Commentary: A Standard of Excellence

Understanding “A Standard of Excellence” involves understanding the words “standard” and “excellence”. Words are often used with little thought given to their true meaning. We throw around the word “love” so much that it has lost its meaning. We “love” coffee, our pets, that jacket, those shoes, and even people we have barely known a minute. It stands to question whether we can have “A Standard of Excellence” with out having a true understanding of what it is.

A standard can be defined multiple ways. At one point a standard was a banner carried during times of war, it served as a rallying point, or emblem to gather the troops. It can be defined as a personal flag, one of a royal family, or organization. “Something set up and established by authority as a rule for measure,” is another definition. All of these would be appropriate to use at different times and give an idea of what a standard could be. For our purposes just about all can be applied in different aspects.

More often than not we are given standards for things by an authority. A standard ruler is twelve inches measuring a foot, a standard work day is eight hours, standard pregnancy is said to last for nine months, and your standard date is dinner and a movie. These standards were set by an authority, we do not know who yet we follow them readily. There are even standards set for what people should eat each day created for us. Someone created the standard quantity, weight, extent, duration, value, or quality and we accepted it. We accepted it unconsciously giving no thought to our own ability to create something different for ourselves. Most of us live unconsciously off of and by the standards set by others. We can raise the banner, flag, standard of our own Life. Two last definitions to take note of deal with structure, support, and stability. Standards give us those three things; the question is “to what standard do you hold yourself?” If your standard is excellence then the next step is to find out what it means to be excellent.

Excel, the root word of excellent, comes from the Latin word excellere meaning “to rise, project”. Sounds like we have passed “standard” before getting to define excel or excellent. To excel is to surpass in accomplishments or achievement, to be distinguishable by superiority. Superiority that is not arrogant or egotistical. This superiority speaks for itself, there are no words necessary, it has integrity, is confident, well put together, and moves with purpose. Excelling is going beyond a stated or implied limit set by an authority or established by a custom or tradition, and even past achievements. To excel one must push further than what is asked, transcending what is thought, moving past the norm to reach another level, outdoing your own past, and creating competition. Competition where there is only one person in the game, You. Excelling is continual. It is perpetual. There is no place called Excel City. It is a verb. Breaking through the ceiling called standard, status quo, or good enough creates excellence. It is a mindset, a place where you can live perpetually through excelling, being in motion, moving past yesterday; it takes motion to create excellence.

You are the authority which creates how you will measure the quantity and quality of the time given to tasks, people, and things. You say what a priority is, has value, and the quantity of money, time, and effort given to things in your Life. Only you can exceed standards set by authorities and yourself. Only you can push yourself past the baseline you have created. To have Life worth living, excelling must be one of the stones on which you build all aspects of your Life.

Set A Standard of Excellence in intimate relationships, with family and friends, in money management, with your health, in keeping your home, in dealing with and in your community, in communication, in your business, and see how things begin to come alive in your Life. Raise the Standard. A Standard of perpetual motion, outdoing self to the next level daily – that is the Standard of Excellence. Go beyond the norm, be distinguishable, be excellent.

Get A Grip! Get Movin'.

“There are no short cuts to any place worth going.” ~Beverly Sills

Discipline and Self-Control

Excerpt from, Long Island Hypnotherapy

“Many people have the mistaken idea that if you work out a lot, or practice your craft for eight hours per day, you have discipline and self-control. Not necessarily. Discipline is the ability to continue to do something that you would rather not do! It’s easy to sit on the couch and watch TV for hours at a time if you like to do that. But try to get someone with lots of energy and no interest in TV to sit there for hours staring at the screen. Now that would take discipline and lots of self-control.

Discipline is what enables people to be successful in many areas of life. It is easy to achieve success in those areas that we enjoy and that come to us naturally. Attaining a high degree of success in areas that we don't really like, but must participate in requires discipline. For many people going to work every day requires discipline. If you ask one hundred people if they like to go to work most of them would say they would rather not. It is rare to find people who would actually choose to go to work if they had the choice of doing other things and still receive a pay check!”

