Integrity and Prosperity

Copyright 2006 Daniel Sitter

The word integrity is passed around a lot. Many people use it without proper reflection upon what it encompasses. It is bantered about as a much more casual word might be. Why is that? Could it be that its far easier to use the word that it is to live by it? A life guided by integrity is certainly not a rare occurrence, but one that when observed, yields a sense of completeness, harmony and prosperity that transcends more than just the monetary.

Websters dictionary defines integrity as firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values and describes a person of integrity as incorruptible. I prefer a much more simplified and applicable definition that can touch each of us wherever we are: Integrity is what you do and how you behave when there is no one watching. Of course, I believe that there is always a righteous God watching. However, there are certainly those persons that are not as concerned about that fact as they might well be, but that is a topic for another day.

How does integrity relate to prosperity? After all, they are not mutually exclusive. Its really quite simple we reap what we sow. Man was given a conscience to act as a moral compass, a barometer, constantly receiving feedback from our thoughts and actions and then responding back to us with guidance. If we sow with integrity, we will also reap in abundance. Our reputation will grow and we will discover that we are the type of person that others will seek out to have business transactions with. This will grow exponentially and our prosperity is assured. The prosperity I speak of here is also one of peace, harmony, satisfaction, fulfillment as well as the monetary reward.

Some time ago, I came across a paper entitled Ten Affirmations of Integrity on which there was no mention of the author. These affirmations are simple, yet so very profound. Read them now and again each morning as you wake and again each evening as you prepare for sleep. Internalize them and you will certainly prosper.

1. When I make a promise, I will keep that promise.How many times do people say something or make a promise that they have absolutely no intention of ever keeping? Do you ever catch yourself saying something to someone just to shut them up, simply telling them what they want to hear?

2. When I set a goal, I will work to achieve it.Would you believe that most of us do not have any written goals? Most people have dreams or wants that they simply keep in their heads. These thought are fleeting and often tend to morph into new ideas or wants on a frequent basis like the winds. Learn to write down your goals and identify the steps necessary to achieve them. Review them daily and track your progress. It only takes a few minutes to do, but most of us will not bother.

3. I will treat others as I would treat myself.The golden rulewhere have we heard that before! This one is a gold mine ready to be enjoyed. Simply treat others with dignity and respect. You will certainly stand out in the crowd.

4. I will conduct my life with excellence.Commit to living your life as if you were always being scrutinized. The word shortcut is not even in your vocabulary. See things completely through by creating mental pictures of your goal. Do your very best always. Finish what you start. Never quit and never give up. Always look to uplift others with a kind word or action.

5. I will be personally accountable.Realize that you are responsible for you. There is no blame or credit to be blanketed on others. Stand on your personal word. Mean what you say and do what you mean to. Take pride in doing the small things that make a big difference. Dont ever be afraid to admit you might be wrong. When wrong, make it right. Take a stand.

6. I will face my mistakes and grow from them.Everyone makes mistakes. The key point is that we should always strive to eliminate the possibility of making the same mistake twice. We do that by examining our mistake, determining the reason for it and where we went off course. Gather as much insight as possible from the situation and make note of what you would do differently when the same opportunity comes your way again. Admit your mistakes. Learn from them.

7. I will relate to others with honesty.Be honest with yourself and your dealings with others. Dont ever justify a lie by calling it a stretch of the truth or a white lie that wont hurt anyone. You will soon find yourself telling another lie to conceal the first one and so on. It is always best to tell the truth. Most people will respect you for it, even if you were wrong. Strength of character is forged from honesty and respect.

8. I will show respect for authority.Everyone is subject to someone or something. We teach our children to respect their parents, grandparents, teachers, leaders, crossing guard and other adults in their lives. In the same way, we as adults need to respect the authority of others, especially while on their turf. Remember that the next time you are in the library or the movie theater when someone far younger than you asks you to please be quiet or turn off your cell phone.

9. I will honor my debts.We live in a disposable culture. This has stretched well beyond mere things to include institutions such as marriage and family. How many commercials currently parade across our televisions promising debt relief or financial freedom? Shakespeare said neither a borrower nor a lender be and he was right. There is no running out on accumulated debt while maintaining honor. If necessary, sit down with a financial expert and design a plan to gradually work your way out of debt. A winner will always honor his debts, sleeping peacefully in the process.

10. I will love people and use things.

People are not pawns to be manipulated for personal gain, but that is exactly how some of us treat others if it will benefit us in some way. People of integrity will always seek to build up others, edifying them and encouraging them to victory. People lacking integrity selfishly seek their own agenda without concern for anyone else. This is not how we were designed by our Creator to interact with each other. We are interdependent beings, not isolated islands.

