Success in 2013.

 If there is one thing that you and I need to help us find success and fulfillment in this world it is faith. The kind of faith that moves us to get on our knees and plead  with the Lord for guidance, and then, having a measure of divine confidence, get on our feet and go to work to help bring the desired results to pass.

Lessons to Learn from a Centurian - How to live to 100.

1. Just Move. Whether walking, fishing, swimming, playing an instrument or carrying children - keep your body moving.

2. Have a Purpose. What gets you out of bed in the morning? Discover what your reason for living is and allow that to passionately drive you.

3. Eat Wisely. Eat small portions of food with a lot of plant-based ingredients.  Eat until you're about 80 percent full

4. Stay Connected. Surround yourself with family and friends that are engaging, trusting and trustworthy.

5. Have Low Stress. Live life to be enjoyed, not to be stressed over.

Six Traits of Extraordinary Achievers.

In my work with entrepreneurs, athletes, business leaders and other highly successful people, I've noticed that extraordinary achievers often share common characteristics and traits. While the following list isn't exhaustive, it highlights some of the key attributes of those who are among the very best at what they do. This is a list worth striving for in your own personal and professional development. Assess yourself to determine where growth opportunities exist.

1. They are masters of self.

The woman or man who becomes excellent and sustains that excellence throughout his or her life is first and foremost a master of self. She knows that nobody else can do for her what only she can do for herself. The motivated person takes responsibility for decisions, actions and motivation.

Beyond taking responsibility, the best become failure-proof. That doesn't mean they don't make mistakes or miss their goals from time to time. It does mean that they don't allow setbacks to prevent them from trying again. They often use their setbacks to leap ahead. They learn from their mistakes and adjust their efforts accordingly. They are paragons of perseverance.

2. They are curious about many things.

Extraordinary achievers aren't just "learned." The best have learned how to learn. They understand the principles and techniques that enable them to learn whatever is important for their improvement and advancement. They live the motto of the late Cavett Robert who said school is never out for the professional.

More often than not the best learn the most important lessons after their formal education has ended. Some of the great achievers never had much formal education. All, however, have enrolled in the university of practical experience. This enables them to learn much more from the same experiences that others have but ignore. The best continue to perpetually expand their knowledge base and skill set.

3. They add value to what they do.

Highly successful people either create new value or they add value to the important work they do. They compete successfully by offering better ideas, products and/or services than their competitors. They do more than talk about "value-added"--they deliver on it.

The best are artists at taking ordinary job responsibilities, products and services and making them extraordinary. They are real-world transformers who practice the art and science of value creation.

4. They build relationships rather than simply interacting.

They understand that all results are created by and through interactions with others. As a result, they have become students of psychology. They understand that strong relationships create loyalty and are the basis of partnerships and teamwork. They best network to develop distribution channels for their talents and work well in partnerships with customers and teams of colleagues.

They are also highly influential. They don't just tell; they sell. Believing that your product, service or idea is so good that it doesn't need to be sold is the height of arrogance.

They know that their ideas are competing for attention in the marketplace of ideas. They enlist the support and involvement of others through their passionate ability to persuade.

5. They create opportunities and embrace the change.

Resistance to change is the norm. Few initiate change for themselves or their organizations. But the best know the futility of resisting the inevitable and use change to their advantage. But they are not mastered by change. Instead, they are change masters. They make the most of changes that are necessary, and they pursue the changes that are profitable.

Achievers don't waste energy trying to put more time in their lives. They know this is impossible. Instead, they demonstrate that you can put more life in your time.

6. They are "Go-Givers."

Money is important to many of the best, but more often than not, it is a means of keeping score. The best are those who leave a legacy and live by the service ethic. In the process, they find their material rewards are matched or exceeded by the meaning they create in the process. (My friends Bob Burg and John David Mann wrote a great little book entitled, The Go Giver.)

They best fulfill a passion for significance. They outlive themselves not by the results they've achieved, but by the way they've affected and touched others.

