks. They are hungry for excitement and crave attention. They can be rebellious, short-tempered and outspoken, preferring to give order rather than take them, which often leads to conflict."

Were you born in a Year of the Tiger? You probably don’t know. But you also probably felt that some of the characteristics – especially the positive ones – fit you.

Now for me, almost any astrological stuff is –

Beyond understanding. Yet I often look at my horoscope in the ink-on-paper newspaper. And I read the transmitted wisdom with the fascinated knowledge that there is guidance to be gleaned in the cryptic messages (although that it is celestial and unwavering and universal is highly suspect to me).

I figure, at the least, horoscopes are well-intended advice. I’m certainly open to that. And that leads me, at this auspicious new beginning of the Year of the Tiger, to this –

TGIM Takeaway: “We are wiser than we know.” Ralph Waldo Emerson said that in 1841.

How does that relate to today? We all would want the positive characteristics of those born in a Year of the Tiger and the other 11 Chinese astrological animal signs. And who wouldn’t want to embody the best parts of Libra, Scorpio, etc., etc.

YEAR-OF-THE-TIGER ACTION IDEA: If we’re wise enough to know what characteristics are desirable, then we should be wise enough to set our own course in raising our skills in those areas in order that we might become all that we might become.

Our fate is not in the stars. The future is in our own hands. Self-improvement is the precursor to all improvement. Start today. We must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin the work. There’s never been a more auspicious time.

Gung hay fa choy!  Get started on Your Best Year Ever! NOW.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing
Englewood, NJ 07631

tgimguy@gmail.com  

P.S.  About that "Tyger Tyger ..." side head at the top of today's post. Seem familiar? It's from one of the most anthologized English language poems out there, William Blake's "The Tyger" published in 1794 as part of his Songs of Experience collection.

Perhaps it's also personally informative then to compare the Chinese Zodiac tiger characteristics to Blake's quite western, mystical, romantic take on the struggle of humanity based on the concept of the contrary nature of things, 

 

Copy A of Blake's original printing of The Tyger, 1794.
Copy A is held by the British Museum.

Thank Goodness It's Monday #455

TIME OFF FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR

I say that too often, I think. It’s become a go-to phrase for me that slips too easily and mindlessly into the conversation. 

“Time off for good behavior” is usually deployed by me when someone indicates that they’re not going to do something … or that they’re going to do something “entertaining” rather than workaday routine … or that they’re actually giving themselves just that – time off that they feel/know they’ve deservedly earned.

With a common-usage link to the idea of incarceration for some kind of wrongdoing, I guess it’s got a bit of a snarky tone to it. 

One reading: It’s as if I’m implying the break-taker is maybe not quite as deserving as they think they are; as if by doing what’s expected of them they’ve gained some privilege.

• College student off for a spring-break fling? “Ah, been a tough semester, huh?” sez Geoff. “Time off for good behavior.”
• Networking buddy who asks me to sub at morning breakfast while she heads out for her industry’s annual Las Vegas gathering? “Happy to do it,” sez I. “Enjoy your time off for good behavior.”
• Working spouse neighbors who give you the heads up that they’re taking their kids to the Florida theme park experience. Yup. Imagining the air travel and transportation and standing in lines with kids in tow, I drop the phrase again.

But you know what? That’s unfair. Judgmental. And just plain wrong (most of the time).

It’s suddenly obvious to me that, even if dispensed with a smile and expressed with interest in the time-off plans, this note of disapproving approval is rooted perhaps in some bit of envy, or jealousy or desire to be on the partaking side of the equation versus being stuck here in the daily humdrum.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: You deserve a break today. Not to give too much to that old McDonald’s sales pitch, everyone who makes an honest effort, no matter how small or immediately effective, has earned some respite.

Ideally, we all do. And a brief fast-food-sized interlude in the daily routine is just a beginning. Even the dominant guideline of the religious beliefs of many remarks that, on the seventh day, the creator of the world we dwell in rested.

That ought to be a good clue to guide our own behavior.

From a more secular and pragmatic view: No doubt our human batteries need to be routinely and regularly recharged. 

Hardworking English banker, politician, naturalist and archaeologist John Lubbock (1834-1913) certainly knew that. 

Although his scientific work was an avocation, Lubbock discovered the first fossil remains of musk-ox in England (1855), and undertook archaeological work identifying prehistoric cultures. As a naturalist and friend and advocate of Charles Darwin, he studied insect vision and color sense. He published a number of books on natural history and primitive man. He coined the terms Neolithic and Paleolithic.