Integrity is a trait most admired by winners. It is such a quality in man that it is eagerly sought out by employers, diplomats, teachers, negotiators, pastors and many others. Given a choice of several similarly talented individuals from which there will be a single job awarded, the person of integrity will most likely stand out and be awarded that employment. In a leadership arena, such as an emergency situation, where someone must surely take charge, the person of integrity will rise to the occasion and will quickly garner the respect of those around her, allowing for her leadership to take over. Her integrity will ensure her leadership because those around her will sense her discerning abilities.Integrity, of course, will not absolutely guarantee prosperity, but I submit that people of integrity sleep better, work more efficiently and attract a more qualified and capable inner circle of friends and associates from whom they gather advice, recommendations and counsel. This cabinet of leaders and qualified experts will almost always ensure their success at most any endeavor they undertake. Integrity is a critical yardstick by which we will be judged by our peers, our critics and our God. It is an ideal where we cannot afford to fall short.

Daniel Sitter, author of both the popular e-book, Learning For Profit, and the highly anticipated book, Superior Selling Skills, has extensive experience in sales, training, marketing and personal development over a successful 25 year career. http://www.learningforprofit.com/

Blueprint for Success: Defining Your Goals

By Nishanth Reddy

Goal means what your aim to reach in the future. In your life establishing goals has a positive impact. A goal is a specific, assessable result that you want to generate at a determinable time in the future. But if what you hope to achieve in life is based on your expectations, rather than on working to reach established goals.Your goals are the stepping-stones toward the understanding of your dreams, the second key element in the blueprint of your life.

Goals are experiences you have not yet had, places you have not yet been, people you have not met, a level of income you have not achieved, a type of relationship you are not now enjoying, or having something you don't currently own.Like your dreams, there is no limit to the number of goals you can set other than the limits of your imagination.
And althoughGoals represent what you intend to achieve in the future, they are always set and worked on in the present.

In university business school graduates who had been out of school for ten years was conducted to determine how they were succeeding toward their goals. Amazingly, 83 percent of the graduates had set no goals at all. This 83 percent reported that they were working hard and staying busy but had no specific future plans. Another 14 percent had goals, but their goals were mental, not written. However, this 14 percent was earning on the average three times the income of those who had no goals at all. Only 3 percent of the entire graduate group had written goals. That 3 percent was earning a whopping ten times what those with no goals were earning.

Particularly goals are written very clearly. Written goals made a dramatic difference in their income levels. Make the difference in your goal is specific level of achievement. Among the business school graduates in the study, the short time they spent establishing.

Clear establish a goal has a positive impact on your life. But if what you hope to achieve in life is based on your expectations, rather than on working to reach established goals, you are setting yourself up for the possibility of disappointment. Expectations have to do with how you believe other people should behave, and how the world should bend at your command.

Your expectations may result in a large amount of grief, whereas established goals will result in a large amount of satisfaction and success. When develop your goal is clear than the winning choice is clear, drop your expectations. It is a mistake to expect that you will accomplish any goal because you deserve it or because there is something in your past that entitles you to it. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as "deserve." You end up achieving in life because of planning and control, not because you have "paid your dues".

3 Steps to Developing Passion Taking Action

Passion for anything occurs at the moment you get a glimpse of the potential for the project, yourself, your mission, and so on. How do you develop passion? The following steps take a look at how you develop passion:

1. Take steps toward your goals. As your plans unfold, each step that you take toward your goals has a direct bearing on your excitement, enthusiasm, and confidence. As you enjoy little successes, your imagination explodes, and passion enters the picture. And when passion is full-blown, it's unlikely that you will abandon your objectives.

2. Use your head to direct the passion that develops. Effective passion is a directed emotion that synergizes all your qualities to make a total you that is considerably greater than the sum of all those qualities. Some identify passion as "heart," because people with passion accomplish things that go beyond their physical and mental abilities.

3. Analyze what you want in life and come up with a plan for reaching those goals. Though passion can be brought on almost instantly by a life-changing event, it usually begins with a careful analysis of what you want in life. What is your direction? In short, what are your goals? After you clearly identify your goals, you develop a plan of action to reach those goals.

Nishanth Reddy is an author and publisher of popular self help blog. Visit his blog for more information on Success, happiness, goal setting, Self help, self-improvement and personal growth.
www.selfhelpzone.com/category/success-happiness/

Whatever

Whatever We Learnt, Let Us Offer That knowledge

Whatever We Have, Let Us Willingly Give

Whatever We Dream, Let Our Dream Inspire Others

And Bring Them New Courage To Help Their Dreams Live

Whatever We Gain, Let Us Always Be Ready To Share

The True Joy That We Find On The Way ...

For Success Is Not Measured By How Much We Won,

But By How Much We Lovingly Give, Day By Day

***LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST***

a message reflected by the universe

7th august 2007

7:27pm

Obstacles Are Nothing More Than Illusions

By Michael A. Verdicchio

An illusion is an erroneous perception of reality or an erroneous concept or belief. An optical illusion is an optical phenomenon that results in a false or deceptive visual impression. Optical illusions are a lot like what I call, "obstacle illusions."

