Thanksgiving Proclamation

As we prepare the traditional turkey and thanksgiving pumpkin pie, I think it is only right to remember where this day comes from. In elementary we were taught that the first Thanksgiving Day started with the pilgrims when in reality they didn’t celebrate a Holiday named Thanksgiving Day. The other thought that is being promoted is that the thanksgiving that the pilgrims had was towards the Native Americas for their assistance. That too is wrong. They were thankful to their Lord God who had helped them in the new land.

On this very special day, let’s follow suit and remember the greatness of our God, His Majesty, and His powerful but merciful hand.

Thank you God.

May He bless and keep you.

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General Thanksgiving
By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houfes of Congress have, by their joint committee, requefted me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to eftablifh a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and affign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of thefe States to the fervice of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our fincere and humble thanksfor His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the fignal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpofitions of His providence in the courfe and conclufion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have fince enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to eftablish Conftitutions of government for our fafety and happinefs, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are bleffed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffufing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleafed to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in moft humbly offering our prayers and fupplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and befeech Him to pardon our national and other tranfgreffions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private ftations, to perform our feveral and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a bleffing to all the people by conftantly being a Government of wife, juft, and conftitutional laws, difcreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all fovereigns and nations (especially fuch as have shewn kindnefs unto us); and to blefs them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increafe of fcience among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind fuch a degree of temporal profperity as he alone knows to be beft.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand feven hundred and eighty-nine.


(signed) G. Washington

Source: The Massachusetts Centinel, Wednesday, October 14, 1789

Vision Failure

If you can't see your goal you will never make it.

Ask any athlete and they will tell you the same thing. If you can't see yourself crossing the finish line ahead of the pack, or holding the winning medal you will never be good enough. The wisest man known on earth wrote in his book named Proverbs that "Without a vision the people will perish." (proverbs 29:18).Vision is essential for success, vision is the starting point.

This secret principle of "Vision" has never been fully understood. It isn't wishing or hoping. And it isn't just a mental picture. This principle of success is a much deeper rooted desire painted on the canvas of your mind's eye and seared into your heart. It is what you wake up every morning with and the last thing you think of at night. It's your banner. It's your long-term project. It is something that is so established in your mind that no one and nothing can deter you from it. Even through disappointments, failures, or setbacks you can see yourself winning, successful, standing in the winner's circle. You will know if you have vision if the people around you are both excited and scared for you when you talk about it.

Vision can be seen in children as they tell you with no hesitation that they are "superman" and go about "flying" in the house with a towel tied behind their back. They are so convinced that the parents watch carefully to make sure they don't try to fly off tall furniture, or balconies. My father told me the story of when he first saw the movie Mary Poppins. He went back to his grandfather's ranch and found a tractor umbrella. He climbed up to the top of the barn and jumped out of the second story hay door because he was convinced that he was going to fly like the lady in the movie. (Don't worry. He obviously survived.) The point is that he not only saw himself flying but actually took steps that could not be reversed to fulfill his vision. That is key.

As you read this there are many who will tell you that they a have a vision (some call them dreams). But the litmus test is found in their actions. Have they "put themselves out there"? Have they done anything outrageous, daring, or gutsy that affected their life in such a way that there is no turning back? If they have, then you may be looking at a future billionaire, astronaut, Gold medal winner, or president.

We all need vision to take us to the next level. Whether we like it or not, vision defines us. Where are you headed? What is your next level? The majority of people can only envision retirement at 55-60. That is the best they can dream. And one day they will enjoy their vision, but we can do so much more.

Here are some basic steps to follow to find your vision and make it a reality.

• Find out what it is that you want.
• Write it down.
• Meditative on it until you see it in your mind's eye.
• Write it down again with more detail.
• See yourself doing it, living it, enjoying it.
• Imagine every detail. (this may take weeks)

When your vision is just as real as tomorrow, then you aren't far from walking in it.

Reset Your Counters

We have all heard the phrase "Nothing is certain but death and taxes," but it can't be further than the truth. In this world we are surrounded by negative people, harsh circumstances, rejection, and let's not forget about Murphy, who likes to show up uninvited at the last minute. The result of such a barrage, leaves more than just a bad taste in our mouths. It can turn us sour on an activity, a relationship, our dreams, and can even taint the way we see ourselves. These actions can lead to depression, sickness and even death. You see, it takes more than just a positive attitude. We need to reset our counters every day.

