S.U.M.M.I.T. Leadership

"Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally." - David Frost It really does make a difference! Do what you love, and love what you do! It will not only make a positive difference in your outcome, but your life along the way...and to those around you! Happy Holidays everyone! May all your Christmas wishes come true! Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing was started with a dream and a mouse." - Walt Disney Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"You can spend your life any way you want to, but you can only spend it once." - Dwight Thompson Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life." - Ralph Waldo Emerson Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion." - Jack Welch Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Winning is not a sometime thing, it's an all time thing. You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing." -  Vince Lombardi Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Winners must learn to relish change with the same enthusiasm and energy that we have resisted it in the past." - Tom Peters Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith. - Mary Manin Morrissey Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Take some time TODAY to tell someone in your life how important they are to you, how much you love them or the difference they have made. You'll both feel great because of it! Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Life is partly what we make it, and partly what is made by the friends whom we choose. Good friends may hard to find, but once found they are impossible to forget and hard to lose." Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"A leader has the vision and conviction that a dream can be achieved. He inspires the power and energy to get it done." - Ralph Nader Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Leaders have a sense of mission and vision that uplifts, motivates and inspires men and women to heights to help them achieve that vision. Leaders make things happen. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Deliberately seek the company of people who influence you to think and act on building the life you desire." - Napoleon Hill Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

It takes less time to do the right thing than to explain why you did it wrong. -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Tis the season of believing. Believe in your goals and dreams...and you have found your path. Believe in yourself and your abilities and you will achieve them. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

If we take enough energy and thought and focus it towards any goal, you can achieve great results. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"It doesn't matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going."— Brian Tracy Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it." - W. Clement Stone Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Just take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step." - Martin Luther King Jr. Every journey must start by taking that first step. It's not always easy. Keep your eye on the goal, and that first step becomes easier. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

In all that you do, have fun! This is so important because if you are having fun, you will enjoy what you do. If you enjoy what you do, you will learn and grow from it. If you learn and grow from it you will improve and exceed. If you improve and exceed...you will inevitably succeed! Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"To finish first, you must first finish. " - Rick Mears Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Confidence is going after Moby Dick in a rowboat and taking the tartar sauce with you." - Zig Ziglar Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Write the script of your own life, rehearse it in your mind, then go out and perform it to the best of your ability." Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Change is gonna happen, you are either a result, or a reason." Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success" - Henry Ford Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"We know who we are, but know not what we may be." - William Shakespeare Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"You can never do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late." - Ralph Waldo Emerson Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Man is unique in that he has plans, purpose and goals which require the need for criteria of choice. The need for ethical value is within man whose future may largely be determined by the choice he make" - George Bernard Shaw Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine." - Brian Tracy Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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"If you know when you have enough, you are wealthy. If you carry your intentions to completion, you are resolute. If you live a long and creative life, you will leave an eternal legacy." - Lao Tzu Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"How wonderful is it that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." - Anne Frank Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities." - William Arthur Ward Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." - Galileo Galilei Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Life is a great big canvas, throw all the paint on it you can." - Danny Kaye Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Feeling sorry for yourself, and you present condition, is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have." - Dale Carnegie

"Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." - Archbishop Desmond Tutu Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with Vision is making a positive difference." - Joel Barker Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"You can have anything you want if you will give up the belief that you can't have it." - Dr. Robert Anthony Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

The practice of giving thanks is commemorated today in America as a national holiday. But if you want to live an abundant life, appreciation shouldn't be confined to a solitary day. It should be incorporated into your daily living. Appreciation is one of the highest emotional states you can be in. It is the state of abundance. The Law of Attraction states that like attracts like. If you are grateful for what you have already received, you will attract more for which you can be grateful. Many people find that it requires great diligence to cultivate an attitude of appreciation. We are culturally conditioned to focus on what we don't have, rather than appreciating what we've already received. "There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread."- Mother Teresa, Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize Appreciate the Smallest Blessings: Activate your gratitude by acknowledging the gifts most people take for granted. If you have food in your refrigerat...

