It was his invention factory. The 14 building complex covered several acres and the main center of operation was bigger than three football fields. Here he and his staff put their dreams into action. Inventions were conceived, prototypes developed, products manufactured and shipped to customers. This invention factory became a model for modern manufacturing and research. He loved this place–a paradise for dreamers.
On a cold December day in 1914, his factory caught fire. He stood outside and watched it burn and said to his Kids, “Go get your mother. She’ll never see another fire like this one.” Most of us would be crushed as our dreams burned. This gentleman responded to his tragedy by saying, “I am sixty-seven, but not too old to make a fresh start. I’ve been through a lot of things like this.” He rebuilt his lab and worked for another seventeen years.
What a great man! He lived his dreams and impacted the whole world with his positive lifestyle. If you look the world over and examine any profession, the real dreamers who have lasting success will almost always possess a positive outlook on life. You too can overcome tragedy or any obstacles to your dreams. Every time I flip on a light switch, this dreamer, inventor and positive person reminds me that anything is possible. Thanks, Thomas Edison!
It’s now 09/11/2009. Eight years since the world stopped turning on that tragic day in America.
American Flag Flying High.
We all know the story. The sadness and loss in New York City, Washington DC and the Pennsylvania Countryside.
But there is more about that day than that. It’s about Hope, Perseverance, Faith, and the best things that life is made up of.
09/11/01 – Tragedy. Hope. Perseverance.
09/11/09 - We remember. And we still have hope and perseverance.
Just as much as we remember the loss on that day, we also remember the hope. We remember those men and women who rushed into danger and possible death just to help another person live. They risked their own lives for complete strangers. They are heroes. We remember those who passed away on that day, and honor them.
The Fire Deparment of New York. Heroes.
We sometimes only remember the mind-boggling loss of September 11th, 2001. But we should also remember the mind-boggling good of that day too.
Whether it was the FDNY (fire department of new york), or the NYPD ( new york police department), or the NYPA (new york port authority), people rushed into the danger of burning and collapsing buildings just to save other peoples’ lives.
And ordinary every-day citizens of New York City also rushed into danger, or in some cases back into danger, to help save the lives of people they didn’t even know.
We persevere, remember and honor.
We will never forget that day, and our hope lives on.
We will never forget.
That hope and strength galvanized us as a nation, and made us appreciate our every-day lives even more.
This blog post today isn’t about business, or anything else really. It’s about remembering that day…
… And remembering that we, too, can make a difference every day in our lives.
We can help a total stranger. We can smile and wave. We can do the things we always put off. We can help those in need. We can do more, do better, do for ourselves and for others. We can remember our hopes and dreams. We can do the things in life we truly want to do.
Being a hero is just a title we give people. Some deserve it though. Those who helped and passed on 09/11… Soldiers in WWII… doctors, nurses, nuns, ministers, volunteers, and on and on. But you and I can do heroic things too. We can help others. We can do for others. We can live our dreams.
So as we remember those who passed and those who helped on that September day in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania… we can also remember that we too can help others. That we too can have hope and perseverance. That we too can live our dreams.
To the memory and honor of those who passed away, and those who heroically helped others, on 09/11/01.
Being blessed as I am to live in an area near salt water I try to partake of sunshine and sandy beaches when I can. I was at the beach a few days ago when out of the corner of my eye I saw a gray dorsal fin erupt from the water. It was like something out of JAWS. I was glad that I wasn’t in the water yet but wandered down to the beach to get a closer look.
There I saw a sand shark. It was too small to do any damage to a human. But it was swimming along actively hunting the beach for food. I followed it down the beach (staying on land of course) and watching it hunt. It was utterly fascinating.
As I was walking back up the beach I noticed more dorsal fins out just beyond the swim buoys. These one were much larger and much more frightening. I couldn’t see what they were attached to but whatever it was it was much bigger then the little sand shark I had been following.
I watched the fins cut the through the water for awhile. There were three of them. It seemed like they were hunting. There was thrashing about and strange motions in the water.