We all have internal counters that we aren't aware of. They go on every moment of our lives counting everything that happens to us. How many "no's" have you received since Kindergarten? How many "at-a-boy's", rejections, and much more are being recorded every moment? This puts an enormous strain on our success. It's a mountain that we must overcome each time we try to break out of our routine or box.

Have you noticed that a child believes that he can "do" anything? It doesn't matter what it is. He is fully convinced that he can ride a skateboard, or jump off the diving board, or pet the huge dog in the park without hesitation even if he has never done it before. It's because they don't have a mountain of "no's" they have to overcome. Their counters haven't reached those astronomical numbers that we have to face.

That's why we must sit back and reset our counters. There are several ways to do this.

Our counters have a way of resetting themselves with time. Have you noticed that you can be on the phone with an annoying person, who pushes all your buttons, and can get you to lose your cool? When the next person calls you bite their head off, even if they ask a simple question. Your counter was full. The aggressions, attacks, and offenses the counters had recorded were at the highest level and you answered in kind. This is very common in marriages. The working spouse or spouses enter the "arena" with their counters at full count.

Another way to reset your counters is to not have them "on". When you are part of something greater, then the counters are "tricked" into believing that the "rejections" are not directed toward you. Think of a job where you have to call 1,000 people and ask them to join the company you are working for. The entire list may be full of "No's", but in the end you won't care because it really didn't matter. Your job was to call and offer them the switch, that's all. The "No's" were directed to the company. Special Note: When you connect to something universal or even Godly, you will be even greater off.

One other way to reset the counters is to be conscious of them. Realize that they exist and make an effort to forgive those people who have offended, rejected, or hurt you. Change your perspective on the events of your life and redefine them from a positive paradigm. If you had your business stolen from you or your house was destroyed by a disaster, then see the events as learning experiences.

These shifts in the way you see things have been the suggestions of motivational speakers for years. But now you understand what they are asking you to do. You need to reset your counter.

When we can face life's challenges with fresh eyes and with our counters at zero, we will be able to do anything.

Focus Gabriel, Focus

Focused strength can accomplish things that might otherwise seem impossible. I remember when I was staying the summer at my cousins’ house in North Carolina I was given the chore of cleaning the stove top. I was more than happy to oblige and wiped the stove top clean, removing the spaghetti and sauce stains with a clean rag. Upon inspection by my Uncle after a shouted “I’m done” I was disappointed to find out that there were stains on the stove top that I hadn’t noticed. (You see, I was losing valuable play time doing this menial chore.)

My Uncle pointed out jagged circles of the burnt down, carbonized, petrified, substance that surrounded each burner on the glass surface of the electrical stove top. I couldn’t believe that my Uncle wanted me to clean that. I had already “scrubbed” them and they refused to come off. I had run my fingernail over the top of them and they were hardly noticeable. So I reached for a butter knife to scrap the stubborn things off, but my Uncle told me I couldn’t use it would scratch the glass surface. Now I felt like Daniel San when Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid told him “man who catch fly with chopstick, can do anything”.

So I scrubbed the rings with the rag and some soap. The rings wouldn’t budge. I wrapped my finger and then my fist, I sweated, and grunted and those rings sat and mocking me. I looked up at the clock in the kitchen and realized that a whole five minutes had been lost in this struggle against the impossible. I threw in the towel and informed my Uncle of how impossible it was to remove the rings.

“Focus your efforts, Gabriel.” He said. “You can do it if you focus.” I envisioned myself with my fingers on my temples staring hard at the stove top “focusing” and I couldn’t see how that would work. He chuckled imagining how I had interpreted his words. So he took my rag and folded it to a point. Placing the point under his finger he rubbed a section of one of the circles and “miraculously” the stain gave way.

Focused Strength

I followed his example and although it still wasn’t easy I was able to complete the chore, without too much lost play time.

As a Police officer I was asked over my career to help several people break into their cars to retrieve their keys that hung safely from the ignition in their locked vehicles. I won’t forget one occasion in particular. It was cold outside and the owner was anxious to get home. So my partner and I used our PR24 (a nightstick) and hammered on the rear side window. The window didn’t budge. Not even a crack could be seen. So my much stronger partner punched at the glass window, and the window still did not break. After repeating both methods unsuccessfully I remembered something I had seen in the trunk of our patrol car. I pulled out the snow/ice scrapper out and saw what I had remembered. On the side of the scrapper was a steel cone. It was perhaps half an inch in diameter and came to a very sharp point. I placed it against the window of the car and applied some force. The window shattered.

