www.goalminds.com  

Tonight we heard the President of the United States give his State of the Union message to the House and Senate and the American people. Have you considered the state of your life and your business this year? While we may have a vision and goals set for the coming year, it’s equally important to cast a look back to last year. Now you probably won’t have a lot of people standing and applauding as the President did, but it’s okay to take a bow for all you’ve accomplished. Go ahead; pat yourself on the back. Look into your eyes (in the mirror or a store window) and say, “Good job!” Sure, there were probably some missteps–opportunities to learn. But, hey, you got up and stepped out there again. You didn’t dwell on failure, but lifted your sights to new possibilities. Keep that attitude and you’ll find more “wins” this year. Give it all you’ve got!

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

Whether you celebrate the birth of Christ, Chanukah, Kwanza,
or something else, this is a time of year that has most of
us rushing here and there to purchase something. There are
gifts for loved ones–or business gifts–there is food to
purchase and prepare–and perhaps even decorations and new
clothes to buy. Merchants love this time of year!

After all of this, we relax and enjoy the company of other
people for perhaps a day or a week, and then we’re off again
on the next quest. You might say, “Such is life.”

What if we took some time to be alone. What if we stopped
and listened to the silence. What if we thought about the
meaning of love–how we experience it and how we express it.

The news media daily tells us about war, murder in our own
cities, sniping and hatred. Are we unable to change that
course? What if for one day, we had a worldwide “stand-
down,” a temporary cessation or suspension of business as
usual, and focused on what it means to love and be loved? To
be kind and gentle? Military units and firefighters have
stand-downs; veterans organizations have stand-downs for
homeless veterans. Why can’t ordinary citizens use a stand-
down to stop fighting and hurting each other? What better
time than this time of year?

What a different world it would be if we stood down and
focused on kindness and love. No child abuse, no bickering
and back stabbing, no cheating. Impossible! Fantasy? Maybe
so. But what if each one of us took one positive action to
turn things around. Would it make a difference?

If you could name a National Stand-Down Day for kindness and
love, when would it be? World Peace Day would be a good
beginning. But just days before Christmas, it may be
impossible. Pick a day that suits your circumstances before
January 1; stand down before you begin to think about your
New Year’s Resolutions. What are you going to do differently
next year? Are you going to make more money, look more
beautiful, weigh less, learn more…. First things first.
Choose to live in an attitude of kindness and love. Take
charge of your life and be an instrument of change.

 http://www.goalminds.com/takecharge.html  

GoalMinds and Jo Condrill have entered the world of podcasting. http://www.successtalk.com/jocondrill  Our first interview was with the founders of Lavender Spring Ranch http://www.lavenderspringranch.com Next was an interview with a descendant of the Hatfields of the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys. Kaye writes a column called “The Beauty of Change” for the RomanceEverAfter website. Most recently posted is an interview with Imran Anwar, an expert on global business strategy. Join us at http://www.successtalk.com/jocondrill Though you will be asked to register to listen, no one will contact you to promote anything.

When you see the Stars and Stripes displayed, stand up and take off your hat. Somebody may titter. It is in the blood of some to deride all expression of noble sentiment. You may blaspheme in the street and stagger drunken in public places, and the bystanders will not pay much attention to you; but if you should get down on your knees and pray to Almighty God, or if you should stand bareheaded while a company of old soldiers marches by with flags to the breeze, some people will think you are showing off. But don’t you mind! When Old Glory comes along, salute, and let them think what they please! When you hear the band play “The Star-Spangled Banner” while you are in a restaurant or hotel dining room, get up even if you rise alone; stand there and don’t be ashamed of it, either!    For of all the signs and symbols since the world began there is none other so full of meaning as the flag of this country. That piece of red, white and blue bunting means five thousand years of struggle upward. It is the full-grown flower of ages of fighting for liberty. It is the century plant of human hope in bloom. Your flag stands for humanity, for an equal opportunity to all the sons of men. Of course we haven’t arrived yet at that goal; there are many injustices yet among us, many senseless and cruel customs of the past still clinging to us, but the only hope of righting the wrongs of men lies in the feeling produced in our bosoms by the sight of that flag. Other flags mean a glorious past, this flag a glorious future. It is not so much the flag of our fathers as it is the flag of our children, and of all children’s children yet unborn. It is the flag of tomorrow. It is the signal of the “Good Time Coming.” It is not the flag of your king—it is the flag of yourself and of all your neighbors. Don’t be ashamed when your throat chokes and the tears come, as you see it flying from the masts of our ships on all the seas or floating from every Flagstaff of the Republic. You will never have a worthier emotion. Reverence it as you would reverence the signature of the Deity. Listen, son! The band is playing the national anthem—”The Star-Spangled Banner!” They have let loose Old Glory yonder. Stand up—and others will stand with you. This tribute to the flag is offered to the country in appeal to all men and women of all races, colors and tongues, that they may come to understand that our flag is the symbol of liberty and learn to love it. ALVIN M. OWSLEY, Past National Commander, The American Legion.

