One day I was standing in my home with one of my great employees who happened to be from Bangladesh.

“I’m so poor,” I quipped.

“Ya, you look like you are really suffering in your new home with you new black Explorer parked in the garage,” he reacted with a smile. “My friend; you have no idea what the meaning of poor is.”

He then proceeded to tell me about the average living conditions in his country. Needless to say, I quickly became aware that I had no real comprehension of poverty.

I have since taken the time to really look around at my surroundings and have felt a deeper sense of gratitude for the blessings in my life.

I found myself just the other morning looking closely at the molding, the doors, the fixtures, the food, the smiles on my childrens’ faces in my current home and was feeling struck with amazement at the bounty in my life.

I just wanted to take this moment and thank you for being a reader and wish you a Very Grateful Thanksgiving Day.

One thought to keep in mind as we watch the news, hear about the economy, and read about the fate of our retirement investments, is the realization that we, as individuals, need to rise above the gloom of the day and walk on a higher road.

Some have said that more millionaires were created during the great depression than at any other time in history. With extreme vulnerability comes the temptation to take advantage of the weak.

Here are a set of attributes that I call The Five Foundations of Character to help guide your path to peaceful nights and a clear conscience.

Integrity

The dictionary defines Integrity as uncompromising adherence to moral and ethical principles; the state of being whole or entire; a sound or unimpaired condition. We communicate unseen messages to others about our core principles and character through our desires, thoughts, and actions. Our words create meanings that are influenced by our motives and intentions. This phenomenon is called essence. Your essence is the bases of your authentic self. Seek alignment. Bring your thoughts, desires and actions together under a higher standard of excellence.

Honesty

Strive to be truthful in all things. The world would function much smoother if honesty prevailed. Deceit creates distrust. Some people operate on a depraved level, adhering to unacceptable standards of personal conduct, dishonesty and corruption. Rise above dishonesty. Money is abundant and can be obtained easily enough through fairness.

Humility

Get rid of feelings and actions that project pride or arrogance. Don’t think of yourself as better than others. People do not respond well to arrogance, pride, or self-righteousness. The lowest in spirit among us is our equal. Notice that I did not say the “lowest in standard” is our equal. At the same time, we should not think ourselves better than others.

Gratitude

Foster a feeling of thankfulness. People appreciate graciousness and true appreciation for gifts, services, and friendship. When you cultivate a sense of gratitude for what you have instead of what you don’t have, universal powers seem to work in your favor.

Courage

Have the courage to live a higher standard. Face difficult situations bravely without fear. Don’t be afraid of the negative events that could happen, instead think on the benefits of what positive events can happen as your opportunities unfold. Be wise, but not afraid.

An excellent business owner…

REMEMBERS

Today is Patriot Day… a day that we remember the events of September 11, 2001 and those whose lives were caught innocently between the struggle of ideas and ideological acts.

That day heroes were born. That day a nation united for the right reasons. In unison, we returned to that which matters most… our beliefs, our families and our country.

Hopefully, we can use that memory to reconnect with each other and unite in a common cause of being concerned with our top priorities… with those things that yield true value and bring true peace and happiness: A people concerned with the welfare of our neighbor and the value of our personal relationship with each family member.

This day, may God bless you and may God bless those who have given their lives and those who continue to give their lives to keep us safe at home, so that the events of September 11, 2001 are never repeated again for anyone.

COMMITTED

When you hear the word Committed, your mind may flash instantly to people in white coats hauling you away in a straight jacket!

This would be the wrong connotation despite the opinions of family members and concerned onlookers! I am actually referring to a derivative meaning: Commitment.

Many people fail because they are not committed—committed to a cause; a purpose; a set of principles; a spouse; a family; a team; a partnership; a friendship; or a goal or achievement.

Commitment is the binding force that ensures endurance. Business ownership is difficult. Times can turn tough quickly. The only sure path to success is to be committed to an outcome you desire. Are you committed? Are you committed to achieving your goals?

We use a term in our office: “I am all in!” This statement reinforces our commitment to our mission, vision, and dreams. It literally means that I’m holding nothing back. I have committed every possible resource to ensuring my success.

