Welcome
to
SELF
DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL
number
20
I
hope you will receive a fortnightly dose of motivation, inspiration, laughter
and thought-provoking quotes. If you find yourself bogged down in our
competitive, stressful work world, take a few minutes to read and then think
about the positive messages you will receive.
In this issue: Miss you Gorgeous George
1. Inspirational
Quotes
2. Find of the week
3.
Gratitude Exercise
4. Wild
Trivia
5. Metaphor
6. Leadership Skills
7. Jokes
8. Motivational
1. Inspirational Quotes
"When
you worry, you go over the same ground endlessly and come out the same place
you started". - Harold B Walker
***
"Only
one type of worry is correct: to worry because you worry too
much". - Jewish Proverb
***
We
make ourselves up as we go. - Kate Green
***
Caterpillar
to Butterfly: "How do you become a butterfly?" Butterfly: "You
have to be willing to die."
Caterpillar:
"Die?" Butterfly: "Well, it feels like you're dying. But it
really turns out to be a transformation to something better."
***
When
one door closes, another opens: but we often look so long and so regretfully
upon the closed door that we do not see the one, which has opened for us. -
Alexander Graham Bell
***
You're
different from everyone else and that makes you very special. Only you know
what is best for you. You can live your dreams if you can embrace change.
It's by taking chances that you'll learn how to be brave. Your life can slip
through your fingers if you live in the past or the future. Live your life with
passion every day and you'll truly live all the days of your life. Remember
where you have been and know where you are going.
***
Life
is not a race but a journey to be savoured each step of the way.
***
You
can have anything you want from life if you try. You owe it to yourself to try.
2. Find of the week Thanks
Elizabeth Bullock
Telstra
Directory Assistance Did you know that there is a number for
directory assistance that is FREE. It is 1223 (as opposed to 12455
where this is charged at 25 cents) and is exactly the same service.
Apparently Telstra under Government law is supposed to provide a free
operator service - hence the number 1223, but they don't advertise the
service etc. They are trying to make as much money as possible with the
number 12455.
3. Gratitude
Exercise
Do
this Gratitude Exercise once a day or anytime when anxious and obsessive thoughts
start creeping in. Many people like to do this exercise right after they get
out of bed each morning.
Preparation: Get a blank notebook that you'll use to write down the things
you're thankful for. This is your Gratitude Journal. Put the journal in a
location you see frequently, such as on a bedside table. Tip: Some people find
it helpful to set an alarm clock for ten or fifteen minutes and write until the
alarm clock rings.
Step
1. Relax. Take a slow, deep breath. Inhale...pause...then exhale. Do this two
more times.
Step
2. Open your Gratitude Journal to a fresh page, write today's date, and then
write this sentence: I am thankful for... Then write down as many things as you
can think of that you're thankful for.
Be
specific. For example, instead of saying, "I'm thankful for my family and
friends," you might list who you are thankful for and why each person is a
blessing to you. For example, "I'm thankful for Kendra. She is such a fun,
spontaneous person. She helps me to enjoy the moment. I'm thankful for my Mum.
She's there to listen whenever I feel down."
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
"I'm thankful for the sunrise."
"I'm thankful for the warm weather that lets me comfortable
clothes."
"I'm thankful for my enthusiasm for life."
"I'm thankful for Gary, my work mate that inspires me
with his encouraging words."
"I'm thankful my son who had 2 car crashes in 2 days is alive and
repairable, and how unimportant cars are by comparison."
"I'm
ever thankful for Barry, who is invaluable."
Step
3. Read over the things you just wrote down.
Step
4. Acknowledge the things you're thankful for. Place your right palm on your
heart and say out loud: "Thank you. I am grateful." Say it like you
mean it!
Step
5. Wrap-up. Take a slow, deep breath. Inhale...pause...then exhale. Do this two
more times.
Step
6. Notice how much better you feel!.
4. Wild Trivia
Why
do you press harder on a remote control when you know the battery is dead?
If
it's zero degrees outside today and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow,
how cold is it going to be?
If
the universe is everything, and scientists say that the universe is expanding,
what is it expanding into?
If
vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?
Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than the US Treasury.
Intelligent
people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
The
world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.
