Hackett Global Marketing

Jim Rohn’s influence, transcends time.

Jim Rohn has been hailed over the years, as one of the most influential thinkers of our time. He was considered America’s Foremost Business Philosopher. He shared his success philosophies for over 40 years to over 4 million people worldwide. If you had not heard of him you, you probably heard one of his quotes. Jim helped motivate an entire generation of personal development trainers.

At the time of this interview, Jim was 75 years old. He said that part of him being a living legend was the fact that he was, still living. Jim wrote about a half dozen books but he lectured around the world more than a few times. He was known as a master motivator, author and living legend. I call him one of the world’s greatest wordsmith because he studied his craft so well.

Chris always asked his guest this question, How did you get to this point? Jim went back to when he was 25 and the Girl Scout knocked on the door to sell him some Girl Scout cookies. Jim listen to her excellent sales presentation, then he lied to her. He wanted to buy, but he didn’t have the two dollars, and he didn’t want her to know. He told her, they already had bought some, and they didn’t.

As she walked away he said to himself that he didn’t want to live like that anymore. He was married with family and he worked every day and he didn’t even have two dollars on him or in the house. It that moment, he made a decision that he would search until he found an opportunity that would change his life. To him it was a turning point. What is going to be YOUR turning point?

Shortly after he made a decision to change his life, he met his mentor. One of his quotes is, “When the student is ready the teacher will appear”, happened. He listened to his mentor for five years and over that period, he took action, and because of that action he became a millionaire. Jim changed the way he thought about life, and it changed his life for the better.

He developed the skills and the disciplines needed to move forward. If you want to enter the internet marketing world, be ready to put in some time and some work, period! It wasn’t until I came back from Miami Florida, that I really got plugged into the team. The opportunity is awesome but you, do needed a team in place, to help you, head in the right direction.

My focus has been on blogging about personal development because it is the key to my success. Jim Rohn also said that we get paid for the value we bring to the market place. As an entrepreneur, it’s always mind over matter. Napoleon Hill’s book the Law of Success was the book that started the transformation for me. When the prosperity team started to cover the book in the daily mastermind, I couldn’t have been happier. Napoleon Hill gave us a track to run on, and Jim Rohn, the master wordsmith, inspired me to be the engine that could.

What is it going to take for you to make a decision, to search and find something else? The economy is picking up, but people are making less. Will you settle for less or do you want more? Jim called it the mystery of the mind, as to why some will, and some won’t. He traveled so much over the years and he loved to hear about the people that made life changing decision, and how they were doing when he returned years later.

H.G.M.

Internet comments

Daphne Dobson
Earl, awesome post! I love Jim Rohn! He’s one of my favorite mentors. I love his Girl Scout cookie story. I’m blessed every time I hear it. When you get sick and tired of being sick and tired and you take the right action, then everything changes. Thanks for sharing.

Rory Singh
Thanks for the post Earl. Love Jim Rohn…a man of wisdom who still impacts millions of lives today! Thank you!

Keith Everett
What a great post Earl. Jim Rohn mentored Tony Robbins I believe, and he has been much a legend over the years. We are all lucky to have access to Jim Rohn and his work. He has certainly influenced many people over the years to become successful. Long may his memory last! What a great man.

Earl Hackett
Thank you for your comments. Jim really practiced his craft. When he first stated speaking and he was in the audience, waiting for his turn, he heard someone say this about the next speaker, approaching the stage, “That’s him, that’s the famous man.” Then one day, many years later as he was approaching the stage, he heard the same thing about himself. He then realized that he had come full circle.

I still remember the first time I heard Jim Rohn speak. It was part of a motivational CD program inside “Success Magazine”. I had seen and heard of Zig Ziglar, Les Brown, Anthony Robbins, Harvey Mackay, and Brian Tracy. But Jim said something on that CD that caught my attention and turned me, into a life-time student of his.

That was in June 2008. I had wanted to see him in person, but never had the opportunity, because he left us in March 2009. Many years later, I still quote him, and his life changing philosophy. His style was so down to earth, but profound. I now have several of his tapes seminars and many of his books.

He came from a very humble background (only son of a Idaho farmer who was also a minister). He met a man named Earl Shaoff who taught him principles that changed his life when he was 25 years old, and within a five-year period Jim Rohn became a millionaire.

Mr. Rohn ended up speaking to more than 6,000 audiences during his life time. What blows my mind is that many of the people I looked up to where taught/mentored by him.