In 1870, he became a member of Parliament. The legislation he initiated included the Bank Holidays Act (1871) and the Ancient Monuments Act (1882) and the Shop Hours Act (1886). He became 1st Baron Avebury when he was made a peer in 1900.

And, in addition to his work/ life example, he gave us many useful guidelines for living, such as this nicely depicted one from the 1920 collection in the Volume of Contentment we’ve been featuring:

In a similar spirit Lord Avebury also shared these thoughts:

            “A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work.” 

“Happiness is a thing to be practiced, like the violin.”

“If we are ever in doubt what to do, it is a good rule to ask ourselves what we shall wish on the morrow that we had done.”

“We often hear of people breaking down from overwork, but in nine cases out of ten they are really suffering from worry or anxiety.”

“In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is wanting.”

“Our ambition should be to rule ourselves, the true kingdom for each one of us; and true progress is to know more, and be more, and to do more.”

“When we have done our best, we should wait the result in peace.” 

“Your character will be what you yourself choose to make it.”

And speaking of character: Here’s my personal Spring Break –

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: I apologize to those I have pestered with my “Time off for good behavior” glibness. To have had your effort at all belittled is unfair. I really do wish you happy interludes to your routine.

Now I think I’ll give myself some time off for good behavior.

Back soon.   

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S.  And speaking nearly directly to the incarceration premise of “Time off for good behavior,” Lubbock said: “The whole value of solitude depends upon oneself; it may be a sanctuary or a prison, a haven of repose or a place of punishment, a heaven or a hell, as we ourselves make it.”

Thank Goodness It's Monday #428

WHO’S ON FIRST?

ZEN WISDOM WE CAN EASILY RELATE TO

“Good pitching will always stop good hitting. And vice versa.”
 

That classic bit of Casey Stengel’s wisdom was repeated in a recent conversation about the 2013 Major League Baseball pennant races (and the floundering performance of the Yankees).

And it prompted a bystander observe –

 

“Very Zen.”

 

Now, I’m no authority. Let’s be up front about that. Not about things Zen or baseball.

But that perhaps-snarky comment in passing felt like it made some sense although I’m not sure that, in Zen mindset, you can maintain that things make sense precisely. (As I said, I’m no Zen authority.) 

TGIM CHALLENGE: So I began poking around for my entertainment and education to see if I could come up with additional semi-contemporary western “wisdom” that seemed to fill the bill and enlighten me and -- since I’m sharing via this message – you in some way.

When I expressed that idea aloud to the gathered sports fans they, of course, maintained that there were many Stengel-isms that probably qualified. And, of course they’re right. But you can check those out for yourself.

And Casey leads invariably to Yogi. Not a Far Eastern mystical yogi, of course, but our own baseball-centric Jersey neighbor, master of the mangled phrase, Yogi Berra.

Here’s a Yogi-ism that feels particularly right: “How can you think and hit at the same time?” 

Something Zen-like lies in that utterance, don’t you think?

So let’s quickly and very broadly sketch out an operating definition of Zen for our purposes, and then I’ll share some of the Western wisdom I’ve come across in my brief and peripatetic search for this unique way of looking at the world and our place in it.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: How about this non-sectarian premise: A Zen mindset is grounded in the idea and ideal that asserts that enlightenment can be attained through meditation, self-contemplation and intuition, rather than through formalized and prescribed scripture.

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: How about the “enlightenment” inherent in these non-sectarian insights:

►“Computers are useless. They only give you answers.” Pablo Picasso said that.

►On her deathbed Picasso patron and novelist/poet Gertrude Stein asked: “What is the answer?” No answer came. She laughed and said, “In that case what is the question?” Then she died.

► “There is nothing either good or bad but that thinking makes it so.” Shakespeare gives that line to Prince Hamlet in Act 2, Scene 2 of the eponymous play.

► “Must it be? It must be!” Beethoven wrote that (in German) under the introductory slow chords in the last movement of the String Quartet #16 – the last major work he wrote. The whole movement is headed “Der schwer gefaßte Entschluß” ("The Difficult Decision"). 

► “We are here and it is now. Further than that is moonshine.” Journalist, critic and notorious curmudgeon H. L. Mencken made that pronouncement.

