Ramblins' 2-25-2011

Real World Entrepreneur Newsletter

Dear Subscriber I will start by saying and admitting that I am affected by situations. This week, I finally picked up a copy of Eat Pray Love, probably one of the last people on earth to read it (I really hope I'm not), but whatever the case, I'm really glad I did because it is making me look at ME and that really is important. Life (your life) is a challenging experience, be sure you are on the course that will give you the opportunity to enjoy the journey.

Knowing Who You Are... A Look in the Mirror

A Look in the Mirror by: Edward V Ellis, Sr.   The Movie "Eat Pray Love" is based upon an individual's search to find herself. A growing number of people spend much of their time wondering who they really are and what their real life purpose is meant to be. We in general live a life of luxury. There is little real hardship in the way that we live in the Western world today. We have more money, more creature comforts and a greater ability to pursue myriad activities both near to home and far away. When you are being deprived of basic necessities in life your focus inevitably remains glued to the task of survival; one doesn't have time to luxuriate in ponderings about who you are or what your life's purpose is. Your purpose is simply focused upon staying alive. And so the more comfort you have in your life the more time you inevitably have with which to focus your attention upon things of a more philosophical nature. Ironically the more we have the more dissatisfied we appear to become as we simply move our focus on to different things. When, I wonder, will we as a community finally appreciate what we have got and allow ourselves to enjoy a feeling of balance and satisfaction in our lives? Julia Roberts, in this movie, sets out on a course to find herself which takes her to Rome, India and Bali over the course of a year. In Rome she learns to enjoy food for its taste and not worry about calories or weight gain. She also learns to make platonic friends and to live alone instead of constantly being in one relationship or another. She's not totally at one with this new experience, but she's apparently learning from it. In India she learns to meditate and to further relax her thoughts, to a certain degree. She feels a little more centered but still knows that her journey is not complete. On she moves to Bali. Here she has to face a challenge; can she enter a close relationship without losing herself once more? I'm sure that many people could empathize with several of the emotional tussles which were being expressed in this movie. Many people wonder who they are or what they should be doing. Many more wonder where their soul mate is and how they are ever going to find them. Some people shy away from relationships because they feel they will lose themselves if they were to commit; others throw themselves into one relationship after another and find themselves molding their habits and behaviors to whoever they are with. All of these scenarios reflect a certain amount of emotional conflict, instability or insecurity. The quest to find oneself frequently takes people away from home, in search of peace and quiet and tranquility. The fact remains that you find this peace only when your mind becomes peaceful; this does not necessarily mean you have to go away so as to find peace. Having said this, sometimes one finds it easier to totally change their environment so as to break old habits. The thing to remember though is that you generally have to go home at some point and still have to take the peace which you have found back home with you too. Otherwise you have not achieved any long term resolution to emotional turmoil or insecurities. And when it comes to relationships, if you have really found your peace, and found yourself, you will not fear losing yourself. You will feel confident and secure in being one of two whole people who share a relationship as opposed to being one small fraction of a whole. Fears are only ever borne from your own chosen (although often unconsciously so) perception of a situation. An alternative approach to finding yourself is to take time examining your thought processes and expectations in life and then focus upon ways in which you could think more powerfully and productively. To feel balanced and satisfied in life you have to learn to feel happy with yourself as you are, to stop comparing yourself to others and instead to feel confident being you.

Top 20 Qualities of Smart People

Scroll Down for article

Ramblins' 2-18-2011

Real World Entrepreneur Newsletter

Dear Subscriber, I've talked numerous times about that special word with multiple meanings that actually refers to the same thing "PRESENT." This precious word should be understood more for us to get the most out of life, - -verb (used with object) 1. to furnish or endow with a gift or the like, especially by formal act: to present someone with a gold watch.   -adjective  1. being, existing, or occurring at this time or now; current: the present ruler. As you look and understand the meanings they are really one in the same, for this present moment is a gift for us to cherish and carry with us for the rest of our life. Please remember that wonderful quote; "Yesterday is a canceled check, tomorrow is a promissory note, Today is all we have, Live it and Cherish it.  Till next week...