You cannot swim with one leg on the deck and the other foot in the water. Failure cannot be an option. Failure only occurs when setbacks weaken your resolve to keep working and move you to quitting.

Are you all in?

Excellence Edge helps you master Entrepreneurial Management. For deeper knowledge and understanding, subscribe to our ESS Business Training Subscription online at www.edgesuccess.com/ess.html

CELEBRATES OTHERS

O.K… I admit it. Once in a while I feel a sense of jealousy when someone else has a big win. I even get a streak of evil thrill when my work beats out someone else’s work.

I suppose we’re all sinister is some little way; but, to become excellent, we can overcome these petty emotions. One way to do that is to Celebrate Others and their strengths and victories.

Relationships in life are like relationships in business. The mega life changing event for me in life was when I started practicing a little mental shift that completely changed the feeling my wife and I have in our marriage, our closeness, and foster the feeling of continued love.

Long ago, I would come home after working and feel a little irritated when there were dirty dishes in the sink, or no clean clothes, or no garbage bags, or… well, you get the picture.

Then one day I asked myself, why am I feeling angry? Maybe she is too busy and needs my help. I should probably just do it myself if I want it done. From that day on, any time that I would start feeling irritated, I would change my thinking from blaming to, if that is bothering me so much… WHY DON’T I DO IT!

It’s amazing good you can feel about the way things are if you are the one that has to take accountability for doing something about it.

Each person has weaknesses and sometimes those weaknesses can be really irritating, especially in business. Partnerships and business deals fall apart largely because of the state of the relationship.

I have a great partnership. I’ve always had great partnerships. In fact, I don’t think I’ve really had a bad partnership experience. I’m still good friends with my past business partners even when the deals didn’t quite work out.

Love is cultivated and relationships are built when you learn to CELEBRATE the strengths and victories of OTHERS.

Excellence Edge helps you master Entrepreneurial Management. For deeper knowledge and understanding, subscribe to our ESS Business Training Subscription online at www.edgesuccess.com/ess.html

FORWARD THINKING 

One day I was with a friend and his son when we stopped to pick up some dry cleaning. I waited in the van while my friend got out to get his laundry.

The moment the door closed, his son (age 7) jumped in the driver’s seat without warning and began to yank on the shifter while the vehicle was running.

Those of you that know me know that I remained completely calm. Rather than nervously screaming, “What the heck are you doing?!” I simply said, “What do you suppose would happen if you actually put the van in gear?”

“Huh?” he said as he sat back in the seat. “I guess we would smash into the car in front of us.”

“Then what do you suppose would happen?” I continued.

He began to calm down as he saw that his aspirations and desires perhaps wouldn’t lead to the best possible outcome.

At Edge Success, we teach an Anchor Wisdom that says: DON’T SHOOT FOR THE SAKE OF SHOOTING.

You don’t want to do things just because you can. Good CEOs are FORWARD THINKING. We do things on purpose, according to a purposeful strategy. We look ahead to the consequence of actions and make decisions based on possible favorable outcomes.

Excellence Edge helps you master Entrepreneurial Management. Over the next several weeks, I will be presenting you with WORDS that accelerate Excellence. For deeper knowledge and understanding, subscribe to our ESS Business Training Subscription online at www.edgesuccess.com/ess.html

Considerate

One day, I was on a trip with friends through Montana when we decided to stop at a restaurant. The gentleman I was with managed to offend the waitress before he even said anything to her. I was astonished. I never saw anything like it.

What was the characteristic he manifested that would cause such an immediate and caustic response?

As I contemplated this experience, I had the good fortune to witness a second episode with the same individual. We had walked into a different restaurant and begun to order when our order taker became increasingly hostile and indignant toward my associate.

The key component was an air of rudeness. His tone, the questions he asked, and his body language all communicated snobbery! He was pretentious and that didn’t set well with those that were on the lower rung of his self-defined class ladder.

How do you treat others? Those that are considerate command respect and foster love in others. People serve better those whom they love. With each action, think of the impact on others. Lift others by showing respect and dignity. No one deserves bad treatment… except maybe bad people!