► “No ideas but in things.” Poet, MD and Jersey Boy William Carlos Williams said that.

► “I believe a work of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars.” Poet and buried-in-New Jersey Boy Walt Whitman said that.

► “see without looking, hear without listening, breathe without asking.” Poet W.H. Auden wrote that in For The Time Being, a long poem written during the dark times of World War II.

► “He did each single thing as if he did nothing else.” Charles Dickens shares that description in the novel Dombey and Son. 

►1. Out of clutter, find simplicity.

2. From discord, find harmony.

3. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

These so-called “Three Rules of Work” are widely attributed to Albert Einstein (although I can’t find an original citation)

► “When making your choice in life, do not neglect to live.” Dictionary creator Samuel Johnson said that.

► “Life is what happens to you while you’re making other plans.” John Lennon famously used that line in his posthumously released song “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)”.

► “Ah but I was so much older then; I’m younger than that now.” Bob Dylan sang that refrain in his song “My Back Pages” on his 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan.

TGIM TAKEAWAY: I’ve got more, but that’s nearly enough for now. 

Let’s wrap this TGIM up with a return to our –

Baseball starting point. While we were light-heartedly sharing ideas about the Zen/baseball confluence, the observation was made, “You know, the Abbot and Costello classic ‘Who’s On First’ has a Zen-like riff to it.”

 

I kinda agree. To help get you remembering here’s a bit of how it goes in one version:

On June 26, 1992, the city of Paterson, NJ
—in conjunction with the
Lou Costello Memorial Association—
erected this "Lou's On First" statue.

Costello: You gonna be the coach … ?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: And you don't know the fellows' names?

Abbott: Well I should.

Costello: Well then who's on first?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: I mean the fellow's name.

Abbott: Who.

Costello: The guy on first.

Abbott: Who.

Costello: The first baseman.

Abbott: Who.

Costello: The guy playing...

Abbott: Who is on first!

Costello: I'm asking YOU who's on first.

Abbott: That's the man's name.

Costello: That's who's name?

Abbott: Yes.

Costello: Well go ahead and tell me.

Abbott: That's it.

Costello: That's who?

Abbott: Yes.

You can also take about 8 minutes to see the complete version of it from the 1953 “Actor’s Home” television episode, here: Abbott & Costello Who'sOn First. (The heart of the routine starts about a minute in.)

Then consider this: In my quote gathering I came across the following dialogue, central to Zen studies -- 

“I am going to pose a question,” King Milinda said to Venerable Nagasena.  “Can you answer?”

Nagasena said, “Please ask your question.”

The king said, “I have already asked.”

Nagasena said, “I have already answered.”

The king said, “What did you answer?”

Nagasena said, “What did you ask?”

The king said, “I asked nothing.”

Nagasena said, “I answered nothing.” 

Oh. One way or another, hoping to hear the sound of your one hand clapping out there in the stands. 

Enjoy pondering. Chopping wood and carrying water in the meanwhile. 

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373

tgimguy@gmail.com 

P.S.  “I’m astounded by people who want to ‘know’ the universe when it’s hard enough to find your way around Chinatown.” Woody Allen, perhaps profoundly, said that.

Thank Goodness It's Monday #417

HOW TO USE THE

“BEN FRANKLIN CLOSE”

IN THE 21^ST CENTURY

American Commissioners at the Treaty of Paris Conference  by Benjamin West

 

Sealing the deal are, from the left, John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and Franklin's nephew and secretary.

The right side of the painting is unfinished because the British commissioners to the conference refused to sit for their portraits.

Perhaps if Franklin had used his vaunted "closing" technique we could have had a completed painting.

We came away with a new nation instead. 

Someone actually unloaded the legendary Benjamin Franklin Close on me recently.

You know what that is, don’t you?

Of course you do. It’s a classic espoused by many legendary sales trainers and personal development folks -- Dale Carnegie, Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins and other less-known folks. There are abundant explanations and demonstrations only a mouse click away. 

But don’t leave here. Because even if you don’t know the technique –

 

I’m about to sum it up for you. With commentary. 

The Benjamin Franklin Close is also known as “The Balance Sheet Close” or “The T-Bar Close” and, from the seller’s point of view, it goes something like this:

You’ve made your usual masterful presentation. But the prospect appears to be unable to make up his or her mind. You feel as if you’ve tried just about everything in your sales kit but still can’t get them to commit. So, as the seller in my recent experience did, you say something like:

“We all know how smart old Benjamin Franklin was. He was a very thrifty fellow and like you concerned for getting the most value for every dollar spent, wouldn’t you agree Mr. Steck?” 

