12 Traits to Remember

I've read that Thomas Edison had several traits that he would focus on and try to improve each day. It's no wonder that Mr. Edison was one the world's most prolific characters in history.  I liked the idea, so I adapted it and use the technique myself. In my calendar, I have a trait to emphasize a little more each week.

1. Smile - a person, no matter how unattractive, improves their magnetism with a smile.
2. Remember - remember a person's name, it's one of their most treasured words.
3. Close - don't be afraid to close the deal, lead a little.
4. Enthusiasm - being a downer is contagious -- so is being an upper.
5. Order - creating lines, borders, ground rules actually creates freedom.
6. I'm 3rd - borrowed from Joe White's famous motto - God, others, then me 
7. Listen - most of the time, the best way to communicate in a conversation is with your ears.
8. Sincerity - real always works.
9. Knowledge - learn every day.
10. Praise - people rarely receive praise when they become "adults", but the kid in them still looks for it.
11. Key Issues - cut out the clutter, and focus on what's going to get you to the dance.
12. Questions - there's usually a reason behind the reason, so ask questions. 

It's like a string on your finger, or a wristband you wear to remind you of something important.  That's my 12 things, I could probably add a few more, but that's for another time.  Now, you make your own list of traits, post them in your calendar, and practice.

Wear it

NBA Hall of Famer, Michael Jordan wore his North Carolina Tar Heels practice shorts under his NBA uniform his entire career.  Popular author/blogger, Seth Godin wears mixed matched socks.  Actor/Comedian, Jim Carrey wrote himself a check for $20 million and kept it in his wallet until he earned that amount for The Cable Guy in '96... The list goes on how successful people use rituals, and reminders to motivate and move them in the right direction.  I wear two rubber wristbands, one red one that says "Cherokee" and one blue one that says "4 E's".  The red wristband reminds me that I'd like to give the best opportunities to my family.  The blue wristband reminds me how I should treat people.  Most of us have the attention span of a teen in trigonometry class, so physical reminders are needed and at the very least, they're good conversation starters.

Wear it, work it, win it.



CAP

Why Are We Compelled To Pick Our Scabs?

The other night, as my wife an I discussed some of the deep truths, concepts and philosophies that have been pondered for thousands of years, the topic of scabs came up.  Why are we compelled to pick our scabs?  When someone injures themselves, God, in His intelligent design, developed a process where our open wounds could be cocooned in a burgundy, crustaceous Under Armour(R) while the healing process takes place.  If all works as planned, eventually the scab falls off and there's little-to-no sign of the old wound.  Here are a few thoughts on scabs and scab picking:

1.  You need insulation for proper healing - When wounded, it's best to be insulated, (not isolated).  Having an environment to heal is so important.  However, the tendency could be to isolate the wound and continue to focus on it - eventually the wound takes up our attention and we can help but pick at the wound -- essentially hurting ourselves in the process.

2.  Don't shortcut the healing process - Instead of allowing the process of healing to take place, if we're not careful, our tendency is to continue to the revisit the old wound tearing it open again and again and again - ultimately the wound never heals quit right and there's always a sign of your past wound that's very noticeable - even years later.

3.  Healing can be an ugly process sometimes - but if you allow the healing process to take place you typically find yourself fully restored to your original design.

So, like mom always says - "Don't pick your scab!"

Crews and Competing

People need to belong to a fellowship; people desire a battle.  
The problem is, if you don't figure out what your purpose is, 
you'll invent strange ways to belong to a crew and compete.  
I was walking on lunch the other day and I saw a very strange 
and sad scene: grown men taking their one hour of freedom 
during their work day trotting out to a field of grass behind 
their office building to play...kick ball. Yes, 20 and 40-somthing's
playing kickball - really!!?  


We live in a society that has a bunch of sick men and tired 
women. Men that are sick in their heart, and women that are 
tired of wearing the pants. It's no wonder we create weird things
for us to entertain ourselves with, and perhaps deaden the ache 
of regret. More women are working than ever before to pay for
their "man's" toys. More men are spending their hours being 
"gamers", playing video games, softball, joining church basketball 
leagues or simply watching other people compete on the tube 
instead of getting in a crew that will call them into a battle that 

is the most magnificent competition in which they canindulge in
- a cause that will bring out all that is best; something that removes 
all that is base.  


General George S. Patton once said, "All men are afraid in battle. 
The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty.  
Duty is the essence of manhood." I hope to seek out men of duty, 
connect with them and if I'm fortunate, they will join my crew and 
compete alongside me for the hearts and minds of men.

Things that will determine where you'll be in the future:

1. The people you hang with (your crew)

2. The books you read (your field guides)

3. The stuff you put in your brain through your ear (your attitude)

4. The vehicle you choose to go places (choose wisely)

The Wasabi Way

I have a food fetish for western style sushi.  Any chance to eat the Japanese cuisine, of hand-formed clumps of vinegar rice and assorted fish, I do.  Aside from soy sauce and ginger, my favorite sushi condiment is wasabi, a piquant paste made from the grated root of the wasabi japonica plant.  Wasabi is a neon green, fun, little play-doh-like substance. Wasabi is usually served in the tiniest of dollops.  However, as soon as you inject the neon green play-doh you're in for a shocking surprise!  Wasabi sends a five-alarm signal to your palette, especially you're nostrils!  The tiny green stuff packs a punch more potent than horseradish, and jalapenos combined.

We should be more like wasabi in life.  It's not about being big, bodacious, or loud.  It's about being audacious in substance.  When we enter a room, are added to a group, circumstance, or situation we should add noticeable pop, flavor, surprise and flavor to the mix.  And if we can clear out someones sinuses it's just a bonus.  

Find people that are like wasabi and get around them more.    

