When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.

For it isn’t your father or mother or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass.
The fellow whose verdict counts most in you life
Is the one staring back from the glass.

You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum
And think you’re a wonderful guy.
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.

He’s the fellow to please-never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear to the end.
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.

It is my pleasure to announce that we will be having a Success Mastery Workshop once a month during the year 2010.

The confirmed date for January is the 9-10.The event will begin on Saturday Night at 6:00 Pm and will go to approximately 9:30 Pm.

This particiular event will be focused around the Success Mastery Index and the quantifiable measure of your success attributes. 

I am looking forward to see all of you again and making an impact on your lives.

Please go to www.successmasterycompany.com and register for this event.

Let’s make this the most empowering year of our lives.

In Joy, Casey  www.caseycombden.comwww.caseycombden.com/blog

Recently, I attend a Business Networking event and was approach by a reporter about tips for getting started in business.  The reporter was wonderful and I enjoyed the opportunity to share.  We spoke for about 45 minutes and at the end of the conversation she simply said what tips would give anyone just starting.  I offered up probably over 15 different tips about getting started these are the one’s she choose to publish.  I’m half way down the article… enjoy Casey

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/10/05/f-entrepreneurs-business-tips.html

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Momentum Breakers vs Momentum Makers Dr. John C. Maxwell

A train travelling 55 mph on a railroad track can crash through a 5-foot thick steel-reinforced concrete wall without stopping. That same train, starting from a stationary position, won’t be able to go through an inch-thick block in front of the driving wheel.

It is never the size of your problem that is the problem. It’s a lack of momentum. Without momentum, even a tiny obstacle can prevent you from moving forward. With momentum, you’ll navigate through problems and barely even notice them.

As a leader, your responsibility is to understand momentum, to get it moving for your organization, and to sustain it over time. Momentum can be tricky to comprehend, though, often appearing elusive and intangible. In this article, my goal is to give you handles so that you can better recognize how to generate momentum in your workplace. To help you grasp the concept of momentum, I’ll outline ten momentum breakers alongside ten momentum makers.

Momentum Breakers and Makers

Momentum breaker - double-mindedness
Momentum maker - focus

By creating and following a clear and focused vision statement, a leader develops momentum. A leader drains away momentum by shooting at nothing or attempting everything.

Movement causes friction. When you paint a target for your team, you’ll likely encounter resistance. As a leader, you can’t restrict yourself by living inside of someone else’s comfort zone. Great accomplishments require leaders to fix their gaze beyond what’s easily attainable.

Momentum breaker - the past
Momentum maker - the future

An organization picks up steam when its leaders point to a better tomorrow. Momentum breaks down when leaders preoccupy themselves with the past. Or, as I’ve heard quoted, “Losers yearn for the past and get stuck in it. Winners learn from the past and let go of it.”

Many people have powerful dreams. However, most don’t realize that the viability of their ideal tomorrow is based on what they do today. The difference between a dream and wishful thinking is what you’re doing now. Practice today what you want to be tomorrow. If you do it well enough, someday you may arrive at your dream.

Momentum breaker - individualism
Momentum maker - teamwork

If you want to kill momentum, then insist on doing things by yourself. Momentum grows through team victories in which numerous people can claim to have played a role. The level of celebration on a team depends upon the level of participation.

Momentum breaker - critical attitude
Momentum maker - constructive attitude

Tennis great Chris Evert said it best, “The thing that separates good players from great ones is mental attitude. It might only make a difference of two or three points over an entire match, but how you play those key points often makes the difference between winning and losing.”

Momentum breaker - tradition
Momentum maker - creativity

Don’t tear down the fence until you understand why it was built. At the same time, relentlessly question the logic, “that’s how we have always done it.” What worked in the past may be outdated and could hold you back in the future.

Momentum breaker - apathy
Momentum maker - passion

Passion energizes your talent and rubs off on those around you. If you have courage, then you will influence people based on your passionate convictions. If you lack courage, then you will only influence people to the extent of your comfort zone.

Momentum breaker - dishonesty
Momentum maker - character

Character is the sum total of our everyday choices. It cannot be built overnight. A trustworthy leader has a much easier time generating momentum than a leader with a reputation of being manipulative and deceitful.

Momentum breaker - conformity
Momentum maker - change

As John F. Kennedy said, “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” Sticking with the status quo won’t create an ounce of momentum. Although it’s difficult and may demand sacrifice, change is required to build momentum.

Momentum breaker - ingratitude
Momentum maker - gratitude

As a Chinese proverb states, “Those who drink the water must remember those who dug the well.” No one can claim to be self-made. Whatever accomplishments we attain in life have connections to the goodwill and support of those around us. When we express thankfulness for the benefits bestowed upon us by friends and colleagues, then those people are more apt to aid us again in the future.

Momentum breaker - indecision
Momentum maker - action

I am never overly impressed with idea people. Anyone who takes a long shower can come up with a good idea. I’m impressed with a person who has the tenacity and discipline to make ideas happen.

I’ve seen many leaders break the momentum on their team by succumbing to the paralysis of analysis. Leaders have to act with incomplete information. You can never know all of the variables. Momentum and risk go hand in hand. As a leader, if you always play it safe, then you’ll never inspire excitement in those you lead.

Closing Assignment

I’ll leave you with a simple assignment. Assess your personal momentum. Are you speeding through the obstacles in your life or struggling to surmount even the smallest problems? What is responsible for your momentum or lack thereof? Do you recognize any of the momentum makers or breakers in your personal leadership?

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YOU DECIDE!

