Dare to Soar Series - The Courage to Aim High

Standing on one of the highest peaks in Mount Pulag

Successful people do what unsuccessful people won‟t

Create something bigger than yourself.

Greatness is available to all.

Soaring is not taught within the walls of academia.

Like the eagle, once we have learned to soar it almost seems effortless.

The heart is a powerful tool.

The faster you move, the higher you soar.

Rise above mediocrity.

The higher you soar, the more beautiful the view.

Success comes to the man or woman who gives more than they receive.

There is freedom in excellence.

You usually hit where you aim-aim high.

A life without goals is a life without meaning

Choose results over rhetoric

The nest is a temporary environment

Resign from all your worries. When you can mentally do this, good things have a way of working for you.

There is a danger in the comfort zone.

Never ever accept mediocrity

Those who envision greatness usually achieve it.

Make sure the mission is honorable.

Give life something unexpected, something extra. The payback will greatly surprise you.

“Never, never, never, never give up.” -Sir Winston Churchill

Doing the right thing requires courage.

The road to excellence has a little traffic.

Don‟t fall into a pathole of indifference.

A dedicated hearth is powerful.

Enthusiasm has a way of rolling over the mistake.

Give more than you are asked and you will receive more that you can dream.

Kindness and courage are great companions.

There is comfort among the stars.

Listen to your conscience.

Why accept the challenge? Because it's there.

We are all supplied with the tools for success.

Creativity is a gift, an unlimited source of power that can change your life when you learn to harness it.

The rush to adrenaline is worth the risk.

The power of desire cannot be calculated.

Go the extra mile.

The horizon of life offers great opportunities.

Those who have the right kind of character don‟t tremble at the first sign of adversity.

Great achievers dream the impossible dreams.

Venture where others don‟t dare to tread.

Practice while others are sleeping.

There are great opportunities in high places.

The higher you go, the less competition you will find.

One must never mistake the silence of the forest for the absence of activity.

Without vision, we are blind to opportunity.

Your choice: victim or victor.

Champion only accept excellence.

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The Most Important Meeting..

...You’ll Ever Attend Are the Meetings You Have With Yourself by Denis Waitley

What matters most is how you see and think about of yourself!
Remember You are Awesome! 

( The key is awareness. I am still guilty of this from time to time. Before I know it, I found myself being too critical of myself. Taking too much time wallowing from my mistakes and shortcomings. I am sure this happens to you a lot too. Follow below advise by one of my virtual mentor Denis Waitley , and you will certainly be on your way to higher achievement and personal excellence. To a Happier YOU! Enjoy =) )

You are your most important critic. There is no opinion as vitally important to your well-being as the opinion you have of yourself. As you read this, you’re talking to yourself right now. “Let’s see if I understand what he means by that…. How does that compare with my experiences? I’ll make note of that—try that tomorrow…. I already knew that…. I already do that.” I believe this self-talk, this psycholinguistics, or language of the mind, can be controlled to work for us, especially in the building of self-confidence and creativity. We’re all talking to ourselves every moment of our lives, except during certain portions of our sleeping cycle. We’re seldom even aware that we’re doing it. We all have a running commentary in our heads on events and our reactions to them.

-           Be aware of the silent conversation you have with yourself. Are you a nurturing coach or a critic? Do you reinforce your own success or negate it? Are you comfortable saying to yourself, “That’s more like it”. “Now we’re in the groove.” “Things are working out well.” “I am reaching my financial goals.” “I’ll do it better next time.”

-           When winners fail, they view it as a temporary inconvenience, a learning experience, an isolated event, and a steppingstone instead of a stumbling block.

-           When winners succeed, they reinforce that success, by feeling rewarded rather than guilty about the achievement and the applause.

-           When winners are paid a compliment, they simply respond: “Thank you.” They accept value graciously when it is paid. They pay value in their conversations with themselves and with other people.

A mark of an individual with healthy self-esteem is the ability to spend time alone, without constantly needing other people around. Being comfortable and enjoying solitary time reveals inner peace and centering. People who constantly need stimulation or conversation with others are often a bit insecure and thus need to be propped up by the company of others.

Always greet the people you meet with a smile. When introducing yourself in any new association, take the initiative to volunteer your own name first, clearly; and always extend your hand first, looking the person in the eyes when you speak.

In your telephone communications at work or at home, answer the telephone pleasantly, immediately giving your own name to the caller, before you ask who is calling. Whenever you initiate a call, always give your own name up front, before you ask for the party you want and before you state your business. Leading with your own name underscores that a person of value is making the call.

Don’t brag. People who trumpet their exploits and shout for service are actually calling for help. The showoffs, braggarts and blowhards are desperate for attention.

