SUPERSONIC SUCCESS

Qualities: KNOWLEDGE

2006-06-10T11:53:00.000-04:00

Intellect annuls fate.
––Emerson, Conduct of Life, 1860

He who is unaware of his ignorance will be only misled by his knowledge.
––Richard Whately

Information’s pretty thin stuff unless mixed with experience.
––Clarence Day, The Crow’s Nest, 1921

He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool, shun him;
He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is a child, teach him.
He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep, wake him;
He who knows, and knows that he knows, is wise, follow him.
––Persian Proverb

There is no absolute knowledge. And those who claim it, whether they are scientists or dogmatists, open the door to tragedy. All information is imperfect. We have to treat it with humility. That is the human condition.
––Jacob Bronowski, The Ascent of Man, 1973

To have knowledge consists in possessing the truth. False knowledge is impossible. One cannot say “I know” and add “but what I know is false or incorrect.”
––Mortimer J. Adler, Adler’s Philosophical Dictionary, 1995

My life and my knowledge are like my brain, all those chains of neurons connected and aware of one another, but with lots of vibrant loose ends ready to lead to new worlds of my own creation.
––John Roberts

To say that knowledge is power is only the beginning: It must be converted. Knowledge for its own sake can be a wonderful thing, the joy of discovery and understanding without great practical application. But, for some, the use of that knowledge to achieve other things can be a greater reward. Indeed, the need to apply knowledge to create, to grow something practical, is part of knowledge itself.

To know or understand something that others do not is money in the bank, but it must be spent, invested, multiplied. Knowledge in its early stages is the brick foundation of house, before the structure has been completed and integrated into a home with a purpose. Most of what we know is incomplete, unstructured, disconnected, relatively useless compared to knowledge that has been organized and applied to strategies and goals.

I have always thought of knowledge, education and understanding to be an empty library of the mind, with miles of shelves and files to be filled over a lifetime. But, the mind has one big advantage over the library: It can build a framework and begin, at least, to tie it altogether into a comprehensive view of the universe and one’s life. The tragedy is that we die before we can scratch the surface. Some, like Einstein, overcome this by creating a grand view of their specialty, and consider the rest irrelevant. Some get buried in details, and never reach a conclusion; while others jump to conclusions without adequate data.

It is useful to distinguish knowledge from experience and education. If learning is a change in behavior, the accumulation of facts is something less. While I am curious about many things, I have to discipline myself to focus on the most important things with my limited time to read and study. I must mix that with my other experiences and practical work, a balance, so that I do not lock myself in the ivory tower. But, I am always open to new information and ideas in a changing world. I have time to smell a new flower and make a new friend in the course of my disciplined life. From a few of those little experiences, I have reached major turning points. Joy and discovery are as important as accomplishment in the balanced life.

Qualities: FAITH

2006-06-04T10:56:00.000-04:00

Trust and faith denote the feeling that a person or thing will not fail in loyalty, duty, or service. Trust indicates a feeling of certainty that someone or something will not fail in any situation where protection, discretion, or fairness is essential. Faith is an intensification of trust, suggesting an even deeper conviction of fidelity and integrity, often in spite of no evidence whatever or even in the face of contrary evidence. Confidence and reliance more often suggest trust based on the proven reliability of someone or something.
––S.I. Hayakawa, Choose the Right Word: A Modern Guide to Synonyms, 1968

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
––The Bible

All believers are brothers.
––The Koran

We know the Race is not to the swift nor the Battle to the Strong. Do you not think an Angel rides in the Whirlwind and directs this Storm?"
––John Page, July 20, 1776

If faith be provisionally defined as conviction apart from or in excess of proof, then it is upon faith that the maxims of daily life, not less than the loftiest creeds and the most far-reaching discoveries, must ultimately lean.
––Arthur Balfour

For many, faith in their God is a source of great comfort, inspiration and aid which they might not otherwise have. For me, the greater faith is in myself, almost everything depends on me. That is what keeps me going. But, that does not reduce my faith in the things I believe. Believe first, useful trust will follow, but it does not replace self-reliance. We all know God helps those who help themselves.
––John Roberts

It is wise to have faith beyond one’s self. If you depend only on those things you are sure of, you miss much of what the world can offer you. Both God and people can disappoint you if you expect too many miracles. You can never be absolutely sure they will always be there to care for and help you, but you can usually be sure that faith in them will have its reward. That alone can breed self-confidence and a positive attitude. Those filled with doubts, suspicion and cynicism are not likely to reap the benefits of faith.

We are advised to ‘trust everyone, but cut the cards.' Our caution is acceptable. It is a cruel and dishonest world, filled with people who will take advantage of us, or those who will merely act a bit too aggressively in their own self-interest. We must be on guard, while at the same time grant trust to those who deserve it. To have faith is to be optimistic, to give people the benefit of the doubt. To expect the best of people is to encourage it.

Faith and trust are based in principle. Our view of the world, our actions in it, derive from character. In a way, we construct or own world based on who we really are. That helps to protect us from, or even exert control over, the dangerous world beyond ourselves. That rock of character, built over a lifetime, stands firmly against the steady erosion of the waves of the storm we can never escape. As the poet said, 'bloody but unbowed, I am the master of my fate.'

Qualities: LOVE II

2006-05-29T10:33:00.000-04:00

Passion makes the world go round. Love just makes it a safer place.
––Ice-T, 1994

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds.
––Shakespeare, Sonnet 116

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude.
Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
It does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
––The Bible: 1 Corinthians

You cannot truly love a person unless you truly love and absorb the whole world, in all its diversity and faults and mystery and inexhaustible passion. Love in isolation is no more than a brief experience on an icy moon, removed from the light and warmth of the sun.
––John Roberts

Love includes, but is not to be confused with, the chemical-induced attraction that all creatures have in order to reproduce. Human love requires the support and extension derived from many other qualities on our list of admirable traits. Consider a few:

UNDERSTANDING: It is said that men need respect and women need to be cherished. Men have those fragile egos and cultural requirements of manhood to fill their classic role of dinosaur killer and alpha male decision-maker that the group requires. Women need to know they are protected and are wise enough to recognize when the male attitude grows to the recognition that the female is his greatest treasure. That intense loyalty earns the two-way partnership of genuine love. The man or woman who works to understand the needs of the other, not just superficial security, shopping, flattery and toleration, but the sincere psychic and emotional needs that lie unfulfilled in the heart of everyone. Understand what those are, particular to the individual, and you go a long way to achieving success in creating the loving and lasting relationship. And, if you understand the intensity of those needs, you may then understand why the person places a lower priority on lesser offerings that the bidder deems essential and sufficiently tempting, like money or good looks or an artfully constructed personality.

LEADERSHIP: True leaders of a group convince their followers that one of the primary responsibilities and satisfactions of leadership is a form of love for those in their care. With that emotional feeling and bond established, the followers know that the vision and goals that they are being asked to support are in their best interests. Leaders can go all day explaining the logic and rationale for action, but they will not generate enthusiastic action until they convey their sincere feeling of benevolence.

BRAIN: Love begins in the brain, building strong neuron connections that generate the electrical and chemical reactions that cause emotions. That means, over the years, reinforcing those positive memories and feelings that will support and last long beyond the mating instinct. And, just as important, it means intentionally avoiding the negative thoughts of imperfections and hurtful actions so that those neuron paths will wither away from lack of use. You can, literally, construct a new brain over a lifetime of controlled thought. Each neuron, each pathway, each emotion or rational thought, will grow stronger or weaker according to the repetition and intensity of use. Love can be built or destroyed.

Qualities: CANCER

2006-05-21T13:31:00.000-04:00

Health talk bores me. It is too often repetitive, self-centered, complaining, negative and counter-productive, opposite to the philosophy of optimism, self-confidence and positive-attitude brain training I preach and follow. Nevertheless, here's my story, as it makes my central point.

Two months ago, a routine examination found an enlarged prostate. Despite any other symptoms, tests showed it to be cancer in an advanced state. Until recently, depending on the degree discovered, this was usually allowed to continue, the cure worse than the disease; men usually died of something else long before the slow-growing cancer became a threat. But, now that we are living to be 90 and beyond, it is better just to take it out and eliminate the problem. So we did. Two weeks ago, in a perfect eight-hour operation, it was removed; analysis revealed no other location. I'm clean. 22 hours later, to the applause of the recovery nursing staff who loved my attitude and accompanied me to the front door of the hospital, I walked to my car, drove home, walked a mile, and got a good night's sleep, enabled by my top physical condition and positive attitude. We will have to watch a few things, but I go on as before with exactly the same attitude I have had for years. The fighter pilot must believe he is immortal, he can't expect death as he dives against the guns, he must be positive in order to do his job. This spreads to everything in life, and is ineradicable.

Nine days later I returned to work as a customer service rep for one of the world's largest companies. For five months, beginning my fifth career, I had been learning and waiting for my 50 years of teaching, managing and leading to pay off. That day it did, as I was surprised and gratified to learn that I had been lifted from the hundreds on the floor of the Customer Relations Division and promoted to Training Team Leader, supervisor of trainers, developers and programs, with responsibility extending to the training of our team leaders, our international divisions and all but the top management. With respect, I will find a way to teach them something too. How marvelous that my boss and my company pay attention to my credentials and my attitude rather than my age. I will work twice as hard to insure they were right.

What though the field be lost?
All is not lost – the unconquerable will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield:
And what is else not to be overcome?
––John Milton, Paradise Lost, 1667

Onwards!
––Last Word of the Film, Clint Eastwood, Any Which Way You Can, 1980

Call it faith, call it vitality, call it the will to live, call it the religion of tomorrow morning, call it the immortality of man, call it whatever you wish; it is the thing that explains why man survives all things and why there is no such thing as a pessimist.
––G.K. Chesterton

I am still a fighter pilot, although I haven’t blown a fighter for 16 years, because it is, above all, a matter of attitude. In essence, a fighter pilot is a self-confident, spirited, dedicated professional who never, never quits. Symbolically, life is an air battle: If you lose your courage and stamina and your intense will to survive and win, the enemy will get behind you and shoot you down. Apply what it takes to be a fighter pilot to everything you do in life, and success will fly with you. Spirit is the fuel of the fighter pilot. Skill is half the requirement for success. Attitude is the other half.
––John Roberts, The Fighter Pilot’s Handbook, 1992

I will never give up. I am very ambitious. My dreams and visions are frequently beyond my immediate reach, but they are not unplanned or unreachable. I have often failed, sometimes stupidly, sometimes massively. But, although I learn positive lessons from experience, failure has no bearing on my hard-core determination to succeed. I simply do not allow myself to get discouraged. I do not let other people define my attitude or success. It is not a bad idea to have a sensible exit strategy in ambitious endeavors, but that revised course is different from entertaining failure. If ever the thought of failure presents itself, I vigorously drive a stake through its black heart and return to my ambitious plan without remorse, indeed with an even greater sense of satisfaction and motivation.
––John Roberts

Determination sometimes goes beyond the strong desire to succeed. Sometimes it goes beyond the will to win, beyond your best effort. Sometimes it is a pure matter of survival, a fight to the finish. Then, the fighter, the winner, finds inside something unprecedented that concentrates ultimate strength and enables victory. It becomes a conquest of weakness as well as the enemy. It becomes a defining moment that changes you forever. Or, it doesn’t, and you quit or you fail or you die.
––John Roberts

The optimists and pessimists of the world seem to be set in their ways. They do not easily change. But, it's a one-way street, only the pessimists need to see the light. There are even those who cycle between extremes of euphoria and despair. Most of us have our usual ups and downs; but the best of us figure out how to generate optimism, and apply it to our daily lives and our long-range goals. It does not always just come naturally; it takes thinking and work to apply it to all the different parts of our lives. Almost always, that requires overcoming difficulties and depressing things. A permanent and positive state of mind is not easily achieved. Other qualities are required.

The person with a positive attitude has an extra strength and consistent enthusiasm that many others do not have. Thinking and acting positively leads to positive results. A negative attitude is self-fulfilling. Positive thinking opens new doors, creates new ideas and generates the optimism and excitement that change behavior. Attitude is a general atmosphere or approach that conditions everything, not nearly as specific as policy or objectives. It should be an equal partner with motivation, determination and persistence, rarely slipping from maximum degree. It should be the hot nuclear core of your personality.

Qualities: PERFECTION

2006-04-30T11:34:00.000-04:00

To strive for perfection is a a good way to improve ourselves, or anything we are doing, but this may set unreasonable or impossible goals and failure to reach them may cause disappointment or failure. We must be realistic and accept that almost everything in life is imperfect. It is more important to set priorities and not to demand what cannot be given.

Men are good in one way, but bad in many.
––Aristotle

The greatest of faults is to be conscious of none.
––Thomas Carlyle

The intellect of man is forced to choose
Perfection of the life, or of the work.
––W.B Yeats, The Choice, 1933

At the center of Freud’s work lies a fundamental perception: human beings are not generally unified creatures. Our psyches are not whole, but divided into parts, and those parts are usually in conflict with one another.
––Mark Edmundson, The New York Times Magazine, April 30, 2006

Aim for success not perfection... Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism. Confronting your fears and allowing yourself the right to be human
can, paradoxically, make you a far happier and more productive person.
–– Dr. David Burns, Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy (4 million copies)
(See www.feelinggood.com)

The perfectionist is a useful breed, but the problems often outweigh the benefits of doing things correctly to the extreme. Such people may not be much fun to work with or for. Fortunately, machines have replaced many of their functions. Doing things correctly most of the time is good practice for airline pilots and brain surgeons, but the rest of us prefer some tolerance for our faults. We spend a lifetime excusing and perfecting them.

Weaknesses are not qualities, but managing them is a big quality because very few of us do it well. A weakness can be endearing when joined by humility, sincerity and lack of pretense. As they say, just do the best you can with what you’ve got. Don’t think of your faults as negatives to be regretted, but as opportunities for improvement that everyone has. The difference is your attitude toward them. Stay positive.

None of this denies that we should all have something about which we are passionate, a profession or hobby in which we seek to do the absolute best as a matter of pride or competition or standards. That thing, whatever it is, may help to define you and that standard of performance may spread to other things you do. Much of what we learn comes from those who have set an ideal example for us to follow. Yes, we must sometimes accept GOOD as good enough, while knowing what should be BEST. Busy people simply don’t have time to do everything well; we must all perform triage on our efforts: BEST, GOOD, and ENOUGH.

200 Qualities: PREFACE

2006-04-23T16:33:00.000-04:00

The will to win means nothing if you haven't the will to prepare.––Juma Ikangaa(1989 NYC Marathon winner)

No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
––Samuel Beckett, Worstward Ho, 1983

John McCain proclaims his extravagant admiration for Teddy Roosevelt, a man of many virtues, not one of which was moral modesty. Speaker of the House Thomas Reed once said to TR, "If there is one thing for which I admire you more than anything else, Theodore, it is your original discovery of the Ten Commandments.'' St. John of Arizona can seem insufferably certain that he has cornered the market on incorruptibility. So as he begins trying to assemble a presidential majority, he seems, as anyone trying to do that will, like a run-of-the-mill sinner.
––George Will, Op-Ed Column, Washington Post, April 9, 2004

What a wonderful world: It can be changed, including ourselves!
It is never to early, and never too late.
––John Roberts

I have had a number of disparate careers and serious interests: university and graduate school instructor, salesman, manager of stockbrokers and mutual funds, corporate owner and entrepreneur, research director, asset manager, magazine editor, newspaper columnist, author, flight instructor, combat fighter pilot, military leader, world traveler and lover of extreme sports, heavy exercise, serious books, strong beer, fine wine, four happy children and my two extraordinary wives. Adventure has distracted me from responsibility. Through it all I have struggled to become a decent human being, raise and teach more of them, contribute to the world, enjoy every part of life and avoid too many regrets. I have emerged only partially successful, certainly humble and introspective, with self-respect bruised but retained, and something to say about what I have learned.

