I’m very fortunate to have a good number of high school and college students as “friends” on my Facebook page. Many of them, surprisingly, are from other countries. I often receive requests for quotes to be used in papers that are being written about a wide variety of business subjects and I, of course, am more than happy to oblige.

I’m also asked for advice by these young people on how to deal with a number of common, as well as unique, challenges. Recently, a young lady requested advice on overcoming her very serious fear of failure. I needed more information before feeling comfortable to address that issue so I contacted her by phone. We had a very interesting conversation for almost a full hour.

Listening to her concerns took me back to my early days in business … vividly reminding me of so many of my fears at that time. I remember one of my biggest fears being that of having to speak in front of my small class of 30+ students in high school. It was indeed a serious fear which would constantly lead to a trembling voice, knocking knees, loss of memory, a high pitched stutter, and enough sweat to fill my shoes after a single paragraph.

Years later, I would work in radio (I have a great face for radio!) and television. Today, I travel all over North America speaking to large and small groups ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses. I speak to high school and college audiences in major auditoriums. I speak to CEOs, corporate boards and large groups of military personnel. And I make it a point to often think back to those high school days when I would rather cut off an arm than walk to the front of a 30-student classroom to share a simple book report.

When you think about it, we don’t have a fear of speaking in front of an audience or any other fear for that matter. We have a fear of failing—making a mistake that might generate laughter and even humiliation on our part. Fear of failing can result in tremendously negative consequences for us.

However, upon further examination, I think you’d have to admit that you’ve failed many times in your life, although you may not remember.

You fell down the first time you tried to walk. You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim, didn’t you? How many times did you fall trying to learn how to ride your bike? I remember spending hours and hours trying to learn how to tie my shoes, failing time and time again. To this day, I can’t cook a fried egg without breaking the yolk!

Did you hit the ball the first time you swung a bat? Heavy hitters, the ones who hit the most home runs, also strike out a lot. In his day, Babe Ruth was the home run king with 714 home runs to his credit. What few people know is that during that same time period he also held the record for striking out at bat more than anyone else with 1,330 failures.

R.H. Macy failed seven times, before his store in New York caught on.

Author J.K. Rowling had her Harry Potter manuscript rejected time after time. Today, after successful books, movies, toys, clothing, etc., she is the world’s richest author with a net worth of $1.0 billion dollars and 400 millions books published.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. His coach justified the cut by pointing out that Michael had little or no potential!

Wayne Gretsky, probably the greatest hockey player to play the game, pointed out that you miss 100% of the shots you fail to take! Don’t worry about failure. Worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.

Tom Peters, professional speaker and successful author of 15 best-selling books, tells an interesting story about Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, and the fact that Sam was totally unafraid to fail. Listen to Tom and then go face a fear. Make it a habit. You’ll be glad you did!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

The title of this article is a little misleading. Let me correct that immediately. I want to share three words that, IF EXECUTED, could change the world! It, of course, requires that we close the proverbial “Knowing-Doing Gap.”

We’ve all been exposed to these three words for decades. Everyone knows what they are, everyone knows what they mean, and everyone knows how to execute them. However, in today’s rapidly changing, ever-chaotic environment, very few people attempt the actual execution. And that could very well be why this country is in the shape it’s in today.

By now, you may have figured out that the three words are: WALK THE TALK!

The following three-minute video explains it much better than I can. However, as you watch this moving message, I want you think about the impact which might result if it were mandatory for all members of the following organizations to not only watch the video but also execute the message!

• All Washington Politicians
• All State Politicians
• All Members of Law Enforcement
• All Wall Street Executives
• All Wall Street Employees
• All Medical Personnel
• All Business Executives
• All Business Owners
• All Board Members
• All Athletes in Every Sport
• All Coaches and Staff
• All Religious Leaders
• All Members of the Entertainment Industry
• All Members of the Military
• All Parents
• All Family Members

I hope by continuing this list to the extreme, I’ve made my point! Children no longer have role models to look up to. No one trusts anyone. A handshake or verbal agreement is laughable today. Marriages don’t last. People have lost faith in the greatest country in the world! What’s next?

Trying to solve the above challenges seems insurmountable. And yet, if each of us, individually, could focus on the execution of the message in this video, you would see massive change take place almost immediately! Take a look, see what you think, and begin today!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

I recently saw a late night re-run of a terrific action/crime film starring Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall. This 1993 film, Falling Down, centers on Douglas’s character, William Foster, who is a recently divorced and unemployed former defense engineer.

The film follows him as he goes on a violent rampage across the city of L.A. trying to get home in time for his daughter’s birthday party. Along the way, a series of encounters, both trivial and provocative, cause him to react with violence and make sardonic observations on life, poverty, the economy and commercialism.

One particular scene takes place as the main character finds himself in a fast food restaurant after several extremely stressful events on an unusually hot summer day.

What happens next is classic, and I’m certain viewers will immediately identify with his frustration with the total lack of customer service he receives from the staff and the manager of Whammy Burger. We’ve all been there, we’ve all felt the same, but fortunately we avoided responding the way Foster did.