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This was a personal email I recieved from Steve Scott after the Workshop last week.  I felt like the thoughts he shares are excellent iterations on the general thoughts of the organizeation. 

Thank you to Steve for sharing, here is his email.

Casey, I wanted to thank you for your honesty with the Interbiz team last night.

In your talk, you asked us what you could do for us. From a corporate perspective, I think you are asking the wrong question. Instead, I think we need to look at two issues: (i) how committed the team is to their dreams and goals; (ii) the team’s commitment to you as a mentor.

Please note that I understand the following observations may not be totally accurate, but I felt I should share my perspective with you.

In the following note, I will refer to Casey Combden, almost as an entity like Interbiz, rather than as an individual. I see the name Casey Combden holding its own power, equal yet separate from who you are as a person.

Who is Casey Combden?

Greatest Strengths: You are a natural attractor: people; business; money; and success. People trust Casey Combden and the Interbiz Business System in the development of true leaders. You are a kind, caring and patient person in your interaction and development of your team.

Weakness: You are a kind, caring, patient and forgiving person in your interaction and development of your team. Although you’re no Mother Teresa, you certainly appear to have her gift of patience.

Past: You are one of the top network marketers in North American history. By all accounts, your greatest successes came when you were running around as if your hair was on fire and you enforced change for results. People were held to account and feared disappointing you. To get face time with Casey Combden, an individual needed to be exceptional. Your team also had dreams and used your lifestyle to develop their own as a benchmark on success. Outsiders still respect you and they can’t deny you’ve had many successes. As you have said from stage, you knocked more people into the business than you could knock out of the business.

Present: For several years, you have been one of the best mentor/teacher/coaches in the world. You freely share your wisdom with anyone who becomes an Amway distributor and part of the Interbiz Team. You are readily available for everyone and that has fostered a loyalty from team members who are 100% committed to the teachings of Casey Combden. People don’t fear disappointing you because you accept people for who they are and who they can potentially become. You see the diamond in everyone, when they can’t even see the coal for the dirt in themselves. Unfortunately, this has led to the development of a “Papa Casey” image, where you have become the provider (knowledge, tools, motivation and self-worth) and the majority of the team is dependent upon you feeding their addiction to Casey Combden.

Both approaches have generated positive results, and brought success into your life, as well as to the lives of countless others. If I were speaking to a corporate executive, I would suggest that on the intensity scale, you have gone too far over to the side of becoming a “nice guy.” I would also suggest that WE are holding you back from an unprecedented future of success. Where we as an organization have failed you is that we take you and your skills for granted. We also accept our own mediocrity because we know that we will always have you there to support our need for Casey’s personal and professional development/motivation, regardless of our performance.

Questions to think about for the Future:

What would happen if you weren’t so readily available?

What if you focused on enjoying the fruits of your labours, rather than always being present for the Interbiz team?

Do the individuals on the team have big enough dreams?

What would happen if you became the figurehead of Interbiz, instead of its champion?

What would happen if you made yourself available only to those who performed at your standards?

Is it too late? Has the current incarnation of Interbiz developed a culture of complacency? If so, is it repairable?

Who are your top 6? Could they lead Interbiz if you decided to take a year-long cruise around the world?

I can tell you that your free teachings have been a blessing to my family. I have made nearly $200,000 in bonuses and promotions in my J.O.B. purely from the wisdom of Casey Combden, yet I haven’t applied those same principles in our Amway business. I would imagine that most people in the room are in similar situations. Sadly, that shows a lack of respect for the gifts you’ve given us. What would happen if we had to earn your time?

I see that you have tried everything imaginable and you’ve had more patience than anyone should reasonably expect. I know that my family (Steve and Lindsay, Dave and Laura) love you, Jeannie and Wendy, and we are blessed for just knowing you. Is that enough? Not in my books. I submit that we develop a different culture; a culture of more intense accountability, based on rewards vs. consequences. I know you’ve tried this before, but maybe if we, as a team were a little more serious about it, it may deliver the desired results.

Once again, thank you for having the courage to be our leader, mentor and friend.

- Steve

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Kids Are Quick 

TEACHER:   Maria, go to the map and find North America.

MARIA:      Here it is.

TEACHER:  Correct. Now class, who discovered America?

CLASS:       Maria.

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TEACHER:  John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor? 

JOHN:         You told me to do it without using tables.

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TEACHER:  Glenn, how do you spell ‘crocodile?’

GLENN:       ’K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L’.

TEACHER:  No, that’s wrong.

GLENN:       Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I  spell it.

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TEACHER:  Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?

DONALD:     H I J K L M N O.

TEACHER:  What are you talking about?

DONALD:     Yesterday you said it’s H to O.

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TEACHER:  Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we didn’t have ten years ago.

WINNIE:     Me!

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TEACHER:  Glen, why do you always get so dirty?

GLEN:   Well, I’m a lot closer to the ground than you are.

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TEACHER:    Millie, give me a sentence starting with ‘I.’

MILLIE:          I is..

TEACHER:    No, Millie….. always say, ‘I am.’

MILLIE:          All right…  ’I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.’    

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TEACHER:   George Washington not only chopped down his father’s cherry tree, but also admitted it.  Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn’t punish him?! 

LOUIS:     Because George still had the axe in his hand.   

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TEACHER:  Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?

SIMON:      No sir, I don’t have to, my Mom is a good cook.

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TEACHER:    Clyde, your composition on ‘My Dog’ is exactly the same as your brother’s. Did you copy his?

CLYDE :     No, sir.  It’s the same dog.

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TEACHER:     Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?

HAROLD:       A teacher.

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