Read carefully

The following is a message from Daily Mentoring with Darren Hardy who is the publisher for Success magazine. This message is very important for those people who truly want to grow themselves as well as their future.    I have done exactly what he is suggesting- it's about investing in yourself. What are you currently reading? Who are you listening to? If you follow Darren Hardy's advice in this message, and keep at it you will be doing yourself a huge favor.  Enough said. Read carefully.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

 

What is the most important skill you need to develop in order to achieve your most important goal?

 

Decide today and then go buy a book or a CD program dedicated to that skill.
Go to your local bookstore, SUCCESS.com or Amazon... Then buy it!

 

If you want to think differently, you have to constantly and continually feed your mind with thoughts, ideas, and inspiration it needs to help you achieve your ambitious goals.  Your mind needs a regular diet of nutrition rich food. Bread for the head, as Jim Rohn would call it.

My car will not move without two things in it: gasoline in the tank, and an ever present library of instructional cds that I listen to while I drive around. We drive around on average 12,000 miles a year. That’s 300 hours of feeding time. Brian Tracy taught me very early in life to turn my car into a mobile classroom. He explained that if you listen to instructional cds as you drive, each year is equivalent of two semesters of an advanced degree in college.

Think about it: in the time you spend driving, you can obtain a PhD in Leadership, Sales Success, Wealth Building, Relationship Excellence, whatever course or cd program you sign up for. Combine this with a reading routine, and you can separate yourself from the herd of the average, cd by cd, and book by book.

- Darren Hardy, Publisher of Success Magazine

It's a human discipline

When we started in Shaklee it was a very exciting time in our lives. Both Faye and I had jobs that weren't really opportunities (they were jobs) and neither of us was in love with our job. The exciting part of the Shaklee opportunity was it had so many possibilities. There was a bonus car, travel, the idea for having our own business, and there was no ceiling on what a person could earn if they were willing to work hard. That meant the possibility of financial independence.   There was also the possibility of freedom which would mean we could have control of our time and do what we wanted, when we wanted. That was the dream

We never grew as quickly as many other people but somehow I knew if it worked for other people it could work for us. We just had to have the right attitude and focus on having long-term success. So many people seem to want it NOW.   Next month. Right NOW. I certainly understand that as we all would like it to succeed right now. We had belief that it could and would happen for us because we learned that many, many others were building, growing and having fun doing it.   If they can do it, so can we.

"Long-term studies prove the most important human discipline involved in long-term success is the ability to forego immediate gratification for a larger but delayed reward."

- Walter Mischel, Department of Psychology, Columbia University

If more people would just grasp the above idea and just keep on doing the hundreds of little things that has to be done over time, they would experience long-term success. You just have to have the attitude to just keep at it. As it says above, "the most important human discipline...." It's a human discipline. It's not a secret. It's not a special  presentation. It's not about talent. It's not about being lucky. It's a discipline. It's about keeping at it and don't stop believing because it can happen for you.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Investing in yourself

I read that the high achievers separate themselves because they make the effort and take the time to master the basic fundamentals. Just think for a minute. If you or anyone you know have an opportunity like we have in Shaklee, the path that will help you become one of the high achievers is simply to master the fundamentals. In this business the fundamentals are asking questions, becoming a great listener, acquiring appointments, giving good and simple presentations, telling the Shaklee story, following up, becoming a leader, attending every meeting possible, reading good books, developing great people skills, and becoming an "over-comer" for everyone who wins the battle over adversities will surely be a top achiever.

The list might be long, but the point is that if you are willing to invest in yourself in this business and master the fundamentals, your R.O.I. (Return On Investment) will be awesome in a few short years. So it's really about being willing to invest in yourself so you can assure yourself of becoming one of the high achievers.

The simple reason you must invest in yourself is because no one else can do it for you. This is something each individual must be willing to do themselves. Think about it, then make the decision that you are ready and willing to invest your time and money in yourself. You'll never regret working on yourself and becoming that person others call a high achiever.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke 

When will it get greater?

In yesterday's Minneapolis newspaper there a nice article about one of the rookie football players for the Minnesota Vikings, Teddy Bridgewater. Mr. Bridgewater is a quarterback and from everything I've read about this young man he is a very impressive individual with an incredible work ethic. He has lofty goals and has expectations to be highly successful in the NFL.  His comments about his view on work ethic and success got my attention - there is a message here about our business:

"My mom always told me that it doesn't matter what you're going through, It gets greater later."