What Once Was - Ain't No More

by: Edward V. Ellis, Sr. Rather than beat around the bush and try to lead into this in a semi-logical manner, I'll get right to the point. The past is gone - vanished, disappeared in a cloud of dust and a hearty "Hi, Ho Silver!" It is history, not real, mental vapor, and gone, gone, gone!   "Yabutt..."   "Yabutt" nothing. The past is gone! OK, I do understand that a bunch of stuff has happened before now to influence what "now" is. And sometimes it's good to take a look at the past to see just how the heck we got to our "now". With a little luck, the record of the past will not have been so over-skewed by our individual and collective perceptions that we will be limited in our ability to make current rational decisions.   Well, so much for luck! We do change the past, don't we? We remember what we think we remember, then we shade it slightly with our current situation or viewpoint of life and the events surrounding us and remember the past as we think it should be remembered. The really good things that have happened just keep getting better and better. Unfortunately, the bad things have a tendency to get worse and worse.   Since I'm into "positives" - even exaggerated ones - I'm going to give myself permission to remember the good stuff in any absolutely wonderful way I want. Shucks, I may even extrapolate a bit and push some of these fantastic memories right into Fantasyland - for just a few minutes, that is. Then I'll come back to reality. Maybe...   As far as the bad stuff is concerned - well, I think I'll handle those a bit differently. Let's see now...bad stuff...hmmm, I can't remember anything particularly bad. Oh wait, there was that time I...no, that wasn't all that bad... Ok, how about the time...no, that wasn't actually bad...   What I do remember though, are a bunch of times that were darned uncomfortable! Times that I used poor information and/or logic to reach a decision - or times that I had to do things that I really didn't want to do (commonly because I had done something goofy previously to put me in an uncomfortable situation). Or times that I might have acted too impulsively - or even the times that something happened that was out of my control (a "stuff" happens thing). Nah, I can't remember all the details. I just have a general recollection of the events - and of some of the things I did to rectify the situation or changes I made in the way I was thinking and conducting my life.   Get the idea? Of course you do. Too many of us have a tendency to live in the past. We remember events and situations as "bad". Our minds automatically fill in the missing details with exaggerated "facts". We relive those bad moments complete with every associated emotion we can conjure up. We are sad, depressed and sometimes flat miserable. We resort to medications (and other readily available related alternatives) to relieve the pain. Life just sucks!   The past is not real, folks! It is gone! The only way it becomes "real" is by allowing our minds to push it into the forefront of our thoughts. What has happened - has happened. We can't change it even though at times we may desperately want to. The only reality is now! Our past has brought us here - to our "now". "Now" is the only time we can do stuff - not yesterday, not tomorrow -only now.   You might think about using some of your "now" to put the past to rest. Look for the lessons those uncomfortable events might hold for you. What can you learn from those situations that will help make your life easier on down the road? Turning "bad" events into lessons will help move them further back in the mental file cabinet. Apologies where appropriate and forgiveness of both yourself and others as necessary can be a couple of other useful tools to diminish the impact and the nagging of the memories of the past. Handing the negative memories over to your personal spiritual "leader" is often useful. (You'll probably still need to do something in addition though.) Also, focusing on the positives of the past will help to lessen the impact of the negatives.   If your "now" is pretty sucky, all you can do is deal with it (do something) the best way you know how. If you can find an immediate lesson in the situation - great! If you don't see one, you may have to wait for a later "now" when you can see a bit more clearly. Life's like that. Just remember that it won't be long until this "now" is gone. I think that's one of those "This too shall pass" things.   The past? Remember the cool stuff and as for the rest of the garbage - LET IT GO!!!

Thomas Jefferson Resume

 Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life and never stopped. At 5, began studying under his cousin’s tutor. At 9, he studied Latin, Greek and French. At 14, he studied classical literature and additional languages. At 16, he entered the College of William and Mary.   At 19, he studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.  At 23, started his own law practice.  At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.  At 31, wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British

America" and retired from his law practice.  At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.  At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence.  At 33, took three years to revise Virginia’s legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.   At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.    At 40, served in Congress for two years.   At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and

John Adams.   At 46, he served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.   At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.  At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of Republican Party.  At 57, was elected the third president of the United States…  At 60, he obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation's size.  At 61, was elected to a second term as President.  At 65, he retired to Monticello, NY.  At 80, he helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.  At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its first president.  At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence along with John Adams

 Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied the previous failed attempts at government.  He understood actual history, the nature of God, his laws and the nature of man.  That happens to be way more than what most understand today. Jefferson really knew his stuff.  A voice from the past to lead us in the future:

 John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time.

 He made this statement: "This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."

 When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe.-Thomas Jefferson

 The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. - Thomas Jefferson

 It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes.  A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.- Thomas Jefferson

 I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.- Thomas Jefferson

 My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.- Thomas Jefferson

 No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. -Thomas Jefferson

 The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.      Thomas Jefferson

 The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.      Thomas Jefferson

 To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.    Thomas Jefferson

 Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:

I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.  If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.

