Paul Montelongo...A Smart Blend of Reality & Inspiration

Moved Over to Wordpress

2009-03-24T10:44:00.004-05:00

Dear Reader,

I have moved my blog over to WordPress. Thanks for following my blog and I want you to do the same over at my new blog site.

So please go here and enjoy.... http://paulmontelongo.com/blog/

A day at the beach....

Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paul

Sales Tips Part I - Discover Your Customer

2009-03-19T10:06:00.007-05:00

Dear Friend,

In order to sell more products, goods, services in any industry, you must understand how and why your customer buys from you.

After a trip to new Zealand last spring, I produced this video about Discovering Your Customer.

Check it out. Leave your comments.

Until our paths cross again, take great care.

Paul
www.paulmontelongo.com

The Economy Within

2009-03-17T11:52:00.004-05:00

Personal Note:
My mother is Irish and my father is Mexican…That makes me Mexirish. So half of a happy St. Patty’s day to me.

Dear Friend,

I get most of my news from the Internet. It allows me to filter out the drama that accompanies visual reporting. I try very hard to avoid the likes of CNN and CNBC due to the negative manner in which they report the news.

I also notice the main stream media rarely reports any success stories or stories of people, companies or organizations who are finding creative ways to expand their business and their profits.

One thing is for certain. You will never hear Anderson Cooper or Wolf Blitzer say, “Your economic status is completely up to you. Go forth and prosper in spite of what we report.”

The real essence of an economy is not the government, not banking or mortgage policies, not even the status of housing starts or fuel prices. The real economy is what I call “The Economy Within”. The real foundation of any economy is the individual and business entities which make up the economy.

How is it that some people, some companies and organizations are able to thrive in this current economy while others fail?

Your ability to make the best of the situation to attract money and wealth consistently originates from one place... YOU. It’s the feeling, the certainty, the purpose that resides deep in your soul and spirit

So how do you attract a large personal income and increase your personal wealth when the prevailing mindset of the country seems to be stacked against you?

Your view of money, like anything, is shaped by your personal beliefs and how you choose to reinforce those beliefs.

Here are a few governing principles of “The Economy Within” for you to consider:

1. Your ability to generate money is unlimited. Well, actually it is only limited to your ability to generate fresh ideas to bring value to a marketplace. The human mind has the capacity to initiate gigantically ingenious ideas to produce income. It’s a matter of concentrating on the potential rather than the problems. “The Economy Within” owns the belief that money flows easily and is generated by bringing genuine value to a particular marketplace.

2. Money is not a measure of happiness. If you are a miserable menace of a person without money, guess what? When, and if you acquire more money, you will just be a better dressed miserable person. The person you are inside is magnified when you have acquired more money. Money can pay for plenty of psychotherapy though.

3. Philanthropy has no budget. You can give away millions of dollars to your favorite museum or you can buy a hamburger for the vagrant on the street corner. The principle of giving is the same. Interestingly, when you give away money…or a hamburger…good things happen. The universal laws of money and prosperity don’t distinguish a difference between millions of dollars and a hamburger. The laws of prosperity only know giving as an act of prosperity consciousness.

4. “The Economy Within” is disciplined and responsible. Rampant spending and lack of accountability do not take place when your “Economy Within” is in order. You understand that money is merely a vehicle to achieve your greater purpose in life. The prosperous “Economy Within” will never need a stimulus package, a bailout plan or a credit restructuring plan.

5. You were born to be prosperous. God, or your Life Source created you to enjoy all that was produced including money and material possessions. The notion that poverty or financial simplicity is somehow spiritual or “God-approved” is ludicrous. Some of the most prominent characters in the Bible were wealthy beyond measure. You are actually disrespecting your Creator by allowing anyone to influence you that your financial capabilities are limited for any reason.

“The Economy Within” is not complicated. It’s a matter of setting the right intention and following through with specific actions to increase your prosperity. But it all begins with your attitude about prosperity.

Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paul

Ps. Join me on Facebook...click on the link on the side bar.

To Facebook or Not...

2009-03-05T11:43:00.016-06:00

Dear Friend,

Is Social Media for you and your business? It is 2009 and at some point you will need to address the pros and cons of social media marketing if you wish to continue to position yourself and your business in the forefront of your market.

Social media can be all sorts of different things, and it is produced in all sorts of different ways.