It should go without saying that writing this book does not mean I have mastered all these qualities, or that I am special because I have conquered some. Indeed, success is often the result of the self-examination, motivation and learning derived from earlier failure. I can, however, speak with authority in having tried over a lifetime to improve myself in an organized and conscientious way, and to study and collect the thoughts of others and try to apply them to my own imperfect experience and ambitious personal goals.

The book is not meant to be sententious, which is nicely defined as full of aphorisms and indulging in pompous moralizing. Rather, I have been teaching, learning, writing, managing, leading, reading, failing, succeeding and enjoying throughout a highly diverse life. I have something to say that may be useful to those who will listen. And, I have taken the liberty of quoting a great many others whose words express better than mine the road to success.

I have simply organized all that into a readable book that can help many people at all stages in their self-improvement and development. I believe that is true because I wish I had know a lot of this a lot earlier in life; it might have helped me avoid some serious errors and failures. And, I have seen so many people who could do better by following some of these simple precepts and suggestions. Some of them are not so simple, and a lifetime of serious effort results in imperfection, but improvement.

I therefore challenge the reader: Go through the list of 200 qualities and separate those in which you are perfect. I’ll bet there won’t be many, not because you are below standard, but because you are human. Then, list those you think are important and need serious effort to improve. Work out your own plan to use the book as a guide. Or, you might take one a day, give it serious consideration, study and effort; and in a year, you will probably be a much better person. It may even awaken you to the enormity of the challenge. I hope my words help you get started. And then I hope you make a serious project out of it.

Inevitably, being who I am, the approach will reflect a male attitude, the discipline of the military man and a lifetime of reading. Everyone, however, should find here enough appropriate to themselves. Most of the quotations are from people I have learned to know and admire through my reading. If you are literate, you should know them too, and I have not bothered to identify them. If not seek them out, for they will teach you much.

Yet another self-help book, written about the less-obvious meanings of words, could be a bore. Fortunately, anyone who troubles to digest a chapter or two may well find the experience beneficial, if not enlightening. I have taken the liberty of pushing my language and statements a bit over the top, striving for a little surprise and attention, and new ways of exploring ourselves. I hope it opens your eyes, causes you to think and takes you down a new road to being a better person a page at a time. Having spent 70 years preparing for this, it is hard for me to imagine that you will not be changed or grateful. There, see how easily I combine self-confidence and pride with hope and humility.
Best wishes,

John Roberts
Melbourne, Florida

Qualities: EMOTION

2006-04-16T20:46:00.000-04:00

So much in life depends on controlling your emotions. Failing to do so causes so many problems, so much pain. Bad emotions interfere with clear thinking and decision-making. They can destroy our relations with other people, even those we love. Good emotions, if applied correctly, can be sources of the greatest happiness, joy and positive motivation. Learn to control and understand your emotions as well as you can. It is very difficult, it requires time and practice, but it can change your life and free you to concentrate on your success.

No one can hurt your feelings without your cooperation and willingness. No one can cause you to have any kind of emotional reaction without your first giving them permission to do so. You alone are responsible for your feelings and emotions. When you know what you plan to do with your life, you will not allow annoying situations to deter you from your goals for long. If you set ambitious goals for yourself and work enthusiastically toward them, you will quickly realize that you don't have time to allow petty annoyances to upset you and keep you from your objectives.
––Napoleon Hill World Learning Center
(Go to: www.naphill.org)

The confident among us see the world as manageable and see themselves as competent and therefore likely to succeed. Immature feelings of anxiety, anger, guilt, shame, and self-pity do not haunt them. …The ability to overcome our immature emotional responses and calm them down quickly separates confident people from those who do not. …Life isn’t difficult. Our feelings make it feel that way.
––Sheenah Hankin, PhD, Complete Confidence: A Handbook. 2004

A view of human nature that ignores the power of emotions is sadly shortsighted. The very name Homo sapiens, the thinking species, is misleading in light of the new appreciation and vision of the place of emotions in our lives that science now offers. As we all know form experience, when it comes to shaping our decisions and our actions, feeling counts every bit as much—and often more—than thought. We have gone too far in emphasizing the value and import of the purely rational––of what IQ measures––in human life. Intelligence can come to nothing when the emotions hold sway.
––Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, 1995

A very few people feel deeply, and become, what others can barely imagine.
––John Roberts, love letter, 1961

I learned to control my emotions as I learned to fly. Flying requires controlling fear and worry so they don’t take your mind off your work. Flying is something that has to be done with confidence and verve. Training and professionalism replace the emotions that inhibit performance. Flying fighters takes it to a different level. And, flying fighters in combat when the enemy is trying to kill you takes it to yet another level. Believe me, being cool and continuing to do your job in the face of gunfire is a great confidence-builder. Despite plentiful opportunity, I never felt fear in combat, not because I am a courageous hero, but because I was so well trained and had learned to control my emotions long before I needed to. Even then, I still made mistakes in the high-speed stress of trying to do everything perfectly at once. For the highly trained and motivated, the only fear in combat is of not doing your job well.

This is a big subject; I will address it further at a later time. I prefer to emphasize the positive, rather than the destructive effects.

Recommended Reading:
Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1995.

Qualities: RESPONSIBILITY

2006-04-09T16:34:00.000-04:00

Everyone has responsibilities: to themselves, to many others, to their organizations, employers, religions, nations and ideals. Mastering the control of these diverse and important duties lies at the heart of character and success. Fail at this and you fail at everything. Develop a bad habit in one, and it spreads like cancer to all the others. You must sit down and spend a lot of time with yourself to determine what these responsibilities are, why they are important, how you are going to meet them and what will happen if you do not.

In dreams begins responsibility.
––W.B. Yeats, Responsibilities, 1914

To be a man is, precisely, to be responsible.
––Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

At moments when our attention is painfully acute, we notice peripheral things…as if to reaffirm to ourselves our basic irresponsibility.
––E.L. Doctorow, The Waterworks, 1994

Leadership is heavily involved with responsibility, not only in one’s own performance but in motivating people to have a passion for the mission and the successful result. Everything is built around this, like a car around its engine.
––John Roberts

A son goes to his parent, complaining about an assortment of problems in his work and personal life. He has debts and difficulties, and seeks help. The parent does not give advice, comfort or encouragement, but simply says: “What are you going to do about it.?”

This makes a great point about individual and self-responsibility; and it would be more meaningful in a boss-employee relationship where they are somewhat new to each other. The parent above would be expected to help the child learn to deal with life, but also start teaching responsibility and accountability well before the son was first learning words in the English language. Responsibility training begins with the very first requirements of the child to do what is being taught, and continue it throughout life. It is often very difficult, sometimes impossible, but this is usually the foundation of future success. Some children, without present or responsible parents, must develop this outside the home. Even with strong parents, responsibility is further developed in school, work and other places. Most of all, it is refined and a commitment is made in the mind of the individual, the sooner the better.

Qualities: TOLERANCE

2006-03-27T21:33:00.000-04:00

Ants and savages put strangers to death.
––Bertrand Russell, 1950

Prejudices die very slowly and you can never be sure if they are really gone.
––Jules Romains

Many of us think we’re thinking, but we’re actually just reshuffling a pack of prejudices, whether about people’s skin color or religion, sexual orientation or politics. Mistaking conviction for truth, we are easily tipped into dangerous positions. We should always use the balancing pole of doubt to help us keep our footing on the tightrope of truth.
––Bruno Gideon, www,brunogideon.com (1 Minute eMail)

I have learned, and not very well, to tolerate so much foolishness, ignorance and arrogance in my life that people who are merely different are a joy to know. Now, every person of a different religion or nationality or color or philosophy is a new book for my library of revelations, knowledge and friendship. So, yes, my tolerance is selective and therefore imperfect, but I think it ought to have some promotion of quality attached to it. Love what is good, but don't encourage what is obviously bad. Just be very careful of your judgments as you do so. It's OK to be forgiving, but there is no responsibility to make the world worse.
––John Roberts

We have seen this week a great deal of self-righteous criticism of the intent of conservative religious courts in Afghanistan to try and execute a man for converting from Islam to Christianity. The Koran preaches tolerance and does not call for this practice. A religion that must force its members by threat of death to remain outwardly faithful has a problem and will lose more than it gains. Those countries who have expended lives and money to create a modern Afghanistan have a right to complain about this reversion to the undeveloped traditions of old desert and mountain cultures. Before we protest too much, let us recall that the continent of Christianity once burned heretics at the stake and turned its back on millions of Jews sent from among them to death camps. There are fresh mass graves of Muslims in the Balkans and Africa.

Religions grow modern and more tolerant as they are assimilated by their changing, civilizing cultures. Islam has suffered from colonialism and its insecure failure to adjust to the free and prosperous world growing all around it. It's greatest hope, an inevitability, is that hundreds of millions of Muslims all over the world, even those under awakening Islamic governments, are becoming part of that world. There is no way the Islamist terrorists, or even backward-looking conservative clerics, can resist that rising sea of progress and tolerance. As they learn, the children of Islam will thirst for it just like all the rest of the world now does.

I have read the history, and stood in so many of the beautiful and moving sites of Islam, from the gardens of Grenada to the cavernous mosques of Istanbul, from the steps of the Dome of the Rock to the teeming streets of Cairo and the Casbah. When you walk by the quiet waters and gentle home of the Alhambra, you can only hope Islam will find its way again. We can only say hurry, we can't wait for you, but we will light the path.

Qualities: BOLD

2006-03-25T13:47:00.000-04:00

To be bold and daring, without being foolhardy, is a fine, high wire to walk. There is nothing wrong with practicing first on a line in the grass before stepping out into space and losing your lunch or your balance. Learning to be bold is no more difficult than learning to walk, one step at a time, each one adding to the limits of how far you can safely and confidently go without someone holding your hand. We must also understand, however, that some people seem to be born with a bold nature, apparent at an early age.

No Guts, No Glory
Title of Famous Fighter Pilot Manual
––General Fred “Boots” Blesse (Korean War Ace)

I want to attack and I want to risk everything.
––Martin Annen, Finland Bobsledder, 2006 Olympics

Sharon as a commander mastered the most difficult military maneuver -- to escape forward, to fight through enemy lines when seemingly surrounded and regain the initiative. He has now adapted that maneuver to his political wars.
––Jim Hoagland, Columnist, Washington Post, November 27, 2005

We can choose to lead quiet lives and get through them without achieving much. But if we want to do the big thing, if we hope to leave a record that will be admired and remembered, we must learn to distinguish between the peripheral and the essential. Then, having clearly established our central objective, we must charge at it again and again until the goal is achieved. That is what the rhinoceros does. It may not be a model animal in most ways, but it does one thing very well. And that one thing we can learn: Charge!
––Paul Johnson, Columnist, Forbes Magazine, January 30, 2006

The Wild Man experience produces an attitude, and this attitude is a threat to all that is evil. The person who is wild has the attitude that he is not an easy prey. He ceases to be lugubrious and begins to become a lion. He becomes a hazard to cultural constructs that would keep him, those he loves and all mankind dumb and down.
With wisdom from above and senses honed on earth, the Wild Man is not a dutiful and domesticated “cow” of the politically, ecclesiastically and culturally correct constructs. He is a lion – a strong, wise, fun-loving, lioness-loving leader – with a mission: to care for his family, his community and his culture as faithfully as he can.
––Doug Giles (Author: Ruling in Babylon) (See www.clashradio.com)

It is incorrect to say that there are only bold pilots or old pilots because the bold ones die early. The few old, bold and wise pilots are the magnificent few who trained and led the rest of us as we worked at merging those ultimate goals of a fighter pilot. We learned that the secret of prolonged boldness is self-control, except on those thrilling occasions when you must cut every restraint.
––John Roberts

Do not dream of being a fighter pilot, but learn the fighter pilot qualities for the benefit of a sensible life that does no harm. Boldness is safely useful only when nested in common sense and character. Then, it can be controlled and applied to other people with respect. Boldness is more dangerous than weakness, but it is easier to reduce boldness than enhance weakness.

Boldness derives from preparation and self-confidence. And, contrary to the image, boldness depends for its success on caution, planning and perfect timing. It is not impulsive. It is aggressive and ambitious, but in the context of having the tools and odds in your favor. It is, in other words, more than an attitude; it is the end result of a carefully-constructed program for overcoming a strong enemy and winning with the shock of attack. There are times when the risk is very high, and you still go ahead in order to avoid something worse. Above all, boldness should not be a macho thing, done for image or personal satisfaction. It is a carefully chosen tactic used to increase the chances of victory.

I admire bold people, because I know what they had to do to become that way. I especially admire normally timid, cautious people who have found the courage to overcome their fear because they know that only bold attack will achieve the objective. They have learned that once you see your objective clearly and understand yourself, stepping forth boldly becomes the easy part. The weak can become strong if they learn how. You must throw away the crutches holding up the dark, unfamiliar corners of your mind.

There are, of course, times when a crisis arrives, when there is almost no time to think or prepare, and impulsive boldness may save the day. The wise person, who works or lives in such an opportunity-rich environment, ought to think about what might be required in order to reduce the surprise and inaction that may someday occur. Boldness well-planned, risks accounted for, is reduced to self-confident action. It is obviously a lot easier to be bold if you have strengthened those pathways in your brain. The world becomes a slow-motion film controlled by a supersonic mind that can see far into the future.

Qualities: HOPE

2006-03-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

I hope so. That simple thought pervades so much of what we think and do. It is the initial foundation of focused optimism and ambition. It keeps the brain in the optimism mode, helping to overcome the debilitating negativism and fatalism and desire to quit. That’s important, but not nearly as imperative as converting vague hopes into specific objectives and plans. That’s where an energetic new success is born of tired progress and disorganized dreams.

Never hope more than you work.
––Rita Mae Brown

After all, tomorrow is another day.
––Margaret Mitchell, final words, Gone with the Wind, 1936

Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not.––George Bernard Shaw

Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that are obviously heading for success, but rather an ability to work for something because it is good. ––Vaclav Havel (President, Czech Republic)

From the perspective of emotional intelligence, having hope means that one will not give in to overwhelming anxiety, a defeatist attitude, or depression in the face of difficult challenges or setback. Indeed, people who are hopeful evidence less depression than others as they maneuver through life in pursuit of their goals, are less anxious in general, and have fewer emotional distresses.
––Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ, 1995

Many great accomplishments began as unreachable, undefined hopes and dreams. In each case, someone believed in the dream, and did the work of building it into a possibility, then a reality. Success is more than a dream: it is vision, then a financial plan, then a floor plan, then a construction project, then a conversion of a house into a home and, finally, a place to live in happiness with those you love.
––John Roberts

To achieve a level of hope, a level of realistic expectation, that a dream can be achieved, is a wonderful feeling and a source of strong motivation. It brings the dream from outer space to within reach and sets off the hard work that still must be done to finish the job. Hope, in other words, is only the necessary beginning. A lot of hard work is involved in moving it from the dream stage to the accomplishment of practical objectives.