Whether formal leaders, entrepreneurs or employees, they have a profound impact on others because of the example they set. They inspire through their own efforts.

Education.

Education is a synonym for possibility. True education is never solitary; it is an improvised dance between teacher and learner in which roles necessarily and frequently reverse. – John Rosenberg, Dean of the BYU College of Humanities.

Why is it that the great fail?

It's a question America must ask, not only because we are the world's leading nation, but because the continuation of our lead has been called into question.

545 vs 300 Million People. MUST READ!

Charley Reese's final column for the Orlando Sentinel.

He was a journalist for 49 years.

He retired and this was his last column.

Be sure to read the Tax List at the end.

This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be. The article below is completely neutral, neither Republican or Democrat.

Charlie defined clearly who has responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day. It's a short but good read. Worth the time.

545 vs. 300,000,000 People

-By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If our military is in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ...

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Tax his land,

Tax his bed,

Tax the table,

At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,

Tax his mule,

Teach him taxes

Are the rule.

Tax his work,

Tax his pay,

He works for

peanuts anyway!

Tax his cow,

Tax his goat,

Tax his pants,

Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,

Tax his shirt,

Tax his work,

Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,

Tax his drink,

Tax him if he

Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,

Tax his beers,

If he cries

Tax his tears.

Tax his car,

Tax his gas,

Find other ways

To tax his a_ _.

Tax all he has

Then let him know

That you won't be done

Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;

Then tax him some more,

Tax him till

He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,

Tax his grave,

Tax the sod in

Which he's laid...

Put these words

Upon his tomb,

'Taxes drove me

to my doom...'

When he's gone,

Do not relax,

Its time to apply

The inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax

Building Permit Tax

CDL license Tax

Cigarette Tax

Corporate Income Tax

Dog License Tax

Excise Taxes

Federal Income Tax

Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)

Fishing License Tax

Food License Tax

Fuel Permit Tax

Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)

Gross Receipts Tax

Hunting License Tax

Inheritance Tax

Inventory Tax

IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)

Liquor Tax

Luxury Taxes

Marriage License Tax

Medicare Tax

Personal Property Tax

Property Tax

Real Estate Tax

Service Charge Tax

Social Security Tax

Road Usage Tax

Recreational Vehicle Tax

Sales Tax

School Tax

State Income Tax

State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)

Telephone Federal Excise Tax

Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax

Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes

Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax

Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax

Telephone State and Local Tax

Telephone Usage Charge Tax

Utility Taxes

Vehicle License Registration Tax

Vehicle Sales Tax

Watercraft Registration Tax

Well Permit Tax

Workers Compensation Tax

Still think this is funny?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

...much more than cheering is going to be required in the years ahead.

In election after election, candidates have told us that simple measures will solve our challenges, and that their election alone will guarantee a bright future. We generally join in the cheering of this prospect. But much more than cheering is going to be required in the years ahead.

Peace Be Unto Thy Soul.

Satan’s deceptive and cunning approach is to convince us that if we want God’s approval, we must do more than we know how or are prepared to do. That naturally sets the stage for developing feelings of being overwhelmed and discouraged.

He is a skillful imitator and he uses every possible device to accomplish his purpose to degrade and enslave every soul. Satan is adept at robbing us of courage, confusing us, making us believe that we are not good or capable enough, that our lives are out of control. In contrast to God’s counsel, he wants us to be pushed beyond our strengths, to be weary in well doing.

Satan is a wretched soul, and he wants us to be as unhappy as he is. And, if he succeeds, if we give in to what he wants instead of what we truly want, we can miss some of life’s most valuable learning experiences and be diverted from our journey back home.

“Peace be unto thy soul” is an important message for us to remember. We are living in a day of harsh competition and unreasonably high expectations coming from many directions.

We can better understand the Savior’s gift of the Atonement which is not just to erase our mistakes, but to provide a way for us to learn from our mistakes without being condemned by them.

Self-Mastery.