Needless to say I stayed out of the water that day and just watched all the activity from the beach.
I returned to the beach several times over the course of the week. Each time I was on the look out for more rogue dorsal fins. But I didn’t see anything.
Finally I summoned my courage and went back in the water. It was a beautiful day. The water was crystal clear and I was having a fantastic time swimming around.
And just then nearly right in front of me I saw another dorsal fin erupt out of the water and then quickly disappear again just as fast. This time the fin was much closer; no longer out beyond the swim buoys. I quickly turned to make my way back to the beach and tried to get the attention of the group of people next to me.
Did they see it??? Weren’t they scared to???
The people turned to me and pointed out to the swim buoys again.
Look!!! They’re dolphins!
I turned and saw that they were right. Three bottle-nosed dolphins playing together and actively hunting the water. I spent all week afraid of Flipper.
Sounds kind of silly, huh…
I was recently recounting this story to one of Max Pro’s fearless leaders Mr. Mike Antoni. He laughed and told me that that’s always the way that it is. That people are afraid of the harmless things in life.
He was telling me how often the things that we are most frightened of doing and accomplishing can often turn into wonderful opportunities for us. For example, someone who’s afraid to cold call might find that there strength secretly lies in an ability to relate to people. Someone who is afraid of public speaking might find that their talent lies in communication. And someone that’s afraid to start their own business might find that their talent lies in being an entrepreneur, paving their own way and working for themselves.
Spend a little time today thinking about you’re most afraid of and how that fear might be stopping you from unlocking a hidden talent or potential.
Here is my next installment for the weekly Positive Thinking quotes. Often in life we can get a little down and sometimes even a simple quote can inspire us to push through to the next day. So while this might not be a life changing Blog post, it may give you a smile, or a burst of momentum on a slow day.
This week’s quotes come from Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. We all know about him as a person of influence in the founding of this country and the cause of Independence and Liberty. We know about his writings, travels, and inventions. But did you know he was found of wisdom too? He often wrote of positive thought and wisdom. And he would often share this thoughts with others, whether they wanted to hear them or not! He even including sayings and common sense wisdom as a part of his Poor Richard’s Almanack.
We can all take a page out of his book by being all that we can be. If we believe in ourselves, our potential and our dreams, we can accomplish so much. Whether you think your dream is large or small, go for it. Live a diverse life and never give up or give in. And we can truly make a difference in others’ lives as well. Benjamin Franklin is a good role model for us.
Now unto some good Franklin quotes!
You may delay, but time will not.
Benjamin Franklin
Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.
Benjamin Franklin
Content makes poor men rich; discontentment makes rich men poor.
Benjamin Franklin
Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.
Benjamin Franklin
Drive thy business or it will drive thee.
Benjamin Franklin
Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Benjamin Franklin
Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.
Benjamin Franklin
Employ thy time well, if thou meanest to get leisure.
Benjamin Franklin
Energy and persistence conquer all things.
Benjamin Franklin
He that can have patience can have what he will.
Benjamin Franklin
Well done, is better than well said.
Benjamin Franklin
Good stuff. If you want to read the last Positive Thoughts for the Week post, click here: Last Post
To a great week and weekend,
- Ryan Travis, Blogger and Social Marketer
PS- Friend us on Facebook! We’d love to hear from you!
Here is my next installment for the weekly Positive Thinking quotes. Often in life we can get a little down and sometimes even a simple quote can inspire us to push through to the next day. So while this might not be a life changing Blog post, it may give you a smile, or a burst of momentum on a slow day.
Today’s quotes are by Norman Vincent Peale. More on him below!
Quotes for the week: Norman Vincent Peale: (a great thinker, writer, minister, and motivator.)
“Change your thoughts and you change your world.”
- Norman Vincent Peale
“Do not be awe struck by other people and try to copy them. Nobody can be you as efficiently as you can.”
- Norman Vincent Peale
“Formulate and stamp indelibly on your mind a mental picture of yourself as succeeding. Hold this picture tenaciously. Never permit it to fade. Your mind will seek to develop the picture…Do not build up obstacles in your imagination.”