However, the best way I can define social media is…”sites that are designed to connect people with other people using conversations created by the users.”

For the most part, these are relationship building sites. The most popular are MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

There are many others. In fact, I am registered on fifty-one different sites, but I only use the above named sites on a regular basis. The others simply have my articles and blogs posted to them.

Another common form of social media is blogging. You are reading a blog right now. Even though you create the majority of content, followers of your blog can comment and share their views on your posts. (by the way, please register as a follower and comment on my blog)

Generally speaking, social media sites offer free registration and adequate design flexibility for absolutely no-cost. Of course, if you wish to customize these sites, options are available for a fee. However, I see no reason to do that.

So how do these sites generate business for you and create additional sales?

Business is built through fostering and developing relationships. The more relationships you have, the more opportunity you have to generate leads, prospects, and sales.

You may also use these sites to enrich the experience you provide for your customers. You can post business updates, product information, idea development for new services and general news about you and your company.

Most of these sites have ways to acquire additional friends and prospects by recommendation. This is a key way to expand your network of friends, associates and peers, and potential customers.

Perhaps the greatest advantage to social media marketing is that your prospects and customers get to know YOU better. These sites “humanize” you. They tend to illustrate you as a real person, with a real life, wearing real clothes, hanging out with real friends and family, going to real places, doing real things.

Not everyone likes to disclose their non-business personality. However, my personal belief is customers want to see you in your natural elements of life so they can relate to you. It helps them feel better about doing business with you. There is another level of trust developed.

Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to post pictures of yourself hanging out at the biker bar over the weekend as you were bent over a bar stool with blood shot eyes.

You can be highly professional and personable at the same time. You may also choose to develop a personal site and a business site.

Once you are registered on social media sites, then you have to let the world know. Add these sites to your email signatures, to your business card, on your pamphlets and of course you have to work the sites themselves.

Some generalities about the four sites I mentioned above. MySpace tends to be a more elaborate site with lots of design options and plenty of cyber-ground to cover. Its users are generally younger and the original intent was for musical groups and bands to promote their work.

You want to see my kids and what I look like on a cruise ship…check out my MySpace page and become a friend in my network.
www.myspace.com/paulmontelongo

Facebook tends to draw a slightly more educated and mature crowd, mostly a result of the fact that it started at Harvard and within a month of its inception all of the grad students at Harvard where members. It then spread to campuses all across the country. Facebook is much easier to use and its simplicity makes it a more time efficient endeavor.

You wanna see pics of my trip to Bourbon Street in New Orleans, check out my Facebook page and become a friend in my network.

LinkedIn is a more professional networking site with the capability to ask for referrals, testimonials, and general business assistance.

Please join my LinkedIn group as well.

And finally, there is Twitter. Pay real close attention to this one folks. They are growing faster than Facebook and MySpace ever dreamed. The concept is called microblogging…short simple messages to stay in contact with people called Tweets.

Join me on Twitter and we can start tweeting. www.twitter.com/paulmontelongo

We are in an era that requires more relationship building than ever. You have got to be in touch with your prospects and clients with even more regularity. It’s the way of the world now.

Until our paths cross again (likely on a social site), take great care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paul

How’s that "R-word" working out for you?

2009-02-08T08:41:00.013-06:00

Hello,

I choose “not to participate” in the so-called “R-word”. How about you? Everywhere I turn, I see people and companies who are selling more, closing more and prospering more now than ever.

It’s not rocket science. It’s common sense, practical thinking mixed with a dose of vision. Here are five ideas about how to thrive right now rather than die on the vine. But first, here are two examples of prosperity for you to consider…

I was in Las Vegas last week (again), and the $9 billion City Center project in the middle of the Vegas strip is evidence enough. This is a thirty-seven acre city within the city. Sure, the project got started five years ago, but there are many projects that have come to a screeching halt….Not this one.

On a more personal scale, I had breakfast in Vegas with two guys whose companies are growing leaps and bounds in the real estate investment and financial portfolio business. Aren’t those supposed to be the two areas that suck the most right now? Not for them.

To thrive….

1. Keep it real…Take an honest look at your business situation. Don’t bury your head in the sand and just give in to the negative media hype. That’s the chicken-poop way out. If your business has been affected, do something about it. Understand where the improvement needs to be made and get started immediately.