In all things, let us always remember to give thanks. Carry forward an attitude of gratitude in all we do. For gratitude enables us to move on, grow and develop; with it comes peace, joy, laughter, good times and memories, these things come not only to you and your life, but to all you associate with! Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within." - Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is compromise." - Robert Fritz Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance." - Pablo Casals  Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Having great passion for life and in all the things you do is one of the greatest qualities you can portray. Not only will others be attracted to being around you but life itself will reveal greater possibilities for you. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Posted via email from summitleadership's posterous

"Our happiness depends on the habit of mind we cultivate. So practice happy thinking every day. Cultivate the merry heart, develop the happiness habit, and life will become a continual feast." ~ Norman Vincent Peale Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

"Your most precious, valued possessions and your greatest powers are invisible and intangible. No one can take them. You, and you alone, can give them. You will receive abundance for your giving." - W.Clement Stone Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Posted via email from summitleadership's posterous

The more you believe...the more you can and WILL achieve! Take action on what you believe DAILY and work toward obtaining your DREAMS! YOU CAN DO IT! Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Posted via email from summitleadership's posterous

A simple evaluation: What is the difference between something that is just "ordinary" to something that is "extraordinary"? Well the answer is in the word...that little something "extra". What little something extra's could you have done that could have made a tremendous difference in your outcome? Maybe you could have given it just a little extra effort...could you have taken a little extra time...paid a little extra money for a quality product or service. Sometimes a little extra can mean a lot! Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Posted via email from summitleadership's posterous

Did I make someone giggle, smile or laugh today? Did I take the time to really listen to someone today, give them uninterrupted attention, as if nothing else mattered in that precious moment but the words they spoke and the look in their eyes? Did I take a risk or try something new to stretch my boundaries and face my fears head on? Did I allow myself to count all the blessings in my life today instead of contemplating the things I don't have? Did I take a moment to imagine what I would like to experience in my life, if for no other reason than in the imagining, is the living, and in the living, comes the joy and delight? Did I approach each incident with the right attitude and respond in a positive way to control the outcome? Did I let go today, let go of resentments and unforgivingness that I have been holding onto, all the while realizing that another person may be wounded too and struggling with their own pain? Did I keep my word today, no matter how simple a promise I m...

"It is important for us all to live our lives one day at a time, and realize that RIGHT NOW this is enough. Reflect on the past for what you have learned from it...but do not grieve over it for it is gone. Look forward to what lies ahead of us in the future, but do not worry about it, for it has not yet arrived. Life starts NOW, Live in the present, and make it so great it will be worth thinking about later." Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Posted via email from summitleadership's posterous

Look to this day! For it is life, the very life of life. In its brief course lie all the verities and realities of your existence; the bliss of growth; the glory of action; the splendor of beauty. For yesterday is already a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision. But today, well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day! ...from the Sanskrit Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Posted via email from summitleadership's posterous

Your most precious, valued possessions and your greatest powers are invisible and intangible. No one can take them. You, and you alone, can give them. You will receive abundance for your giving. ~ W.Clement Stone Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Posted via email from summitleadership's posterous

What is it that YOU are grateful for? For me...Great family, Great friends, Great attitude, opportunities and outlook. Great life. Today, we are enjoying great weather. Go do something great! Make TODAY a great day! Enjoy! Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Posted via email from summitleadership's posterous

We all have the power to choose to MAKE today a GREAT day. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Posted via email from summitleadership's posterous

It is important for us all to live our lives one day at a time, and realize that that RIGHT NOW this is enough. Reflect on the past for what you have learned from it...but do not grieve over it for it is gone. Look forward to what lies ahead of us in the future, but do not worry about it, for it has not yet arrived. Life starts NOW, Live in the present, and make it so great it will be worth thinking about later. Live the life you DESERVE...live it with ENTHUSIASM...make TODAY a great day!

We have lost a legend. UCLA Coach John Wooden died recently at the age of 99. Not only was he one of the most successful college basketball coaches in history (winning 10 out of 12 NCAA National Championships, at one point winning 88 games in a row!) but he was a great human being. Coach gave us all great inspirational wisdom. Here are some of my favorite Wooden quotes: "Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are." "Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights." "Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." "Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability." "Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be." "If you're not making mistakes, then yo...

Remember how simple things seemed to be when we were a kid? Not a care or a worry in the world. One of the terms I like to keep in mind at all times is to "Be Kidlike". In other words..."Keep it Simple" - don't over-complicate things more than they need to be. Don't worry so much about what other people are thinking, saying or doing...just be yourself. Know what you want and need, and take immediate action to get it. Dream often and use your imagination. Say what's on your mind and believe in other people. Have best friends and rely on them to be there for you when you need them. Get excited about the little things. Take time to sing, joke, smile, laugh and play..daily. All and all...have FUN doing WHATEVER it is you are doing, NOW. There is a great guide written by Robert Fulghum, titled "ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN", which really illustrates this point. Read it and think about how things are currently in...