- Norman Vincent Peale
“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”
- Norman Vincent Peale
“Think enthusiastically about everything; but especially about your job. If you do, you’ll put a touch of glory in your life. If you love your job with enthusiasm, you’ll shake it to pieces. You’ll love it into greatness.”
- Norman Vincent Peale
“Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow.”
- Norman Vincent Peale
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale(May 31, 1898 – December 24, 1993) was a Protestant preacher and author (most notably of The Power of Positive Thinking) and a progenitor of the theory of “positive thinking”.
He spoke about the value of thinking and feeling positive versus thinking and feeling negative. His teachings centered on being positive, having faith, and seeking out purpose in life. He combined mindset/law of attraction type positivity with Faith in God. Whether you believe in God or not, his landmark book, The Power of Positive Thinking is a must read! Over 7 million people bought this book over the years. It was one of the few books that changed my life. It can be a good influence in yours as well.
It’s often sad events like someone passing away that remind us to truly live.
Perhaps we realize that every day is truly a gift. A gift we must take hold of and use to better our lives and the lives of others. So when we hear that someone we know, or someone famous, passes away- we must remind ourselves to strive in life. To live our potential and our dreams.
Rest in peace Senator Ted Kennedy.
No matter our political thoughts, an American icon has passed.
(CNN) — Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, the patriarch of the first family of Democratic politics, died late Tuesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, after a lengthy battle with brain cancer. He was 77.
Anybody who ever told you “change your mindset” or “believe and achieve” probably had good intentions.
But that’s not really all there is to being successful in business, life, or any other possible field.
You can define success anyway you want to, but the way I define it, and the way that makes everything I’ve ever thought about being successful seem like a big joke, is like this:
Success is not a mind set. Success does not fall into your lap. Success is not having money handed to you without you lifting a finger.
If you’re anything like me, you’re NOT okay with that. I’m not saying you can only have true success through back breaking labor. In fact, I think the complete opposite. I’d rather work smart than hard any day!
All I’m saying is that if you’re waiting for the right opportunity to come along and take you with it, well you’ve got another thing coming.
We know what success is not. So what is it really?
Success is determined by one thing, and one thing only. You’ve probably been to enough seminars to know that the one thing is you.
But here’s what a lot of people sadly fail to realize.
Success is not going to fall into your hands and once you get over that little fact, you’ll be much better off.
Let’s get into my one of my favorite examples:
THE SUCCESS DREAMER:
The success dreamer is one of the biggest ‘fantasizers’ you’ll ever come across. They spend so much time dreaming about their perfect life with their millions of dollars, mansions and cars, and fame that they never even ask themselves the real questions.
Questions like: -How am I gonna get myself into that positon?
-What can I improve upon?
-Who can I get involved with to make this a reality?
-Where do I go to accelerate this goal?
If you want to be a true success and not just a success dreamer, those are some pretty obvious questions to ask. Unfortunately, those are questions that hardly ever get answered, which is why out of the billions of people on the planet only a small percent of the world are considered wealthy or successful.
Parents know if your kid wants to play the guitar, you’re going to do anything in your power to help them achieve that. You typically know how to answer the questions I’ve asked above. You want what’s best for your family.
Perhaps enroll them in guitar lessons. You’ll somehow put your child in a position to achieve their goal.
You need to treat yourself like you’d treat your child. You’re not going to achieve ANYTHING in life if you’re not putting yourself in a position to succeed
Take the necessary and all too obvious steps to achieving. Whatever it is doesn’t matter.
All you gotta do it this: - First off, find what you want to do in life. What you wanna be. All that inspirational stuff. You know what I’m talking about.
- Next find out more about that particular path. Research it. The internet is a great tool if you use it wisely.
- After you’ve done your research, surround yourself with people who are doing the same thing you’re doing. Remember, your network determines your net worth.
- And finally, just take the natural steps towards whatever it is you’re trying to achieve.
If you try everyday of your life you cannot fail! Eventually you will attain whatever it is you were reaching for.
And now I’ll leave you with this.