The
youngest pope was 11 years old.
The
first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.
Each
king in a deck of playing cards represents a great King from history: Spades -
King David, Hearts - Charlemagne, Clubs -Alexander, the Great, Diamonds -
Julius Caesar
111,111,111
x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
"I
am." is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
5. Metaphor
A
ploughman heard a clanking noise under his ploughshare. He stopped and dug up a chest filled with
gold coins. He had discovered a fortune for himself!
He buried it deep in the corner of his garden. "What should I do with
it?" He imagined all possible things to buy, and finally decided not to do
anything. The chest contained gold
coins, and he decided that this treasure would be his security in times of
hardship.
And this security changed his character from tensed to relaxed; formerly a
grumbling type, he became loving; and from intolerant, he became tolerant. He lived a good life, and
was happy knowing that whatever hardship might come to him, he could face it.
His last days came, and before passing away, he assembled his sons before
himself, and revealed his secret to them. Then he died. The next day, they dug up the place where he had
indicated, and found the chest, but... it was EMPTY. The ploughman's gold
coins had been stolen from him years before. What is interesting about this story is that
it is not the fact that he was rich which gave him his security and happiness,
but merely the IDEA of it.
In other words, it was not the fact itself, but its interpretation, which made
him happy. When you get an idea, which makes you unhappy, think of this story.
Ask yourself: "Is it the fact itself which makes me unhappy, or is it the
beliefs and ideas I have about the fact to which I have now become
attached?"
And think: "How to change these beliefs and ideas into more positive
thoughts?"
8. Speaking Leadership Skills from a Man Who Came
to America in a Dung Filled Cattle Boat
I've
been bragging about my dad ever since 1973 when I did my graduation speech.
I've even done professional speeches about one of the techniques he used to
make me tough when I was just a baby (see below). Until I was preparing his
eulogy this past week, I have never actually written down all the leadership
skills he taught me. As I was working on them, I thought that they would be a
good example that anyone could use both in their life and from the platform.
I
only saw dad speak in public once and that was at his 50th wedding anniversary,
but I witnessed the leadership skills listed below, my whole life.
Here's
Dad's Memorial Top 10 List
LEADERSHIP
SKILL # 1 - BUILD IT STRONG
Dad would always build things more sturdy than they needed to be so that he
would never have to worry when an extraordinary force was applied. He knew that
whatever he built would stand up to the test. This applied to both character
traits and real hammer and nail construction. In fact, without his insistence
on this leadership trait, I would not be here today.
When
I was 16 years old a drunk driver doing nearly 100 mph (161 kph) ran his car
off the road smashing it into the corner of our living room. I was the only one
in the room when it exploded around me. Had this been a normally built house
the car would have burst thru the wall and killed me.
LEADERSHIP
SKILL # 2 DON'T TAKE SHORT CUTS
Dad
was an electrician by trade. When doing his wiring he would always route the
flat wires he worked with in a nice symmetrical and evenly spaced pattern. He
would never just cut across the shortest distance to save wire and make his
costs a little cheaper. I remember as a child watching him and asking him why
he did this when it would be a lot shorter to just run the wires directly
between two points. He said, "When someone looks at this job years from
now they will know that a professional did it and also, if they ever have
trouble, they will be able to track down the problem easier because I did a
nice neat job."
I
can't remember dad ever being out of work one day in my whole life. When
everyone else was laid-off, he was always in demand.
LEADERSHIP
SKILL # 3 DON'T WASTE THINGS OR PEOPLE
Think
a rock isn't worth much? Read on. At the age of 73 dad was purchasing some used
lumber that someone had advertised in the paper. When he went to pick it up he
saw a large number of boulders in the front yard of the place where he bought
the lumber. He asked what they were going to do with the boulders. The man
said, "I just want to get them out of here." Dad spent two weeks
hauling them back to
our house and another two months cutting them up with a chisel and a hammer. He
then built a beautiful stone fireplace and chimney for one of our rental
properties.
Also,
I can't tell you the number of nails I removed from used lumber that dad made
me straighten and use over again. I still do it to this day. A bent nail with a
little help can be very useful again. Sometimes people also need a little help
to do the job they were meant to do.
