“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” ~William Butler Yeats

Last night I had the honor of meeting one of my long time heros Mark Sisson. I think of this man every time I eat, literally, and he’s responsible for lightning a fire for me, many of my friends and family, and many of you guys as well.

Since Mark is in town for Book Expo America (BEA), to promote a new cookbook (which I use several times a week – spaghetti squash omelet is heaven!) to go with his brilliant book Primal Blueprint, he decided to meet up with a few locals to chat about Primal health and answer some of our questions.

Thanks to the help of John Durant for organizing the event at Black Box crossfit gym and Mark drawing crowds from as far as Boston and Philadelphia, there were 175 or so people in attendance.

There were several things that really impressed me about Mark:

Walk the Walk

Looking back at pictures from a few years ago, Mark Sisson at age 56, had a six-pack and overall muscle tone. In person the man looks even more chiseled and healthy, and the same could be said about pictures of his wife and kids, who also follow the Primal lifestyle.

While this blog is mostly about my growth experiences, and what I’m trying to do next, or learn now, I’d hardly consider myself more expert in growth than the average person that focuses on this part of their lives.

In fact, during the past year of school, my time management might have been enough to succeed in school, but definitely fell short of allowing any life balance. On a scale of 1-10, my life balance has been a 3. School took precedence over health, most of my relationships, and writing on this site, as I gave 100% to just one area of my life.

With Mark you can really see that he is the epitome of health. I think this is really important. You know the stuff works.

Eloquent Articulation

I’m always impressed with great speakers. Mostly because it’s something I aspire to be better at — and realize how difficult it can be.

Mark Sisson’s talk was titled The Metabolic Paradigm Shift, based on a long time of information brewing in his mind as well as a more recent blog post. What I like is that his speech was captivating, interesting, and informative, without alienating his audience.

Since what Mark focused on is evidence-based science, it would have been easy for him to spew out so much jargon that the average person’s eyes glaze over as they fall into a coma. That’s not what Mark did though. His goal of making this healthy lifestyle as mainstream as possible shows, because he’s able to tell his story in a way that a person with a lower health-literacy can keep up, yet he’ll incorporate scientific terms as an aside to let others that have a higher health-literacy keep engaged as well (take note my medical and dental colleagues!)

It makes sense. Knowing about the SERC1 gene and it’s anti-aging effects, for most people, is less important than knowing the general concept that eating a grain based diet will make you fat. That grain based diets gives you insulin spikes that make you fat, so you have to run more on the treadmill, but then you deplete your glycogen storage and eat more grains to replenish them – but then have to run more – so on and so forth.

Judgement Free

A lot of experts out there are very judgmental:

• If you don’t save money the way they want – you’re a loser.
• If you’re not hitting the gym as hard as they say -  you’re a loser.
• If you haven’t found your motivation to go through with something, yet – you’re a loser.
• If you don’t observe religion as closely as them – you’re a loser.
• If you don’t know as much about politics as them, you’re ignorant, and – you’re a loser.

I disagree with this approach. In many ways, and for most people, it’s counter-productive, and  it speaks so much to said experts insecurity.

During the Q&A session, with a big grin on his face, Mark responded to someone that if they eat grains he’ll still be their friend. To me that was very genuine, touching, and should really be an example for us to learn from and apply to our own relationships with people.

I’m probably one of the most judgmental people that I know. It’s my defense mechanism to avoid being around people that hurt me, disappoint me, or make me feel bad in some way or another. In many ways it works, it keeps me away from those people, but it does come at a price. Sometimes I get carried away, and so my heart is filled with negativity, and that’s really not who I am as a core person.

With Mark, you can tell that you’re in the judgment free zone. It makes you feel comfortable. That’s what a true leader should look like, and someone we can model ourselves after.

At the end Mark quoted The Breakup when Jennifer Aniston said, “I don’t want you to do the dishes, I want you to want to do the dishes.” It’s not about having expectations of someone, it’s not about dropping information on people and expecting them to catch it like a bucket. It is about walking the walk, being able to eloquently articulate your ideas, and without judgment, being able to light a fire in a person that will inspire them to get out there, think for themselves, and change their lives!

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Dennis Charles recently pointed out that “All top performers have a teacher/coach or mentor. The notion of doing things on your own is seen as ludicrous from the perspective of a top performer.” I have to say that I strongly agree with this statement.

If you’re looking for a mentor on health and nutrition, evidence based research that strives to disprove conventional wisdom, as well as a community of great people, I recommend checking out MarksDailyApple.com.

