The strength of personal determination (aka Donna's my hero!)

I have a dear friend in St. Louis (one of my bestest) who has been through an interesting time these past few weeks. She had pain in her right thigh for several weeks, which the medical community was treating as bursitis. Well, on a Saturday about noon, she turned in her kitchen, heard a 'pop' in that thigh, and fell on the floor in extreme pain. The medics take her to the hospital where she waits for literally hours, because she went to one of the ERs that was shut down in that hazmat scare they had. Once the docs are able to treat her, they find she had broken the thigh bone! So, she goes in for surgery to put a rod in the thigh and spends almost a week at the hospital learning to walk again. Then she goes to a rehab center for another week. Last Friday she was released and has gone home.
The success part of this story is that she took it all with incredible courage and fortitude, and truly made lemonade from it. She took the opportunity of these two weeks and decided to use the time to improve her health by incorporating better eating and exercise habits. She is determined to take control of her life and she is making huge strides! As well, she put in so much effort on her rehab that she improved twice as fast as they thought she would!
My plan is to remember her courage and determination when the little things go sour in my life, and then take those opportunities to make life better for myself, and for others.
How about you? Who's your hero and why?

Walk From Obesity

Did the Walk From Obesity at Concord Mills this morning. Had a great time, saw some wonderful people, donated some awesome Ribbon albums, and gave to a great cause! Bryan and Megan walked with me. And Meredith went as a volunteer as part of her nursing degree requirements. Meredith is planning on putting together a team from her nursing program at York Tech for next year.
I want to help Sue expand the walk, too. So if you have any ideas, please let me know. And think about supporting the cause!
To your health!
Robin

Self Fulfilling Prophecy

When I was in undergrad (Special Education at Indiana State University) I learned about the concept of the self fulfilling prophecy. In a nutshell, studies show what we all know. Kids will live up or down to what they hear you say about them. If a kid hears, "This little girl is sweet, but she probably won't be very good in school, she just doesn't have the smarts," odds are she won't be that great. And she will not think of herself as smart. The more they hear it, the higher the chance they won't succeed.
While I was in grad school I was exposed to a great book, "What to Say When You Talk to Yourself" by Shad Helmstetter/ It helped me understand more about how the concept actually works and how it is even more powerful for ourselves.
And tomorrow, I will have a great example of the truth of this principle. Tomorrow, I walk in the Walk From Obesity at Concord Mills, Concord, NC. I care about this cause because I have dropped 180 pounds in the past three years, through diet, exercise, and gastric bypass (Roux en Y with Fobi Band). But the actually journey began a couple of years before that, when I started using self talk to change my self image to be at 180 pounds (rather than the 423 that I was at when I began). I still have 60 pounds to go, but I *know* that I would not be where I am if I had not changed my self image through influencing my self fulfilling prophecy.
So I encourage you to get the book and use this to make your life more enjoyable!
To your personal success!
Robin

Fantastic New Book!

Wow! I finished "The Go-Giver" (Burg and Mann) yesterday morning and was blown away. A really, really, really, quick read, and full of impact. It seems to describe my philosophy so well. In a nutshell, it's all about giving. And if you give enough, the world makes sure you get enough! It discusses personal value and compensation, being influential, being authentic, and how it all comes full circle. If you haven't read it, you are missing out on something huge! Check it out and let me know what you thought!
To being a true success!
Robin

What do you sell, how can you sell more?

Phil Johnson posted a great question on LinkedIn today - What are you selling and how can you sell more? - He really made me think and here's what I said:
Nicely put!
"What are you selling?"
the product can be a specific item, a service, or yourself (if you are looking for employment).

"How can you sell more?"
In all cases you are best served to find the need of the prospective buyer/employer and then realistically see if your product meets that need. I believe it was Andrew Carnegie who said that when you help enough others get what they want, you will get what you want. So finding what others want and helping them get it is what will help you sell more.
It's simple, almost deceptively so.
What I do is help individuals and companies to realize their income and leadership potentials. Once I know what they want, I help them find paths to achieve it. One of my major tools is a line of gift and incentive products that help their customers and friends to get *what* they want. And so it goes. . .
It's simple, not necessarily easy, tho!

Do it yourself!

Just Sell has a quote today that is awesome! "There is no path. The path is made by walking." Antonio Machado (1875-1939) Spanish poet.

That is so true. All the great achievements come because someone just did it, and continued to do it, till it became reality. They may have followed where one or two went before, but not on the beaten path, instead, on the road less taken. Never did the great successes come from doing the exact thing that many had done who had come before.

For me, that means coming up with unique ideas to help my friends and customers succeed. Life is all about helping others. And if I can do that and be creative (or at least as creative as I have the ability to be! LOL) then that's a blast.

One of my favorite poems is The Road Less Taken, and it was one of my Mom's too.

So today, take action, start walking, and make a path for others!

Complete Attentiveness (2 day challenge)

I subscribe to "Just Sell" and they had the best post. I have copied it in it's entirety here:

complete attentiveness (another 2 day challenge)
Beginning at the top of the next hour and through the next 48, challenge yourself (and your team)...When you begin a discussion with a customer, prospect, or colleague, give that individual your complete attention until the issue at hand has been fully addressed. Every single discussion. Every single interaction. The entire 48-hour period.
Not only will it help you maximize your time by minimizing miscommunication, but also it'll send the right message. Don't let a phone call interrupt an in-person conversation. Don't let your email distract you from a phone call. Don't let a passerby, instant messenger, or BlackBerry take your attention away from someone standing right in front of you (or on the phone).
Sales is an interpersonal profession. Anything less than your full attention sends a message of arrogance - a message of condescension - a message of which no one (including ourselves) enjoys being on the receiving end (and certainly not when we're the prospect or customer).
For those who lead a team, set the example. Give your attention today, and every day, to one person at a time – the person in front of you (on the phone or not) - and Just Sell®.

To be sure you're giving your complete attention to those with whom you interact...
- Maintain eye contact and face the person.
- Acknowledge key points with a nod, smile or brief comment ("I see" or "I understand").
- Avoid interrupting and wait for the person to pause fully before asking questions to clarify. Ask only to better understand and avoid unrelated questions that can disrupt the person's train of thought.
- Dismiss distractions and acknowledge phones, email, instant messengers, and other people following the current interaction.
- Confirm understanding by rephrasing pertinent discussion issues.

Pretty awesome stuff, huh?