LEADERSHIP
SKILL # 4 BE SELF RELIANT
Working
as a team is great, but when the team isn't there you just don't sit down and
wait for help. Dad built pretty much every building and rental property we own.
I remember being so busy with football and other activities that I didn't get
to help him too much (I probably would have slowed him down anyway). One day
while he was working on remodelling one of our buildings he asked me to go to
the automotive parts store to get him about 20 feet of clear gas line tubing
and several bottles of Coca Cola. I wondered what he was up to because he never
drank Coke and our car was working fine.
I
came back with the tubing and the Coke and stood back and watched as he did his
thing. He plugged one end of the tubing and started pouring Coke in the other
end (I was sure he had lost his mind after spending three months building the
chimney). He said, "When you boys aren't around it's hard for me to make
things level because I can't be at both ends of these long 2x4s. So I'm going
to nail one end of this tubing on one end of where I'm working and take the
other end of the tubing with me to the other end of the board. He knew from his
self-taught physics studies that liquids seek their own level. He could see
through the clear tubing to the Coca Cola inside. The level of the Coke on one
end of the tubing would be exactly the same level as at the other end of the
tubing and that's where he would nail his board and it was always perfectly
level.
LEADERSHIP
SKILL # 5 STUDY
Dad
only went to the 5th grade and that was after skipping two grades, so he really
only had three years of formal education. At ten years old (the oldest boy with
father deceased) he was head of his household and shining shoes to support the
family. He saved part of his tips and ordered an electrical engineering course
from the American School. At 13 he had his own electrical contracting company
and
installed the first electric light in Carnegie PA. He also bought his younger
sister the first electric washing tub in Bridgeville, PA
He
would read, read, and read some more every time he wanted to learn how to do
something. When he retired around the age of 73 he sat down and read the ENTIRE
World Book Encyclopaedia. Now that's a lot of reading! Still at 94 and being legally
blind he listened to hours and hours of biographies and books on tape, and
newspapers on tape provided by the Library of Congress for blind people. He
knew more about current events than anyone. If you want to learn how to do
something, study and try it out until you get it right.
LEADERSHIP
SKILL #6 YOU CAN HAVE WHATEVER YOU WANT IF YOU ARE WILLING TO WORK
FOR IT
This
was the 1910 version of "Just do it." I don't want you to think I
wasn't given tons of things by my parents, because I was. But the most valuable
thing was that I was conditioned from a very young age that the world didn't
"owe" me a living. I had to earn it. I got a serious work ethic that
I will always carry with me. If I want something, I go after it. I won't step
on people to get what ever it is,
and I won't cheat or steal, but I will work until I get it or don't want it
anymore.
This
would be a foreign language to many of today's youth.
LEADERSHIP
SKILL #7 GIVE BEFORE YOU GET
During
the depression work was more than scarce . . . more like non existent. Even my
dad was out of work. He told me that he said to himself, "I'm a really
valuable worker and I'm not going to sit around here and do nothing when there
is work out there to be done." He knew there was a fruit shipping warehouse
not too far from where he lived so he went down to the loading docks dressed
for work and just started helping the men load apples. Eventually the foreman
noticed him and asked the other guys who he was. They said they didn't know but
that he just started loading apples. In fact, he was doing the work of three
men. The foreman was so impressed he hired him on the spot and he hired several
of my dad's cousins who were willing to prove themselves first.
Not
realizing I was being influenced by my dad, I used to do the same thing when my
landlord in college would work on our house. I would go out and help him just
to learn how to fix things. This same landlord gave me the biggest financial
break of my young career when he guaranteed the financing and sold me his
largest rental property when he retired to Florida and I hadn't even graduated
from college
yet.
LEADERSHIP
SKILL #8 YOU CAN OVERCOME OBSTACLES
This
is one of my favourites. I have a visual that I use in a segment of a program
called "You are Unstoppable." The visual depicts a baby crawling on
cushions with a red ball on the other side of the cushions. http://www.antion.com/baby.htm Dad told me that he would put
my toys on one side of the room and put pillows in front of me to teach me to
overcome obstacles. Anyone that knows me sees all the time that I'll figure a
way to get something done if it is worthwhile getting done.