And it’s probably the most inspirational yet incredibly simplified line you’ll read in this entire article.
“NEVER BACK DOWN….NEVER SURRENDER!”
If you can follow that rule, you’ll save yourself of lot of sleepless nights.
…when the weather’s high..
…you can stretch right up and touch the sky…
Hello everyone from the sunshine state of Florida,
Ryan Travis here. And I’m sure most of you recognize the lyrics to that upbeat 1970 classic rock song, In The Summertime, by Mungo Jerry. For some of you it brings back memories of days long past and for others it’s just a happy song to play while driving around on the beach.
Summer, and the things it brings about (like vacation, travel, baseball, relaxation), is something we all long for yet sometimes don’t enjoy as much as we should.
The Summer State of Mind.
When I think of summer, I think of lounging on a beach (often somewhere other than my town- Tampa!) Something like this:
Diamond Cove @ Laguna Beach, California (yes I took this picture!)
Many of us wish we had the time and money to travel to places like Laguna Beach during the summer to kick back and relax. To recharge for the journey ahead. Some of us even want to live there and have that permanent re-charge that comes from Palm Trees and Waves. I discovered Diamond Cove in Laguna Beach thanks to a tip from a local friend, and I’ll always remember meeting the Pacific Ocean there.
The truth is- we can all have these things. It’s really a mindset. A mindset of belief, action taking, and realization.
You may not be able to move to the South of France tomorrow; or travel the Caribbean next weekend… but you can take certain steps right this moment towards the Summer dreams you’ve always had. (And for you native beach bums, you can replace this all with trips and homes in Alaska and the Fjords of Norway if you’re tired of sunshine and sunscreen!)
Here’s An Idea.
The Max Pro System can be a tool in your arsenal of conquering the things that hold you back, allowing you to reach your dreams and dream new ones. With the Max Pro System, not only can you realize financial possibilities, but you can help others realize them too. And one of the perks of Max Pro is an international travel savings company named GRN (Global Resorts Network.) So while you are changing your life with this system, you can also begin traveling and finding that special place you want to visit or live. Kind of like my Diamond Cove in Laguna Beach.
If you’re not familiar with what The Max Pro System is, check it out here: www.maxprosystem.com
So- have a positive mindset, belief in yourself and your dream (and whatever else you believe in), goals, and take action daily. Before you know it, you’ll be whistlin’ In The Summertime on beaches around the world (or at least Florida, support our beaches! )
We all need goals in our lives. Some are long term…some are short term…some are regarding relationships and personal goals…some are business related.
Have you ever watched a baby crawling? I used to watch Kenna when she visited our office. She would see something she wanted–she loved balls- -and begin crawling toward it. Crawling is definitely slower than walking or running…and it’s hard on the knees. Sometimes she would sit back and take a break and then start toward that ball again. We could offer her other toys, but she knew what she wanted and no amount of distraction could deter her. No matter how long it took, she would get to the ball!
Do you know what you want? Are you moving toward your goal? Even a small step forward is better than sitting down and quitting! Do you remember in Racing to Victory that I told you not to be distracted by things around you. Things don’t always immediately go the way we had planned. Did the tortoise think he could beat the rabbit in the race? Maybe not, but that slow-poke was determined to finish the race…and you know the outcome. He was the WINNER!!
Anyone who has been around me long knows that my husband, Larry, is the center of my life. I love him dearly and wouldn’t trade him for anyone! As much as I depend on him, there is one little problem. His driving makes me very nervous! I realized one day why he makes me nervous. When he sees something on either side of the car, he completely turns his head in that direction rather than keeping his head straight ahead and just glancing (briefly!) to one side or the other with his eyes. Meanwhile, I am afraid to take my eyes off the road because he obviously needs a back-seat driver!
Keep your eyes on your goal—don’t look to the left or right. Never look behind you. Keep moving toward your ultimate goal…even on the days that you seem to be crawling. Before you know it, you will be racing ahead toward the fulfillment of your dreams!!
He even including sayings and common sense wisdom as a part of his 
