Rodney ( Lynn ) Lane - Dare to be Great!

The 4 Dangers of Not Being Happy!

2009-03-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

One -You will never get out of life what you want. Study and research show time after time that happiness comes with your drive to make things happen. This comes in the form of setting and pursuing goals and your purpose in life.

You have in your brain a mechanism that is like a heat seeking missile that looks for the goals you set for yourself. Also you have a deep need for growth and achievement. Without that you and I would have died out as humans many many years ago. Find your purpose and set those goals today.

“The tragedy in life doesn't lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.”- Benjamin Mays

Two - Your relationships will suffer. If you're not happy the people around you are not very happy. If you're not happy other people don't want to be around you much. If you're not happy you pass that on to your children and they are not happy.

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you make them feel.”
- Carol Buchner

Three - Your health will suffer. Happy people are more active and care about their health more. They know that by working on their health they feel better, look better and perhaps live longer.

Four – You will never lead. Without good health,relationships, goals and a purpose you will never be a leader of people or yourself. If you're not happy you will never contribute much to the people around you and you will find it hard to earn their respect.

People are more concerned with the leader before they become concerned with the leader's leadership skills, this is evident by our politicians throughout the American history.

Find the things that make you happy.

Thank You,

Dare To Be Great!

My new E-Book "Never Ending You" is now available.

Get your free e-book 12 Steps To Greatness, read what Zig Ziglar had to say about it.

The 1% Effect

2009-01-30T03:29:00.001-08:00

Are you a 1% person? Are you committed to doing 1% better tomorrow on the the things you want or desire in life?

It's easy to do nothing at all. But if you just commit to doing 1% better day after day think about where you'll be 1 to 5 years from today.

Making that decision is the hardest step. Making that first step will create the momentum you need. Once you start and take that first step the next step is easier.

Don't think to yourself, I should take that step. Don't just should on yourself. Kick that should out of yourself and do that 1%. Only 1% is so easy to do. But it is also easy not to do. Truly it's easier to do nothing at all and that's what most people do.

If you can do 1% better think what you could achieve by doing only 10%.

Follow up with your 1% commitment and continue to strive forward.

Rodney Lynn Lane

My new book Never Ending Youis ready.

Behavior & Success

2009-01-23T05:53:00.000-08:00

I have always been a student of human behavior as far back as I can remember. So much can be learned from observation and study.

I've learned that people naturally want whatever comes easy in life. That's a natural response because our ancestors had to conserve energy and to live and survive they did the things that were easy to accomplish.

Today we don't have to conserve energy to run from the predator around the next tree or rock to survive. Yet we still want that expedient experience and we want it now.

The great thing about growing up on a farm is the fact that I did learn you get what you work for and at times nature is not good to you despite all your hard work but you plant again next season.

Most people forgot how to work hard. Success and achievement does not come from someone else, it comes from responsibility, determination and hard work.

2009(c) R. Lynn Lane

Your Critics

2008-11-06T04:41:00.000-08:00

So many people get bad programming from an early age and they don’t have a fair chance at building a great life for themselves. They get programmed by bad teachers, parents, media and other authority figures in their life. The great thing about bad programming is that you can change it. You can start now were you are. If you’re nineteen or ninety you can start to reprogram your mind by feeding it the messages you need.

I had a discussion not long ago about science with a student of science at a university here in North Carolina. I told him that from my experiences every scientist I know and have spoken to are so arrogant and believe because of their intellect that they are the superior thinker and what they say is absolute and if someone has a different opinion from theirs, that person must be an idiot.

Well of course he took offence, I have no idea why. He suggested that I may have misunderstood them. Then evolution got into the discussion. He said; “If you know the facts and have another opinion, you are an idiot with bad judgment.” Oh, I’m sorry, my bad, I misunderstood the other scientist that said; if you don’t share their opinion you’re an idiot. You cleared that one up for me. I say that jokingly.

I don’t like the idea of others trying to impose their opinions on people by telling them they are idiots. I have never been a conformist and don’t think I ever will be. I form my on opinions by my own experience, judgments and research no matter what the subject is. What others think of you does not and should not define who you really are. Don’t take those things personal. Just move forward with confidence and grace.

I believe almost anything is possible. Not so many years ago if you were to say that America would have a Black Man as their President you would have been laughed at. The 2008 Presidential Elections put an end to that notion.

So many people down through the years have been told that they were idiots and that their ideas were only far fetched dreams of impossibilities. Einstein was thought to be slow and some said stupid when he was a young boy. The Wright Brothers were thought to be fools by many. Many successful men and women through history have had their share of critics. But, it’s not the critic’s opinion that make the dream come true, it’s the ability to keep moving forward despite the odds. You will always have people in your life that will never see it for you. That’s fine, just keep working on yourself and your dreams and do your part to contribute to this world.

The most important things you need for never ending improvement.

1. Discipline yourself to work toward your improvement.
2. Focus. It’s easy to get side tracked. Know where your going.
3. Help others when you can.
4. Always take action. A life without action is a life without purpose.
5. Learn all you can about how your mind and body function.
6. Learn from past failures.
7. Get new information regularly and apply it.

Steps To Greatness

2008-10-22T06:24:00.001-07:00

Break From Stress

2008-10-22T06:13:00.000-07:00

Break From Stress By Lynn Lane

Stress and pressure is a part of everyday life. We need pressure to help us move in certain directions. April 15th is a good example. April 15th at 12:00 midnight is the deadline many of use take action to pay Uncle Sam. Some people while in school always wait until the night before a big test to study for it. These are just a few examples of positive pressure you and I use everyday to produce an outcome we desire. Stress on the other hand is too much pressure without relief.