Knowing
that you can't be held back no matter what happens to you is a very powerful
feeling to have inside. It gives you an unbridled confidence. Both my parents
aligned to make me feel this way. Most of you don't know this about me, but 14
years ago I lost everything and was totally broke, sleeping on a mattress in a
vacant house, injured and unable to walk, and living off credit cards. The
powerful feeling
burned inside of me to overcome this obstacle which I did by coming up with an
idea for a unique entertainment company that in turn helped launch my speaking
career.
LEADERSHIP
SKILL # 9 STICK BY YOUR SPOUSE
Well
I haven't had much chance to try this one out yet, but when I do get the chance
. . . I will. :) My dad stuck by my mother even when, as a know-it-all
teenager, I knew she was clearly wrong. Maybe that's why they made it 57 +
years. (I'll have more to say on this one if I ever get some real life
experience. ha ha ha ha)
LEADERSHIP
SKILL # 10 RISK EVERYTHING FOR SOMETHING REALLY
WORTHWHILE
Did
you ever wonder why many people don't achieve their goals? Could it be because
they were never really willing to commit fully to them? . . . They always gave
themselves easy outs so if the going got tough they could bail out easily.
Around 1946 with a house full of kids and more on the way Dad took every nickel
he had, went 50 miles out of the city and bought 156 acres of land, a bull
dozer and
enough fuel to run it. He did not want his kids being raised in the filthy air
and tough streets of Pittsburgh, PA. He built a truck stop and motel and
eventually warehouses, rental cottages and our house on National Route 40 one
mile east of Claysville, PA His work can still be seen there today (along with
the chimney I mentioned earlier that is on one of our rental properties).
All
the kids grew up healthy and strong and not one ever got into any trouble
(except the time I ran away from home and ate grass soup and hotdogs for two
hours before I gave up and returned home)
Well
even though Dad was only on stage once that I know of, his leadership
principles are influencing tens of thousands of people through me and because
of all the people he touched over the years. I spent the 4th of July this week
at the funeral home viewing which, to be honest, I thought was going to be a
pretty barren site . . . .especially at his age because all his friends had
died off. . . . I couldn't believe it. . . . People were everywhere. People
that I'd never seen before or even heard of were telling me stories of when
they were down and out 60 or even 70 years ago, my dad was the one that helped
them, or gave them a chance, or encouraged them.
I
just about fell on the floor when some one told me that around 1923 my dad took
on the responsibility for an entire family of kids who had an old drunk for a
father. Dad worked all week for 50 cents to buy a big sack of potatoes to feed
six kids and himself for the week. I was told that Dad taught the boys of the
family trades so they could go out and find work and that these people thought
the sun rose and set on my Dad. I had never heard a word about them before my
Dad's viewing on July 4th of this year. . .. Oh one more lesson that maybe I
didn't learn too well from Dad . . .don't boast . . . just do good
things.
WHAT'S
THIS GOT TO DO WITH GREAT SPEAKING TOM?
Well, I'm hoping if you read this far that you saw some value in my Dad's
leadership teachings. I'm hoping that when you take the stage that you walk up
there as a good example for the many people you will touch in your career. My
Dad didn't have the stage in the conventional sense like we do every time we
speak. He "lived" the stage. In fact, he "was" the stage
that good leadership stands on. Your living example both on the stage and off
will be what ultimately makes you a "Great Speaker." I can teach you
the techniques, but you must provide the good example 24 hours a day / seven
days a week. . . . not just when you are on the platform.
Thanks
Dad
Love Your little "Heapy"
7. Jokes
An elephant was
drinking out of a river one day, when he spotted a turtle asleep on a log. So,
he ambled on over and kicked it clear across the river."What did you do
that for" Asked a passing giraffe."Because I recognized it as the
same turtle that took a nip out of my trunk 53 years ago." "Wow, what
a memory" commented the giraffe. "Yes," said the elephant,
"turtle recall".
***
A Zen master once
said to me, "Do the opposite of whatever I tell you." So I didn't.