Also as a side note – my second year of dental school has come and gone – and now in just a couple of days I will start seeing patients at NYU Dental School. It’s not only an opportunity to practice dentistry, but to very thoroughly help people. That’s because NYU Dental School has us do a very comprehensive health check, has systems in place to refer patients to get further care, assist patients with smoking cessation (the #1 changeable cause of major diseases), as well as nutritional counseling for those patients that need it. I’m excited!

Attention: Don’t forget to download my free ebook, How to Get a Girlfriend!!

I have a dream that every business will be so customer centric that walking into a business that doesn’t give it their best shot will be unheard of. I’m talking about a world where everyone, and every business, “gets it.”

I first found Euphoria Salon when searching for Hair Salon and Spa in East Brunswick, NJ. I called them to inquire about waxing my back, and told them that my previous two attempts, in the years prior, had led to my back breaking out. I was pleasantly surprised by the level of comfort that I received over the phone when speaking with Michael, the manager of Euphoria Salon.

He explained the lengths in which they would go to prep my back, use the most sensitive skin wax, and then seal the pores after the procedure. He offered to do a spot for free to see how my skin would react. When I came in to Euphoria Salon I was again pleasantly surprised by the level of attention and customer service that I received from both Michael the manager, as well as Natacha the salon specialist. I decided to just do the whole back, and was very pleased with the attention to detail that Natacha showed me as she waxed my back in tiny segments for best results.

I even got a haircut while I was there, because I was already impressed by this full service salon. Unfortunately, a week after the wax, my back broke out as it had in the previous years. I called the salon, which they recommended I do if this occurred, and they had me come in to speak with the owner/skin specialist Richard.

Richard looked my skin over very carefully under a light. Then we spent well over half an hour in an unrushed and very informative conversation discussing all the things that could have affected my skin. Richard recommended several techniques and products that I could use, and went out of his way to get me free samples of everything that I needed. He also made himself available, for as long as I needed him, to pinpoint which one of the thousand things affecting my skin was the real culprit.

On my way out I stopped to talk with Michael. It’s not everyday that I experience a business that has everything going right for it. In fact, I’ve been to most of the salons in East Brunswick and always switched because of either an inadequacy in price, service quality, or customer service. Euphoria Salon gets my highest ratings in all three of these categories.

For about half an hour I interviewed Michael on the philosophy that goes into this salon business. I wanted to know exactly what it was that made them go above and beyond, since I’m planning to be the owner of a service business in the future and want to learn as much as I can. It turns out that they’re not just in the beauty business, they’re in the business of making people feel good in and out. Michael’s key trait is to listen quietly and attentively in order to better understand what someone needs both as a customer and as a human being.

We went on to talk about Michael’s mentor Jon Atchison, who was the first African-American male to own a salon on 5th Ave. NYC. This is the man that shaped Michael’s ability to make the customer feel like a million bucks for over 30 years now, and this is the philosophy that Michael instills in the staff during their weekly staff training sessions.

I don’t know too many small business that take time each week to make sure their employees are the best that they can be. Each Tuesday evening Michael and his staff get together to train a practical technique such as cutting, coloring, waxing, etc., but that’s not all. At the beginning of every single training session, Michael takes the time to repeat and review the philosophy that made me, for one, feel like a million bucks during and after my appointment.

As you can tell, I not only recommend Euphoria Salon, but I also recommend that you look into running your business the way they run theirs.

Attention: Don’t forget to download my free ebook, How to Get a Girlfriend!!

Do you work for an employer? If so, you might have considered leaving to work for yourself instead. You might even be actively building up a source of income on the side – maybe through freelancing or through entrepreneurial work – and creating an escape plan.

I left my full-time job in technical support a couple of months ago, in order to further my small but growing freelance writing and website creation business, and to head back to university to study for an MA in Creative & Life Writing. The past two months have been the most productive and growth-filled that I’ve ever had. I encountered a few surprises along the way and, if you’re thinking about self-employment, you might want to read on…

(Those of you who are self-employed – read too! You’ll be able to nod and smile along with the things that surprised me, and I hope you’ll share your own experiences in the comments.)

Things You’ll Miss

Missing the Office Perks

The first surprise I had was finding that I occasionally miss working for an employer. This typically happens when:

• I have to buy tea/coffee/milk again – no bottomless office supplies now…
• I need some handy-dandy bit of software that I used to use for free on my lunch breaks before. I realize it would cost my entire monthly earnings to buy it. I spend ten hours attempting to do the same thing with open source solutions.