2. Head on a swivel…keep your eyes and your brain open to new opportunities. I don’t necessarily mean looking for another career opportunity, though I would never rule that out. Make something happen within your area of expertise. If there is only one person or company in your industry that is thriving right now, get to know what they are doing, who they are doing it for and how they are doing it. Become their best friend and student. You will be amazed at how much people will help you if you just keep your awareness open to the idea.

3. The light is not a train…There is light at the end of the tunnel and it is here sooner than you think. Actually NOT. The real truth is that it is here exactly when you think it is. So the moment you believe you will find solutions, they will arrive. The moment you believe you will thrive in your business, remarkable things will begin to take place. Oh, by the way, you will probably have to muster up a bunch more faith than you currently have in order for it to happen.

4. Act like you have been there before…When you act with the confidence and composure of a seasoned professional, guess what? You begin to achieve the results of a seasoned professional. However, you must sustain your actions in order to continue to receive the benefits. If you freak out, panic or get stressed out over your situation, you will only restrict the flow of ideas to your consciousness. Also, good ideas and good people will begin to show up to associate with you because you keep your level head.

5. You will attract what you project…Whatever your thinking is about this current economy, or any for that matter, will be projected out onto everyone you deal with. If you believe that customers buy only for a low price, guess what? They will negotiate with you only on price. If you believe that consumers are not spending money at all, guess what? They certainly won’t spend it with you. If you believe that you have to hunker down and weather the “R-word”, guess what? You will be a mole in a hole and no one will do business with you. The beliefs you hold in your mentality and in the fibers of your personal spirit will project out onto everyone you meet.

Oh, by the way. Add to this list you must associate with people of like-mind and like-consciousness. If you hang around negative people, including watching the likes of Wolf Blitzer and Anderson Cooper on CNN, you will feel like crap. Wrap yourself around doers, thinkers and visionaries. They are everywhere…

Here are some real visionaries. These architecture students and their professor from Mexico arrived in Las Vegas last week to take in the Surfaces Show and they stopped to have me autograph my Profit Power book. I gladly obliged. They are from the Universidad De Sonora in Hermosillo Sonora, Mexico. Look at the optimism and excitement about the future in their eyes. Contagious, huh?

Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paul

Ps. If you would like your own autographed copy of my Profit Power book, order it here.

Some Real Value for Your Customers and You

2009-01-29T10:06:00.016-06:00

Hello,

Value, value, value….

Every company says it, but who really does it?

In today’s market, your prospect and customer must feel at a very deep level they are getting real value from you and your services.

How do you demonstrate value to a customer? Here are four overtly obvious ways to show your customer the value of your product so they may rightly justify the price you are charging for your service.

1. Create an outrageously blatant memorable experience. In this case, you may have to do what is absolutely unthinkable. One of my coaching clients sends his customers on a seven day cruise for two when they buy one of his custom homes. Make a really big deal out of your customer being your customer. Be so happy and thankful to them that they have no other option but to reciprocate the gratitude by telling everyone they know. Reward them for being your customer and they will reward you with referrals.

2. Establish your expertise way in advance of their purchase. People love to do business with “experts”. When you are considered an expert in your line of work, you will attract more discriminating customers…customers who wish to take advantage of your expertise. Accomplish this by writing articles, posting blogs, doing radio interviews or shows, contributing your services in the community, holding an office of leadership in your trade association, winning awards, obtaining certifications, or teaching classes in your area of expertise.

3. The devil is in the details. Be retentive with your customer. I always love an anal retentive customer, because when I have to, I can “out-anal-retentive” them. It’s a game. The more detailed and specific you are with them, the more the feel you are an expert. They also receive the message that you are going to be equally retentive with their project or product. Once you have built unbreakable rapport, move to the details and nuances of where their money is going. Every detail has a price, hence value is established. For the record, you only have to be one notch more retentive than your customer for them to feel they are getting real value.

4. Deliver, deliver, deliver. My gosh, deliver what you say and when you say you will. NO…WAIT. Deliver in advance. Deliver more. Even ten minutes early can exceed expectations. A simple phone call to double check, triple check, quadruple check on your customer demonstrates value. If you say you are going to provide a product in a certain manner, do one or two better. Then, make a big deal out of it with your customer by telling them how much you appreciate their business.

