Tag Archives: success

Dozen Inspirational Quotes by Dani Johnson

Dani Johnson is a very successful American life coach. Here are a dozen of her inspirational quotes to set you on the right path and provide that required motivation to achieve what you have set out to accomplish.

“ACT. Actions kills procrastination and creates momentum to keep yourself motivated to keep moving ahead.”

“Work harder on you than everyone else and you will become unusually successful.” 

“If you never step up, you never step forward.”

“Never stop being teachable. If you think you know everything, you will never learn anything.” 

“No matter what you do or what industry you are in, make a decision to master the basics. I promise it will pay off! Do not get bored in the basics. Do not settle for “good enough”. It’s time to truly master the basics!” 

“When you have a vision for your money, when you have a purpose for making money, you will make more of it.” 

“No matter what economy we’re living in, there’s ALWAYS opportunity!” 

“Most people fail because they walk away from what they have already built because they have been seduced by shiny objects, better opportunities, or better jobs.” 

“While most people are shrinking their dreams constantly to fit within their income circle, 2% of the population are finding ways to increase their income to fit their dreams’ circle.” 

“You can choose to be a person ruled by excuses or choose to be one that is actively changing their life and radically impacting others”. 

“Procrastinating might help you get by, but it won’t lead you down the path to success. The only thing you can do to beat procrastination is to take action.” 

“Success is never convenient. In fact, neither is failure, so no matter what you are going to be inconvenienced.” 

 

SOURCE: https://addicted2success.com/quotes/20-inspirational-quotes-by-dani-johnson/

Chris George, providing reliable PR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer or experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

 

Happy Birthday Dolly Parton! (Remarkable quotes and smiles)

Today, American country music icon Dolly Parton turns 75 years young. To honour her birthday, USA Today celebrated with some very special quotes from the lady herself…

On having big dreams growing up in a small town: “I imagined it, I dreamed it, I worked for it, and God was good enough to let me have it.”

On her iconic look: “The whole magic about me is that I look artificial but I’m totally real. People can see that. They forgive me for being gaudy. They forgive me for not being stylish. They forgive me for not being as smart as some educated people might be. People see me. I want them to know me. I’m not bashful.”

On performing: “I love the fans. I love that energy. It just really is restoring. You know when you’re first in love, how it energizes you? I get that from the fans. That’s a great empowering, restoring kind of energy. I think entertainers are addicted to that feeling. It’s … just knowing that you can do something to change somebody’s life or make somebody happy, even if it’s just for an evening.”

On her classmates laughing at her big dreams to be a music star: “You can’t dream at someone else’s expense. You’ve got to get out there, make those dreams come true. You’ve got to be the one to sacrifice what you need, to lean on who all will help you. You’ve got to get out there and put legs on them, wings on them, feet on them, hands on them, fingers. You’ve got to get out there and work it.”

On the secret to her success: “We grew up knowing Jesus loved us and through God all things are possible, so I’ve carried that all the way through my life and gathered a lot of strength from that as well. I just always felt like I knew who I was, and I just try to stay anchored within myself and my beliefs.”

On gaining a newer generation of fans: “I’m so happy to be an inspiration to women and to young girls because I did it back in a time when it was even harder. I kind of understand men, and I was never intimidated by them. I’m just redneck enough that if things ain’t exactly how I want them to be, I’ll find a way to get it that way. I always say I can tell you where to put it if I don’t like where you got it, and I’m kind of like that.”

On facing adversity: “You cannot live in this world and be successful and not have heartaches, troubles, disappointments. It’s how you deal with it. I’ve had a lot of dreams, and most of them have come true, but a lot of them have not.”

On her unwavering good mood: “People say, ‘You always look so happy.’ I say, ‘That’s because of the Botox.”

On changes she would like to see in the world: “If we could just be peaceful, if we could just try to work through things with a little more peace, a little more love, a little more harmony, a little more understanding. I pray about it every day.”

On what drove her to create new things during the coronavirus quarantine: “Even with as bad as things have been during the COVID, I’ve been very productive. I feel like I’m doing things to try to uplift people, things to bring a little light into the darkness. That’s kind of my purpose in life. Hopefully, I’m getting it done.”

On her inspiration as a storyteller: “When I was back home and we didn’t get to go to the movies or have stories, I would perform them and, really, it was like my family was getting’ to go to the movies. I would sing these songs, and I would create all these stories and pictures in my songs.”