I regularly remind myself of the plus side, though. I might have to buy my own milk – but I can keep whatever food I like in the fridge without risking anyone nicking it. And although I have to buy or find software, I can install anything I like on my computer now.

(Since I’m in the UK, I don’t have to worry about those “minor” perks like health insurance that US residents need to take care of, which I’m frequently grateful for!)

Missing the Commute

If you regularly sit in your cubicle and fantasize about quitting your day job, one of the things you’re probably most looking forward to ditching is your commute. I used to cycle to work, though, and despite the rush-hour traffic, I found the half-hour bike ride at the start and end of the working day a great way to unwind. When I began working for myself, from home, I ended up feeling “stir crazy” if I didn’t set foot outside my flat before lunchtime.

I’ve partially solved this one now I’ve enrolled on my postgrad course by working in my university’s library; it’s a twenty-minute walk, and gives me that all-important barrier between work and home (as well as a dose of fresh-air to wake me up in the morning…)

Missing Having Colleagues

The more misogynistic amongst you might look forward to ditching not only the commute but also the colleagues that go along with a full-time job. You might be surprised, though, to find that you miss the day-to-day interaction with workmates. Even if conversations in the office rarely went beyond “Did you have a good weekend?”, realizing that you’ve not spoken to anyone except your housemate/partner/cat in the past 24 hours can be a bit depressing.

I took on a part-time childminding job for a bit of extra cash, and this proved the ideal solution: it meant getting out of the flat and talking to people (and kids are great fun to chat to – a constant source of energy and inspiration!)

So those are the things you might end up missing … how about the stuff that you’ll find yourself gaining?

Things You’ll Gain

Gaining Productivity

My major worry when I quit my job was that I’d suddenly end up bereft of purpose, spending my days slouched on the sofa in front of bad television. I worked efficiently at my job, but I can’t deny that keeping up with some of my blog-reading and personal-email-checking was done in idle moments on the clock… surely, working from home, with no manager lurking nearby, would mean giving in to the temptation to kick back and relax whenever I wanted?

It didn’t work out like that, though. I now find that I rarely check blogs or “fun” websites until the evening – though sometimes I’ll flick to them during a planned break in the day. I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised by this: it’s much easier to stay on-task when you’re doing work that you’re passionate about.

Gaining Work

My other worry was that I’d not have enough work to do. When I left my job, my freelancing consisted of staff-writing for two blogs (a total of four posts per week), and a provisional agreement to create a website for someone I’d previously worked with. Not exactly a full week’s workload…

But from day one, the work started coming in. The person who wanted a website needed some proofreading; a couple of blogs I’d guest-posted on took me on as a staff-writer, a magazine editor emailed out of the blue (I’d been in contact weeks before and hadn’t heard back from her) to ask me to write an article. A friend who knew I was freelancing passed on details of someone she knew who wanted a website rewritten…

Again, I probably shouldn’t have been surprised: I’d been deliberately holding back on looking for more freelancing work while I was a full-time employee. There were opportunities out there all along, I’d just not tried reaching out for them before.

If you’re working for yourself, what surprised you about making the jump from employee to self-employed? If you’re an employee wanting to quit the day job, what are you worried about – and what do you think you might be surprised by?

Author bio: Ali is a freelance writer, blogger, website creator and postgraduate student. She’s also just launched Alpha Student, aimed at “helping students get the most from their time at university.”

If you’d like to write a guest post and get your message out there follow this link.

Attention: Don’t forget to download my free ebook, How to Get a Girlfriend!!

Editor’s Note: There are many benefits to creating a social atmosphere at your work place, such as setting a friendlier tone, getting to know each other, and finding out inside information from drunk co-workers.  Andrew Rondeau writes about his experience at this years mid-year Christmas Party.

Last night we had our office Christmas party.

Now that’s a strange time to have a Christmas party, I hear you saying.

Well yes, I agree but it doesn’t matter does it?

We all enjoyed ourselves. It was unique. I think more Christmas parties should be held mid-year. It breaks up the years work.

But do you know what the real role of the Christmas party is?

Fun?

Having a great time?
Letting you hair down and making a fool of yourself?

Maybe even a bit of flirting.
Well, yes – all of that but…
…let me explain the real role of the Christmas party.

The Christmas party is an important part of the 360 degree feedback process for managers and staff.
Normally the formal feedback process is in the shape of an appraisal or performance review and usually takes place in December each year, but can sometimes happen in January or even February. You know the sort of thing. Fifty-seven minutes chat about how you are going to improve and three minutes on what you have achieved.