Don't put yourself in a choke hold

One of the best escapes from the prison of procrastination is to take even the smallest steps toward your goals. People usually procrastinate because of fear and lack of self-confidence and, ironically, become even more afraid when under the gun. There are many ways to experiment and test new ground without risking the whole ball game on one play. Experience has shown that when people go after one big goal at once, they invariably fail. If you had to swallow a 12-ounce steak all at once, you’d choke. You have to cut the steak into small pieces, eating one bite at a time. So it is with prioritizing. Proactive goal achievement means taking every project and cutting it up into bite-sized pieces. Each small task or requirement on the way to the ultimate goal becomes a mini-goal in itself. Using this method, the goal becomes manageable. When mini-mistakes are made, they are easy to correct. And with the achievement of each mini-goal, you receive reinforcement and motivation in the form of positive feedback. As basic as this sounds, much frustration and failure is caused when people try to “bite off more than they can chew” by taking on assignments with limited resources and impossible timeline expectations. Two major fears that sire procrastination are fear of the unknown and fear of rejection or looking foolish. A third fear—of success—is often overlooked. Many people, even many executives, fear success because it carries added responsibility that can seem too heavy to bear, such as setting an example of excellence that calls for additional effort and willingness to take risks. Success, without adequate self-esteem or the belief that it is deserved, also can create feelings of guilt and the result is only temporary or fleeting high achievement. Playing it safe can seem more tempting than a need to step forward with determination to do it now and do it right.

New Media, New Marketing, New Thinking Creates Mojo

Here's an old video of Seth Godin talking about "new thinking" that most network marketers could learn from - enjoy! What are you doing to keep up with the changes in the marketplace? Keep up, or be left behind.

Ghost Riding

When I was around 8 or so my friends and I used to practice the art of "ghost riding". As young boys, we found lots of strange ways to entertain ourselves and this was just one. We would ride our bikes as fast as we could down a long stretch of the street and then jump off our bikes leaving our bikes to "ride themselves" 10-20 feet, or more. The momentum of the bike kept the bike upright on its two wheels, making it look like a ghost was riding it! It was fun to watch how far the bike could go before coming to an inevitable end. Sometimes our bike would race towards a curb, slamming into it and flipping completely over. A few choice times, we witnessed a bike hit a curb, flip completely over and land back on its tires and roll a foot or two and fall on its side. With no one guiding the bike, it gave the appearance that the bike was fine on its own, moving forward, but ultimately, the bike always came to a crashing end. At one point I was Ghost Riding in life. I've found, that's how many people operate in their lives too. You can find people going along in life, looking good, smelling good and they have the appearance of going in the right direction. But, without a guide, most people are in for a crash in the future. Who's helping you in life? Do you have a guide? Fortunately for me, I have spiritual guidance, and other mentors in my life now to make sure I'm not "ghost riding" through life... CAP

Operation Clean Up - My Detox Journal

So, I started a detox/cleanse on Monday, 8/17 for several reasons: 1. Lately, I’ve felt like I wasn’t living at optimal health – felt lethargic, slow to wake up in the mornings, etc. 2. I heard a testimony from a woman about the benefits of a cleanse at a meeting one time and my wife and I have desired to do one every since 3. The spiritual discipline of fasting has always been one of the best ways to put the flesh in submission to the spirit. There are lots of detox diets, so I won’t get into which one I am doing, but I’ll generally give you a snap shot of the process and diet. I plan to go for 14 days. I discovered Dr. Chet, whom I trust developed a detox recipe that I would have followed if it were just a week earlier! Follow the link below for a summary of Dr. Chet’s three choices to choose from: http://drchet.com/researchupdate.html Detox Journal: Monday, 8/17/09 Day 1: Excited to get started, but not sure if I’ll be able to make it the entire day. I normally can fast until the evening and I give up. Made it all the way! Tuesday, 8/18/09 Day 2: Started out well. Our admin. brought in a huge load of Panera bagels, cookies – stayed away from the goodies, but hit the wall around 11 AM or so, felt very tired, but was able to make it once again. I suppose it helped that I was busy in the evening meeting with a potential franchise owner in Denver metro area. Perhaps, the schedule helped me keep my mind off of food, etc. Wednesday, 8/19/09 Day 3: Woke up very energetic, felt light and ready to go! It seems I had a second wind kick in or something. I had one minor temptation; someone came over to my desk to offer me chocolate (not a big chocolate fan, so didn’t faze me much). Had adrenaline going for the evening meeting I had with my friend Mike and others, so didn’t think much about eating. Thursday, 8/20/09 Day 4: Feeling good, still feeling energetic, had a meeting to discuss internet projects I’m working on during lunch and bought someone Qdoba. Believe it or not, staring at a huge queso & steak burrito didn’t faze me – I was in the zone. Felt kind of tired around six, but fought through it. Friday, 8/21/09 Day 5: Feeling good so far. This is a big day for me! Just the fact that I made it until today is a huge accomplishment! Let's see how the evening goes... CAP Wrap up - Obviously, I'm not a Doc., by here's my wrap up of the detox experience: From what I know at this time, it is one of the best known methods for cleaning out your intestinal and colon walls. Although not intended as a weight-loss diet, it is effective at helping you balance your body and “rebooting” the metabolic process - which often results in weight loss (I lost around 10 lbs on this). A detox helps by: - Total body detoxification of years of built-up waste, which hasn't been properly removed due to todays level of pollution and the bodies inability to detoxify itself properly. - Extreme weight loss - Many have claimed that the fast allowed them to lose 20-40 lbs. in as little as a ten to twenty days, although this is not the main purpose of the diet. - Renewed energy and total body rejuvenation, freeing the individual of common aches and pains due to toxification of the body. - Highly increased immune system and an immense ability to fight of diseases which come from long-term abuse to the body from toxins and other pollutants. - Increased stamina and better sexual functionality and increased vigor. - Highly increased mental clarity and response - Although I didn't fast for spiritual reasons, I did have the benefit of knowing I can control my flesh and strengthening my spirit. I really think food is a stronghold for many people blocking their ability to have optimal health and an abundant life. - I stopped working out after an injury about a year ago and became very undisciplined. Although I'm completely healed, I simply started liking sleeping in a bit too much. This detox has given my a much needed jump-start on working out again. I plan to detox at least a few times per year, I've had a very positive experience. I'm going to workout now - gotta go!

