Twenty Years From Now You will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did.
So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor and catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore
Dream
Discover
Mark Twain
Great Quotes from Great Leaders
For a long time I’ve wanted to publish a book about how teachers made a difference in the lives of their students; because I know they made a difference in mine!
I grew up in Trenton, Tennessee, a small town of 5,000 people. I have wonderful memories of those first 18 years. And during those years there were two teachers who I can say, with certainty, helped to make me who I am today.
The first was Ms. Bridges who taught me in the 4th grade. She was amazing! I’ll never forget her beautiful smile and her passion for teaching. She made learning so much fun and made all of us feel like we could do anything we wanted to do. The positive seeds she planted in my head are still growing!
Then there was Fred Culp, my history teacher in high school. To this day, he is still the funniest person I’ve ever met. In addition to loving his history class, he taught me that a sense of humor, especially laughing at yourself, can be one of life’s greatest blessings.
So if you’re a teacher, or if, like me, your life was greatly influenced by a teacher, you’re going to love this movie! The beautiful poem, The Heart of a Teacher, was written by Paula Fox. The combination of words, music and photographs is a “wow” that you won’t soon forget!
So to honor any teacher in your life who has made a difference, don’t forget to forward this to everyone you know.
Just click here to watch!
To Life,
Mac Anderson
Founder, Simple Truths
Today, we have a guest post from, Lisa Hammond! Lisa is best known by her blogger alias, The Barefoot CEO®. Lisa also co-authored one of our newest titles, Oh Thank Goodness, It’s Not Just Me! with BJ Gallagher.
In Nevada we don’t have the lottery, we have Mega Bucks—a progressive slot machine game—it may not be 300 million dollars, but it is certainly enough to change your life.
I am not a real gambler but whenever we go to the movies we walk right past the Mega Bucks machines and I like to put in a few bucks and fantasize about winning.
So every now and then I like to do what I call my “Mega Bucks Litmus Test”. It goes a little something like this…I ponder what I would do if I actually won Mega Bucks.
Over the years there have been times I wouldn’t change a thing. There have been times I would make radical changes. And there have been times I would only make slight modifications to my life. But what I have learned about myself is that this somewhat silly Mega Bucks Litmus Test actually has merit.
Life is too short to wait for our 10 million dollar ship to come in!
Whenever I mull over my Mega Bucks Litmus Test I inevitably end up course correcting and adjusting the sails on the ship of my life.
So what would YOU do if you won Mega Bucks?
Oh, Thank Goodness, It’s Not Just Me!
OH, THANK GOODNESS, IT’S NOT JUST ME! was written by BJ Gallagher, one of my favorite authors and Lisa Hammond, founder and owner of Femail Creations catalog. It is a book by women, about women, for women (but I’m still allowed to like it!). My wife and the women at our office just read it, and the verdict is in…they all love it! Lisa Hammond said it best…”This book is a celebration of the circle of strength women share – the common experience in all of our lives. The undeniable fact is that there is comfort and reassurance in knowing we’re not alone.”
Women have said that reading this book is like sitting down with Lisa and BJ over a cup of coffee – or a dish if ice cream – and connecting with the heart and soul of what it means to be a woman. Women of all ages will love the wonderful stories, amusing anecdotes, and original poems, as well as the fabulous photos.
Here’s a “little taste” of what great writing is all about…an original poem written by BJ and Lisa that I think you’ll love. Enjoy!
Declaration of Interdependence
by BJ Gallagher and Lisa Hammond
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
That all women are created equal -
but each is blessed with different gifts and talents.
That all women are endowed with certain individual rights -
but each must assume shared responsibilities.
For the happiness of all
depends on the commitment of each
to support equality and individuality,
rights and responsibilities.
We declare all women to be mutually interdependent -
banding together to support one another,
sharing our experience, strength, and hope,
that all may enjoy life, love,
and the pursuit of laughter.
We agree to encourage one another in tough times
and celebrate in good times.
We commit to taking turns leading and following,
inspiring and teaching,
listening and learning.
We agree to give credit where credit is due -
including us.
We commit to loving ourselves first -
because we can’t give what we don’t have.
With this Declaration of Interdependence,
we set ourselves free -
free from old beliefs that are no longer true,
free from self-doubt, insecurity, and loneliness,
free from self-imposed perfectionism.
