Denis Waitley's Ezine
February 27, 2008 Welcome!
To this issue of the Denis Waitley International online newsletter. My goal is to offer valuable, relevant, leading edge, and interesting content, with some innovative and refreshing differences from the other ezines and newsletters you may be receiving. Warm regards, P.S. Today's issue is going out to more than 90,567 weekly subscribers. If you've enjoyed this edition and found it to be valuable, then if you would do me the favor of forwarding it to your friends, family and associates, it would be very much appreciated. If they would like to subscribe, have them send an email to: subscribe@deniswaitley.com Many Thanks! In This Issue.....1. This Week's Jumpstart
1. This Week's JumpstartYears ago, a young mother about to go out with her husband prepared to feed their baby before they left. The husband became impatient as she started her daily routine of mashing vegetables through a strainer. Tired of him standing over her with the car keys in one hand and the other hand on the door knob, she turned the task over to him. Within a few minutes, the strainer, peas, carrots, and bowl ended up in his lap. As he changed clothes, he reasoned that there must be a better way to prepare baby food and that there must be a lot of frustrated parents who didn´t enjoy the monotony of straining fruit and vegetables three times a day. Soon, they began discussing the idea of designing machinery to strain the food in a factory and sell it already prepared. Fortunately, the young father and his dad owned a small canning plant, but it was difficult to sell the older man on the concept. One mistake that harmed a child would destroy everything it had taken them a lifetime to build. And what about the expense of marketing surveys, developing and financing new machinery, packaging, getting stores to accept the products, and getting parents to buy something totally new at a price that would be both affordable and profitable? You've been through this in your own organization or family when someone comes up with an idea that colors outside the lines! I see you're nodding affirmatively. The risk was enormous, but in the end, they went forward with their idea because it filled a need they understood first-hand. They had the skills and experience. And the market was so vast that the positive benefits far outweighed the negative factors. One year after Dan Gerber dumped the strainer of cooked vegetables into his lap, the Gerber Products Company introduced its first five baby foods to the market. The point of the story is that, so often, an idea becomes a goal when we realize it meets a need in our own lives and the lives of others. Our motivation to achieve this goal is dependent upon how strong our need is and whether or not we have the determination, optimism and toughness to follow through our ideas to fruition. Consider the following: - The outboard motor was invented by Ole Evinrude because he couldn't row the boat fast enough on a Wisconsin lake to keep his girlfriend's ice cream from melting. - The Automatic Dishwasher was invented by a woman whose housekeeper kept breaking her fine china when she washed it by hand. - The ice cream cone was invented by a waffle vendor who ran out of plates to serve his waffles. - The Polaroid camera was invented by Edward Land because his daughter wanted to see the pictures she took with her camera right away, rather than wait. - And the hot dog was invented by a German immigrant whose silk gloves used to serve bratwurst in his restaurant were taken home by his patrons. His solution was to split a bun, and serve the bratwurst that way. Yes, necessity is the mother of invention. This week think about what problem or need you have that you might solve with an innovative idea, product or service. Denis Waitley
2. The Champion Within ArticleGetting Your Imagination to Work for You by Denis WaitleyHighly motivated achievers find the strength of their motivation in the power of their imagination. One of the wonderful aspects about human imagination is that it can see things not as they are now, but as they can be; it can foretell the future, based upon our beliefs and expectations, in an almost uncanny way; it can draw the colorful mental images that we hope someday to turn into reality. Dr. David McClelland of Harvard University demonstrated this through a series of "projective tests." In these tests, McClelland used photographs or drawings depicting basic scenes. For instance, in one photograph, a man was lying in bed with his eyes closed. His hand was raised and extended over an alarm clock on the table next to the bed. A window in the background was bright with the rays of early morning sunlight. McClelland asked his subjects to either describe the scene or tell a story about the person in the picture. To be sure that the responses were solely a function of motivational levels, the subjects for each test were people of the same sex, age, social background, and level of education. This was McClelland's hypothesis: Since all motivation comes from internal images, the subjects in the study who demonstrated the highest and most active levels of imaginative power would become the most successful in achieving their personal goals. He called these people "highly motivated achievers." His experiments confirmed his hypothesis. He found that highly motivated achievers told action-filled, goal-oriented stories about the scenes. People with a lower motivational level generally gave bland, passive descriptions of the images. For example, after viewing the photo of the man in bed holding out his hand toward the clock, a highly motivated achiever might describe a man who has to wake up early and get back to work on an important project that kept him up late the night before. They would even describe details of the project. On the other hand, McClelland's less motivated subjects tended toward a passive interpretation of the scene. Many described a sleeping man who is reaching to turn off the alarm because it's Saturday and he doesn't have to go to work. McClelland was not content to accept the results of the first study at face value. He continued to ask himself the following question: What if individuals don't start off with a vivid imagination, but their professional position demands a vivid imagination? If, in fact, highly motivated achievers developed their imaginative abilities in response to their jobs, it would mean that their imaginative powers might not have played a role in motivating them to their level of extraordinary success. In other words, how could McClelland be certain that the vivid imagination of these individuals was a cause of success and not a result of it? He solved the problem by devising a second study that took 14 years to complete. For four years, he gave his projective test to college students. After giving the last projective test, he compiled the results and divided the students into two groups. The first group comprised those who showed the same traits as the highly motivated achievers of his earlier study, and the second group included those who were of average motivation. McClelland then waited 10 years before