Top 20 Qualities of Smart People

Edward V Ellis, Sr. 2002

In today’s competitive world, it pays to be smart. No matter how smart you are, I am sure there is something you could “get smarter” about. Below are some qualities of smart people. As you read the list, ask yourself: Am I as smart as I could be in this area? How could I get smarter?

1. Make Decisions Intuitively

Smart people listen to and follow their intuition. They know how intuitions and insights come to them and are tuned-in internally to make wise decisions.

2. Are Self-Aware

Smart people are aware of who they are--- strengths, weaknesses, personality, values, etc. As Confucious once said, “He who knows others is wise, he who knows himself is enlightened,” they know that the most important (and interesting) thing to know about is “self.”

3. Use Active Reflection

Smart people reflect on and learn from past experiences, finding out what works and what doesn’t, and then adjusts their course of action as needed. They think about things before jumping in, and also take the time after-the-fact to actively reflect to fully understand what happened or didn’t happen.

4. Think Out-of-Box

Smart people can easily entertain new ideas, thoughts, and ways of doing things. They crave progressive and forward thinking information, concepts, and people. They often come up with new and radical ideas on a regular basis.

5. Have An Open-Mind

Smart people are open to different perspectives and see potential where most people don’t. They would agree with what the quote, “A mind is like a parachute, it only functions when it is open.” They are comfortable with paradoxes and can relate to many sides of an issue or opinion.

6. Are Responsive

Smart people recognize and respond quickly to opportunities and people. They act and react fast, and take care of what needs to be taken care-of, well ahead of schedule.

7. Are Resourceful

Smart people don’t have to know it all, but they do know where to go to get whatever information, resources, training, education that they need. They are well-networked and have people to call on for resource referrals.

8. Question Authority

Smart people think for themselves. They do not blindly believe things so-called “experts” say, in fact, they ask deep questions to discover their own truth.

9. Upgrade Their Brain

Smart people stay smart because they are committed to being a lifelong learner. They continuously learn new things, and stay current with their skills, attitudes, and beliefs.

10. Have a Sense of Humor

Smart people do not take themselves or life too seriously. They recognize the importance of finding the fun in the irony and the comedy of everyday life.

11. Take Risks

Smart people are willing to try out new things, knowing that if it doesn’t work out as intended, failure is often cleverly disguised as a learning opportunity. They “swing out there” often, and it usually pays off.

12. Trust Themselves

Smart people believe and trust themselves first and foremost. They don’t have to check with others to make decisions, they instinctively know what is right for them and they go for it!

13. Write and List Things on Paper

Smart people have a well-developed life strategy that includes a written life vision/mission, purpose, and goals statement. They also write lists---one for “have to’s” and one for “want to’s.”

14. Are Productive

Smart people get things done, through whatever organizational/time management system that works for them. They make the most of each day and take action on important life tasks each and everyday.

15. Use Discernment

Smart people are able to discern (see clearly) other’s reasons and motives, so they selectively choose who and what to align themselves with. They surround themselves with only the highest quality people, programs, and places.

16. Read, Read, Read

Smart people tap into the collective brain power of others by reading books, magazines, articles---anything that is helpful for their own development. They are also able to filter out the information that fits for them and let the rest go.

17. Value Learning

Smart people value the process of learning for learning’s sake. They do not just learn for a specific end---to get a certificate, degree, title, etc. They learn because it is intrinsically rewarding for them.

18. Teach Others

Smart people are the teachers of the world, who share their knowledge with other people. They put themselves out there so the rest of us can benefit, and in exchange, their own learning grows and develops because they are actively talking about, researching, and understanding their subject.

19. Reinvent Themselves

Smart people do not like to stay the same, they love to grow and develop. They often play with their image, brand, company name, and expand or change it entirely. To stay ahead of the game, they often reinvent themselves time and time again.

20. Are Students of Life

Smart people not only know about specific subjects and topics, but also about what it means to be a human being at this time in our evolution. They are insatiably curious and want to know more about becoming bigger and brighter, as a result they naturally evolve.

As Lao Tzu said, “To gain knowledge, add things everyday. To gain wisdom, remove things everyday.” This is so true, our brain is like a computer and in order for it to function at a higher level, we must always be adding, while simultaneously taking away information that no longer serves us. Think about it, what do you want to remove from your database? And, what new software program will you replace it with?

3 Steps How to Adopt a Proactive Mindset

 Edward V. Ellis, Sr. - February 4, 2009

Being proactive is one of the success strategies that you must adopt. Most people in this world have the reactive mindset instead of proactive mindset. Have you ever attended any seminars before? Imagine that you walk into a room full of strangers to attend a seminar; will you be the first one to introduce yourself to the crowd?