An example of stress can be found in the martial arts. I have studied the martial art of Kenpo Karate for some years now, and I can tell you that applied pressure and stress can end in disaster. Just as in the earlier statement about pressure, you can apply pressure and direct your opponent to a desire outcome. But you can apply pressure in the same area longer and harder and create stress to that area until you cause so much damage, recovery can be impossible. Stress in our everyday life and job can also take it’s toll.

A report from the National Consumers League states that Work is the biggest source of stress among adults 18-54. Three in four worry about their health and the health of their family. Seven in ten say they are concerned about their family finances. About six in ten say they don’t get enough sleep. Stress can cause things to happen to your body that will in turn keep you out of balance and unhealthy over time. Migraines, memory problems, hypertension, tingling, sweaty palms, panic attacks, chest pain and anxiety are only a handful of problems that can result from stress. So how can you take a break from the day to day stress? Well here are some ideas that work for people just like you everyday.

1. Take a quick break. Dr. Georgia Witkins reported on Fox News that if we take 5 breaks a day for 5 minutes each, our stress level would almost be cut in half.

2. Use humor anytime you get the chance. Laughter is the best medicine. It releases the good chemicals of the brain that promote well being.

3. Keep a stress record. Write all the things that stress you for a week. Go back and review everyday and work on the things that stress you the most. Many of us are stressed and don’t really know why.

4. Exercise. We all know the great benefits of exercise.

5. Get a massage. You can really release the toxins and stress you have in your muscles from a good massage.

6. Use hypnosis. Hypnosis is the true way to release the strain, stress, and tension of the mind, body, and spirit. Once you experience hypnosis and its benefits you’ll love it.

Givers vs Takers

2008-08-21T05:47:00.000-07:00

We live in a world of givers and takers. So many takers complain about how life is unfair and sucks for them without realizing that they are creating a emotional and financial deficit in their own life.

The universe keeps a score card of credits and debits that you create with your actions and thoughts. Imagine a list with credits on the one side and debits on the other. All the credits come from your contributions of emotional investments toward others. All your debits come from the negative emotions you create.

Thinks about all the thoughts, ideas, negative remarks, gossip, complaining and actions you take toward another person or a situation you’re in.

I tell this to a taker and they say, but life’s not fair. I say, you're right! Life’s not fair when a 2 year old boy is in the burn center with 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 60% of his body after a parent put scalding hot water on him. Life’s not fair when my wife is battling cancer and I watch her go through the pain and sickness.

Darn right life’s not fair. But it’s life. We all must deal with what is and do our best to work through it. It’s easy to look for the worst life has to offer. But life pays better returns when we make a conscious choice to give back the best we can.

Action Plan
1. Be Grateful for every new day!
2. Find a worthy cause to give to.
3. Always be encouraging and give others hope.
4. Lift others up every chance you can.

Become a Warrior of Success

2008-07-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Become a Warrior of Success and the Warrior of Your Life.

Look around at all the experts that have the secret keys, steps, secrets laws, and special powers of the spirit. Wow! Who has the right answers? Are you reading them all? Are you spending all your money on this stuff and collecting nothing but more information that has been around forever?

I got an email from one guy who claims to have the secret key that will open the door to all my dreams. And he was sure to tell me to buy this information at once. He first asked the question; how would I open the locked door in front of me? He told me that the answer to all my dreams was on the other side of this locked door. What do I do? Would I wish it open? Would I sweet talk it? Would I knock? He says I must buy and have his secret key to have my dreams.

Well I’d just kick it in and walk through! If life sets me up behind a locked door and just beyond that door is a free item that will enlighten me and help me on my life’s journey then it’s mine for the taking. I don’t need to buy a stinking key. Life will always throw obstacles in our way. We will always have hoops to jump through.

I believe it is our duty to find the answers and yes we can always find the answers we seek if we continue to look. The warrior of success looks aggressively and with the intention of working toward the end result of personal development, success and achievement in all areas of life

I believe we should become a warrior of success. The warrior of success is ready to take life on every single day. The path for the warrior of success is full of opportunities and possibilities. Are you a success warrior or a success wonderer?

I’m about to give you step #2 from the 26 that make up the code of all the success warriors throughout history. This information is compiled from the years of research and personal observations. You get only what’s real, not pie in the sky or feel good ideas that only leave you feeling empty and your pockets too.

The warriors of success live by a code, a code that helps in every battle and purpose as they work toward the end result of personal development, success and achievement in all areas of life. Learn the success warrior code and live it. Become a warrior of success.

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The Warrior of Success Code number Two. Look for the rest to follow.

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They take responsibility. No excuses here! The Warrior of success takes responsibility for who they are and where they’re going in life. They appreciate that life is brief and that a superhero will not appear and save the day. They never make excuses or blame others for their failures and mistakes.

Earl Nightingale said “We are all self-made but, only the successful will ever admit it.”

I know a 25 year old punk, I mean man that has been to prison twice, arrested for drugs, had his driver license taken away, has two small kids, has a drug habit, has no job and refuses to work, has no car, went to court yesterday, lives with his Grandmother who is ready to kick him his wife and kids out. And guess what? It all unfairly just happened to him. RIGHT!

