Monthly Archives: February 2010

One Step at a Time

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In a previous blog article, I shared the definition of the perfect storm. A “perfect storm” is an expression that describes an event where a rare combination of circumstances will aggravate a situation drastically.

Ironically, I recently experienced my own personal “perfect storm.” We all have problems … always have and always will. Dealing with negative circumstances is something we all learn to do … problem solving if you will.

However, there can be a situation when you have a number of negative circumstances occur at the same time. Under normal conditions, you can successfully deal with a problem and move on. However, when they suddenly arrive in numbers, you can easily become overwhelmed, finding yourself having to deal with that “perfect storm.”

I recently experienced this situation and, quite honestly, reached the point where I was prepared to simply “quit” … throw in the towel if you will. Prior to doing that, I simply paused and reviewed my situation and the options I had at my disposal. I sought some advice from a trusted friend, did a little necessary research, and took that difficult “first step” to resolve my dilemma.

It was easy… it certainly wasn’t pleasant. However, the “perfect storm” has passed, and I’m much better off having handled it the way I did. I also reminded myself of an age old strategy that has always seemed to prove successful—”One Step at a Time.” It’s a fantastic strategy for any and all for facing the many challenges of today’s chaotic world.

I couldn’t think long term as hard as I tried. I could recognize the first step which I had to take. That, of course, lead to another and another until momentum increased and clouds seemed to part, exposing me to the light I so needed at that moment. I won’t soon forget the importance of mustering the strength and courage to deal with challenges “One Step at a Time.” Of course, it’s that first initial step which is most critical! It’s that “first step” that begins any voyage, long or short. The important thing is to make certain you “don’t quit.”

Take a look at this short two-minute video which is a great reminder that we just can’t quit.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Would You Ignore a Prescription?

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In these days of increased health costs, consider the following questions:

  • How many people do you think invest the time and money to consult a doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist or therapist every day?
  • How much money is invested daily in having prescriptions filled by the above professionals?
  • Once you receive a prescription, do you have it filled and do you follow the instructions as prescribed?

Well, here’s a prescription for reducing stress, increasing productivity, and insuring success. In addition, it will cost you nothing other than a few minutes of your time and a little dedication on your part.

Listen closely to the wisdom and advice in the following short video. The gentlemen conveying this valuable message is Earl Nightingale, famed motivational speaker and author, who passed away in 1989 at the age of 68. If you’d like to learn more about Earl, simple check the article we posted on our blog last year. Nightingale has positively impacted millions of people worldwide over many decades. This is the kind of message we Boomers need to pass on to the younger generations.

Strangely enough, this video was record 40 years ago, but it’s truth and relevance is as powerful today as it was at that time. Earl shares a story told to him years earlier by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, famed author of The Power of Positive Thinking and many other best-sellers.

Listen to the four simple steps of this powerful prescription as described in Gone with the Tide … apply them yourself and feel the immediate positive impact on your outlook on life! Read it, heed it, and seed it to others. You’ll feel much better for doing it!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Questions Evoke Powerful Response

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A few weeks ago I wrote “To Ask or Not to Ask … That Is the Question!” which offered a dozen questions you might want to consider asking yourself in a refreshing exercise of truth and revelation.

I received some interesting e-mails and even phone calls providing very positive feedback as a result of this challenge. So much so, in fact, that I’m expanding the list of provocative questions.

As in the initial exercise, find a comfortable seat and make certain you have a legal pad and pen at your disposal. Take a look at the following questions and choose a few which you feel might address a current challenge in your life. While doing this alone, you should have no fear or reluctance in answering each question truthfully. Failure to do so would certainly defeat the purpose of this exercise.

Read your question of choice, think about it for a few moments and then jot down all thoughts which may come into your mind. Don’t evaluate your responses at this point, just record them. Upon completion, you may want to add additional notes or revise some content upon further thought.

If you are perfectly honest in your answers, I can assure you that you’ll discover some personal insight you might find not only find revealing but, in some cases, even surprising. Your data may lead you to additional research, conversation with a trusted source, or even more professional counseling should you feel it necessary.