5. Bonus (to create more value for you, the reader)…Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm. You have got to be so happy, so thankful, and so orgasmic about doing business with your customer that they sense how passionate you are about what you are doing for them. Don’t you, or your staff, bitch, moan and whine about the economy, the cost of doing business, your headache, your dog, or anything else for that matter. Eternal optimism will foster feelings of value in your customer.

Here are some free resources that I have created to give you even more value as a reader and customer…

Six week Builder Mastery e-Course.
Lessons come into your email box to help you build your business, create more customers, make more money and keep your life and business in balance.

How to Sell More New Homes in Any Market Condition.
Here is a free chapter from my e-Book. The chapter is called, "Earning the Right to Make the Sale".

Free articles for your company newsletter, association magazine or for your blog. 39 articles for you to choose from…all free and full of valuable content.

You have my full permission to pass along this blog article to your colleagues, your team, your peers, your boss, your enemies and your plastic surgeon…lol.

Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paul

Ps. When your organization needs a huge dose of motivation mixed with real world solutions, I will show up with my A-game. Send me an email and let's visit. paul@paulmontelongo.com

Special Powers

2009-01-17T11:19:00.010-06:00

Hello,

The word "Power" is....well, powerful. Among the many definitions of power, Webster's includes this definition.... "great or marked ability to do or act; strength; might; force."

I have come to know many powerful people through the course of my life. Some are powerful in the societal sense of the word, in that they exercise influence in their positions of wealth, politics, entertainment, sports and even literature.

Yet I am reminded daily of the powers that each of us have in our own special capacity. What are your special powers? I firmly believe that each of us has "special" powers. Each of us has the ability to exercise our strength, might and force in a meaningful way to contribute to society and especially to our collective journey of life.

In order for us to exhibit true power, we must own it. It must be a conscious awareness. It must flow from our being, our soul, our very spirit.

Which brings me to an elevated discussion of the possession of power. The most powerful people on the planet have their might come through their very spirit, the electricity of their being. Interestingly, we rarely learn of these people. They move through the world in an almost clandestine manner.

They are the teachers, scientists, authors, computer programmers, neighborhood soccer coaches, chefs, and quite possibly the person who lives next door to you. By the way, the person living next door to you has a very powerful neighbor as well....YOU.

Here are a few examples of uncommonly powerful people and the special might, force and abilities they exhibit. I have crossed paths with these folks in recent months and they stand out in my mind as people who "own" their power and contribute a specialness to society.

1. I met with a group of philanthropists earlier this week to discuss how we can generate more charitable donations for their various causes. Every person in that room is donating their time free of charge to give kids school supplies, offer teens a chance to own their own business, reduce the high school drop out rate in my city and give away scholarships for kids who have challenging living conditions. Their spirit emanated through out the meeting. You could almost see a "glow" around their body. Their countenance was elevated and light. That is power.

2. I ate at a local sushi restaurant (the very best one in San Antonio) and the owner and his sidekick prepared all of the sushi and sashimi dishes. I sat at the bar and watched with admiration. It was a work of art, and the chef/owner relished in his ability to please his customers with his talent. He told me he makes about 200 sushi rolls each night and his partner chef does the same. They were in the sushi making zone...lol.

3. I had my first private yoga lesson recently and the lady who gave me the lesson is about half my size. She is a tiny lady that "carry's a big stick". If you have ever practiced yoga and tried to actually be good at it, you will understand what I mean. She spent thirty minutes (though it seemed like four hours) just adjusting my feet, ankles and knees for the proper foundation of my practice. Over the next sixty minutes she adjusted the rest of my body as well. What is so powerful about this is the minute details and intricacies of the adjustments. I mean literally centimeters or less. Yet those adjustments made a huge difference in the efficiency of my overall practice and balance. The power is in the details. This yogi teacher passed her passion for yoga onto me and inspired me to continue with my practice at this new level. Inspiration is power.

4. And now an example from the past. When I was a young boy, my father would take us to visit his aunts. They reared him and my uncle. We would visit during the holidays. They lived in a tiny tiny house. Beginning on Thanksgiving day and going to the New Year they would make tamales and buenuelos (a flat crispy sugar pastry). Each year I looked forward to these treats. They were very simple people, didn't speak English and were very old, even then. Yet, each holiday season they would make hundreds of these treats and give them away to family and friends. Even then, I knew something was special about them, though I did not know what. Eventually I understood the tremendous sacrifice and gesture of love they exhibited to take in two orphaned boys (my dad and uncle), rear them to turn into fine men. That is power, real power. That is spirit.