It is then typed-up and shoved in a draw somewhere, only to see daylight again, in a years time.

But informally, during the Christmas party everyone in the department learns something. Often this is something about another member of the team. It could be a personal passion or pastime. This is useful to help team building.

In some cases, long-term or short-term relationships are enriched.

The agenda for these events is structured to allow a progression from initial fairly formal interchange:
“It’s funny how I’ve never spoken to you before… when we sit just three desks apart”
or

“I went to that school, as well”
through increasingly informal feedback:
“What you need to know is…”
or

“See him, over there, you know what he does…”

to an open and honest exchange of views and collaborative problem solving:

“You are sho unreashonable…Your problem ish you’re outoftouchwith whatsh happening in the front line…”
(that is my impression via typing of someone who has had too much to drink and is slurring).
For a senior manager the party is also a useful opportunity to catch up on gossip.
Often this gives managers access to information that has been widely known by everyone else for months (“Are they?!” or “Really, I didn’t know”).

A side effect of the party is that the senior managers can unwittingly create opportunities for further gossip.

Some parties have a theme.
This is a facilitation tool to allow the normally shy and retiring office worker to reveal suppressed personality traits.

Last night our theme was “pink”.

I wore a simple pink shirt.
Colin, the IT techie dyed his hair pink.

Just to let you know Colin doesn’t normally speak to anyone. Some would say that is good. Colin sits in the corner and gets on with his work. He doesn’t say ‘hello’ in the morning or ‘good-bye’ when he leaves. He gets his own drinks from the vending machine and always says “no” when someone else goes.

One shortcoming of the Christmas party process is that much of the useful information gathered can decay rapidly and only the most embarrassing details can be recalled by the following morning…

…Fortunately some people take photographs to help preserve the corporate memory.

Unfortunately I didn’t have a camera.
So, next time you attend your Christmas party ensure you know what you are saying and to whom!
Otherwise it may end up affecting your career and pay-rise.

Oh and if you are a Manager stay sober and don’t embarrass yourself.

About the author

Andrew Rondeau transformed himself from a $4 an-hour petrol-pump attendant to a highly successful Senior Manager earning $500k every year. Discover How to Maximize Your Income and Minimize Your Effort by receiving Andrew’s free e-Course and report: http://www.greatmanagement.org/

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Great leaders lead the world by example. Their life becomes a fable of character, purpose, perseverance and magnanimity that transcends evil into goodness. They make the world a better place to live for the generations to come.

They’re born with purpose to save the world at the hour of peril. Arguably, Winston Churchill was the leader of the free world born to save the world from the peril of brutal dictatorship. I’m humbled to write about a great leader who was as magnanimous in his heart as stern he was to fight against the evil of Hitler.

1. On Purpose:

On May 10, 1940, during the World War II, Churchill became Prime Minister of England. Undaunted by the challenge to fight against Germans, He wrote, “I felt as if I were walking with Destiny, and all my past life has been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial.”

While other leaders fling to their office, Winston Churchill inspired British people with his trademark V sign for victory in public with calm, relaxed smile. He understood the role he was born to play and make difference in this world. We all are born with the purpose sealed and safeguarded by our soul. Winston Churchill, by example, demonstrated that by knowing our strengths and developing a burning desire for what makes us happy, we can find the purpose to make an outstanding contribution for the humanity.

2. On Transparency:

When Singapore fell in February of 1942, Winston Churchill showed rectitude to the British people. “I speak to you all under the shadow of a heavy and far-reaching military defeat,” he said in a national broadcast.

There is no worse mistake in public leadership than to hold out false hopes soon to be swept away. The British people can face peril or misfortune with fortitude and buoyancy, but they bitterly resent being deceived or finding that those responsible for their affairs are themselves dwelling in a fool’s paradise.

Some of his colleagues knew that Winston Churchill had same convictions and ideals in his private life as he espoused with his brilliant oratory in the public life. There was no mask that he took off when he went home, a character of a great leader.

With this transparency, he taught us to have utmost honesty and integrity in our life. If we learn to have candid conversation with our alter ego or friends, we can create a relationship based on the unwavering trust to live the fulfilling life.

3. On Failures:

Little we know, Winston Churchill lost more elections than the great leaders of his time. He lost elections three times in 1920s.

Courage for some sudden act, maybe in the heat of battle, we all respect, but there is that still rarer courage which can sustain repeated disappointment, unexpected failure, and shattering defeat. Churchill had that too and had need of it, not for a day, but for weeks and months and years. ~ Anthony Eden who succeeded Winston Churchill as a prime minister of England.