That really rang a bell in my spirit: it gets greater later. It isn't very easy in the beginning. There are things to learn, skills to develop, but if you stay positive and work hard, it will eventually get greater later. That is so simple, yet so powerful.   What a great way of saying that if you have an opportunity it probably isn't going to be very easy in the beginning, but hang in there and keep doing the right things and know and understand that it will get greater later. Because it will.

Anyone who has become successful in this business would agree with that principle. I can remember very vividly the thought that went through my mind many times as I was driving to an appointment or a meeting - "I wonder if this business will ever work for us like it has for those people I hear at meetings?" Somehow I knew that if I would just keep doing the right things, stay as positive as possible and don't allow anyone or anything be a distraction and get me off track everything would work out for me.

I'll say this, it doesn't just get greater later, it gets awesome later. I promise you that if you will commit to working hard and develop those needed skills, this Shaklee opportunity can and will change your life and it will be awesome for you. Just remember what "mom" said- it gets greater later.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Obstacles...that's life. What to do?

There are times when things don't go as planned as we're building our businesses. Some people will say they will attend a meeting or meet for an appointment to look at products or the opportunity, and they don't show up and don't even call. I've had that happen many times and it's always disappointing.  Or maybe someone did show up for an appointment and they were definitely interested in learning more and  using some products but in a day or two they change their mind and what you learn is they talked to a friend who criticized them and their idea.  

There can be many situations that are disappointing. That's life. That's how it is.  It happens to everyone in any kind of opportunity. We all face obstacles. The following comment by Michael Douglas is from an article in Success magazine:

"Things happen. When there's a good wind behind you, sailing is a breeze.  But how you conduct yourself during difficult times is what's really important.  That's what separates people."

The last four words in that quote are right on the mark. Some people just seem to be able to handle adversity as it rears it's ugly head. You will face adversity and there isn't any way to avoid it. But as it says, how we conduct ourselves during those difficult times is the key factor.  Some people wilt, some quit, some lose their dream, some spread doubt and doubt kills more dreams than failing ever will. Why? Because doubt stops people from trying and failing is a result of activity.

We've experienced lots of obstacles over the years and it was somewhere in my first year in the business that I made a decision; I decided that no matter what anyone said or did, there was no way I was going to quit this business. I said that to myself hundreds of times. I still stand by that.  

Be strong. Be mentally tough. Fight back in your mind when negativity arrives. You'll never be sorry for fighting back mentally and building yourself a future.  Go for it. Do it. Stick to your guns.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Keeping your dream alive

Insome of these messages I have mentioned that it is every individual's responsibility to figure out how to stay motivated and inspired. What we have in this opportunity is the potential to literally change lives. Not just other people's lives through these awesome products, but we have the opportunity to change our own lives.

Faye and I have had our lives change in a big way over the years. Little did we know when we got started what the future held for us. What we did know was that this opportunity would reward being consistent and staying future-driven in our minds. We were building a lifestyle and not just "doing Shaklee." It worked for us and many, many others and it will work for you as well.

One of the key factors is do not let your fire go out - what I mean is if you have a dream of how you want to live, then make sure you know how to stay on course and be internally inspired to work hard on a daily and weekly basis. Remember, success is not an event. It doesn't just happen to a few lucky people. It happens for those who are willing to do the hundreds of small things over a period  of time. It's not the big things, it's doing the daily calls, making appointments, hearing "no thanks" at times, attending the meetings, read good books, listen to your mentors, asking questions and lsitening.

Think about it. What do you have planned to do today? It's never too late to have a plan and then work it.

Remember, don't allow your fire to die out. Keep it alive. You'll never regret it.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

How to be great

I have conversations weekly about this business. I think many people are looking for the secret and there isn't one. Of course, there are many things to be actively doing, but once you get yourself  started learning what to do, why to do it, when to do it, and then of course how to do it, you will make progress. 

You don't have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great.

- Les Brown

Such a simple principle.  Getting yourself started and keeping yourself "started" is the key. Do something every day for your self and your business. Read a chapter of a good book, listen to a CD, call your mentor and have a discussion about being consistent and what that can mean for you, talk to someone you know who encourages you....