Hope can be a small flame, hardly different from an unreachable goal. Such dreams can be a source of happiness, perhaps even an escape, even though we know they will never be; but we must guard against investing our time and energy in this way if that diverts us from the practical necessities of life and the more likely probabilities. The tipping point is where we can add fuel to the flame, fire up our motivation, imagination and effort because changing circumstances or our own effort have changed the dream into a possibility. The dreamer sees what needs to be done, and becomes a worker, a manager and a leader.

Some dreams should be put in the closet to await a better season, or destroyed altogether. Dreams can become a distraction; they can get in the way of the practical things we can and should do. Cleaning out a closet or bookshelf or the box of old toys calls for difficult decisions. Saving things saves memories. We might use them later. OK, some of this is normal and does no harm. But, try to show no mercy, get rid of those things that are cluttering up the mind, clear the way for the important and practical things that can change your life.

Before a dream is discarded, however, some consideration should be given to what might be done to convert it into something achievable. If you can’t do that, perhaps it is better to set it aside and not waste your time and emotional energy on something that will never come to pass. If you set your sights very high, to achieve an extremely difficult personal objective, it may be necessary to thrust aside nearly everything else in order to focus all your energy and attention on that single, shining goal.

Qualities: FREEDOM

2006-03-11T20:12:00.000-04:00

Freedom is insufficiently granted, and must be fought for. Sacrifice of freedom for the common good is acceptable, but overdone. In the end, we give up freedom because we lack the means or the courage to defend it. The strongest are those who can construct their freedom and function within the essential restrictions of the system. It is the duty of the strong to spread freedom to others, thus further insuring their own.

If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
––Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854

You cannot separate peace from freedom, because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.
––Malcolm X

Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.
––Kris Kristofferson

The only purpose by which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant.
––John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, 1859

Liberty is the hardest test that one can inflict on a people. To know how to be free is not given equally to all men and all nations.
––Paul Valéry (1971-1945), French Writer

Freedom is not fun. It is not the same as individual happiness, nor is it security or peace or progress. It is a responsible choice. Freedom is not so much a right as a duty. Real freedom is not freedom from something; that would be license. It is freedom to choose between doing or not doing something, to act one way or another, to hold one belief or the opposite. It is not “fun” but the heaviest burden laid on man: to decide his own individual conduct as well as the conduct of society and the be responsible for both decisions.
––Peter Drucker

The greatest force in my life, the cause of several major turning points, has been the move toward more freedom. There has been a cost I have been willing to pay. I am free, but I have to prove it every day, even to myself. Then, when someone tries to take away my freedom, I am ready to fight them in whatever way is necessary. It is one of my perpetual states of mind. It makes me a rough and rebellious member of the society I have risked my life to defend with the same spirit at a higher level. There are lines in the sand, all around me.
––John Roberts

Once we have earned the basic freedoms, which have not yet been given to much of the world, we can then begin to see that there is so much more. There are other freedoms, which many never experience, even in the great democracies. These are more personal, less universal, appropriate only to some, unsuitable to others, unneeded by many. They are achieved by creating our own tiny individual worlds in which we are free to do things, to avoid things, to think things, to be exactly what we want, to be completely free from any restraint or imposition so long as the taking of our freedom does not leave behind an injury.

To be alone is not necessarily to be free. It is easy to escape for a time the difficulties and bothers of people and places and systems, but it is very difficult to create the freedom of mind and body that gives contentment and means you are in complete control. Freedom is not the absence of restrictions, for they exist everywhere. It is, in reality, the ability to function in happiness and objective by minimizing or evading the effects. One sees everywhere individuals without discipline who think they are free. The inability to control themselves or their environment merely locks them up in their own weaknesses. avoid things, to think things, to be exactly what we want, to be completelly that there

The average citizens of any democratic country see freedom as a collection of rights that primarily allow them to get through the day without being bothered or treated unfairly by people, businesses and government. They are willing to accept reasonable rules and responsibilities, and they expect restraint from cops, bureaucrats and unruly neighbors. They don’t think too much about being able to riot in the streets or write inflammatory criticisms of their rulers. They take for granted the hard-earned freedoms that are all too easily lost. We may be grateful that we need not worry about it on a daily basis. Just consider how many hundreds of millions of people in the world are switching to free economies and political systems after so many millennia under the harsh control of the despots. But, it is fragile, and requires eternal vigilance.

50 PERSONAL QUALITIES

2006-03-05T13:09:00.000-04:00

This is a list of the first 50 qualities to be covered in my book: 200 Personal Qualities: An Encyclopedic Guide for Parents, Teachers, Leaders and Personal Development. The complete list may be found on my book web site: SupersonicBooks.com. No one can be really good at all 200 qualities, and those strengths depend on many factors that vary among individuals. But, the factor that is most within your control is understanding them and working to improve them over a long period of time. 200 are too many to grasp and concentrate on. The first solution is to pick a handful that you feel can be improved, and build a plan for development. Achieving success with those builds your self-confidence and leads to those that are more difficult. The second solution is recognize the value of habit and repetition and to understand the effect that has on the brain. You will find some drafts of these on the web site and blog. So, make a plan, set some goals, get started, and stick with it. As you become familiar with the definitions and advanced explanations, you will begin to evaluate yourself and others in that light. I wish you the best.

Accountability
Accuracy
Achievement
Action
Adaptability
Adventure
Aesthetic
Ambition
Analytical
Appearance
Assertive
Athletic
Attitude
Authentic
Authority
Balance
Behavior
Benevolence
Boldness
Brain
Career
Cautious
Change
Character
Charisma
Clarity
Class
Commitment
Common Sense
Communication
Compassion
Competence
Competitive
Compromise
Concentration
Conceptual
Conscience
Conscientious
Consequences
Consistent
Conviction
Cool
Cooperation
Cosmopolitan
Courage
Courteous
Creativity
Credibility
Curiosity
Daring

Qualities: COMMITMENT

2006-02-25T18:54:00.000-04:00

Commitment is greater than ambition. It is deeper, something very serious, long term. Commitment is more than just a promise, so easily broken. It is based on an understanding of who you are, where you are going, how to get there. It is not only the car and driver, but the roadmap and the fuel.

Without involvement, there is no commitment.
––Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 1989

Once you reach adulthood, the key to success will not be demonstrating teacher-pleasing competence across fields; it will be finding a few things you love, and then committing yourself passionately to them.
––David Brooks, Op-Ed columnist, New York Times

Our boot camp attrition is below 12%, and I think the warrior ethos has a lot to do with it. That is not just about soldier stuff. It’s about life. It’s about how you think about your family and your commitment to your spouse, your children, your parents. It is about setting goals, having priorities, and having the discipline to do it. The citizens we return are going to be important for the country. This generation of kids, this is an amazing generation. And the country needs it.
––General Peter Schoomaker, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, U.S. News and World Report, February 27, 2006

In battle, and in much of life, to commit means to take the initiative, to leave the safety of your position and expose yourself to danger in confronting the enemy. Once you launch yourself into that new world there is no turning back. It is a crucial decision. Sometimes the plans are long gone, and you have to work it out as you go. But your determination and your belief in yourself are still the same, and even more important. You accept greater risk and vulnerability in return for the opportunity of winning.
––John Roberts

Commitment raises promise to a higher level. Promises are so easily and frequently broken that we need a different word and concept to define our genuine and well-founded belief that we will deliver. Not only are we sure of our belief, but we know we have the resources to back it up. Promise says: Sure I’ll do it. Commitment says: I know I can and I know I will.

Making a commitment is an important pledge of your character with which you intend to give your all and achieve the goal. Despite all difficulties and the passage of time, you are totally involved and motivated. Find another word and state of mind for those half-hearted intentions and hopes that we toss aside like childhood promises.

Commitment is a promise to yourself and to others, both of whom may and should depend on it. It is important to match the depth of the commitment with the expectations of those to whom it is made. Then, there will be less misunderstanding and disappointment if things don’t work out. When you commit, people expect serious, if not complete, attention and action. They depend on it, and make decisions and investments based on it. It is giving your word, and the handshake of a gentleman of principle.

Commitment requires careful selection and precise identification of responsibility. It must not be wasted on uncertainty and lack of ability to carry through. One does not make commitments without deep thought and full knowledge of how far you will go and what you are prepared to give. Financial commitments may be precise, others vague, but we should think of all commitments as very well-defined and equally clear in the minds of both parties. It does not go too far to say that it is a contract, even if not written and signed.

The failure to meet a commitment may not have the consequences of a broken legal contract; but the thought must be there on both sides. The failure goes beyond embarrassment and disappointment: It goes to a lack of judgment and foresight; it goes to lower dependability and integrity; it borders on honesty and intent. Failures may be beyond our control, things happen, and we must be understanding and forgiving if the commitment is not met. We must judge fairly, but not be too lenient. We must hold up the standards of this ideal concept. We should expect that there will be consequences, in attitude and respect, if not material.

Qualities: CONCENTRATION

2006-02-18T13:32:00.000-03:00

Every instant of our lives is essentially irreplaceable: you must know this in order to concentrate on life. -Andre Gide, 1897

Candor trumps contrition. -Alessandra Stanley, New York Times, February 16, 2006

She blew it. Can't say otherwise. But the better response would be to remember this time, next time, any time, how young athletes can be knuckleheads. Whatever the sport. That doesn't make them bad. It just makes them young.
-Mike Lopresti, Gannett News Service, February 18, 2006

One of the great challenges of life, most difficult to learn, most rewarding to master, is intense concentration at the correct moment. It is to have all your forces ready, to bring them to bear precisely with coordinated power, to thrust aside every other thought and distraction and go for the decisive kill. Most people have no idea what that really means or the ability to do it.
-John Roberts

Last week, two people lost their concentration for just a second, and made a mistake, with shattering consequences: Dick Cheney very nearly killed a dear friend; Lindsey Jacobellis slipped for just a second into hubris and premature joy, and lost her gold medal. Then, both of them failed the instant honesty test. The vice president let the ever-present PR impulse give him an extra day to get the story straight. Not as bad as Ted Kennedy after that fateful swim so long ago, and with more concern for the victim, but not instantly transparent. And, poor Lindsay rapidly went through several versions of denial until forced to accept the obvious. Again, other motives than pure, immediate, without-regard-for-the-consequences honesty. Too bad there is not an Olympic Medal for Honesty. These two good people, whom I admire, would not have made the podium. Neither would I at some earlier testing points I will not forget.

The VP might well have said, almost immediately: Everyone has accidents. I made a serious mistake, an inadvertent slip of concentration that could have changed my life. Every year, tens of thousands get killed in auto accidents; thousands of people die in a variety of other mishaps as a result of sudden little mistakes that explode into tragedy. Let my error serve as a reminder to everyone that we always need to be careful, to be aware of what we are doing and to think about what could happen if we fail to concentrate at every moment. There is always another quail, but not another friend or reputation. A single slip can destroy a life or a dream. But, if it happens, we also need to be accountable, to switch on our honesty and deal with the situation with that singular motive without hesitation. That takes thought and practice to perfect. It's too bad we sometimes have to stare our failures in the face in order to get the message.

Qualities: FRIEDAN'S FEMININITY

2006-02-05T18:28:00.000-03:00

The feminine mystique says that the highest value and the only commitment for women is the fulfillment of their own femininity. It says that the great mistake of Western culture, through most of its history, has been the undervaluation of this femininity. It says this femininity is so mysterious and intuitive and close to the creation and origin of life that man-made science may never be able to understand it. But however special and different, it is in no way inferior to the nature of man; it may even in certain respects be superior. The mistake, says the mystique, the root of women’s troubles in the past is that women envied men, women tried to be like men, instead of accepting their own nature, which can find fulfillment only in sexual passivity, male domination, and nurturing maternal love.
–Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique, 1963

I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a King of England, too.
–Elizabeth I, to the Royal Navy waiting for the Spanish Armada, 1588

One is not born a woman, one becomes one.
–Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1950

We live in the age of history’s greatest revolutions, greater even than those that destroyed ancient thinking and empires. In our recent lifetime, half the world has changed to democracy and market economy. Science has multiplied life in all directions, beyond even our own Earth. Our minds and societies are, at last, becoming reasonably organized, correct and free at an increasing rate. Yet, among us, throughout the world’s cultures, there is one great remaining universal revolution that has only just begun, and that is the equality and contribution of women, more than half of us in so many ways, some yet undiscovered, and yet to be understood, absorbed and truly loved.
–John Roberts

Betty Friedan died yesterday at age 85. My new wife introduced me to a startling new book in 1963 while I was reading The Second Sex, by Simone de Beauvoir, the other great book that set off the revolution. I was a dumb man, but smart enough to know that there was something I needed to learn. More than any other woman, Ms. Friedan stepped forward, wrote her books and articles, gave her speeches, formed her organization (NOW) and made a lifetime crusade of equal rights for women. I respect her because she challenged the unfair system of our society, which millions of others either tolerated or did not know how to change. Others preceded and followed her, but none was more influential in changing the opportunity for women in America.

At this moment, to be feminine is to retain those most wonderful of female qualities while at the same time finding the way to be equal, respected and different in a man’s world. Some women, but few women, are doing this. It is not a question of ability, that has been proven, or a question of opportunity, which is available but limited; it is a question of being totally and completely accepted and functional as they are in their environment, like female fish in the sea.

The feminine revolution of the past half century in America has succeeded, but slowed. There is a partial reversion, as women realize they do not have to become men in order to succeed in roles previously played by men. Some have even decided, now that the work opportunity is available, that they cannot do both, and are returning home to raise their children and husbands full-time, with full self-respect. Others have found a way to do both, accepting some sacrifice. They are free to choose.

The revolution is now sustainable, taught in schools, supported by fathers and colleagues, accepted in society. Young women, now entering adulthood and perhaps the work force, are developing the ability and confidence to counter the prejudice and limitations that remain. But, they will have to continue to fight for further gains as they earn their place. If they are no longer defensive, perhaps they can also accept some need to adjust to the environment that has been built over hundreds of years.

With self-confidence comes acceptance of self and pride in the qualities of femininity. Like other qualities, it takes thought and practice to develop personal strength in work and leadership relationships while retaining female gentleness that a man might not feel obliged or natural to bring to the job. And, we are learning that female thought processes and other ways of doing things may be different but effective. Both men and women have things to learn about working and living with the other, just as they would have to do with someone raised in another culture. It is inevitable that opportunity for women in other cultures, even Islam, will move toward the successful American model. Each will have to find its own way, but the revolution cannot be stopped.

Qualities: VINCE LOMBARDI

2006-02-05T15:34:00.000-03:00

Football is one of America's great metaphors for learning the hard lessons of life and the qualities of success. On Superbowl Sunday, we must remember Vince Lombardi, great coach of the Green Bay Packers. He was revered as a strong leader who expressed his ideas on character and achievement in football so that they also applied to the world beyond. These quotations are from a favorite book of mine: Leadership: Quotations from the World's Greatest Motivators, compiled by Roberts A. Fitton. Boulder, CO: Westview Press (Perseus), 1997, 338 pp.

I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, his greatest fulfillment to all he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle victorious.

If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you'll be fired with enthusiasm.

