Even if it is DIRTY!

I often ask groups of people, “When you see a penny on the ground do you always pick it up?” Several people do not raise their hands. I then ask, “What if it’s a nickel?” The same hands stay down. I ask “What about a quarter?” and most hands will go up. “A hundred dollar bill?” They all go up with a cheer. When I spotted this particular penny on a dirty sidewalk in Chinatown, I stopped  and picked it up. The universe sees it as “money” regardless if it’s a penny, nickel, dime, quarter or hundred dollar bill. To walk past a penny is saying to the universe, “I don’t care about money.” The universe responds by not sending you as much of it.

It’s all the Same

I never spend the penny, but I DO pick it up; it goes into a jar where I have always had someone (son or wife) willing to let them accumulate and then take them out, roll them up and take them to the bank. Once I pick the penny up I have done my part. I have said to the universe, “I value money and will not walk past it.” The universe has always responded with a steady flow of money. It’s called “The Law of Attraction.”

Questions:

-How many animals of each SPECIES did Moses take onto the ark?
-Some months have 31 days; some have 30 days. How many have 28 days?
-You go into a log cabin with one match in a matchbox. In the cabin is a wood-burning stove, a paraffin lamp and a candle. Which do you light first for maximum WARMTH?
-Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the highest mountain on Earth?
-How far can a three-legged tiger run into the woods?

It is amazing how otherwise smart people can miss the point in a statement or question just because they were not “listening” carefully.

Answers:

-It wasn’t Moses who went onto the ark — it was Noah.
-All the months have 28 days.
-You’d need to light the match first!
-Everest was the highest mountain on Earth even before it was discovered.
-Halfway is the answer, because after halfway, it will be running “out” of the woods!

Those questions use a technique called “sleight of voice.” Just like stage magicians use sleight of hand to misdirect your attention. The same technique can apply to spoken or written communication. For example, bolding of the word SPECIES, might cause one not to notice the name Moses.

Confusion or misdirection can occur in everyday speech, either on purpose or accidentally.
Always be aware of the effect of your words, and when listening, watch out for “filters” in your brain that might cause you to mishear what was really said.

You Look Better When You Do
One the easiest success principles is smiling:
There are Many Reasons to Keep Smiling:
Smiling Makes You More Approachable.
Smiling Puts You in a Better Mood.
Smiling Relieves Stress.
Smiling Boosts Your Immune System.
Smiling Lowers Your Blood Pressure.
Smiling Releases Endorphins and Natural Pain Killers.
Smiling Lifts the Face and Makes You Look Younger.
Smiling Makes You Seem Successful.
Smiling Helps You Stay Positive

Make it Sincere
A phoney smile can be seen right away. Be sure your smile is genuine. Smile so broadly that your teeth show. Never offer that “stretched lip” smile that people give to strangers walking by.

Go There!
I attended a seminar recently where we were all asked to close our eyes and visualize being at our favorite place. When we opened our eyes the moderator asked some of us to tell about our “favorite place.” One guy said, “Out on the ocean looking back at Diamond Head, Downtown Honolulu and Waikiki.”Another said, (with great emotion) “The bleachers at a UH football game, cheering and sharing high fives with the stranger sitting next to me.

At My Desk
I was hoping that I wouldn’t be asked about mine. Maybe I thought I would have been ridiculed or disbelieved, but the place I “went to” was my desk. This exercise caused me to take a good look at myself and ask, “What happened?” There was a time that I had six California Angels season tickets and at that time I would called being at “the game” my favorite place. At another time in my life I would have quickly said, “Catching waves at Queens Surf Break.” Others were, “Pruning in my garden” and “Going to a concert” and “Walking on the beach.”
Since that seminar I have thought about many past “favorite places” and asked myself if I would really rather be at my desk than any of those other places, and the answer is, “Yes.”
The reason is simple; it’s because that’s where I can reach the most people in the shortest amount of time.
What’s Your Favorite Place?

Looks Aren’t Everything

I have heard that many people are not buying the new iPhone4S because there is virtually no difference in the appearance than the iPhone4. I guess this means that people will not know that they have spent a few hundred extra bucks to get the latest Apple has to offer. I say, “So What?”

It’s what’s on the inside that matters. I have had every iPhone that has come down the pike, and without exception each one was a major improvement over the former model. The iPhone4S is no different, it just looks the same. Put your ego aside and begin to enjoy Siri, a much better camera, twice the web speed and much more. If you are waiting for the iPhone5, you may be waiting a very long time, and with Steve gone it may never happen at all. Get upgraded today; you will be glad you did.

To See It, CLICK HERE: 

Be Amazed!!!

