AchieveMax® Blog

May is always a beautiful month inasmuch as the snow and ice have melted, and summer’s intense heat has not yet begun. The first garden crops begin to sprout in May. The trees and grass are green, and wild plants are in bloom.

Some people consider May as a “racy” month as we focus on the Kentucky Derby, the most famous horse race in the United States, on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky, as well as the Indianapolis 500 auto race on the Sunday before Memorial Day in Indiana.

For those involved with the Military, May provides several special occasions: Memorial Day (aka Decoration Day), Armed Forces Day, and V-E Day.

May Monthly Celebrations and Observances:

• May is Better Sleep Month.
• May is National Photo Month.
• May is National Salad Month.
• May is National Egg Month.
• May is National Barbecue Month.
• May is National Hamburger Month.
• May is Better Hearing & Speech Month.
• May is Huntington Disease Awareness Month.
• May is Asparagus Month.
• May is Asthma & Allergy Awareness Month.
• May is National Flower Month.
• May is National Mental Health Month.
• May is National Strawberry Month.
• May is National Older Americans Month.
• May is Transportation Month.
• May 1st is May Day.
• May 1st is National Day of Prayer.
• May 1st is Stepmothers’ Day.
• May 1st is School Principals’ Day.
• May 1st is Mother Goose Day.
• May 2nd is Holocaust Remembrance Day.
• May 3rd is the Kentucky Derby.
• May 4th is International Firefighters’ Day.
• May 5th is Cinco de Mayo.
• May 5th is Halfway Point of Spring.
• May 5th is National Hoagie Day.
• May 6th is National Teacher Day.
• May 6th is National Nurses’ Day.
• May 6th is National Beverage Day.
• May 8th is V-E (Victory in Europe) Day.
• May 8th is World Red Cross Day.
• May 11th is Mother’s Day.
• May 11th is Pentecost.
• May 13th is Leprechaun Day.
• May 14th is Receptionists’ Day.
• May 15th is International Day of Families.
• May 15th is National Police Memorial Day.
• May 15th is National Clergy Day.
• May 15th is National Chocolate Chip Day.
• May 17th is Armed Forces Day.
• May 21st is National Waitstaff Day.
• May 25th is National Missing Childrens’ Day.
• May 25th is the Indianapolis 500.
• May 26th is Memorial Day.
• May 28th is National Hamburger Day.

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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In the spirit of C.A.N.I. (Continuous And Never-ending Improvement), here are this week’s new facts—one for each day of your coming week. Pass them on to others to keep the spirit alive or invite your friends and family to visit our blog where they can also view previous entries.

• Coca-Cola slogan from 1906: “The Great National Temperance Beverage.”
• Dogs have fewer than 2,000 taste buds … humans have about 9,000.
• Downtown Chicago is called the Loop because it’s encircled by elevated train tracks.
• Estimated weight of Egypt’s Great Pyramid: 6,648,000 tons.
• Spongebob Squarepants creator Steve Hillenburg studied marine biology in college.
• Every year, U.S. doctors leave surgical tools in approximately 1,500 patients.
• For more than 600 years, the official language of England was … French. 

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

I recently received a note from the wife of a gentleman who attended one of my keynotes last year. After the program he and his wife were browsing our website, and she was drawn to one of our features, “When The Going Gets Tough.” She said she was attracted to the inspirational content and the brevity of each anecdote which allows her to fit it into her class schedule on a regular basis.

She noted that her students have enjoyed hearing and discussing these various accounts and found them a means of encouragement for those times when things simply aren’t going as well as hoped.

At one time or another we’ve probably all enjoyed telling our children or grandchildren how difficult it was growing up back in the day — walking to school in a snow storm, uphill, both ways; having to actually walk up to our TV sets and physically turn a knob to change channels or adjust the volume; having to cope with a party line or actually dialing our telephone; and having to use a camera rather than a cell phone to take pictures.

While things may have seemed tough as we look back, I shudder to think what today’s young people will have to deal with in the coming decades. A quick glance at our current media gives you an idea of how rapidly things are changing: we’re about to have our first black President, female President, or oldest President in our history; jobs are quickly becoming our largest export, our national debt is growing to unequaled heights, reality TV has taken over the airways, and more people voted for American Idol than they did in our last Presidential election! Makes my childhood snow storm look like spring break in Aruba!

Our young people are destined to fall from time to time. Probably more so than we did. Sometime they will be pushed down. Some will try to hold them down. Our message to them is simple: “Ya gotta get up!” That will be their key not only to survival but to attaining success in their chosen endeavors.