he could complete his study, giving the students time to establish careers. He knew that if those with the most vivid imaginations were the same ones who had advanced furthest up the corporate ladder, he would have proof that vivid imaginations played a key role in helping people advance the furthest in life. He would have proof that a vivid, action-oriented imagination was a cause, a prerequisite in maintaining a highly motivated state, not just a result of success. Ultimately, McClelland's findings confirmed his expectations. The highly motivated achievers, those students who told the most vivid, action-oriented stories in the projective tests, had most often chosen entrepreneurial careers involving a large amount of personal responsibility, initiative, and personal risk. The other students gravitated to non-entrepreneurial fields that required much less personal initiative. From the 14-year study, McClelland concluded that highly motivated achievers find the strength of their motivation in the power of their imagination. McClelland's research may seem complex, but there's one principle woven throughout all his studies: The more vivid and real the image that motivates you, the stronger the motivation. As we hold a picture in the hands of our imagination, the enormous power of our minds is set on achieving it. Soon, depending upon the difficulty and complexity of the image, it is ours... it is a reality, whereas before, it was only a picture in our imagination. -- Denis Waitley
It has been heralded as Denis Waitley's most penetrating, profound and important message, which he delivers with his inimitable style, making us laugh, cry and pause to reflect on our own essence and beliefs. It is the perfect way to share or introduce Jim Rohn, Denis Waitley, Brian Tracy and Personal Development in general with all those in your sphere of influence. Together THEY are a winning combo! What is it? http://combo.yoursuccessstore.com
Denis Waitley has studied, counseled and trained leaders in virtually every field including Apollo astronauts, Olympic gold medalists, Super Bowl champions, returning POW's, heads of state and Fortune 500 top executives.Denis is recognized as a world class speaker and author and has traveled the globe sharing success ideas and strategies to thousands of companies the past 25 years. To book Dr. Waitley to speak for your company or to be part of your upcoming Regional or National Convention send an email to speaker@deniswaitley.com or call 877-929-0439 and ask for Hilary.3. Seeds of Greatness by Denis WaitleyAn Invitation (Epilogue pages 218-221 from Denis Waitley's book, Safari to the Soul) As you contemplate Creation Bring your ponderings to Eden Tell the lions of your struggles And relish in the knowledge Makes no difference your religion Hear the wind in the acacias When you're seeking self-fulfillment You'll find answers to your questions Truth oft times evades us I thought myself a wise man I'm a living breathing instrument Come with me to Kenya You'll discover in the vastness
4. The Winner's Edge Coaching TipsThis week is the final part of a four part series of coaching tips for the New Year -- I call it paying the price. I've studied and counseled many world class athletes and what inspires me most is watching individuals overcome setbacks or a series of setbacks during their conquest to win. I view those individuals as models for commitment and self-discipline. You can coast for a while, but you won't get far if you don't keep pedaling. The lesson there, if you've had the privilege of watching Lance Armstrong and other world-class athletes in action, is self-evident. You've got to get up and try again after you've fallen off the bicycle. Kids will fall any number of times, but they'll almost never say, "I quit. I'm not willing to risk falling again. Forget bicycling. I'd rather just walk or take the bus until I can afford a car." Kids rarely attach any significance to even dozens of falls or failures. Again, a classic example, are film clips of Lance Armstrong getting up from falls and tragedies time and again to understand that it's just the price kids and champions will gladly pay for that marvelous experience of flying down the road or up a mountain under their own power. This commitment and discipline to "paying the price" is a key quality in the mind of a champion. You could even say that if success has an entry fee, the cost is total commitment through daily discipline. No train, no gain! Practice does indeed make for permanent performance. -- DW
5. Featured Product of the WeekTogether they are a winning combo! It has been heralded as Denis Waitley's most penetrating, profound and important message, which he delivers with his inimitable style, making us laugh, cry and pause to reflect on our own essence and beliefs. It is the perfect way to share or introduce Jim Rohn, Denis Waitley, Brian Tracy and Personal Development in general with all those in your sphere of influence. Together THEY are a winning combo! What is it? http://combo.yoursuccessstore.com 6. More InformationEzine Archives - To review previous issues of Denis Waitley's Ezine, please go to: Ezine Archives Printer-Friendly Version - Denis Waitley's Ezine: Issue 99 - Printer-Friendly How to Subscribe - Subscribe at Denis Waitley International or send an email to subscribe@deniswaitley.com How to Unsubscribe - Use the automatic link at the bottom of this issue, or email unsubscribe@deniswaitley.com Booking Denis Waitley - Send an email to speaker@deniswaitley.com and include your name, company, date and location of event, along with anticipated audience size and composition. No Spamming or List Sharing! - You can rest assured that your subscription email address will be kept in the strictest confidence. We do not divulge, nor make available to any third party, our subscription list. Your privacy is paramount to us! Therefore, it receives the respect it deserves! Copyright/Reprint Info - The contents of this Ezine may be copied, reproduced, or freely distributed for all nonprofit purposes without the consent of the author as long as the author's name and contact information are included. Example: Reproduced with permission from the Denis Waitley Ezine. To subscribe to Denis Waitley's Ezine, go to www.deniswaitley.com or send an email with Join in the subject to subscribe@deniswaitley.com Copyright 2008 Denis Waitley International. All rights reserved worldwide. All contents Copyright 2008 Denis Waitley International except where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide. **Duplication or reprints only with express permission or approved Credits (see above). All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Contact Information: Denis Waitley International
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Credit Statement All contents Copyright © 2008 Denis Waitley International except where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide. Duplication or reprints only with express permission or approved Credits (see above). All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Denis Waitley International
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