Here are some additional questions you might want to consider:

  1. How much time are you actively spending to increase your knowledge?
  2. What is it you’ve been putting off and KNOW you should do right now … before it’s too late?”
  3. What is one thing that I can do for someone else who has no opportunity to repay me?
  4. Have you seriously considered where you want to be and what you want to be doing five years from today?
  5. Would you be willing to allow someone to videotape your personal life and then use that tape as a training resource for others?
  6. What are the most important characteristics you would like to be remembered for?
  7. Must your children, grandchildren, and/or spouse fight to get your attention?
  8. If I neglect taking action on my most critical challenge, will it get better or worse?
  9. Have you clearly defined your personal and/or professional goals? (Don’t discount this one … it can produce life-altering results!)
  10. Who could you write to or phone this weekend to give a “boost of encouragement” to?
  11. What time-wasting activities can you eliminate or drastically reduce?
  12. When was the last time you complimented your family or staff members?

By the way, you may not like the answers … but you need to hear them!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Do You Need to Push and/or Need to Be Pushed?

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Having the privilege to be a father of three wonderful children and the grandfather of nine cherished grandchildren, I have witnessed an interesting phenomenon as it applies to the need to deal with growth. It holds true in your experiences with family, friends, loved ones and those we associate with in our workplace.

Everyone needs a PUSH!

As I look back on my personal life, I can easily remember many times in which I needed a PUSH to attempt a new challenge, accept a new technology, or realize the need for growth at a time when I may have felt I wasn’t ready. CHANGE doesn’t wait until you’re ready. I’m thankful to those who were placed in my life at the right time to enthusiastically provide that PUSH when I needed it most!

I then think back to each of my three children and warmly revisit those critical moments in their growth that required me to provide that PUSH. Many times I found it both difficult and challenging and actually questioned whether it was the right thing to do at the time. I was indeed fortunate that most of my decisions were correct.

I can make that statement because I now take great pride in what my children have accomplished and even greater satisfaction in watching them provide the PUSH for my grandchildren. There is little more gratifying that hearing your own words coming out of the mouths of your children decades later. Especially when you remember your children telling you how crazy you were at the time. Now I just smile and make eye contact with them as they pass on that “crazy” wisdom to my grandchildren.

You NEVER outgrow your need for a good PUSH. There is always a need to tackle new challenges in your pursuit of success and happiness. So whether you happen to need a PUSH or provide a PUSH … keep an open mind and do the right thing. You know it works!

Here’s a short but powerful video based on the book by David McNally, Even Eagles Need a Push. I think you’ll identify with the mixed feelings of that this concerned parent faced with the need to push the young eagles out of the nest.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Rise Again – You Can Overcome!

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I spent the better part of last week in the Gulfport-Biloxi area of Mississippi on what was once the beautiful coastal beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. I had the distinct privilege and unforgettable pleasure of working with the incredible staff of the HOPE Community Development Agency.

On August 29th of 2005, the entire 60-mile coastline of the Mississippi Gulf Coast suffered 10 hours of unequaled destruction by Hurricane Katrina, resulting in such cataclysmic loss of life and obliteration of homes and possessions that the entire area eerily resembled dawn after a nuclear winter.

Just two days after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, in response to dire and immediate need to coordinate and support relief and recovery efforts, the East Biloxi Relief and Coordination Agency was created with the goals of sustaining hope and providing relief and comfort through synchronized action and helping the community regain control over its future. This group later evolved into the HOPE Community Development Agency.

Partnering with local churches and local volunteer organizations, it provided immediate food, shelter and basic medical care to the thousands of families whose homes were destroyed by the hurricane. In the following months, the event and those involved faded from the national headlines and many across the country wrongly assumed that everything was back to normal. Not true … by a long shot!

Five years later, I found myself piloting my rental car through various neighborhoods stunned by what I saw. While all of the casinos have been restored, I found many homes, retail establishments, fast food locations, and concrete bridges looking as though the initial devastation had occurred yesterday! I was astonished to say the least.

