Don't give Up

Don’t give up.

Life throws you curve balls and sometimes you strike out. Other times you get beaned by the pitch and you’re on the disabled list for a while.

 But if you keep getting back in the box and swing at enough pitches, you’ll get your fair share of hits.

 It takes time, effort, and patience but it will eventually turn your way…as long as you don’t give up. You matter. You are important.

No one else in this world is like you and we need you. Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.

Live for something bigger than yourself.

Live for something bigger than yourself.

 If you haven’t yet learned this universal truth, I hope you will someday soon. Life really becomes meaningful and filled with purpose when you learn you aren’t the center of the universe.

 Life is not all about getting that job with the corner office or the handsome paycheck. It’s not about vacationing in Europe every summer or making “bank” as my 19 year-old son likes to say.

 Life becomes worthwhile when you realize it’s about giving more than you get.

It’s about serving others, not yourself.

 One of the mysterious paradoxes in life is the more you give your time, talent, and treasure to others, the more deep-seated satisfaction you receive in return. I don’t know how else to describe it and I don’t think there’s a way you can learn it without doing it.

 Give it a try. Sooner rather than later. You’ll save yourself a lot of wasted living.

Goals

Set goals... every day.

You should set yourself goals every day, write them down and follow up.
You should have goals for the day, for the week , then long range goals and finally goals 5- 10 years off. The long range goals do not have to specific but where do you see yourself and then set your goals accordingly.

By writing down your daily goals it will help you organize your day. The night before go through the next day in your head, what do you need? Who do you need to contact? and so on..

Cross off your "to do list" as you along and work on them early.
Don't wait or procrastinate ...get er done.

Care

Care about what you do and you will be successful.

Show people that you care, it is not enough to just assume people know.. show them !
Take the time to look up and show people that they are important and that you truly care. Listen to them and smile.
It is crazy how many people forget that last one.. smile.

When you smile it becomes contagious and not only that you will start to feel better about yourself and your day.

It starts with you and ends with you.

SHOW THEM

Don't Compare

Don’t compare yourself to others.

 Playing the comparison game is a guaranteed way to make yourself miserable and unhappy.
There will always be someone who has a better job, makes more money, owns a bigger house, or accumulates more “stuff” than you.

 But that doesn’t mean they’re happier than you. Learning how to be content in all circumstances is one of the secrets of life.

 If you can find contentment, gratefulness, and thankfulness for what you do have, then you’ve got it all.

Don't Stress

 
Don’t stress, it’s normal to not know what you want to do with the rest of your life.

Most of us are bozos on the same bus; we’re figuring out life as we go. Very few of us have a crystal clear purpose of what we want to do in life, and even many of those high achievers giving the graduation speeches will take unexpected turns in life that deviate from their original plan.

It’s called life.

We learn, grow, and mature (hopefully) and our wants and desires change over the course of time.

But somehow life has a way of working out.

Gratitude

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” William Arthur Ward

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” G.K. Chesterton

“Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy.” Fred De Witt Van Amburgh

“The way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.” Charles Schwab

“The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.” William James

Some people

Some people love to hear themselves talk.
You learn more when you listen than when you talk

When someone is upset about a situation they have a tendency to talk fast and loud and by doing so they lose their side of the argument.
When you feel your heart rate starting to rise take two deep breaths and slow your roll.

Some people judge others by the way they look or talk, I have been fooled big time in the past and come to realize that you certainly cannot judge a book by it's cover.
Take the time to know a person and try not to ever judge, remember everybody is going through something.

If you don't know than just say you don't know.
I have been in the room with people and I know dam well that they are making things up as go along. There is no harm in admitting that you do know something. Simply say so and tell them that you will find out the proper answer and get back to them. They will respect you more for it.

Some people measure everything monetarily, life's biggest rewards are rarely tied to dollars. Spend a few minutes playing with a 4 or five year old and see what I mean. Watch the smile and the look on a mother's or father's face when they are holding their new born.

Stop....Look...and Listen

PRIDE

My wife and I would like to let you know of the exceptional

professional service your packers and mover (Paul Chavez) completed

for us. We are a military family, and have moved nearly 6 times thus far

during my career in the US Army.

Our latest pack-out has been truthfully the most professional and

meticulously done experience ensuring there was no damage from your

careful and hard-working crew members.

