Contents

Starting World Change, by Courtney A. Huntington

Assessing Your Own Character, by Dr. John C. Maxwell

Lessons from Old Masters—This Month: Benjamin Franklin

Thoughts for the Month, from the Napoleon Hill Foundation

PASSAGE for Success, by Bobby Lawrence, Jr.

Change Your World™ Monthly Challenge™:
Give more than you get

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In order to change our world, we need to begin by taking small steps, making small changes in our daily life. Big change comes as a result of making consistent small changes—every day, for the rest of our lives.

Change can be very hard. That's one reason we must work to change ourselves before somebody else has to change us— whether we want them to or not. As Zig Ziglar has said, "When you are hard on yourself, life will be infinitely easier on you." Be hard on yourself. Become the best you can be. Don't worry about what others will think. Do your best every time. Be honest with yourself. If you are honest with yourself you'll know whether or not you could have done more. If you know you did your best, you can be at ease. You can rest easy, knowing that, whether you win or lose, whether you're right or wrong, no matter what anyone else says about you—you did your very best.

Occasionally, despite our best efforts, we lose. Sometimes, though, we lose because we didn't give our best efforts. When that happens, we must simply admit our mistake, and get back up. As my parents used to say, "Pick yourself up, brush yourself off, and start all over again." When you know you could have done better, it should be easy for you to admit it. When you've done your best and still lose, it can be much harder to admit. Go ahead: admit that you lost, and admit any mistakes you made. Know for yourself what you did right, and what you need to do better.

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As we discussed last time, self-assessment is tortuous, but crucial to our development. Learning the laws of leadership is an essential part of every leader's growth. These laws are foundational for teaching us how leadership works. But effective leaders have more going for them than a set of skills. The best leaders are effective because of who they are on the inside. Any attempt to lead apart from character is assured of failure.

Gulf War hero, General Norman Schwarzkopf was once asked how soldiers in the field react when their leader is taken down. His response? "Soldiers are naturally inclined to follow the person with the highest character." This reality transcends war. If the designated leader in any organization is perceived as having character flaws, his or her team will inevitably begin to follow another person in the organization whom they see as having more integrity.

To ascend to and stay at the highest level of leadership, we must develop essential character qualities from the inside out; constantly evaluating ourselves for any flaws that could shipwreck our abilities.

If you look at all great leaders, you'll find that they possess the qualities contained in my book, "The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader." This resource was designed to be a complementary companion to "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership." By becoming the leader you ought to be on the inside, you will become the leader you want to be on the outside. When that happens, you'll find there's nothing in this world you cannot do!

The key to transforming yourself from someone who understands leadership principles to a person who successfully leads in the real world is character. Your character qualities activate and empower your leadership ability - or stand in the way of your success.

There are many obstacles to an accurate character assessment: pride, our remarkable capability to lie to ourselves, an unwillingness to receive feedback from people who love us and want to see us grow are just a few.

That's why we've developed an online assessment that will show you where you are and how to develop further the key character qualities of a leader. This assessment includes unlimited access to:

* 21 individual assessments - each includes 15 questions to help assess your leadership qualities

* Four classic Maximum Impact lessons online, in digital format, specifically targeting leadership qualities

I hope you'll invest in your personal development by taking time to check out "The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader" online assessment. This resource is available at http://www.INJOY.com/21Qualities.

This article is used by permission from Dr. John C. Maxwell's free monthly e-newsletter Leadership Wired available at www.INJOY.com.

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I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wished to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. While my care was employed in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason. I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous, was not sufficient to prevent our slipping; and that the contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct. For this purpose I therefore contrived the following method.

In the various enumerations of the moral virtues I had met with in my reading, I found the catalogue more or less numerous, as different writers included more or fewer ideas under the same name. Temperance, for example, was by some confined to eating and drinking, while by others it was extended to mean the moderating every other pleasure, appetite, inclination, or passion, bodily or mental, even to our avarice and ambition. I proposed to myself, for the sake of clearness, to use rather more names, with fewer ideas annexed to each, than a few names with more ideas; and I included under thirteen names of virtues all that at that time occurred to me as necessary or desirable, and annexed to each a short precept, which fully expressed the extent I gave to its meaning.

