Past Issues (Oct 08) > Pegine's Motivational Times

Pegine

My favourite statement sits prominently in my office. It is from a Harley Davidson ad that appeared in USA Today on May 1, 2008. It reads:

"We Don't Do Fear: Over the last 105 years in the saddle, we've seen wars, conflicts, depression, recession, resistance, and revolutions. We've watched a thousand hand-wrenching pundits disappear in our rear-view mirror. But every time, this country (and the world) has come out stronger than before. Because chrome and asphalt put distance between you and whatever the world can throw at you. Freedom and wind outlast hard times, and the rumble of an engine drowns out all the spin on the evening news. If 105 years have proved one thing, it's that fear sucks and it doesn't last long."

Are you drawn into the drama on TV and in the news lately? Are you talking about calamity and loss?

If you are, then you should prepare-because you will attract the negative. It is interesting that this scary, dramatic crisis is all happening during the Halloween time frame. Can you hear the Halloween music? Feel the fear? The bone chilling drama among pundits? The only thing missing is the politicians, Wall Street leaders and newscasters wearing goblin costumes.

Puhleeze . . . You have to look back and see the positive results that have occurred when change happens.

The depression resulted in prosperity beyond what our grandparents could imagine. My mom was a baby during the end of the depression. Looking back we can trace how amazingly prosperous her life and that of her family became. I realize that one of the reasons this occurred was her hope and true knowledge of all her blessings.

On Forbes.com, an article titled "The Gospel of Hope," by Rich Karlgaard states, "During the worst year of the Great Depression, 1937, a writer named Napoleon Hill picked the positive gospel out of the gutter and lifted the spirits of the country with his bestseller, Think and Grow Rich." Riches, wrote Hill, were available to anyone who changed his attitude. "Thoughts are things," Napoleon Hill wrote.

My grandparents, especially my grandfather, always saw the good, had hope and believed. They counted their blessings.

• They had lots of family they kept close.
• They shared what they had, and because of that they had more than most.
• They truly enjoyed what they had which included lots of laughter, songs, joy and love.
• They focused on the blessings. The home they lived in, the furniture they had. They always had a place for someone to put their head-a couch, the floor. Their home was a place of peace.
• They worked hard and were grateful for work. They enjoyed their work and made those around them feel good about the work they were doing.

I never knew mi Abuelo (my grandfather Rafael Echevarria), but I knew of him. Many, many times I could feel him near me. He had nothing; no shoes, no money and he became something. First a post office worker (he practiced and practiced to be a mail sorter). He practiced his English so he could offer outstanding customer service. Eventually he saved his money and bought a restaurant/bar, his dream. He also purchased several apartment buildings and land out in the country. He believed in prosperity, in his ability and his divine right to succeed.

After 9/11, I focused on the pundits and the drama that swirled in the papers. I bought it, hook, line and sinker. My focus wasn't on what was working, but on what wasn't working. I paid a price. That wasn't how my grandfather would look at things.

Today I choose my grandfather's way. I see the love I have, my husband, my children, my parents and my extended family, as well as my staff. I feel so blessed to have them and to be able to provide for them.

I see the most amazing skies and natural abundance that surround me. As a matter of fact, it blows me away. It is such a gift. I see the ideas that I am given as gifts of prosperity. I love the book ideas, the licensing agreements, the speeches and the bountiful gifts.

I love that during a garage sale on Saturday I gave away two bicycles and a weight and bench set to three different people. The look on their faces, the knowledge that they felt "rich" and deserving made me feel gratified.

This is so different than before, because I'm choosing to think differently. Read my answer to the question "Are you Feisty, Focused and Fearless?" at www.pegine.blogspot.com.

What about you? Do you agree with the ad? Have you made the decision "not to do fear," to instead go boldly and see the riches around you? Are you looking for new ways to do business? Have you decided that you will, every moment and every day, truly see the abundance, prosperity and joy in your life? Have you decided that you're not going to play this game, because it's not fun? Have you declared, "I'm looking for the positive, the good and the fun?" Have you decided that you will be in charge of your economy and that your economy is bursting with wealth? Have you decided that you will see all that you have and look for ways to double it? Are you willing to open yourself to incredible opportunities?

How many times have you heard of people losing their jobs and then, in time, achieved new careers that made them so much happier? How many times have people moved away to a better, richer, happier life?

The lazy way of life is to accept what others say about your life, your economy and your future. The courageous and incredible life is in the knowledge that you deserve more, have more and receive more every single minute of the day.

I may be a Pollyanna, but I have to tell you that it works for me. What is a Pollyanna? A Pollyanna is a person regarded as being foolishly or blindly optimistic. The term Pollyanna evolved from the heroine of the novel Pollyanna by Eleanor Hodgman Porter (1868-1920), an American writer.

Here is a question about the definition of Pollyanna-Pollyannas are people perceived as blindly optimistic, but who is doing the regarding or perceiving? What if the people who are doing the regarding or perceiving only see disaster, complain about life, focus on danger, speak of doom, illness, financial ruin and are depressed? Will they perceive anyone who has a little bit of spirit as a Pollyanna? People whose job it is to see problems will see anyone's vision filled with problems and issues.

I choose to be a Pollyanna. I like being optimistic and even sometimes being blindly optimistic. It is a healthier perception of life than a reality that is negative. Depressing Dottie's are just plain . . . depressing.

Are you a Depressing Dottie or a Positive Pollyanna?

Pollyannas don't do fear. We ride, we succeed, we grow and we receive the rewards of our efforts. Ride hard, ride on and live well!

Which of the two; Depressing Dottie or Positive Pollyanna, will engage your employees, family and friends?
Which of the two; Depressing Dottie or Positive Pollyanna will help you enjoy life and see new opportunities?
Which of the two; Depressing Dottie or Positive Pollyanna will bring business, inspire and attract abundance?

Try-it:

Get Over Yourself and Get Grateful
Stop . . . Drop . . . and Roll . . .

• Stop thinking so much.
• Drop what you are doing and write 10 things you are grateful for. Distribute the gratitude as follows: five about your personal life, three about your leadership roles and two about work.
Roll with the waves. Stuff happens. It isn't about you; it's just stuff. How you perceive it and react to it is your stuff. Just roll.

Kick-butt action:

Are you Feisty, Focused and Fearless?
Read the blog at www.pegine.blogspot.com. Then answer the following:

• How were you feisty today?
• What did you do today that demonstrated your focus?
• What fearless action did you do today?

Thought of the Month:

" No man ever achieved worthwhile success who did not, at one time or other, find himself with at least one foot hanging well over the brink of failure. " - Napoleon Hill

Reprinted from Pegine's Motivational Ezine for Leaders. Subscribe at www.pegine.com. Pegine motivates leaders in a diverse world. (c)2008

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