The biggest job we have in this business  is to keep ourselves motivated and/or inspired. We have to learn how to put ourselves in motion doing the right things. If you don't know what the right things to do are I suggest you might want to call your upline or your mentor and talk about the right things to do. Take notes.  Write out your plan. What steps must be taken for you to develop the skills that are needed in this business? Then get started. Get re-started. Stay started.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

How does your future look?

I've been asked many times what was it that compelled me to check this opportunity out the way I did for four months. I was fortunate because the guy who sponsored me didn't just talk about the products. He certainly did talk about them and even did a couple demonstrations for me. But what I remember about that first encounter and hearing about this business was the fact that he also talked about possibilities - living debt free, earning more than you might need, travel, owning your own business, it's more about building than just selling, building a future for yourself.

I got excited about the possibilities - the future. I just had to learn if what he was saying was true. My goal became to learn about this new opportunity and to use the products, attend every meeting possible, and meet some people who where making it work and ask questions and listen to those people who were at the top.  

I was 31 years old and had a good job, had a company car, wore a jacket and tie every day...but in my mind I didn't have much of a future. My desire was to have a future. That compelled me to learn as much as I could as fast as I could. It didn't take long to learn that this was a special company with awesome products and there were people I met who were very successful.  

Here is my major point for today: every individual has the opportunity for a different future. The best way to get excited about the future is to know and accept the idea that we have an opportunity to re-design it. That is what happened to me. I started to think differently. I decided this opportunity had huge potential and all I had to do was to take advantage of everything I had learned. I had to get to work.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Be willing to do whatever it takes

The fear of conducting meetings is something that stops many people from building the kind of future they want. I know that speaking in front of people was far and away one of the most challenging things I've ever had to learn to do. I almost didn't graduate from college because I refused to take speech class. I knew it meant I would have to stand up in class and give talks. UGH!  I finally got a "C" for my grade in speech - barely.

When I joined Shaklee it was obvious that conducting in-home events and talking in front of small groups was necessary in order to have the kind of business that others had. I decided my desire to have a Shaklee business was stronger than my fear of talking in front of groups. That was a conscious decision because I knew if I wasn't willing to do what was necessary to build, I would never have it.

This could be a very long message about my fear but I won't go through it here.  The point is that I know fear stops people from becoming what they are capable of becoming. If you truly want to help more people, have higher monthly volume, earn more income, and have an organization of sales leaders, you'll have to do what I and many others have done: start doing the things that are stopping you from making progress. Don't allow fear to win the battle. Read below what some people have to say about having fear and being uncomfortable.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

No More Jitters

You might find it helpful to know that some of the most successful and famous public speakers have the same ancient brain wiring issues we all have.

- Mark Twain, who made most of his income from speaking, not writing, said, “There are two types of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are liars.”

- Elvis Presley said, “I’ve never gotten over what they call stage fright. I go through it every show.”

- Bono, of U2, claims to get nervous the morning of every one of the thousands of shows he’s performed.

- Thomas Jefferson was so afraid of public speaking that he had some one else read the State of the Union Address. George Washington didn’t like speaking either.

- Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Margaret Thatcher, Barbara Walters, Johnny Carson, Barbara Streisand have all reported fears of public communication.

- Even Aristotle, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Winston Churchill, Jack Welch and James Earl Jones… and as we now know, the former King of England, all had stutters and were nervous speakers at one time in their lives.

So, hey, if you are a bit nervous, you are in good company… and there is a great chance you can still be stellar at it.

If it's to be it's up to whom?

We're still at the lake so I just returned from my daily ritual of going into town for a cup of coffee and the newspaper for Faye and Rachel. Life is good! Aha, I just heard the voice of a small person who is 27 months young and is very fun to have around as he of course is full of energy.  Where's mine?

There is a Jim Rohn quote that is profound and my guess is each one of you is familiar with it already but a reminder is probably in order. He said, "What is easy to do is also easy not to do." Read that a couple times and let it sink in as I have done this AM.

When I feel inspired it's easy to do something that is necessary to get done. At the same time it's very easy to feel kind of lazy (like right now) and not do anything. I'll do it later or maybe tomorrow is a familiar thought. What it comes down to is personal discipline. Everyone in this business has the same boss and to find that person is easy, just go stand in front of a mirror. You are the boss - president of your company, CEO of the operation, and it is your main job to be doing the right things to make sure goals are met and that progress is being made. The responsibility for the growth of your future is you.