The greatest achievement is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.

The strength of the group is in the strength of the leader.

The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.

Demand a commitment to excellence and to victory.

From other sources:

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.

Winning isn't everything, but making the effort is. (Also attributed: Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing.)

Qualities: HAPPINESS

2006-02-03T23:44:00.000-03:00

Those are only happy who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness; on the happiness of others, on the importance of mankind, even on some art or pursuit, followed not as a means, but as itself an ideal end. Aiming thus at something else, they find happiness by the way.
-John Stuart Mill (Quoted below)
Fair enough. But if Mill's suggestion is a bit too hit-and-miss for your liking, then you might try religion. Or sex. Or shopping. Or Work. Or booze. Or Prozac. Or even sitting down with a good book.
-Book Review: Happiness: A History, by Darren M McMahon. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2005, 544 pp.
-The Economist, January 14, 2006.

Qualities: DIGNITY OF KINGS

2006-02-01T23:22:00.000-03:00

Today our nation lost a beloved, graceful, courageous woman who called America to its founding ideals and carried on a noble dream. ...Before history is written down, it is written in courage.
- President George W. Bush, State of the Union, 2006

The death of Coretta Scott King removes another emotional tie to those days of the VISION, COURAGE and LEADERSHIP of her husband, his colleagues, and the people he inspired. They all fought and persevered with DIGNITY, none more than the quiet woman who lived to keep his memory alive. It is such a contrast with the blatant opportunism of the Reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and the partisan nastiness of Julian Bond and Harry Belafonte. Preaching qualities, as I do, makes it easy to distinguish between such people even as I no doubt offend some others. DIGNITY is more than carriage; it is an inner peace and confidence in the face of lesser mortals who don't know their place on the ladder of character and respect. Before Dr. King's revolution, I lived in a small southern town and on the Mexican border, and I saw dignity among the downtrodden under systematic prejudice and oppression. There I learned something new about resiliance, perseverence and hope. This, in turn, led to a sense of responsibility and ambition for those everywhere in our world who need help in achieving a freedom and opportunity in which their human dignity may thrive. After World War II, there were 20 democracies in the world; now there are more then a hundred. The work goes on, and we will remember our heroes.

Qualities: TRUTH AND OPRAH

2006-01-29T12:45:00.000-03:00

Edward Wyatt, in this Sunday morning's New York Times, says:
In an extraordinary reversal of her strident defense of the author whose book she catapulted to the top of the best-seller list, Oprah Winfrey said today she believed that the author James Frey "betrayed millions of readers" by making up elements of his life in his best-selling memoir, "A Million Little Pieces." She added that she believed "I made a mistake" when she said that the truth of the book mattered less than its story of redemption.

A great many people criticized her dismissal of TRUTH in favor of the dishonest, self-appointed victim. But, they applauded her reversal and apology, as I do. Nevertheless, it ought to be pointed out that Oprah needed the widespread complaint and instruction of a large body of principled people before she got the message that conflicted with her original standards and culture.

This is a world where truth suffers daily: Oliver Stone can make a career of rewriting history in order to make more attractive movies; politicians and spinners routinely distort and lie to promote their causes. People and their PR advisors deny the obvious with laughable seriousness in their self-interest. Aristotle asked: What is Truth? He would be dismayed at today's answer after 2500 years of civilization.

Qualities: CONSEQUENCES

2006-01-25T00:57:00.000-03:00

People know what they do;
They frequently know why they do what they do;
But what they don’t know
Is what what they do does.
––Michel Foucault, The Order of Things

Take a day in your life where you will meet people, work, make decisions, or even change your own understanding or thinking for later use. Then, convert each action into the tactic of a chess game: Try to see as far ahead as you can the alternative results of your moves, the new chessboard patterns that appear, the way a wrong move can set you up for an unavoidable checkmate six moves later that your inexperience may not be able to foresee. As you move through the world, the alternative paths grow, like a roadmap of the world with a million branches, and your influence far beyond yourself becomes a thing of beauty, opportunity, danger and unintended consequences. One of the greatest joys of life is planning all this, making it happen, and then enjoying it.
––John Roberts

Perhaps you have heard the Chaos Theory, which suggests that if a butterfly in the Amazon beats its wings, the tiny disturbance in the air can set off a chain of consequences that could result in a tornado in North America. We cannot be sure that this is possible, or that it is not. The point is that we should apply the theory to our own behavior. Even a single word or a glance can result in a tornado in someone else’s life––or your own.

We have noted under TEACHER the famous quote of Henry Adams: “A teacher is for eternity; he never knows where his influence stops.” The teacher teaches, the student learns and changes, and teaches others. 2500 years ago, the teaching of Socrates through Plato through Aristotle, even if they had never been preserved on paper, still have had an influence on the culture of the West through the ripples and waves of change in people and thinking and, therefore, events. Whose DNA lives on in the great people of our generation? Today, each of us, and our futures, are accumulations of the past.

Consider the consequences, frequently unintended, of single events in your own life. One person, one book, one big decision can easily set you on a course to a new life. How much better it is if these results are planned and coordinated, part of a grand design. How much better that is than simply learning as you go and grasping opportunities as they arise.

In a fair and orderly world, there should be consequences. This means we should be responsible and accountable for our actions, and be willing to pay the price or reap the rewards.

Qualities: WINNER

2006-01-14T23:26:00.000-03:00

Almost everyone wins at something now and then. The real winner wins consistently in pursuit of challenging goals. The real winner has developed a set of qualities––determination, optimism, goal-setting, self-confidence and maximum use of personal resources––that match capabilities with reachable but difficult objectives. The winner has learned the habit-forming value of winning in enjoyable activity, and how to sustain performance and focus beyond most others. The real winner thrives on winning as much as most people thrive on avoiding challenge and fearing failure.

Winners get scars too.
––Johnny Cash

Those who know how to win are much more numerous than those who know how to make proper use of their victories.
––Polybius

Winners evaluate themselves on what they are, not on what other people think they should be. They do not allow themselves to be guided by other people’s standards or beliefs. Winners do not allow others to act as their judge and jury….So, imagine yourself to be a winner. Program your subconscious mind with positive concepts and attitudes of love, success, and self-respect. As you think, so shall you become.
––James K. Van Fleet, Hidden Power, 1987

Intensity is what matters, not the nobility or baseness of the aspiration. Intensity opens the doors on the inner resources and releases energy. Strong desire floods the being with the tremendous energy to achieve that aspiration; weak desire produces indifferent energy. This principle has nothing to do with what people say they want or how they behave––it has everything to do with what they really want.
––Frederick G. Harmon, The Executive Osyssey, 1989

We all know that failure must be dealt with, but we are less likely to understand that winning brings its problems, too. Winning requires management just as surely as does losing. Wins and losses both demand that we set a new level of difficulty.
––Gilbert Brim, Ambition: How We Manage Success and Failure Throughout Our Lives, 1992

Winning is habit-forming: The smaller and sooner you start, the easier and greater it becomes.
––John Roberts

The real winner goes beyond mere scores and relative victories, which may have much to do with the nature of the loser. The building of a winning system of attitudes and behavior and the resulting satisfaction and change that permeate the winner are far more important than the victories they achieve.

The real winner knows that winning is a personal philosophy and a way of life that requires a quantum jump into a comprehensive, deeply imbedded attitude and belief system. That system sees personal goals with a different vision that most others do not understand or feel the need to achieve. The real winner has developed a different kind of brain for overcoming difficulty and finding happiness with a mind that automatically pursues exceptional achievement with intense effort.

Qualities: ARIEL SHARON

2006-01-06T23:29:00.000-03:00

Ariel Sharon was the greatest military leader in a world of incessant small wars since World War II. And few generals in history took political command so decisively. He was not perfect, but no other Israeli was more responsible for bringing Israel through all its perils on the brink of destruction to its present opportunity for peace through strength.

Love him or hate him, Sharon personified the great achievement qualities on our list of 200. Who else in combination and effect has shown such courage, determination, leadership, patriotism and vision? But, like almost all great leaders, he has that fatal flaw that brings tragedy: Sharon failed in the one quality that counts the most: Health. Since he became prime minister, I wondered why he was still alive, unwilling to lose the weight and diet that are ending his life. The great confidence and physical strength that drove him apparently also gave him a self-destructive feeling of invincibility. So, like many great leaders, he has no succssor. Unless there is a surprise, only Netanyahu has the experience to do what needs to be done.

Hundreds of millions of Arabs still surround seven million Israelis and seek their destruction. One day Israel may not have a great leader or a great ally to defend it. As always in the world, the key personal qualities of a few people can achieve miraculous things, and their weaknesses can detroy them. So it is in our own small lives.

Qualities: HABIT

2006-01-01T11:49:00.000-03:00

Here's the solution to your New Year's Resolutions:

Habits gather by unseen degrees. As brooks make rivers, rivers run to seas.
––John Dryden, English Poet (1631-1700)

95% of everything that you think, do, feel and achieve is the result of habit.
––Brian Tracy

A nail is driven out by another nail, habit is overcome by habit.
––Erasmus

Could the youth but realize how soon they will become mere walking bundles of habit, they would give more heed to their conduct while in their plastic state.
William James

Have you ever thought how much energy is saved by having habits? Without the impetus of habit, half the work is just getting started. A person of many good habits is a very efficient machine, cruising effortlessly through life.
––John Roberts

Quality-building habits can be boring: same old thing, again and again. The secret is to set goals, measure progress and reward results with the new things that make life exciting. In the brain, new variations of neuron connections and strength push aside the old, modernizing the guiding force. We have multitudes of similar habits, suited to specific known situations. But, each can be modified or replaced. There is an entire library to guide our lives without having to learn again with each new minute of life.

Habits, both good and bad, are formed and strengthened over a long period of time. The become second nature, and are difficult to break once formed. They are like stalactites in a cave, made from the mineral residue of a billion drops of water. Strong habits can be broken, but the process is usually difficult and sometimes traumatic. The wise person recognizes that a bad habit is forming, and kills the repetition before it becomes more difficult to break.

The enemy of habit is procrastination. Anyone can form habits with the repetition of pleasure; the things that are hard to do at first are the foundation of the habits that are the most difficult to form. It is easy to become adicted to nicotine, but difficult to stop smoking. But, the more you do them, the easier they become. If you associate those difficult practices with pleasurable connections in the brain, they begin to make the experience easier and happier.

TIP: Building good habits is more than just waiting for life to set opportunities in front of you. As with most of the qualities in this book, an organized plan makes it easier, more successful and more fun. It takes discipline to do things regularly, at the expense of other activity. Review the list of habits and note those that are best enhanced by habit-forming experiences.

Recommended Reading:
James Claiborn, PhD, The Habit Change Workbook: How to Break Bad Habits and Form Good Ones. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 2001.
Jim Canterucci, Personal Brilliance: Mastering the Everyday Habits That Create a Lifetime of Success. New York: AMACOM, 2005.
Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989.

SELF-IMPROVEMENT PLAN

2005-12-31T14:12:00.000-03:00

Today is the day to make your plan. Go to our web site, SupersonicBooks.com and then the list of 200 QUALITIES. Pick a few to work on, perhaps from the list of drafts where they are covered, or from the posts in this blog. We will be adding to these as the year goes by and I build the manuscript of the book in progress. You might also suggest a few to younger people in your household. The world is changing faster than we can keep up, we need to improve and anticipate new abilities. Copy that list of 200 QUALITIES into your work processor and print it. Put it where you can see it every day, and consider the comprehensive person who would result from a serious effort to improve those that apply to you. Good luck, and have a happy and successful New Year as a better person each day than you were the day before.

PROFESSIONALISM: The Troops

2005-12-22T22:20:00.000-03:00

When the history of the Iraq War is written, the American and Iraqi victory will be attributed to the initiative and persistence, if not the planning and management, of George Bush and his War Cabinet; and to that slim majority of the American and Iraqi public that had the courage to stay the course in the face of the loss of soldiers, marines and large segments of political and national will. But, it will also be recognized and valued that when the situation was grim and the majority weakened, when anti-war politicians thought of Vietnam, the victory depended on the endless courage and professionalism of the United States military.

In today's Wall Street Journal Online, Peggy Noonan, a writer of perception and renown, said this: http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110007710
One of the great and historic things about this war is that whatever you think of it, justified or not, the right decision or not, no one--no one--has decided it is right to emotionally abandon the fighters in the field. This, as we know, is different from what happened in Vietnam, when a generation of those who served were given in response the distanced disrespect of a certain portion of our country. Everyone feels bad about that, and should. But, amazingly enough we seem to have learned from it. Almost everyone knows--and the very small number who don't know at least know enough to go off and be quiet--that the men and women on the field are fighting for us, serving us, that they are putting themselves in harm's way with courage, that they deserve to be patronized by no one, that they deserve honor from all.
As a Vietnam vet, I'll drink to that.

Celebrating Success

2005-12-21T21:38:00.000-03:00

One of the joys and privileges of success is celebrating it with those we love or who have shared in its creation. With or without religion, the holidays give us an opportunity to celebrate our victory and give thanks and rewards to those who helped make it possible. And, we may humbly and quietly spread some of that gratitude over our own qualities that are largely responsible. Doing that fuels the motivation to continue to build and improve ourselves, and those in our care. So, be sure to be generous with your thanks and gratitude, for it will come back to you. It is easy to charge into the new year if you complete the previous one in the proper way. Best wishes for success in 2006. Set your goals for the year ahead, and decide which qualities need to improve. They deserve as much attention as the effort itself, and they will remain with you in all the years beyond when your need for them will be much greater. Then you can really celebrate.

2006 UPDATE

2005-12-17T18:11:00.000-03:00

I am now ready to start publishing THE SUPERSONIC SUCCESS NEWSLETTER, updating this BLOG weekly, and adding content to the website: SUPERSONICBOOKS.COM. All three provide content and other success-related information in anticipation of the publication of THE SUPERSONIC HANDBOOKS OF PERSONAL QUALITIES.

May I first ask you to subscribe to the newsletter on the web site. Then, it would be most helpful if you would forward the blog, newsletter and website to your family and friends in hopes that they will do the same. We need to spread subscriptions to larger numbers and mushroom to success. The blog, and more complete newsletter, will be published every weekend, beginning in January.

The books are in progress, and I will be sending the proposal to agents in January. Your feedback is welcome.

Thanks for your support and encouragement. The best thing you can do is encourage students and young adults to read these sources regularly and form the habits that personal qualities require. And, good luck to all you adults who, like me, know it is never to late to improve your personal qualities and continue to strive for personal happiness and success.

John
John@SupersonicBooks.com

Qualities: RISK

2005-11-20T19:36:00.000-03:00

There is risk in almost everything we do. Some can be measured or predicted, while some is random and surprising. It is also usually possible to reduce risk by taking precautions, or to increase it in search of adventure or greater reward. We can buy insurance or avoid danger. All of this should be planned where possible, instead of wandering through life taking chances without purpose or awareness. A single accident can destroy a life or a career.

Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash.
––General George Patton

In the end, what we regret the most are the chances we never took.
––Frazier (Last TV Show, 2004, 11 years)

Beowulf trusted in his own strength,
the might of his hand. So must any man
who hopes to gain long-lasting fame
in battle; he must risk his life, regardless.
––Beowulf

There is the thrill of living “to the fullest,” taking chances, enjoying challenge and the rush of adrenalin. Seeing life as an adventure is like that. It is living life by taking risks, even risking life, and thrilling in that sense of skill and uncertainty. It is certainly not an image fore everyone. But for those who see life this way, there may be no other way to live. Everything else is boring and tedious. And unlike life as art or as literature, life as adventure never plans a proper ending. When it’s over, it’s just––over.
––Robert C. Solomon, The Big Questions, 1990

The reason that so few people are financially independent today is that they place many negative roadblocks in their heads. Becoming wealthy is, in fact, a mind game. And millionaires often talk to themselves about the benefits of becoming financially independent. They constantly tell themselves that it is very difficult to achieve that without taking some risks. Before you can become a millionaire, you must learn to think like one. You must learn how to motivate yourself constantly to counter fear with courage. Making critical decisions about your career, business, investments, and other resources conjures up fear, fear that is part of the process of becoming a financial success.
––Thomas J. Stanley, PhD, The Millionaire Mind, 2000

Sometimes the safest thing you can do is attack. Sometimes the most dangerous thing is to do nothing.
––John Roberts

Risk must be managed, but so must fear, greed and ambition. Some fields or activities do have systems for accurately measuring risk and reward, while others must accept the chaos theory of a changing and confusing world beyond our control. It is important to isolate the risk we can control, and work on that. Even that risk we cannot control can, to some extent, be avoided.

Normally, the greater the risk, the greater the reward. In the investment business we accurately measure the risk of individual investments so that investors can see what could happen in the future. This is done by showing the long-term statistical, cyclical record of extremes and the frequency and degree of their occurrence. They can then decide if they are willing to accept the risk according to their nature and situation and the potential reward.

The risk in many things in life, however, cannot be quantified accurately. What is the risk of being hurt in a relationship? What are the chances of succeeding in a venture? How can we measure the risk vs. the potential reward where so many things are beyond our control? This is the hard part, and we can only make judgments based on education, experience and a measure of positive hope or realistic pessimism. It helps to get some good advice from someone we trust. Obviously a lot of experience is valuable in sensing danger and opportunity.

I have taken a great many personal risks in flying, on mountains, on and in oceans, driving cars and bikes, in the stock market and elsewhere. It has been suggested that I have an unhealthy addiction to adrenalin or a foolish urge to develop my ego and image. I accept, especially in the risk to my family responsibilities, and I have reformed myself in my mature years. But, I do not regret some of those exciting activities, which have helped me build self-confidence and great satisfaction.

Each of us must be careful in life according to personal characteristics and situation, but let us not lock ourselves in closets of safety. There are causes, such as the defense of our freedom, which necessarily expose us to peril. There are personal opportunities to be stronger and better by challenging the world and our own weaknesses. We must not all swim in the shallows. Some individuals, some nations, must lead, which is usually done in the face of risk.

Quotations: JOHN ROBERTS 2

2005-11-17T12:41:00.000-03:00

Following are selected quotations from drafts of the book in progress:

200 Personal Qualities: An Encyclopedic Guide for Parents, Teachers, Leaders and Personal Self-Development, by John Roberts. See: www.SupersonicBooks.com

Decisive
The decisive mind is a search engine that finds and sorts information required to choose among alternatives. It is not usually an easy question of good vs. bad; it is a question of subtle distinctions and the confidence of having good information tempered by experience. The decision-maker is Big Blue, the IBM chess computer that defeated a world champion by examining experience in order to foresee consequences.

Freedom
I am free, but I have to prove it every day, even to myself. Then, when someone tries to take away my freedom, I am ready to fight them in whatever way is necessary. It is one of my perpetual states of mind. It makes me a rough and rebellious member of the society I have risked my life to defend with the same spirit at a higher level. There are lines in the sand, all around me.

Habit
Have you ever thought how much energy is saved by having habits? Without the impetus of habit, half the work is just getting started. A person of many good habits is a very efficient machine, cruising effortlessly through life.

Love
Love for another requires benevolence and vulnerability, the willingness to subordinate self and take a chance on pain and tragedy in return for a lifetime of happiness. We tear down our defenses and say: “Here I am. Please take care. I will give you everything I have. I expect the same.”

Relationships
The quality of the few people you can select to play the largest roles in your life says a lot about the character and judgment you will apply to everything else. To a large degree they are you, and you will be judged accordingly.

Self-Respect
Self-respect is the essential beginning. You may have a sprinkling of good qualities, but you can’t build a well-developed and comprehensive character, deal with the world in a mature and self-confident way or expect the real world to take you seriously in return, unless you believe in yourself, unless you are truly proud of what you have built through your own effort and lifetime. With that unshakeable foundation of esteem, you will have no trouble in meeting the challenges to your integrity and positive attitude that will assault you throughout your life.

Spirit
The spirit within us, whatever the source, is something greater than mere determination, fortitude and enthusiasm. It comes from a major fountain of energy and motivation, perhaps even from another world. It creates a fire in the individual, not just intellectual optimism and drive, but an emotional power and belief that can work minor miracles of accomplishment.

Superiority
Superior beings are essential in a Darwinian world. They give birth to excellence and advancement. They are motivated to raise their species, their cultures, their companies and themselves to new levels in order to combat the Huns on the other side of the wall.

Quotations: JOHN ROBERTS 1

2005-11-14T22:11:00.000-03:00

Following are selected quotations from drafts of the book in progress:
200 Personal Qualities: An Encyclopedic Guide for Parents, Teachers, Leaders and Personal Self-Development, by John Roberts. See: www.SupersonicBooks.com

Action
Successful aggressive action is as much timing as bravery. The person who takes bold action in the face of challenge and threat is admirable. In that image, however, must be included training and clear thought under pressure of time and circumstances, so that action is not foolish or inexperienced. As a fighter pilot, I know there are times when the safest thing to do is to act, and the most dangerous thing to do is nothing. That doesn’t mean you don’t know when to keep your head down and your defenses up.

Balance
Every life must have a balance. There must be alternatives and choices. There is a synergy to work and play that produces a whole greater than the parts. An imbalance can occur for extended time, but enjoyment and productivity decline until a change is required. The playboy and the workaholic each have their limits. The balanced person remains in control, and learns how to diversify and enjoy and produce so that the dividing line between activities nearly disappears.

Character
Your character, the mystical, synergistic combination of a myriad of qualities, and so much more, defines and enables you. How well you build it, how you present it to the world, and how you use it, determine what you are and will be.

Compromise
There are times for principle, for holding firm, and knowing why. But, only if one also knows the time and value of compromise and sacrifice. It is a two-edged sword in the hands of the warrior-diplomat we must all be.

Credibility
Your credibility must be built into yourself before it can be built into others. If you project and demonstrate qualities of sincerity, honesty, integrity, consistency and authenticity, others will believe both what you say and that it will be matched by what you do. Only then can you lead them, marry them, or be their friend.

Curiosity
It is said that a great virtue is knowing what you don’t know. Carry that another step and have a driving hunger to fill the gaps. Being a narrow-minded specialist is not the way to enjoy or understand the world. Yes, have your one thing to love and conquer, but float it in the stormy sea of knowledge and humanity and it will become a great ship to carry you forward, not a lonely rock beyond the sunlight.

Daring
To dare is not the foolish and frivolous game of children. It is a plan with a vision, driven by an understanding of the risk vs. reward ratio, the confidence in the capabilities that make it possible and the necessity of achieving the goal. With all that, however, there are still the matters of the spirit and excitement of taking a flight into an unknown sky.

Qualities: CHANGE

2005-11-12T14:56:00.000-03:00

The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.
––Karl Marx

Make change mean growth. Humans resist change. Change precipitates growth. Therefore, humans resist growth––even though it’s growth that will keep them happily and gainfully employed. So leaders need to connect these dots in more constructive ways. Make change equivalent to growth, and make growth equivalent to satisfaction. Apply this lesson to your own career and personal development––regularly.
––Oren Harari. The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell
(New York: McGraw – Hill. 2002)

All your life you've been trained to keep your head down, fit in, stick with it and be quiet. And in stable times, that's a fine––though boring––strategy.
But now the rules have changed. Change is the new normal: Anything could happen; instability is a constant. And the best strategy is not to hunker down and fit in. It's to stand up and stand out.
––Hewlett Packard Newsletter, August 2004

The world is changing rapidly all around us, and each one of us should be contributing to that positive process, not just evading or reacting and trying to keep up. Here too, there are leaders and followers, those in control and those not, those adjusting and those stuck in the past.
––John Roberts

Massive and accelerating change is the dominant condition of our lives. Consider that, after seven thousand years of civilization, half of the world’s population has changed from state-driven economies to free market economies in just the last 15 years. What is even more remarkable is that the world has taken it in stride and changed for the better. The free market creates order and progress that no government could manage. Nearly every individual in the world has been greatly affected by that change. But, of course, it creates winners and losers as jobs and business cross oceans and borders at will. Change can be seen as negative, requiring adjustment and expense. Or, it can be seen as positive, offering opportunity and advancement. With many things in life, how you approach something determines what it becomes.

One of the big problems of life is adjusting to the world we live in. This is necessary in order to minimize that conflict and smooth the way forward. We can change the world or we can change ourselves, which is a lot easier. This change inside us has an effect on the small world around us, especially the people. So, by changing ourselves we change the world. Learning how to do this, knowing how the internal changes cause the desired external changes, is a great skill that can produce major results far beyond trying to force change on things that seem to be or are beyond our control.

We have come to realize that the rate of change is accelerating. Our attention spans are shortening, we communicate, think and act faster, and we need rapid change in ourselves and the world around us to avoid boredom, or falling behind. Sometimes, in order to see the change clearly, we have to step aside, observe clearly, and make our plan on how to rejoin the parade.

Change is constant and widespread. There are two kinds: We must control the change we initiate, and we must adjust to the change from the outside that is beyond our control. In both cases we have decisions to make, and it is much easier if we can do so with foresight and planning. The more we anticipate and act, the more we can immunize ourselves, the less will be the negative affects of the change beyond our control.

Resistance to change is common, as we have good reasons to fear that the consequences for us will be negative. We are likely to be unprepared, or to find ourselves in less-favorable circumstances. If we somehow make change an orderly process to which we can adjust, and which reduces the negative consequences, we may be able to benefit. If not, as we fall farther and farther behind, it may become impossible.

So, consider that the first and easiest place to start is to change yourself. It is not hard to find ways to improve yourself if you review the list of qualities we are discussing in this series.

Recommended Reading:
John P. Kotter, Leading Change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1996.

Qualities: ACTION

2005-11-05T14:00:00.000-03:00

The great end of life is not knowledge, but action.
––Thomas Huxley, Technical Education (1877)

Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.
––Andrew Jackson

Has any man ever attained inner harmony by pondering the experience of others? Not since the world began. He must pass through the fire.
––Norman Douglas

Come! Let us lay a lance in rest,
And tilt at windmills under a wild sky!
For who would live so petty and unblest
That dare not tilt at something ere he die;
Rather than, screened by safe majority,
Preserve his little life to little end,
And never raise a rebel cry!
––John Galsworthy, Errantry (Collected Poems),1934

Successful aggressive action is as much timing as bravery.
––John Roberts

We all know that feeling of being frozen into indecision by fear or lack of information. Sometimes, action requires some thought beforehand, when a new situation pops up for which we have not planned or thought about. Sometimes the necessary decision-making information is not available, perhaps never will be. And, sometimes, there is no time to think, or the opportunity, or the last chance for safety, is gone. On the other hand, there is often plenty of information and plenty of time, yet the decision still turns out to be wrong. Not all decisions are black or white, and not all of us are good at organizing information and making sound judgments.

The person who takes action in the face of challenge and threat is admirable. In that image, however, must be included training and clear thought under pressure of time and circumstances, so that action is not foolish or inexperienced. As a fighter pilot, I know there are times when the safest thing to do is to act, and the most dangerous thing to do is nothing. That doesn’t mean you don’t know when to keep your head down and your defenses up.

Action implies a target. It is the knowledge of that target that combines with your objectives and capabilities to create wise action. Action is not rare; bold verve without adequate preparation or perception of the dangers is common. What is unique is decisive action based on preparation based on planning based on good intelligence.

Qualities: REASON

2005-11-04T13:12:00.000-03:00

Theirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die.
––Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Brigade, 1854

We are born sensitive and from our birth onwards we are affected in various ways by our environment. As soon as we become conscious of our sensations we tend to seek or shun the things that cause them, at first because they are pleasant or unpleasant, then because they suit us or not, and at last because of judgments formed by means of the ideas of happiness and goodness which reason gives us.
––Rousseau, Emile, 1762

Your reason and your passion are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul….For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining; and passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction. Therefore let your soul exalt your reason to the height of passion, that it may sing; And let it direct your passion with reason, that your passion may lie through its own daily resurrection, and like the phoenix rise above its own ashes.
––Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, 1923

Francis Bacon was the most powerful and influential intellect of his time. Shakespeare, of course, stood above him in imagination and literary art; but Bacon’s mind ranged over the universe like a searchlight peering and prying curiously into every corner and secret of space. All the excitement and pride of a Columbus sailing madly into a new world. …
He distrusted all cogitations unchecked by actual experience, and all conclusions tainted with desire. … Bacon preferred “that reason which is elicited from facts. … From a closer and purer league between these two faculties, the experimental and the rational.” He repudiated the reliance upon traditions and authorities, he required rational and natural explanations instead of emotional presumptions, supernatural interventions, and popular mythology.
––Will and Ariel Durant, The Age of Reason Begins, 1961

Imagine that the ancient Greeks understood reason, but that Francis Bacon in the seventeenth century had to fight an entrenched civilization that believed otherwise. We must still confront those who come from a different world and seek to destroy the foundation of ours.
––John Roberts

For some, good judgment, based on reason, seems to come naturally. For others, good decisions are made with great difficulty. We are born with intelligence; childhood experiences and education improve our knowledge, thinking and logic; as we grow to maturity, we form a process of good reasoning. This illuminates the way more clearly, and enables us to cope with the complexities of what we encounter.

To reason, to deduce and induce with facts and sensible assumptions, to reach conclusions and build a related framework of knowledge, to clearly understand our personal world, is the simple duty and essential nutrition of success of every intelligent being. Throughout, we must fight off the emotions, prejudices, wishful thinking and misinformation that flood our brain, muddle our thinking and blind us to the reality of the world. Our greatest enemy is the failure to control and destroy those tormented, disconnected pieces of our own unprepared and illogical mind.

We ought to have good reasons for what we think, say and do, and what we cause. This helps to built integrity, the consistency of thought, word and deed. We are born with the ability to reason; babies and cats learn about hot stoves. But, it becomes more difficult when we must look forward and perceive the consequences of our reasoning and decisions, and see through the fog of deception that clouds the approaching future.

Qualities: PLANNING

2005-10-30T23:28:00.000-03:00

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
––Benjamin Franklin

No plan survives contact with the enemy.
––Axiom

He who every morning plans the transactions of the day and follows out that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life. The orderly arrangement of his time is like a ray of life which darts itself through all his occupations. But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incident, chaos will soon reign.
––Victor Hugo

To plan is to practice, so that when the reality arrives we are dealing with it for the second time. To plan is to compensate for the absence of time to think later under the pressure of events. To plan is to decide what is needed when there is time to provide it. Improvisation is doomed to failure in serious endeavors.
––John Roberts

Whether going shopping or invading Europe, what is more exciting than a well-executed plan? Planning is organization, anticipation, preparation, reaction and change. Without a plan, you are all over the parking lot, like a drunk looking for his car. Planning is not only preparation, it is an endless part of the management process from the beginning thought to the final consequence. You must even plan for your own failure in order to minimize the damage.