And it Shows
My recent flight on Hawaiian Air from Honolulu to Los Angeles was wonderful. The return trip was quite different.
Things that were the same;
-The Airline
-The Airplane
-First Class Seat
-The Time of Day

Things that were different;
-The Crew

The flight attendants going from HNL to LAX were pro-active and friendly. They remained noticeably focused on passengers. The curtain between the first class cabin and the restroom stayed open, and they repeatedly checked to see if passengers had any needs.

Going from LAX to HNL was different. They were cold, reactive and indifferent. They stayed sequestered behind the curtain and only came out when they had to. They seemed bothered when I passed through “their space” en-route to the restroom. On one occasion I overheard two of them gossiping about management. I stopped and asked, “Are you a mainland based crew?” They seemed surprised by my interruption, and answered, “Yes.” I just said, “Aha.” As I passed though the curtain I looked back and saw two pair of “deer in the headlights” looks as I closed the curtain behind me.
Little things make a big difference, and a reflection of the “Aloha Spirit” can be the biggest of all.

Tick - Tick - Tick
The five minutes before you are supposed to be somewhere can be stressful or calm, and you get to decide which it will be. Needless stress is unhealthy, yet too many people experience it by simply arriving someplace at the last minute or even worse, late. Arriving at the last minute can leave you breathless, perspiring and stressed, with no time to mentally prepare. When you arrive late your reputation is tarnished, and depending upon the situation, lost business as well.
When you arrive just five minutes early, those five minutes can be spent relaxing and preparing for what you are about to do. I have this little “trick” I play on myself. I keep my watch five minutes fast. Although I have done this for many years, and I know well that it is fast, it still works. When I do arrive at the last minute (by my watch), I go, “Whew” and relax.
Try It! Life is too short to be stressed, and even shorter if you are.

How Did THIS Happen?
10 short (very short) years ago I had yet to ever touch a keyboard of any kind. In my day, boys didn’t take typing in high school, and I still cannot type. When “retiring” to Hawaii 30 short (very short) years ago I was determined to stay that way. When my first employee brought a desk top computer to work in about 1986, I told him to take it home; that this was no place for games.
In the past 10 years I have had no less than five different desk top computers, about the same number of lap tops, and three or four Palm Pilots. Somewhere along the line I went from PC to MAC, starting with iPhones 2, 3 and 4, then MacBook Air laptop and recently the iPad2.
This week my 27″ MAC Solid State desk top computer arrived, and on October 7th I will be ordering my iPhone 4S. This phone has a feature called Siri where you can ask questions verbally and get answers all without typing. YEAH! To see this amazing phone and what you can say to Siri; CLICK HERE:
At least I don’t have to wonder what I’m going to be to doing during my next “retirement.”

RIP
I was extremely sorry to hear about the passing of Howard Konrad. Howard was the proud founder of Lahaina Scrimshaw and Jessica’s Gems. He was always happy to remind me that he was my very first client when I started Success Dynamics in 1991. He also prided himself to be the first to pay me every month with a handwritten check. We shared a lot of good times these past 20 years as well as weathering some storms. In spite of some of the tough times, Howard never backed off when it came to providing his team a sit down breakfast on the 2nd Thursday of the month which included $100 and $50 bills for top salespeople, and drawing winners.
Howard is survived by his ever supportive wife Cheryl and daughter Jessica whom Jessica’s Gems was named after.
Howard was loved by all of his employees.
We will all miss you Howie.

Really?
One of the services I provide to a few of my clients is recruiting salespeople. I run ads on Craigslist, communicate a few times via e-mail to screen out those just trying to maintain their unemployment, and then arrange an interview with those who seem serious.
Sometimes I am shocked. I wonder if “Interviewing for a Job” is taught in school. I try to remain as objective as I can prior to scheduling an interview.

Your Resume:
Here are some of the things to avoid if you truly want an interview.
.  Blank Subject Lines
.  Poor use of English
.  No resume
.  Misspelled words
.  Failure to list hobbies and interests
.  No dates for past positions
.  Lack of References

Your Interview
I am often appalled by how people appear for the interview.
Some Recent Examples:
.  Wearing t-shirts, shorts, and slippers
.  Sloppy or poor grooming
.  Flaunting of tattoos and facial jewelry
.  When I interview people with potential, I ask them if they would be willing to “lose” the facial jewelry while on the job. Most say that they would, and I think, “Why didn’t you lose it for the interview?” I had one this week with a swollen and bleeding lip piercing. I mentioned it and she said, “I just got it.” I thought, “Why would you do that just before interviewing for a job?”
.   Another turn off at the interview is people who trash their previous employer or manager as the reason for leaving or being fired.  And there are those who show up late for the interview, or even worse, don’t show up at all, and then send an e-mail later with some excuse and asking for another appointment time.

Tips for your Interview:
Obvious as these things should be, if you really want to get the job:
.  Dress up your resume with a short meaningful cover letter.
.  Spell-check before e-mailing.
.  Arrive dressed as you would if you already had the job.