These names of virtues, with their precepts, were:

My intention being to acquire the habitude of all these virtues, I judged it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it on one of them at a time; and, when I should be master of that, then to proceed to another, and so on, till I should have gone through the thirteen; and, as the previous acquisition of some might facilitate the acquisition of certain others, I arranged them with that view, as they stand above. Temperance first, as it tends to procure that coolness and clearness of head, which is so necessary where constant vigilance was to be kept up, and guard maintained against the unremitting attraction of ancient habits, and the force of perpetual temptations. This being acquired and established, Silence would be more easy; and my desire being to gain knowledge at the same time that I improved in virtue, and considering that in conversation it was obtained rather by the use of the ears than of the tongue, and therefore wishing to break a habit I was getting into of prattling, punning, and joking, which only made me acceptable to trifling company, I gave Silence the second place. This and the next, Order, I expected would allow me more time for attending to my project and my studies. Resolution, once become habitual, would keep me firm in my endeavors to obtain all the subsequent virtues; Frugality and Industry freeing me from my remaining debt, and producing affluence and independence, would make more easy the practice of Sincerity and Justice, etc., etc. Conceiving then, that, agreeably to the advice of Pythagoras in his Golden Verses, daily examination would be necessary, I contrived the following method for conducting that examination.

I made a little book, in which I allotted a page for each of the virtues. I ruled each page with red ink, so as to have seven columns, one for each day of the week, marking each column with a letter for the day. I crossed these columns with thirteen red lines, marking the beginning of each line with the first letter of one of the virtues, on which line, and in its proper column, I might mark, by a little black spot, every fault I found upon examination to have been committed respecting that virtue upon that day.

Form of the pages

I determined to give a week's strict attention to each of the virtues successively. Thus, in the first week, my great guard was to avoid even the least offence against Temperance, leaving the other virtues to their ordinary chance, only marking every evening the faults of the day. Thus, if in the first week I could keep my first line, marked T, clear of spots, I supposed the habit of that virtue so much strengthened and its opposite weakened, that I might venture extending my attention to include the next, and for the following week keep both lines clear of spots. Proceeding thus to the last, I could go through a course complete in thirteen weeks, and four courses in a year. And like him who, having a garden to weed, does not attempt to eradicate all the bad herbs at once, which would exceed his reach and his strength, but works on one of the beds at a time, and, having accomplishd the first, proceeds to a second, so I should have, I hoped, the encouraging pleasure of seeing on my pages the progress I made in virtue, by clearing successively my lines of their spots, till in the end, by a number of courses, I should he happy in viewing a clean book, after a thirteen weeks' daily examination.

I have made a few minor changes to Franklin's original text to bring some grammatical conventions closer to current usage. I have altered the original text in no significant way; rather, I have changed only a few items to make the text more readable.—Editor

Change Your World has a copy of Benjamin Franklin's system for tracking his progress available at no charge. It contains all 13 principles laid out in tables just like the one you see above. These tables make it easy to improve your habits as Franklin improved his. Receive your free PDF copy of the Change Your World Habit Tracker™, based on Franklin's system. Simply click the following link: www.howtochangeyourworld.com/franklin.htm. (If clicking the link doesn't take you to the Change Your World™ site, simply copy and paste the link in your browser.)

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Politeness to others is usually born out of respect for the individual, which you learn as a child. When you are treated with respect by other members of the family, you learn to respect them as well. The self-esteem that results from being recognized as a unique person by the people who matter most to you helps you develop the confidence necessary to succeed later in life. Politeness and consideration for others are habits that—once developed—usually stay with you for a lifetime. While common courtesy may seem relatively insignificant in thegrand scheme of things, it is a reflection of more basic values. More important, if you develop the habit of respecting others, you are likely to command respect from them.

We all have moments when we allow others to cause us to react emotionally, especially in anger. Often we regret our response later, and we vow we will never allow ourselves to behave in this fashion again. The next time you feel the anger rising, remind yourself that no one can make you angry or emotional without your consent—indeed, your active participation is required. Those who have learned to manage themselves are the individuals who are destined to be leaders. They are chosen to manage others because they have demonstrated that they can manage themselves. They are people of character.

These positive messages come courtesy of the Napoleon Hill Foundation and are used by permission. Visit the Napoleon Hill Foundation at www.naphill.org.

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For so many people, success is some far-off land that they will never reach. They lie awake at night and dream of what it would be like. They can see themselves smiling and enjoying every aspect of their lives. They see their families— husbands, wives, children—sharing these good times and “drinking in” the good life. They see their new car. They see their new house. They see their new boat. They see their new clothes. One reason that so many people fail to realize these dreams is that they never get on the ship destined for the land of success. They merely stare at it as it pulls away from the shore.

Why? Why do so many people stay in the land of mediocrity when they could go the the land of success? There are so many possible answers to that question. They don’t believe they can. They don’t have a plan. They are not interested in doing; they are interested only in possessing.