He blames his Mother, his Dad, he didn’t have the right pair of shoes in school, you name it he blames it. The choices he has made that lead to this end I guess he thinks was not his choices.

The sad thing is that in America thousands and thousands believe the same way. They are volunteer victims.

Make a choice to never be the victim and blame others for your personal choices. You are responsible for your life and choices. Deal with what is!

Become a warrior of success.

To be continued.

Dare to be Great!

R. Lynn Lane

New Habits

2008-07-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

Create good habits that make you the person you want to be. We all have habits, some good and some are not. We learn habits our whole life. We can also unlearn and create new ones.

You can create a new habit by doing it over and over for about 21 days. Going to the gym, eating good and working on personal development goals will become a habit after 21 days.

You can’t do it all in one day, it takes time. You can straighten a crooked tree by binding it in the way you want it to grow if you do it in small amounts. Over a small amount of time you can also create that habit you want.

6 ways to stay motivated in the gym.

1. Recruit a partner with the same goal. You and a partner will tend to push each other. You and a partner will also tend to show up for each other. When you have another person depending on you, you will be there.

2. Make it fun. Find exercises that will add variety to your workout. Cycling, yoga, martial arts and kickboxing are all great forms of exercises that add variety.

3. Get out the calendar and mark each day you workout. This will help keep you on track and also give an idea of how quick the days go by. Also keep track of your progress.

4. Stop worrying about what others may think about you. For the most part others are in the gym for the same reason.

5. Go out and buy some new workout clothes after you have workout for about 4 weeks. Notice how good it feels to wear those new smaller clothes.

6. Get great information from others who are where you want to be. If you plan to us a trainer at the gym, find one that looks the way you want to look. If I want a bodybuilder’s body I refuse to be trained by the guy that went to a weekend seminar to get his certification and weighs 125lbs.

The Parade of Life

2008-07-07T09:10:00.001-07:00

The Parade of Life

I was eating breakfast one morning in a local restaurant where I often go not just for the food, but for the conversation with the regulars and the wait staff.

This Saturday morning like most Saturday mornings I had my little three year old nephew with me. I love to watch him learn new things and to see what new ideas and words he comes up with. He always gets the attention from the waitresses and they tell him how hansom he is.

One of the waitresses told me a story about her granddaughter. She had plans to go see the Christmas Parade in town and thought she would take her little five year old granddaughter. They both joined the rest of the large crowd and stood waiting for the parade to come by. Just as expected, right on time they could see down the street that the parade was on the way. As the people on the floats passed by they would wave and the little girl would wave back with a big smile on her face. The Grandmother was enjoying the parade as well and was really focused on all the different floats. As see turned her head to look at the next float see notice a familiar face waving to the crowd, it was her little granddaughter.

The Grandmother ran out to the parade float and got the little girl off and was relieved she was alright. The family laughs about that story still to this day. Seems the little girl wanted to be in the parade and join the fun and not just stand there and let it pass her by.

Are you going to stand and watch the parade of life pass you by or are you going to jump in and enjoy the ride?

http://www.LynnLane.net

Always Dare to be Great!

Rodney Lynn Lane

Speaker-Trainer

Taking Life On!

http://www.LynnLane.net

Poor Little Old Me

2008-04-25T06:41:00.000-07:00

Always Dare to be Great!
http://www.LynnLane.net

Rodney Lynn Lane

Taking Life On!

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The PLOM Disease.

Some years ago I met Zig Ziglar at a seminar here in North Carolina. Zig is one of my heros so that made it a great day.

One point that he made that day that I'll always remember is what he calls the PLOM disease. So many walk around with it and spread it around. You can catch this disease just by being around it for too long.

What is the PLOM disease?

PLOM stands for (Poor Little Old Me) Do you know a person that has the PLOM disease? You know the people I'm talking about. If you make the mistake and ask how they are doing, they start a list of reasons and complaints why they are where they are in life and how bad it all is. Les Brown says that 20% of the people that ask how you are, really don't care, and 80% are so glad it happens to you.

The best way to fight the PLOM disease is to take a personal inventory. Would you trade your job, your eyes, your legs, your freedom, the people you love and the people that love you for things to be better?

Og Mandino suggest when we start to feel down, we should take the morning paper, turn to the obituary and look at all the people that would trade situations with you in a minute.

Action Steps.

1. Stay away from the people with the PLOM disease.

2. Take personal inventory.

3. Take control of your life.

4. Notice all the people that really have problems to deal with compared to yours.

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Always Dare to be Great!

http://www.LynnLane.net

Rodney Lynn Lane

Taking Life On!

Significance

2008-04-10T05:29:00.000-07:00

One great need we have as humans is the need to be needed. We all need to know that we are significant. Significance gives your life meaning and without it you start to feel useless or not needed.

It's fun for me to watch people and how they go about getting significance. Some get it by being the know-it-all. Some get it by serving others. Some people get it by wanting to be in control of others. Some have short term significance by complaining, flirting, new car, clothes etc. True significance comes when you combine the talents you have with service to others.

Knowing that we all have a need for significance can serve us in many ways. If your in sales you can build customers by giving great service which gives them significance. You can build a great relationship with friends and family by giving appreciation and time which gives them significance. People never forget how you make them feel, so make them feel significant because they are.

1. Know what your talents are and use them to serve others and you will get your significance.
2. Make others feel significant because they are.
3. Know that you are significant and important.

Be the Warrior of your life!