This short clip will have you sitting on the edge of your seat while realizing this scene could occur most anywhere at any time in today’s chaotic environment. I’ve shared this clip with many seminar audiences while defining the term “Vigilante Consumer.” I can’t think of a better way of explaining this term and demonstrating the possible consequences, although extreme in this case, of poor service.

The title of the film, referring to Foster’s mental collapse, is taken from the title of the nursery rhyme London Bridge is Falling Down, which appears several times during the film.

Watch this clip and see if you don’t relate to his frustration at not being able to order breakfast two minutes after they switched to the lunch menu. You’ll also laughingly identify with his comparison of the skimpy unattractive Whammy burger in his hand to the thick, juicy, scrumptious photo on the menu board.

If customer service is critical to your success, you might consider sharing this clip with your staff followed by a discussion of how Foster might react after a visit to your establishment.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

I’ve been presenting keynotes and seminars on the subject of goal setting for as long as I can remember. It’s not the most popular subject to the masses. It falls into a unique category along with time management, preventative maintenance, and diet and exercise. Everybody knows it’s necessary—nobody wants to hear it! It’s probably because they realize it means planning, discipline and execution! However, seldom are the benefits considered.

Economic stress, a competitive marketplace and a chaotic environment have apparently caused many to understand the necessity and benefits of both individual and organizational goal setting. Of the 50 plus seminars we offer our clients, inquirers and requests for “On Your Mark, Get Set, Goal!” have recently escalated this program into our current top five! There’s obviously good reasons for such an increase.

The importance of setting clear goals is difficult to exaggerate. Goals are commonly emphasized as one of the key factors for achieving success for both individuals and companies. In fact, numerous studies have for years declared that the lack of clearly defined goals is widely considered to be one of the greatest stumbling blocks in achieving success. Glance at any best-selling book on the subject of personal and professional development and you’ll find countless references to the need for this critical skill.

There are several reasons why the average person dreads the thought of goal setting:

• Assumed lack of time
• Lack of understanding as to the importance of goals
• Obvious lack of knowledge as to the “How-To’s”
• Not recognizing the many benefits
• Fear of failure
• Fear of rejection

As a result, extensive national studies all agree: Less than 5% of the population set goals! The vast majority of people have no goals at all! Less than 1% of those who have goals, write them down!

Stop and think of the advantage you have over your competition if you not only set goals, but write them down! Apparently many are beginning to realize just that based on increased activity we’re seeing from our clients. Want and/or need that advantage. Do something about it! Take action now!

Remember what Michelangelo said: “The greatest danger for most of us is NOT that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it!”

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

This commentary is NOT about cars or airplanes so please read it to the end to understand a valuable lesson we can all benefit from!

This morning I came across another of the unending lessons available to us if we simply pause, examine, and contemplate from time to time.

I read an article explaining why Ford Motor Company is benefitting greatly from the fact that they refused government bailout money. Maybe Ford did “Have a Better Idea!” (Remember Ford’s old slogan?)

When G.M. and Chrysler gladly accepted the offer of funds from Washington, Ford instead mortgaged itself heavily, borrowing private capital instead of taxpayer cash. At that time, new CEO Alan Mulally wanted to avoid the government control which accompanied the bail-out funds. It allowed his company to make its own decisions about new products, reorganization, and personnel changes.

As a result, Ford sales soared during the recent cash-for-clunkers month-long program and Ford products appear to be gaining popularity among new car buyers. Ford placed two of its products, the Focus and the Escape, on the list of the top ten cars bought by buyers trading in clunkers. The other eight entries were Asians, led by Toyota and Honda. In August, Ford saw a 21% rise in its retail sales overall, which indicates a diminishing reliance on unprofitable fleet sales. Ford has gained retail market share in 10 of the last 11 months.

The lesson I mentioned earlier evolved from the fact that Southwest Airlines was the only American airlines to refuse government dollars following the aftermath of the 9-11 tragedy. They felt it was wrong to burden the taxpayer under those circumstances.

Long story short … when the Fortune 500 was recently revealed, Southwest Airlines was the ONLY U.S. airline to show a profit. Compare that to Ford’s recent performance and realize that it may very well pay to trust dedication, determination, and true grit to get you through trying times. It certainly seems to have worked for these two risk-taking, future-focused industry giants proving that it can be done.

By the way, have you tried the government-owned, General Motors new cologne? Hello?

Maybe General George Patton was right when he said: “Americans love a winner and hate a loser. Forget about sympathy for the underdog.”

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Take a good look at this gentlemen. Looks like your typical grandpa, doesn’t he? Very few people recognize him by his photo, but millions identify with his name as soon as they hear it. As a young boy, he was known as Sparky after a comic-strip horse named Sparkplug.

This young man struggled every day throughout his school years. In fact, he failed every subject in the 8th grade. In high school he flunked Latin, Algebra, and English, and he flunked Physics with the lowest sore in his school’s history.