Les Brown, who I have seen on several occasions said” I’ve been a student of Jim Rohn since 1972. He was then – and still is – one of the most profound thinkers and mind- expanding individuals I’ve ever had a chance to listen to.”

Zig Ziglar another speaker I had seen in person said,” Jim Rohn was one of those people who was always encouraging people to be their best. He liked to encourage them to do the right thing, in the right way”.

Anthony Robbins said, ” I truly believe Jim Rohn is an extraordinary human being, whose philosophy can enhance the quality of life for everyone who exposes themselves to it. He certainly had a positive impact on me at a time in my life when I was first forming the philosophies that guide me today.” Jim Rohn once talked about “the young Tony Robbins” who worked for him, at one of his offices.

I think that Harvey Mackay said it best, “Jim Rohn is one of the most articulate, powerful, and though provoking speakers I’ve seen. His unique delivery and style put him head and shoulders above the rest.”

He always stressed the importance of personal development, not only to benefit oneself, but also for those people whose lives we influence with our abundance. Abundance is not something you get on your job. You can make a lot of money, but it’s not abundance. You can buy a lot of stuff – but how many people outside the family, can you help?

If you came from “old money” like Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller, or Andrew Carnegie then you could make/leave an impact and help a lot of people. “New money”, are people like Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffett or Bill Gates. The next generation of wealth will come from new technology, and the internet; . Why? The world is getting smaller as the web grows.

WWW is the world wide web, which represents the whole wide world. You don’t have to conquer the whole world, just learn to get “your piece”. The web is going to grow as other counties progress, and it’s not going to slow down as the next generation grows up. If you have a business you need to click and get on your site to reach your customers. If you know others that you can refer, you need to get on board.

If nothing else I would like to introduce you to Mr. Jim Rohn. Sounds like Dave and Dave and a lot of other people have studied his teaching. This has been straight talk, beast mode.

H.G.M.

Internet comments

Mona Hasler
Hey Earl, I didn’t know Jim, when he was still here with us. Being a European, his wisdom only reached me with the advent of the internet. I’m grateful for the high widening of my horizon, since I bought an internet connection. Jim Rohn is one of the luminaries I’m grateful to learn from. Thanks for reminding me.

Dr. Steve Sheiner
Jim Rohn was amazing, and it’s so great to read those powerful tributes from some of the other amazing inspirational speakers! Great video from Darren Hardy! Thanks for sharing this Earl. It’s a great reminder and tribute to an incredible person.

Jenny E. Weeks
Earl what a wonderful tribute to Jim Rohn. I will certainly watch some of his videos. You know, there are many young people today who don’t really understand the concept of personal development. Thanks for spreading the message of Jim Rohn.
Sincerely Jenny Weeks

Alesha
I love Jim Rohn’s wisdom, priceless indeed! Thanks for sharing Earl.

Earl Hackett
Thanks for your comments. His last official speech was in 2009 and you could tell from the audience, that they knew there was not going to be many more. Jim may be gone but he is not forgotten.

Mentors should never be marginalized. Napoleon Hill always talked about Andrew Carnegie, and Jim Rohn always talked about Earl Shoaff and dozens of people still talk about Jim Rohn. There may not have been a T-Mobil Communication Company, if not for the power of a mentor.

John Stanton, former Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the board for T-Mobile Communication, blazed a trail in the telecommunication industry because of advice he received from a sincere mentor, named Baker Ferguson, who was Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Whitman College.

When John was a sophomore, in Whitman College, Baker gave a speech, and at the end of his speech he said, “If any of you ever have an issue, come on down to the bank, and we will talk about it.” John assumed that, he meant, what he said, and ended up walking down the road to the bank the next day.

As he was getting ready to knock of the door to Baker’s office his secretary rushed up and said, Mr. Ferguson is very busy, did he have an appointment? Before John could fully explain, what Mr. Ferguson had said the other day, Baker heard them talking, and opened the door and said, “That’s OK, come on in, what can I do for you young man?

Baker Ferguson had graduated from Whitman College and went on to Harvard Business School. He fought in World War II and was a P.O.W. When he came home from the war, he could have gone anywhere in the country, but decided to return to Warsaw Washington to work in the bank, his family had founded.

Under his leadership, that bank became one of the best banks in the country, based on investor’s rate of return. Baker had vision and he was one of the early investors, in the wine industry. At the time of his death, he was considered one of the founding fathers of the wine industry, for Washington State.