Earlier this month, Paul Chavez along with 2 crew members showed up

to move almost 13,000 lbs of household goods from El Paso, Texas

which have been moved and placed into storage as we began our latest

adventure to California. They were courteous and respectful while

proceeding to pack all items and again ensuring not to damage

anything. We were most impressed with their diligent efficiency and by

the utmost pride they took in their work.

As we currently await our household goods to be moved out of storage

and into our new residence, we wanted to take the opportunity let you

know we are truly thankful for the first leg of our move and hope the

next crew will service our unpacking with the same level of

professionalism.

Our overall experience with your company is first class and have been

reassured from your military office that everything will proceed as

scheduled this Saturday.

Please let Paul Chavez and your team know how pleased we’ve been

with your service. We recommend Arpin Van Lines to anyone who asks

for a referral.

Sincerest Regards,

Seven Skills

There are seven skills that Strategist leaders consistently demonstrate:
1. Professionally humble – cares about getting “it” right over being right
2. Unwavering commitment to right action – unstoppable and unflappable when on a mission
3. 360 degree thinker – understands the level of complexity and works “on” the system
4. Intellectually versatile – develops interests beyond the immediate job and organization
5. Highly authentic and reflective – takes time to think and develop self, others and the organization
6. Inspires followership – connects with people at all levels of the organization and creates an inspirational shared vision
7. Innately collaborative – connects with people at all levels to create novel solutions to meet organization’s vision

Remembering Paul Arpin

In February 2011, the Moving & Storage Institute pre-sented its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Service posthumously to Paul G. Arpin, Sr., former chairman of the Arpin Group, Inc. The award was accepted by Mr. Arpin’s son David, president and CEO of Arpin Group and current AMSA board chair.


Born and raised in Rhode Island, Paul began working in the family business at a young age under the tutelage of his parents and grandparents. Upon returning home from WWII, Paul, a D-Day survivor, began working at the company full-time and succeeded his grandfather as president in 1945.Throughout his career, Paul’s goal was not to build the biggest moving company, but to build the best. His inspiration to grow the company so the customer received the most value for every dollar spent was paramount. Through his compassion and tenacity, and by combining the best people in the industry for one goal — to provide superior customer service — he knew that he would develop a loyal customer base that would span generations. Today, adults whose parents relocated the family using the Arpin Group are turning to the company again to help move. It is a testimony to Paul’s leadership that the business, originally established in 1900 by his grandparents, continues to "[Create] Customers for Life."^SM


Paul understood the need to invest in his company. Although he was an "old school" businessman, he hired people to develop the company’s infrastructure to better serve customers, agents and drivers, and to remain competitive. Paul also recognized that drivers are the lifeblood of the industry, and he was always concerned for them and their families. He helped many establish themselves as Arpin agents.

In addition to the success of Arpin Group under his leadership, Paul’s legacy is tied to his many charitable pursuits. He is remembered for his spirit of giving — through countless donations of transportation services and manpower to help facilitate community projects, environmental initiatives to re-duce the company’s carbon footprint, and matching employee contributions to help support a range of meaningful causes.

"May the work I do speak for me" was a deeply felt commitment that was expressed by many who spoke of him at his funeral and wake, following his death in June 2010.

Paul Arpin, Sr.’s legacy and vision continue to live on through the fourth generation of Arpin family members to operate the privately owned company, sons David (Arpin president & CEO) and Peter (executive vice president). These men, along with their father and members of Arpin’s agency family, helped to transform the company into the nation’s fourth-largest household goods carrier group, with strategic service centers located throughout the world.from Direction magazine

7 Questions

1. What do you do for fun?
2. What are you most passionate about?
3. What's your favorite cause or charity?
4. What's your guilty pleasure? (And why?)
5. What in your life makes you the most proud?
6. What's in your bucket list?
7. In case I can refer you business, who is your perfect client or partner?

Want to get to know someone and break down walls- ask them these 7 questions and I guarantee you will think of them differently and you may even find a whole lot in common.

Take the time.....to KNOW the people around you or that you meet. It can make your life a lot richer.

Move Em Like you Know Em

I had a dispatcher who worked for me once and he was a very nice man and when you asked him to do something he normally carried it out no problem.
But left alone he would not come up with the answer or push himself to prepare more.
That said if he was involved in a move that was for a family member he was all over it.