http://www.usacitylink.com/usa/?file=/citylink/usa/respect.html  

Theodore Roosevelt’s ideas on Immigrants in 1907 while
still President of the United States

“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant
who comes here in good faith becomes an American and
assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact
equaility with everyone elese, for it is an outrage to
discriminate against any such man because of creed, or
birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the
person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing
but an America… There can be no divided allegiance here.
Any man who says he is an American, but something else also,
isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the
American flag…. We have room for but one language here,
and that is the English language… And we have room for but
one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American
people.”

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/tr26.html

Here is something I recently discovered, thanks to Kevin
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so I couldn’t keep it from you.

It’s an honest to goodness meaty-meat no charge report
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Look at everything you will get out of it (and it is a
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O A super-simple exercise to immediately apply it to your
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Pick up your fr-ee copy of it today at

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Tanks…battle groups…aircraft carriers…guided
missiles…special forces. This is the world I come from.
It’s an environment of POWER called the Pentagon, an
environment where military personnel mingle with civilians
and where people work around the clock on a daily basis to
ensure that America’s highest-level decision makers get good
information. It’s a world where the pressure is always on
because the stakes are so high. One wrong move could cost
more than money; it could cost our lives and our national
freedom. We had a wake-up call on 9/11.

I worked in the Pentagon prior to 9/11 and still it was a
time of world crisis. Although I didn’t wear a uniform, I
had enough impact that the Army gave me its highest civilian
medal, the Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service.

During my years of service, I learned that power is NOT
about rank. Military insignia indicates rank. As a civilian,
I never wore insignia. I was afforded respect appropriate
for my position as Deputy Chief of the Logistics Plans and
Operations Division.

Power is not about uniform, although how a person dresses
does make a difference, either positively or negatively.
There is, to be sure, power of position as well as personal
power. I’m talking about personal power here. Power is about
WHO you are. It’s about your beliefs and values, your
reliability, your ability to communicate–to speak and to
listen–effectively. When you communicate well you display
power and command respect because of your confidence, your
know-how, and your compassion, regardless of your rank,
regardless of your uniform, and regardless of your gender.

Being a powerful leader means you can lift others up with
what you say–something I tried to do daily at the Pentagon.
But I was NOT a cheerleader, as one interviewer in Texas
suggested some years later when I was on a book tour. Being
a cheerleader implied I was a quota, a token female. It
meant that I was powerless.

Through my experiences working with military personnel and
civilians as we struggled to cover all the bases, whether it
was moving materiel for Operation Desert Storm or
marshalling up supplies and support in natural disasters
like Katrina, I’ve learned that real POWER is when people
feel honored to work with you. Power is when you command
loyalty without having to say anything about it. Power is
when people want to do what you want them to do.

One commander in the Seventh Corps had served in our office
as a major. In his exit interview he commended me on my
ability to listen. During Operation Desert Storm he was
moving his supply troops from Germany into Saudi Arabia and
he was lost in the fog of war. There was no plan for this
move; it had not been exercised. He needed systems that were
not in place. He called me for help. I mustered help for him
and heard no more. A few years later when we met in line at
a Change of Command ceremony, he swept me off my feet and
whirled me around and around. He was a colonel then, in uniform.
It reminded me of the old movies of the homecoming in New York
City after the Second World War!