HOPE eventually evolved into a full-service resource center for residents—a place where residents come to share their aspirations and concerns regarding the rebuilding effort, to participate in planning for both the immediate recovery and long-term prosperity of their community, and create a shared vision for the future of their community.

This extraordinary team has rehabilitated more than 650 homes, with roughly 200 salvageable homes remaining; new construction of homes totally destroyed by the storm lags behind, though Hope has rebuilt approximately 35 new homes and has more than 70 in the pipeline. The homes themselves have been rebuilt in standard design while others boast futuristic designs perched high above the sands on steadfast stilts. The rental units have yet to receive attention.

In short, much has been accomplished and yet much has yet to be done five years after the initial tragedy. Talking with local residents you can sense the spirit of love, teamwork, respect and sense of loss they have shared in their quest to rise again from the mass destruction brought about by that massive force of nature. The unbending spirit of generations of shrimpers, fishermen, and other coastal families will insure the rebuilding of their homes as well as a limitless future.

It was indeed an honor to meet and work with those who have survived such devastation and emerged to rise again with an undying spirit. In a very short span of time, they taught me lessons I’ll never forget. For doing so, they have my undying gratitude and heartfelt thanks.

Our country has experienced many challenges over the past few years and many have lost much. We must endure a variety of obstacles and rise again to regain and maintain the greatness we know we possess.

Share this short video with friends, family and associates to realize the challenge we face, the potential we possess and the rewards which await us.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Share the Wealth

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I just returned from a five-day adventure on the Gulf of Mexico. It wasn’t a vacation, it was work … hard work! However, I choose the word “adventure” because I’m very fortunate to have a career doing something I love to do. I appreciate the fact that I find it adventurous the majority of the time. I learn something new every single day of my life. I make it a point to do so and enjoy the rewarding challenge. Not everyone can say that, and I appreciate the opportunity.

The first leg of my trip took me to Tampa Bay, Florida, where I had the opportunity to work with students on the beautiful campus of Hillsborough Community College. I then flew up to Gulfport, Mississippi, to work with a very unique team of individuals of another generation. These fine folks focus on the continued efforts to restore life to the Biloxi area after the Katrina tragedy of 2005. Yes, it’s far from over. I’ll share much more about their challenges in future articles here on the blog.

One of my major lessons from this adventure is very simplistic … as are most good lessons. I realized once again that our very talented, technologically-blessed youth, Gens X & Y, have so much to offer the Boomers and Traditionals. At the same time, the latter generations are a tremendous asset, providing a wealth of information and experience to those facing the challenge of restoring this great country to its rightful status of world leader.

The challenge we all face is bringing the generations to a common ground where so much can be shared and everyone can benefit from the experience at a time when we seem far too overwhelmed by the chaos of everyday life to do so.

Here’s a prime example: YouTube! Here’s a short background of this current phenomenon. YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload and share videos. Three former PayPal employees created YouTube in early 2005. The following year it was bought by Google, Inc. for $1.65 billion and is now operated as a subsidiary of Google. The company uses Adobe Flash Video technology to display a wide variety of user-generated video content, including movie clips. TV clips, and music video as well as amateur content such as video blogging and short original videos. Most of the content on YouTube has been uploaded by individuals, although media corporations including CBS, the BBC, UMG and other organizations offer some of their material via the site, as part of the YouTube partnership program

HERE is the valuable lesson. The above paragraph is very basic, everyday common knowledge bordering on the mundane for millions of our two younger generational groups. Conversely, the above paragraph may as well be written in a foreign language to millions of us in the two latter generations. They have no idea of anything noted in that paragraph.

The FACT is that YouTube, while being common knowledge to some and totally unknown to others, is a fantastic technology which can benefit everyone regardless of your age or technical abilities! If you’re familiar with YouTube, make it a point to share its potential with those are aren’t. If it’s new to you, check it out yourself or ask someone who is familiar with it. You’ll be glad you did.

Here’s an excellent example of its value. Here’s an example of the wisdom of the ages being shared with the potential of today’s youth in a very touching, short offering of what some of us have learned over the years. Visualize this wisdom as being shared by someone important to you who has passed in the last decade … if they could return for a short time, they’d probably share these thoughts with you. Take a little time to appreciate the wisdom.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

New AchieveMax® Book Reviews Section

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After a six-month process, we are finally able to introduce our new book reviews section. Our “Top Ten Book Reviews” are now in a new blog format.