We set ourselves free -
heeding our intuition in all her guises,
loving our bodies through every change,
finding our voices to speak our own truths.
We set ourselves free -
to create fulfilling work,
to form nurturing families,
and to build great friendships.
We are strong;
we are beautiful;
we are generous;
we are wise.
We are women -
committed to creating
a world that affirms us all.
Since we’ve released this book a few weeks ago, it’s gotten rave reviews! It’s a great gift for any woman, or you can treat yourself to a little “food for the soul.”
For more information or to look inside the book, just click here.
All the Best,
Mac Anderson
Founder, Simple Truths
Oh, Thank Goodness, It’s Not Just Me!
We’ve talked before (a while back) about thinking about and setting life goals
But I’d like to hear from all of you — what are your top life goals, what are your dreams, what [...]
We’ve talked before (a while back) about thinking about and setting life goals:
- Think about your life goals
There’s never a good time to sit down and think about what you want to accomplish in life. We have busy lives, and even when we’re not busy, we might just feel more like vegging in front of the TV or checking our feeds than thinking about the rest of our lives.
Do it today, if you haven’t yet. It could take as little as 10 or 20 minutes, and it could make all the difference in the world.
And it’s not that hard. You probably already have a good idea of what you want to do, but you may not have it written down. Or maybe you’ve done this exercise before, but you haven’t updated your goals for awhile. Now’s the time to do it.
1. How to start? First, think about what you’d like people to say about you at your funeral. This comes from Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — the habit called “Begin with the end in mind.” It’s also very effective. Imagine you are at the end of your life, looking back. What would you like to have accomplished? What kind of person would you like to have been?
Now here’s the key: start living your life so that you will eventually get to that point.
2. Now that you’ve given that a little thought, jot down some ideas for life goals you’d like to achieve before you die.
They can be in many areas, but here are a few to start with: professional, education, family, spiritual, travel, recreation, hobbies, community, charity. You can probably think of more, and you don’t need to have goals in all of these areas. Just some topics to get you started.
3. Refine your list, or expand it. After your initial brainstorm, you may want to trim it down. But you may also want to expand: sometimes it’s fun, and worthwhile, to dream big.
4. Now break it down. What should you accomplish in the next 10 years for each of these goals? How about 5 years? How about two years? One year? And this month?
Once you’ve planned out each goal for 10-year, 5-year, 2-year, 1-year and 1-month periods, you’ve got yourself a pretty solid plan.
5. Take action! I like to take my monthly goals, and make a to-do list for this week. What can I do today to further my goals? And if I can get just one thing done, I’ve done a lot to make those dreams a reality!
Take a step towards your dreams today by writing them down, and making a plan.
But I’d like to hear from all of you — what are your top life goals, what are your dreams, what is your mission in life?
If you haven’t given this much thought, or haven’t thought about it in awhile, there’s no better time than the present!
So here’s today’s reader question:
What are your top 3 life goals?
Let Us Know Your Comments At My About Page!
Or Leave Comment /Reply at the bottom of this page,
There are great quotes, many of which I love. Then there is what I’ll call timeless wisdom…great thoughts from great leaders who, throughout the ages, have inspired us, encouraged us, and of course, led us to do the right thing.
That’s what this wonderful 3 minute movie is all about…timeless wisdom. So just sit back, turn up your speakers and enjoy!
If you’re inspired, don’t forget to forward this email to a friend. They’ll thank you!
Just click here to watch
To Life,
Since I was a freshman in college, I’ve loved quotations. The right words can engage the brain and bring an idea to life. With quotes, I’ve had many “aha” moments, where I’ve read it and thought, “Wow, that’s exactly how I feel!” An idea that was once a “blur” can suddenly become crystal clear.
In 1985, my love of quotes inspired me to publish a small, 80-page quotation book that I called Motivational Quotes. At first, the book was offered as a corporate gift, but then we decided to sell it on a plastic easel next to the register, in hotel and airport gift shops. Little did I know what was about to happen. Sales exploded! We couldn’t print them fast enough and over the next 18 months, we sold 800,000 copies.