2008-03-27T06:14:00.000-07:00

The one great thing about being involved in the martial arts is that the knowledge I gain while training goes well beyond self-defense. We learn self-discipline,respect, goal setting, endurance, spiritual growth and the ability to stay in the game even when it looks as if you're beat. All these things can be used in your personal life as well.

I have one thing I've learned that I think is the most important for your success in life. This one thing will help you if you're in the office or on the street. You can use this in any area of your everyday life. What is it?

It's the ability to take action! In the martial arts you can have the best skills and be in the best physical shape, but if you don't take action it means nothing. If your in the ring to fight or on the street to defend yourself you must take action or be hit. Ed Parker the Father of American Kenpo Karate once said;"He who hesitates meditates in a horizontal position." You must move!

The same is true in your personal life too. Most people talk a good game about all the dreams and plans they intend but never go into action. These are the very people that will point out your failures and mistakes. They never worry about failure because they never attempt to do much in life."A life without action is a life without purpose."

The Warrior of Life will always take action. If they make mistakes they learn and go forward again. In the end it's not what you plan or intend, it's what you do that will create results. Always take Action in the direction you wish to go.

Be the Warrior of your Life!

Dance :)

2008-03-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

What are you thinking?

2008-03-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

Emmerson said; "We become what we think about most of the time."

The Bible tells us "As a man thinks, so shall he be."

What are you thinking most of the time? We create our own thoughts and therefore create our lives and our world. Your thoughts and your actions have lead you to the place you are now and the person you have become. If you don't like who you are and where you are you can change that by the thoughts you have most of the time. When the human mind creates a new way of thinking you will also create new habits through your new actions and the effect will be a new journey, life, person and a new world.

Action steps.

1. Constantly think of the person you wish to be. Think about the things you want out of life.
James Allen wrote in his book "As a Man Thinketh" - "You can not travel within and stand still without."

2. Act as if. Begin to act as if you are already the person you wish to be. This will help to reinforce the new thought patterns and create the habit of your new actions.

3. Know that you have it within to create your world. The word desire in it's root means of the Father. If you have the desire you have the ability within to create or you would have never received the desire in the first place.

Always Dare to be Great!

R. Lynn Lane
Speaker-Trainer

www.LynnLane.net
email kenpolane@yahoo.com

Taking Life On!

2008-01-22T09:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.LynnLane.net

Always Dare to be Great!

Rodney Lynn Lane
Speaker-Trainer
Taking Life On!

The Person Responsible for Your Successby Jack Canfield
It's time to meet the person who has been responsible for the life you live right now.
This person has created your income, your debt, your relationships, your health, your fitness level, your weight, your attitudes and your behaviors. Who is it? To introduce yourself, just walk to the closest mirror and say hello! This person is you!
Although one of the popular myths out there is that "external factors" determine how you live, the truth of the matter is that you are in complete control of the quality of your life.
It's time to look at the life you've created and determine what is working and what is not. Certainly there are wonderful things happening in your life, whether it's your job, your spouse, your grades, your children, your friends, or your income level.
Congratulate yourself on these successes; you are creating them for yourself! And then take a look at what isn't working out so well. What are you doing or not doing to create those experiences?
It's time to stop blaming outside factors for your unhappiness.
When you realize that you create your experiences, you'll realize that you can un-create them and create new experiences whenever you want. But you must take responsibility for your happiness and your unhappiness, your successes and your failures, your good times and your bad times. When you stop blaming, you can take that energy and redirect to focus on creating a better situation for yourself. Blaming only ties up your energy.
It's also time to stop complaining.
Look at what you are complaining about. Really examine it. More than likely it is something that you can do something about.
Are you unhappy about something that is happening? Make requests that will make it more desirable to you, or take the steps to change it yourself. Making a change might be uncomfortable to you. It might mean you have to put in more time, money, and effort. It might mean that someone gets upset about it. It might be difficult to change or leave a situation, but staying put is your choice so why continue to complain? Face the facts that you can either do something about it or not. It is your choice and you have responsibility for your choices.
Successful people take 100% responsibility for the thoughts they think, the images that visualize and the actions they take.
They don't waste their time and energy blaming and complaining. They evaluate their experiences and decide if they need to change them or not. They face the uncomfortable and take risks in order to create the life they want to live.
Taking responsibility requires you to first decide to believe that you create all your experiences. Second, to pay attention to yourself, your behavior, and your life experiences. And last, to face the truth and deal with what is not working in your life. You have to be willing to change your behavior if you want a different outcome. You have to be willing to take the risks necessary to get what you want.
Isn't it a great relief to know that you can make your life what you want it to be? Isn't it wonderful that your successes do not depend on someone else?
Commit to taking 100% responsibility for your every aspect of your life. Decide to make changes, one step at a time. Once you start the process you'll discover it is much easier to get what you want by taking control of your thoughts, your visualizations, and your actions!
©2008 Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield, America's Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

Always Dare to be Great!

Rodney Lynn Lane
Speaker-Trainer
Taking Life On!

http://www.LynnLane.net

"Flight Plan -- The Real Secret of Success"

True Friends

2007-11-29T08:22:00.000-08:00

True Friend

Before my Dad passed away a couple of years ago, we had a conversation about friends. My Dad talked about how important it is to have true friends. He said, “If you can count all your true friends on one hand you are a very lucky man.” A true friend is hard to find. A true friend understands who you are without judgment. A true friend will show up for you when the others turn away. The following story defines a true friend.