Years later when dedicating a building in Baker Ferguson’s honor, and another time, when he gave a speech at a memorial service, he told the story of how he thought, he could “just walk in without an appointment”, and talk with the President of the bank and Trustee of the college.

Maybe he didn’t know that Mr. Ferguson, the bank president was probably one of the busiest people in the town, because he had hundreds of people working for him. He later learned that mentoring, was just a part of his nature.

At the time John dropped in, he was trying to decide if he should attend law school after graduation, and what kind of courses he should be taking. John was surprised that Baker took so much time out of his schedule to talk to him. After their little discussion, “four hours later”, John decided to go to business school instead. After John’s dedication speech, some people came up to him later and said they had the same experience.

Taking time to listen to others and to give guidance must have been the reason Baker came back to Warsaw Washington. Have you had a mentor who left a lasting impression with you? Napoleon Hill and Jim Rohn were my main mentors plus I have discovered many more through Success Magazine and Chris Widener’s Made for Success series.

I still remember the first time I heard Jim speak. Whenever Jim tells his story he always mentions his mentor Earl Shoaff. Likewise, Napoleon Hill always mentions Andrew Carnegie. These two men; Hill and Rohn are always mentioned when people speak about personal development because they had such an impact on the industry and the world.

As a results, of speaking with Mr. Ferguson, John went into the business field, instead of law, where he spent 20 years in the communications business blazing a trail in the communication industry; first as co-founder of the Mc Caw Communication Company, then he founded Western Wireless Communication which turned into Voice Stream which then grew into the communications giant T-Mobile.

People are so busy protecting their job today, that mentoring someone may mean training your future replacement. The world is a lot more competitive now. If you are so busy working on your job and it takes all your time and effort, who else can you help?

Once you get the money out of the way; food on the table, kids fed and bills paid, then you can begin, to do other things. Once you learn to build a system that primes the money pipeline, you won’t have to show up every day like you do with a job. When that happens, you have reached “financial freedom”.

How much would you need to prime your money pipeline? Would $3,000 a month do it for you, or are you looking at $5,000 a month or more. Who will tell your story when you are gone? Who will be your mentor? What will be your legacy? This has been straight talk, no chaser.
H.G.M

Internet comments

Leonie Henskie
Wow Earl, you have the most amazing stories. We really must remember to edify our mentors and leaders over the years. I love how so many people are able to give their time to mentor people. One of the great mentoring programs that happens in New Zealand is Big Brother, and what the mentors do for the young boys there, is fantastic

 
Sheena
Yes, it’s always great to mention our mentors. All the successful people do it, and we have the mindset of abundance meaning there is more than enough for everyone!          Thanks Earl.
Tara Woodruff
Thank you, Earl,!! What a fantastic mentorship story! Thank you!

 

Earl Hackett
Thank you for your comments. Everybody needs somebody to move forward in life. Mentors are those special people that enjoy reaching out to help others. It’s the power of purpose.

Improving your communication skills is how you take your business to the next level; written, visually or orally. If this is your first time on my blog, you may not know that Jim Rohn was “America’s Foremost Business Philosopher”. He made his first fortune in the network marketing industry, and his next fortune lecturing and motivating people all over the world.

He called it: Communication, Presentation and Testimonials. Jim learned how to give good presentations, he conducted meetings with logic and reason; he attacked the problems and confessed the short comings he had to overcome. He said he was very uncomfortable, when he did his first presentation, it reminded me of my first presentation many years ago. Anything you start for the first time, feels strange and awkward.

He said his mouth was so dry, he could hardly talk and his hands were sweaty. I felt his discomfort my first time also. Jim struggled through his first, but he didn’t stop. He did it again and again, and every time he got better. He practiced the art of communication for over 40 years and became a master. When a newbie in the network marketing business gets up to give their first testimonial, you can see how uncomfortable they are. But 30 days later, you can see a major improvement.

To affect people with words is one of the greatest arts to learn. Learning to effectively use language, can make you a fortune. Over -coming rough life experiences and being able to talk about it is very powerful. Listen to Dave Wood and some of the other leaders and you will learn that everyone struggles, in the beginning. You can take advantage of other people’s experiences by becoming a good listener and taking great notes.

