A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: ‘Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you’re drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.

What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups… And then you began eyeing each other’s cups. Now consider this:

Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have.Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly…

And enjoy your hot chocolate.

(Author unknown to me. )

No one likes war. War is a horrific affair, bloody and expensive. Sending our men and women into battle to perhaps die or be maimed is an  unconscionable thought. Yet some wars need to be waged, and someone needs to lead. The Citizenry and Congress are often ambivalent or largely opposed to any given war. It’s up to our leader to convince them. That’s why we call the leader “Commander in Chief.”

George W.’s war was no different. There was lots of resistance to it. Many in Congress were vehemently against the idea. The Commander in Chief had to lobby for legislative approval. Along with supporters, George W. used the force of his convictions, the power of his title and every ounce of moral persuasion he could muster to rally support. He had to assure Congress and the public that the war was morally justified, winnable and affordable. Congress eventually came around and voted overwhelmingly to wage war. George W. then lobbied foreign governments for support. But in the end, only one European nation helped us. The rest of the world sat on its hands and watched.

After a few quick victories, things started to go bad. There were many dark days when all the news was discouraging Casualties began to mount. It became obvious that our forces were too small. Congress began to drag its feet about funding the effort. Many who had voted to support the war just a few years earlier were beginning to speak against it and accuse the Commander in Chief of misleading them. Many critics began to call him incompetent, an idiot and even a liar. Journalists joined the negative chorus with a vengeance.

As the war entered its fourth year, the public began to grow weary of the conflict and the casualties. George W.’s popularity plummeted. Yet through it all, he stood firm, supporting the troops and endorsing the struggle. Without his unwavering support, the war would have surely ended, then and there, in overwhelming and total defeat.

At this darkest of times, he began to make some changes. More troops were added and trained. Some advisers were shuffled, and new generals installed. Then, unexpectedly and gradually, things began to improve. Now it was the enemy that appeared to be grow ing weary of the lengthy conflict and losing support. Victories began to come, and hope returned.

Many critics in Congress and the press said the improvements were just George W.’s good luck. The progress, they said, would be temporary. He knew, however, that in warfare good fortune counts. Then, in the unlikeliest of circumstances and perhaps the most historic example of military luck, the enemy blundered and was resoundingly defeated.

After six long years of war, the Commander in Chief basked in a most hard-fought victory. So on that historic day, Oct. 19, 1781, in a place called Yorktown, a satisfied George Washington sat upon his beautiful white horse and accepted the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, effectively ending the Revolutionary War.

FREEDOM IS NOT FREE

From Investor’s Business Daily, Friday, June 20, 2008.
 

Every morning, Ralph Marston’s Daily Motivator awaits me in my email inbox. I thought I’d share today’s message with you.

THE DAILY MOTIVATOR
Friday, July 4, 2008

Celebrate freedom
+++++++++++++++++++

Freedom is the great enabler of opportunity. When you are free to act in accordance with your most treasured values and interests, anything you can imagine is possible.

Essential to freedom is responsibility. It is by accepting and exercising full responsibility over every aspect of your life that you become truly free to live and fulfill your own unique vision.

Freedom carries with it great power. Responsibility keeps that power focused in a positive and productive direction.

Freedom, lovingly tempered with responsibility, has produced many great and wonderful things. Even more wonderful is the fact that freedom’s best rewards are yet to come.

For in freedom there is endless promise. With freedom, the possibilities for goodness and fulfillment are always growing more abundant.

Celebrate freedom and, more importantly, creatively put it to good use in your own special way. With your life, uncover and bring to life some of freedom’s treasures that have never been seen before.

Ralph Marston

Copyright (C) 2008 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All rights reserved.
Visit The Daily Motivator web site at http://greatday.com for an archive of more than 3,000 daily messages, inspirational photos and more.
 

I was in San Antonio last weekend with Beth, enjoying the beautiful weather and the River Walk. We stayed at a hotel just south of town and rode the Yellow Line into downtown and the River Walk so we could leave the car at the hotel.

We met a guy from the 10th Mountain Division riding the bus with his wife and daughter and got to talking. He was home for 18 days of R&R from Iraq and spending it with his family. His haircut gave him away and I asked if he was in the service so that’s how the conversation started.

As luck would have it we ran into him again several hours later heading back to the hotel and talked some more.

Afterward, Beth and I kept thinking of all he and his family were going through, particularly the separation (he was part of a 15 month deployment). In all that we had talked to them about, there wasn’t one complaint. They were both doing their duty and doing it with honor.

I spoke to a customer in Iraq today, in fact I woke him up with my call to tell him we were shipping his order. I have quite a few customers serving in Irag, heading to Iraq and returning from Iraq.

I just want to say how proud I am of you guys (and your families) and “thank you for your service.”

Thanks to all who serve and thanks for those who honor the fallen.

Arlington at Christmas - a special moment.

Merry Christmas to you all!

2007 is fast drawing to a close.  2008 awaits. What awaits you in 2008?

“From where you are right now, the possibilities stretch out, as far as you can imagine, in every direction. Which ones will you choose to follow?

There are things you currently know nothing about, that you can learn. There are places you’ve never heard of, that you can discover and know.