In your quest for self-mastery, remember the importance of living righteously in private as well as in public. 

Our behavior in public must be above reproach. Our behavior in private is even more important.

True Happiness.

True happiness comes from self-control, self-respect, and positive direction in life.

Dare to Stand Alone.

We live in a time when we are surrounded by much that is intended to entice us into paths which may lead to our destruction. To avoid such paths requires determination and courage.

A distinguished Notre Dame sociologist led a research team recently in conducting in-depth interviews with 230 young adults across America. I believe we can safely assume that the results would be similar in most parts of the world.

I share with you just a portion of this very telling article: 

“The interviewers asked open-ended questions about right and wrong, moral dilemmas and the meaning of life. In the rambling answers, … you see the young people groping to say anything sensible on these matters. But they just don’t have the categories or vocabulary to do so.

“When asked to describe a moral dilemma they had faced, two-thirds of the young people either couldn’t answer the question or described problems that are not moral at all, like whether they could afford to rent a certain apartment or whether they had enough quarters to feed the meter at a parking spot.”

The article continues:

“The default position, which most of them came back to again and again, is that moral choices are just a matter of individual taste. ‘It’s personal,’ the respondents typically said. ‘It’s up to the individual. Who am I to say?’

“Rejecting blind deference to authority, many of the young people have gone off to the other extreme [saying]: ‘I would do what I thought made me happy or how I felt. I have no other way of knowing what to do but how I internally feel.’”

Those who conducted the interviews emphasized that the majority of the young people with whom they spoke had “not been given the resources—by schools, institutions [or] families—to cultivate their moral intuitions.”

None of us should be in any doubt concerning what is moral and what is not, nor should any be in doubt about what is expected of us. We have been and continue to be taught God’s laws. Despite what you may see or hear elsewhere, these laws are unchanging.

As we go about living from day to day, it is almost inevitable that our faith will be challenged. We may at times find ourselves surrounded by others and yet standing in the minority or even standing alone concerning what is acceptable and what is not. Do we have the moral courage to stand firm for our beliefs, even if by so doing we must stand alone? It is essential that we are able to face—with courage—whatever challenges come our way. Remember the words of Tennyson: “My strength is as the strength of ten, because my heart is pure.”

(Shared by one of my mentors, Thomas Monson.)

Wise parents prepare their children to get along without them.

Our children are in our homes for a limited time. If we wait until they walk out the door to turn over to them the reins of their agency, we have waited too long. They will not suddenly develop the ability to make wise decisions if they have never been free to make any important decisions while in our homes. Such children often either rebel against this compulsion or are crippled by an inability to make any decisions on their own.

Wise parents prepare their children to get along without them. They provide opportunities for growth as children acquire the maturity to exercise their agency properly. And yes, this means children will sometimes make mistakes and learn from them. Henry Eyring has said, “Of all the help we can give young people, the greatest will be to let them feel our confidence that they are on the path home to God and that they can make it.”

Progress.

Make measureable progress in reasonable time. It is what we expect of our children, why not ourselves?

Have An Opinion About Private Equity? Here’s Mine.

Private equity firms and their investors can’t make money unless the businesses they are investing in get better. There is no way to exit or sell them to someone else at a higher value unless you have created something that is sustainable. And that somehow is lost in the current debate – the notion that all private equity is involved in asset stripping, and they are “vultures or vampires” leaving carcasses behind. Come on! There’s nothing further from reality. Wake up people.

Private equity tends to invest in businesses that are in some period of transition. Sometimes you can read those correctly, and in some cases you invest in a business that you think you can save and you can’t. But in the absence of private equity investment, in many cases, those companies go under much sooner, if not immediately! Then ALL the jobs are lost. So that shouldn’t be lost in this debate.

Employment in most private equity owned businesses is declining before the investment was even made. That’s why they’re there! And it continues that decline for a couple of years in some cases. So these are nuanced arguments, but all the more reason to resist the simplistic generalizations of private equity.