The light bulb went off when I discovered that many people love quotes as much as I do. I began to wonder…would they want to put quotes on their walls? With this thought, the “big idea” for Successories was born. Our theme in the beginning was…Decorate your walls with great ideas. And I’m pleased to say that millions of customers did just that!
Twenty three years have passed. The book you see here is the new, improved, updated version of Motivational Quotes. It still has my 80 favorite quotes that I introduced in 1985, but I’ve added 80 more that, since then, have helped to motivate me in good times and bad.
Selecting my top 20 quotes would be difficult since I love so many; but if I had to choose…just click here
to read.
All the Best,
Mac Anderson
Founder, Simple Truths
Move your dreams forward with the book and movie Dreams Are Whispers from the Soul. This
little book is your own personal life coach and author Marcia Wieder will show you how to
turn your dreams into reality with real life stories, motivational quotes and beautiful
photography. Enjoy this 3 minute movie to get you started today on realizing your
dreams!
Look for upcoming information about our newest titles, Pink Bat, The Best of Success and
Wisdom of Wolves.
Kind regards,
After a speech one day, Zig Ziglar was approached by someone in the audience who said:
“Zig, it was a great speech, but…motivation doesn’t last.”
Zig said, “Bathing doesn’t either. That’s why I recommend it daily!”
Like me, Zig loves quotes and believes that the right quote can provide “a-ha” moments and can help to reinforce a positive attitude. Here’s what he said:
“Reading has been my fuel for motivation. If the “a-ha” I get when I’m reading is not already reduced into one or two sentences, I’ll take the essence of what I’ve read and chunk it into easily remembered bites of information. That information is what becomes “quotable.” You would not sit still for me to read every book I’ve ever read to you. But if you’re the least bit like me, you’ll jump at the chance to bypass all the churning and scoop the cream right off the top – that is what quotes are…the cream of our learning.”
To say I’m honored to publish a book of Zig Ziglar is an understatement. Sixty Minutes said, “He’s a legend in the industry. He’s the Bill Gates, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison of enthusiasm.” What I love about Zig, however, is his heart. His ability to help people realize their potential is unsurpassed and his belief that, “You can have everything you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want,” has been the foundation of all he’s accomplished.
The book we’ve created together, Inspiration 365, is one of the most beautiful we’ve ever published. It’s a 160 page, coffee table edition that will be a perpetual source of inspiration for years to come. It’s a collection of 365 quotes (each day of the year) from Zig himself, and many others that have motivated him over the years.To read Zig’s favorite quotes or look inside the book, just click the banner.
To Life,
Mac Anderson
Founder, Simple Truths
The nest of young eagles hung on every word as the Master Eagle described his exploits. This was an important day for the eaglets. They were preparing for their first solo flight from the nest. It was the confidence builder many of them needed to fulfill their destiny.
“How far can I travel?” asked one of the eaglets.
“How far can you see?” responded the Master Eagle.
“How high can I fly?” quizzed the young eaglet.
“How far can you stretch your wings?” asked the old eagle.
“How long can I fly?” the eaglet persisted.
“How far is the horizon?” the mentor rebounded.
“How much should I dream?” asked the eaglet.
“How much can you dream?” smiled the older, wiser eagle.
“How much can I achieve?” the young eagle continued.
“How much can you believe?” the old eagle challenged.
Frustrated by the banter, the young eagle demanded, “Why don’t you answer my questions?”
“I did.”
“Yes. But you answered them with questions.”
“I answered them the best I could.”
“But you’re the Master Eagle. You’re supposed to know everything. If you can’t answer these questions, who can?”
“You.” The old wise eagle reassured.
“Me? How?” the young eagle was confused.
“No one can tell you how high to fly or how much to dream. It’s different for each eagle. Only God and you know how far you’ll go. No one on this earth knows your potential or what’s in your heart. You alone will answer that. The only thing that limits you is the edge of your imagination.”
The young eagle puzzled by this asked, “What should I do?”
“Look to the horizon, spread your wings, and fly.”
Copyright 2001, Tom Reilly
Tom Reilly wrote this beautiful short story that I share in The Power of Attitude. I thought that it was an unforgettable way to communicate that our potential in life is only limited by our heart and our dreams.
To learn more or look inside the book, just click here.
To see the entire collection click here Simple Truths Inspirational Gift Books
or here Inspirational Gift Books
Hodgepodge Comments