It has often been said that we become the sum of the five people we associate with the most. Just as we are the result of the things we think about all day long. It all makes sense, however, because we all know that people tend to influence our thoughts. If you don’t like the path you’re on, I suggest that you take a hard look around you to see who you’re associating with. Where could you be tomorrow, by surrounding yourself with supportive, successful, motivating, inspirational, positive thinking, action taking, dream building, like-minded people who truly want YOU to succeed? But out of all fairness...how is YOUR attitude? Are YOU being a positive influence on others? Are we all DOING OUR PART to support others first, and reap the rewards of living the "law of attraction"? If you want positive change to happen, take a look in the mirror first and see if you are doing your fair share. BE POSITIVE!!! We ARE the company we keep. Choose YOUR company wisely. And ma...

“2009 was a tough year for many companies. Through it all, the companies who decided to "get into the game" have all focused on improving their companies overall customer service. But then again, everyone who expects to survive the current state of the economy is focused on this. The competition IS getting tougher. EVERYONE is making changes. Some more drastic than others. In order for companies to get stronger and continue to improve in 2010, the focus needs to shift on improving the leadership within the company. It has to start at the top and be filtered down to every level of the company. Although at first thought, most people think that “Leadership” refers only to “Company Management”, but in reality leadership can be evident with ANY position within their company. But where do we start? The key is to indentify, start with and develop your True Leaders. True Leaders lead by example. True Leaders SET the standard. True Leaders seek to improve themselves in o...

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” ~ Gail Devers Sometimes we must take risks in order to gain. With each risk there is a possibility for failure. You must accept and acknowledge that. Because if you don't realize that failure is a possibility...you will never set your goals high enough. The most important factor is to take that Leap of Faith and never quit. All things are possible to those who believe. Believe in your dreams, and believe that you can and will achieve them. "Live the life you deserve, live your life with ENTHUSIASM...make TODAY a great day" ~ Curtis Hirata

"The victory of success is half won when one gains the habit of setting goals and achieving them. Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams." — Og Mandino

A truly energizing leader acts as a catalyst - the one who ultimately gets people going. They move others out of their comfort zone by believing in them and providing the support those people need to take risks. This person can raise the passion and enthusiasm of others so they want to take action. Change is looked upon as something to embrace, not fear. Challenges are met with open minds and more optimism versus pessimism. One of the principles in the Dale Carnegie Training program is for a leader to become a consensus builder. A major point is to arouse interest in your ideas by asking for advice and opinions. Make the phrase "What if..." a standard working tool. When people have had a say in setting a goal or putting together a proposal, they are more willing to work hard to make it work right. A respected and liked leader operates from a base of integrity and honesty. You can be trusted to do what you say you will do and people believe that you will act for the good of ...

Friends, here is a good thought for the tough times. We must endure. Remember this story of a carrot, an egg and coffee beans. It may give you a different way to look at each cup of coffee you have in the morning. A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a different bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl of its ow...

Do you have what it takes to make a positive difference? Why is it some people choose to make a difference and others choose not to? For most, it is the F.U.D. factor...Fear, Uncertainty or Doubt. Fear of failure, fear of how other people will react, or what they may think. (Remember the acronym F.E.A.R = False Evidence Appearing Real.) Don't give into this. Most of the time...we are creating these issues in our mind. "You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind." - Dale Carnegie Uncertainty that you are doing the right thing. Doubt that it will make a difference. Mother Teresa scribed the following: "People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today may be fo...

Times can be tough...or so it seems. It is so easy to fall back into the day-to-day of life and get caught up in what society wants us to feel. We must all remember to focus on our personal purpose. We must not lose sight of our dreams and goals. We must immediately look to our attitude. "Let others lead small lives...but not you. Let others argue over small things...but not you. Let others cry over small hurts...but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands...but not you." ~ Jim Rohn Remember it is our attitudes that help guide us through. We cannot control other people, but we can control how we respond to other people. How we let others affect us. Our ability to understand others shows intelligence, but to have the ability to know yourself first is true wisdom. Our ability to deal with others shows strength. Our ability to deal with ourselves first shows true power. We must be strong! It is easy to give in and give up. We must use t...

Never Underestimate...by anonymous When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember well the polished old case fastened to the wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother used to talk to it. Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person - her name was "Information Please" and there was nothing she did not know. Information Please could supply anybody's number and the correct time. My first personal experience with this genie-in the-bottle came one day while my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer. The pain was terrible, but there didn't seem to be any reason in crying because there was no one home to give sympathy. I walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairwa...

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low, and the debts are high And all 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 strange with its twists and turns As everyone of us sometime learns And many-a-failure turns about When we may have won had we stuck it out Don't give up though the pace seems slow You may succeed with another blow 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 worse That you must not quit!