When working with people, you as a leader must learn to respond to “the people who deserve” not the people that just “need”. You may know someone who needs a harvest (a way to make extra money) but if they don’t do the work, they don’t deserve your time. You can help people as much as possible, but you can not carry them on your back. As a leader, you work with those who “plant their seed and their flag”. If someone plants, then they deserve the harvest.

You must teach folks how to deserve your time. You tell them, “If you take one step, I will take two”. “If you take two steps, I will take four”. They step, you step. They don’t step, you don’t step. Last time I signed up in a network marketing business, I signed up as an independent rep, not a dependent rep. “Love everybody but wait for no one”, is what Ty Best said.

When you first get started in anything you have a learning curve to overcome, just keep going until you get to where you want to go. Even babies must learn how to walk. They fall but they get back up again and again.

Then you as a leader must learn the 80 – 20 rule. 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. Also, be aware the 20% of the people will want 80% of your time. Work with your groups, but focus on the 20% that do most of the work. Realize that you cannot change people. You can help, but they must change themselves.

It’s called “personal” development which means YOU get involved. Join in the conversation. Good communication can help your business and your personal life. To order some of Jim Rohn’s motivational lecture go to the Success Store . Whatever, you do make sure it is the product of your own conclusion. If you start in the any business, get the motivational material. They are full of personal stories and techniques to help you to keep going. This has been straight talk, beast mode.

H.G.M.

Internet comments
Sue Price
Awesome post Earl. I was fortunate to have seen Jim Rohn twice live. My husband did a 3-day workshop with him many years back and it really changed the direction of his life. It is difficult to imagine him uncomfortable when he started to speak, but of course we all are. I agree, to affect people with our words is an art and one that I admire. Thanks for a great message and yes the Inner Circle is a great way for people to grow their skills.

Marko ‘X Ray Cat’
Thanks Earl for sharing this great post about improving your communication skills. That’s a skill set that I’m working on daily and not afraid to say this is my weak spot. I recently read the best advise I’ve got and it goes with this post very well – Do things you are afraid to do – just do them. I remember my first video – it took me so much courage to actually upload it to YouTube. I was so scared; what if people don’t like me, what will they think, what if they say something bad, etc? 50 videos later – if you don’t like me, go watch someone else, I don’t care. There are plenty of people who get me, like me and enjoy my unique self 🙂 That goes for you and everyone else as well :-). Just start doing and you will improve!

Sheena
Yes, practice makes progression, and learning from great speaker will improve your communication in no time. Thanks Earl.

Stephen Rosario
You are helping so many people with the value you provide in these post. Thanks so much for sharing and I will be coming back for sure …

Brent Jackman
Thanks Earl for sharing this. Effective communicating our message to help solve problems, is HUGH. Practice makes perfect.

Earl Hackett Writing well is a skill and a talent, just like speaking well. Practice anything long enough, and you got to get better, over time.

But when time gets tough, “it’s will”. Do you have the “will to continue on”, when life throws you for a loop.

Where you start from, does not have to be your end. Inky (Inquoris) was born and raised in the Kirkwood section of Atlanta Georgia. He lived with his grandparents and 13 other family members in a small two bedroom home. I grew up with a sister and two brothers on the East side of Detroit MI. Mom said there were others, but I met them much later in life.

I never slept on a pallet but mom talked about sleeping on pallets when she was young. Mom was a country girl who was born in Mississippi in 1919. Her mom died when she was only eight years old and she never really knew her dad. She was raised by her Aunt and Uncle who didn’t treat her right, so she married young, to get away from them.

Inky focused on sports to escape his surroundings of drugs and violence. When you grow up in a rough neighborhood you see a lots of things. As a youngster he played with the older kids and became strong and tough, along with being bruised and bloody. By the time he played with kids his own age he appeared small, but he was tough and wiry.

When Inky got to the University of Tennessee he felt he have to prove himself. At 5’9″ 153 pounds some though he was not big enough to play at that level. But he proved them wrong. The game of street football got him into college, but he was driven to be the first in his family to finish (graduate from college).

I worked on the auto factory floor my last semester of high school in Detroit MI. Mom did the best she could, but now I was living with my dad, and he was tight with his coins. Poor school performance was not acceptable with him. As a military veteran he instilled discipline and structure for me. I became tired of being broke but refused to mess with dope. I had witnessed a lot of crime and violence in Detroit in the 1960’s and didn’t want to end up in jail. In my mind, if you didn’t have a degree, you worked  in the factories, or you hustled on the streets. Attending college was not even in my radar at that time.