You have special talents, skills, abilities and areas of wisdom that make you powerful. Our job is to discover those; not diminish their significance, own them and then exude the spirit that is our power.

I would love to hear your comments. I would really love to hear what your power is and how you have owned it.

Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paul

Meditation for Success

2009-01-14T08:39:00.001-06:00

Dear Friend,

I have something in common with Richard Gere, Tiger Woods,
and Phil Jackson (Lakers Coach)...and you can too.

We all use meditation as a regular daily practice to enhance
our productivity and success in life.

Now, I am not a Zen Master or anything, and I don't plan to
don a crimson robe with beads any time soon.

I am just a practical guy who is always in search for ways
to improve my life and the lives of those around me.

You can use regular meditation as a means to relax,
re-energize, stay healthy, sleep soundly, and remain
creatively engaged in your business.

Guess what? When those things are all working for me, I make
a whole lot more money than most of the population in the
free world...and I suspect you will too.

One method I use is called binaural beats and tones.
You can wikipedia it for a clear definition, but basically it relaxes
your brainwaves at a very deep level with sound helping you
get calm, focused and energetic. Its been around since 1839.

I would highly encourage you to download a ten-minute
free demo to see if you like it. Free Demo.

If you wish to remain centered and focused in your business
and life, meditation is one of the key ways to help you do this.

Your business, your health, your career, your relationships, and
your peace of mind will all benefit immensely.

As always, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paul
Ps. Please leave your comments on this blog below.

Millionaire Thoughts for 2009

2009-01-08T14:29:00.008-06:00

Where's The Money in 2009?

Dear Friend,

As we dive into the New Year, consider this: WHERE'S THE MONEY IN 2009?

The money for 2009 is simply being circulated in different patterns.

We are experiencing is a redistribution of money and inevitably....the wealth of this country.

I still have friends who are buying Mercedes, going on Caribbean cruises and buying condos on the beach. The malls are still packed with shoppers and big budget movies are still being produced in Hollywood.

The law of attraction says you will get what you focus on. The focus of your intention and your attention will reveal how you respond in this economy....or any other for that matter.

Here is the process of millionaire mentality….I personally check my state of mind regularly…and especially at the beginning of each New Year.

1. Your mindset is key…If you buy into the negative hype, guess what? You will get negative results. Sure, you have to study where the opportunities are, but that just requires a little extra effort. It begins with your outlook. That means you have to think in terms of the larger picture, rather than the narrow sighted mentality of lack. So I ask myself, “where is the maximum opportunity in the upcoming year”?

2. What are your talents, skills, abilities and passions? It’s very difficult to gain momentum when you are fighting against your own will. Please, please, please don’t do your job, just because you need the money. That will only last a brief amount of time and your life will be out of harmony very soon. So I remind myself of my passion and talents and skills in life. And I also remind myself of my personal mission in life. And then I double check that I am working in congruence with my gifts. Yes, you have gifts and it’s best that you own them NOW.

3. Movement creates improvement. You have got to have a plan. Nothing happens until action is taken. Action is different from to-do’s. So I ask myself, “What is the most productive action I can take today, this week, this month, this year to reach my desired level of prosperity?” Any kind of movement in your current status makes an improvement. Ultimately, there is no wrong direction of movement. Every action is a lesson and can stimulate new ideas.

4. Customers are still out there....everywhere. I have several students in my "elite coaching" program who had a banner year in 2008 in their sales career. Staying in contact with your customers is one thing….offering them something of real value is another. So I ask myself regularly, “How can I deliver the most value to my customers?” And I ask, “How can I create something of value that is unique or memorable to my customers?”

5. Gratitude for your station in life is extremely important. Regardless of where you are financially, physically, spiritually, with your relationships, etc., there is something to be thankful for. Thankfulness and appreciation open your mind and soul to new opportunities and creativity. So at the end of each year and at the beginning of each new year, I take a mental inventory (actually I write it down in my journal) of the things that I am most thankful for…my family, my health, my friends, my career, my relationship, my spiritual status, my desire to grow and contribute.