The Road Ahead or the Road Behind

Here is a short poem written by George Moriarty. I watched a talk by John Wooden where he recited the poem from memory - very impressive for a gentleman his age. I loved it so much I found the written text for myself. I figured everyone else would love it too. Please enjoy and share it with others if you find it to be an “Idea Worth Sharing.” The Road Ahead or the Road Behind Sometimes I think the fates must grin as we denounce them and insist, The only reason we can’t win is the fates themselves have missed. Yet, there lives on the ancient claim – we win or lose within ourselves, The shining trophies on our shelves can never win tomorrow’s game. So you and I know deeper down there is a chance to win the crown, But when we fail to give our best, we simply haven’t met the test Of giving all and saving none until the game is really won. Of showing what is meant by grit, of fighting on when others quit, Of playing through not letting up, it’s bearing down that wins the cup. Of taking it and taking more until we gain the winning score, Of dreaming there’s a goal ahead, of hoping when our dreams are dead, Of praying when our hopes have fled. Yet, losing, not afraid to fall, If bravely we have given all, for who can ask more of a man than giving all within his span, it seems to me, is not so far from – Victory. And so the fates are seldom wrong, no matter how they twist and wind, It’s you and I who make our fates, we open up or close the gates, On the Road Ahead or the Road Behind. -George J. Moriarty CAP

Daydreamer

The Matrix 1: Neo "Ever have that feeling where you're not sure if you're awake or still dreaming?" Spent anytime dreaming lately? Daydreamers, those who dream with their eyes open, design their own destiny and help develop the dreams of those around them. Here are some things I've been thinking about lately - I hope my little acronym gives you some things to chew on -- it's a simple recipe to be a daydreamer. D is for Develop: Develop a dream. A is for Action: Act daily to move your dream forward. Y is for You: You are the only thing in your way. D is for Dare: Dare to dream while others don’t and you find yourself alone. R is for Relentless: Relentlessly pursue your dream, no matter what. E is for Excellence: Strive for excellence in all you do. A is for Abandon: Abandon any other alternative plans (No Plan B). M is for Measure: Constantly measure where you are on your dream journey. E is for Explore: Constantly explore you personal growth opportunities. R is for Realization: Realize small milestones along the path of achieving your dreams. CAP

Finding Your Way...

I “did” the Incline several weekends ago. The Incline, is a mile long, roughly 1,600 meters, and rises more than 2,000 feet, or 600 meters, in the thin air. The Manitou Springs Incline is a place where you see U.S. Olympic athletes train right next to bearded old men with hiking sticks. It’s a basic, yet punishing workout: Man versus Mountain. Olympic speedskater, Apolo Ohno once said, "It's the one workout where people truly have to face something that is unbeatable. It is you against yourself." After I went on Saturday, I was challenged to go again, the next Monday morning. Standing at the base of the trail at 5 a.m., surrounded by silence, I was ready to be humbled. It was interesting to see people dart up the incline, everyone at their own pace, but all seemed to have one unwritten and unspoken rule – Don’t stop (at least for not too long). An assistant Greco-Roman coach Momir Petkovic from the Olympic Training Center has said, "Forget technology. It comes down to how much you want it. If you're in the middle of nowhere, with nothing, you are going to find your way out. You will find a way to become a champion." The incline is a lot like life, love, your desires, and dreams -- Everyday you start out on the trek, there’s new elements to navigate, new challenges, new accomplishments waiting for you at the top. Don’t stop. It comes down to how much you desire it, when you’re in the middle of nowhere, with nothing, you find your way to becoming a champion. CAP Facebook.com, twitter.com/chrisaperez

A few pics from nutrilite fam. fun day

"As One"

“As One” Pace Line Riding is when two or more riders travel in a very tight group in the draft of the rider(s) in front of you. Leader of the pace line, create a draft for others. The draft envelope behind a single bicycle can be about six feet long and even more behind a tandem. The closer your front wheel is to the rear wheel of the rider ahead of you, the stronger the draft. Riding in a pace line draft can save 20 to 30% of your energy output. This energy savings is what allows the pace line group to travel at higher speeds. However, if you’re going to ride in a pace line, one of the essential rules is never suddenly slow down or attempt a quit stop! I’m sure you can guess what might happen if someone suddenly stops in a pace line. The lead cyclist expends almost twice as much energy as his teammates by cutting through the air. This effort creates a slipstream that literally drags the rest of the team along in what is known as drafting. It’s not unlike the way the lead duck flies at the apex of a flock of migrating ducks. When the lead cyclist is finally exhausted by his efforts, he falls to the back of the pace line to recover and is replaced by someone else on the team, who continues to push and drive the others with all his might. During the Tour de France, you might have noticed just how closely the members of each cycling team ride together. Each stage, depending upon the team strategy, different teammates may be called upon to get the yellow jersey, and have their time in the spotlight on stage. Together, the members of a cycling team create and sustain speeds unimaginable for an individual cyclist. In fact, a breakaway rider who is even 10 minutes or more ahead in the race can be caught easily by a strong team using this pace-line concept. Lance Armstrong is one of the greatest athletes of our era, but that does not explain how he won an unprecedented number of Tour de France championships. The secret to Lance Armstrong’s success was his ability to form, lead, and be supported by the best team. As a group, Armstrong’s team stuck to its pace line with a discipline that no other team showed, exhausted all who tried to keep up with their blistering pace, and chased down and passed any rivals who dared to launch a challenge. We're all in Pace Lines at work, in our family, and when building our businesses. I hope you can find application for the principles below, as I have, and create or cultivate an "as one" team. Pace Line Principles: 1. The Leader expends twice as much energy as his teammates to make it easier for those racing with him/or her. 2. The Leader (a.k.a., The Puller) creates a “draft envelope” or a pull for the rest of the team. 3. When any member of the pace line slows too much it could prove disastrous for the team. 4. Together, “as one” a team can create and sustain accomplishments unimaginable for an individual alone. 5. Leaders get tired too and may need a teammate to step up so they are pulled by their draft at times. 6. Every teammate is a leader of the teammate behind them. 7. Depending on the stage of the race, it may be your opportunity to stand on stage and have the spotlight. CAP Facebook.com, twitter.com/chrisaperz