A man was walking along a path one day when all of a sudden he fell into a deep hole. He tried and tried without success to find a way out of that scary situation. Before long he was exhausted and ready to give up.

He looked up to see a businessman walking by and he yelled out hey help me out of this hole. The businessman wrote out a check and threw it into the hole and said, here this will help and walked away leaving the man feeling helpless. The man continued to call for help from the dark hole he was in. Soon a priest walked by and said he would help. The priest wrote a prayer down on a piece of paper and threw it into the hole and walked away.

At that moment he had made his mind up that he would never get out of that hole. But, in that moment an old friend walks by and could see his friend had fallen into that deep dark hole and needed to find a way out. So he shouts down to him and asks; do you need some help? The man in the hole calls back, yes! So his friend jumps down into the hole. The man in the hole just couldn’t believe it. Why did you do that? Are you crazy? Now we are both stuck in here and we will never get out. What can of help are you? His friend said; relax, I’ve been in this same hole before and I know the way out. Just follow me and I lead you out of here.

Always Dare to be Great!

Rodney Lynn Lane
Speaker-Trainer
Taking Life On!www.LynnLane.net

Be like salt.+ The man in the arena by Teddy Roosevelt

2007-10-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

Be like salt.

Don’t be the person that does nothing because they can only do a little. If we wait until we can do it all at one time we will all suffer. Do what you can where you are with what you have.

History books are full of people that gave a little, but made a great difference to the world. A little salt in a dish can change the taste of the meal. Like salt you can make a big difference with a small effort.

One man from North Carolina made a tremendous impact on the world. Evangelist Billy Graham is only one example of how one person can make a difference. Billy Graham has touched millions of lives and has talked to more people than any person in history. We can all do much by doing little; it’s the small things that count.

I love what A.L. Williams says, “All you can do is all you can do, but all you can do is enough.” If all you can do is give a person a smile or a complement that’s great. If you do what you can with what you have you will make a difference in the lives of others. Remember to be like salt, even a little bit can make a big difference.

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The Man In The ArenaBy Teddy Roosevelt "Citizenship in a Republic,"Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, FranceApril 23, 1910

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. The Man In The Arena

Always Dare to be Great!

Rodney Lynn Lane
Speaker-Trainer
Taking Life On!
www.LynnLane.net
kenpolane@yahoo.com

The secret is the first step.

2007-10-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

The secret is in the first step.

What is the secret to Achievement toward any goal? The secret is in the first step. Newton tells us anything in motion tends to stays in motion. As I reward a student their first belt level in kenpo karate, I always remind them that black belt is the big goal, but the most important level is the first one. Without the first belt level you never get to the next. Just as in any goal you have to take the first step and grow on that. That first step helps you create that momentum you need.

Remember that life without action is life without purpose. Start with the first step today and keep moving toward your big dream or goal.

Always Dare to be Great!

Rodney Lynn Lane
Speaker-Trainer
Taking Life On!
www.LynnLane.net
www.lynnlane.net/blogframe.html

Are you in the top 20% ?

2007-09-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

Working toward excellence

Are you working toward excellence? Only 20% of workers are top achievers. Personal performance surveys show this over and over again. The top 20% earn a bigger salary, earn the respect of their employers and co-workers, and are happy at what they do.

What can put you in that top 20%? The most important key is to do something you like to do. When you work at what you love, the time and effort you put into your work makes it worth the hard work. Surveys show that about 60% of Americans hate their job. We spend so much of our life working; it makes no sense to do what we hate. Next, the people in the top 20% decide early on that they are going to be the best at what they do. They work toward excellence all the time. They go the extra mile. They seek out the information and people that can help them get there. They continue to work on themselves daily. It has been said that we work 40 hours a week for maintenance and any hours over that we work for excellence. Most people work just enough to keep their job and the employer pays them just enough to keep them there. When the top 20% are not working on their job they are working on themselves by investing time studying, reading and listening to educational material.

The great thing about being in the top 20% is that you will never be without work or employment for very long at all. The top 20% are in demand and will always be in demand even when the economy is slow.

Start today to strive for excellence. Find the work you love and decide to be the best at it. If you are in a job or career you hate, get out now and start working on what you love to do. Life is much to short to live in mediocrity and miserably. Strive to be on top, it’s the bottom that’s over crowded.

Dare to be Great!

R. Lynn Lane
Speaker-Trainer
www.LynnLane.net
(c) 2007

Get your free e-book at www.LynnLane.net

Forgiveness

2007-09-13T06:01:00.000-07:00

Forgive Yourself And Others
"Forgiveness Is The Key To Action And Freedom" ---Hannah Arendt
Without the ability to forgive yourself and others you are bound to that baggage. That is like putting your car in drive and stepping on the accelerator with the park brake on. You can't go forward and if you do, it's not going to be very far. But, once you release that brake you'll move forward feeling unencumbered. The same is true with your life. Once you drop the baggage and release the brakes, you're on your way.
Forgiving others can be difficult. Sometimes the person who has wronged you has no idea what they have done. Many adults in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s still hold some type of grudge or negative emotion toward the parents. Yet the parents have no idea they have done anything at all. When you harbor negative emotions like guilt, resentment, jealousy, and anger you set the stage for failure, bad health, and ruined relationships. If you can't forgive, you help your body create side effect and diseases that run from headaches, heart attack, hypertension, stroke and cancer.
Let it go so you can grow! You have no need to pay that same price over and over again. Let it go! You have no need for it; it does not serve you now. You are now maturing and learning from the past. Negative emotions serve you only when you learn from them. When you feel guilt, that serves you by letting you know that you have violated a core value. Once you realize that violation, make the choice to never do it again. And let it go.
One great way to release the guilt and anger is to use the letter. Sit down and grab a pen and paper and begin to write. Write all the guilt you may feel, write all the hate and anger you feel. Just allow it to flow from your pen. Forgive yourself in that letter, and forgive all the others you feel negative emotions about. Put it aside for about 24 hours. Then pick it back up and start to write more if you need to. Take your time and make sure you have it all down. Then take it to a place that you can burn it, and watch it burn and just let it go up in smoke. Notice how much better you feel after you finish.