(Award one-half point for seeking agreement. Deduct one-half point for heavy-handed use of my name. Deduct 2 more points for not noticing all the books about Ben in my office.)

“Back in the day, whenever he was faced with a decision – and he had some pretty big ones – he would take piece of paper, draw a vertical line down the middle and head one column with a ‘plus’ (+) and the other with a ‘minus’ (-).” 

(No points here either way, but there should be deductions in the name of historic accuracy as we will see momentarily. And the lazy-brain phrase “back in the day” grates on my ears, but …)

“In his genius he discovered that by listing all the positive attributes on the plus side and all the negative aspects on the minus side, the decision would become obvious. Pretty sound concept, agreed?” 

(Lose 2 points for working the “get agreement” strategy too often. Add back one-half for NOT using my name again.)

“Let me show you how it works. Since you seem to be having a tough time deciding, let’s list the plusses – some of the reasons you may want to do business with us. Then we’ll list the minuses. Fair enough?” 

(This getting-agreement thing is getting a little irritating although it might have been OK here IF it hadn’t been overworked earlier.)

Now, if you’re like the guy pitching me, you get out a clean sheet of company letterhead and your company-logo giveaway pen and begin to list everything good about the offer, product, service, whatever. In your best leading-the-witness style, you get the prospect to say most of them. You take your time to develop a comprehensive list.

Then you say –

“OK, let’s list the minuses.” And you hand the pen to the prospect … and push the list toward him … and you say nothing more. 

Bing-o/Bang-o! Usually the prospect can only think of objections couched in terms of price or affordability. And you’ve got the answers to those down cold, don’t you?

Start calculating your commission!

Or not. If I’ve done my writing job right, you should be thinking, “But Geoff … do we detect in your tone and presentation that you have a problem with the Benjamin Franklin Close?”

Kee –rect! It’s Old World selling that is –

 

Destined to fail. In fact, as an Old World kinda guy myself AND a Ben Franklin fan, while I was almost entertained by having it trotted out, I was mostly and ultimately annoyed.

 

The reality of 21^st Century selling is: In this computer-info-powered age, any real customer …

… seriously intending to buy

… who has done their prep before you call

… and who has allowed you in but isn’t responsive after you’ve presented

…has pretty much made up his or her mind. 

 

You’ve just not been told the decision.

And I maintain this Death-of-a-Salesman-era closing ploy is unlikely to swing things in your favor.

 

So do you just forget about the Benjamin Franklin Close and never use it?

No! No! NO! I wouldn’t waste your time reviewing it if I didn’t think there was some more-than-cautionary –

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Be like Ben. Do what Ben really would have done. Use the Ben Franklin PRINCIPLE to prepare to get the sale to “Yes!” before you even walk in the door.

No mystery, it’s in the history: In a letter to Joseph Priestly (the English scientist who discovered oxygen), Franklin commented about a perplexing decision that Priestly was wrestling with.

Franklin wrote to his chemist friend that the problem of deciding inexplicable situations is that "all Reasons pro and con are not present to the mind at the same time...." As a result, our minds are like a pendulum swinging back and forth, swayed by whichever aspect of the decision seems to be primary at the time without being able to arrive at a solution.

 

To help solve the dilemma at hand, Franklin informed Priestly that he (Franklin) would divide a sheet of paper into two columns, listing one Pro and the other column Con.

Then in the course of three or four days he would write in each appropriate column brief hints about the motives that at different times occurred to him for or against the decision. If, after careful evaluation, the Pro column contained more positive features, he would make his decision accordingly. The same evaluation process applied to the Con column.

 

Franklin admitted that his decision-making method was purely procedural, and that it could not advise him what to do, but only how. He did inform Priestly that "when each (Pro and Con reason) is thus considered separately and comparatively, and the whole lies before me, I think I judge better and less likely to make a rash step...."

TGIM IDEA IN ACTION: Use the Pro-and-Con Column mindset as a sales preparation tool. Use it as a strategizing device. Use it to get yourself ready to make the big sale. Create those columns on a piece of paper or your digital device, and then start listing …

►   … the prospect’s needs

►   … the decision makers

►   … the questions you want to ask

►   … personal “things in common” to discuss

►   … the benefits and main points you want to cover

►   … why you believe they will buy

►   … the reasons this particular prospect may not buy – and your responses 

Thus prepared with Ben’s help, you are now ready to make the call and the sale without resorting to a default gambit.