On how long she’ll continue to perform: “As long as I feel good. I had a little problem in 2015… got stumped up with kidney stones, but it didn’t slow me down. I was even working on the phone every day getting that TV movie together, even when I was in the hospital for a week or so. I’m amazed at this point of all the interest in my life. I’m never going to retire. I just want to do greater work. As mom would say, I’m letting the spirit lead me.”

On advice for people who feel hopeless right now: “You just have to pray, if you’re a faith-based person, for strength. If not, you just have to keep your wits about you and lean on your higher wisdom to know that things happen, and most things we get through, and usually, we come out better on the other side.”

As the USA Today article recounts, “She would stand on the porch of her Locust Ridge house in the Great Smoky Mountains of east Tennessee, put a tobacco stick in the cracks of the porch and place a tin can on the stick for a microphone. Then she would sing to the chickens and the pigs and the dogs and the kids and picture a bigger world.…”

Read Nicole Carroll’s interview with the legendary Dolly Parton here. 

On her Twitter account Dolly tweeted this morning: “This year my birthday wish is a call for kindness. We can’t just hope for a brighter day, we have to work for a brighter day. Love too often gets buried in a world of hurt and fear. So today, January 19th, let’s get to unearthing love.”

Chris George is an Ottawa-based government affairs advisor and wordsmith, president of CG&A COMMUNICATIONS. Contact: ChrisG.George@gmail.com

10 actions that will change the way you look at life

These ten actions will change the way you look at life – and, in doing so, will change your life for the better. Commit to them and find a deeper satisfaction in what you do and a greater happiness within.  There’s no magic here, just a lot of common sense that we’ve likely all heard from our grandparents…

  1. No matter how you feel, “get up, dress up and show up.”
  2. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Give yourself some slack where needed.
  3. Smile and laugh more. Go ahead and enjoy the moment.
  4. Act on one random-act-of-kindness each day.
  5. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
  6. Take a 30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
  7. Drink plenty of water. For every cup of coffee / pop, drink a cup of water
  8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar. And eat more food that is close to its natural state, and less processed or manufactured.
  9. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
  10. Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Early to bed and early to rise…

Chris George provides reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? Call 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

Quotes: motivation, success

Here are post-Labour Day quotes to focus your thoughts on the Fall agenda.

  • The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then do it. – Henry Ford
  • The starting point of all achievement is desire. – Napolean Hill
  • Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success. – Swami Vivekananda
  • The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them. – Denis Watiley
  • We become what we think about most of the time, and that’s the strangest secret. – Earl Nightingale
  • You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them. – Michael Jordan
  • All progress takes place outside the comfort zone. – Michael John Bobak
  • Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. – Jim Ryun
  • Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day-in and day-out. – Robert Collier
  • The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same. – Colin R. Davis
  • Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm. – Winston Churchill
  • A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done. – Vince Lombardi
  • People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily. – Zig Ziglar
  • If you want to achieve excellence, you can get there today. As of this second, quit doing less-than-excellent work. – Thomas J. Watson
  • Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone. – Pablo Picasso

Chris George, providing reliable PR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? Call 613-983-0801 @CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

 

 

 

CG&A Communications Marks 25 Year Milestone

January 7, 2019 – Today marks 25 years since Chris George and business partner Lisa Hingley (now Lisa George) opened the doors of their government and public relations firm. Today, the couple operates CG&A Communications, providing counsel and support services for advocacy campaigns, stakeholder relations, issue management and government affairs initiatives.

The firm – www.cgacommunications.com – is a full service company, offering discreet, reliable counsel and communications services to support clients’ advocacy and public relations efforts, and their government affairs objectives. Through the years, some clients included the Council of Ministers of Education Canada (CMEC), MADD Canada, and the Ottawa Transition Board (responsible for amalgamating the City of Ottawa). In the Niagara Region, it serviced West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, local Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and the Niagara Parks Commission. In the Ottawa Region, it serviced Hydro Ottawa, Commissionaires, Ottawa International Airport, and the Perley Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre. 

“We’ve had great clients, rewarding work and a lot of fun along the way,” says company president Chris George. “We never imagined back in 1994 that this business would have resulted in a lasting career. Looking back we have to express our deep gratitude to a number of terrific clients, to our network of talented consultants, and to our supportive friends and family.”

Perhaps offering a hint of their enduring success, Chris says, “Our business approach and strong work ethic has carried us through. We’re proud of our efforts, happy with our working relationships and, to this day, enjoy sitting down at our desks in the morning.”

Lisa adds, “It’s our personalized service, our attention to detail, and sweating the small stuff that separates our business from others. We have always worked hard and smart to get the results required for our clients.”  