Pushing Forward

2007-09-10T04:04:00.000-07:00

Has this year been hard for you? Have you had to endure some bumps in the road of life?
We all will at some piont. That's just a part of life. Murphy's Law says that what ever can go wrong will go wrong and when you don't need it. We all will have a visit from Murphy. I heard Les Brown once say that the only people that never have problems are the ones in the graveyards.

The bad thing about problems is that people let problems stop them from going forward. For some people it's the best excuse to stop in life. To stop pushing forward toward a goal or a dream.

I keep a quote in my office by Babe Ruth that says...Don't let the idea of striking out keep you from swinging. Babe Ruth always swung as hard as he could. At times he swung so hard he would hit the ground. He held a homerun record that took years to break. On the other hand he struck out many many times.
The great thing about problems or "situations" is that we have a chance to learn from them and change our approach if needed. The most successful people on the planet will tell you that to succeed you have to fail in the process. You don't have one without the other.

Check out this poem by Jill Wolf:
Don't quit when the tide is lowest, For it's just about to turn; Don't quit over doubts and questions, For there's something you may learn. Don't quit when the night is darkest, For it's just a while 'til dawn; Don't quit when you've run the farthest, For the race is almost won.
Don't quit when the hill is the steepest, For your goal is almost nigh; Don't quit, for your not a failure Until you fail to try.

Rodney Lynn Lane (c) 2007
www.LynnLane.net Get your free e-book today!

Dare to be Great!

The secret to passion

2007-09-08T03:42:00.000-07:00

The Secret To Passion

Tony Robbins is famous for saying; “Live with passion.”

Benjamin Disraeli said “Man is only great when he acts from passion.”

What is passion? What does the word passion mean to you? To some people it means enthusiasm; to others it means a deep desire. The word passion comes from the Greek word pathos which means “to suffer” or emotion. We use the word passion as something that drives us. When you say you have a passion for a goal or for a purpose usually you have a burning desire, a longing for it. And just like the word pathos means to suffer, you will suffer through almost anything for it.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said;
“Many people die with their music still in them. Why is this so? Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out.” That happens to people without purpose and a passion to move toward a desired goal. Passion makes the impossible possible.

Passion is what Martin Luther King Jr. had when he moved a nation to change. Passion is what the Write Brothers had when they pursued their vision of flight and went on to pioneer air travel when the experts said it couldn’t be done.
Passion has always been the underlying force behind all great things in this world. Passion creates power deep within that makes you take action and move forward.

It’s passion that defies the odds, that gives you faith and the drive to see your dreams through, in the face of hardships, which are bound to happen as you step out of the mediocre into your greatness. Passion is what gets you up when you get knocked down. Passion is the emotion that keeps you focused on your vision and purpose. Passion will get you up early and keep up late. Passion will give you that extra boost of energy when your battery runs low.

Imagine for a moment that you were out in the middle of the ocean on a yacht. Then all of a sudden you got pushed over the side and fail into the water. Then you felt a hand holding you down, keeping you under the water. With all your effort you try to push to the top. You’ll try every possible means to reach the top. You would be enthusiastic, excited and full of action. That is the type of passion I’m talking about. That’s the kind of passion that makes the difference in your life.

With passion and purpose you will always encounter some risk. Along with risk you will have some fear of the unknown. You may ask yourself what if this never works out. Instead ask yourself what if it did work out. Don’t die with your music still in you.

So, how do you create that passion that we’re talking about? How do you find that one thing that stirs you deep down in your soul?

1. To begin with you must have a vision. You must have a vision of a definite goal or purpose. Purpose has to come first. That’s why I put it first in this series Purpose, Passion and Power. The bible tells us that “those without vision parish.” The vision you hold constant in your mind is the vision that helps create the passion that pushes you forward. James Lane Allen said; “Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil.”

2. Have faith in yourself and for the things you strive for. Faith + Belief = Courage. Mark Twain said; “Courage is not the absence of fear but the control of fear.” Create the habit of knowing that you can handle any challenge that comes along. A positive knowing that you can learn and grow as you go forward. You don’t need all the answers when you start. Anything worth doing is worth doing badly in the beginning. When we learn to walk as babies we crawl, stand, fall and then we walk. We never stop when we fall, that’s why we’re all walking around today. The falls from your past doesn’t equal your future.

When Bill Gates sold his software idea to IBM he didn’t have any software to offer. He persuaded IBM to use his software and then he started to work to find it and become the richest man on the planet. He didn’t have all the answers that day, but he new he could find them.

The wake of a ship is only an indication of where it’s been. You don’t captain a ship by looking behind you. At lest the captains I know never do. You can’t direct your life in the direction you want to go by looking behind you either.