Success is not merely the attainment of riches; as Og Mandino said, “What is success other than a state of mind?” (Read The Greatest Salesman in the World to read what else he says about success.) In order for you to get to the island of success, you must begin by knowing that you must create your own success story. You must decide what success looks like to you, and you must then give everything you’ve got until you reach the island that you have envisioned in your dreams. Success is calling out in the streets. All you must do is listen to its call and follow its instructions. If you listen long enough, you will hear it.

What can you do to make it easier to hear the voice of success? What can you do to make it through the crowded street to success? And what can you do to attract the attention—the favorable attention—of success?

What do you think when you hear the word “passage”? One of the defintions of “passage” is “a short segment of a written work or speech.” Maybe you think of “a Bible passage.” In the Bible, Solomon talks about wisdom the way that we have written about success. In Proverbs, Solomon says that wisdom is calling aloud in the streets.

You might think about a passage as a trip of some kind, on a ship or airplane. We’re all familiar with the phrase “rite of passage.” If we make it through the rite of passage, we get to pass by, continue on our way, or get to the next level. Webster’s New World College Dictionary includes these definitions: “permission, right, or a chance to pass,” or “a journey, esp. by water; voyage.” More broadly it defines passage this way: “The act of passing; specif., a) movement from one place to another; migration [birds of passage] b) change or progress from one process or condition to another; transition c) the enactment of a law by a legislative body.” Passage refers first to the act of passing, but it also refers to the permission to pass.

Passage can also refer to the “way or means of passing,” and Webster’s includes these examples: “a road or path”; “a channel, duct, etc.”; and “a hall or corridor that is an entrance or exit or onto which several rooms open; passageway.”

Taken all together these definitions give a picture of moving, changing, or making a transition, and these are things that we as individuals are very reluctant to do. But change isn’t optional. We live in a society that is in a constant process of change, especially entering our new century, and we must acknowledge and accept change as a way of life.

In order to hear the voice of success, you must be willing to change. That’s the first step. In fact, you must not only be willing to change, but you must actually change yourself and be willing to accept the changes that will happen all around you. Change can be a good thing, and it will be a very good thing for you, if you keep trying to change for the better.

In order to cope, restore, and live in this ever changing world, I prayed, dreamed, and searched for the one idea or method that would carry him beyond the run-of-the-mill, hum-drum life and, more importantly, carry me and my family through the difficult changes of life with peace and confidence.

When I started my search, I didn’t know exactly what I would find. I had read self-help and motivational books, and listened to inspirational tapes, so I knew what some successful individuals had done to achieve what they desired in life. (In the back of my book, you will see my suggested reading list; read them all!) What I did know, was that I would have to use the method I found every day. And I knew that it had to include a list of my goals, both short- and long-term. What I needed was something that would break down into a simple daily walk through life.

What I found was my PASSAGE. This simple walk has tremendous value every day as I use it. Even now, after many years of taking my own PASSAGE, it still brings new meaning and vitality every day. Everyone has a different destination in life, but the only way to get where you’re going is to take a “means of passing.” This simple seven step passage gives you that means of passing.

One very important tip: It will do you no good unless you choose a destination. You must have a goal; you must decide where you are going in life. Your life is your own to live, and your journey is your own to take. In order for you to tune your ears to hear the call of success, you must know what you are listening for. What is success to you? It doesn’t matter what that success is, as long as it doesn’t violate God’s law or the rights of your fellow man in any way. Once you have decided what success is, you will have a clear destination for your PASSAGE for Success.

What happens if you haven’t already decided what your destination is or if you are having trouble deciding between two or more options? The best part about the PASSAGE for Success is that you get to use and reuse it. You get to choose goal after goal after goal, and your daily passage still applies. So if you don’t already have your goal in mind, don’t sweat it. If you don’t already know what success looks and sounds like, make your first goal start setting goals. If you do that, you will have an excellent start for reaching whatever other destination or destinations you may choose in the future.

Let Bobby Lawrence, Jr. bring his message of encouragement and success to you! Ask about speaking engagements, seminars, books and tapes, and other products. Learn more by emailing PASSAGE for Success at info@passageforsuccess.com.

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How many times have we all tried to get more than we give? Every time you get something, ask yourself, "What am I giving in return for this?" When someone is generous to you, ask yourself, "How generous am I?" Practice giving more; when you get more, give even more. Ask yourself, "Can I give more than I get? Will I give more than I get? Am I giving more than I get?" Keep asking till you see the positive results you want.

Our challenge to you this month is to spend the next 30 days improving yourself in this area. Use this Change Your World™ Idea™ for the next 30 days and see what remarkable changes you will see. At the end of 30 days, contact us to let us know how you did. If you do, you'll receive a FREE gift as a reward for completing the challenge. This offer is available only until the 29th of February, 2004: So start now!

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