Don’t tell your problems to people, unless they’re directly involved with the solutions. And don’t make excuses. Successful people seek those who look and sound like success. Always talk affirmatively about the progress you are trying to make.

As we said earlier, find successful role models after whom you can pattern yourself. When you meet a mastermind, become a master mime, and learn all you can about how he or she succeeded. This is especially true with things you fear. Find someone who has conquered what you fear and learn from him or her.

When you make a mistake in life, or get ridiculed or rejected, look at mistakes as detours on the road to success, and view ridicule as ignorance. After a rejection, take a look at your BAG. B is for Blessings. Things you are endowed with that you often take for granted, like life itself, health, living in an abundant country, family, friends, career. A is for Accomplishments. Think of the many things you are proud of that you have done so far. And G is for Goals. Think of your big dreams and plans for the future that motivate you. If you took your BAG—blessings, accomplishments and goals—to a party, and spread them on the floor, in comparison to all your friends and the people you admire, you’d take your own bag home, realizing that you have as much going for yourself as anyone else. Always view rejection as part of one performance, not as a turndown of the performer.

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Successful People VS. Unsuccessful People_The Difference

Cassius Clay knocking out Sonny Liston
 (former heavy weight champion)

Have you ever wondered what the difference between successful and unsuccessful people is? I’m sure you’ve seen the comparisons made lots of times in the past and truth is, many avoid the subject simply because it hits a raw nerve. You see, the majority of us want to be successful in life and crave the opportunity to set ourselves up financially. But less than 5% per cent of people actually achieve it.

So what’s the difference? What is it that pushes someone past the point of mediocrity and into an elite group of people who can live life as they dreamed.

Let this post be a wake up call and highlighting some of the differences between the “haves” and “have nots.”Here are the differences:

1. Unsuccessful people are obsessed with ideas but never implement them. In other words, they are gripped by what is known as analysis paralysis. On the other hand, successful people are obsessed with implementation. 

They don’t re-invent the wheel but instead watch successful people and copy them.

2. Unsuccessful people obsess about positive thinking but fail to match it with positive action.

Successful people take action to compliment their positiveness. There’s an old saying which says…”As you move, shuffle your feet!”

3. Unsuccessful people wait for the right time but it never comes. They want things to be perfect before they act.

Successful people take action when the opportunity appears. There is no perfect time other than the present and they know it!

4. Unsuccessful people wait for luck to send them on their way to success and financial freedom.

Successful people make their own luck and create their own circumstances in life.

5. Unsuccessful people are afraid to step up the plate. In other words, they don’t want to look silly in front of their friends and family.

Successful people take risks and aren’t worried about whether they are going to look stupid in front of the people they know.

6. Unsuccessful people are easily influenced by family and friends. If they are thinking about poking their head above the crowd all it takes is one cutting comment from a family member and they go to water.

Successful people push on no matter what. They surround themselves with successful people and take advice from those who are already successful. They live and die by their own convictions.

7. Unsuccessful people will always believe what they’re told especially negative talk/news.

Successful people will do their due diligence and conduct their own research, because they understand that public opinion does not necessarily reflect truth.

To Your Success!

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Dare to Soar Series - Passion for Excellence

Taking a Leap of Faith

Practice unconditional love.

Nothing can tame a flaming heart.

Don‟t get caught in the downdraft of doubt.

Don‟t leave this world without giving it your all.

Give back more than you take.

“ When you stop giving, when you stop offering something, its time to turn off the lights.” -George Burns

Exercise energizes the mind.

Go for the gold.

The path to least resistance often yields the least amount of success.

Don't start to quit.

Blaming others is a waste of energy.

The ultimate goal: To achieve the maximum potential out of life.

Motivation is a fire. You must add fuel.

Every oak tree began as a tiny acorn.

Powerful combination: Vision of an eagle, heart of a lion.

Live life like a two-minute drill.

Life is like a finish line. What are you doing to get there first?

Venture into the “ uncomfortable zone.”

To succeed in this world, you have to change all the time.

Want it so bad that you can taste it.

Winners do the little things exceptionally well.

Winning, like losing, is a choice.

Belief yourself far outweighs the doubts of others.

The sky is full of opportunity –

“Dare to Soar”

What's popular isn't always right, and what's right isn't popular.

Those who have vision most often share in the victory.

Vision: the ability to see what others only dream.

Dreaming is the first step to achieving.

You won‟t achieve it unless you are passionate about it.

Choose peak over partial performance.

We must risk failure to achieve success.

When you march to the beat of a different drummer, you'll be out of step with the people around you.

Remember, for all things there is a season.

The “ Thrill of Victory” often comes right after the “Agony of Defeat”.

Quit thinking about thinking to quit.

Eighty percent give up after the first try. Be the twenty percenter.

Moat people talk but few people do.

Great achievers are great dreamers.