My issue was if he knew how to do it and went one step beyond for a family member why wouldn't he do it for any customer?
My point to him was to look at every move as if it was his son or mother, look at all the angles and set things up well in advance.

When it was a personal move he would call ahead and double and triple check on labor, the survey, access and more.
If he had taken that same passion to his every day he would of been one of the best employees that I would have been associated with and he would have been promoted and more important he would enjoyed much more self satisfaction.

Our reward at the end of the day is knowing that we made a difference, that we helped somebody.
Rather it's the customer, the driver or agent or fellow employee. You can touch a lot of lives for either the good or the bad.

Approach each customer as if they were a loved one, make it personal.

Feel the Pride !

The rest of the Skills that you need to know..

5. Give a firm handshake.
"Not too hard, certainly not limp and soft, and with no dominance play," writes Tony Vincent.
Research shows that people decide whether or not they like you within seconds of meeting you. A firm handshake contributes largely to that first impression, as do strong posture and positive body language.

6. Listen.
Listen more than you speak, says Quora user Mark Bridgeman: "You have two ears, only one mouth. That's the ratio you should use them with."

7. Don't just listen — actively listen.
Simply hearing words doesn't cut it. Likable people truly listen to the person they're talking to.
Active listening requires four steps, writes Chiasson: Hearing, interpreting, evaluating, and responding.


.

Basis Skills that you need when dealing with people..

1. Make eye contact.
 "The most attractive quality in a person is confidence. But 'be confident' is not very good advice. Instead, find the best proxy for confidence, in terms of interactive behavior. And that's eye contact."
Start this habit immediately, says Porter. It requires no practice or special skill; just the commitment to meet someone's gaze and look them in the eye while conversing.

2. Put your smartphone in your pocket.
And keep it there until your conversation or meeting is over. Basil Chiasson puts it simply: "Pay attention. Look at them. Stop what you're doing. No interruptions."
This is another simple, yet effective, habit that can be executed immediately and does not require any effort or skill.

3. Call people by name.
The next time someone greets you by name or uses your name mid-conversation, remember how great that feels.
If you have trouble putting names to faces, try different strategies, such as writing them down or using imagery or rhymes associated with the name. Quora user Howard Lee suggests repeating their name verbally when you're first introduced, and then twice more in your head.

4. Smile.
Don't underestimate the power of smiling.
Additionally, laugh and tell jokes, recommends Quora user Craig Fraser. People unconsciously mirror the body language of the person they're talking to; if you want to be likable, use positive body language and people will naturally return the favor.

More tomorrow

I'm Alive

Lyrics by Kenny Chesney..


So damn easy to say that life's so hard
Everybody's got their share of battle scars
As for me, I'd like to thank my lucky stars that I'm alive and well...
It'd be easy to add up all the pain
And all the dreams you sat and watched go up in flames
Dwell on the wreckage as it smolders in the rain
But not me...I'm alive


 And today you know that's good enough for me
Breathin' in and out's a blessing can't you see
Today's the first day of the rest of my life and I'm alive
And well...I'm alive and well


 The stars are dancin' on the water here tonight
It's good for the soul when there's not a soul in sight
This boat has caught its wind and brought me back to life now I'm alive and well

A "Secret" Page

When I was in elementary  school many years ago, well before the thought of a cell phone , texting or computers, kids would pass little notes to each other in class. Sometimes you wrote about the kid sitting right in front of you, maybe you were making fun of him or laughing about what he or she had on. Let's face it kids can be cruel.

Being a kid you never took the time of course to see why the kid might be dressed the way they are or why he or she may of been quiet, were they being abused at home or did their mom or dad pass away? You just alienated them and formed your own click, because as long as they were not making fun or talking about you than it was ok.

Then you graduated to High School only to find that the same judgment existed, people were still cruel and talked about other people when they were not present.
Then College ( for some) and there the same madness was going on. People in Frats or fraternities having you do all kind of stupid things just so you can belong to a group and look down on others.
Mind you I am not talking for every student or person, there are still many kind souls in the world.

Ahh but you finally get into the business world, here people will be grown ups for sure. After all they have responsibilities now , families and kids of their own.
Nope.
They still judge people without ever really knowing them, they still talk about people behind their backs and form groups and clicks.