In all my experiences as a manager and leader, my favorite question has been: “What is your plan?” Rarely have I received a thoughtful and organized reply. Most people react rather than anticipate. Most people cannot see beyond the end of their present circumstances, and are unable to develop contingencies for the alternatives they may face. The uncertainties of the future seem to generate fear and inertia rather than enthusiasm and aggressiveness. To plan for two possibilities seems to confuse them. To plan to do things that may never happen is to them a waste of effort. They do not see the value of the planned response and pride themselves on their ability to react to change without preparation. Planning to them is deciding the next step after the previous one is complete.

The first plan is merely the plan for all the plans to follow. Later, after events change the plan, it is necessary to adjust, to fall back on contingency plans, to create new ones quickly. Then, the ability to think under pressure is more important. And, the required resources must have been anticipated. People fail to plan because they are too busy putting out the fires of the moment. They never seem to catch up and have time or information to plan ahead. It is a discipline to plan while in the midst of the failed plans of the past.

There are many plans which most projects or actions call for:
1. Plan A: The Action Plan that gets most of the attention.
2. Plan B: The Backup Plans in case Plan A must be dropped.
3. Plan C: The Contingency Plans for reaction to anticipated events.
4. Plan D: The Disaster Plan, when everything goes completely to hell.
5. Plan E: The Exit Strategies after success or failure.
6. Plan F: The Forecast of enemy strengths, capabilities and intentions.
7. Plan G: The Great Success Plan to take advantage of enemy full retreat.
8. Plan H: The Help Plan of support to call on if things don’t go well.
9. Plan I: The In-Progress Plan of things to do after things get going.
Well, someday I will write a book using the whole alphabet. You get the idea. Plan, Plan, Plan, and then plan some more.

Qualities: OPPORTUNITY

2005-10-29T13:43:00.000-03:00

The great secret of success in life is for a man to be ready when his opportunity comes.
––Benjamin Disraeli

The door to opportunity is always labeled ‘push’.
––United States Air Force

If a window of opportunity opens, don’t pull down the shade.
––Tom Peters

There are people who say that all you have to do is work hard enough and you can get ahead, but you can spend your whole life working your tail off and, if you don't have opportunities, you're never going to get ahead.
––Rep. Linda Sanchez (Dem. California, Mexican Parents)

Successful people don’t wait for the knock; they create their own opportunities: They widen cracks in the wall; they beat down doors; they travel unfamiliar roads; they take risk; they imagine or see things other do not; they change weaknesses into opportunities to improve; they change difficulties into opportunities to excel; they take failed people or organizations and instill them with their spirit of success; they change themselves so they can meet the challenges spread like a universe before them.
––John Roberts

There are so many opportunities, and such limited resources. So, finding or creating opportunities, and developing them into success, is more a matter of selection and priority and matching them with capability. It is an enjoyable management problem, made more interesting by freshness and the demand for imagination and vision.

The great cultures of the modern world have endless opportunity and upward mobility. In the last 15 years, half of the world’s population has converted to a market economy. Socialism and state managed economies are dead and gone. Now, you can change your class or your wealth or your image overnight. It works in reverse, too. India and China are converting hundreds of millions of poor people into a middle class simply because they have opened the door to individual growth and opportunity. Even Islam, in some countries, is learning to trust its women to drive cars and hold jobs and seek opportunity and equality long denied.

In America, more than most countries and business cultures, you have the opportunity to fail. You can start a business and, if it does not succeed, write it off and try again. There is no great stigma for having given it a shot, the American dream, the spirit of the entrepreneur, the wide open spaces waiting, waiting…. It is almost too easy, not enough experience or capital or partners, go ahead anyway, what have you got to lose except a little seed capital and think of what you will learn for next time. You can even go bankrupt, forget all the bills, and in a few years the system writes the slate clean and you can start over before a lifetime is gone.

If your entrepreneurial dream succeeds, there is the stock market, go public, make a million. Most countries don’t have either the small stock investors or the consumer market for the new products. America provides the system, and the rest of the world is learning what a powerful economic force it is––more fun and greater possibilities than working for General Motors. All you need is some guts and money and an idea.

Opportunity, at a higher level, is the essential ingredient for success. To survive, you have to find the Great Idea or the Golden Moment or you may not be able to live with the competition that does. Opportunity is only the beginning, the development or discovery of an idea that has a brief shelf-life before the advantage is gone, before someone does it bigger and better.

Qualities: HUMILITY

2005-10-23T12:59:00.000-03:00

Humility is the most difficult of all virtues to achieve; nothing dies harder than the desire to think well of oneself.
––T.S. Eliot

Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.
––The Bible, Obadiah, 4

The Deed is everything, the Glory naught.
Yes! To this thought I cling with firm persistence;
The last result of wisdom stamps it true.
He only earns his freedom and existence
Who daily conquers them anew.
––Goethe, Faust, 1806

Humility is not a weakness, but a strength. It stands in the way of self-destructive hubris and inflated ego. It helps us remain focused on our human qualities that are forever under development.
––John Roberts

We all have a right and responsibility to be humble, because, as Churchill said of an opponent, we all have much to be humble about. More positively, however, humility is a powerful virtue that brings external rewards and internal satisfactions far beyond the pleasures of pride and self-importance.

Some think humility is a weakness, a realistic acknowledgment of our faults that should diminish any overblown self-confidence. This is dead wrong. Humility is, instead, a positive quality that depends on self-respect. It is the knowledge that some of our qualities must be tempered and controlled in order to be effective. It is the positive opportunity to improve. Only those with self-respect can easily see and accept their faults and work to improve them in a positive way.

Humility is achieved by honest self-understanding and in balanced combination with legitimate self-confidence and pride. The immature have a problem in resolving this apparent conflict between humility and pride, when they are actually on the same side of the ledger. A mark of a mature person is great accomplishment resting on a foundation of genuine humility.

Humility does not require the absence of self-confidence or a strong or effusive personality. Humility is an internal recognition, not a pose. Modesty is more of an outward statement, appropriate to people of achievement, because it recognizes that we remain imperfect, and because self-importance is usually counter-productive. We do not wish to exhibit vanity. Modesty suggests being unpretentious, not expecting special recognition or exaggerated importance. Merging these concepts with a confident personality is an effective balance.

Qualities: SELF-CONFIDENCE

2005-10-10T11:30:00.000-04:00

Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.
––Samuel Johnson

Unshakable confidence is the sense of certainty we all want. The only way you can consistently experience confidence, even in environments and situations you’ve never previously encountered, is through the power of faith. Imagine and feel certain about the emotions you deserve to have now, rather than wait for them to spontaneously appear someday in the far distant future. When you’re confident, you’re willing to experiment, to put yourself on the line.
––Anthony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within, 1991

Truly confident people:
Are positive thinkers (Mental)
Feel great about themselves (Emotional)
Are results oriented (Behavioral)
Surround themselves with supportive people (Relational)
Have a focused purpose and mission (Spiritual)
––Tim Ursiny, PhD, The Confidence Plan, 2005

Self-confidence is a tremendous jet engine and sense of direction inside you that overcomes all kinds of barriers to success that would otherwise end your dream.
––John Roberts

Self-confidence is a habit built on many foundations, over many years. It is built by learning to walk, on playing fields, in classrooms, with people, and inside your own changing attitudes. Then, when great challenges come, you are ready. You can build your confidence in specific situations, like public speaking, by practice, by reading, by learning vocabulary, by learning techniques, by becoming an expert in what you are talking about. And, confidence built in one situation seems to carry over to others. So, you look for multiple opportunities to take on challenges and raise your level of achievement.

A fighter pilot is nothing if not self-confident. It is just as essential to mission success as the mental and physical skill of flying the airplane. I never felt fear in combat, even when the burning tracers of death missed me by visible inches. That was not because I was a brave hero; I was no different from all those I flew with, the whole fighter pilot profession. It was because I was so well-trained that I had supreme self-confidence in my ability to do the job, and because I was so well-motivated by that self-confidence that I would not allow fear to interfere. I had almost complete control over my emotions, and always have since then. There have been times when I was overconfident, to my detriment, but I’ll take it.

As parents, teachers and leaders, we suffer anguish when we see our charges literally suffering from a lack of confidence. It is not something instantly remedied. It takes time to build, and the absence of that training in the formative years may be difficult to correct. It cannot be forced, so there is magic in the way an understanding parent or coach can instill confidence through patient explanation and exposure to challenge. The importance of being part of a supportive group is obvious.

It is useful to think of how the brain builds new neurons and connectivity and grows new attitudes and emotions through reinforced experience. Some children seem to be energetic explorers and risk-takers from birth. But, even the crib is a challenging playground, and we are learning how to enhance the experience of the early years when the changes and growth are the easiest. Let us never forget how the comfort of being loved enables so much else.

Many qualities require time to build. Integrity is the habit of a lifetime, but it is also easy for some to decide to follow well-known rules. Self-confidence is not something created by decision. It must be developed by repeated exercise and the development of the skills that serve as its foundation. We must also accept who we are, that there are limits on what we can build in ourselves. But, that must be accompanied by optimism, not pessimism.

The twin qualities of self-respect and self-confidence are central to the character of the individual who wishes to leave a mark on a world that prefers not to reward weakness and mediocrity. One can survive standing in the shallows, eating minnows, but the big fish, the fighters, dominate in rough oceans. Some of them even crawled up onto the land and became the dominant species among thousands. It just takes time and practice, and eternal self-confidence.

Recommended Reading:

Tim Ursiny, PhD, The Confidence Plan: How to Build a Stronger You. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, 2005, 296 pp.

Seligman, Martin, Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your life. New York: Pocket Books, 1998. Audio CD available.

Qualities: LEADERSHIP

2005-10-09T20:29:00.000-04:00

Managers do things right; leaders do the right thing.
––Peter Drucker

If you can’t influence others, they won’t follow you. And if they won’t follow, you’re not a leader. That’s the Law of Influence. No matter what anybody else tells you, remember that leadership is influence—nothing more, nothing less.
––John C. Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, 1998

Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible.
Management is easy. Leadership is motivating people, turning people on, getting 110% out of a personal relationship.
––Colin Powell, Secretary of State

Leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it in themselves.
––Stephen R. Covey, The 8th Habit, 2004

To Lead! What a feeling, to see others grasp your motivation and vision and charge ahead, especially after you have first failed and realized how difficult and magic it is.
––John Roberts

The simple definition of leadership is having a vision, motivating people to achieve it, and helping them to do so. From there, a thousand books could be written. Instead, let us develop a general understanding. From there, take your personal qualities and apply them to get the job done. One can make a lot of lists, do the job mechanically, but it works better if you study great leaders, read some of those books, know your job and build the confidence to take some people, fire them up and get on with it.

We will come back to this subject again and again. There are so many different kinds of organizations, from a few people to many nations, yet the basic principles still apply. Your job is to apply them to your own life and goals.

For an American, you can’t do much better to start than to read biographies of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. In almost every country, there are similar examples. These great men were thrust into the most important and difficult of circumstances, and they succeeded by drawing on deep resources that even they did not know they had. But, they demonstrated the basic qualities of great leadership: character, vision, determination, courage and the people skills of leadership. If those lives and successes do not inspire you to learn and understand the fundamental qualities of leadership, consider remaining a follower.

Qualities: INTUITION

2005-10-08T12:36:00.000-04:00

Never use intuition.
––General Omar N. Bradley

The mind resorts to reason for want of training.
––Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams, 1907

The term “gut feel” reflects an attempt to differentiate between thoughts from the head––more rational, intellectual, and dispassionate––and those that come from somewhere deeper and are harder to articulate. Sometimes known as intuition, it is more closely tied to the unconscious, that part of our mind that operates largely outside of everyday awareness and that determines so much of our behavior.
––Dr. Kerry J. Sulkowicz, Fast Company Magazine, November 2004

One job of the unconscious is to act as a workshop for rough-shaping ideas; crafting notions as new parts or tools become available; storing observations until something relevant appears in the landscape––generally soaking, simmering, and incubating ideas. Gradually, while combing through its inventory, it finds bits and pieces that create a pattern. …We experience that unreasoned solution as intuition or insight. It may be wrong. Intuitions sometimes are. It may point us in a useful direction rather than offer a concrete solution. There are sudden intuitions (“snap judgments”), and there are gradual intuitions based on a slow, playful accumulation of details.
––Diane Ackerman, An Alchemy of Mind, 2004

The problem with feeling the rightness of something is that this is more rewarding emotionally and more tempting than the difficult and informed process of reasoning, but more likely to be wrong. Intuition, listening to the subconscious, should not be ignored, but only in the context of intelligent reasoning beforehand. Intuition is not a separate and alternative brain process, but an important and useful part of the primary one.
––John Roberts

Intuition is often used as an excuse for not doing your homework, for relying on emotions and disorganized thinking, for going with what you want to believe rather than digging up and facing harsh facts. Intuition, like many qualities, is most useful as a tool in an organized system that has learned from experience its limits and strengths; that system clearly understands the frequent value and correctness of the subconscious, but also knows the danger of depending too firmly on a decision-making process that uses a form of “reasoning and logic” that is beyond your control.

A decision approaches. We can assemble the pluses and minuses on a yellow pad, review our capabilities, weigh the arguments, forecast the effects and responses of the ripples and waves that the decision will create. Yet, we can also feel the tug of other forces on our reason, hidden inclinations that cannot be put to paper. The line between the reason and intuition is not clear, we cannot seem to separate them and view the independent results. We can only hope they agree. When they do not, we often find strong emotions pushing aside the sensible logic and correctness we have so carefully built. It usually requires more courage to follow the reason than to follow the intuition, which is more satisfying.

Sometimes people luck out and their intuition proves correct. Naturally, they will place more value on it in the future. We must be on guard against this natural tendency to disregard reason and logic. But, let us accept that some people have actually developed their subconscious, or their ability to organize or read it. Sometimes we call that “sleeping on it” and the development of a problem leads to an awareness of subconscious attitudes or decisions the next day that may help to make a decision.

To be continued. See the current best-seller: Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking, by Malcolm Gladwell. See also Diane Ackerman’s beautifully-written and enlightening book (quote above), An Alchemy of Mind, See also our previous September post: Qualities: BRAIN.

Qualities: RIGHT THING

2005-10-07T19:54:00.000-04:00

My first ground rule is always to tell the truth. A client will call and say, 'This terrible thing happened to me. What should I say?' I say, 'Wait a minute. First ask: What was the right thing to do? Then do it.'
––Howard Rubenstein, Public Relations Consultant

We've been trying to follow the advice of Mark Twain, which was, 'Do what's right and you'll please some of the people and astound the rest'.
––Ronald Reagan

Do the Right Thing. It is such a simple answer to so many questions. It is normally not difficult to know what is right; it is often very difficult to do it decisively without a lot of excuses and dithering and trying to find a way out.
––John Roberts

This is one of those signs to paste on the inside of your forehead where you can see it when choices arise. It is so easy to rationalize another answer. We need a little reminder now and then if we don’t practice. Some call it the voice of conscience. Some say “what would my father or mother do?” Some freeze and can’t decide and slide toward the easy, wrong answer. Even practice is not the total solution; the development of a sound ethical and moral foundation in our formative years makes the big difference. If we wait too long in life to do that, it becomes a lot more difficult, like learning a new language. The brain is already set in some ways, and less amenable to change.