Grand Rapids Conf. pics 3of3

Grand Rapids Conf. pics 2of3

Grand Rapids Conf. - pics 1of3

Take-aways from Grand Rapids Conference

My trip to Chicago and then to Grand Rapids, MI for a conference called Family Reunion, hosted in the great Devos Place Convention Center was life-changing. Here's a quick summary of my take-aways from the weekend:

I see four parts to influence: -First, influence is the Scripture -Second, influence is the Spirit -Third, influence is the Sage -Fourth, influence is your Situation You wouldn't let someone push you off course, but you might let someone nudge you off course and not even realize it! But, when you think about it, if you can allow someone to nudge you off course, wouldn't the opposite be true as well? What if you had a regular influences nudging you along the right course, helping keep you on track? Imagine that sage voice of wisdom encouraging you to stay on course and remain focused on the important things in your life while helping you along the way to achieve your goals and pursue the unique lifestyle. How powerful would it be to have four supportive influences. Voices of wisdom encouraging you, nudging and cheering you on, helping keep you on track to achieving your goals and dreams! I'm becoming skillful in the Scriptures, so I can be led by the Spirit more, which will help me be teachable enough to be mentored by Sages in my life. If I'm doing the three things above, then I know I'll learn to influence my Situation more than my situation influences me.

I'm so thankful for the influences in my life - I hope to continue to influence others in a positive way too!

CAP Facebook.com, twitter.com/chrisaperez

Plan Your Trip

My two daughters are heading to Kanakuk Kamps (kanakuk.com) for almost a month this week! They've been on camp countdown since they arrived home last year in August! The camp is a Sports Camps in Branson, MO and is 24/7 friends, fun and sun! Lots of planning has been going on in the Perez household of late to get ready for the trip. So I'm thinking of expectation and planning. Now's the time to fix the next 10 years of our lives. Now, you may have to come to grips with reality and with truth. I have good mentors/friends that ask me directly or indirectly all the time, "Are you reading the books that are going to take you where you want to go in the next 5 years?" Excellent question. See, you want to make sure. I would assume for all of you, to get to where you want to be in the next 5 years, you are either reading the right books or you're not. You're either engaged in the disciplines or you're not. But, here's what we don't want to engage in: disillusion. Hoping without acting. Wishing without doing. The key is to take a look and say, "Where am I? What could I do to make the changes to make sure that I can take more certain daily steps toward the treasure I want, the mental treasure, the personal treasure, the spiritual treasure, the financial treasure? I don't want to make any more errors. Now's the time to adjust my daily program to take me where I want to go." I've seen and heard personal testimonies of people that have done such remarkable things with just a few suggestions. And that is why seminars, CDs and books can be so valuable. Here's a key idea for us all to remember: We could all use a little coaching. When you're playing the game, it's sometimes hard to see it all. But the key is to start right now making these changes to plan your trip. And here's what's exciting to me: just a few daily disciplines makes a great deal of difference in one year, three years, five years. And before you know it, you will be walking a brand new road. Literally, what you do day after day for the next...will literally determine the types of trips you will be able to take in the future. Chrisaperez Become a friend on facebook, follow each other on twitter.com/chrisaperez

Pump It Up Principle

How do you build muscle?

If you answered "exercise," then you are partially right. For the most part, exercise is not what builds muscle. Exercise maintains the muscle you have already built, yet it only actually builds muscle when that exercise goes into uncharted territory.

"You need more weight."

If you haven’t reached your goal, staying stagnant, or simply doing same thing you’ve done to get you to where you are today, will ensure you never grow.

In order to really push, you really need a spotter. You see, when lifting weights your muscle is built when it goes beyond its comfort zone or literally stretches beyond what you have done before. Just as you’re about to give up, you hear the voice spotting you blurt out, "One more… come on… it is all you… one more… you got it… push it up." Your spotter will consistently push you to do one more than you would if he wasn't there, and that is why when you work out with someone else your muscles are consistently in the growth zone.

Growing in life is very similar to building muscle in the gym. If you are doing what you are comfortable with or can do easily, you never will grow. You will never expand to reach your full potential. Growth only occurs in life when you are pushing yourself to something new. This could mean learning a foreign language, learning to play an instrument, conquering your fears or pursuing your life-long dream of building a business, writing a play, authoring a book or talking to people that you normally would shy away from.

If you are going to build muscle in the gym you are going to need to do two things: #1 Lift more weight; #2 Have a spotter. The answers for success in life are very similar.

Go for more weight this week and get yourself a spotter!

