Posted: Dec 1, 2010

There is some wisdom in here somewhere….

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
“If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.”

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
“You better pray that will come out of the carpet.”

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
“If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week!”

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
“Because I said so, that’s why.”

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
“If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you’re not going to the store with me.”
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(An excerpt from Dr. Larry’s eBook “Growing Confidence & Esteem”)

Is there any area of your life where being confident, poised and feeling good about yourself would not be of benefit?

You can begin building an unshakeable belief in yourself. Daily you can generate the beliefs and attitudes crucial to the mind set of success.

A Defeated Self-Image

Born in 1606, the 9th child of a moderately well to do family this boy suffered from severe self-doubt and lack of confidence. He was known to have long bouts of depression during which he would sit alone in a shared bedroom.

School for him was a trial. Though he worked hard at his subjects, Latin, which was considered the most essential skill to any well bred Dutchman, eluded him. The more he struggled with Latin the worse he felt about himself. In the competitive school he attended most of his fellow classmates had little to do with him because he was not considered bright enough.

To occupy his time when he should have been working on his studies, he often doodled. As he got closer to his teen years his lack of confidence and low self-esteem worsened and his bouts of depression lengthened. This downward spiral resulted from listening to the negativity of what others said about him, desperately worrying his parents.

His one activity that was semi-good, was that he would draw caricatures of people and rough sketches of his environment. His mother and father discussed repeatedly that scholarship was never going to be his strength and that with luck he would find some career to support himself.

Growth of Skill and Passion

For years they had watched him sketch, and wondered if perhaps he could find a way to grow his skill in art. So at age 15, he was apprenticed to a history book artist. From the one-on-one mentoring he received, his skill and technique rapidly evolved, and his confidence and belief in himself began to expand. Read more »

(The following is an excerpt from Dr. Larry’s eBook “Embracing Change”)

Socrates said, “Change is the only constant.” I’m not certain if it’s the only constant, but I fully agree that there’s always going to be change. Change at home, change at work, change in your physiology and your body, change in your mind, change in communications and the way people deal with each other. Change is inevitable.

For instance, what if a travel agent that you’ve used calls you up and says, “You know, I have this incredible trip. This is just the most spectacular trip you could possibly imagine. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. I’m not exactly certain the cost of the trip though. But I’m telling you, it’s a great trip. You really ought to take this.”

“Sometimes you’ll be with other people on the trip, but through a lot of it you’re going to be alone. You’re going to have to just do what you want to do on the fly, on your own sometimes. I’m not sure exactly where you’re going to go either.”

“You’re going to go many different places but I’m not sure where you’re going to wind up at the end of this trip. Oh, and it could be dangerous. But it’s going to be a great trip, I’m telling you. Oh, and by the way you have to leave first thing tomorrow morning.”

The majority of us would say, “Interesting but no thanks.”

That Trip Is Here Now

The deal is—you don’t have a choice. You are on this trip right now! This trip is the journey called the “future”. There are many uncertainties that we need to try and anticipate, to be ready for. We have to prepare as well as we can to be able to handle the changes that come up—because you are doing that trip. You are on that trip right now, today. Read more »

You know how some things seem like such a big deal? Or how a comment made can get all blown out of proportion? There are times when giving someone a comparison can make a huge difference.

The following story is a letter home to mom and dad, from their daughter in her Freshman year at college. It’s masterful in shifting perspective.

Enjoy……….

Dear Mom and Dad,

I don’t know if you heard about this on the news a of couple months ago, but my dorm burned down. I didn’t want to worry you, so I went out on my own and found a new place to live. It’s even cheaper than the dorm, it’s a great deal.

It’s a beautiful Victorian house close to campus. There are 8 of us living there. One of my roommates is an extremely talented musician. He is the most youthful over 40 person I’ve ever met.

He and I fell in love. I never thought it would happen to me, but it has. I’ve now moved into his room so we can save money.

I also made the decision that to help him further his career, I’m going to quit school and go to work to support him. I just know he will become a big star one day, and I can take care of him until he hits it big.

The other day I was not feeling well, so he suggested I go to the doctor. Guess what! The doctor said I’m pregnant!

Mom and dad, I want you to know I’m not really pregnant—and I’m feeling just fine. I have not fallen in love and moved in with a musician, nor am I living in a house—I’m still happily living in my dorm with my roommate Julie.

Now if you think about how bad things could be—is getting a C minus in English and a D in Chemistry really that big of a deal? I’m looking forward to seeing you both over the holidays.

Your Loving Daughter, Suzie

I think Suzie ought to either be in a Creative Writing or in Drama as a major. I guess it really is all in ones’ perspective.

A few months ago, a friend sent me an article that contained information that applies to each of us. It’s about connection, honor, team work and much more. Enjoy!

The next time you see geese flying in “V” formation, there’s a number of interesting components at work within that system. Science as uncovered a number of facts about geese working together, that we can learn from.

First Fact:
As each goose flaps its wings it creates an “uplift” for the birds that follow. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
Lesson to be Gained:
People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Second Fact:
When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
Lesson to be Gained: Read more »

Since the future is not written in stone, and you can’t know with 100% certainty what will happen, don’t ponder over the bad. Instead of dwelling on all that could go wrong, why not choose to think instead on what could go right?

When you relax and just take a breath, it slows the negativity. You will be ok with whatever comes. You can handle anything that life throws at you—just as you have up to this point in life.

Plan. Be decisive. Take action. And as the results roll in, if they aren’t exactly as you’d hoped—create a new plan and go again.

Here’s a poem by the 19th Century poet Walter Wintle. It’s embodies the concept of proactiveness and belief in yourself.

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you like to win, but think you can’t,
It’s almost certain you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost,
For out in this world we find
Success begins with a person’s will,
It’s all in our state of mind

If you think you’re outclassed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Cause life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later, the person who wins
Is the one who thinks they can!

The game is not over until you say it’s over. Don’t give up!

The Best of Success to You, Dr. Larry

How is your day going? The way it unfolds usually matches the tone of your mood when you began your morning.

Start off with an attitude of optimism. Believe there can be good come out of today. No day is written—it will become whatever you make it.

Your brain is a random accessing devise. If you don’t choose the direction it will go—it will pick one all on it’s own. AND the direction it moves may not be one you will like.

When you begin your day as a clean slate, no matter how tough it’s been up to now, you be open to having great things happen. Thomas Edison said, “In my experiments I often hit a dead end. But I make myself stay optimistic that a solution can be found, and my mind goes to work and begins to deliver possible options.”

Keep your mind positive and open. Vince Lombardi once said, “The Greenbay Packers never lost a game. They just ran out of time.” How’s that for a perspective!

Make sure that from the very beginning of your day you are focused on positive outcomes. When you start your day “up”, and all day you keep moving toward your desired results , you will experience a deep richness in your life.

The Best of Success to You, Dr. Larry

World War II had ended. After all the treaties had been signed, Winston Churchill was being interviewed by a large gathering of journalists from around the world.

Of the many questions he was asked, one was why did the Allied powers win the war? Mr. Churchill discussed strategy, weapons, troops, and dozens of facets of soldiering.

He then began to discuss the war effort given at home by the Allied nations and people living there. He said that the biggest factor was what he called self-leadership.

Mr. Churchill said, “To every person there comes a time in life, that special moment, when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing—unique to them and fitted to his or her talent. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified, for the work which would be their finest hour!”

Self-leadership is where it begins—by the individual choosing themselves to be the one to step up to what’s needed.
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