3. Seek wisdom. Ben Franklin once said; “Genius without education is like silver in the mine.” Any fool can become passionate and highly motivated, and then you only have a passionate highly motivated fool. Work on yourself daily. Read books and quotes that keep you on fire and passionate. Listen to audio programs that feed your mind with good motivational messages that inspire you. Inspire means to be in-spirit which means breath. If your not inspired then you have no breath, if you have no breath you have no life. Stay inspired.

4. Create the habit of discipline. Re-center yourself every morning or when you find yourself getting off track. Morning is the best time of day to get your self centered and on course for the day. Take the first half hour to an hour of the morning to get your mindset in order. When you first wake in the morning you’re still in alpha state, the same state you go into during hypnosis. This is the best time to help program your mind for success. Go over your goals list. List all the reasons why you’re passionate about this vision or goal. Imagine the successful outcome and how you and the people you serve will benefit. Make your blueprint for the day.

5. Look for the circumstances you want and take action!

George Bernard Shaw said;
“The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can't find them, make them.”

To often people let circumstances stop them dead in their tracks. When you find your passion you will find the circumstances you want.

“If thought is the seed of creation then action is the doorway to results.” …R. Lynn Lane

R. Lynn Lane
Speaker - Trainer – Seminars
www.LynnLane.net Get your free e-book Twelve steps on the pathway to greatness.
(c) 2007

A Life of Purpose

2007-09-07T05:06:00.000-07:00

The Secret To Purpose

Victor Frankl psychologist and author of man’s search for meaning said; “Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he can not be replaced, nor can his life be repeated, thus, everyone’s task is unique as his specific opportunity to implement it.

As a young boy I had a poster on the wall in my room. It was a picture of a very busy and crowded city street. The city was full of confusion. People everywhere, crowded streets, with signs and billboards. The words across the top of the poster ask the question. Why am I here?

My question to you is why are you here? What is your purpose on this earth? Maybe you’ve ask yourself that question before. Maybe you know your purpose but you’ve never made the decision to act on it.

Peter Drucker says; “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

The majority of people never live a life of purpose because it takes hard work and discipline. Most people just settle for what comes along. They live the life of quiet desperation. They talk about what they should do and dream big dreams, but never go forward. A life without action is a life without purpose.

Success has been studied and researched for years. We have more information on success today than ever before and one outstanding similarity is that the winners in life all have a major definite purpose. You see, it’s your purpose that keeps you in a forward motion. Your purpose gives you momentum. We need to know that we are growing and making a contribution. Each time you reach a goal your self-esteem will grow and then you’ll build on that accomplishment, like an avalanche it will grow as it pushes forward. That’s why winners have goals and a major purpose for their life.

Tony Robbins says, “People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals – that is, goals that do not inspire them.”

Some people have a goal to get up and go to work. Go back home set down in front of the television have a couple of beers and go to bed, only to do the same thing the next day and the next day and the next day.

If you don’t have a major purpose in your life, you will always be bound under the power of the people who do.

I believe that many people that you find in hospitals, prisons, and in the court systems are without a major definite purpose. Without purpose you have no compelling future to look forward to. Without a compelling future you give up on life and find yourself in a state of mind that’s not productive. And through the law of attraction you attract more depression and more of the things you really don’t want. Without a compelling future, people turn to drugs and alcohol to change their state of mind which is only a temporary solution and the reason it’s repeated over and over.

I worked as an EMT in my twenties and witnessed people without a compelling future many times. On one occasion we got a call to a railroad crossing in a little out of the way country town. The call was a train hit a man on the track. As I was driving to the scene I was trying to imagine what to expect. I was thinking of different scenarios in my mind. We didn’t know if this person was alive, if they were in a vehicle or what. So I was trying to prepare myself for action. When we got there I could see the end of the train way down the track and a figure of a body laying on the track about thirty away from the crossing. Then I realized that it was a man that had been ran over by this train. We later found out by a witness that this man had set there on the tracks for hours drinking beer waiting on this train. And just at the last second as the train was roaring down the track this man stood up in front of the train and his life ended in a tragic way. I have no doubt that this man had no definite purpose in his life to look forward to.

If you’re not growing in this life you’re dying. This world will eliminate you just as nature eliminates plants and animals. Think about all the things in your world that at one time served a purpose that you no longer have. You’ve gotten rid of those things because they no longer serve your needs.

If you don’t know your major purpose in life, that’s ok. Most people don’t know what their purpose is. It has been estimated that only about three percent of the population ever have clear goals in life. As you learn to set small goals that are consistent with your values you will begin to see your purpose unfold. Some people decide on a purpose at an early age, some wait much later. Col. Sanders started Kentucky Fried Chicken or KFC as they call it today in his sixties. He said; “I made a resolve then that I was going to amount to something if I could. And no hours, nor amount of labor, nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best that there was in me.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson said; “The value of a principle is the number of things it will explain.”

Here are twelve principles and action habits that have worked for me and many others that you can apply to help you find your major goal or purpose.