For example, when you look down railroad tracks, what do you see? The farther down the tracks you look, the closer the two tracks appear to become. Despite the fact they appear to touch at one point, we all know that in actuality, they do not.

Anyone who is not convinced of this can simply walk down those tracks for awhile and discover for themselves that those tracks do not become physically any closer to each other. It's an optical illusion: a false or deceptive visual impression. It is something we see with our eyes that is really not true to fact.

Now, when I say "obstacle illusion," I mean an obstacle that gives you an erroneous perception of reality. An obstacle is simply something that opposes, or stands in the way, or holds up progress. Far too many people allow obstacles to stop them completely.

Suppose you were on a trip from one city to another and came across some road construction that closed the road you intended to take. Does that obstacle mean that the trip is over? Do you just give up, turn around and go home? If you were to view that obstacle as ending your trip, I would call that an obstacle illusion.

Why? It's because your entire trip doesn't have to end just because of a road closure. You may have to take a detour and go a little out of your way. You may not get there as quickly as you anticipated. You may not get to see the scenery you had hoped to see along the way. However, the trip does not have to be over. You can still get to your destination.

When it comes to life there are many obstacle illusions that just stop people cold in their tracks. A little roadblock pops up and, so often, people quit; they abandon their dreams and desires.

There will always be obstacles that pop up, however, regardless of the obstacle, what is most important is how you choose to see it. If you see it for what it is, just an obstacle, something that is only standing in the way, something that is just holding up progress, then that's fine. Ask for God's help to figure out what your next step will be.

You can be so determined to succeed that no matter what obstacle comes up, you are not going to be stopped in your endeavors. If you instead quit and throw in the towel, well, you've succumbed to an obstacle illusion.

One night many years ago, one of Thomas Edison's laboratories burned to the ground. The following morning, some of Mr. Edison's associates came to tell him about the fire. They were distraught and felt helpless. They told him how terrible it was, how that many of their experiments were lost, and they just didn't know what to do. His associates asked, "What should we do, Mr. Edison?"

Edison wanted to go take a look for himself.

It is reported that his laboratory at that time was worth over a million dollars, and he did not have insurance to cover the loss. After reviewing the damage, he turned to the men and said, "Let's clear it away and build a new laboratory."

Successful people don't quit and throw in the towel. No matter what obstacle you are faced with, don't focus on the obstacle, but instead look for the solution.

Stay focused and determined, and with God's help, there is no obstacle illusion that can stop you.

Michael A. Verdicchio is a husband, father, minister, and broadcaster. He has been the voice on numerous productions over the years.
Michael is the author and producer of Inspirational Pep Talks, available at
http://www.inspirationalpeptalks.com/
He has a free newsletter called, THE PEP LETTER, at
www.christianinspirationalgifts.com/pepletter.html .

Success Is Only One Thought Away!

By Curt

In my over 14 years of Corporate and Business experience, I have gotten to know many successful individuals in various fields of expertise. Some of these successful people are multi-millionaires, some are respectable experts in their own field of trade. Although each of them has their own personalities, they seem to have some common traits.

One of this key common trait is they have Optimists mindset in their field of work or business. No matter how challenging the situation is, they continue to have strong positive attitude. At times it is as though that they already knew they could overcome the challenge ahead. Their mindset influence how they behave and what actions they take, and they take massive actions in the pursuing of their goal.

This observation is in-line with many motivational Gurus concept of:Belief leads to Behavior; Behavior leads to Actions; Repetitive massive actions; Actions lead to Result.

The successful people tend to have positive mindset and are optimistic most of the time. They take actions like there is no such thing as failure.

Like what Brian Tracy had mentioned in one of the seminar, successful people tend to have Optimistic Orientation, a particular way of thinking about life, the world and things happening around them. Optimist has 4 orientations:

1. Future Orientation They think about the future all the time and with positive expectation.
2. Goal Orientation They are focus in achieving their goal and most of their actions are acting towards achieving the results.
3. Growth Orientation They are always learning and are dire for knowledge. You will not have problem finding them in seminars, books shop or library.
4. Excellence Orientation They are always striving towards excellence.

In conclusion, you can be in the same rank of the successful people by adopting the Optimist Mindset, orientate your mind towards the 4 Orientations and with the correct set of belief, it will drive your behavior and actions which in turn lead to the desire results.

To watch the online video of Brian Tracys opt-in your email to this site to gain the access to the award-winning eLearning Portal:

http://www.learnfromtheguru.com/

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Positive Quotes

"Keep Your Face To The Sunshine

And You Cannot See The Shadow."

**Helen Keller**

******

"The only limit to our realization of
tomorrow will be our doubts of today."

** Franklin D. Roosevelt**

******

"You Are Today Where Your Thoughts Have Brought You;

You Will Be Tomorrow Where Your Thoughts Take You"

**James Allen**

Don't Quit Poem

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

** Author unknown**

Daily Quotes

"Everyone who got to where

they are had to begin

where they were."

**Richard Paul Evans**