You, a Magnet for Success?

The Science of Success Achievement

As a consultant and coach, I take personality seriously. The way in which you are perceived by others can determine whether you get a second look, a return call, an invitation to that important meeting with extraordinary prospective clientele, and even determines how your children's teacher and prinipal interact with you. Believe it or not your personality is a key to your success. After finding the Personal Magnetism Test, created by Rick Gettle, I used it, and incorporated elements of it into my business with clients. If you have never assessed the way others look at you, take the time to consider that it makes a difference. The follwoing is the Personal Magnetism Test, there are no wrong answers, just opportunities to grow.

PERSONAL MAGNETISM TEST:

Personality is the mental, spiritual, and physical traits - good or bad - which distinguish you from all others. To realize prosperity and success you need to build a powerful magnetic personality that attracts people to you. Here's a list of traits that will help you achieve a pleasing, attractive, engaging, and winning personality.

Please rate yourself, not on how you feel about yourself, but on how you think others would rate you. Rate Yourself --- Poor - Fair - Good - Excellent


A Positive Mental Attitude---------------------------------------------------
Keep your mind filled throughout the day with positive and happy thoughts? It’s not much fun being around negative people. Treat everyone you meet as if they were the most important person in the world.


Positive Self-Projection-------------------------------------------------------
Learn how to send out and project an aura into the atmosphere that surrounds you, that will create a good mood and feeling for those near you.

The Capacity To Understand People---------------------------------------
To be a leader and well respected by the people you work with - you must learn to be an expert when it comes to understanding and inspiring people.

Appearance---------------------------------------------------------------------
The best-dressed and groomed person usually increases their energy and attracts the most favorable attention.

Control Of Your Emotions----------------------------------------------------
Self discipline is necessary if you're to enjoy the benefits of a pleasing personality. Some of the negative feelings, which must be brought under control, are: Fear, hatred, anger, envy, greed, jealousy, revenge, irritability, and superstition. On the positive side of these negative emotions are the positives of: Love, kindness, faith, hope, desire, loyalty, sympathy, and optimism.


Use Of Creativity---------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone is born with a brain and an imagination. Some use theirs to develop their fullest capacity to create a great life for themselves - while others use theirs very seldom and end up living a life of mediocrity and lack.

Hope And Ambition------------------------------------------------------------
A person without ambition may be harmless to others, but will never be popular. No one cares much about a person who shows by their actions (or lack of action) that they have abandoned hope of getting ahead in this world. Having dreams, goals, and plans on how to achieve them – create positive energy around you.

Persuasiveness----------------------------------------------------------------
To get what you want from life you must have the powers of persuasion to get others to want to help you and cooperate with you.

Temperance---------------------------------------------------------------------
The person who lacks the necessary self-discipline to manage his or her personal habits is never attractive to others. This is especially true of eating, drinking and sexual relationships. Excesses in relation to any of these destroy personal magnetism.

Concern For Others-----------------------------------------------------------
A person who is concerned about the welfare, happiness, and safety of others is a well-loved person.

Patience-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a fast moving, high speed world. The tempo of human thoughts and actions is so rapid that people often get in one another's way. Patience is required if you wish to avoid friction in human relationships.

Self-Motivation-----------------------------------------------------------------
If it’s meant to be – it’s up to me. Making things happen.

Humility Of The Heart---------------------------------------------------------
Be humble. Keep your empathy and your ego in balance.

Aspiration For Excellence----------------------------------------------------
Always doing your very best – taking personal initiative and going the extra mile.

A Friendly And Pleasing Tone Of Voice------------------------------------
Keep your tone of voice calm, friendly, soothing, caring, cheerful, easygoing and kind-hearted.

Self-Discipline------------------------------------------------------------------
Discipline is what corrects, molds, and perfects.

Ability To Work In Harmony With Others----------------------------------
Teamwork and cooperation.