We can see this in other areas of our life. Did you ever use a magnifying glass to focus the light of the sun into a burning spot of light? The quarterback on the football team can shut out all distractions and focus on the receiver running down the field. The mother of the new born can hear the baby cry in its’ crib from across the house. The stock broker on the floor can buy and sell over the deafening din of other shouting their orders. The focused strength of the repressed water in a dam turns huge hydroelectric turbines.

I am sure we have already used this principle in our lives in one way, shape or fashion. But now that we have identified it we should purposefully use it. Take inventory of your life and the activities you currently are involved in. Are they taking longer than you had expected? Do you finish your daily chores? When you go shopping, do you leave the store with things you never knew you needed? When you watch TV, does the one-hour program extend to the entire night?

Learn to focus your thoughts, ideas, and strength to become more effective and rise above mediocrity.

First Things First

Time has to be the most precious commodity in existence. We all have it but we can not buy more of it. It is finite for us mortal beings. It marks a pace and dictates when we sleep, and when we wake. It doesn't care how old you are or how much money you have it simply continues into tomorrow without hesitation.

Our time, like grains of sand grasped firmly in our hands, keeps slipping away. It gradually reminds us that we will soon be no more.

That is why we must be good stewards of it. We can't manage time since we don't control it, but we can manage what we do in the time we have, and We can certainly say that we "spend" or exchange time. Our goal should be to exchange it for valuable, long-lasting returns.

Don't be idle
The greatest waste is simply not doing anything.
Plan for tomorrow
Without a plan we tend to wander and drift to activities that do not produce but instead fill our time with non beneficial entertainment.
Plan activities in the case of eventualities
There are always hiccups in our plans. Murphy will always try to derail our purpose but if you already have a backup plan you needn't worry about the eventualities that will inevitably appear.
Stick to the plan
It seems redundant but as we walk through the day there will be distractions and other things we will identify as important. If we alter our plan for those things we may not finish what we planed to do. Instead add the activity to the end of the day's list and if you can't get to it then add it as one of the activities for tomorrow.
Say what you mean and mean what you say
You will waste more time in the long run if you beat around the bush. Be clear and to the point. Remember that being kind doesn't mean you have to lie.
Forgive all offenses
I don't have time to get into it but holding on to of fences will eat you up inside and will reduce the amount of time you have on Earth. Don't cut your life short. FORGIVE. If you don't want to be around that person that is fine but don't carry a grudge.
Love your neighbor
What we do that is intangible is greater than what we can see or touch. When you love those around you you are investing in your future. Just as the person that holds a grudge will cut his life short, a person who will love his neighbor will increase his life and the quality of it.
Give something away once a day
This is another principle that is very important to follow. When we stop giving we become stagnate. Our creativity, and forward momentum will slow to a stop.
Daily write in a journal
This is for your review, and re-planning. Life has a way of recycling problems or difficult situations. The journal will serve as a guide to keep you from doing the same mistakes twice. It is also a great way to help your children avoid the same mistakes we committed.
Do what you can today
Do not put something off to tomorrow if it can be done today. This procrastination is a sign of fear. Search it out and eliminate fear from your life.
Invest in yourself
You are the greatest investment you could ever take care of. You can not depreciate, be lost, be stolen, and the more you take care of yourself the more you will live successfully. Take good note of your three areas. Spirit, Mind, and Body. Invest in each every day. You won't be disappointed.
Eliminate all clutter
Don't manage it. Don't push it off. Eliminate it. Constantly going through stacks of stuff will only waste your time.
Hire someone to do any mundane repetitive work
Not all of us are at this point but when you can, get someone to do the mundane work. The following are mundane activities: addressing letters, finding people by phone, writing letters, organizing your files, sorting your notes, driving the car, preparing the meals, cleaning the house, washing the clothes, ironing the clothes etc. Anything that is repetitive and requires no mental problem solving is mundane.

If you will follow the above suggestions you will be far on your way to enjoying all of life's wonders.