Excellence Edge helps you master Entrepreneurial Management. Over the next several weeks, I will be presenting you with WORDS that accelerate Excellence.

Persistent

Relentless… dogged… PUSHY… connotations like these may cast a negative light on an attribute like “persistent.”

What if we were to look at it as positive words like constant, determined, or continual?

A while ago, we closed a large product order simply because of our Persistence. The buyer told us, “I admire your persistence. It’s made you predictable, which has caused me to trust you… because I know I won’t be surprised!”

Maybe he really bought just to make us go away!

The flipside of the coin is to be sure that we don’t expend resources and energy on pursuing dead leads. Even a forced purchase won’t create profit if the lead cannot turn into a reoccurring customer on autopilot. In fact, relentless pursuit can become quite costly.

How do you tell the difference? The answer lies with this Anchor Wisdom: “Trust Your Sixth Sense.” What does your gut tell you? As a general rule, I give a lead a couple of concerted approaches and if it’s apparent they are not ready… I move on to other leads that are ready.

If the outlet is significant and you know you can provide value and it will be a big win—THEN DON’T TAKE NO for an ANSWER! Be Persistent… relentless… dogged… pushy….

Excellence Edge helps you master Entrepreneurial Management. Over the next several weeks, I will be presenting you with WORDS that accelerate Excellence.

Grateful

First off… HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I just couldn’t let the day of gratitude pass without describing the Anchor Attribute – Grateful. I’m so excited to write about such an important word!

Have you ever been around a person that truly has gratitude? It’s an amazing experience. I once new an old man that was full of energy. Every time he would see me, he would come up, grab my hand, look right into my eyes and say, “I just want to tell you how much I appreciate you and all you do to help me be a better person… it’s just so wonderful!”

You know… I really like that guy. He makes me happy.

I remember many years ago when I lived in an old, 2-bedroom apartment. Despite the place being a bit old, I recall walking around my home and having a feeling of amazement that I could be so blessed as to have hot water, a warm bed and food to eat.

It was amazing, because I really did feel grateful… right to my core. I was really thankful for what I had! Some short months later, my net worth climbed passed the million-dollar mark.

I attribute gratitude to being an emotional state that is the gateway to great success!

My good wife has recently started our family on a month long exercise. She handed each of us a small notebook with the instructions to write 10 things we are grateful for each day.

I challenge you to do the same. Take a moment right now and think of 10 things you are grateful for today. Also, take a moment to thank someone for what they have done for you.

Sometimes, when I’m in a restaurant, I get such a feeling of gratitude for the person that waits on me. I get overwhelmed that they took time out of their life to come down and serve me. I have yet to thank at waiter or waitress verbally… but maybe I will!

If these two exercises are easy to do, your success breakthrough may be just around the corner! If you can become Grateful, you will be happy!

Excellence Edge helps you master Entrepreneurial Management. Over the next several weeks, I will be presenting you with WORDS that accelerate Excellence.

Release

Emotions… feelings… grudges… stuff. A powerful attribute for you to master is the ability to LET IT GO! …Release it.

All “nouns” in your life (that would be persons, places, and things) take energy (your verbs that indicate action). Energy is fed by resources. Resources come in the form of time, cash, knowledge, mental capacity… thinking space… etc.

You want to dedicate your energy to that which creates the most value. Too many “nouns” consume your “verbs” that could otherwise be directed toward “nouns” you like. Simply put, “You get too busy to do the things you should or want do.”

One morning, my 3 year-old daughter climbed up into my lap and said, “Daddy, you go to the office?”

“Yes.”

“You be right back,” she said.

“No. Not this time sweetheart. I’m going for a long trip. I won’t be back for a couple of weeks,” I told her.

Then, looking down with the saddest look you ever did see, she says, “o.k.”

Take the time to evaluate your life and business. What things are consuming you? Can you LET IT GO? The same applies to material possessions. Is your life “encumbered?” Go through your closet and get rid of everything you haven’t used in six months. Got Junk in your garage? Get rid of it.

LETTING GO will free up space in your life for the things you want.

Excellent Edge helps you master Entrepreneurial Management. Over the next several weeks, I will be presenting you with WORDS that accelerate Excellence.