6. Where do you want to be? You must have a vision for the year. When next December rolls around (and it will in a hurry), will you be able to see what you have accomplished through the year? That means you must see the picture now. At least you need to see the outline of the picture and through the remainder of the year, you can color in the picture. So, I simply take time to envision what the entire year will look like along with the end result. I make some simple notes in my journal or post some sticky notes on my bathroom mirror to remind me of the end goal. I even have my income goal written on the wallpaper of my cell phone.

Millionaires don’t haphazardly move through their year without a mental aim. Direction and the ability to adjust accordingly is your key to success in 2009.

I was sent a quote this morning. It sums up everything you need to know about moving ahead toward your dreams..."If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably leads to nowhere."

Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paul

2009-01-01T21:16:00.004-06:00

Dear Friend,

One of my favorite past times is to read mob books, watch mob movies and watch the history channel about the mob. Al Capone is notorious.

Enjoy the lesson in humanity from them.

*******

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago . Capone wasn't
famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed 'Easy Eddie.' He was Capone's lawyer
for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal
maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the
money big, but Eddie got special dividends, as well. For instance, he and
his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the
conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire
Chicago City block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little
consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved
dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good
education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object.

And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried
to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than
he was.

Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he
couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted
to rectify wrongs he had done.

He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al
'Scarface' Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some
semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The
Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great.

So, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a
lonely Chicago Street . But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest
gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police
removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a
poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read:

'The clock of life is wound but once,
and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still.'

STORY NUMBER TWO

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant
Commander Butch O'Hare.

He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in
the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was
airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had
forgotten to top off his fuel tank.

He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to
his ship.

His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he
dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned
his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward
the American fleet.

The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all
but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time
to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger.
There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the
formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged
in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and
out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible
until all his ammunition was finally spent.

Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to
clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible,
rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another
direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to
the carrier.

Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his
return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It
showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had,
in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942 , and for that action Butch
became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win
theCongressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His
home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today,
O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great
man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give
some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his
Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O'Hare was 'Easy Eddie's' son.

Paul

2008-12-17T15:48:00.008-06:00

Gratitude...Rocks

Dear Friend,

I just returned from a treatment session from one of my body workers. This time it was a deep tissue massage and man-o-man, did I ever need it.

Which brings me to the subject of this blog….Gratitude.

Gratitude: The state of being grateful; warm and friendly feeling toward a benefactor; kindness awakened by a favor received; thankfulness.

Albert Schweitzer, the Nobel Peace Prize recipient, once said, “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”

It’s amazing what a huge dose of thankfulness will do for your psyche. One of the modules I cover with my elite coaching students deals strictly with gratitude. What in the heck does gratitude have to do with increasing your sales or improving your business?

The answer is simple….there is no separation of your personal well-being and your professional success.

My elite students go through a process of identifying all the areas of their life in which they can express gratitude. Sure, it requires some patience and persistence, but it yields results.

I have narrowed it down to three simple areas for you. Just for "shits and giggles" (i just learned that term), give it a try. Here’s how:

1. Professional. Answer this question….during 2008, what single professional accomplishment are you most thankful for? It can be any area. For example, when I answer this question for myself, I come up with…..”I am happy and extremely grateful to have traveled to New Zealand to speak in three different cities.” That was a heck of a deal for me to be invited to NZ to speak to hundreds of people in my seminars. Really cool stuff.

2. Philosophical. There are four primary areas which make up your philosophy about life and your human experience. They are your spiritual journey, your physical condition, your mental state, and your emotional status. Answer this question….during 2008, what philosophical experience did I have for which I am most grateful? When I answer this question for myself, one area stands out rather prominently. Two very close people in my life left this earthly journey (my brother and my brother-in-law) in 2008 and it really helped me re-examine and re-affirm my spiritual beliefs about life and our existence. While the events were particularly tough to go through, I am so grateful to remember how precious this life is and how I should live and love with complete passion and vigor.

3. Personal. This area relates to your family, your friends, your loved ones and your love life. Answer this question…during 2008, what personal area of my life am I most grateful for? My personal answer is, “I am most grateful to have drawn closer to my family during the time of our loss. I am so happy and thankful to have learned more about them as human beings and what moves and inspires them most.” Of course there are other areas of personal gratitude and you will want to be thankful for those as well. However, just to start the process, you can narrow it down to one or two events.