Winston Churchill showed awe-inspiring conviction in his entire life to dream big and to show perseverance to achieve the dream no matter how difficult the pursuit becomes with countless failures and seemingly insurmountable circumstances life poses. Most of us fail in life as we do not win the fight against our own mind. We lose the battle before fight even begins.

4. On Magnanimity:

In war, resolution; in defeat, defiance; in victory, magnanimity

With this famous quote, Winston Churchill transpired succinctly that we have to have Will power not to quit when we face failures and not to serve our ego when we succeed. While developing awareness about the purpose of our life, while focusing on the purpose that inspires us most, we have to learn to remain humble to serve the greater cause of humanity.

More from Shilpan at Success Soul.

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My mentoring experience had marked one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences that I had ever undergone. I was hoping to extend a dialogue over a group of people who I had never before encountered, but I had not, under any circumstances, known the kind of mental dialogue that this would foster within me and the kind of relationships that I would inadvertently, and then very intentionally, develop.

By overcoming the frustration of an absence of knowledge through the proactive investment of time and energy, I had gone from a stranger in the classroom to a valuable asset, which a mentor should certainly be. The evolution of the relationships that have marked this experience had, thus, presented for me, the true meaning of mentorship, and, subsequently, co-mentorship.

In co-mentoring, the “‘co’ makes the mentoring reciprocal and mutual. This reciprocity means that over time the mentee and mentor roles may shift; no one is stuck in one or the other for the duration of the relationship” (Co-Mentoring as a Pedagogy). Unlike mentoring, which generally assumes a kind of hierarchical relationship, co-mentoring establishes a dialogue that allows the mentor and mentee to freely shift roles, teach one another, and learn at the same time.

The role of a mentor can be multi-faceted, and the mentor and mentee are capable of equal exchanges of knowledge. This gives the mentor a greater incentive to work with a mentee. Whereas traditional mentoring requires a hierarchical way of operating in which the roles are very rigid, co-mentoring insists that each person has a lot to put on the table.

But such relationships are NOT restricted to the classroom. You can find co-mentoring between children and parents, friends, and co-workers, among others. It is a way to give and receive in all kinds of settings, whether casual or professional. It is an open-minded embrace of different ideologies, an effort to connect them in some way, and produce a beautiful array of color where black and white was custom.

So the next time you find yourself in a mentorship, ask yourself:

• If you assume the role of the mentor: What can I learn?
• If you are the mentee: What can I teach?

Marina Tsipenyuk is a student at Rutgers University studying political science and finance. She is currently involved in a historical research project and mentors a women’s studies course. She hopes to go to law school and, eventually, become a lawyer.

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Photo by b_d_Solis

Attention: Don’t forget to download my free ebook, How to Get a Girlfriend!!

Bringing the world together. Some would say it’s an admirable, yet foolish ideal. Why would we bother to even try? What are the benefits vs. risks of coming together with one voice?

Blog Action Day

What would happen if every blog published posts discussing the same issue, on the same day?
One issue. One day. Thousands of voices.

From one person, to thousands of bloggers, to millions of people; a viral message, a calling to change the world, would spread to the furthest corners of the globe. If you had one message, that you can get the world to hear, what would it be? This year, our message is the environment.

On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind – the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.

Blog Action Day is about MASS participation. That means we need you! Here are 3 ways to participate:

• Post on your blog relating to the environment on Blog Action Day
• Donate your day’s earnings to an environmental charity
• Promote Blog Action Day around the web

Why the environment? Why not? Clearly the earth is becoming more and more polluted each year. Not only due to industry, but due to personal and automotive pollution. Together, as one, we are more than capable of finding solutions. Divided, we will be conquered. I don’t know, but the solution seems obvious to me; let’s work together.

Bringing the world together. Some would say it’s a foolish ideal. What would you say?

Update: Challenge me. Is there any specific environmental issue you would like me to write about?

Attention: Don’t forget to download my free ebook, How to Get a Girlfriend!!

I read this quote yesterday, it got me thinking:

What we need are more people who specialize in the impossible. – Theodore Rathke – 1908-1963 – U.S. Poet and Educator

I’ve heard self-help gurus ask – What would you do if money was not an obstacle? If you could do anything? But I’ve never heard anyone ask, what would you do if nothing were impossible? Impossible… what a limiting word. But it is there… there are things we believe are impossible, right? Like traveling faster than the speed of light or raising the dead. But outside the obvious ones, what else do you think is impossible?