The quest for success is not always a comfortable journey.

Like an eagle uses its talons, we must grasp opportunity before it disappears.

Turbulence is a necessary part of the journey.

Potential is your gift. Don't waste it.

Life is like a bank account; we must make the deposits before withdrawals can be made.

Get out of neutral and put your life into overdrive.

Mediocrity is blind to opportunity.

In every thought and action, think excellence.

You don't drown by falling into water, but by staying there.

Motivation is the high octane fuel that drives you to maximum achievement.

Failure is normally a choice.

Like a farmer, we get out of life what we put into it. No more, no less.

We must risk failure to capture success.

Keep your face toward the sun and you won't see the shadows.

Winners focus on “ When they will” not “If they can.”

What you think about is what you will ultimately become.

Goals are like the stars: they are always there. Adversity is like the clouds: they are temporary and will move on. Keep your eyes on the stars.

Pride: Personal Responsibility in Developing Excellence.

The one consistent trait of successful people-they continue to place one foot in front of the other.

In all that you do, give it all you have.Refuse to tiptoe through life.

The true character of an individual is what they think, say or do when no one else is present.

Be an “explorer” in life.

The 5 keys to success in life: what you watch,what you listen to, what you read ,what you think about, who you associated with.

Wealth is within reach.

If an eagle waited for perfect conditions, it would never soar.

Many start, but few finish the race of life.

Winners have an unquenched thirst for success.

Self-motivation is the “turbocharger” of life.

Success is just a little effort away.

Wisdom is much more powerful than knowledge.

Success normally follows an intense commitment to excellence.

Lean from failure-Babe Ruth struck out almost twice as many times as he hit home runs.

One must leave the security of the nest to achieve greatness.

Individuals “ wishing they could” are certain to be passed by those “ thinking they can”.

Those committed to mediocrity will always occupy a subservient role.

Excellence is always available to all who are willing to make the commitment.

Winning habits will separate you from the “pack” of mediocrity.

Just being on the right track is not good enough. If you don‟t move, you will probably get run over.

Due to a serious shortage of excellence, it is in great demand.

The grave is a terrible place to waste potential.

Mozart was 7 when he publish his first musical composition. 

George Bernard Shaw produced an award-winning play when he was 94 years old.

At 10, Yehudi Menuhin was the youngest artist to solo at Carnegie Hall.

Benjamin Franklin helped frame the constitution of the United States when he was 81 years old.

Brent Vogle was 4 when he ran in and completed a sanctioned 26.2 mile marathon.

"How old would you be would you be if you didn't know how old you were?" -Satchel Page

The fact is, it doesn‟t matter when you do something great. Age has a very little to do with ability.


To your success!

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15 Challenges to Pursue in Life

by Jim Rohn from the 2004 Jim Rohn Weekend Leadership Event . In life, this is one of my important realization, we are designed to pursue dreams and face challenges along the way. It is a never ending dream, attainment, new dreams, new goals, achievements and yet breeds to new more desires and dreams. Let us all enjoy the journey and I know you - The Smart Pinoy is up to it =)

1. Review Your Performance. Whether it’s communication, whether it’s activity, whether it’s a CEO, whether it’s on the job. Here’s what my father said: “Always do more than you are paid for to make an investment in your future.” Now some unions would argue with that. My father was so unique. Review your performance—your language with your children. Say, “Have I been too harsh, too strong, too stubborn? Should I have learned to be easier and mixed more compassion with the tough stuff I have to deal with?” And yes, prayer will help. Ask for help to say the right thing, not to ruin it all by poor communication.

2. Face Your Fears. That’s how you conquer them. Don’t dismiss them; face them. Say, “Here’s what I’m afraid of. I wonder what I could do to change that.”

3. Exercise Your Willpower to Change Direction. You don’t have to keep doing what you’ve been doing the last six years if it’s not yielding the benefits you want. My mentor helped me review the last six years so I wouldn’t repeat those errors the next six. Pick a new destination and go that way. Use your willpower to start the process. You don’t have to repeat last year. Clean up the errors. Invest it now in the next year. Watch it make the difference.

4. Admit Your Mistakes. Sometimes you have to admit them to others. Parents have to do it. We ask our kids to do it. We have to do it. Here is one of the best phrases in the English language: “I’m sorry.” The reason those are good words is because they could start a whole new relationship. It could start two people going in a whole new direction. Simple, not easy. You get this done, the turnaround can be dramatic. The early years can be big in payoff. Here’s the big one. Admit your mistakes to yourself. You don’t have to babble about them to everyone in the neighborhood. But it doesn’t hurt to sit down and have a conversation with yourself and say, “There’s no use kidding myself. Here’s where I really am. I’ve got pennies in my pocket and I’ve got nothing in the bank.” That’s what I said after a Girl Scout left my door. I had a conversation with myself and I said, “I don’t want this to happen anymore.”