For many of us, it helps to have a parent or spouse who has already gone through the process. We pay attention as they wisely suggest answers to our dilemmas. Religions, of course, show us worthy standards. And, as part of western civilization and because of abuses throughout our society, we can now take college courses in ethics and business behavior. The culture of some business organizations promotes honor and ethics.

Above all, we see everywhere good examples of people who do the right thing all the time with little difficulty. They are like professional athletes; we cannot see the years of preparation and experience and regular practice that make it look so easy. We cannot see the complex decision-making machinery that goes to work on the difficult decisions, programmed almost like computers to provide correct answers.

Presidential and other political campaigns are instructive. They show us people making regular and public decisions between votes and principles. They illustrate that doing the right thing is frequently a compromise rather than a clear-cut choice between right and wrong. And, we usually make a judgment when one of them crosses the line and sacrifices too much to try to get elected. That applies to the rest of us; our moral and ethical lives are shades of gray.

There are two nice things about doing the right thing: other people notice, and so do we. Sometimes there are tangible and psychological rewards when others develop respect for us. It generates good feelings and self-respect. These can overcome the material losses that may arise from those tough decisions, and they reinforce our ability to make those right decisions again later.

Qualities: RELATIONSHIPS

2005-10-06T22:16:00.000-04:00

No man is an island, entire of it self; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main;…any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.
––John Donne, 1624

Whether it is in our careers, our personal relationships, or in life, we all need others if we are to achieve the level of success we desire. Besides, what's the point of having it all if we have no one we care about to share it? You may choose to work with others, you may ignore them, or you may choose to work against them, but the greatest successes in life come to those who work harmoniously with others. When your personal goals coincide with those of another, not only does the power of your combined labors benefit you, but such cooperation also creates a synergistic effect that allows you to achieve far more than the simple sum of your individual efforts.
––Napoleon Hill Foundation (www.naphill.org)

The quality of the few people you can select to play the largest roles in your life says a lot about the character and judgment you will apply to everything else. To a large degree they are you, and you will be judged accordingly.
––John Roberts

A relationship means that you relate to someone, meaning that there is a degree of closeness and understanding, as in a relative, as in relating to someone because you think alike. Our world is full of passing acquaintances, and choice or circumstances convert a few into relationships that should be rewarding. It is forgiving and generous to try to save bad relationships, but that must be measured against the pain and unhappiness that may result from prolonging them. A lot could be avoided by being more careful about entering them in the first place.

We are greatly affected by the people we bring close to us––the exchange of love and friendship, the satisfaction of working well with others––we seldom realize how much these relationships are changing us every day. Understand that, and make it positive. People who establish good relationships across the spectrum will be happier and more successful because of the rub-off of good qualities and learning that results. The growth and synergy that flows from proper contact with this vast resource all around us can make all the difference, however strong and determined we may be.

When you have a job to do, it is a great skill, and a great leap forward, to form cooperative relationships, to find supporters, allies, friends. You have to educate them, you have to earn their respect, and you have to show them that you can give as much as you get. Those people become a force multiplier, changing your results, and they can affect your success as much as you do.

Qualities: SPIRIT

2005-10-04T21:01:00.000-04:00

Not the mind but the spirit is its own place, and can make a Hell of Heaven, a Heaven of Hell. When the mind withdraws into itself and dispenses with facts it makes only chaos.
––Edith Hamilton, The Greek Way, 1930

The spirit within us, whatever the source, is something greater than mere determination, fortitude and enthusiasm. It comes from a major fountain of energy and motivation, perhaps even from another world. It creates a fire in the individual, not just intellectual optimism and drive, but an emotional power and belief that can work minor miracles of accomplishment.
––John Roberts

Spirit imbues a different breed. It powers everything they do, and changes the people and events around them. It is not one quality, but many, combined and born again in a new form of energy.

I have known a few men and women of such powerful spirit that I could only wonder at the source: How are such rare exceptions created? For a lifetime, I tried to create it in myself, enough to be a fighter pilot, a career that offers an outlet. There are many people of great spirit in the world; some of them are able to work the magic of passing it on to others. I learned that it comes from a combination of what we are given, and what is created later. I have met people of intense religious spirit, and others who gave everything they had to their professions, to those they loved, to their comrades and country in war. I believe there is some magnificent source common to all of them.

This great spirit must be controlled. Unfettered, it can be destructive. The most spirited people I have ever know were my fellow fighter pilots in combat in Vietnam. But, at the same time, they were also the most disciplined people I have ever known. Can you imagine men going into combat to get shot at, and enjoying it? The pleasure was not only in being brave together, in destroying the enemy, in having such a wonderful outlet for spirit, but also because we enjoyed the way we controlled our ourselves, our machines, our environment, our result. The professional does this, and takes great pride in the inner knowledge that this is what makes him successful.

Qualities: SELF-RESPECT

2005-10-03T19:11:00.000-04:00

People who feel good about themselves produce good results.
––Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, The One Minute Manager,

Accept everything about yourself––I mean everything. You are you and that is the beginning and the end––no apologies, no regrets.
--Clark Moustakas (Nightingale.com)

Self-respect is the essential beginning. You may have a sprinkling of good qualities, but you can’t build a well-developed and comprehensive character, deal with the world in a mature and self-confident way or expect the real world to take you seriously in return, unless you believe in yourself, unless you are truly proud of what you have built through your own effort and lifetime. With that unshakeable foundation of esteem, you will have no trouble in meeting the challenges to your integrity and positive attitude that will assault you throughout your life.
––John Roberts

Understanding yourself is best begun with respect for the good things you find. Then spend the rest of your life improving them, adding to them and organizing them into a framework for belief and behavior. Create a self-portrait to show the world. Create a winning machine for the competition of life.

Honest self-assessment is the essential element of the long process of building self-respect. It is not easy to see ourselves as others see us. We tend to build defense mechanisms against criticism, even self-criticism. We must break down those natural defenses and be brutally frank. One good way is to go through the list of qualities in this book and try to measure our understanding and performance against the definitions and main points.

The mature ego does not have to blast the world with self-importance and open pride. If you have self-respect, others will soon know it. In fact, those who feel it is necessary to display their confidence and accomplishment are often those who are inwardly uncertain and insecure about their real worth. Their inflated view of themselves needs the reinforcement that comes from convincing others of its authenticity. That kind of self-appreciation washes away when challenged by those who see the truth.

Your self-respect earns the respect of others. It is usually easy to see those individuals with a positive attitude toward themselves, and those who are insecure, defensive and negative. Insecure people lacking in self-respect are all around us. Some try to disguise it, some do not or cannot. The undeveloped personality seeks reasons to draw the respect of others, thus enabling self-respect to grow with justification.

Qualities: LOVE

2005-10-02T13:47:00.000-04:00

I’m not a smart man, but I know what love is.
––Tom Hanks, Forrest Gump, 1994

The shield over my heart wears thin.
––Ancient Welsh Poem

To renounce your individuality, to see with another’s eyes, to hear with another’s ears, to be two and yet but one, to so melt and mingle that you no longer know you are you or another, to constantly absorb and constantly radiate, to reduce earth, sea and sky and all that in them is to a single being so wholly that nothing whatever is withheld, to be prepared at any moment for sacrifice, to double your personality in bestowing it––that is love.
––Theophile Gautier

Love can die as mysteriously as it is born, and then it is lost forever. The first thing we need to learn about love is how easy it is to kill it. Love is a tender spirit, two forms in one, that must be cared for with mutual respect and kindness. A wrong word, a careless act, a failure to communicate, simple inattention, a failure to control imperfections, and the magic and forgiveness may fade. And then, life takes a turn, and it does not seem so easy or productive any more. So, use caution, build strong bonds, be tolerant and learn to see the happiness over the hill. It is hard to exceed the joy of discovery and passion of younger love, but it is still there in a deeper way in a love that has been preserved and treasured into maturity. There is no better foundation for success in life. There is no better way to fuel and shine your own sun on everything else you do.
––John Roberts

Love for another requires vulnerability, the willingness to subordinate self and take a chance on pain and tragedy in return for a lifetime of happiness. We tear down the defenses and say: “Here I am. Please take care. I will give you everything I have. I expect the same.”

Love is a great force that can become a beneficial quality of the individual, something to be controlled and used in a positive sense. The person with a loving relationship is more effective in life than one with problems and emptiness. Some of us have the emotional stability and capacity for love that makes us stronger and happier. Sometimes that goes wrong, and we have difficulty understanding why. Few of us are immune to the devastation and setback of lost or broken love. Few of us do not go into the world with a positive and self-confident attitude when love sustains us.

Love may be a wonderful, spontaneous accident, but it can also be sought in the best places, developed in the right circumstances and made into the central part of one’s existence. It is not cynical, manipulative or disrespectful to do so. All parts of our lives should be cared for in such a way. It is too important to be left to random luck. But, however it happens or turns out, it is never too late, and never unworthy of the care appropriate to our deepest emotion and need.

The capacity for love, and the heavy responsibility that goes with it, is a serious quality not given to everyone. Like other qualities, it can be developed and improved, and used in a fine way to improve our happiness and success. The responsibility is so easily and horribly or accidentally abused, that each of us must give serious attention to learning and mastering it. Practice helps.

If there is one quality that soars above all in this book, it is the capacity for love. And if there is one quality above all that is best stimulated and nurtured from birth by parents, it is also love. This leads us not only to love for a partner, but also for parents, siblings, friends, people and dogs and cats in general. Love is love, and not that different if you set aside the sexual angle. If you are one of those lovers of everything living, from mate to micro-organism, then you are also a lover of the beauty of nature, the world and just about everything in the grand order of the universe. Where can you possibly draw the line? Once you take that attitude, life becomes easy and happy and successful beyond expectations.

Qualities: SOLITUDE

2005-10-01T15:38:00.000-04:00

In order to spend time happily and productively with yourself, you have to enjoy the company. That means humble and enduring self-respect, which can only be developed in solitude. It is a chicken and an egg. Don’t look to others to build your self-esteem; do it yourself, it’s more reliable.
––John Roberts

Solitary we must be in life’s great hours of moral decisions; solitary in pain and sorrow; solitary in old age and in our going forth at death. Fortunate the man who has learned what to do in solitude and brought himself to see what companionship he may discover in it, what fortitude, what content.
––William L. Sullivan

Solitude is the state in which experience is disengaged from other people….Solitude is the luminous silent space of freedom, of self and nature, of reflection and creative power. There we feel and see and contemplate with a freshness scarcely to be believed; there, in the Free and Easy Wandering of the spirit, in the startling exhilaration of a creative vision, we make hash of predestination. There is nothing better for a human person, though there are loving things, as good.
––Philip Koch, Solitude: A Philosophical Encounter. Chicago: Open Court Publishing, 1994.

Solitude is a quality that must be carefully managed. It is a positive experience that enables close touch with self, nature and religion. It is important to separate that introspection and problem-solving from the possible negative impact of withdrawal from people and society, a frequent sign of depression. It is one thing to move positively into solitude, another to move negatively away from the world.

I love my solitude. I also love people and active participation in the world. I need both, as most of us do. If forced to make a choice, I’ll take the people, because solitude carried too far becomes loneliness and can be destructive. But, people carried too far can become boredom, irritation and frustration. Enjoying one often comes from too much of the other. Balance and moderation are important.

Solitude should be used to good effect, an actual process in search of positive goals. It becomes a fault, however, if it is used as a lonely escape from reality and responsibility. It may be healthy freedom, but it may also be crushingly restrictive if it is not alternated with enjoyable contact with people and the outside world. Solitude should combine with a growing understanding of one’s own intuition and subconscious. It takes study and practice to develop understandable communication with the memories and messages of the subconscious, which must be mined for useful information and opinion.

Many of us do not know how to use our solitude. It is not just wandering along the beach with disorganized thoughts in search of bright ideas or inner peace. The simple absence of people does not solve many problems or lead to self-improvement. Thoreau said he was not lonely while alone at Walden. He had nature and a fine mind to enjoy, and a motivation to write all those descriptive volumes to keep him going. Solitude is not something to be taken in brief snatches, like a lunch-break mediation. It should be planned and prepared for and taken at a time that is in tune with the right mental attitude. It is a process that must be studied and improved over a lifetime.

Success: NEW BOOK

2005-09-29T11:38:00.000-04:00

The Success Principles, by Jack Canfield, with Janet Switzer. New York: Harper Resource Book (HarperCollins), 2005, 473 pp.
This is the finest SUCCESS book in recent years. If you have ambition to improve, to succeed, to teach and lead others to do so, you must read and retain this book. Jack Canfield was cocreator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series that mushroomed to dozens of best-sellers for different groups. Here are 64 chapters, with multiple sub-headings, grouped in the following sections:
I. The Fundamentals of Success
II. Transform Yourself for Success
III. Build Your Success Team
IV. Create Successful Relationships
V. Success and Money
VI. Success Starts Now
These concepts are not new, but Canfield has created a wise and organized handbook, with examples, of the accumulated wisdom that we need to understand and apply in order to succeed. Some have already done much of this, but almost anyone will benefit. Most will find here a plan and the motivation to implement it. Keep it close and read it often. If you aren't yet achieving your goals in a lifetime program, here is a way to get on track.
Get more information, more involved, or buy it, at: www.thesuccessprinciple.com

Qualities: COOL

2005-09-28T21:03:00.000-04:00

You wanna know my definition of poetry? Precision in life: Knowing when and how to make your move.
––Al Pacino, Sea of Love, 1989

You are going supersonic straight up, waiting for the airspeed to bleed off so you can reverse on the MiG and get off the killer shot before he does. You have eight seconds to wait. What do you do?
Wind the clock.
––Fighter Pilot Legend

To bear all naked truths,
And to envision circumstances, all calm,
That is the top of sovereignty.
––John Keats, Hyperion, 1820

Cool is getting it right with style and a dash of imagination, and certainly with courage. Cool doesn’t mind risk, but doesn’t brandish the behavior. Character is cool, because cool is what you really are, not what you pretend to be. Cool is self confidence, because you are proud that what you have created is admired in your culture for its honesty as much as its class and individuality. Cool is how you deal with everything, and that is everything.

Cool is so many things, every version is different. So, you can construct your own within the limits of your own sincerity. But, to be really cool it has to be genuine, because phony cool is the most uncool thing you can do. That means you have to be satisfied with what it is deep down and stop fiddling around with it. Cool, honest folk don’t reinvent themselves, which is not to say that constant self-improvement or a change of cloths are out of the question.

Cool is flexible, in the person who has it, and in the eye of the observer. Cool is usually a different breed, admired by the masses who cannot master the cool qualities. The biggest factor in cool is independence, the lack of wannabe, comfortable with self, and a certain amount of distain for the conventional desires and pretensions. Cool does not need the approval of the group, yet being different from the group, at a level the group cannot reach, is the point.

You don’t have to use the word to know what I am talking about. An old man should not try to be too hip about this. In the fighter pilot business I knew a lot of very, very cool men, and a lot who tried to be or thought they were, but weren’t. In that business, where everyone else sees what you do, it is not easy to fake. The group picks its heroes, and it is not much discussed, which is cool.

