"Surround yourself with people most like the person you want to become. Stay away from anyone who can or will bring you down."
Tom Hopkins
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Begin Again
When people facing difficult life challenges ask me for advice, I have two simple words for them.
By Bob Perks

To begin again means that you won't give up. To begin again means you're trying. You can either start over and live your life Or spend the rest of your life slowly dying.

It is never the falling that makes us fail. It is never the pain or the crying. You can never fail in life, my friend, Unless you give up trying.

It seems lately that more and more of my friends are facing some seemingly insurmountable challenges in their lives. A few have lost their jobs and some have failed marriages. All too many have health issues or are battling cancer. I don't know if it is desperation that causes them to turn to me for advice or whether they have come to value our friendship. But it is difficult, to say the least, to offer words of hope when all they feel is hopeless. They expect answers, some magic waving of a wand, or a roadmap to get them back on their feet again.

I have often struggled with what to say. Mostly because I have faced many of the same challenges in my own life, I remember how empty I felt after someone cheerfully offered words like, "Keep your chin up!" "Things will get better!" "Hang in there!" "It's always darkest...," etc.

Yes, even those who were quick to quote the Bible to me found me quite unreceptive at the time.

Now, as an inspiration writer, being thought of as a resource of hope or a good (or bad) example of what to do in life, I have even more people contacting me.

So, what do I say?

"What can I do, Bob? I've lost my job. What do you suggest?"

"Begin again."

"He walked out on me. My whole world just ended. What should I do?"

"Begin again."

"Bob, I know both your son and your wife had cancer. I found out my wife does, too. What did you tell them?"

"Begin again."

It almost sounds too simple. I imagine in the darkest hours of one's life, those words would seem useless or uncaring. But it is indeed the answer.

All life challenges bring about an ending--and the chance for a beginning. A job loss presents an opportunity to start over somewhere else and maybe even in another career.

A failed marriage does not mean you are through loving or being loved. It means there are others just like you needing to be loved. Find them.

A life-threatening disease does not mean giving up. It means starting a new path to recovery and discovering within yourself the ability to fight back and win.

And if you are a person of faith, even death does not mean it's over. It means “to begin again.”
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"The truly successful person inspires others to do more than they have thought possible for themselves."
Denis Waitley
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YOU GET A COOKIE!
by Bob Burg


Today's article may seem like a more appropriate fit for a "Sales Tip", but I don't think so. As usual, success principles that work in one area of life will transfer very smoothly and easily to another. So, in reading the following, ask yourself how this wonderful lesson in customer service can be applied to WINNING WITHOUT INTIMIDATION in all areas of your life.

In my hometown of Jupiter, Florida, there is an extremely successful "Subway" sandwich franchise, owned and run by Trudy Harvey. She and her team are always friendly, eager to please, and keep the store as clean as a whistle. Like any well- run, successful enterprise, they make their customers feel very, very welcome.

They also know how to problem-solve. Recently, when I went there to order lunch, they were in the middle of a "slamming." Someone surprisingly called in to order a humongous party platter and they were caught shorthanded. Trudy and her staff were caught shorthanded big-time!

Customers were in line, waiting and waiting. Had I any experience in the food service business (other than eating said food as often as possible) I'd have offered to help but, alas, that was not an option.

Here are two steps that Trudy took that impressed me. And, any of us can utilize the same principles in our own unique situations.

#1 Every few minutes she apologized sincerely and expressed how it must "feel" for us to have to wait in line. This showed us that she respected our time and "understood" how we felt.

Not surprisingly, we all assured her it was quite okay and to take her time. (Key point: When you suspect someone might have negative or uncomfortable feelings, sincerely acknowledge them, and let them know that you understand how they must feel. If you'll do that, they'll then usually assure you its okay. The principle involved is that, "generally speaking, more than anything, people just want their feelings to be acknowledged.")

#2 She announced, "Everyone gets a free cookie of their choice. We appreciate your patience so much." More than getting something for free, what was so appreciated was that she was acknowledging the situation, and demonstrating to us that she cared enough to make it right. (Key point: Same as the one in the previous paragraph. The cookie was a nice thought, and certainly appreciated, but her caring and understanding attitude was what made the difference.)

This is just one example of how we can take a "seemingly" negative situation for which there does not seem to be any options, and turn it into a positive "wow" experience for the "customer." Of course, in this case, when I say "customer", I'm talking about ANYONE and EVERYONE with whom we need to communicate.

How can this example be applied when dealing with your friends, with everyday difficult people, with your co-workers, your customers and especially...those people you love and whom it is most important to make happy?

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"I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but they will never forget how 'You' made them Feel"
Maya Angelou

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