Vernon Howard-Your Reaction is Key!

No one on earth can hurt you, unless you accept the hurt in your own mind. . . . The problem is not other people; it is your reaction. - Vernon Howard

Whit Hobbs-Success is.....

Success is waking up in the morning, whoever you are, wherever you are, however old or young, and bounding out of bed because there's something out there you love to do, that you believe in, that you're good at — something that's bigger than you are, and you can hardly wait to get at it again today. - Whit Hobbs

When a Goal Matters

When a goal matters enough to a person, that person will find a way to accomplish what at first seemed impossible. - Nido Qubein

Walt Disney: Strengthened by Adversity & Obstacles

All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. - Walt Disney

Liberate Your Greatness

“Nothing liberates our greatness like the desire to help, the desire to serve.” - Marianne Williamson

Lincoln: Success Motivated by Friendship

“I am a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down...” - Abraham Lincoln

Albert Einstein Quote

“Only a life lived for others is a life worth while.” - Albert Einstein

It's Not the Critic Who Counts.....

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Whatever Course You Decide Upon...

“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

If You Only Do......

“If you only do what you know you can do- you never do very much.” - Tom Krause

Success Starts with a Can Do Attitude: Three Secrets to Creating More Success

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Success Starts with a Can Do Attitude: Three Secrets to Creating More Success
By Ed Sykes

If you believe you can, you probably can. If you believe you won't, you most assuredly won't. Belief is the ignition switch that gets you off the launching pad. -Denis Waitley

Recently, I was watching a women’s professional tennis match on TV. One of the players, Nadia Petrova, was having a spectacular tennis season, either winning or playing for the championship in several tournaments in recent months.

The TV interviewer interviewed Nadia’s new coach and mentioned that Nadia, who was rated in the top twenty players in past years, was fast becoming one of the top five players in the world. The interviewer asked Nadia’s coach about this, and the coach said, “In the past, Nadia had people around her that concentrated on what she ‘can’t do.’ So Nadia would concentrate on what she couldn’t do, especially in challenging situations on the court, and it would frustrate her. I am concentrating on what she ‘can do,’ and she is a much better, confident player and is mentally much happier.”

So I ask you, do you concentrate on the “can’t dos” or the “can dos?” The following are three secrets to creating a “can do” attitude that produces positive results and more success in your life, business, and career:

1. Set Can Do Goals

Set goals that move you toward successful results. People fail because they don’t know what they want or what they don’t want. Ask a friend, family member, or associate what they want in life. In most cases, they will pause and really think about what they want. Sometimes they can’t come up with an answer. Sometimes they may come up with a weak response. However, ask the following question, “What don’t you want in life?” and, in most situations, you will receive multiple, clear, and quick answers to your question. That’s because we concentrate on what we don’t want to happen instead of what we want to happen. In life, as in sports, we concentrate on “not losing” instead of concentrating how to “win.”

Set S-M-A-R-T-E-R (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely, Encouraging, Rewarding) goals that create a crystal clear roadmap for your success, and work to achieve these goals everyday.

2. Take Care of Your N-E-T-S

N-E-T-S stands for Network with Everyone Today for Success. Fill your NETS with positive people that will support your positive “can do” attitude. These people, while supporting your goals, will also help you pass roadblocks to achieve your goals. You will also make your NETS stronger by supporting their goals to create a mutually supportive situation.

Joy Fisher-Sykes always says, “Clean your NETS of people who have a “can’t do,” negative attitude, and who don’t support your quest to achieve your goals.” The more junk (negative people) in your NETS, the less room you have for more treasure (positive people). Take a close look at “friends,” family and co-workers and ask, “Do they support me and my “can do” attitude?” If they don’t, remove them from your NET. Keep your NET strong with positive people.

3. Concentrate on the Positive

Recent research shows that 75-80% of daily communication is negative. This would include negative self-talk, conversations with others, or the media (TV, radio, the internet, etc.).

Take back control of your mind and be responsible for your “can do” attitude. You can start with the following:

a. Concentrate on self-talk with positive solutions
Start your mornings with meditation. Concentrate on positive thoughts with positive results. Visualize, involving as many senses as possible, to intensify the visualization and make it real for you. Ask, “What does your success feel, look, sound, and taste like?” Be aware of negative self-talk, and replace it with positive self-talk.

b. Control the Communication
If it is a conversation, reframe the negative conversation into a more positive conversation. If someone is complaining endlessly, say, “Mike, I hear what you are saying. What solutions to you see to this problem?”

If the media is negative, tune it out or turn it off.

You can always walk away. You have that right.

c. Walk the Talk
Be consistent in your behavior, and act on your “can do” attitude.

d. Fake It Till You Make It
Act like you are already achieving your goals, and you will rise to a higher level. Others will also see you as achieving your goals and interact with you accordingly.

Follow these “can do” techniques and you will also achieve more success in your life. I know Nadia does. As of this writing, she has won two additional tournaments, with no end in sight. She has a “can do” attitude that creates success, and you can, too.

Ed Sykes is an professional speaker, author, and success coach in the areas of leadership, motivation, stress management, customer service, and team building. You can e-mail him at mailto:esykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call him at (757) 427-7032. Go to his web site, http://www.thesykesgrp.com/, and signup for the newsletter, OnPoint, and receive either free ebook, "Empowerment and Stress Secrets for the Busy Professional," or "Secrets of Outstanding Customer Service."

David Frost: Don't Aim for Success

Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally. - David Frost

Dale Carnegie:The Success Quality

Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success. - Dale Carnegie

Erma Bombeck-Fame vs. Success

Don't confuse fame with success. Madonna is one; Helen Keller is the other. - Erma Bombeck

C.S. Lewis Quotes

* “When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place”

* "Every one says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.”

* “Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained”

* "We were promised sufferings. They were part of the program. We were even told, ''Blessed are they that mourn.''

* “The very man who has argued you down, will sometimes be found, years later, to have been influenced by what you said”

* “God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain”

* “We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive.”

* “Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.”