CAP

"Do Yes"

"Do Yes" is not some new honeydew hybrid that I discovered in the supermarket. Growing up, one of my favorite movies was Karate Kid (the subsequent sequels were a stretch, but I still was a fan). Lately, I've grown to appreciate the old sage, Mr. Miyagi and his "Miyagisms" that were laced throughout the Kkid movie(s). This moring I feel like "doing" and it brings to my rememberance a famous "Miyagism": "Either you Karate do yes, or you Karate do no. You Karate do guess so (squish noise) just like grape." People at the top of every profession share one quality – they get things done. This ability supersedes intelligence, talent, and connections in determining the size of your salary and the speed of your advancement. Despite the simplicity of this concept there is a perpetual shortage of people who excel at getting results. The “do yes” habit -- the habit of putting ideas into action now – is essential to getting things done. Here are 7 ways you can grow your “do yes” habit: 1. Don’t wait until conditions are perfect – If you’re waiting to start until conditions are perfect, you probably never will. There will always be something that isn’t quite right. Either the timing is off. The market is down, or there’s too much competition. In the real world there is no perfect time to start. You have to take action and deal with problems as they arise. The best time to start was last year. The second best time is right now.

2. Be a doer - Practice doing things rather than thinking about them. Do you want to start exercising? Do you have a great idea to pitch your boss? Do it today. The longer an idea sits in your head without being acted on, the weaker it becomes. After a few days the details gets hazy. After a week it’s forgotten completely. By becoming a doer you’ll get more done and stimulate new ideas in the process.

3. Remember that ideas alone don’t bring success - Ideas are important, but they’re only valuable after they’ve been implemented. One average idea that’s been put into action is more valuable than a dozen brilliant ideas that you’re saving for “some other day” or the “right opportunity”. If you have an idea the you really believe in, do something about it. Unless you take action it will never go anywhere.

4. Use action to cure fear - Have you ever noticed that the most difficult part of public speaking is waiting for your turn to speak? Even professional speakers and actors experience pre-performance anxiety. Once they get started the fear disappears. Action is the best cure for fear. The most difficult time to take action is the very first time. After the ball is rolling, you’ll build confidence and things will keep getting easier. Kill fear by taking action and build on that confidence.

5. Start your creative engine mechanically - One of the biggest misconceptions about creative work is that it can only be done when inspiration strikes. If you wait for inspiration to slap you in the face, your work sessions will be few and far between. Instead of waiting, start your creative motor mechanically. If you need to write something, force yourself to sit down and write. Put pen to paper. Brainstorm. Doodle. By moving your hands you’ll stimulate the flow of ideas and inspire yourself.

6. Live in the present - Focus on what you can do in the present moment. Don’t worry about what you should have done last week or what you might be able to do tomorrow. The only time you can affect is the present. If you speculate too much about the past or the future you won’t get anything done. Tomorrow or next week frequently turns into never.

7. Get down to business immediately - It’s common practice for people to socialize and make small talk at the beginning of meetings. The same is true for individual workers. How often do you check email or RSS feeds before doing any real work? These distractions will cost you serious time if you don’t bypass them and get down to business immediately. By becoming someone who gets to the point you’ll be more productive and people will look to you as a leader.

It takes courage to take action without instructions from anyone but yourself. However, you if stay in the do yes, do no mode -- you'll find, if you already haven't, you'll be squished like a tiny, little grape -- don't be that guy.

Note: This list was inspired by The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz. The book is highly recommended.

Just for Fun - here's the audio of Mr. Miyagi with one of his famous Miyagisms: http://www.entertonement.com/clips/34120/Either-you-Karate-do-yes-or-Karate-do-no

The Birth of "Optipessim"

If you pay attention to the news, read blogs, or observe pop culture you get a sense that there is a change in the air. Although we know the media reports in way that appeals to the twisted side of us that likes to slow down to look at the accident on the side of the road – it’s different now. I feel, for the masses, this change involves the death of optimism. The death of optimism has brought about a new doctrine -- I call, optipessim.

Optipessim is our culture’s dual personality between optimism and pessimism and obsession with duality and fate as the result of bipolar and multiple personality disorders. (Forgive me for throwing grammar out the proverbial “window” to create my compound word – but I hope it makes my point.)

People, unchecked, can let pessimism seep into their psyche and begin to change their lenses, in which they view life, circumstances, and the future. I understand that there are typically varying degrees of optimism and pessimism and our inclinations are not always black or white. However, I am talking about sustained duplicity – not just brief moments of the two extremes. It seems most are in a constant state of optipessim.

A long-standing case study in human behavior would find that pessimists think optimists are foolish; optimists think pessimists make themselves unnecessarily miserable. A lot of research has been done on this issue in the last 30 years. The University of Pennsylvania found that optimistic people are happier than pessimists. When something bad happens, optimists think of it as temporary, limited in its effect, and not entirely their fault. Pessimists do the opposite. They consider the setback to be permanent, far-reaching and all their fault.

In several large-scale, long-term, carefully controlled experiments, studies at U of P discovered that optimists are more successful than pessimists - optimistic politicians win more elections, optimistic students get better grades, optimistic athletes win more contests, optimistic salespeople make more money.

Why would this be so?

Because optimism and pessimism both tend to be self-fulfilling prophecies. If you think a setback is permanent, why would you try to change it?

A life is not worth living if you are pessimistic. Because that is what feels like death. That is what causes athletes to, out of despair, get drunk and wrap their cars around a pole. Or lash out at someone they love. Or that is what might have caused someone to murder their family after being laid off from their job. It is the seedy feeling of optipessim of others living life around them, that keeps their fists tightly wound around whatever dollars they can muster, caring little more than nothing about those around them that can lead to just surviving and anything goes.