I can even remember my mom, God rest her soul, she lives her last 20 years or so in a retirement home, mostly people 68-88 years of age. My mom always helped others and in her later years she volunteered for organizations like Meals on Wheels and other groups. She volunteered to help in the manor that she lived but had to stop helping because she said everyone was always complaining and talking about somebody else. Trust me my mom was a true saint, I never ever heard her talk negative about anybody, and she had a tough life over all.

So I guess the moral of the story is it will be with us throughout our lives so it is how you individually decide to handle it and live with it that decides how you want to react.

I try, and the optimum word here is try, to not say something about somebody that I would not say if they were in the room with me. Try it- it is certainly a great rule to try to live by.

Now with technology people text, email and have " secret" rooms in social media designed so they can safely go in there and talk about others without them seeing.
Talking about going completely the other way.

If you want change or you disagree with something than try to make change and speak your mind but do it face to face and without anger and animosity. Work WITH people and if , just maybe, if you take the time to know somebody you may find out why they dress they way they do or why they are quiet or possibly have anger issues. -
Maybe they were even that little boy or girl that was abused or had no parents growing up.

If you cannot say something about a person that you would not say if they were in front of you than you probably shouldn't be saying it - be it in conversation, text, email or any " secret" pages.

Smile more...hate less.

Positivity

You have heard of the old saying..what goes around- comes around.
 It is absolutely true.

If you treat people with respect and stay positive it will come back to you.
If you walk over them or talk negative that will come back to you too.

I have found that it takes more energy to fight than to try to get along and smile through it.
Trust me it works.

Stay positive.

Here's another old saying for ya...I use to complain about the holes on the bottom of my shoes until I saw a man with no feet.

It can always be worse. Most times you do not even know how good you have it until it is gone.

Positivity

Steps to Delegate Effectively.

Steps to Delegate Effectively.

1. Ensure expectations are clear.
Be specific, clear, and complete about the task, goals, responsibilities, constraints, what a good job looks like and how performance will be evaluated. Clarify at the beginning the amount and type of supervision you will provide and how the progress will be monitored.

2. Grant authority.
Grant the authority needed to do the job. Let all who will be affected know about the delegation.

3. Provide needed support and resources.
Provide all information that is available and relevant; pass on other information as it becomes available. Give public credit when they succeed, but deal with mistakes discretely.

4. Get out of the way.
Do not interfere or take the delegation back unless it is clear that corrective action is necessary. Do not supervise too closely. “Post-delegation hovering” is demoralizing and will interfere with their commitment and effectiveness.

5. Don’t accept “upward delegation.”
Make it a policy that if someone brings a problem to you, they must also bring proposed solutions. Don’t become the person who solves their problems or you will end up taking on their work.

6. Maintain accountability.
It should be clear that your direct report has the responsibility for seeing the job well done. But remember that the ultimate accountability remains with you.

7. Delegate consistently.
Make delegation a regular practice, not just when you are overloaded or when tasks are unpleasant.

Delagate

12 Reasons Delegating Is Worth the Risk.

1. You can manage your time better and increase your efficiency.
2. You will stop being inundated with irrelevant details.
3. You get out of the mode of going from crisis to crisis.
4. You have more time to think strategically and plan for the future.
5. You have more time to concentrate on the work that is really important.
6. Your team has an opportunity to develop skills and knowledge and increase their effectiveness.
7. You improve the quality of decisions because they are being made by those you have the most information and closer to the situation.
8. You are seen as more effective because your team is more effective.
9. You show your team that you have trust and confidence in them, which positively affects their attitudes, interpersonal relationships, and performance.
10. You increase their commitment to the task, to the team and to the company.
11. You create a pool of talent who can take over whenever needed.
12. You are more likely to be promoted because it will be easier to fill your position.

One Minute

One minute goals:

It takes more than a minute to design goals. But, any goal that takes longer than a minute to review is too complicated.

1. Make it clear what the goals are.
2. Show what good behaviors look like.
3. Write each goal on one page.
4. Quickly review goals frequently.
5. Encourage people to notice what they’re doing, and see if it matches their goals.
6. If not, urge them to change what they’re doing and win.