1. Some people never set goals because they feel they don’t deserve them. They have a low self-worth and low self-esteem. They don’t believe in themselves and feel no one else does either. I can tell you until the end of time that you must believe in yourself, but if you have low self-esteem that’s not going to happen. The only way to raise your self –esteem is to start small with small goals and build your momentum. Start by serving others in a positive way. That will also build your esteem. Start by volunteering at a local church, civic group, or a hospital. A person once ask Einstein, why are we here? He paused and said we are here to serve others.
2. Pursue your passion not your profits. Some people never have a definite purpose because of the mindset that their purpose wouldn’t pay much money. I have found if you do the thing you love the money makes no difference. The money will come. If you love what you do you’ll work hard at it and you won’t mind. You love it so much you would do it for free, but you’re so good at it you get paid for it.
3. Know what you value. When you start to set goals you must be congruent with your values. Make a list of your values and place a number from one to ten next to it. Number one, being the most important value and so on. If you value your relationships the most put number one there. If you value your health the most put a number one there. Only you know your highest value.
4. Surround yourself with successful, positive people. Be willing to ask questions, you’d be surprised at how eager successful people are to help you with answers. King Solomon said; “Better to be rebuked by a wise man than praised by a fool.” Don’t be surprised that as you begin working on this area that you may give up the old negative friends you may have in your life. Don’t be surprised if your old friends don’t see you as a successful person. Some so called friends don’t want good things for you because they want you to be as miserable as they are. Don’t let them hold you back.
5. Write your goals down. Most people never write down their goals because they say they know what they are and don’t need to. The winners in life write down their goals in a clear focused manner. Just by writing down your goals you start the law of attraction to working for you. You will start to attract the things you focus on the most. You should have one major goal or purpose then smaller goals to support that one big goal or purpose. When I started on my black belt in kenpo karate I knew the big goal was the black belt, but the most important belt is the first belt. The smaller goals will always support the big goals. Write your goals down in the present tense as if they were already here. Write your goals down with a deadline. Give yourself a time limit to accomplish each goal. Make sure each goal is measurable. For example you can measure a salary increase or losing weight.
6. Determine the price you’ll have to pay for it. I know you’re saying what? Pay for it? Yes, here’s what I’m saying. What are you going to have to learn to reach your goal? How hard do you need to work for it? What are you willing to sacrifice for it? Are you willing to stay up late at night and get up early for it? Are you willing to sweat hard for it? If you can’t answer these questions, then you are not committed to your goal. You must pay the price. There’s no free lunch in this life. You must pay in advance.
7. Write down every reason you can to support your major goal or purpose. Why is it you are working toward this goal? Through research we know that if we have reasons for our goals we tend to stay focused on the goal at hand. I myself do what I do because I had people in my life that said I couldn’t do the things I said I wanted to do. They would laugh or just roll their eyes and walk away. Some were of my own family too. So think of reasons that will inspire you. Reasons that will get you re-fired for action when you need it.
8. Create a plan and make it happen. Write out your plan in detail. Go back about every three months and reevaluate where you are. You can’t build something that will last without a plan. Start were you are now and think about were you’re going. Start from the foundation up. Just like a giant skyscraper. Zig Ziglar says you can determine how high a building is going to be by how deep the foundation is. Get your foundation deep by preparing yourself for action with a good plan.
9. Make sure your major goal serves people in a virtues way. When you do this you will respect yourself and gain the respect of the people around you. Be kind, patient, and generous to others. Remember the law of sowing and reaping. When you sow a good seed you reap the good rewards every time. The greatest gift you can ever give is the gift of yourself. When you have the virtues of kindness, patients and generosity you build your character and your inner strength.
10. Be bold. We come into this world without fear of new adventures, without the fear of what others may say or think. Our brain is designed for greatness, but as we grow we become programmed for failure. We are born with the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All other fears we learn as we get older. The good thing is that our fears are learned and conditioned responses. That means we can unlearn them and recondition our habits. The best way to defeat fear is through action. Make action a habit every day. The action habit will help you grow in confidence and lift you self-esteem.
11. Take action. Take some type of action toward your goals as soon as you finish all the other steps. Action will help you gain momentum. We all learn in school from Isaac Newton that once an object is set in motion it remains in motion until acted upon from an outside source. So get in motion now. Now if some outside source shows up to throw you off course, and it will. Gather more information, reevaluate your options and change your approach if you need to. When a plane takes off from Dallas and has a destination of New York, it’s off course most of the time. The pilot is always adjusting the plane to keep it on course. The pilot knows where the plane is going and keeps moving in that direction. The same is true when you’re working on your major goals in life. You’ll be off course from time to time, but if you know where you’re going and you have the self-discipline to adjust your path and keep in a forward motion you will get there.
12. Read your goals list daily. We know that we can only hold one dominant thought in our mind. Emerson said; “A man is what he thinks about all day long”. The bible tells us that “As a man thinks than that also shall he be.” When you review your goals daily you begin the process of attraction. You’ll begin to notice things that will lead you nearer to your goal. People will show up to help. You’ll find resources that didn’t exist before. The universe will be on your side. The things you’re seeking are also seeking you.

Now will it be hard? Yes! Will there be times when you’ll want to give up and quit? Yes! Will there be times when people will turn their backs on you and let you down? Yes!
Will it all happen over night for you? No! But, if you follow these steps and stay persistent, and continue to learn and grow from the successful people in life you will arrive at your goals much quicker.

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure…than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”
..Theodore Roosevelt

When you find your purpose, you find who you are, what you are and most important why you are.

In the end it’s not what you say, what you plan, what you intend or what you hope for; it’s what you do that makes the difference. A life without action is a life without purpose. Live your life on purpose. Ask the question; why am I here? To expand on this topic go to www.LynnLane.net and get your free e-book, twelve steps on the pathway to greatness.

© All rights reserved by Rodney Lynn Lane.
R. L. Lane
Speaker-Trainer-Seminars
P.O. Box 741
Vass, N.C. 28394
www.LynnLane.net