We can take control of our lives, we can be optimistic, we can say - right now, these are our lives, it is time to start living it. It is time to not second guess, to move forward, to make mistakes if we have to, but to do it with a greater good in mind.

Personally, I don’t watch many R-rated movies, I’m keeping the news off, and I’m not browsing the Drudge Report. What is your antidote for optpessim? CAP

The Most Popular Game of All-Time

THE BLAME GAME

“People spend too much time finding other people to blame, too much energy finding excuses for not being what they are capable of being, and not enough energy putting themselves on the line, growing out of the past, and getting on with their lives.” - J. Michael Straczynski When we were born, we were given 100% of all the talent, all the personality, all the energy, all it took to fulfill 100% of what you were placed on this earth to accomplish.

When we get the dream and then make it into a goal we go to terrific conferences - loaded with ideas, information and action steps to take. We read a book or watch a show that gives us inspiration and a blueprint for our desired outcome. We attend classes with brilliant teachers and take copious notes.

Unfortunately, I know, as many other speakers, trainers, writers and gurus know, that very few of the recipients of these useful messages will ever put them into practice. Why is it that we feel motivated, but don’t follow through? Why is it that we know we have a great idea, but never move to execute it? Why is it that we buy and/or download books, but never open them? Instead we make excuses (and don’t think that I am not guilty of this too!). Bo Bennett said it so well, “Not managing your time and making excuses are two bad habits. Don't put them both together by claiming you ‘don't have the time.’”

But isn’t that the excuse we make so often? When begin to play the most popular game of all-time – The Blame Game. When I find myself making excuses for not pursuing a certain project, I need to ask “Why are you putting this off? What are you afraid of?” You see, I feel that it all comes down to fear. We don’t like to admit it, but we all make excuses rather than facing the fear of failure, of criticism, of poverty, of success, and of looking foolish - to name just a few of the big ones.

Most of us already know what our core passion is. But, if we admit to it, we have to pursue it and that is the scary part. We desire to win so badly that we start playing a game – The Blame Game, a cheap counterfeit for winning at the game of “Life”. Unfortunately, the sad truth is, the only person you compete against in The Blame Game is yourself. And no one wins. You don’t win and the people you would have blessed lose too.

I have some great quotations to get you in the mood to stop playing The Blame Game: · George Washington Carver said that, “Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.” · Melvyn Douglas advises, “Don't make excuses and don’t talk about it. Do it.” · Doug Hall agrees, “Don't make excuses. Make things happen. Make changes. Then make history.” · The successful James Cash Penney expressed strong feelings, “I do not believe in excuses. I believe in hard work as the prime solvent of life's problems.”

So, how do we deal with the fear and forget the excuses that keep so many of us from fulfilling our dreams and goals?

First of all, realize and believe there is always a net to catch us. In her enlightening and beautifully written autobiography, Blood Memory, Martha Graham wrote, “Ben Belitt’s poetry more than once animated me to work on a ballet. There is that wonderful phrase of his, ‘Acrobats of God.” What is an Acrobat of God? I feel it is a person, not necessarily a dancer, who lives fully and completely. It is taking your chances whether you fall or not.” Secondly, know that the more times we fail and make mistakes, the more we learn and even faster than we can imagine.

And when you find yourself making an excuse: “I don’t have the time.” “I can’t resist chocolate.” “That computer stuff is too technical for me.” “I am too _____ (fill in the blank).” “I don’t have the ______ (fill in the blank).” “My metabolism is too slow.” Just stop yourself before you come up with another excuse. You get the idea. Let's work together to stop playing and start pursuing. E. Hubbard was correct when he once said, Don’t' make excuses, make good.

I'd like to hear about what you're pursuing. Leave a comment, send me an e-mail at chrisperez@katewwdb.com or leave a message at my office 866-853-4462

For fun, check out what the great sage, Rocky says about excuses:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z5OookwOoY&feature=related

CAP

The Bozo Principle

The Chicago Bozo franchise was the most popular and successful locally produced children's program in the history of television. I remember watching The Bozo Show on WGN-TV , channel 9 in Chicago. The show had a 13-piece orchestra, circus acts, games and prizes before a 200+ member studio audience – what more could an 80’s child ask for? The Bozo Show featured skits and local talent. My favorite game, was The Grand Prize game, where Bozo used the "Bozo Puter" to select a boy and a girl player from the audience based on a three-digit ticket! Now that I think of it, it was kind of a “kiddie lotto” – perhaps this was an attempt to make “gambling” cool with kids and create a hunger in these little Gen. Xers, which later could only be filled with state-endorsed Lottery game? Funny that the Illinois Lottery started in 1974, the same era, and the televised drawings were broadcasted on the very same channel, WGN? I digress – let’s put conspiracy theories aside. Anyways, these two players, with the “lucky” tickets would pick a postcard from the drum of an "at home player" which won duplicate prizes in the game. The game consists of dropping a ping-pong ball into each numbered “bozo bucket” up to bucket six where a $50 bill and a bicycle awaits the winner! Players had their photo taken with an instant camera after bucket one. There was also a team game in most episodes, with a red team and a blue team picked from the audience winning prizes for some physical contest – a precursor to Survivor. And each episode ended with The Grand March, where the audience sitting in the first several rows walk off the set past a camera that has the credits superimposed over it for an additional two seconds of fame. But what I liked most of all was all the characters on the show. Bozo the clown had lots of friends that accompanied him, like Cuddly Dudley, Cooky, and female characters like, Pepper and Tunia. Interestingly enough, as a young child, through observing the show’s cast I realized that clowns hang with clowns. Why so nostalgic? I was listening to an interview of Guy Kawasaki (Pioneer Apple Evangelist, best-selling author) and he made a statement that the interviewer jokingly called the “Bozo Principle” and it brought back old memories and had me thinking. The “Bozo Principle” states: “If you hang around with ‘Bozo’s’ that can’t deliver – you shouldn’t keep hanging around them…If you pick ‘Bozo’s’ over and over again to work with that makes you a ‘Bozo’!” Questions: Who are you picking to run with you? Who are you talking too? Who are you hanging with? Try this: get two “bozo buckets” (they don’t have to be actual buckets – think cups or jars) and play your own grand prize game. Label one bucket “keepers” and the other “bozos”. Now, take time to write the people you want in either the “keeper” bucket or “bozo” bucket. Next, take the appropriate actions to lose the “bozos”.