A Fondness For People-------------------------------------------------------
It is inevitable that people who dislike others will be disliked; people sense disapproval, even when you're silent! It is greatly beneficial to monitor your thoughts and emotions as well as your words. Treat everyone you meet, every day, as if they were the most important person in the world. They will give you their love, their respect and their business.

Problem Solving Skills--------------------------------------------------------

The Habit Of Smiling----------------------------------------------------------
It requires 12 muscles to smile - 103 muscles to frown. When we smile at another person, it puts them at ease and raises their self-esteem. It also releases endorphins in your brain that gives you a feeling of well-being and contentment. Your smile will change the mental attitude of those with whom you come into contact.

Self-Confidence----------------------------------------------------------------
Correction and regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement.

Positive Facial Expressions--------------------------------------------------
There are thousands of ways a person speaks without ever opening their mouth. It’s called body language. Are your facial expressions saying things that will attract others to you, or turn them off?

Speaking Ability Before Others---------------------------------------------
Can you inspire and rouse an audience to action?

Courtesy------------------------------------------------------------------------
Always go out of your way to help others and be kind to them.

Show Alertness Of Interest-------------------------------------------------
The greatest compliment one can pay another person is that of concentrating their attention wholly on the person that is talking to them. Be a great listener.

Personal Magnetism---------------------------------------------------------
Do you have the ability to arouse and add vitality in people? People love to be around others that make them feel alive and important.

Sincerity-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Always be genuine and honest and free from deceit and phoniness.

A Good Sense Of Humor-----------------------------------------------------
A well developed sense of humor helps you stay flexible and adjust to life's varying circumstances. It keeps you from taking yourself and life too seriously.

Flexibility------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do you have the ability to adapt yourself to quickly changing circumstances without losing your composure?

Tolerance-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Keep an open mind at all times, this applies to people and circumstances.

Frankness In Manner And Speech-----------------------------------------
Always be straightforward and sincere. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Get your point across in the shortest time with well-chosen words.

Tactfulness---------------------------------------------------------------------
Skill and grace in dealing with others. People show their lack of tact in many ways. The most common are: A gruff and irritable tone of voice indicating that you are in a negative mental mood or displeased. Volunteering opinions which have not been requested, and for which no reason exists, especially opinions on subjects with which one is not familiar. Interrupting the speech of others, indicating one of the more frequent expressions of discourtesy, and lack of culture. Expressing your dislike too freely. Overworking the personal pronoun, "I". Asking favors you haven't earned the right to request. Asking impertinent questions generally for impressing others with the questioner’s importance, or his or her contempt of the one they are addressing. Injecting intimately personal subjects into conversations where such actions have not been invited, and may be embarrassing to others. Going where one has not been invited, the habit of trying to minimize another person’s achievements, speaking disparagingly of people in the presence of their friends, and common boastfulness speak to a persons tactfulness.

A Keen Sense of Justice-----------------------------------------------------
Doing the right thing in dealing with people. Live by the golden rule.

Appropriate Choice Of Words-----------------------------------------------
The English language is filled with words which carry every conceivable shade of meaning. There is no excuse for the common habit of using words that offend others. And, of course, the use of profanity at any time, or under any circumstances, is inexcusable and unnecessary.


Effective Speech---------------------------------------------------------------
People have risen to great heights of personal achievement because of their ability to sell themselves and their ideas through dramatization of speech. The most important factor in effective speech is a thorough knowledge of the subject on which you are speaking. All the rules of effective speaking can be stated in one sentence. Know what you want to say, say it with all the emotional feeling at your command, and then sit down.

Versatility-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Popular people are versatile. They have at least a surface knowledge of many subjects. They are interested in other people and in other people’s ideas.

Control Of Temper-------------------------------------------------------------
The person who lets his or her temper fly off in all directions is sure to receive negative feedback. The most common injury an uncontrolled temper inflicts is that which results from an uncontrolled tongue.