In the Tennessee verses Air Force football game, Inky played the normal fearless game he was known for. When he made that tackle, he didn’t know it would be a life changing event. When he got the word that he would not be able to play football, he was more than saddened, that he could not complete the promise he made to his grandmother. Professional Football was going to be the way for him to support the family.

He finished college because he was already there. I found it always easier to finish something, once you get your foot in the door. I enlisted in the Air Force to get away from the assembly line.  I came to realize that working on the line, was not that fine. My goal was to use the GI Bill to further my education. My life loop came, when I had to get out early to take care of my dad. If his friend  hadn’t stepped in, I don’t know when I would have started college.

Sometimes struggle brings new opportunity. Inky rebuilt his life and used his struggles to inspire and motivate others. Inky is a trail blazer, like a few others who have crossed my path in life.

H.G.M.

Why should you become a good reader?
This blog is from a set of notes taken from the CD lecture series titled, “The Art of Exceptional Living” By Jim Rohn.

There is an art to success, where you become the artist. Your life experiences and the knowledge you gain from others, determine how the final portrait of your life is displayed, for all to see, after you leave this planet.

Reading for personal development gives you more colors to paint your picture. When you work on your personal development you affect those around you. You become a better parent, a better spouse, a better worker and a better boss. Your future is still a work of art (the canvas of your life is still a work in progress) that can be started at any moment. You have a choice, so choose wisely.

One way to learn is from your own experiences. They can be either good or bad experiences. At the basic level, if you put your hand on a hot stove, you learn real quick, not to do that again. Some of the more complex issues of life, like personal relationships, bad career choices, poor life decisions take a little longer to learn.Why not take the time to read about someone else’s experiences, someone who already went through it.

Books have been written on so many subjects, of which an author may have spent a life time, working on an issue. To be able to read a book within a few weeks, could save YOU ten years of doing things the hard way. If you say, “I don’t have time to read”, then be willing to pay the price.

If someone wrote a book on how to earn a million dollars, or how to develop good social relationships, wouldn’t that be worth the effort? What should I read, is a good question? That depends on what you want to do with your life. Good ideas are all around you. But you must search for them. Books have been around for a long, long, time, now we have the internet.

Jim Rohn talked about how, and why, to study in those early years, when he was with his mentor Earl Shoaff. “Study” is the key word, for life change. If you wish to be successful in life, study success. If you wish to be happy, study happiness. He said happiness is not an accident it’s a study, then it becomes a practice.

If you want to be wealthy, then study wealth. If someone had told him about the study of wealth in school, he would have studied wealth 101 and 102. These studies are in the library under communication skills, financial investment, career planning, family relations, and leadership skills. With new technology, they are just a click away.

This is the small list of classics books I would recommend:
Law of Success – Napoleon Hill
Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
The Richest Man in Babylon – George S. Clason
The Greatest Salesman in the World – Og Mandino
See You at the Top – Zig Ziglar
How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie
The Power of Positive Thinking – Norman Vincent Peale

This is the small list of the CDs I would recommend:
“Challenge to Succeed” – Jim Rohn
“Take Charge of Your Life” – Jim Rohn
“The Weekend Seminar” – Jim Rohn
“The Art of Exceptional Living” – Jim Rohn

The measure of a man can be judged by his words. These were Jim’s parting words, for many of his programs: “ I wish you a life of health, wealth, and happiness, a life in which you give to yourself the gift of patience, virtue of reason, the value of knowledge, and the influence of faith in your own personal abilities, to dream mightily and to achieve greatly. Do something exceptional.”

I consider myself a good student. Recommend you Click and read the other stories, then join in. Have you ordered anything from the Success Store yet?
H.G.M.

Internet comments

Lynn Brown
I love that Earl, when you start off by saying “Reading for personal development gives you more colors to paint your picture” … That is so true and our personal experience can be developed through learning from great mentors like Jim Rohn. Thanks for sharing.

Daphne Dobson
Powerful post Earl! I love Jim Rohn! He was a man of such wisdom. It’s been said that readers are leaders. Thanks for sharing!

X Ray Cat
Thanks Earl. First I absolutely love Jim Rohn and second; reading saved my life! At my lowest point I lost everything and saw no future and had no idea what to do, and how to go on – I turned to books. Within the first year, I got my life back on track. Second year I managed to quit the 9 – 5 slavery and become my own boss. READING was the key.

