19. Keep Reminders Handy

Every team, project, or goal usually involves at

least one acronym-using banner or theme!

They're shortened, easy-to-remember slogans

that help keep us on track.

Here are some simple and valuable ideas

for some you might want to incorporate

in your self-help strategies!

COVER YOUR ASS

DO IT YOURSELF

(if you want it done right)

KEEP IT SIMPLE: SURVIVE!

No, definitely not 'Save Our Souls';

just the opposite!

STOP OWING SOMEONE!

Both financially with credit and loans,

and as much as possible in getting a hand up

from others. Unless you're in a position

to give back, being the constant recipient of a hand-out

is bad news.

This one's great because it has two

gems in one;

PAY YOURSELF FIRST

 is always a good axiom,

and so is

PUT YOURSELF FIRST!

Sometimes you just have to tell a hater how

it is, and I do it by telling them to

KISS MY ASS!

Here's another with double mileage on it;

KNOW YOUR WORTH

and

KEEP YOUR WORD.

Adopt any of these that apply

or invent your own today!

In a crisis, short and sweet are

easier to recall than a long-winded

mission statement or anything too involved.

The bottom line is to keep the

goal in mind; how you do it is

inconsequential!
(These go great on post-its and in

the car to keep you grounded

inbetween appointemnts

and on the phone!)

***

18. FIGHT!

STAND YOUR GROUND!

DON'T TAKE 'NO' FOR AN ANSWER!

SHOW 'EM WHO'S BOSS!

KEEP ON TRUCKING!

NO WORRIES FOR ANYONE ELSE BUT YOURSELF!

MAKE SOME NOISE!

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

GET BACK UP....AND BRUSH YOURSELF OFF!

TAKE A LICKING AND KEEP ON TICKING!

This is your life and your dream.
If you don't fight for it fervently and tirelessly, who will?

******************************************

17. Taking Chances

We live in a world of tit-for-tat; nothing comes easy, nothing

is free, nothing comes without a price in direct balance to what

is gained.

Sometimes you know up front what a sacrifice will entail, other

times you take a chance and find out later. Getting what you

need is more important than worrying over a debt.

This world runs on compromise, sacrifice, and bartering.

No one gets everything they want, and they definitely have

to part with something else to get it (whether it be peace of

mind, politeness, family, love, security, treasures, innocence,

a false sense of security, etc.)

All relationships exist in a state of imbalance...

all treasures are acquired by being in relationship

to the world or others in the world. There must be

a partnership or a dependence on others who possess the

talents or insights that you do not. In order to achieve such

a mutually beneficial status, we may have to give away things

we don't wish to. Life is constant receiving and sending, 

gain and loss. 

You get what you get --what you want--only by virtue of

willingness to do without other desired treasures....

by virtue of who you're willing to get in bed with...

by virtue of how much chaos and change you are capable of

enduring.

Indebtedness, concealment, conciliation, are all part of the

ride and the price we pay (at one point or another) to the

piper. So whenever possible, breaking free and letting loose

the shackles is vital. Vital to reclaiming our lives, placing our

mark, and stretching our creative legs. And there's no sure-fire

guarantee with taking chances or going off the beaten path.

No more idealizing, no more imposed hegemony, no more naivete.

To know the true workings of this world is to open one's self

to the ravenously scurrilous and unpredictable nature of things;

there's no going back. To want something to be different from

what has always been... to seek to make your vision(s) manifest...

that is the ultimate chance.

Nothing is promised, all promises are lies, and handshakes

simply mean you know you've made a deal with the devil.

Step out into the nothingness and see what transpires.

***************************************

16. Adaptability

"In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense
of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best
to their environment."

    - Charles Darwin

No matter all the planning or preparation in the world,
life will continuously evolve in ways unexpected and
undesired. It is our ability to adapt to such changes
and circumstances that will allow us to continue to
move forward.

Like any other area of life, if you are not ready with
an ability to release and redirect with the flow of things,
you will be run over or left behind.

Things change...it is the nature of the world we live
in. We might not like it, we might not be prepared,
and we might prefer other outcomes. But when push
comes to shove, we have to know when to hold 'em
and when to fold 'em.

There are fights you can win, and there are fights that
simply distract you from the greater and larger picture.
Growing, adapting, changing, and transforming the self
and our plans is an ever-needed quality.

If you don't possess it, you might want to look into
developing it!