Our recommended books and book reviews section is one of the most visited sections of our site. In order to help our readers, we are providing this new format to allow our readers to more easily:

  • Find book reviews on a specific topic.
  • Comment on book reviews.
  • Search for book reviews.
  • E-mail a book review.
  • Share a book review with friends.
  • Share a book review on Facebook and Twitter.
  • Subscribe to the RSS feed.
  • Subscribe to the book reviews mailing list.

Professional speaker and consultant Harry K. Jones has written 200 book reviews for:

About Melanie L. Drake

Melanie L. Drake focuses on the publishing and marketing sides of the AchieveMax® company. AchieveMax® professional, motivational speakers provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services on change management, creativity, customer service, leadership, project management, time management, teamwork, and more. For more information on AchieveMax® custom-designed seminars and keynote presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Irony Poorly Timed

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The older I get, the more irony I find in my day-to-day activity. This morning, I picked up a copy of USA Today in the terminal to read on my flight. I boarded the plane, got comfortable in my seat and started reading prior to take off.

There, in the center of the front page, above the fold, was a photo of a large U.S. passenger plane taking off into the wild blue yonder. Directly below the photo, in very large, bold red print, was the number 65,000! The headline under that impressive number read: “U.S flights with maintenance problems have taken off anyway.” Now that’s a confidence-building statement, isn’t it?

Here’s where the irony sets in. I’m buckled into my seat on a plane that very much resembles the one I’m looking at on the front page, and I’m wondering if I’m on one of those 65,000 flights! Odds are pretty good that I am.

The story goes on to explain that USA Today recently conducted a six-month investigation which revealed that substandard repairs, unqualified mechanics, and lax oversight by airlines and the FAA are not at all unusual! I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that this story covered half of the front page and all of the second page!

Trying to remain positive and get my mind off that encouraging story, I turned to the Money Section of the paper. I should have known better. Right in the center of the front page of that section was the photo of another airplane and a baggage handler tossing a bag into the belly of the aircraft. The headline read: “Do airlines improve bag handling when fees rise?”

The article covered half of the front page and two thirds of the second page, focusing on the recent increases in baggage fees by most every airline. The major thrust of the article revealed that very little, if any, of that money ($2.7 billion in the last year) collected was used to reduce the number of lost and damaged bags or enhance the technology used to track our bags. It also pointed out that mishandled bags cost the airline industry $3 billion last year!

None of this information really shocked me as I’ve been hearing it for quite some time now. However, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the double irony. First, I’m reading this depressing information while strapped helplessly captive in one of those poorly maintained aircrafts that will more than likely lose or damage my bag after charging me an increased fee for that privilege.

Secondly, the only airline NOT charging a fee of any kind for your first two bags happened to be the ONLY airline in the nation to earn a profit for the past year! Hello-o-o-o? Need I mention that it was Southwest?

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

To Ask or Not to Ask … That Is the Question!

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The Associated Press reports that Americans spend about $34 billion annually to visit therapists support when they are going through difficult times … family troubles, relationship issues, school and/or work challenges, etc.

While there are a wide variety of treatment strategies, many therapists use the power of questions to identify and sometimes arrive at a method of treatment.

This approach can also be utilized to a certain degree in our everyday lives as well. While I would never recommend this strategy in lieu of professional treatment, it can certainly assist us in areas of personal growth and self-realization.

Find a comfortable seat and make certain you have a legal pad and pen at your disposal. Take a look at the following questions and choose a few which you feel might address a current challenge in your life. While doing this alone, you should have no fear or reluctance in answering each question truthfully. Failure to do so would certainly defeat the purpose of this exercise.

Read your question of choice, think about it for a few moments and then jot down all thoughts which may come into your mind. Don’t evaluate your responses at this point, just record them. Upon completion, you may want to add additional notes or revise some content upon further thought.