5. Refine Your Goals. Start the process. Set some higher goals. Reach for some higher purpose. Go for something beyond what you thought you could do.

6. Believe in Yourself. You’ve got to believe in God and you’ve got to believe in the community. You’ve got to believe in the possibilities. You’ve got to believe in the economy. You’ve got to believe that tomorrow can be better than today. Here’s the big one. Believe in yourself. There isn’t a skill you can’t learn; there isn’t a discipline you can’t try; there isn’t a class you can’t take; there isn’t a book you couldn’t read.

7. Ask for Wisdom. This is communication of the highest source. Ask for wisdom that creates answers. Ask for the wisdom that creates faith to believe things are possible. Ask for wisdom to deal with the challenges for today and tomorrow, to deal with the challenges your family brings you. Don’t wish it was easier; wish you were better.

8. Conserve Your Time. Sometimes we get faked out. Bill Bailey says the average person says, “I’ve got twenty more years.” No, Bill says you’ve got twenty more times. If you go fishing once a year, you’ve only got twenty more times to go fishing, not twenty years. That fakes you out.

9. Invest Your Profits. Here’s one of the philosophies that Mr. Shoaff gave me. Profits are better than wages. Wages make you a living, profits make you a fortune. Could we start earning profits while we make a living? The answer is yes.

10. Protect Your Family. These are troublesome times. At school—troublesome times. Protect your family as best you can from the hidden dangers, the lurking evil one.

11. Live with Intensity. You might as well turn it up a notch or two. Invest more of you in whatever you do. Be a little stronger; be a little wiser. Step up your vitality contribution. Put everything you’ve got into everything you do and then ask for more vitality, more strength and more vigor, more heart and more soul.

12. Find Your Place. If you just work on a job, find the best place you can serve well, and sure enough they’ll ask you to occupy a better place. And if you keep doing a job well, do the very best you can. That’s your best way out. Here’s a Bible phrase. If you work on your gifts, they’ll make a place for you.

13 Demand Integrity from Yourself. Integrity is like loyalty. You can’t demand it of someone else; you can only demand it of yourself. Be the best example of loyalty, and you’ll get some loyal followers. Be the best example of integrity, and you’ll have people around you who have integrity. Lead the way.

14. Welcome the Disciplines. Can’t give you much better advice than that because disciplines create the reality. Disciplines build cities. A well-disciplined activity creates abundance, creates uniqueness, productivity.

15. Fight for What’s Right. It’s a fight we’re in. The storyteller says “And there was a great war in heaven.” One of the writers of later Scripture said, “I fought a good fight.” That’s extraordinary to be able to say. I fought for my kids, and I fought for what was right and I fought for good health, and I fought to protect my company and I fought for a good career that would bless my family. I fought a good fight. It’s good to fight the encroachment. Opposites are in conflict, and you’re in the middle. If you want something valuable, you’ve got to fight for it. Then this writer also said, “I fought a good fight and I kept the faith.” See, that’s the deal. Keep faith with your family. Fight the enemy and keep faith. Fight the illness and keep faith. Fight the evil and keep faith. I can’t give you much better advice.

To your Success! 

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Are you a Chicken or is acting like one?

Last week, I attended the graduation rites ceremony at the school where my kids in grade school received special awards for their outstanding performance for the school year. I could not help but become proud of their achievements thus far.

In this post, I will not dwell on what are the significance of Graduation or Recognition day but rather on the message delivered by the guest speaker on that occasion...it is The Chicken-Eagle Story. It's original source may have been "The Eagles Who Thought They Were Chickens" by Mychal Wynn, but the story has been passed on in various versions and his was similar to this one. I cannot let this one slip away and not share this story told a million times because this one is what self-development is all about. Here it goes:
"There's an old fable that talks about a man who found an eagle's egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen. The eagle hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his life, the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a barnyard chicken.
He scratched the earth for worms and insects. He clucked and cackled. And he would thrash his wings and fly a few feet in the air.
Years passed and the eagle grew very old. One day he saw a magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky. It glided in graceful majesty among powerful wind currents, with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings. The old eagle looked up in awe. 'Who's that?' he asked.
'That's the eagle, the king of the birds,' said his neighbor. 'He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth—we're chickens.'
So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that's what he thought he was. "

With that, this quote comes to mind:

" If you say you can,you can! If you say you cannot, you cannot! On both cases, you are absolutely right! "

I'm pretty sure you are an Eagle! You'll definitely fly and soar high...

coz that's what our Creator intended us to do.

Let me end by greeting...

Happy Graduation Day to all the 2009 Graduates!

Let's soar and enjoy the view from the top!

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