Someone may have seen something in you once before. They may have given you a break, a kind word or a random act of kindness. That may be partly why you are the way you are today. Partly who you are today. A thoughtful family member or relative, a perceptive teacher, a demanding drill sergeant, an appreciative employer, a persistent coach, a caring co-worker, or just a friend who dug down in his pocket and came up with a few bucks when you needed it. Whoever it was, they had the kindness and the foresight to bet on YOU…and your future. Those are two beautiful qualities that distiguish the human being. In the next 24 hours, take 10 minutes to write a grateful note, or give a quick phone call to the person who helped you. The person who, whether they knew it or not, made a difference in your life. You'll keep a wonderful friendship alive. As a matter of fact, take another 10 minutes to give someone else a break. You could make a positive difference in that person's ...

Think about it. Athletes who have the strong desire to perform at their peak, succeed and to win, have to continually exercise to stay ready and strong. Yet, regardless of how strong, fast or physically prepared they may be, you always hear about the "mental side" of the game. Top athletes and teams need to also be mentally prepared in order to be focused, confident and ready to compete. You have to practice well in order to perform well. Practice doesn't always make perfect, it makes you better. Perfect Practice makes perfect. It is the mindset of champions. This mental state can be applied to anything you do in life. Think about where your are at in life as opposed to where you want to be? What things do you want to accomplish? What goals have you set? Whatever you are focusing on improving...whether it be your job, career, family situation, relationships or other aspects of life in general. It has to begin internally first, before you can make changes ext...

One of my favorite acronyms of all time is T.E.A.M. = Together Each Achieves More. People need people. And when people come together as a team, there is no task that is too tall to conquer. The fact of the matter is that "None of us are as powerful, wise or as knowledgable as all of us can be together". This holds true in almost every situation. At work it never ceases to amaze me how when the team pulls together to get a task or project completed, it not only gets completed faster, but it quite often turns out better than originally planned. Think about sports. Championship teams are comprised up of what? Well, simply put...a championship team is comprised of a team of champions. Each has their own role to fill, but more importantly have to learn to put it all TOGETHER to be able to come out victorious. Even Michael Jordan needed his teammates to win the NBA championship. Another good example you can find by watching geese fly. Have you ever noticed that when yo...

Everyone has used this phrase "T.G.I.F." or "Thank God It's Friday!" For several people this means a couple of days off, or just elation for the weekend and fun scheduled events with family or friends. We tend to get a whole different feeling based upon a certain day of the week. Well, that is unless you work on the weekends. Then you would have to have your own version...T.G.I.M.F. Thank God It's My Friday. In reality this "joy" we are feeling can be generatated at ANY time. If you truly wanted to and put your mind to it, you could create the "feeling" of "Friday" everyday! It just depends on how you begin each day and having the mindset that "Today IS going to be a great day"! There are several reasons why today should be a great day: I'm alive, I'm grateful for so many things in my life, I'm thankful for friends and family, I'm blessed with the ability to function, to choose, to make a diff...

It's only a few days into the New Year and I'm already hearing people feeling let down, unmotivated, overwhelmed and falling into their same old habits. Cursing the start of 2010 as if the change of the calendar was going to make all the difference. Really? Already? See, we all just need to get out of that mindset. Start taking responsibility and charge of our own lives. What are YOU doing to make a positive CHANGE in your life daily? How is YOUR self motivation? What GOOD HABITS are YOU forming to create the life YOU DESIRE? Jim Rohn said "Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." Are you doing everything possible to create positive change? What would you be willing to do for 3 weeks if you KNEW it would make a positive difference in your life? Would you wake up everyday and focus on starting off with a positive attitude? Would you focus on all the things you have rather than on the things you don't? Would you refocus o...

"Greatness comes with recognizing that your potential is limited only by how you choose, how you use your freedom, how resolute you are, how persistent you are...in short, by your attitude." ~ Peter Koestenbaum Sent wirelessly via BlackBerry from T-Mobile.

Change happens...we either take action and create it...or by default, we become a by-product of it. The choice is yours! What will you choose? "Live your life with ENTHUSIASM...make TODAY a great day!"

"Enthusiasm is contagious...be a carrier." ~ Susan Rabin Enthusiasm IS contagious! The great thing is that you can bring enthusiasm to ANY situation and make a bad situation good...and a good situation better! Try it for yourself. I guarantee you that I can walk into any environment and change it for the better just by adding enthusiasm to: a message that is trying to be presented, by adding enthusiasm to being goofy or having a good time, by adding enthusiasm to showing concern or understanding towards someone's own situation. Whatever it is...do it with passion and enthusiasm! Others will feel it and "catch it" and begin to spread it to even more people! "Live your life with ENTHUSIASM...make TODAY a great day!!!"