To mark the milestone for their supporters, Chris and Lisa George have published a few lists of interesting facts:

CG&A Communications is offering a give-away of the By George Treasury (both Book I and Book 2) to those who wish to share comments on the company and its work through the years. Forward your comments to cgacomm@gmail.com with the subject line “Reflecting on CG&A Comm’s 25 years” and receive the complimentary e-book publications.

Through the month of January, CG&A Communications will be posting articles in the By George Journal celebrating the 25 year anniversary. To read more, follow this link: CG&A COMM Reflections.

CONTACT:

Chris George – (613) 983-0801 / chrisg.george@gmail.com

Chris George provides reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? Call 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS. Contact: ChrisG.George@gmail.com

Investment insight from Warren Buffett

Here is investment insight from the infamous “oracle of Omaha”, Warren Buffett.

  • Rule No. 1: never lose money; rule No. 2: don’t forget rule No. 1.
  • You don’t need to be a rocket scientist. Investing is not a game where the guy with the 160 IQ beats the guy with 130 IQ.
  • Long ago, Sir Isaac Newton gave us three laws of motion, which were the work of genius. But Sir Isaac’s talents didn’t extend to investing: He lost a bundle in the South Sea Bubble, explaining later, “I can calculate the movement of the stars, but not the madness of men.” If he had not been traumatized by this loss, Sir Isaac might well have gone on to discover the Fourth Law of Motion: For investors as a whole, returns decrease as motion increases.
  • Time is the friend of the wonderful business, the enemy of the mediocre.
  • After all, you only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.
  • Investors should remember that excitement and expenses are their enemies. And if they insist on trying to time their participation in equities, they should try to be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful.
  • When we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favorite holding period is forever.
  • You can sell it to Berkshire, and we’ll put it in the Metropolitan Museum; it’ll have a wing all by itself; it’ll be there forever. Or you can sell it to some porn shop operator, and he’ll take the painting and he’ll make the boobs a little bigger and he’ll stick it up in the window, and some other guy will come along in a raincoat, and he’ll buy it.
  • It’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.
  • The stock market is a no-called-strike game. You don’t have to swing at everything–you can wait for your pitch. The problem when you’re a money manager is that your fans keep yelling, ‘Swing, you bum!’
  • Long ago, Ben Graham taught me that ‘Price is what you pay; value is what you get.’ Whether we’re talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down.
  • Our approach is very much profiting from lack of change rather than from change. With Wrigley chewing gum, it’s the lack of change that appeals to me. I don’t think it is going to be hurt by the Internet. That’s the kind of business I like.
  • The best thing that happens to us is when a great company gets into temporary trouble…We want to buy them when they’re on the operating table.
  • I have pledged – to you, the rating agencies and myself – to always run Berkshire with more than ample cash. We never want to count on the kindness of strangers in order to meet tomorrow’s obligations. When forced to choose, I will not trade even a night’s sleep for the chance of extra profits.
  • I am a better investor because I am a businessman, and a better businessman because I am no investor.

 

Chris George, providing reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

Answering That Question about What You Do

“So what is it that you do?”

How often do you get asked that question? Do you have a rehearsed answer that gets people attention? Or do you find yourself struggling each time to find the right expressions to explain what “you do”?

When someone asks what your organization does, do you have a concise explanation? What of your colleagues? Would their description of what your organization does be similar?

The best thing an individual or organization can do for themselves is to think through and develop a script to answer the most basic of human exchanges; particularly the obvious questions about one’s identity and purpose. Here’s our suggestion: take the time and craft an “elevator chat” script.

The elevator chat will serve you (and your colleagues) as a concise description of who you are, what you do and why it matters. It can be developed to sound informal; however, a good script will be precise and capture the essence and significance of your work. Because you take the time to refine the key message(s), this script will be clear and accurate.

An effective elevator chat will be intriguing and leave your audience curious and wanting to learn more of what you do.

In order to help you craft a sound and engaging elevator chat, here are four questions to prompt your creative process and hone your core message(s).

  • 1. Answer the question “Why do I care?” Why should someone care and take notice of what you do? Talk about the significance of your work and/or organization – rather than its structure and your duties. In this way, you may establish an emotional connection between you and the person standing before you..
  • 2. Answer the question “What sets you apart?” You should highlight what makes you unique, distinctive – what sets you apart. It may be that you are the first or only one to be doing your work in the area – or perhaps you approach your work in a certain manner from others.
  • 3. Answer the basics. Include relevant details of the what? where? how? when? In order to showcase the explanation of the why? All details should accentuate the why? – the significance of your work.
  • 4. Anticipate the “So what?” question. Your chat should have a strong closing that provides the audience with a way to learn more, become involved, enter into a longer conversation. If you have made an emotional connection in the 30 – 40 seconds of your chat, there is a perfect opportunity to engage your enquirer in another level of discussion.