And, if on the call you see a bunch of Ben Franklin books in the prospect’s office and you want to bond with him (or her), relate your knowledge of the real Ben Franklin PRINCIPLE and lock up the deal.

One more point in, well, closing: 

Is it stating the obvious? The decision tool aspect of the Ben Franklin PRINCIPLE is not limited to business choices. It can be helpful in most areas of daily living. It works to keep you rational. Taking the time to deploy it correctly also discourages rash “I want it now” acts.

If you would not be forgotten

As soon as you are dead and rotten,

Either write things worth reading,

Or do things worth the writing.

Ben said that (in his Poor Richard persona). And did both.

Hope this TGIM helps us do the same.

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com 

P.S.  About those column headings: As Ben says, they should be Pro and Con, not Plus (+) or Minus (–) although –

Ben the Scientist did make the choice of which type of electricity is called "positive" and which "negative" around 1750. In the end further discoveries established that he misunderstood just how electricity flows, but he was ballpark right for his day. We should all be that clever.

Thank Goodness It's Monday #412

SPOILER ALERT:

THIS “MAN OF STEEL” PREVIEW

REVEALS 10 SECRETS OF SUPERMAN

The next Superman movie -- “Man of Steel” opens this Friday.  

It cost $200+ million to make. It’s intended to inaugurate a Batman/Dark Knight-sized series. Like that 21^st Century interpretation the newest Superman is supposed to be darker, more brooding, introspective, and conflicted than previously.

At one point, early reports say, the Man of Steel sports a long beard which has given rise to much speculation about the secret of how he shaves.

And the red shorts over the blue, uh, long johns? Gone.

 

Spoiler alert: I care … but not that much.

 

Here’s why: It’s a movie. It’s real life that has real lessons about real issues.

 

Certainly there are movie “touch points” that serve well as shorthand to better communication and understanding. And as I often do in TGIMs (and as I’m doing now) they’re a useful bridge or default to make a connection or a point. 

Like this: An early and significant writing collaboration with my friend Eric Taylor was a chapter on “Heroes” in a volume entitled 101 Ways to Improve Your Life. It’s about a real Superman who also brought a distinct grace and character to the portrayal of the character Superman. 

Christopher Reeve

It’s primarily Eric’s story.

Based on his experience.

Told in his voice.

The outline version I’ll share below is one of the earliest recountings. I know it underpins Eric’s being. Today I simply want to add that, in the nearly a decade I’ve been a part of it, it has become a great influence on my abiding philosophy as well. 

 

It’s that important. So, before you head for the multiplex and shell out for tickets, popcorn and a jumbo drink, read this … reflect … and, I hope, relate.

10 Life Lessons I Learned from Superman

(and How They Changed My Life Forever)

For many, the actor who epitomized the character “Superman” is Christopher Reeve, and as millions know, at the height of his career he suffered a tragic accident that left him totally paralyzed, unable to care for himself or, initially, even to breathe unassisted.          

With the support of his wife, Dana, Chris persevered and battled back, becoming a vigorous advocate and the public face for research that develops treatments and cures for paralysis caused by spinal cord injury and other central nervous system disorders. The foundation that now bears their names has awarded hundreds of millions in research grants to the world’s best neuroscientists and Quality of Life grants worth over $15.7 million to nonprofit organizations that help improve the daily lives of people living with paralysis, particularly spinal cord injuries.          

Christopher Reeve redefined courage and hope. His strength, determination, and compassion inspired the world, but what I think is the superhuman part of the story has not been fully told. There’s more to this story for me and greater lessons for us all.           

It was my distinct privilege to produce Chris’s last public appearance in New Jersey. I’ll never forget it—or him. He died on October 10, 2004, just 11 days after the event. He is my hero.          

Christopher Reeve taught me 10 lessons that day. I know that they apply to you, and that when you decide to take them to heart and act on them, they will change your life, too.

1. Empower yourself first! The only way to truly connect with another human is to connect with yourself first. Compassion, rapport, and caring all come from allowing, understanding, and knowing yourself first.

Action Idea: Take time out of each day (even if by self-appointment) to reflect on the day, week, month, or year. Evaluate the words you chose to speak and the actions you chose to take. Ask yourself the critical question, “Am I being congruent with what I truly believe and value?”