All too often, we get caught up in the rigors of daily life or in the story of our mind and forget to be grateful. Maybe you don’t, but I certainly do. There are times when I just simply have to make a concerted effort to focus on the things for which I am most grateful.

When you are in the existence of gratefulness, it literally releases joy endorphins to your nervous system, elevates the oxygen levels in your body and sends a sense of serenity and concentration to your mind, body and spirit.

One additional note…take time to publicly express your gratitude to people in your world. “I really appreciate you”, are some pretty sweet words to hear.

Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones…and…I genuinely am grateful that you take the time to read my blog. I welcome your comments.

Paul

Ps. I will probably take off most of the next two weeks for the holidays. So please have a safe and 'rockin' holiday season.....2009 is going to be absolutely freakin' awesome.

2008-12-10T11:30:00.003-06:00

Happiness may be contagious…ya think???

Dear Friend,

Breaking news from London...“Happiness is like a stampede,” said Nicholas Christakis, a professor in Harvard University’s sociology department. Read the report here.

After 20 years of intensive study, researchers have discovered that happiness is contagious and that even your good cheer can be passed on to strangers.

But wait, there’s more….. (sounds like an infomercial, right?) Actually, here are my top seven ways to be happy. There may be more, but seven is plenty. By the way if you know of more, let me know.

1. Be in a state of perpetual gratitude. The more you concentrate on what is good in your life, the happier you will be. Being grateful about small things really helps. This may be especially challenging when you are experiencing difficulties, but like any other good habit, you can develop and strengthen your gratitude muscles. For example, I say to myself, “I am so happy and grateful to be able to share my thoughts with thousands of readers.”

2. Have meaningful and fulfilling work. If you have ever been to one of my seminars, likely you have heard me say, “If you aren’t happy doing the work you do, please do what makes you happy.” Life is way too short to be stressed out because you are not working with your personal talents and/or doing the thing you love. When you do what you love…and you do it well, the money will chase you. In fact, you won’t even call it work.

3. Have a relationship with God. You define God the way you wish. Spirituality is crucial to happiness. Being in close touch with your maker, creator, the source of your life, the designer of the universe, etc. is innate to humans. Not only does it stimulate happiness, but humility and personal power. It also helps you comprehend that we are all connected as humans.

4. Maintain your health and energy. You don’t have to be a marathon runner or Olympian to remain healthy. Regular exercise and good nutrition stimulates joy endorphins and happiness hormones in your neurological system. It is much easier to project good energy to others when your personal energy is abundant. About 18 months ago, I began practicing Bikram Yoga. This is an intense practice which combines Hatha and Raja yoga. I practice at least four times a week. I have been an avid athlete all of my life, but this is the most physically, mentally and emotionally fulfilling activity I have ever done for my health and energy. What is yours?

5. Wrap yourself in friends, family and loved ones. You must have a circle of people with whom you share your goals, dreams, heartaches, laughs, and life. There is no replacement for the good times you can share with loved ones. These are the people that love you just for being YOU. That’s cool.

6. Serve humanity. You must extend yourself outside of yourself. That means giving your talents, skills, resources and wisdom to others in need or at least who will appreciate it. When it’s always about YOU, eventually you will feel hollow. When you contribute to others, you have that internal smile which is contagious.

7. Chill out. “Don’t worry, be happy,” is the chorus of Bobby McFerrin’s song. How often have you worried about things that never happened? Worry is a useless emotion. Mark Twain said, “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.”

Happiness is contagious, but more importantly, it doesn’t have to be an accident. I welcome your comments on this blog.

Until our paths cross again, take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Paul

Ps. Please check out my Home Study Course for Housing Industry sales professionals. It is an advance course and is not for everyone. Check it out here.

2008-11-20T11:41:00.014-06:00

What's Wrong With "The Secret"?
Dear Friend,

This is the re-emergence of my blog. I made an effort about two years ago and quite frankly it was overwhelming....and kind of a half-ass effort on my part.

However, with some coaching (yes, I have a couple of personal coaches, too) and encouragement from my "techie-nazi" friends, I am going to try this blog thing again.

When Al Gore invented the Internet, he did not fully understand what mayhem he would launch. I am glad he moved on to global warming (which is a crock of horse poo....why do orange trees in Florida sometimes have ice sickles hanging from them in the month of March?...the planet will take care of itself like it has for billions of years if Al Gore will just leave it alone to do its job.)