Here is a rule remember, "Quality time spent with people has a greater return than spent elsewhere"

Give And It Shall Be Given To You

Give and it shall be given to you. This principle will change your life. The average person who enters into the sales arena is looking for the buyer, right? The sales person hones his skills by learning his product and how it is better than the rest in the market, he knows the cost benefit ratio and can argue it in his sleep, and his closing is seamless leaving no room for the buyer to wiggle out. He is ready for the “no” even anxious for it, because that will eventually lead to a “yes”. But although a positive attitude is a must and a complete working knowledge of your product is crucial, a sales person built up with these ideas alone will get at the most (drum roll please) One sale.

As a buyer I have left many a sales room or conference unsure of what just happened. The typical situation is as follows: upon entering the room or met by the salesperson I’m overwhelmed with information on the product or service. Every question is answered and filled out to minute detail. The Salesperson gently guides me down the path of my needs while tactfully showing me how the product will meet them while serving me breakfast with a smile. I may or may not purchase the product or service but one thing is for sure, all I am interested in is the product. After I purchase or receive the product I never look back. The salesperson becomes a blip in my memory and quickly fades away.

But on occasion I have had the pleasure of actually meeting a salesperson. In fact they don’t seem like salespeople at all. It wasn’t until the end of the conversation, as he was drawing up the papers, did I realize I had bought something. They don’t bore you with details but in that short period of time you feel like you actually know them and they are genuinely interested in you. When you leave them you remember them and even though you don’t purchase the product you will call them up again for advice, or another product. These rare individuals make multiple sales over a period of time. Their repeat clients propel them to win prizes and awards for their seemingly amazing ability to sell.

But the secret is in the giving. From the moment they awake they are more interested in satisfying the client/buyer than in making the sale.

I remember the old black and white movie named Miracle on 34th Street about a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus. He is hired by the department store Macy’s to play the role of the Jolly ol’ elf but when the children that come and visit him ask for toys that Macy’s doesn’t carry he doesn’t try to “sell” them something else, he tells the parents where to find them. He puts into practice the principle of giving. The other Macy’s employees are shocked and then amazed to see how the principle actually makes Macy’s more revenue in the long run.

Do you want to live successful, then live to give.

Fear Will Destroy You

One of the greatest obstacles to success is none other than Fear. When someone mentions fear images of monsters are conjured up. Dracula, the Mummy, Frankenstein’s Monster walk out of the recesses of our mind as emissaries of FEAR. But in reality it isn’t the Hollywood produced creatures that paralyze our prosperous future. It is the common garden variety of fear that does the most damage. It’s the heart pounding that you feel when you know you have to talk to someone about your product. It’s the reluctance you feel when you look at the phone on your desk, dreading to make those phone calls.

I don’t know why we have those feelings. But I do know that we all experience them from time to time. And if left unchecked, they will destroy your future just as sure as a constant drip of water will eventually break a cinder block. The existence of these feelings cannot be avoided but we can certainly take measures to avoid their residence in our mind and especially in our heart.

As you know, thoughts and ideas soar and float in and out of our mind. At times they enter like a fast moving train with force and a purpose, while at other times they creep up on you like a fog, slowly filling in the crevasses of your mind, taking over your entire thought process. But we are in control of what remains there and what we will meditate on. What we meditate on will eventually be written on our heart. What is written on our heart becomes a life directive.

If you are succumbing to fear you are allowing that thought to take hold of your heart.

Some would say that if you cannot talk to clients then you shouldn’t be in sales, but I disagree. Perhaps you shouldn’t be selling that product or service but in life we are all in sales in one form or another. But you will not be able to stand against that fear that is causing you to fail by simply resisting. To stand against fear by saying “I’m not afraid”, or “They like me” or something like that will not help you overcome in this area. As a black belt in Aikido I’ve learned that you cannot win by simply being stronger than the opponent, and you cannot win by trying to be impervious to the other one’s blows and strikes.

The key to overcoming that fear is PASSION, not resistance. When you become passionate about your product, service, idea or thought you will be able to talk to anyone about it. In fact you will be keenly aware of openings in conversations where you can insert yourself. Your passion will carry you past the fear that made you stumble before.

Do you want to overcome that fear in your life? Find your passion and invest in it. Believe in it. When you are consumed by it then nothing will be able to stop you.