Effective Showmanship--------------------------------------------------------
Have a sense or knack for dramatically effective presentation. Pizzazz.

Clean Sportsmanship---------------------------------------------------------
Show graciousness in winning and in losing, and, in getting or not getting what you want.

The Ability To Shake Hands Properly--------------------------------------
We all know how uncomfortable it is when someone squeezes your hand too hard. Also, a limp handshake leaves a poor impression. The person who shakes hands properly coordinates his or her handshake with their words of greeting, generally emphasizing each word with a firm grip of the hand. They do not release the other person's hand until they finish their greeting.

Making Decisions Promptly--------------------------------------------------
Successful men and women reach decisions quickly and act on them promptly.

Faith In Infinite Intelligence-------------------------------------------------
Stay in harmony with the Supreme Being that created this universe, whoever you think your creator is.

Enthusiasm---------------------------------------------------------------------
Enthusiasm is to go forward every morning with the thrill of being alive.

Now that you have looked at those areas, choose 5 in which to make improvements. What actions will you take to improve those areas? Once you have improved, move on to others. It is all about growth and development. Be a magnet in all areas, with your family, friends, and at work. It can't hurt!

A Journey of a Million Miles: Being in Harmony with the Flow of Life

Butterflies are one of my favorite creatures. Maybe it is due to the butterfly decal my Mom had on in the rear window of our 1970’s Ford Station Wagon. Butterflies seem to appear out of nowhere, when in fact, there is a process to them sprouting those beautiful wings, similar to the Life of a human being.

We all have a time where we will sprout wings. Metaphorically speaking, it comes at different times for everyone. The transformation from caterpillar to butterfly occurs without struggle or strain; it is just a part of the cycle of the caterpillar to butterfly. There are over 160,000 types of butterflies in the world, just as there are differences in people. From the beginning a caterpillar is a voracious eater consuming food, just like in the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In the next phase, it ceases to consume food and goes into a “mummy-like” state. Some caterpillars go into this phase by covering themselves with a cocoon, hiding in dirt, or simply suspend themselves from trees using a silk pad attached to a tree. Whatever way they choose, the caterpillar goes into a world of its own until it is time for it to emerge. When the butterfly emerges from the cocoon it is unrecognizable, the creature that once was no longer exists.

The life of a caterpillar is not unlike the life of a human. At the beginning of life, we take in everything from food to noises to faces. At some point, there we break away and begin creating our own cocoon. It could be the cocoon of our friends, family, neighborhood, college, trade school, or job that serves to give us what we want. What happens in that cocoon can dictate our characteristics when we emerge, if we emerge at all. If the cocoon is too tight, gets damaged, or there is an accident the contents may be skewed, missing necessary elements, or not see the light of day. The cocoon is there to serve as a place for growth and development of the things necessary to survive in the next phase. When the butterfly becomes visible, they are miraculous.

Once the butterfly appears it instinctively goes on its way. Some butterflies are great navigators, flying 1800 miles to their Fall destination and meet up with others, while some stick around pollinating the plants. No matter what, each type does its job without fuss, fight, or complaint because it is in harmony with Life. Having harmony means your thoughts, feelings, and surroundings are in agreement. Harmony is not elusive; you can create harmony with these four ingredients:
1. Focus on Your Goal
2. Be Aware of What and Who Surrounds You
3. Put Your Feelings in Check
4. Fly, Fly, Fly

The next thing you know you will be in the flow of Life, your wings will appear.

Be a Magnet for What You Want

“Personality is to a man what perfume is to a flower.” -Charles Schwab

In Life, relationship, business, and your career you are attracting different people, things, and opportunities. You are also repelling the Life, relationship, business, and career you want. How? The simple answer is personality, presence, and magnetism. In all parts of Life your personality out shines your knowledge and abilities. How do you become a magnet for the things that you want? Here are three ways to being a Magnet for What You Want.