Most people won’t, and that is why they are adopting the reactive mindset. Another common example of a reactive mindset is that when something bad happen, reactive people will tend to blame on the circumstances. They’ll try to find excuses and push the responsibility away from them. On the other hand, someone who is proactive will never do so.

There are some people who interpret proactive to mean pushy, aggressive, or insensitive. But that isn’t the case at all. Proactive people aren’t pushy. They’re smart, they’re value-driven, they read reality and they know what’s needed. The proactive approach is to change from the inside-out. To be different, and by different, to effect positive change in what’s out there - I can be more resourceful, I can be more diligent, I can be more creative, I can be more cooperative.

Proactive is not all about taking the first step. It is also about being responsible. The word, ‘responsible’, meaning that you’re ‘response-able’, which suggests that you’re able to choose to respond according to the situation. It is just like when something bad happen, you can choose to grief and get nothing done or you can choose to look for solution and solve the problem.

Proactive is a habit. It is something that once you’ve adopted it, you’ll never get loose of it. You’ll a proactive person and a go-getter. Conversely, for reactive people, they are often affected by their physical environment. If the weather is good, they’ll feel good. If it isn’t, it affects their attitude and their performance. Proactive people can carry their own weather with them. Whether it rains or shines make no difference to them. They are value-driven and if their value is to produce good quality work, it isn’t a function of whether the weather is conducive to it or not.

Reactive people are also affected by their social environment. This also means that when people treat them well, they’ll feel well. When people don’t treat them well, they’ll become protective and defensive. Reactive people are those that will build their behaviors and performance on behave of others, empowering the weaknesses of other people to control them.

This shows that reactive people are driven by feelings, by circumstances, by conditions, by their environment. Proactive people are driven by values - carefully thought about, selected and internalized values.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “No one can hurt you without your consent.” You have the ability to choose what to respond. It is your response that will determine how you feel. If you’ve just won a lottery, you can choose to happily enjoy all the money or you can choose to worry about your security. It is all about how you respond to the situation that is happening around you.

And the decision you make in your heart is value that you adopt all this while. Meaning that it is you who determine your life. You are who you are today because of the decision you’ve made yesterday. Reactive people will respond to the situation differently than proactive people. And that is why you need to adopt this success strategy right now into your life. I know that it will be hard for you to switch from reactive to proactive in a sudden.

Here are 3 simple steps that will guide you into becoming a proactive person. All you need to do is to follow through and apply these steps below into your daily lives. It is in the ordinary events of everyday that you develop the proactive capacity to handle the extraordinary pressures of life. It’s how you make and keep commitments, how you handle traffic jam, how you respond to an irate customer or a disobedient child. It’s how you view your problems and where you focus your energy. And of course, the language you use in your daily life will also affect you.

Here are the steps…

1. For a full day, listen to your language and to the language of the people around you. How often do you use and hear reactive phrases such as ‘if only’, ‘I can’t', or ‘I have to’?

Here are some of the examples of reactive language:

·         There’s nothing I can do

·         That’s just the way I am

·         He makes me so mad

·         They won’t allow that

·         I have to do that

·         I can’t

·         I must

·         If only

Switch these languages into proactive languages:

·         Let’s look at our alternatives

·         I can choose a different approach

·         I control my own feelings

·         I can create an effective presentation

·         I will choose an appropriate response

·         I choose

·         I prefer

·         I will 

2. Identify an experience you might encounter in the near future where, based on past experience, you would probably behave reactively. How could you respond proactively? Take several minutes and create the experience vividly in your mind, picturing yourself responding in a proactive manner. Remind yourself of the gap between stimulus and response. Make a commitment to yourself to exercise your freedom to choose.

3. Determine a problem from your work or personal life that is frustrating to you. Determine whether it is a direct, indirect, or a no control problem. And then try out this pro-activity test for 30 days.

Simply try out these steps and see what happens. Make small commitments and keep them. Be a light, not a judge. Be a model, not a critic. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Try it in your marriage, in your family, in your job. Don’t argue for other people’s weaknesses. Don’t argue for your own. When you make mistake, admit it, correct it, and learn from it immediately. Don’t get into blaming, accusing mode. Work on things you have control over.

It is the value, the thought, the habit that you have deep within you that is the problem, not the situation, not your wife, not your boss and not your children. It is YOU that determine the outcomes you’re going to receive. You are responsible for your own effectiveness, for your own happiness, and ultimately, your life.

So learn to adopt this fundamental success strategy in your life. It is the basic mental effectiveness to every other habit in your life.

Remember… “The overall outcome of your life is up to you.”