If you are perfectly honest in your answers, I can assure you that you’ll discover some personal insight you might find not only revealing but, in some cases, even surprising. Your data may lead you to additional research, conversation with a trusted source, or even more professional counseling should you feel it necessary.

Here are just a few of the important questions you might consider:

  1. What one decision would I make if I knew it would not fail?
  2. What one thing should I eliminate from my life because it holds me back from reaching my full potential.
  3. Am I on the path of something absolutely marvelous, or something absolutely mediocre?
  4. Am I running from something, or to something?
  5. What can I do to make better use of my time?
  6. Who do I need to forgive?
  7. Of the people I respect most, what is it about them that earns my respect?
  8. What would a truly creative person do in my situation?
  9. What outside influences are causing me to be better or worse?
  10. In what areas do I need improvement in terms of personal development?
  11. What gifts, talents, or strengths do I have?
  12. What is one thing that I can do for someone else who has no opportunity to repay me?

By the way, you may not like the answers … but you need to hear them!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

I’m Proud to Be an American

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Politics, the economy, health care, big business, media bias, unemployment, global warming and the list goes on and on. It begins to weigh on me, and I’m ashamed to admit that frustration sets in from time to time.

However, when I most need it and least expect it, the clouds part, the sunlight diminishes the darkness as it warms my heart and reminds me that we have the ultimate privilege of living among the best people on the face of the earth.

Based on your personal beliefs, credit God, Allah, angels, destiny, fate or any of the many other cosmic influences which invariably appear to save the day. I recently experienced several unanticipated adverse situations within a single week which resulted in somewhat of a frustrating mind-set for me. I was fast approaching a serious “feel-sorry-for-myself” depression when I came across a short but powerful story in our local newspaper. It was certainly a bonafide mood changer for me.

The article focused on a small local Mexican restaurant, Los Gringos, which has recently fallen on hard times. It’s far from any of the major brand name chain restaurants. In fact, it’s situated on an out-of-the-way, seldom traveled, forlorn stretch of city street on the edge of town. After 34 years in business, financial hardships were threatening to close its doors. The problems started about 2½ years ago when the local economy began to reduce its customer count. The owners of this neighborhood “taco and home-made salsa palace” owed a $4,300 unpaid tax bill which was only 10% of what they actually owed the state. Then, four days after Christmas, a robbery was the “straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Word quickly spread that the beloved restaurant was on the ropes and the donations suddenly started pouring in. The very first donation was a $100 bill from a man who had been in the restaurant only once prior to the donation. It didn’t take him long to learn about the fantastic food and the love shared by the “most wonderful, kind-hearted people” who operated this quaint establishment.

Obviously, many others shared this love and respect for the owners as they quickly decided this restaurant was simply “too lovable to fail.” Loyal customers quickly raised the entire $4,300 to pay the tax bill that was due the following Monday!

This from a city within a state dealing with a 14.7% unemployment rate and shuttered auto plants at every turn! It is truly amazing what the American spirit can render in times of need! This wasn’t a government bailout generated by politicians with cynical motives. This was a determined group of American citizens sharing an intangible force which is immeasurable by any standard.

In the face of distress the American spirit has brought us courage; when uncertain, it’s brought us optimism; when sad, its filled our hearts with love and serenity. We Americans are bound together by this invisible, dynamic and enduring force. It’s tenacious when challenged, indestructible in times of hardship, but best of all, it’s the driving force behind the America that we know and love.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a small picturesque Mexican restaurant in the heart of a mid-western city or the devastated countryside of Haiti … the American spirit is there to serve and support those in need.

So the next time you’re discouraged by the consistently negative headlines in your local newspaper, pause for a moment to check for the story beneath the fold that will bring a tear to your eye, a lump to your throat, and warmth to your heart as you discover the true power of the American spirit!

If you’d be interested in joining those assisting the fine folks at the restaurant in their attempt to raise the remaining 90% of what they owe the state, send a check to: Los Gringos Restaurant, 6030 S. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd., Lansing, MI 48911

They’ll appreciate your donation and you’ll feel better for having provided it. And if you’re in the area, stop by for a fantastic taco!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.