Have a business card to hand out; a website URL to share; a promise to follow-up in the days ahead. Be sure to follow-up with your enquirer. Take a few minutes each day to write thank you and follow-up notes.

So, the next time someone asks, “What is it that you do?” – there will be no grimacing, no fishing for the right phrase. Each elevator chat is an opportunity to share what is significant and, perhaps, to make a new connection.

(ed. – This is a repost, picked as one of our favourite three posts of 2011, taken from the earlier posts on the By George Journal.  The original post is here.)

Chris George, providing reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

A life lesson at home plate

This is making the rounds – a great story with a remarkable life lesson.

 

In Nashville, Tennessee, during the first week of January, 1996, more than 4,000 baseball coaches descended upon the Opryland Hotel for the 52nd annual ABCA convention.  While I waited in line to register with the hotel staff, I heard other more veteran coaches rumbling about the lineup of speakers scheduled to present during the weekend. One name, in particular, kept resurfacing, always with the same sentiment — “John Scolinos is here? Oh man, worth every penny of my airfare.”  Who the hell is John Scolinos, I wondered. No matter, I was just happy to be there.

In 1996, Coach Scolinos was 78 years old and five years retired from a college coaching career that began in 1948. He shuffled to the stage to an impressive standing ovation, wearing dark polyester pants, a light blue shirt, and a string around his neck from which home plate hung — a full-sized, stark-white home plate.  Seriously, I wondered, who in the hell is this guy?

After speaking for twenty-five minutes, not once mentioning the prop hanging around his neck, Coach Scolinos appeared to notice the snickering among some of the coaches. Even those who knew Coach Scolinos had to wonder exactly where he was going with this, or if he had simply forgotten about home plate since he’d gotten on stage.

Then, finally … “You’re probably all wondering why I’m wearing home plate around my neck. Or maybe you think I escaped from Camarillo State Hospital,” he said, his voice growing irascible. I laughed along with the others, acknowledging the possibility. “No,” he continued, “I may be old, but I’m not crazy. The reason I stand before you today is to share with you baseball people what I’ve learned in my life, what I’ve learned about home plate in my 78 years.”

Several hands went up when Scolinos asked how many Little League coaches were in the room. “Do you know how wide home plate is in Little League?” After a pause, someone offered, “Seventeen inches,” more question than answer.
“That’s right,” he said. “How about in Babe Ruth’s time? Any Babe Ruth coaches in the house?”
Another long pause.
“Seventeen inches?” came a guess from another reluctant coach.
“That’s right,” said Scolinos. “Now, how many high school coaches do we have in the room?” Hundreds of hands shot up, as the pattern began to appear. “How wide is home plate in high school baseball?”
“Seventeen inches,” they said, sounding more confident.
“You’re right!” Scolinos barked. “And you college coaches, how wide is home plate in college?”
“Seventeen inches!” we said, in unison.
“Any Minor League coaches here? How wide is home plate in pro ball?”
“Seventeen inches!”
“RIGHT! And in the Major Leagues, how wide home plate is in the Major Leagues?”
“Seventeen inches!”
“SEV-EN-TEEN INCHES!” he confirmed, his voice bellowing off the walls. “And what do they do with a Big League pitcher who can’t throw the ball over seventeen inches?” Pause. “They send him to Pocatello!” he hollered, drawing raucous laughter.

“What they don’t do is this: they don’t say, ‘Ah, that’s okay, Jimmy. You can’t hit a seventeen-inch target? We’ll make it eighteen inches, or nineteen inches. We’ll make it twenty inches so you have a better chance of hitting it. If you can’t hit that, let us know so we can make it wider still, say twenty-five inches.’”
Pause.
“Coaches …”
Pause.
” … what do we do when our best player shows up late to practice? When our team rules forbid facial hair and a guy shows up unshaven? What if he gets caught drinking? Do we hold him accountable? Or do we change the rules to fit him, do we widen home plate?”

The chuckles gradually faded as four thousand coaches grew quiet, the fog lifting as the old coach’s message began to unfold. He turned the plate toward himself and, using a Sharpie, began to draw something. When he turned it toward the crowd, point up, a house was revealed, complete with a freshly drawn door and two windows. “This is the problem in our homes today. With our marriages, with the way we parent our kids. With our discipline. We don’t teach accountability to our kids, and there is no consequence for failing to meet standards. We widen the plate!”
Pause. Then, to the point at the top of the house he added a small American flag.
“This is the problem in our schools today. The quality of our education is going downhill fast and teachers have been stripped of the tools they need to be successful, and to educate and discipline our young people. We are allowing others to widen home plate! Where is that getting us?” Silence. He replaced the flag with a Cross.
“And this is the problem in the Church, where powerful people in positions of authority have taken advantage of young children, only to have such an atrocity swept under the rug for years. Our church leaders are widening home plate!”