One minute praisings:

1. Praise the behavior.
2. Do it soon. Be specific.
3. Say how good you feel about it.
4. Pause to let people feel good too.
5. Encourage them to keep up the good work.

Proceed with more success.

One minute re-directs:

1. Re-clarify and agree on goals.
2. Confirm what happened.
3. Describe the mistake soon.
4. Say how concerned you feel.
5. Pause to let people feel their own concern.
6. Tell them they’re better than mistakes and you value them.
7. When it’s over, it’s over.

7 judgments all leaders face:

7 judgments all leaders face:

1. Do you care about me? (Kindness)
2. Do you seek the best interest of others and our organization? (Servanthood)
3. Can I trust you? (Character/Honesty)
4. Do you connect? (Friendliness)
5. Can you deliver what you promise? (Power)
6. Can you lead? (Skillfulness)
7. Do you comprehend challenges and opportunities. (Intelligence)

Do not look down on people..

Your House

Just worry about you and your house.
You can not build your house by tearing down another..

The one thing that you need to succeed

That one thing is trust.

It’s the foundation of any successful, healthy, thriving relationship. Without it, your leadership is doomed. Creativity is stifled, innovation grinds to a halt, and reasoned risk-taking is abandoned. People check their hearts and minds at the door, leaving you with a staff who has quit mentally and emotionally but stayed on the payroll, sucking precious resources from your organization.

However, with trust, all things are possible. Energy, progress, productivity, and ingenuity flourish. Commitment, engagement, loyalty, and excellence become more than empty words in a company mission statement; they become reality. Trust has been called the “magic” ingredient of organizational life. It simultaneously acts as the bonding agent that keeps everything together as well as the lubricant that keeps things moving smoothly. Stephen M.R. Covey likes to say that while high trust won’t necessarily rescue a poor strategy, low trust will almost always derail a good one.

Trust is essential to your success as a leader.

Here are just five ways pessimism can ruin your life:

Here are just five ways pessimism can ruin your life:

1. Pessimism kills your creativity. If we want to thrive in our present economy, it’s critical that we offer creative solutions to difficult problems. But pessimism not only kills your own creativity, - it also ends up killing the creativity of those around you.
2. Pessimism harms you emotionally. Research shows- that while positive thinking wears off, negative thinking sticks with us for weeks. We may have to work at staying positive, but going negative is easy. And every time you remember a negative thought, your sense of well-being takes a dive.
3. Pessimism keeps you down professionally. Negative thoughts are often demotivating and can really impact your job performance . If you’re heart’s not in your job, leaders and colleagues will notice. And you’ll watch promotions and other opportunities pass you by.
4. Pessimism damages relationships. As the saying goes, perception is reality. If you’re always thinking and communicating the worst, you’ll turn people off and drive them away. Instead of growing closer, they’ll start looking for excuses to be someplace else with somebody different.
5. Pessimism makes you sick. You’ve heard of the placebo effect. Researchers have also documented what they call the “nocebo effect.” When we think we’ll get sick, we tend to actually do so. Negative thinking not only drives up our stress levels, it also can lead to heart attacks and other serious health problems, including dementia

It’s popular to promote counterintuitive reasons pessimism can be helpful to us. But here’s the truth. I’ve never met a single leader or entrepreneur who was both pessimistic and successful. Why? Negaholics just aren’t up for what it takes to win.

Five Elements of Trust

Five elements of Trust

To reverse the decline in trust in business, here are five (5) key elements for leaders to consider:

1. Trust as a core belief — Trust becomes the core belief system; it means believing in the competence and capability of the workforce; providing the resources and support needed for them to do their jobs; that fear is consciously demolished as a way of doing business.
3. Trust as the Culture — Leadership makes a commitment to foster a culture where decisions are made based on principle, not politics; moving from a focus on “I” to a focus on “We”
5. Trust through ownership — People take care of what they own; they don’t wash rented cars; the workforce not only owns the values, vision, and mission of the business, but also their work processes and outcomes
7. Trust as structure — Trust is built and supported best in teams; it means a team-based, flat, and cross-functional structure; shared responsibility for delivering outcomes
9. Trust as learning — People learn through their mistakes; being self-accountable for performance, accountable to one’s peers, all with a focus on learning without fear of retribution