There are endless combinations of people, places, things, ideas, and events poised to come into your life. Which of them will you choose to experience?

There are magnificent achievements, perfectly suited for you, which you have not yet even considered. There are things of great value that can flow from your passions, your skills, your knowledge and your willingness to make something meaningful out of it all.

The problems are many in this world, yet they are very small indeed when compared to the possibilities for a rich and fulfilling life. On this day, in this moment, you have the opportunity to choose from among a delicious variety of potential paths.

Life begins anew with the breath you take right now. Seize this grand opportunity and make it truly great.”

Ralph Marston

See Rob’s Be Stress Free Fast website

In a recent workshop we discussed people’s frustration with using affirmations to cause change or improvement in their lives. In most people’s experience the positive impact of affirmations was pretty weak and inconsistent.

Affirmations such as, “It’s always easy for me to get what I want” sometimes result in the little voice in the back of your head saying, “Yeah, right?”

The suggestion now is to ask yourself positive questions instead. I’ve tried it and am making it part of my daily routine.

Ask yourself, “Why is it so easy for me to get what I want?” You may not hear an answer but your subconscious will look within for the answer, and you’ll end up re-wiring your brain.

“Why do I love my life?”

“Why do I take such good care of my health?”

“Why do I so enjoy what I do for a living?”

My experience with postive questions has been very good. 

Sure beats the heck out of, “Why am I so screwed up?”

Ask that question and your subconscious will answer that one, too.

Ralph Marston publishes The Daily Motivator. I receive it every day and save most of them. I don’t know why I haven’t shared this with you before.

The Daily Motivator is a great way to start the day, and it comes right to your email in plain text. There’s always a link so you can experience The Daily Motivator in a visual presentation. (has sound).

Enjoy!

Let me know if your glad I posted this.

Rob

P.S., It’s only $15/year to subscribe - and it makes a great gift. Everyone I’ve given it to as a gift has let me know how much they appreciate it. The Daily Motivator.

Randy Pausch, a 46-year-old Carnegie Mellon computer science professor, gave his last lecture this week, and it’s getting a lot of attention.

Visualize this - you’re young, healthy, successful and have a great wife and kids. You get the news that you have something else as well - terminal pancreatic cancer. Instead of being at the effect of it (poor me) you own it and share an authentic and positive message with your friends, associates and the world.

Randy Pausch has just months to live, but inspires others with a lecture on living life to the fullest.

Here’s his message.

This is worth a few minutes to view.

What would it take to have the calm deliberation and intention we admire in Tiger Woods? What if you could direct your emotional energy toward victory in a shooting match, rather than trying to avoid making a mistake? The mental side of sports is the number one factor in success or failure. There is now an easy new method of stress reduction and performance enhancement available.

I was an active competition shooter in the decade of the 1980’s and went to the U.S.P.S.A. Nationals 4 times, finishing in the top 50 once in Dallas. I watched the big boys shoot, took a group lesson from Ross Seyfried right after he won the I.P.S.C. World Championship and had a half-day private lesson with Chip McCormick. Like many others, I was awestruck by the performance of Brian Enos, Rob Leatham, Doug Koenig and Jerry Miculek and many others. They were in a whole other league.

Most competitors “lost their way to mediocrity” rather than rising to the occasion. Nerves did them in. They didn’t follow their plan for each stage, but got rattled as soon as something didn’t go as expected. It is clear to me that whatever the skill level, the mental side of the game is paramount. Do you agree?

There is a new technique available for getting what’s in the way out of your way. It works for golf. It works for shooting. It works for improving performance in any arena, including business performance.

I am a performance coach for small business owners and have studied personal growth and development for almost 20 years. It’s clear to me that we all have everything we need to succeed, but there are personal barriers to that success. Tiger Woods has removed his barriers while also working on improving his skills. The combination is powerful and produces success and satisfaction.

There is a new, simple method to remove stress and performance anxiety that can be done over the phone with clients in one or more 50-minute sessions, depending on the individual’s needs and desires. It isn’t cheap, but it’s very effective. The cost is $100/session and $400 for a 5 session package. There is a no-risk guarantee you can ask me about.

The first phone conversation to explain the details is complimentary. Once you learn the technique, you’ll have the ability to do it for yourself. In fact, clients practice the technique on their own between sessions to speed up the results. You can use it just before you shoot.

Once you learn the technique you can use it on your own to keep improving your shooting performance, reducing job stress, calming your kids, preparing for a special presentation at work, going to the dentist or taking on an important new challenge with less anxiety.

This is not head-shrinking and it focuses on the positive. I use it on myself daily in the shower just to create my day. My wife used it to clear a fear of drowning left over from an old incident.

Make a list for yourself of the stresses you feel when about to shoot a match, talk to the boss or tell your wife something she doesn’t want to hear. Look at the list and ask yourself if it would be worth it to cut the stress in half or even make it disappear. Stress is the number one issue in our health and well being.

I don’t need the business, so I’m just making this available to the very limited few who know this is for them. I’m happy to answer all your questions, but I don’t do “convincing.” I only want clients who make my job easy by having a strong commitment to their own success.

What would be possible for you if you had a mindset like Tiger Woods?

Rob