I was amazed. At a baseball convention where I expected to learn something about curveballs and bunting and how to run better practices, I had learned something far more valuable. From an old man with home plate strung around his neck, I had learned something about life, about myself, about my own weaknesses and about my responsibilities as a leader. I had to hold myself and others accountable to that which I knew to be right, lest our families, our faith, and our society continue down an undesirable path.

“If I am lucky,” Coach Scolinos concluded, “you will remember one thing from this old coach today. It is this: if we fail to hold ourselves to a higher standard, a standard of what we know to be right; if we fail to hold our spouses and our children to the same standards, if we are unwilling or unable to provide a consequence when they do not meet the standard; and if our schools and churches and our government fail to hold themselves accountable to those they serve, there is but one thing to look forward to …” With that, he held home plate in front of his chest, turned it around, and revealed its dark black backside.  “… dark days ahead.”

Coach Scolinos died in 2009 at the age of 91, but not before touching the lives of hundreds of players and coaches, including mine. Meeting him at my first ABCA convention kept me returning year after year, looking for similar wisdom and inspiration from other coaches. He is the best clinic speaker the ABCA has ever known because he was so much more than a baseball coach.

His message was clear: “Coaches, keep your players — no matter how good they are — your own children, and most of all, keep yourself at seventeen inches.

 

(ed. – Thank you to Dick Inwood and Claude Bennett who forwarded this poignant story to us.)

 

Chris George, providing reliable PR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? Call 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

10 sage quotes on success from Benjamin Franklin

Thankfully, Benjamin Franklin left behind volumes of writings, from which we have gained invaluable knowledge of his thoughts on life, work and success. Here are 10 gems on success that ring as true today as they did in Franklin’s era.

  • Well done is better than well said.
  • Never confuse motion with action.
  • Diligence is the mother of good luck.
  • By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
  • To succeed, jump as quickly at opportunities as you do at conclusions.
  • Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.
  • When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.
  • Energy and persistence conquer all things.
  • Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.
  • All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.

For more wisdom from this American intellect, read “14 Lessons From Benjamin Franklin About Getting What You Want In Life.”

 

Chris George, providing reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

Henry Ford on work and life

Here are wonderfully insightful quotes on work and life from American business tycoon Henry Ford.

  • You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.
  • There is no man living that can not do more than he thinks he can.
  • Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.
  • As we advance in life we learn the limits of our abilities.
  • I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can’t be done.
  • Don’t find fault, find a remedy.
  • Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it.
  • The only real security that a man can have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience and ability.
  • It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste.
  • Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.
  • There are no big problems, there are just a lot of little problems.
  • Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.
  • Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.
  • A business absolutely devoted to service will have only one worry about profits. They will be embarrassingly large.
  • It is not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It is the customer who pays the wages.
  • A bore is a person who opens his mouth and puts his feats in it.
  • Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
  • You will find men who want to be carried on the shoulders of others, who think that the world owes them a living. They don’t seem to see that we must all lift together and pull together.
  • Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward.

Chris George, providing reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

 

 

Colin Powell: 13 Rules

Colin_Powell_1

In his memoir It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership, Colin Powell provided a valuable list of life lessons accompanied by a collection of personal anecdotes. For this great man, there are 13 Rules to how to live life.

Rule 1. It ain’t as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning. Keep all things in perspective when having to make a tough decision. Give the matter the perspective of some time.

Rule 2. Get mad, then get over it. Do not carry anger for any time. Instead of letting anger destroy you, use it to make constructive change.

Rule 3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it. Whatever position you hold, check your ego at the door when you are making major decisions. Foremost, consider the good of the organization and people in the organization. Then, should the action fail, your intentions never do.

Rule 4. It can be done! Exude optimist. Be positive. Leaders are about making things happen.

Rule 5. Be careful what you choose. Consider wisely your choices. Project ahead and assess the best developments for your objective(s).

Rule 6. Don’t let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision. Solid leadership is often a matter of superb instinct. Leaders often stand alone on what they know to be the right decision.

Rule 7. You can’t make someone else’s choices. While good leaders listen and consider all perspectives, they ultimately make their own decisions. Ultimate responsibility is yours.