***
"My doctor
tells me I suffer from extreme hypochondria. He prescribed a strong placebo,
but I don't think it's working." - Fred Marcum
***
"The sooner you fall behind, the more
time you'll have to catch up." - unknown
***
Q) How do you know that your tiger is
telling the truth? A) He's not a lion
***
Q) What happened to the cat who ate a
ball of yarn? A) She had mittens!
***
A guy with three
eyes, no arms, and one leg is hitchhiking. A British gent pulls over, rolls down the window, and says, "Aye, aye, aye! You look 'armless! 'op in!"
***
With many
thanks to Carol Ann for her contribution - I love
Number 13
Once over the hill, you pick up speed.
I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
If it weren't for STRESS I'd have no energy at all.
Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.
I know God won't give me more than I can handle. I just wish He didn't trust me
so much.
Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.
We cannot change the direction of the wind... but we can adjust our
sails.
Some days are a total waste of makeup!!.
If the shoe fits......buy it in every colour.
If you're too open minded, your brains will fall out.
Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.
Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in
a garage makes you a car.
Artificial
intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried
before.
My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.
It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of cheques.
A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.
Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change
places.
Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
Junk is something you've kept for years and throw away three weeks before you
need it.
Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you
make it again.
By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
Someone who thinks logically provides a nice contrast to the real world.
Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all
yourself.
***
The judge read
the charges to Jeetho's father, then asked, "Are you the defendant in this case?"
"No sir,
your honour, sir," he replied, "I've got me a lawyer to do the
defendin'. I'm the one who done it."
8. Motivational
Tech
Support: Yes, ma'am, how can I help you?
Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install Love. Can you
guide me through the process?
Tech Support: Yes, I can help you, are you ready to proceed?
Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do
first?
Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart
ma'am?
Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to
install Love while they are running?
Tech Support: What programs are running ma'am?
Customer: Let's see, I have Past-Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge, and Resentment
running right now.
Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past-Hurt from your current
operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer
disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override Low Self-Esteem with a
module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However, you have to completely turn
off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs prevent Love from being properly
installed. Can you turn those off ma'am?
Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?
Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do
this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been
completely erased.
Customer: Okay done, but Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?
Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need
to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.
Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, "Error-program
not run on external components. What should I do?
Tech Support: Don't worry ma'am, It means the Love program is setup to run on
Internal Hearts but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms,
it means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.
Customer: So what should I do?
Tech Support: Can you pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following
files:
Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge Your Limitations.
Customer: OK, done.
Tech Support: Now copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system
will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming.
Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-criticism from all directories and empty
your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.
Customer: Got it. Hey!!! My Heart is filling up with new files. Smile is
playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over
My Heart. Is this normal?
Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes a while, but eventually everything
gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing
before we hang-up, Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules
to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some
cool modules back to you.
Customer: I promise to do just that. By the way, what's your name?
Tech Support: Just call me the Divine Cardiologist, also known as the Great
Physician, or just "I, AM." Most people feel all they need is an
annual check-up to stay heart-healthy; but the manufacturer (Me) suggests a
daily maintenance schedule for maximum Love efficiency.
Website Managers is a
web hosting company that can get your website designed and on the web looking
exactly the way you want it without the technical talk. Click to www.websitemanagers.com.au for
more information or call Adam on (02) 9345 4395.
Without Adam’s
unstinting help and professional support this newsletter would not be, he
also looks after our website www.hypnotherapy.net.au
, www.asch.com.au and is just taking on www.IIPM.org.au - Thankyou.
Music
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Thank
you for reading my newsletter - I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I
enjoy putting it together for you. May you attain all your goals and reach your
dreams with a well balanced, fulfilling life! I wish you good health, happiness
and success in all you strive to achieve!
Let's start an epidemic of achievers and cheerful people!!
Request
I would like to make this a good fun read, so if any of you have any
suggestions/contributions please, please let me know. Credit will be
given to any contributors. I intend to put it out every 2 weeks. (The God of
computer land willing.) Please FORWARD this on to everyone you can think of and
feel free to copy whatever you want.
Lyndall
Briggs - Kingsgrove Hypnosis & Counselling Centre
64 Shaw Street
Kingsgrove NSW 2208
Phone/Fax 02 95543350
www.hypnotherapy.net.au Email: briggs@hypnotherapy.net.au
J.