When I asked myself the question, I was surprised at my answers. Here is a short list of what I would do if I could do the impossible (not in order of importance):

· Cure Cancer

· Cure paralysis

· Create peace in the Middle East

· Create Peace in Africa

· Free every person on Earth from government oppression and corruption

· Educate every human being on earth about Macro and Micro economics, thereby ending poverty.

· Educate every human being about the power of acceptance

· Find out if there are other worlds with conscious life forms

I know this may seem like wishing for miracles, but wasn’t space travel once impossible? How about human flight? What about a cure for small pox and polio? What about peace in Western Europe? After thousands of years of war, we’ve had 62 years of peace in Western Europe – a place that has seen the world’s bloodiest wars. Isn’t that a miracle?

What about the global economy? The internet? New prosperity in every corner of the globe? Aren’t those miracles as well?

I want to hear what you’d do if nothing were impossible…

So go ahead and leave your list in the comments or write a post linking back to this one with a trackback.

By Guest Blogger by Steve Olson – For People Pursuing Freedom

Justice (Week 8 of 12)

Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. Part of what made Benjamin Franklin so outstanding was that he took the well-being of other people into account. I can see how this must have lead to many difficult decisions for him as a politician. He must have constantly had to decide between doing good for the majority versus a minority of people. Sometimes there just isn’t a choice that seems right. What do you do then?

To tell you the truth, Justice is a very heavy subject, one that I do not claim to fully understand. In fact, Justice has been debated for thousands of years, by many brilliant philosophers and there is still no unanimous consensus on what is Just.

How I decide what is just

1. Is it ethical/moral
2. Is it legal
3. Am I treating someone the way I want to be treated
4. Am I treating someone the way they want to be treated

This is just part of the criteria that I use, but I think it suits me well. It’s important to remember that whatever actions you take will usually have someone out there that disapproves. You can’t let that stop you from doing what you think is right.

Question to the readers:

1. Do you believe that if everybody did what they truly thought was Just, there would be no wars?
2. What do you think it would take to make sure there were no more wars?

Becoming Outstanding Series

• How To Become An Outstanding Person In Twelve Weeks

• Week 01 – Temperance

• Week 02 – Silence

• Week 03 – Order

• Week 04 – Resolution

• Week 05 – Frugality

• Week 06 – Industry

• Week 07 – Sincerity

• Week 08 – Justice

• Week 09 – Moderation

• Week 10 – Cleanliness

• Week 11 – Tranquility

• Week 12 – Chastity

George Washington

Washington, a great war general, was also a man of conscious, a generous one at that. He lived by the philosophy of giving and said to “let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse.”

Washingston also believed that descipline is at the heart of success.

Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.

While he does speak of the benefits of discipline in war, it is a metaphor for everyone, not just soldiers. When emotions and motivation wear thin, what we have left are acts of habit and discipline. Obtain the discipline to do tasks that are good for you, but you don’t necessarily want to, and you will experience the boost in self esteem that Washington speaks of.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was committed to constant and never ending improvement. Does that remind you of anyone?

Abe valued industry above all else and loved nothing more than to devour information in the form of famous works. This made him a thorough reader and elegant writer.

Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other.

He attributes his great success in law and politics to comparing himself to non other than himself. Set your goals and let them be your driving force, rather than trying to get a one up on your competition.

They say that it’s easier to get to the number one spot than to maintain it, but I believe that by constantly setting higher goals to achieve we will always be striving for number one, even when we’re miles ahead of the competition.

Speaking of competition, Abe’s take on enemies is as follows. “Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?” A great philosophy to live by, whether you’re in charge of international relations or a 5th grader being approached by the local bully.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Roosevelt believed that in order to achieve success one has to try, fail, and try again, until they succeed. Nothing great has been accomplished with out persistence.

It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something.

Roosevelt makes a great point about self-doubt, or the lack there of. Eliminate self doubt and you WILL be able to achieve all your goals.

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.

What’s in common?

All three Presidents contribute their success to their mothers. George Washington was found saying:

My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.

Abraham Lincoln said:

All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.

When Franklin Roosevelt’s marriage was in jeapordy and leading to a politically messy divorce, his mother stepped in to arbitrate. According to historian Mark Leff,

The marriage that emerged from this crisis was the most prominent and consequential political partnership of the century.

These masculine leaders of men all had a large female influence in their life. Who helped shape your character? Who could you attribute some of your success to?