Today’s generation must study examples of those in our past who have fallen many times and managed to go on to fulfill their dreams. That what this series is all about. When you study successful people, you’ll see that they’ve made plenty of mistakes and experienced many challenges, but when they were knocked down, they kept getting up … again and again. For instance,

• Dr. Seuss’s first children’s book was rejected by 23 publishers.
• Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team as a sophmore — no potential!
• Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded.
• Apple Computer was rejected by Hewlett-Packard and Atari.
• Coca-Cola sold only 400 Cokes in its first year!
• Walt Disney was once fired by a newspaper. The reason? Lack of ideas!
• Beethoven’s violin teacher declared him hopeless as a composer!
• IBM, GE, and RCA all rejected the Xerox machine!
• Parker Brothers turned down Trivial Pursuit!
• Helen Keller, totally deaf and blind, graduated cum laude from Radcliffe College, and went on to become a famous author and lecturer.
• An MGM executive advised against investing in Gone With The Wind saying “Forget it. No Civil War picture ever made a nickel!”
• Another famous MGM memo emerged after the first showing of The Wizard of OZ … it read: “That rainbow song’s no good. Take it out!”

Everyone seems to enjoy and appreciate learning how well-known people from all walks of life have overcome obstacles to achieve their current level of success. On our web site, we currently offer a total of seven segments under the title: When The Going Gets Tough. Within those seven segments, you’ll find a total of 41 short, interesting, anecdotes that will certainly add a little inspiration and encouragement to your daily grind. There is much to be learned from observing the efforts of others as they strive to succeed. We feature snipets concerning both individuals and organizations.

In the future, all additions to this series will appear here on the blog for your convenience. Share these stories with your children and grandchildren as there is much to learn from the tribulations and triumphs of those who have attained great notoriety. Current and future leaders can also benefit from revisiting these interesting revelations.

Check our first blog installment as well as those on our website. We look forward to adding future examples as well.

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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• Today's Inspirational Youth Sparks Hope for a Positive Tomorrow
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Can you imagine being born in a major league baseball city and years later actually playing pro ball for your home town? That alone would be a great achievement, and that’s exactly what happened to Pete Rose. However, “Charlie Hustle” didn’t stop there.

Pete went on to become the all-time Major League leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562) and at bats (14,053). He won three World Series rings, three batting titles, two gold gloves, one Most Valuable Player award, the Rookie of the Year Award, and made 17 All-Star appearances at an unequaled five different positions (2B, LF, RF, 3B & 1B). Pete earned his nickname of “Charlie Hustle” in every game he played. He’s the only player I ever saw who would sprint to first base even when being walked and his signature move was his thrilling headfirst slide into a base. In short, Pete Rose, was an inspiration to fans both young and old. He went on to manage the Cincinnati Reds for six years after retiring as an active player.

Like so many of today’s great athletes, Pete’s career will forever be viewed under a cloud of accusations. Rose agreed to permanent ineligibility from baseball after being accused of gambling on baseball games while playing for and managing the Reds.

This issue will be debated as long as fans discuss the sport. However, what can never be argued is this man’s ability, accomplishments, tenacity, discipline, determination, personal drive, and hustle. Here’s an example which we should be able to adopt to our personal and business endeavors.

Pete was being interviewed in spring training the year he was about to break Ty Cobb’s all time record. One of the many reporters in attendance asked: “Pete, you’re only 78 hits away from breaking the record. How many at-bats do you think you’ll need to get 78 hits?” Without hesitation, Pete stared at the reporter and very matter-of-factly said, “78.” The reporter laughed and quickly replied, “Ah, come on, Pete, you don’t really expect to get 78 hits at 78 at-bats do you?”

At that point, Pete calmly shared his philosophy with the group of reporters who were anxiously awaiting his reply to this seemingly boastful claim. “Every time I step into that batter’s box, I expect to get a hit! If I don’t expect to get a hit, I have no right to step up to the plate in the first place!”

“If I go up to bat hoping to get a hit,” he went on, “then I probably don’t have a prayer of getting a hit. It’s my positive expectations that has gotten me all of the hits I’ve gotten so far. Without it, I may as well stay in the clubhouse!”

Pete expected no less from all of those he managed later in his career. This is certainly a message we should take to heart ourselves while making certain we pass it on to future generations. It is truly a philosophy of a champion!

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

In the spirit of C.A.N.I. (Continuous And Never-ending Improvement), here are this week’s new facts—one for each day of your coming week. Pass them on to others to keep the spirit alive or invite your friends and family to visit our blog where they can also view previous entries.

• Aretha Franklin’s voice has been designated a natural resource by the state of Michigan.
• At the end of the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life,” there’s an ultrasonic whistle, audible only to dogs.
• Baskin-Robbins once made a ketchup-flavored ice cream.
• Beatle George Harrison owned a musical toilet that played “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.”
• Chewing gum can help improve your memory.
• TV’s Mr. Rogers made Crayola’s 100 billionth crayon in 1996. The color was “blue ribbon.”
• Combined, American children spend 6.3 billion hours coloring with crayons annually.

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

In today’s stressful world, picking up the newspaper, turning on the TV, or going to the Internet can cause tremendous stress. There are simply too many issues affecting us today which are beyond our sphere of control. As a result, stress levels are soaring.

However, fear not, as recent research by the Association of Critical Stress Factors has produced a long-awaited strategy which guarantees not only a reduction in your stress level but also actually provides a certain level of personal satisfaction and joy.