Sheena
Leaders are readers so I think being a good reader is necessary.

Stephanie Arwine
I agree with Lynn’s comment. You paint a beautiful word picture.

Earl Hackett
Thank you for the comments. For those too busy to read, they should listen to something positive (on their smart phone) to start their day. YouTube also has a library of positive motivational videos that will brighten up any one’s day.
Healthy Mind, Motivation2Study, Motivation, Team Fearless, Absolute Motivation, Red Frost Motivation, Be Phenomenal, Delon Motivation, TEDx Talks, Eric Thomas, Les Brown, Tony Robbins, and Evan Carmichael to name a few.

Emotions can be negative or positive. We make decisions based on inspiration or desperation. Both encourage action.

Jim Rohn talked about the time he opened the door to a little girl scout who was selling cookies. Jim had been working for some time, but he didn’t have any money, and he didn’t want to tell the little Girl Scout he didn’t have any money. So, he lied. He told her he had bought some earlier, and they still had some cookies in the house.

When she left he said to himself, “I don’t want to live like this anymore. I’m married, living in America, the land of opportunity, and I’m so broke I can’t afford to buy Girl Scout cookies, and on top of that, I’m lying to a girl scout. How low can I go?”

From that point on, he said he was going to find a way to improve his financial situation. As fate happened, he met Earl Shoaff, a wealthy businessman who had a straightforward way, of explaining some fundamental principles that changed Jim’s life forever. Earl died within five years, but he left a powerful impact. What event will cause you to make a change?

Jim Rohn made a fortune in network marketing and then went on to start another career, as a motivational speaker and coach for millions. He was my mentor (by way of his CD/DVD lecture series) for a couple of years before he died.

There was a movie that came out several years ago; it was titled “Pay It Forward”. In the movie, a young junior high student does something to really help someone and they cannot pay it back, they must pay it forward, they must do a favor to help three other people.

“When I write about Jim, this is my way of paying it forward. There are so many excellent motivational speakers, but for me there was only one, Jim Rohn. Most of us like the idea of learning how to be wealthy, but he takes it to a deeper level. He talks about living a successful and happy life.

If money was the only indicator of success, how come, some wealthy people commit suicide? Money is great, but having money and a good life is even better. The Bible talks about what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul. Thirty pieces of silver was a lot of money, but his name was Judas, and he committed suicide. If you would like to connect directly with the works of Jim Rohn, google the Success Store.

I made a decision that changed my life, and it pushed me into this path. Three more years, is what I was looking at, before “full retirement”. I know my decision was made in desperation. Reminds me of another movie, I think is was titled “Network” where people stick their head out the window and yell, “I’m mad as hell and I can’t take it any more”.

Who knows, if I struggled for three more years on “that job” what it would have taken out of me. Would I still able to do this – blogging thing? Now this is part of my legacy that I leave my kids. My inspiration came from a man I only met through CD’s and audio tapes. Thank you, Jim, and I know I’m not alone.

I have discipline, because that is what you learn in the military. Jim said in one of his lectures, we should ask ourselves not what am I making here (on the job), but what am I becoming here. It’s not what you make, but what makes you, that counts. Personal development is an ongoing process. Anyone can, but few will attempt, why, because it’s also easy, not to.

The journey to personal development is never ending, but so worth the trip. Why not join in? What do you say to the person in the mirror three years from now, when you are in the same position, dealing with the same people ?
H.G.M

Internet comments

Tara Woodruff
I agree 100% , Jim Rohn was an icon of integrity in personal development and business!

Leonie Heskie
Hi Earl, I love your blogs and love the steps you have taken to get to where you are now. I love your quote from the Bible and the one that man cannot live on money alone. Love your writing. Thank you for another inspiring blog.

Earl Hackett
Thank you for your comments. Inspiration or desperation are emotions that require action. Thirty pieces of silver was a fortune, but his name was Judas and he hung himself. It was not the money, but what he, had done. In the dictionary Judas, is the one name associated with the person who betrays another under the guise of friendship.

Our attitude is based on values, which helps us to develop habits. Sound values and good habits, should be developed in childhood. Poor health habits at an early age, may result in major health problems later in life. Poor early money management habits, may also mean poor money management habits later in life.