Rule 8. Check small things. Mind the details. Small details often ensure the success of your big decisions.

Rule 9. Share credit. Share the credit, take the blame, and quietly find out and fix things that went wrong. Success is very much a team effort.

Rule 10. Remain calm. Be kind. The difference between a good leader and a great leader is their degree of kindness. Kindness, like calmness, reassures loyalty and galvanizes respect and confidence.

Rule 11. Have a vision. Be demanding. Your vision must inspire – incite and enthuse. Your purpose is the fuel for the vision. It energizes – drives it. Be compelling and excite those around you.

Rule 12. Don’t take counsel of your fears or naysayers. Fear is a normal human emotion that has the potential to be a paralyzing force. So, acknowledge your fears, stare them down, but don’t let them guide your decisions.

Rule 13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier. Perpetual optimism, believing in yourself, believing in your purpose, believing you will prevail, and demonstrating passion and confidence will have an amazingly beneficial impact on those around you. There is something to be said for the leader who refuses to accept defeat but continues to adapt until he is successful.

 

Chris George provides reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? Call 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

More of Napoleon’s bons mots

More insight from Napoleon Bonaparte:

  • He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.
  • A man will fight harder for his interests than for his rights.
  • The torment of precautions often exceeds the dangers to be avoided. It is sometimes better to abandon one’s self to destiny.
  • Men take only their needs into consideration, never their abilities.
  • To do all that one is able to do is to be a man; to do all that one would like to do is to be a god.
  • Courage is like love, it must have hope for nourishment.
  • As to moral courage, I have very rarely met with the two o’clock in the morning kind. I mean unprepared courage, that which is necessary on an unexpected occasion, and which, in spite of the most unforeseen events, leaves full freedom of judgement and decision.
  • The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue.
  • How many really capable men are children more than once during the day?
  • All the scholastic scaffolding falls, as a ruined edifice, before a single word: faith.
  • If they want peace, nations should avoid the pinpricks that precede cannon shots.
  • 10 persons who speak make more noise than 10,000 who are silent.
  • Riches do not consist in the possession of treasures, but in the use made of them.
  • You may ask me for anything you like except time.
  • Time is one kind of robber whom the law does not strike at, and who steals what is most precious to men.
  • If you start to take Vienna – take Vienna.
  • Circumstances-what are circumstances? I make circumstances.
  • One must change one’s tactics every ten years if one wishes to maintain one’s superiority.
  • This man Wellington is so stupid he does not know when he is beaten, and goes on fighting.
  • The greatest general is he who makes the fewest mistakes.
  • My downfall raises me to infinite heights.
  • Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.

Chris George provides reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? Call 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

Napoleon on the art of governing and leadership

Here are By George’s favourite 10 quotes of Napoleon Bonaparte on the subject of governing and effective leadership:

  1. The art of governing consists in not letting men grow old in their jobs.
  2. A leader is a dealer in hope.
  3. The heart of a statesman should be in his head.
  4. Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.
  5. There are two levers for moving men – interest and fear.
  6. With audacity one can undertake anything.
  7. Ability is of little account without opportunity.
  8. The strong man is the one who is able to intercept at will the communication between the senses and the mind.
  9. All celebrated people lose dignity on a close view.
  10. Victory belongs to the most persevering.

Chris George provides reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? Call 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

The wisdom of QB Tom Brady

Tom Brady did it again yesterday, leading his New England Patriots team to an amazing 4th quarter comeback Superbowl victory. Brady becomes the first QB with 5 NFL championship rings. So, to follow-up on this game-for-the-ages, By George compiled our 15 FAV observations of a truly great football quarterback – and a decent human being.

  • Football is unconditional love.
  • If you don’t play to win, don’t play at all.
  • You wanna know which ring is my favorite? The next one.
  • I didn’t come this far to only come this far, so we’ve still got further to go.
  • I think that at the start of a game, you’re always playing to win, and then maybe if you’re ahead late in the game, you start playing not to lose. The true competitors, though, are the ones who always play to win.
  • Mentally, the only players who survive in the pros are the ones able to manage all their responsibilities. Everybody struggles in different ways.
  • If you don’t believe in yourself why is anyone else going to believe in you?
  • A lot of times I find that people who are blessed with the most talent don’t ever develop that attitude, and the ones who aren’t blessed in that way are the most competitive and have the biggest heart.
  • I’m not a person who defends myself very often. I kind of let my actions speak for me.
  • To me, football is so much about mental toughness, it’s digging deep, it’s doing whatever you need to do to help a team win and that comes in a lot of shapes and forms.
  • You have to believe in your process. You have to believe in the things that you are doing to help the team win. I think you have to take the good with the bad.
  • Too often in life, something happens and we blame other people for us not being happy or satisfied or fulfilled. So the point is, we all have choices, and we make the choice to accept people or situations or to not accept situations.
  • We all have experiences in our lives that change us, and we all learn from people, like my dad, but at the end of the day, it’s only us. And we’re only responsible to make ourselves happy.
  • You know, watching Dan Marino and Steve Young get nominated to the Hall of Fame… those guys are unbelievable and they did it for so long. I’d love to play like those guys, but there’s still a long way to go and a lot of growing.
  • If I have something to say, I want it to be meaningful.