I have some ideas about the phenomenon of the "Law of Attraction". First of all, I loved watching the movie, The Secret. I own the DVD, the Audio CD's, and the Book. I have seen the DVD three times in its entirety and several more times I have watched bits and pieces of it. I have read the book twice and listened to the audio CD's once all the way through.

However, each time I leave feeling a bit void of some meat and substance. Now, don't get me wrong.....you will attract that which you project. You will send a vibrational energy out into the universe and get back what you send out. Your most intimate thoughts and mental patterns do become your real world.

So the LAW itself is factual and stands as a universal truth. Catch this.....recently I told myself that I was going to wake up with a back ache the next morning after practicing a very intense form of Yoga. I didn't pay attention to my own words and guess what? I was gimpy all day long the next day. Ooops, bet me I won't do that again.

Yet, what seems to be missing from the product known as The Secret is the kick start, the battery jump, the key to start the engine.

It occurs to me (in my own reality of the universe) that just sitting around "Blissing Out" and waiting for good things to happen is not the magic bullet. If you really listen to the message in The Secret, that is not the message at all. However, it seems to be the signal many viewers walk away with.

What is missing is...ACTION. Now, by action I don't mean heaving a load of stones around to get results. Therein lies the disconnect for most people. Action can be simple things. For example, I wanted a way to reach more people with my inspirational messages. A blog seems to be one way for that to happen. This blog is not going to write itself by me just sitting around trying to manifest it. I have to actually put a bit of thought into it and then write it.

Here is the key.....the actions you take to make something happen are much less strenuous when you give some serious thought and meditation to what you want.

By the way, contrary to some philosophies that are be being expounded right now in the esoteric community, the "wanting" is not wrong. There is an ideology out there that says "wanting means you are giving mental power and universal energy to that which you do not have and as a result you will continue to lack...thus attracting what you are really thinking about". Well, unless I know what I want, how else will I know what I want...or want to manifest or want to meditate on?

Anyway, the trap most people fall into is giving so much energy and attention to the "activities" of what they deem to be success, that the intention of success falls way short.

Its a control factor for most people, which relates to self-trust. When you try to control too many things, events, actions, people or circumstances, you are lacking self-trust. Letting go of the intensity to control requires a huge dose of self-trust...self-reliance...self-belief.

The eloquent irony is that once your self-belief elevates, your need to control the "activities" of success are dramatically reduced.

And are you ready for this......WORK IS NOT WORK...in the traditional definition of the word. When your self-belief elevates to the point where you relinquish your need for control of the "activities" of success, you operate from a purpose that is much greater than any to-do list.

Work is laborious and tedious for most people because they are not living in harmony with their truest self. It doesn't matter what you want from life, you can have it if you will just acquire self-belief and self-trust.

This has taken me years to learn and I am still learning. In my younger years, I controlled everything, worked from lengthy to-do lists, had day planners and note pads everywhere. An activity did not go undone because if it did, that would mean failure....or so I thought.

With time, I began to let go and trust in myself and that all the right things were going to happen that needed to happen. Today, my lists are tiny. In fact, most days I don't even refer to a list. I just know in advance what I need to do to make money, to connect with people, to write, to sell, to deliver my services, to be in optimal health and physically fit.

This, by the way, goes for all aspects of life. You want a great relationship with your significant other? Give up trying to control the relationship. Be yourself and be happy. You want to make more money? Give up trying to parley every single deal into, "I am right and you are wrong." You want to be more physically fit? Give up the control aspects of all the fad diets out there and live comfortably in your own skin. You want to be a better parent? Let your kids be themselves and trust that they will figure things out with just a tiny bit of your loving guidance.

It matters not how you get to this place. The method is an "activity". What matters is that you DO get to this place. For me, regular meditation, yoga and a deep spiritual path, accompanied by an intense desire to make a huge impact on the world has provided a means to this place.

I would love to read your comments and responses. Also, I would like for you to share this blog with everyone you know. And please sign up on this blog to follow its development.

In the future I will talk about Barack Obama, Stem cell research, the word of the year, comedy shows, my speaking tours, people I know, people I don't know, prosperity and many other topics.

Until our paths cross again, take great care of yourself and your loved ones.