Jim Rohn asked a simple question “What should a kid do with a dollar? If you say it’s only a dollar, let him spend it all. Don’t let him spend it all! Kids learn best from examples. Take him around the poor section of town and tell him, “This is what happens, when you spend all you got.” Unless that is where you already live, then just show him around the neighborhood.

Good reading habits and a positive attitude also affect how well we do in school. While you are in school, you should get all you can. Being broke at 40 is bad, but being broke and stupid is even worse. Little things practiced every day make a positive difference, just like the little things neglected over a period make a major difference. That’s why we need a teacher or that internal quest to do more and learn more.

In America everything that we need to know is within reach, it’s in the library, and now on the internet. We have a choice; we can move forward, and stop by the library. Or we can walk pass the library. We can search for knowledge on the internet, or shop and just be entertained by it.

Attitude is how you feel about life and people, but more importantly it’s how you feel about yourself. Emotions can be positive or negative. They can either help us or hinder us when we make major decisions, especially when done out of one of two reasons: inspiration or desperation. Our attitude about life also starts at home.

Human’s beings are different than animals, because of our emotions. A bird can “only fly south” in the winter. Why? It’s based on the instinct of the species. Humans on the other hand can go north, east, west, or south because we have choice.

How high will a tree grow? As high as it can. How much will a man grow? That depends because he has a choice. We can be all that we can be, or we can be less than our best, because we have choice.

There is an old Bible story about the master who had three servants. The master was going on a long journey and called them. He told them, “I’m going on a journey and I want you to take care of things, until I return. He gave one servant one talent, one servant five talents and the other servant ten talents, to see what they would do.

A talent is something of value. He was gone for a long time and when he finally returned, he sent for his servants and asked each, what they did. The servants with ten and five increased their talents, while the one with one didn’t do anything, because he hid his talent.

What is your talent and what will you do with it? If you could discover hidden talents, would it be worth it to you, to invest in your own self? If there was a way to get paid for something you like to do, would you be interested? What talent will you bring to the table?
H.G.M.

Internet comments
Shenna
Your attitude will make or break you! Thanks, Earl

Adrian Farray
Great post Earl! It’s all about our attitude of gratitude and not wasting our talents. Life is too short for that.

Earl Hackett
Thanks for your comments. Attitude is the second step towards success in business and in life. The first is how you think; your philosophy. They determine your action, or the lack of.

Our philosophy, is established by using our mind, to process ideas and information. It determines how, and what we think about the world, as it relates to us. It starts when we are young and is developed and changes as we get older, and go through life. Your philosophy determines how you handle the challenges of your life.

Our parents give us their best, to relate to the world. It starts to expand later as we attend school. The reason we go to school should be to gather knowledge. We should get everything we can while we are in school. When we are young , we may thought it was  cool to cut school, but that one day you missed, might be a key life point. Nothing worse than being stupid, broke is bad enough. Unless you are broke and stupid. And the only thing worse than that is to be sick, broke, and stupid.

We can’t choose our parents or where we start life. Children born in America have an advantage. We take it for granted, if we are born here. Think about it. We don’t see American citizens climbing walls or digging tunnels to get into Mexico, or jumping on rickety boats to get to Poland, or Germany. We forget that the United States is the melting pot of the world. We all came from somewhere else, unless born a Native American.

As we get older we blame many things for our present situation. We blame the family we grew up with, the lack of money, lack of education, high taxes, the state of the economy, or the company we work for. Jim Rohn calls that the “winds of life, that blows on us all”. If we want to arrive where we have values, treasures, productivity, success, life style, we need to “set up a sail” that will take us, to where we want to go.

Most people end up on the rocks of life, because they don’t even have their sail up (how can you find dry land, if you have no plan). If your sail is not up, you will be blown in any direction of the wind. When you have a sail you can make a” course correction” to get to where you want to go. Refine your philosophy to carry you through the storms of life. Simply put, philosophy is the sum total of all we know. Then we need to determine what is valuable, and work on the things, that make the most difference.

Spend your time and money, on those things that matter. Think about what you need to do, then get started. Success is a journey. It’s not just a destination. We work, work, on our jobs. The question we should ask ourselves, is not what am I getting here, but what am I becoming here?

I got lazy (only three years left before retirement) but realized that life was more than a regular pay check. To do the things new management wanted me to do, took me back to when I first started work, over 40 years ago.

Was I crazy or just feed up with getting by? The major influences of my life have passed on – Mom and Dad and some of my mentors. What kind of legacy will I leave? What kind of legacy will YOU leave?