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Chris George, providing reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

William James quotes to start a day

WilliamJames

Here are five great William James quotes to start the day:

  • “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
  • “To change one’s life: 1. Start immediately. 2. Do it flamboyantly. 3. No exceptions.”
  • “Sow an action and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.”
  • “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.”
  • “Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.”

William James (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910) was a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher. He was the brother of novelist Henry James; his godfather was Ralph Waldo Emerson; and, during his lifetime, he befriended Bertrand Russell, John Dewey, Mark Twain, Horatio Alger and Sigmund Freud.

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(ed. – You may know By George Journal is on Twitter and, among other subject matter, is tweeting inspirational and motivational quotes.  So, By George Journal on Twitter with the handle none-other-than: @ByGeorgeJournal )

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Chris George, providing reliable PR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

 

 

Top 10 Ways to Motivate Yourself

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.” – Vince Lombardi

Let’s start this Monday off with a list of the top 10 ways to motivate yourself.

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1. Set a specific goal
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” ~ Larry Elder

 

2.Give it a deadline
Setting an exact deadline gives you a time frame for accomplishing your goal.

 

3. Write it down and hang it up on the wall
By writing it down and hanging it on the wall, in plain sight, it becomes a constant reminder and part of your everyday life.

 

4. Surround yourself with motivation
Put up motivational quotes or signs all over your workspace and living space. Post our Fav Ali memes!

 

5. Break it down into small bite-size pieces
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” ~ Robert Collier

 

6. Exercise
In order to get your blood and creative juices flowing again try running in place, jumping jacks, push-ups or just dance! What is important is to get up out of your chair at least once an hour and move.

 

7. Pump yourself up
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
So, do some fist pumps, flex those muscles, jump up and down, be your own “cheerleader” – and get excited.

 

8. Don’t fear failure, just do it! 
Just keep swinging! “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” ~ Babe Ruth

 

9. Reward yourself
Set mini goals and reward yourself when you accomplish them.

 

10. Be present and have fun
Be in the present moment and enjoy what you are doing.

 

SOURCE:  We’re so Inspired

 

Chris George, providing reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

 

Successful People and their Weekends

Here’s a synopsis of Forbes Magazine’s “How Successful People Spend Their Weekends.”

 

There is a new Stanford study that finds productivity per hour declines sharply when the workweek exceeds 50 hours.  And productivity drops off so much after 55 hours that there is no point in working any more. The study finds that people who work as much as 70 hours (or more) per week actually get the same amount done as people who work 55 hours. In other words. those extra hours are wasted.

 

So, when it comes to weekends, successful people do not sweat out more work. They prize their time away from the office knowing the importance of “shifting gears.”

 

Here are four ways successful people spend their weekends.

 

  1. They Wake Up at the Same Time

 

Having an inconsistent wake-up time disturbs your circadian rhythm. Your body cycles through an elaborate series of sleep phases in order for you to wake up rested and refreshed. One of these phases involves preparing your mind to be awake and alert… (Do not mess with your routine and take advantage of the extra hours on your weekend when others may be sleeping in.)

 

  1. They Designate Mornings as Me Time

 

It can be difficult to get time to yourself on the weekends, especially if you have family. Finding a way to engage in an activity you’re passionate about first thing in the morning can pay massive dividends in happiness and cleanliness of mind… Your mind achieves peak performance two-to-four hours after you wake up, so get up early…

 

  1. They Schedule Micro-Adventures

 

Buy tickets to a concert or play, or get reservations for that cool new hotel that just opened downtown. Instead of running on a treadmill, plan a hike. Try something you haven’t done before… Knowing that you have something interesting planned for Saturday will not only be fun come Saturday, but it will significantly improve your mood throughout the week.

 

  1. They Pursue a Passion

 

You might be surprised what happens when you pursue something you’re passionate about on weekends. Indulging your passions is a great way to escape stress and to open your mind to new ways of thinking.

 

To read the full article by Travis Bradberry, click to the on-line Forbes Magazine.