Whether on the battlefields of war or the battlefields of
business, personal power is important. Be real. Know who you
are. Value loyalty to your country and your God. Speak your
truths and respect others. You have the power.

“Day is done - gone the sun - from the lake, from the
hill…” Listen, can you hear it? The faint sound of a
trumpet drifting across the gently sloping hillside dotted
with white crosses. The hazy mist makes it seem far away.
Hear it? If you’re a veteran or related to a veteran, you
know that sound. TAPS. The final farewell.

My first job with the Army was developing the logistics
support plan for the Burial of the Unknown Serviceman from
Vietnam, a State Funeral. The desired outcome: solemn and
ceremonious burial executed flawlessly to honor the fallen
and the veterans of an unpopular conflict.

The Third Infantry, the Old Guard, planned everything from
the operational perspective. Our job was supporting them,
hundreds of very important persons, including some who wore
the Medal of Honor, and the public. Our planning included:
the caisson to carry the casket, military drivers and cars
for the cortege, press stands for the media at the Capitol,
transportation for the masses who would go to the cemetery
for the interment, comfort stations along the route of the
funeral procession. It all depended on us.

We identified requirements. Who needed what, where, and
when? Were they entitled to it? How would we get it where it
was needed on time and in sufficient quantity? Things are
not always as simple as they seem. Planning is one thing;
execution is another. Putting comfort stations,
port-a-johns, around the District of Columbia, for instance,
is no simple task!

Finally, 5:00 a.m. Sunday before Memorial Day, 1984, we were
on the steps of the US Capitol building with Major General
John L. Ballantyne, Commander of the Military District of
Washington, ready to rehearse. A chill ran through me.
“Am I dreaming? Here I am a civilian woman from Texas about
to participate in this historical national event.”

The events unfolded on the national scene on schedule: the
arrival of the remains at Andrews Air Force Base where they
were met by disabled veterans in wheelchairs, General
Westmoreland, and other dignitaries and then lying in state
in the Capitol Rotunda for three days.

The day of the burial, there was a change in plans. Has that
ever happened to you? You plan and rehearse, and then things
change. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided to
walk in the funeral procession. At the last minute we had to
turn the lead cars around and get them away from the Capitol
building. Everything else went with precision.

The cold white marble seats in Memorial Amphitheater in Arlington
National Cemetery filled quickly. The empty seats reserved for
the POW and MIA families silently witnessed their protest to the
burial. At last, President Reagan’s speech and his immortal
closing words: “May God cradle you in His loving arms.”

We moved to the plaza of the east entrance to the
Amphitheater and climbed the stairs to watch the finale.
Looking down beyond the Tomb, we saw the Vietnam Veterans in
uniforms, waving their flags. It was over. No more protests.
A final salute in gratitude to those living and deceased
servicemen and women who bore the burdens their nation
placed upon them.

Planning and execution on this grand scale was great
training for life in general: Look ahead. Plan. What is
needed to reach your objective? Where is it needed and when?
What can go wrong? How will you prevail? The execution of
plans rarely goes precisely as envisioned. Flexibility is
key. Contingency planning is a must.

Planning for and participating in the Burial of the Unknown
Serviceman from Vietnam was the most satisfying thing I’ve
done in my life.

***********
Although the remains of that serviceman have
since been identified, the importance of the ceremonial
burial has not diminished. It provided an opportunity to
recognize the sacrifices of the thousands of U.S. citizens
who had been called to arms in an unpopular military action
in the Republic of Vietnam.
___________
I later became a supervisor at Army Headquarters
in the Pentagon and graduated from the US Army War college.
There is no charge for my monthly newsletter.
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What If?

Does your business have an emergency response plan? What about
your family crisis response plan? Who needs to know your
whereabouts in an emergency?

In business, we have contingency management, “con-man.” For the
Army we wrote and exercised contingency plans. In our personal
lives, we should also consider in advance those times when life
throws us a curve, when things don’t go the way we planned it.