For Fun: Check out The Bozo Show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrqqqfZswWk

CAP

Don't Eat the Marshmallow - Yet.

A successful person uses small indicators to make big decisions. If he explains his methods to data-worshippers, he sounds like an idiot. When it later turns out that he was right, the doubters claim he was lucky, saying, “You can’t possibly forecast a positive outcome from those numbers.”

Interesting study: A large group of 4-year old children are led into a room, one at a time. The room is equipped with a two-way mirror. Each child is seated and given a marshmallow. “You can eat the marshmallow right now if you want. But if you wait until I come back to eat your marshmallow, I’ll give you a second marshmallow to go with it.” The giver of marshmallows then leaves the child alone in the room. One third of the children ate the marshmallow immediately. One third held out for a short time, then ate the marshmallow. One third waited 15 to 20 minutes until the giver of marshmallows returned with the promised, second marshmallow.

Small indicators are valuable to a savvy person, just as they were valuable to Walter Mischel*, a scientist at Stanford 40 years ago. Fourteen years later, at the age of eighteen, each of the original 216 children was located. Those who did not eat the fluffy goodness scored an average of 10 points higher on the SAT (610 verbal and 652 math versus 524 verbal and 528 math.) At age 40, the group that did n0t eat their marshmallows had more successful marriages, higher incomes, greater career satisfaction and better health than the marshmallow eaters. The 4 year-old who eats the marshmallow is oriented toward the present. The 4 year-old who waits is oriented toward the future. Yes, we can learn big things from small indicators.

For most, 2009 is going to be a year of change, temptation, upheaval. Will you be oriented toward the future? Or are you trapped in the present? Before you eat that marshmallow, let's talk. Tell me a story about when you "ate the marshmallow" and what you learned from it -- for the story I like the best --I'll send you a bag of puffy marshmallow!

*Walter Mischel was a professor of psychology at Stanford, Harvard, and Columbia Universities and a past editor of Psychological Review. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2004 and became president of the Association for Psychological Science in 2007.

CAP

What to do if the joke's on you

"Knock, Knock." "Who's there?" "Not you anymore." --Dilbert A Downturn Provides the Ideal Opportunity to Force Hard Choices London Business School professor Donald Sull wrote in the Financial Times that we need to take advantage of the opportunities that are presented by the economic downturn: Major change efforts are difficult in the best of times, and many people worry that a downturn will halt future progress or financial gains made to date. Indeed, in a downturn, people too often scurry from fighting one fire to the next (lay offs, credit cards, baby needs a new pair of shoes, the house bill's due, oh look, the light bill's due too!) and thereby lose sight of the longer transformation effort. Large-scale change initiatives typically require eight to 10 years to complete and often run out of steam along the way. Downturns provide an ideal opportunity to re-invigorate an ongoing transformation. You can harness a downturn to renew a sense of urgency, justify unpopular decisions and overcome complacency or resistance to change or you can bury your head in the sand and hope everything will turn out alright. If you use the same strategy your parents used, you have a 90% chance you'll be broke, busted or buried with debt to pass to your kids. How's your 401K? If you're over 40 yrs old and you lost money in your 401K over the last 18 months, compound interest simply is not your friend. How's your job going? The days of "job security", working for a company and getting the gold watch are over. Why do you think over 70% of moms have to work? How has the last 3-5 years gone for you--have you made progress financially or went backwards? If you're honest, what will your response be in this time? Will you bury your head in the sand or STOP doing the same things that don't work and START something new? You need to get on one of my video conferences and learn how to take the next 9 months (that will go by if you join my or not) and put yourself in position to make a six figure cash flow by the end of 2009. Please click on the following link:http://conferencing.katewwdb.com/meetings/wwg/15064836/vlogin.php?id=2095 OR Please click on the following link:http://conferencing.katewwdb.com/meetings/wwg/15064836/vlogin.php?id=6001 CAP twitter.com/chrisaperez

YOU (& your) TUBE

It's official, there are more people in the U.S.A. -- the number of obese American adults outweighs the number of those who are merely overweight, according to the latest statistics from the federal government. One of the common statistics often cited by video game industry trade groups is that the average age of a gamer nowadays is around 30 years old. What you might not know, however, is that among game players between the ages of 25 and 34, women far outnumber men, according to a new study by the Consumer Electronics Association (as reported in The New York Times).