Sit in a comfortable chair.
Turn on soft, soothing music.
Relax as you close your eyes.
Visualize yourself near a refreshing country stream.
Feel the warmth of a radiating sun on your face.        
Enjoy the cool, refreshing afternoon breeze.
Imagine birds singing in the crisp, cool mountain air.
Know that nothing can bother you in this safe, pleasant location.
No one on earth knows this secret place.
The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity.
The cool water is fresh and clear.
You can easily make out the face of the person whose head you are holding under the water.
There now, feeling better?

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

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Every now and then I read something in the newspaper that leads me to believe that I’m being “punked.”

The following comments recently appeared in The Washington Times. I had to verify it via a number of other resources. Let me remind you that this is another decision that was suggested, agreed upon, and carried out by the people that WE have sent to Washington, D.C. to represent our best interests. You may have to read it twice to believe it!

“The United States has outsourced the manufacturing of its electronic passports to overseas companies — including one in Thailand that was victimized by Chinese espionage — raising concerns that cost savings are being put ahead of national security, an investigation by The Washington Times has found.

Lawmakers said they were alarmed by The Times’ findings and plan to investigate why U.S. companies weren’t used to produce the state-of-the-art passports, one of the crown jewels of American border security.
 
Officials at GPO, the Homeland Security Department and the State Department played down the many obvious concerns, saying they are confident that regular audits and other protections already in place will keep terrorists and foreign spies from stealing or copying the sensitive components to make fake passports.”

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

This enduring narrative was written in 1934 by Dale Wimbrow, an author, songwriter, artist, writer, singer, and painter. He left this world at the very young age of 58 in 1954. In honor of their love and respect for their father, his son and daughter have given permission to any and all to share this particular poem as long as it’s duplicated precisely as it was written and their father is credited.

Over the years, many thought the last word in the first line was a typo and therefore simply changed it from “pelf” to “self,” which appeared to be the obvious replacement. The author actually meant to use the word “pelf,” which means money, wealth, or riches … and that word obviously makes sense. The author’s offspring also points out that, over the years, many people have renamed the poem “The Man in the Glass” but go on to point out that their father’s original title utilized the term “Guy” rather “Man.”

After what seems like an eternity of exposure to our current Presidential candidates, I can’t help but wonder how each of them might respond to this classic poem. I can easily surmise how they might verbally comment to potential voters, but it would be interesting to know how each would truly respond to this powerful challenge. What do you think?

And how about you?

The Guy in the Glass
When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.
For it isn’t your Father or Mother or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life            
Is the guy staring back from the glass.
He’s the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear up to the end,
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and “chisel” a plum,
And think you’re a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,    
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you’ve cheated the guy in the glass!

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

We’ve added still another category to our growing list of Words of Wisdom subjects … bringing our current total to 19 categories.

These quotes all speak to the subject of “Passion” … a characteristic we find so often in great leaders in every field. It also seems to be an attribute sorely lacking in today’s society.

Where does one develop “passion” … at what stage of life does one begin this momentous journey? Do we discuss it at the family dinner table? Is it addressed in any way in our school classrooms? Is it emphasized in Church? When we’re fortunate to witness an example of true passion in the media, is it recognized, appreciated, and emulated?

This is certainly an area of focus which should be seriously considered by parents, teachers, clergy, and leaders in every sector of our society today. If true passion is so instrumental in achieving success in any endeavor … why aren’t we, as a society, emphasizing and educating those who could so dearly benefit from it? Think about that challenge as you enjoy these powerful quotes on such an important subject.

Also feel free to check out our in-depth offering of quotes on many subjects should you be in need of a refreshing thought, idea, slogan or profound nugget for an upcoming meeting, presentation, or lunch room bulletin board.

We offer interesting quotes on the subjects of leadership, teamwork, customer service, time management, goals, change, motivation, sales, potential, gender, creativity, repetition, enthusiasm, employees, attitude, networking, fear, sense of urgency and now passion.

Click on “Words of Wisdom” in order to review our entire offering.

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

In the spirit of C.A.N.I. (Continuous And Never-ending Improvement), here are this week’s new facts—one for each day of your coming week. Pass them on to others to keep the spirit alive or invite your friends and family to visit our blog where they can also view previous entries.

• A cow must be a mother before she will produce milk. To make 9 gallons of milk a day, a cow must drink 18 gallons of fresh, clean water (2 gallons of water for every gallon of milk).
• A cricket cannot hear its own chirping.
• Adding up all the times you blink in a day, your eyes are closed for a total of 30 minutes.
• All-night diner’s have a term for 2:30 a.m., when the bars close. They call it Drunk-thirty.
• All U.S. telephones were turned off to honor Alexander Graham Bell during his funeral in 1922.
• Animal sounds: Apes gibber, deer bell, and hippos bray.
• Hannibal, Missouri, celebrates its annual Tom Sawyer Day with a fence-painting race.

Harry K. Jones is a professional speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed keynote presentations, seminars, and consulting services. Harry has appeared all over North America addressing topics such as change, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork and time management for a number of industries, including education, financial, government, healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For more information, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.