 

And, go ahead and enjoy your weekend.

 

 

Chris George, providing reliable PR & GR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.

10 Lessons on Life shared by Billionaires

Forbes Magazine catalogues priceless words of wisdom and Forbes staff Keren Blankfeld has done a very great job in compiling a must-read list of life observations in her piece: Billionaires To Graduates: All-Time Best Advice From Their Commencement Speeches

The following list is the top 10 lessons successful business people have shared in commencement speeches to graduating classes:

 

  1. Life is short.

“As you graduate, can you ask yourselves to live as if you had eleven days left? I don’t mean blow everything off and party all the time— although tonight is an exception. I mean live with the understanding of how precious every single day would be. How precious every day actually is.” – Sheryl Sandberg, UC Berkeley 2016

 

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs, Stanford 2005

 

“Always remember that the moments we have with friends and family, the chances we have to do things that might make a big difference in the world, or even to make a small difference to someone you love — all those wonderful chances that life gives us, life also takes away. It can happen fast, and a whole lot sooner than you think.” – Larry Page, University of Michigan 2009

 

  1. Be present.

“Being present is smarter, funnier and undeniably more attractive. When you’re right here, right now, you notice things. You notice the nuance and expressions of the people around you. You notice the things that might make you a new friend or get you hired or even give you a chance of hooking up. You notice today and how wonderful it is. You noticed the people around you might not be as lucky as you are and the people who work their asses off to make sure you succeed.” – Chris Sacca, University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management 2011

 

  1. Be bold and take risks.

“I will hazard a prediction. When you are 80 years old, and in a quiet moment of reflection narrating for only yourself the most personal version of your life story, the telling that will be most compact and meaningful will be the series of choices you have made. In the end, we are our choices. Build yourself a great story.” – Jeff Bezos, Princeton University 2010

 

  1. Embrace failure and learn from it.

“It doesn’t matter how far you might rise…. If you’re constantly pushing yourself higher, higher the law of averages not to mention the Myth of Icarus predicts that you will at some point fall. And when you do I want you to know this, remember this: there is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction.” – Oprah Winfrey, Harvard University 2013

 

“I have always believed and I have taught my children and grandchildren that great success is not built on success. It is built on failure, frustration and sometimes even calamity.” – Sumner Redstone, Northwestern University 2002

 

  1. Be of service: make the world better.

“In the course of your lives, without any plan on your part, you’ll come to see suffering that will break your heart. When it happens, and it will, don’t turn away from it; turn toward it. That is the moment when change is born.” – Melinda Gates, Stanford 2014

 

  1. Use your imagination.

“Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and therefore the fount of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared.” – J.K. Rowling, Harvard University 2008 (former billionaire)

 

  1. When a great dream shows up, follow it.

“I dreamed of doing it and finally I achieved it and that is when I came to realize that fantasizing, projecting yourself into a successful situation is the most powerful means there is of achieving personal goals.” – Leonard Lauder, Connecticut College 1989

 

“Overall, I know it seems like the world is crumbling out there, but it is actually a great time in your life to get a little crazy, follow your curiosity, and be ambitious about it. Don’t give up on your dreams. The world needs you all!” – Larry Page, University of Michigan 2009

 

  1. Be flexible.

“You don’t need a grand plan. Whatever plan you do have is probably going to change 100 times before you’re 30. And you don’t need to be an expert in something to try it.” – Michael Bloomberg, University of North Carolina 2012

 

  1. Work hard and be irrepressible.

“Irrepressible is kind of tenacious, but with optimism. You just have it in you. You keep going and going. You could say, isn’t that the same as passion. It’s not. Passion is the ability to get excited about something. Irrepressibility and tenacity is about the ability to stay with it.” – Steve Ballmer, University of Southern California 2011

 

“It is the hard days — the times that challenge you to your very core — that will determine who you are.You will be defined not just by what you achieve, but by how you survive.” – Sheryl Sandberg, UC Berkeley 2016

 

  1. Don’t let money drive you.

“The truth is, I’ve never cared for money. I realize that sounds strange coming from a billionaire, and I recognize that many people do work for money, but I would wager that those who become extremely successful are more strongly motivated by the desire to achieve, by a commitment to excellence and by an obsessive drive to win.” – Sumner Redstone, Northwestern University 2002

 

Read the full Forbes article here:  Billionaires To Graduates: All-Time Best Advice From Their Commencement Speeches

Chris George, providing reliable PR counsel and effective advocacy. Need a go-to writer and experienced communicator? 613-983-0801 @ CG&A COMMUNICATIONS.