I've worked one-on-one with hundreds of people of the last few years and it always surprises me to see the most beautiful, "LARGER THAN LIFE" plasma-screen TVs in the most modest houses. However, happy people don’t spend a lot of time watching television, a new study finds. The study relied primarily on the responses of 45,000 Americans collected over 35 years by the University of Chicago’s General Social Survey, and on published “time diary” studies recording the daily activities of participants. Speaking of the Roman Colosseum one expert said: "Entertainment has always played in important part in human history. People go to great lengths to escape their mundane lives..." And as most of the lower and middle class lead lives of quiet desperation, they've learned to escape from other areas of life:

--4 in 5 of us will be married at least once

--1 in 3 will be divorced at least once

Stop watching in prime time and start living in prime time. Prime time is 7-11 p.m. EST, when all of America is watching other people making money and having fun in their professions. So if you want to watch other people making money, having fun in their professions, which gets their ratings up so they make more money, go ahead and do things that are tension relieving, instead of goal achieving. But if you truly want to live YOUR life in prime time, then write in prime time, have intimacy in prime time, talk with your children in prime time, live and do in prime time instead of unhooking and engaging in tension relieving activities. So stop watching and use the television set as an appliance. It has doors on it. Close the doors and use it like an iron. When you need to iron your clothes, bring out the TV set. Regarding the television, there was a guy who wasn't doing too well in my industry and he asked for some advice from his friend. He had a television set and watched a lot of it, so he was asked, "How much did that television cost you?" He said, "About $400." The friend responded, "No, you're mistaken." He said, "No, this television set cost me $400." The friend said, "Well, that's to buy it. To watch it, I am sure it is costing you about $40,000 a year to watch." He finally got the message and he called his brother-in-law, who had a pickup, and he and his brother-in-law hauled his television out of the house. His brother-in-law did say, "Well, you can just shut it off."And he said, "No, for now I don't trust myself, my friend is right. I'm not going to let this television set cost me $40,000 a year anymore."

What does your tube cost you? T.V. could cost you: money, an opportunity serve, health, or relationships. Count the cost, and if you have to, call me -- my father-in-law has a pick up truck for your T.V.

CAP

Kung Fu Fondue Principle: Begin...

Kung Fu Fondue Principle: Begin by "Eating That Bug."

Many of you may know that I ate a bug (a few of them) during our annual fondue party on New Year's Eve. I had 2.5" black crickets and bamboo caterpillars to munch. From that experience, I have discovered a truth that perhaps could benefit you in your journey of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The night that I ate bug(s), my first impulse was to wait to eat the bugs. But, my bug-eating cohort prompted me to eat the bug first - as a kick off to the evening. Looking back, this approach, to eat the bug first, was as wise as a wushu champion, because I really didn't want to eat the bug. However, I went through the trouble of searching for the bugs, I bought the bugs and I committed to people that I would eat the bugs. It's like those things in your life that you've committed to doing, you've told people around you that you are going to do the (fill in the blank), you know you should do them, but you delay, delay and don't do them. Sometimes doubt begins to creep in and you don't do the deed. Most of the time, the "thing" is something you should do, but is simply not fun, easy or entertaining -- so it doesn't get done (at least by you).

The Begin by "Eating that Bug" Principle basically says that if the first thing you do in the morning is eat a bug, then you will have the satisfaction of knowing it is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long. And your "bug" is your most important task. Now there's two issues to address. The first one is if you have two bugs to eat, eat the ugliest one first and the second issue to that is if you have to eat a bug at all, it doesn't pay to sit and look at it very long. In my case, the cricket won the ugliest of them all contest. So, the cricket was downed first. I also, didn't spend a great deal of time staring at the creepy critter. So a key to Kung Fu (Excellence) in what you do is to plan every day the night before, in advance, and set priorities. And then say, "If I can only complete one task on this list before I was to be called out of town for a month to visit the Wudang Mountains, which one task would it be?" And whatever that is, it becomes your "bug" -- the next morning discipline yourself to start in on that task, the most important thing on your list, and do only that until it is complete. Let me know if you can develop that habit, and if it helps you. I hope this principle will play a small role (perhaps bug-like) in your attempt to take full control of your life, and gives you a personal feeling of pride, accomplishment, discipline and achievement. It is one of the most important of all lessons to learn, and one of the hardest things to implement if anybody has tried to do it.

CAP

What's Your Haka Chant?

Over the last year or so, I learned about the power of confessions in my life. Every day, at least that's the goal, I have confessions that I speak over my family, myself, my business partners, etc. I have some of the confessions handy on my cell phone ready to access throughout the day. Have the confessions posted on my wall in my home office too. The confessions get my mind right; last night Rhoda, my wife, saw that I was dipping a bit and reminded me of the confessions we have for '09. As my day starts, the power of confessions gets me going - ready to take on the day. I'm ready to take authority over my life. I'm ready to step on the head of my enemy. I'm ready to conquer fear. I'm ready to win. I'm ready. It turns out that when you speak, you hear yourself with your "inner ear", which sounds different than listening to someone else speak. There's a benefit, a clear confirmation to yourself, if you will, when you tell yourself what God says about you. Sometimes you're the only one around you that will tell you who you are in God - so you should tell yourself more often. When you listen to someone else speak, you do so with your "outer ear". Don't believe me? Try recording voice. When you play back the recording of yourself talking, you'll notice it always sounds a bit different to you. Preachers often say that they don't like to watch themselves on DVD or listen to their audio recordings, because they don't like the way their voice sounds. Anyway, the power of confessions are used all the time, especially in sports. You'll see teams and more importantly players chant. One of my favorite examples is The All Blacks, the international rugby union team of New Zealand. The All Blacks perform a haka (kind of a chant) (Māori traditional dance) immediately prior to international matches. Some say, the chant is a bit of an intimidation factor for the opponent - even more reason to like it! Interestingly, chant, in the dictionary can also mean slogan, phrase or even psalm. What are you getting ready for today? What's your psalm, chant - whatever you want to call it? If you don't have one - get one. Eph. says, to keep on being filled with the Spirit. And you will recite to one another psalms... What's your confession, psalm, chant - whatever you want to call it? You tell'in the opposition that you're bigger, better, stronger and faster and that you've already won - so don't even try it?! Confessions: If you don't have some - get some. Watch the Haka Chant here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4LNjNXt1yM CAP *All Blacks Haka details found on wikipedia