Being fluid allows for relinquishing the rigidity that
keeps us stale and stuck. It puts us in the flow of life.
We end up where we need to be, as opposed to where
we thought we 'should' be. How could we possibly
know enough to predict what will happen in all the world?

Keep your options open; goals and plans are wonderful,
but there are always alternatives. You can maintain
principles while making adjustments to your strategy.

At the end of the day, it's not strength, expertise, nor
talent that wins it. It's insight, deciphering future trends,
changing what needs changing. Releasing expectations
instead of staying fixated and focused and attached to
your own vision at the expense of anything else.
Rolling with the punches.


Evolving isn't easy, but it's the only way to survive
and see what comes next.

**************************************

15. Networking

"We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our
fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions
run as causes, and they come back to us as effects."

-Herman Melville


Whether we like it or not, connectivity is the reality of our world.

We don't live in a vacuum, and we can't function as an island.
No matter our level of self-sufficiency, we still must depend
on others in various capacities to accomplish our goals.

We might need powerful references to attain a job, or
to get our foot in the door. We might need a computer tech
to make our dream realized. We might need contacts in
other arenas to provide information and ideas in our own field
or department. The more fingers and ears you have, the better
equipped you are to handle things.

No matter what the presentation of a successful man that he
is self-made, that is only a part of the tale. There are many
along the way who assisted and led and tutored him into success!

Henry Ford was famous for a scene in which he was being
criticized for being illiterate, and he pointed to his phone and
noted that 'all he had to do was push any button on that phone
and get an expert in 20 different fields. Including spelling!'

It doesn't matter how it gets done; only that it gets done.

We all have need of resources, relationships, connections,
and networks that will provide us with help along the way.
Even if you feel you have nothing to offer in return initially,
there are folks who can help. The time for you to scratch
their back may come later, or they may simply take an
interest in helping someone who's sincerely trying.

You can't know the answer unless you ask the question.

Put pride to the side and start taking steps to build up your
network of friends, connections, and tutors. You can never
have too many friends.

11. Vision

Most success seems to stem from one main factor; individuality.

Whether it is finding something you are good at and marketing the hell
out of it, finding a new and innovative way of doing the oldest and simplest
thing imaginable, or coming up with innovations and brand new ideas
that rock the global marketplace, it's all about unique vision.

Stepping off of the beaten path can be a perilous ordeal. Not everyone
has the chops to face the slew of Nay-sayers and Doubting Thomases who
will fail to comprehend what it is you're doing.

Others are critical enough; if they are unable to see a solution or concept
in the way you do, or fail to understand the feasibility of bringing it about,
you may be all alone.

Keeping a sound, vivid image of what it is you're working for...keeping in
touch with that fire inside.... will be crucial to maintain enthusiasm when you hit
roadblock after roadblock.

They say that in order to create something, you first have to be able to envision
it coming into creation. That keeping a visible reminder--especially a physical
construct like a Vision Board of diagrams, artists' renderings, proposals-- will
help you better maintain the focus, allowing your vision to become reality.

10. Comprehension

Comprehensiveness is key to any plan.

What is it that you desire?

"Do you know where you're going to?"
(or are you merely along for the ride?)

What are your goals?

How do you intend to achieve them?

If you can't answer these questions,
then chances are that you won't make things
happen. We must have a road map and
a destination in order to get somewhere.
Otherwise, we can end up anywhere.

**************************************

"LIVING WITHOUT A DEFINITE MAJOR
PURPOSE PROMISES NOTHING BUT A
SCANT LIVING.

You may get by in life without a Definite Major
Purpose, but you will never get ahead. Definiteness
of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.
Financial goals in particular should be specific,
definite, and measurable. You should know what
you plan to earn, by when, and how you plan to
do so. The greatest advantage of financial security
is the peace of mind that comes from knowing that,
whatever challenges life brings, you are equipped to
deal with them. You will be better at whatever you
choose to do because you can focus on opportunities
instead of struggling to eke out a living"
- Napoleon Hill Foundation

**************************************
This isn't to say that a solid goal can't change
based on new information, a change in desire,
or some other positive response to life's ever
changing circumstances.

But you have to have a solid vision to start.

Lack of vision and clarity can keep us mired
down in the same old thing, day after day.

Looking beyond the immediate, and being able
to imagine something more--something better--is
key to being able to get there.