I could wander through a lot of situations and people, but that wouldn’t be very cool. Cool should retain its mystery, and remain beyond journalism. You get the message: Don’t try to be cool or analyze it too deeply; just be yourself with relaxed, genuine confidence, and you will be On the Road.

Qualities: COURAGE

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Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. ––C.S. Lewis

Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don't have the strength. Industry and determination can do anything that genius and advantage can do and many things that they cannot. ––Theodore Roosevelt

Courage is about alternatives, decisions and consequences; it is usually easy to see the choices, but it is often difficult to compare the long-term results. Only by thought, practice and experience can we develop the ability to see what we are setting in motion, thus making the decision so much easier. In the meantime, the simple solution is to do what is right. Then we can learn to deal with the difficult shades of gray. ––John Roberts

Courage, like many qualities, is a brain muscle that is made stronger by training and exercise. Courage must be coordinated with other muscles like honor, morality, ethics, integrity, character, determination and judgment. Together, they need regular conditioning and coordination for peak performance in the big game.

Except on rare occasions, courage is not charging headlong into enemy machine guns to rescue comrades or win battles. It is, in our less-exciting and workaday lives, more about choices between right and wrong, and accepting responsibility and consequences. To some extent, these things can be trained and thought out beforehand, although there will always be surprises calling for quick thinking. If we have practiced our decision-making over time, we will find it easier to make judgments when challenged.

I have made the point elsewhere that I did not experience fear in combat flying because I had strong training and motivation, and plenty of time to anticipate the combat situations I would probably encounter. I was, in other words, well-prepared to exhibit composure and act aggressively as routine performance among comrades who all did the same. That also applies in our mundane lives as we meet the regular and diverse challenges of opportunity and choice. By practicing courage in athletics, combat, business and life in general over many years, we are well-prepared to deal with just about anything life can throw at us. Being courageous does not equate to being smart. We still make mistakes, but not because of panic or the failure to dispassionately examine the choices and take decisive action. Courage is something we practice, and require, every day.

Money: JOB INTERVIEW

2005-09-26T19:36:00.000-04:00

I had a job interview today: The interviewer did a smooth and professional job of combining probing questions with information to help me make a positive decision. I was ready for every question, and also found room to get across the best messages I had planned. So, we ended with smiles and optimism because we had both done excellent work to achieve our mutual objective.

Over the years, I have experienced and interviewed many job interviewers. And, I have hired and fired a lot of people. I could write a book for either party, and there are plenty of good ones in your library. See, for example: Jay Block and Michael Betrus, Great Answers! Great Questions! for Your Job Interview, McGraw-Hill, 2004.

My aim here, however, is at the job hunters. All my experience is that most of them do not do a good job of creating resumes, getting interviews and impressing the interviewer. Sure, some are young, inexperienced, or lazy. Too many rely on winging it with their golden personalities or paperwork, and forgetting the crucial importance of first impressions and perfect answers to anticipated questions. Another big failure is not understanding the real nature of the job and not showing how they will fit that job and help the boss and company achieve their objectives.

Well, I can't teach it all here, but I can urge you to decide that the job could be very important to your future success, and it is worth taking a day to read a book, write (and adjust) the perfect resume, memorize answers to expected questions, and improve appearance, cloths, first impressions and job knowledge. Every job interview, not to mention every job itself, is an opportunity to practice for the future, and should be done to the best of your ability. First, hit the books!

Qualities: TRUTH

2005-09-24T16:08:00.000-04:00

Facts are stronger than leaders. ––Shimon Peres

People think of leaders as men and women devoted to service, and by service they mean that these leaders serve their followers....
The real leader serves truth, not people. ––J.B. Yeats

Telling the truth, of course, can carry heavy penalties: condemnation, ostracism, slander, the end of careers. Telling the truth often requires as much courage as that of the foot soldier, the police officer, the firefighter. The arena is different; there are no rocket-propelled grenades, no roaring fires or desperadoes with guns. But truly brave people share one big thing: In doing their duty, they can lose everything. ––Pete Hamill

Our dealings with the world have to start with finding truth; otherwise, things get muddled and confused. How can we construct a plan or policy for dealing with anything or anyone if we have an incorrect understanding of what they really are?
One can waste a great deal of time climbing the mountain to the oracle to learn the meaning of truth. Let’s not get mystical about it. Let’s just be practical and try to see through the spin and cover and lies that disguise the reality of things and people.

Truth has a simple and powerful value: Operating under false information causes big problems. It is like ignoring the laws of physics and logic in trying to build a car. Applying truth to everything doesn’t always make things easier or possible, and bravery is sometimes required, but it is fundamentally the only way forward.

Truth and honesty are different. Telling the truth and being honest to other people may be the same; but there is a deeper core of truth in all things that must be found, respected, understood and used. Most things, most people, are not what they seem. We must find and acknowledge the real truth, the hidden reality, in everything, especially ourselves. Only then can we deal with our existence effectively. Only then can we match truth with the honest sincerity of our own character.

Qualities: SUCCESS SECURITY

2005-09-23T21:08:00.000-04:00

As we watch the devastation of lives and fortunes by hurricanes, we must remind ourselves that we must try to secure our success against the dangers of the world. It is tragic to work years to build something, and then have it wiped away. So, we need to think about financial reserves for emergencies so that we don't have to sell homes or businesses to meet requirements. And, we need to accept that the cost of proper insurance on lives and property is a small price to pay vs. the results of not being covered.

There are other kinds of dangers to success, such as illness, business failure, loss of partners, surprises beyond our control or even our own loss of motivation. Make your own list. There are ways to protect against such things. It is difficult to look into the future and envision the dangers and take the difficult steps now to avoid or minimize them. This is a necessary part of career and family planning and the budgeting of resources.

So, we must think of our success, however large or small, as a great treasure to be preserved. If you lose it, you may discover that it is difficult to find again.

Qualities: KNOW THYSELF

2005-09-22T11:19:00.000-04:00

This blog draws largely on my book in progress: 200 Personal Qualities: A Guide for Students, Teachers and Individual Self-Development.

While teaching Strategies for Success in a university, I observed that most students could not define, explain or apply to themselves the basic qualities of character and success. Parents and teachers do not always have the time or knowledge to teach these qualities comprehensively and in depth. This book defines and explains 200 good qualities, each one supported with extensive quotes and tips for improvement. It can therefore serve as an organized plan for developing important personal qualities in ourselves and those we teach. I hope you will use this blog as a stimulus to self-development.

Good parents and teachers try not to miss the opportunities and examples of real life to explain and imbed good qualities in the young. As life goes by, hard lessons of honesty, determination, patience and a hundred others become part of most people. But, however experienced and well-meaning the teacher, some things get missed, and we all learn that even adults are imperfect. Families, schools, churches and, above all, universities these days are not creating the character our young people should have.

Some qualities are learned only by long practice until they become habit. The concept of the courage of honesty, taking the difficult honest road instead of the easier dishonest one, takes time and experience until it becomes a force of habit, a key element of character that overcomes temptation and weakness. So, it pays to start early, and to be very honest with ourselves as we grow to maturity. We must examine ourselves and identify those qualities that are weak and find ways to improve them. That job, in the responsible adult, never ends. And, it carries on as we have children and friends and employees who need to learn what we have learned.

May I suggest that you, as I have done, try to examine yourself, no matter how old or successful you are. Seek opportunities to improve and to pass it on. Perhaps you will find my writings a help; they are the result of a lifetime of successes and mistakes, and an understanding that the one person in the world I must be the most honest with is myself.

Money: LIFE EXPECTANCY

2005-09-21T13:02:00.000-04:00

Everyone, regardless of your age or wealth, must understand the following statistics. You must anticipate the costs of living longer and paying for it. You must take action now to create that money. You must understand the compounding and financial skills that will make it happen.

Thanks to improved health and medical care (the cost of which consistently increases beyond the inflation rate), life expectancy is increasing dramatically. Instead of dying not long after retirement, we now live for decades beyond it. Once you get past the "young killers" like heart attacks, lung cancer, accidents, etc., the dangers recede. If you live to be 60, the average man will live to be 80, the average woman to 84. Of two people living to be 65, one of them will survive to 92, or 27 years of retirement. Are you ready to pay for that? Do you think Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid will do it for you? Wrong, Wrong, Wrong.

If you are 65, you have a 40% chance of needing long-term care. If you are 80, 80% will need it. 80% of money spent on senior medical expenses goes to long-term care. The average length of care is 2.5 years, and the cost averages $50,000 a year and $150 a day in a nursing home. Medicare covers just 2% of these costs.

There are various ways to pay for this, and I have heard all the excuses for not buying long-term care insurance. Some are valid, like a family fortune, but most are not. The Medicaid safety net is getting holes in it. Some states have reached one-third of their entire budget going to Medicaid. States are now cutting back those payments. Children may be retired themselves when seniors are over 80. Alzheimer's grows slowly, and half of those who reach 85 will have it.

There is one thing you can do today to anticipate these costs. Start putting money into an IRA to get the advantages of tax-free compounding. A hundred bucks a month at 10% grows to about $20,000 in ten years, but grows to $637,000 in 40 years. That means START EARLY so the early money will double many times. If you are older, take a look at long-term care insurance. I looked at a couple: The older you are when you start, the more money you pay in total as the premiums increase. Yes, if you start when you are 50, you will put less money in than if you wait until you are 60 or 70.

This thinking and planning MUST be part of your retirement program, starting as soon as you start working, not when you are approaching retirement. Don't rely on anyone else, like government or kids, to do it for you.

Qualities: ATTITUDE

2005-09-20T14:28:00.000-04:00

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
––Winston Churchill

Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.
––Raymond Chandler

Attitude is powerful. It rescues you, it defines you, it drives you.
Make it genuine and permanent, and use it as a positive lethal weapon against the demoralizing frustrations and roadblocks on your path to success.

The person with a positive attitude has an extra strength and consistent enthusiasm that many others do not have. Thinking and acting positively leads to positive results. A negative attitude is self-fulfilling. Positive thinking opens new doors, creates new ideas and generates the optimism and excitement that change behavior. Attitude is a general atmosphere or approach that conditions everything, not nearly as specific as policy or objectives. It should be an equal partner with motivation, determination and persistence, rarely slipping from maximum degree. It should be the hot nuclear core of your personality.

Someone who has a good attitude is more than positive. It is also taken to mean that they speak and act in ways that are cooperative with other people. They like to get the job done, they are not argumentative or difficult, they get along well with people and problems, they are tolerant and patient, and have many other good qualities that are expressed in various ways for others to see. Just to wear a smile and be cheerful is a great start.

(A selection from a manuscript in progress: The Book of Qualities: 200 Components of Self-Development. An Encyclopedic Guide for Parents, Teachers and Self-Improvement by John Roberts. 200 qualities are analyzed in depth, with definitions, quotations, examples and teaching advice. Subscribe to our newsletter at SupersonicSuccess.com)

Qualities: PERSISTENCE

2005-09-19T09:21:00.000-04:00

The great leaders all say the same thing: The principal element of success, above all the others, is simple persistence: the determination and drive to keep going when you don't feel like it, when the obstacles are high and your morale is low. That is when the successful person breaks out of the pack and leaps over failure. --John Roberts

Do as I did once: Look back over your life, however long or short, and identify the biggest or most rewarding accomplishments. Then, examine the determination and persistence that made each one possible. I'll bet you discover, as I did, that your refusal to quit, your return to the pursuit when the problems and barriers try to stop you, were instrumental in success. Sometimes success is easy or an accident or being lucky; but, more often, it is long, hard work and overcoming the "quitter" mentality that lurks in all of us.

I learned it in a simple and strong way by being a mile runner in college. I wasn't great, but I wanted that varsity letter at the time when I was still building my ego and self-confidence. I knew that it was not the skill of the basketball player that would make me successful; it was the determination to run one more step, to push myself when it hurt, to see a goal and put the temptations and pain out of my mind. I succeeded, cutting a second or two off my time every time I ran the mile.

I saw that pattern, the struggle to improve, the ability to keep going, and never, never, never to quit, as a skill I could apply to many things in life. It worked, and I moved on to accomplish many things I would not have thought possible without knowing ahead of time that my plan and method would help me, although not as a guarantee of success. By settin goals, making a plan to get there, and knowing I had the persistence to keep trying, I had a clear vision of the whole process. Try that with something small, and then apply it to bigger and bigger challenges.

Qualities: TRAIN YOUR BRAIN

2005-09-18T19:08:00.000-04:00

You need to undestand how your brain works in order to change and use it effectively. In the past few decades, science has shown us how. When we study and think about some thing or concept, the neurons involved change, grow stronger, make connections with others; so, if we concentrate our thinking in certain ways, we can actually change and build our motivation and strength to pursue our goals.

If we think positively about a subject, regularly, consistently, over a long period of time, something miraculous happens. Our motivation and positive attitudes get stronger and become a permanent part of our conscious and unconscious being. So, we must visualize our goals in an optimistic way, examine the paths and problems along the way and build images of the solutions. Soon, slender bundles of neurons evolve into strong trunks of attitude and belief, wending their way to distant parts of the brain that are assigned to certain tasks and kinds of thinking. The whole network grows stronger, and resistant to those negative thoughts that constantly attack.

The world is a wonderful place; it can be changed, including ourselves. We will develop this concept much more in the future. Begin with a goal; think about it again and again, and think positively!

Quotations: SUCCESS 1

2005-09-17T11:54:00.000-04:00

The well-expressed and experienced thoughts of others should be studied and applied to our own situations and objectives. Success, above all, is determination and steady application, and this usually requires long development and sustained motivation. Get started! Set some goals and think about what it will take to get there. Begin to build your plan.

If at first you don't succeed, try hard work.
--William Feather

No student ever attrains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him: it is the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required, that determines the greatness of ultimate distinction.
--Charles Kendall Adams

Some of success is doing what you like to do. But, more of it is doing the things you don't like to do, but must. It is too easy to make an excuse, and not do it, and fail.
--John Roberts

Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
--Ray Kroc (McDonalds)

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.
--Vince Lombardi

Our Plan and Publications

2005-09-16T19:56:00.000-04:00

We know from long and diverse experience that SUCCESS is achieved and measured in many ways; but, it is clear that PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT and BUILDING WEALTH are primary foundations of overall success in life. As these are achieved, other kinds of success are possible. Without them, general happiness and other kinds of success are very difficult to accomplish.

True, people without character or money can be successful; true, people have their own measures and may not need money to feel successful. But, the majority of us would be well-advised to concentrate on these building blocks as effective foundations for other endeavors. A good start should be made on both counts as early as possible. As money and character grow, so do self-respect, confidence and opportunity.

We have therefore created a unified group of communications to help people begin and achieve these broad objectives. This blog is in support of the Supersonic Success Newsletter and the Supersonic Success Handbooks currently in progress. These are covered at our web sites shown in the margin of the blog. We suggest you begin by bookmarking and reading this blog and going to the web sites and subscribing to the FREE SUPERSONIC SUCCESS NEWSLETTER.

Over time, you will find our system and information useful, perhaps very much so, in building your personal qualities and character and beginning and maintaining an investment plan and financial wisdom.

We are just getting started, so bear with the construction. Your questions and suggestions are welcome via the web site e-mail or as comments to this blog.