1. Be a Possibility Hound
Keep your thoughts focused on the things that are possible in with each day, week, and month. When you meet new people think of what is possible for them out of meeting you and you meeting them. What interests do you have that you can share? Treat them as you would a King or Queen, they have your full attention.

2. Excellence Focused
Being a person who strives from excellence at all times and encourages others to do the same is one of the most attractive qualities in a personality. Let it be noted, there is a measurable difference between showing excellence through example and assisting people in achieving excellence and being controlling or overbearing to have excellence appear.

3. Effective Communication
Effective speaking and communication send your magnetism meter higher than you might think. People who are able to get their ideas and thoughts across are able to attract the people and things they want in Life. The ability to also listen to others communication and repeat it back to them is a key to letting others know you were listening to their communication. People have risen to great heights of personal achievement because of their ability to sell themselves and their ideas through dramatization of speech. The most important factor in effective speech is a thorough knowledge of the subject on which you are speaking. All the rules of effective speaking can be stated in one sentence. Know what you want to say, say it with all the emotional feeling at your command, and then sit down.


Your success in getting what you want, selling yourself, and your idea is 98% personality and 2% knowledge. It has been said that “some people have so much personality, presence, and magnetism that they brighten a room when they come in. Others have so little, that they brighten the room when they leave”. Apply the three ways to be a magnet and you will begin to see the things you want materialize. You will be the one to brighten the room and have your dreams realized.

There is a Limit!

As a coach I enjoy spending time talking about what is possible and how to achieve dreams. Manifesting what you want is a conversation that can get into hocus-pocus kind of stuff. Being on a Law of Attraction call today it occured to me that there are limits to what you can achieve. The limits exist in your mind, they exist in my mind.

T. Harv Eker worte a book called Secrets of the Millionaire Mind. There is a conversation about a "financial thermostat". Donald Trump is reported to have gone bankrupt to the tune of $975 million dollars in 1990, no whether or not he actually did is a source of many questions. The point is that whether or not he did be was in debt to the point it was even speculated! What Donald Trump knew was that he may have been down, but not out. Here we are in 2008, he has written a book called The Art of the Comeback (1997) for a reason, Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life (2004), and is now reportedly worth $3 billion. Trump has set his "financial thermostat" to BILLION, not million, or thousand, or hundred! He cannot be a thousandaire, his thermostat does not even register "THOUSAND", unless is being multiplied by "MILLION" or "BILLION".

Our thermostats can be reset, just like in a home. Most of us never think about our "thermostat", we often inherit ours. There are those that transend the setting. How do you reset it? Resting the thermostat begins within. We must reset our inner thought patterns and ways of Being first. Checking what we think, challenging what the things we have been told are true or false, and testing the waters of Life for self. A thermostat can be set on automatic, which is how we usually go through Life. Now, the reseting of the thermostat only happens when someone conscious of the internal temperature chooses to alter it! Who can alter it? YOU. The only limit that is set is YOURS.

Limits can become overcome by stating it. In my training it has been called declaring. Declarations are announcements made with authority with the express intention of manifesting and proclaming a choice. We do it everyday without thinking about it because it has been such a part our lives. Making a declaration usually involves other people. And most people resist letting other poeple in on the Life changing, thought altering things of Life for fear or resistance to being accountable. I, too, am guilty as charged. When we release limits in all areas of Life we begin to reset the thermostat of Life.

The last link to resetting the thermostat is two-fold using the words of Life and speaking with people who use words of Life. Words of Life are those words that speak encouragement, perseverance, accomplishment, accountability, and drive. These are things that forward what you are up to, they are words that push you closer to your goal, they leave no doubt that you are moving forward, and they keep you focused on what you want to accomplish. There are hurdles to every goal, however, it does matter what you say to yourself and what you allow to be said to you! Check to see what you say that limits you and who you listen to that limit you as well. Rest your thermostat with the words you say, hear, and those who surround you.

There are limits to everything, the limits that we set. Reset the thermostat!