One very useful technique is to do mental “what if” drills in
order to anticipate obstacles before they occur. Use your “over
the horizon” radar to look into the future. Then run different
scenarios of future events through your mind. What if there was a
bomb threat while you were visiting another office and everyone
had to evacuate the building? You have to take your mother to the
hospital in a few minutes and your car keys are in the building
with your cell phone and all your money. Your coworkers are in
the same situation. Whom could you contact? What are your
options?

Large companies hire people to gather information, “look into the
future,” and think up plausible scenarios of challenges and
opportunities the company may face in the future. The company is
then able to do contingency planning. You can benefit from those
techniques, too.

Why not think up several scenarios that are plausible for you.
Let’s say it is now ten years into the future. You have gotten
your Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA). It took a
lot of sacrifices. You delayed marriage, vacations, and the car
of your dreams. Now, the student loans are paid off, you have a
spouse, and you have decided to buy a very nice house in the
country. You are starting a family and what if:

–Your parents suddenly become your dependents.
–You hate your job and want to quit.
–One of your major investments goes sour just when you need the
money for the house.

Contemplate these obstacles and brainstorm some possible
solutions with a trusted friend. Anticipating obstacles and
thinking of possible solutions prepares you to deal with the
situation more decisively when problems occur. Develop some
mental contingency plans. If . . . Then . . . If this happens,
then here is how I will get around it. If that happens, here is
my course of action.

Emergency Planning
Why not apply a “what if” drill to a few scenarios for yourself
and your family just in case you are ever caught up in terrorist
activity–or just an ordinary emergency situation. In the Army
Operations Center, we did recall drills. We had a recall plan
where within a very short time everyone could be called back to
work. It works like a chain reaction. The person at the top of
the list calls two or three people, and each of those call two or
three people, and quickly any number of people can be contacted.
Prayer groups and others have also used this technique to contact
many people in a very short time.

Think of your personal and professional responsibilities. Does
your business have an emergency response plan? Who needs to know
your whereabouts in an emergency? Spouse? Children? Parents?
Siblings? Boss? Coworker? How many telephone numbers do you know
off the top of your head? Do you have them written down so others
can make the contact if you are unable to? Should you establish a
notification chain so that with one completed phone call,
everyone who needs to know can be notified? What if the phone
lines are down? Is e-mail available? If you can only reach a
coworker, will that person know whom else to contact? This is a
very practical “what if” drill you can conduct immediately. What
if you were caught up in an emergency situation tomorrow? Would
you be better prepared than you were yesterday?

“What if” drills can boost your confidence. Even if the
challenging events you encounter in “real life” are not the
precise scenario you thought up, you will have practice in
creative problem solving. “Stuff happens.” Looking “over the
horizon,” anticipating, and doing “what if” drills will ensure
that you are prepared.

Yeah, but. . .

Have you ever engaged in a conversation only to find the
other person disagreeing with you? I have, many times. It
seems like there is something wrong with being agreeable,
something that weakens our personal power.

Often the disagreement is on a minor point of no
consequence. Yet, it is a challenge of who is right and who
is wrong. Must there always be opposing opinions?

When a sales person wants to make a sale, one of the first
things they do is find a point upon which they can agree
with the potential client. It may be something they can
compliment the prospect about. “I see you were president
of an international organization! That must have been quite
an experience! Congratulations.” The idea is to be congenial
and try to find common ground. Why not in our personal
conversations, too?

If you want to form a relationship of any sort, look for points of
agreement. There is no need to be manipulative, just address
points of agreement before injecting the points on which you
differ. When you build rapport first, your point of view is
more likely to be heard and seriously considered.

Syndey J. Harris, the columnist, once wrote: “Thomas
Aquinas, who knew more about education and persuasion than
almost anybody who ever lived, once said that when you want
to convert someone to your view, you go over to where he (or
she) is standing, take him by the hand (mentally speaking),
and guide them. You don’t stand across the room and shout at
him; you don’t call him a dummy; you don’t order him to come
over to where you are. You start where he is, and work from
that position. That’s the only way to get him to budge.”
(How to Get People to Do Things by Robert Conklin)

People are persuaded by emotions not intellect. So when you
want them to say “Yes,” talk to their emotions–gently,
patiently, with empathy. Put yourself in their position and
look for a positive outcome.