I believe it's awesome that I can design my own future and that if it is to be, it's up to me. It's not Shaklee Corporation's responsibility to make sure I'm doing the right things. My decision is what counts and I get to decide every day what I'm going to be doing. I decided to write this message this morning even though to be honest I gave thought to just forget it today. Obviously I changed my mind.   My point is I get to choose every day. 

What are your choices for today? Make a call? How about making several calls?  Follow up with someone you've been thinking about talking to? How about looking at your goals - the ones you wrote some time in the past? No goals on paper you say? Why not think it through and decide what you want your business to look like 3 to 5 years from now? Then write some new goals and follow that with creating the steps to assure success, your process. Have a great day. Do something about your future because you're in charge of what it will be like 3 to 5 years from today. "What is easy to do is also easy not to do." 

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Doing the right things will pay off

No matter what it is a person decides to do it seems that the formula is the same for each person. That goes for this business as well. We all go through the same things as we get started and then as we grow and become more skilled there are still obstacles to overcome. This week in Minnesota the All-Star baseball game is taking place. Some of the best players in the country are here, so there are many interviews to listen to or to read about and I always enjoy reading the players' comments. The following is a quote from Joe Mauer who has been in the All-Star Game many times.  He is one of the best. 

"With being in this game so long you know if you keep working and doing the right things, things will eventually turn your way."

Joe Mauer has been having a difficult year as he has an injury that is keeping him from doing his best. But the point of his comment is that he knows that as long as he keeps doing those right things, everything will get better. The exact same thing is true about our business. As long as a person keeps up the effort and does the right things, regardless of what has happened, things will eventually turn around and be positive.

Listen, the message is simple and it applies to you and me and everyone else in this business: you just have to know what the right things to do are, work at becoming skilled in those areas and then regardless of what may happen keep up the effort because things are going to turn your way.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

A simple formula for getting started

I've been spending some time preparing a presentation and a number of thoughts come to mind. I think everything starts with good intentions. We are currently at our lake home for this entire week so it's going to be a challenge for me to turn the good intentions into taking action. 

A number of years ago I learned that if a person has good intentions and they keep the idea in their head, it stays as something we intend to do. We all know that good intentions don't accomplish anything - that is, unless we put our good intentions on paper. Once on paper those good intentions turn into a task.

Now I've got something to do because a task is something to accomplish. To complete. To get done.

Now we're going to need the mindset for creating the steps that will help us to accomplish the task. Creating these steps can be called a plan or a process (I prefer process). The last step is prioritizing our activities once we have the process all set and know the steps to take. 

Everything we ever attempt to do goes through this process. I know I have heard myself as well as others say, "I've got to get this thing started"; "I'm going to become a Executive Coordinator". In some cases this can go on for months and even years - remember, good intentions don't or can't accomplish anything.

If you have some good intentions but have yet to take any action, all it will take for you to start is to put your good intention on paper. Now you have a task.  Then create your process. Once you have your process it's a matter of asking a question: what do I do first? Get started by taking it one step at a time. A lot of us look at what has to be done and we overwhelm ourselves because the project seems to be just to much.  If you follow this simple formula you will learn that all tasks can be accomplished and success will be experienced.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

It's really two things that will determine your success

Here is a profound statement from the book The Answer by John Assaraf & Murray Smith.

People tend to be focused on looking for the how, thinking that is where the answer lies. But it's not.  Yes, you need to learn all sorts of how's but the real key to building your dream business lies in the clarity and strength of the idea - the seed. The how always comes after the vision and decision. 

Are you looking for the keys for increasing your monthly volume? Are you searching for the secrets to prospecting and sponsoring? Have you been wondering how some people seem to build sales leaders? The most interesting and challenging part of the above quote in my opinion is when is "The how always comes after the vision and decision."

The real question isn't "how to...?" The real question is what is your vision and have you made a decision that is etched in concrete that this business is exactly what you want. A decision that is solid is simply saying that "no matter what, there is nothing anyone can say or do that will change my mind. This is what I'm going to do." When a person has this attitude they will do whatever it takes to learn and develop the necessary skills.  