2. Refuse absolutes. Anyone who says “that will never happen” doesn’t understand faith, persistence, and belief. There are few, perhaps no absolutes. The world was once thought to be flat; Christopher Columbus debunked that myth and created a paradigm shift for mankind. Christopher Reeve should not have survived as long as he did and accomplish as much as he did after his accident. 

Action Idea: Have you embraced false absolutes with “security thinking?” Remove all self-imposed limitations and boundaries that you (or someone else) have placed in your mind. 

3. Become a respected and feared competitor. Respect and fear are equally important. Have the respect of your peers, but be sure that they are aware that you are playing to win every time!

Action Idea: Get close to your competitors, and let them get close to you—but only in physical proximity! Treat them with kindness and respect, but keep your eye on the prize. 

4. Get moving as soon as possible. If you allow yourself to procrastinate there will never be “enough” time for getting ready. So, when you set a goal … make a decision … experience adversity; get moving immediately. 

Christopher’s tragedy was something for which he could not have prepared. Chris knew that if he didn’t take action immediately to find a cure and to move toward walking again, he might begin to think that death was a better alternative. 

Action Idea: Decide! Once you make up your mind to achieve a desired outcome or goal, never let anything or anyone stop you.

5. You have more talent and gifts than you realize. You possess all of the resources to lead an extraordinary life. Accept the gifts, and use them to serve. 

Action Idea: Ask “What if …?” questions. “What if I could discover the cure for AIDS?” “What if I could run a three-minute mile?” “What if I give love first without expecting anything in return?”

6. Give yourself a chance—you are worthy. Let the people who love you, love you. Share your dreams and desires with those who can, will, and want to help you. Don’t beat yourself up when you fail.

Action Idea: Everything is an experience, not a test. The events that take place in our lives are not a thermometer to gauge our self-worth. The most important opinion you must possess in your life is the opinion you have of you!  

7. Nothing is impossible.  Use your personal power and have faith that you can overcome and achieve anything you set your mind to. A mindset that replaces the negativity of impossibility with that can-do positivity of what IS possible is a mind-set each of us should embrace. 

Action Idea: Faith equals persistence. If you believe you can, you can. Walt Disney said, “You will see it when you believe it.” 

8. Ignore your own feelings of inadequacy. There is almost always someone doing better than you are. The grass always looks greener on the other side, and that, as we know, is almost always a false assumption.

What‘s more important is what you are doing and what your goals are. If you honor self-promises and stick to your dreams and goals, your time will come. The real truth is that that legendary glass is always half full, and that partly cloudy is also partly sunny. These small distinctions can pay huge dividends in your life. 

Action Idea: Your mind and your body are your most prized possessions. Protect them by being cautious about what you allow to enter.

 

9. Negativity kills empowerment. Negativity drains energy, diminishes hope, blocks creativity, and steals faith and one’s ability to persist. Beware of negative self-talk and negative thinking and all the things and people in your life that are dream-stealers.

 

Action Idea: Just as empowerment begins with you, positivism in your world begins with you as well. You are a leader. Become a leader in your life first.

 

Surround yourself with everything and everyone that makes you feel good. Avoid negative people… negative news … negative thoughts. Life is too short not to be happy.

10. Giving up is not an option. You are not automatically entitled to everything in this life, but you are entitled to become your personal best. After his accident Dana told Chris, “I still love you, you are still you.” That moment, he said, his giving up was not an option. He knew that he had only one choice and one life to leave his legacy. 

What will your legacy be? What will you create? What is your purpose for being here? 

Action Idea: Winners have not quit. And, obviously, quitters can’t win. Quitting does last forever. If you have yet to discover your calling, get excited! It is about to be discovered. If you know your calling, go there with passion and serve.

Those, in a nutshell, are 10 Life and Leadership lessons Eric Taylor and I learned from a heroic real-life Superman, Christopher Reeve.

TGIM ACTION IDEA: Strive to live them every day.

Now, Go Forward!

Geoff Steck
Chief Catalyst
Alexander Publishing & Marketing

8 Depot Square

Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-5373
tgimguy@gmail.com

P.S. There’s one more quote from Chris that, as Eric says, takes a bit of thinking to understand, but we’d like you to consider it. 

If there is no great glorious end to all this,

if nothing we do matters,

then all that matters is what we do.