Les Brown, a mentor who is still here said something that stuck in my mind – Don’t leave here, with talent not used. Blogging is my way of saying hello world, my name is Earl, and this is what I did. If you don’t tell your story, someone else will. Will they get it right or leave something out?
H.G.M.

Internet comments
Lynn Brown
What a great way to share the importance of telling your story and sharing it with the world Earl. Thank you for sharing your story as I can relate to so much of it. I’m very happy to have left corporate America and living on my terms, but not until I understood that we do have a story and one that can push us towards our dreams. Thanks Earl for this awesome post!

Netty and Sam Estes
This is a great post Earl and you are so right about telling your story – especially as a baby boomer. We have so much guidance to share. The cemetery is the richest place on earth. But I will be dirt poor when I get arrive there… all I have to give, will be given. Thanks for sharing.

Earl Hackett
Thanks for your comments. I think it was Les who said, “We all have greatness within us. But when we die, we take all those dreams and talents with us, if we don’t act on them.”

 

Good listening skills are scarce, because it is easier to speak than listen. As soon as someone speaks, we relate their conversation to our philosophy, knowledge gained from pass experiences, or past references to things we may have heard or seen. In our haste to add to the conversation we formulate ideas without hearing the rest of the speakers thought process.

When we close off our ears and concentrate on our own reply, sometime our reply is based on what we think the speaker is saying not what they actually said. I listen to the Jim Rohn tapes and take a lot of notes because Jim listened to Earl Shoaff and within five years turned his life around.

Jim Rohn is the farm boy who became a millionaire in the multi- level marketing industry. He then traveled all over the world spreading basic success principles. I can give you my perspective of working for over 40 years, serving in two branches of the military, and traveling to distant parts of the world.

But Jim Rohn spent 40 years, honing his craft. FORTY YEARS of working on his personal development, and then communicating it to all who would listen. When he was on the road, he was speaking to thousands of people. He became the master motivator. I am just a student and a good listener. I hope you become one also. Success is a process and if you study, why not study from the best. If you want success, why not go to the Success Store.

When we listen, really listen, sometimes we get a different message. Hearing something and listening to something in not the same. Hearing is where the sounds are registering in our ear and maybe our brain; listening means, ideas are registering in our mind and may affect our heart and soul. Ideas for success is something, we can all use. You can learn a lot of things from reading or listening for ideas.

You can even learn by being around successful people. Listen to what, and how they say the things, they say. Don’t become a follower but listen, think on what you hear, then make up your own mind. Make sure that your decision is based on your own collusion.

Develop all your observation skills. Look and listen. Don’t just go through the motions, participate in life’s events. Preoccupation is fatal to those in search of success. Preoccupation is also fatal then you text and drive (my public service message for today). For those in search of success, develop and fine tune your observation skills. As you fine tune this ability, you will notice the little things that most people overlook.

Success and failure leave clues. The minor details may make a major difference. Just like there is a difference between hearing and listening there is a difference between sight and insight. Sight is when you see with your eyes. Insight is seen only within your mind.

Be aware of what is going on around you. Write things down in your journal. You want to learn “from the day”, while most people just want to make it “through the day”. You think you know what happened. But how does it affect you, and your future plans. The time to do it, is today.
H.G.M.
Internet comments
Lucie Flowers
I was never very good with listening. I get easily distracted and unless a conversation is genuinely interesting I zone out. This is great when it comes to gossip, as it don’t register and I forget it without trying.
Luis Craveiro
Great post Earl. Listening is a great skill and can change your life and that of others. My greatest success came from listening and finding solutions to others. Thanks for sharing
Lynn Brown
Oh, this is a good reminder how important it is to be open to listening and learning, especially by mentors and others that have more experience, success and knowledge than we do. We can certainly gain so much more value when we decide to put down our ego, listen and learn. Thanks Earl for sharing.

Earl E. Hackett                                                                                                                                        

I was not listening when my mom told her stories about “that old Indian”, named Green Smith. She didn’t really know him. At the age of 90, when she went on to glory that’s when I got the whole story. Mom was a county girl that never learned how to drive, but never let it stop her. She caught public transportation to where ever she needed to go, even in the bitter Detroit cold into her mid eighties. 

Green Smith was a Mississippi Delta Native American who kept track of  all his off-spring and when mom was born in 1918 she was the last of his 33 children. That’s probably why she maintained her independent spirit.