Just think for a minute about this idea that the how always comes AFTER the vision and decision. If you are looking for the real keys for building the business of your dreams you must take some time to think about your vision, which simply means you have a picture in your mind of what kind of future you will have, then make that decision that nothing will ever get in the way of you building what you want. The key isn't the products or the company as many people think.  The key is you and your vision and decision.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Ask for help!

One of the things that impresses me is that there have been untold number of books or booklets written about what it takes to be successful. There are no secrets but there are many different words that say the same thing about making progress, which of course leads eventually to succeeding at something.

I believe the first thing you should consider buying into is the fact that success is not an event that takes place at a certain time in our lives. Okay, we've got it that success doesn't just "happen."  Everyone talks about having goals and of course that's one of the major keys but having goals alone also isn't the answer.  I set lots of goals when I first got started and didn't make a lot of progress so what that is saying is I'm not much of an expert in that area. 

It took me a couple years to figure out that I needed to have a process in place in order to move towards my goals.   What are the steps I have to follow? My goals were not about having a home or a boat or travel the world. My goals were about this business. How many appointments a week would I have? The process for that simple goal was what are the steps for getting appointments?   Talk to people daily - how many? Make phone calls - how many? What will I say in my approach? What if they say "no?"     What if they say "yes?" I wonder who I can talk with who has made lots of calls and has had many appointments? A ha!  A great idea.

My point is have goals and get a process.  But talk to someone who has had some success in the area of this business and ask for HELP. The one thing that really amazes me about this business is most people don't seem to ask for help.    They are willing to just go out and do whatever comes to mind. The reason I know this is true is because that is exactly what I did the first couple months.   Once I learned to ask questions to people I met who had some success I started to learn what to do.

Don't shy away from asking for help.  Your upline wants you to be successful and will be very willing to teach and guide you. Ask and learn, learn and apply, apply and experience small successes.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

A great principle

Below is THE BEST explanation of an incredible principle. My suggestion is for you to print this out and read it every once in a while. Especially when things feel like they are slowing down. Ask yourself,"am I planting enough seed or do I just hope for a harvest?"

Gary Burke

The Law of Sowing and Reaping

by Jim Rohn

Here’s the first of the basic laws of leadership: Whatever you sow, you reap. Now here’s another way to put it on the positive side: In order to reap, you must sow. Reaping is reserved for those who sow, who plant. To deserve the harvest, you must plant the seed.Take care of it in the summer. Carefully harvest it and then do wise things with the harvest. Now, here’s the rest of the law of sowing and reaping. If you sow good, you reap good. If you sow bad, you reap bad. You can’t sow bad and hope for good. You can’t plant weeds and hope for flowers. Here’s something else about the law of sowing and reaping. You don’t reap only what you sow. That’s important to understand. You reap much more than what you sow. If you just reaped what you sow, what’s the exercise for?  An important thing to understand about that is it works both positive and negative. The old prophet said, “If you sow the wind, you don’t reap wind, you reap a whirlwind.” You’ve got to be careful sowing the wind. It comes back as a whirlwind. That’s on the negative side. But now it also works on the positive side.If you plant a cup of corn, how much do you get back—a cup? No, a bushel for the cup. You get back much more than what you plant. That’s the reason for planting—for the increase. Now here’s the next key to the law of sowing and reaping. Sometimes it doesn’t work at all. Everybody has to understand. The farmer plants the crop in the spring and takes care of it all summer. He’s an honorable man. Loves his family and is a decent citizen. But the day before he sends the combines into the field, a hailstorm comes along and beats his crop into the ground. And it’s gone. It’s lost. So this time it didn’t work. Now what must the farmer do? He’s got to decide whether to do it again or not. “Shall we take another chance the next spring?” We would advise him to do so even though he lost everything in the last harvest because more often than not, you’ll have a harvest if you plant in the spring. There’s no guarantee, but it’s pretty good odds. It’s better than Las Vegas. Incredible! The law of sowing and reaping.

We have the promise of a future

I heard some wonderful patriotic music over the weekend as well as some stories about people serving this country in a variety of ways. What a great country we live in! On the radio I heard one person say how fortunate they feel they are because they get to live here and because they live here they were able to "write a script of our life." They were able to make choices and follow through with the effort to assure they had the kind of future they wanted. That one comment,  "write a script of our life," made me think about one of the things I heard at a meeting in the first years: "we have the promise of a future." I wrote that down because at that specific time in the business we weren't doing very well. We just were kind of struggling, putting in the effort but things didn't seem to be working for us as they were for others.

I recall thinking that would be worth working for - the promise of a future. We had the opportunity to choose, to write a script if you will of the kind of future we wanted. Things don't just happen.  People make things happen and they do it regardless of obstacles, setbacks and disappointments. I got inspired by that idea of having "a promise of a future." I still use it occasionally at meetings  because I want people to know that they have a choice and only they can make it.

Faye and I chose to make this business our future. It was our choice. You also have the opportunity to choose what your future will be. Think about it. Write it down. Talk about it. Commit to it. With the company and products we have, as well as a compensation plan where we can earn what we want, we have every right to believe we can have the future of our choice.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Learning is a process

I was talking with a new person who is very excited about the potential of this opportunity but at the same time is kind of frustrated by what has to be learned.   This person wants to know everything NOW. I certainly understand that thinking but it doesn't happen that way.   Learning this business isn't an event, it's a process.  

There is a learning curve in everything. My suggestion to anyone who truly wants to have a successful future in this business is to not allow yourself to get overwhelmed. The same holds true for developing the necessary skills; don't allow yourself to become overwhelmed with what appears complex today because as you learn and get more experience it becomes simple. To me today this business is very simple. When I first got involved there were a number of things I had to learn and I made a decision that I just had to learn what the successful people knew. If they could do it, I just had to learn it. That was my strategy and of course it worked.

The more active you are working at the basics of this business the faster you will learn and develop the skills for building an incredible future. In other words, if one person is having two appointments a month and another person is doing two to three appointments a week, who do you think will learn the most the fastest? It goes back to the saying, "what you put into it is what you will get out of it."   Simple but true.

If you want this business to become more simple it's a matter of putting in the effort and getting the needed experience. One thing I hear a lot is, "I need some more information." That may be true but most of the time what a person really needs is more experience. Think about it.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

A man's reach

During my first year of teaching in 1965, I started reading what today are called self-help books. I read something that has stuck with me all these years in one of those books. The day I read this Robert Browning quote, I wrote it down on a small piece of paper and carried it with me for over 30 years. I would look at it every once in a while and it always seemed to help me to think.    

"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?"

When I would read this I always did the same thing and that was to stretch my left hand straight out in front of me - that's my grasp. Let's look at this in today's world. Did I do enough today?   Am I pushing myself to achieve my goals? Am I doing the absolute best I can do? If not, what is it that's holding me back from exceeding expectations? Am I making progress? What are my expectations? Why not work to exceed them?

It's such a simple concept but at the same time it is very powerful. Just think what would happen to this company if every sales leader would reach out and exceed their expectations. Also, just think of the example you will be for all the people in your downline. It's worth considering.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke   

Ask yourself questions

A great message from Jim Rohn.  What I particularly like about this message is in the third paragraph.

Notice the questions he is asking. The point here is to write these questions out and go over them in your mind. This business is about building a future and those people who continually ask questions like he has make progress very consistently.

Enthusiastically,

Gary Burke

Success Is Everything

by Jim Rohn

Someone once said to me that success isn't everything, and I think I know what they really meant. I believe they really meant that money wasn't everything, and I certainly agree with that. But I do believe that success IS everything. First, you need to succeed to survive.We must take the seasons and learn how to use them with the seed, the soil and the rain of opportunity to learn how to sustain ourselves and our family.  But then second is to then succeed to flourish in every part of your life. A good question to ask mature people is, “If you could do better, should you?” I think almost everybody would answer the question in the positive. If you could improve your health, shouldn't you do that? If you can learn more, shouldn't you do that? If you could earn more and share more, shouldn't you do that? If you can improve your relationships and spirituality, shouldn't you do that? I think that is what success is really all about. It is not just a destination that is set for everybody to try and go for. It is like Zig said: “Improving in every area of your life to see if you can't, with satisfaction, at the end of the day, week, month and year say, ‘I have made excellent progress this year for myself, for my family, for my business, my career and my health.’” I think that kind of success is something everybody recognizes as legitimate and something we should all strive for. An interesting phrase in the Bible says to strive for perfection—not that we can ever reach it. But it is in the striving to be a little bit better today than yesterday, in our speech, our language, our health—everything we can possibility think of. So yes, in my opinion, it is good to succeed!