He did very poorly in sports, few people talked to him at all, and he was known by students and faculty alike as a loser by every possible measure. Although most who knew him saw no value, he believed he was blessed with a natural talent: his ability to draw. While very proud of his drawings, no one else shared his view. In fact, his high school yearbook rejected a series of cartoons he submitted in his senior year.

His only art training evolved from a correspondence course he completed after graduating from high school. He always dreamed of being a cartoonist at Walt Disney Studios and wrote them a letter in hopes of achieving that goal. Disney requested a sample of his work. He spent days creating a portfolio, forwarded it to Disney and soon received a heart-breaking form letter turning him down.

Little did he know at the time but this dire disappointment became the turning point in his life. He was again reminded that he was a loser. As a result, he decided to draw his autobiography in cartoons focusing on a chronic underachiever. He created a little boy whose kite would never fly and whose destiny and total blind trust in his friends prevented him from ever being able to kick a football. However, the entire world would come to know and love this little guy whose name was Charlie Brown.

Sparky’s real name was Charles Schultz and his “Peanuts” cartoon strip began in 1948 and went on to be one of the most popular cartoon strips in history. When it ended 52 years later in 2000, it was running in 2,600 newspapers in 21 languages with a readership of 355 million in 75 countries. He even earned his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He drew every single strip by hand which earned him, together with merchandise, TV specials, and theater and stage musicals, more than $1 billion.

Remember his loyal beagle Snoopy, Woodstock, Lucy, Linus, Peppermint Patty, Franklin, Sally Brown, Schroeder, Pigpen, Frieda, and the Great Pumpkin? Schultz originally called his strip about Charlie Brown and his Friends “Li’l Folks.” However, he quickly discovered that this title was far too close to the names of two other popular comics of the time: Li’l Abner and a strip titled Little Folks. To avoid confusion and possible legal action, Schultz settled on the name Peanuts, after the peanut gallery featured on the Howdy Doody Show.

Robert J. Thompson, the founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University, has described Peanuts as “the most shining example of the American success story in the comic strip field,” ironically based on the theme of “the great American un-success story,” since the main character, Charlie Brown, is meek, nervous and lacks self-confidence, being unable to fly a kite, win a baseball game, or kick an football. The strip is considered to be one of the most popular and influential in the history of the medium, making it “arguably the longest story ever told by one human being.” In book form, the complete 18,250 cartoon strips would compromise 5,000 pages.

The final daily original Peanuts comic strip was published on January 3, 2000. Original Sunday strips continued for a few weeks, with the last one published, coincidentally, the day after Schultz’s death on February 12th.

Remember Sparky … a total loser in the eyes of the world? Yet, consider the joy he brought into the lives of millions around the world because he refused to give up. Add to that accomplishment his own personal success in so many ways. There may be a little of “Sparky” in you or maybe someone you work with … maybe a friend, neighbor or family member. If so, share the importance and power of never giving up!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

There once was a time when most every organization viewed innovation as a priority—something a business must do in order to grow and prosper. In today’s economy, innovation falls into the same category as training and advertising. It’s viewed as something we put on the back burner until better times return.

However, many successful companies view all three areas as areas that are nice to focus on when things are going well but absolute necessities when times are as tough as they are today. I challenge you to truthfully answer the question posed in the final paragraph of this piece. In fact, that question should be posed to and discussed among every member of your leadership team if you hope to keep pace in an environment that includes increasing numbers of customers, competitors, new technologies, and challenges.

Every year, BusinessWeek publishes its list of the 25 most innovative companies based on an annual survey of top executives by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). This past December, BCG sent its 20-question poll to senior executives around the globe. The 2,700 respondents, who answered anonymously, were asked to name corporations that consistently offer inventive products, customer experiences, business models, or processes. The votes of executives who chose their own employers were disqualified.

BCG then factored in the financial performance of the top vote-getters as follows:

• Survey results 80%
• Stock returns 10%
• Three-year revenue 5%
• Margin growth 5%

As you can plainly see, this list was not the result of a popularity contest. Listed below are the Top 25 Most Innovative Companies. The entire list of the Top 50 companies can be viewed at www.businessweek.com. A visit to this site will provide you with the ranking, examples of how they achieved those rankings, their stock return, revenue growth, and margin growth.

There are six newcomers this year:

• #16, Samsung,
• #18, Volkswagen,
• #19, McDonalds,
• #23, ATT,
• #24, Coca-Cola and
• #25, Vodafone.

They replaced General Motors, Boeing, Goldman Sachs, 3M, Target, and Facebook which all fell from grace.

Below you’ll find the ranking, the organization, and last year’s rating.

1. Apple (2008 – #1)
2. Google (2008 – #2)
3. Toyota Motor (2008 – #3)
4. Microsoft (2008 – #5)
5. Nintendo (2008 – #7)
6. IBM (2008 – #12)
7. Hewlett-Packard (2008 – #15)
8. Research In Motion (2008 – #13)
9. Nokia (2008 – #10)
10. Wal-Mart (2008 – #23)
11. Amazon.com (2008 – #11)
12. Procter & Gamble (2008 – #8)
13. Tata (2008 – #6)
14. Sony (2008 – #9)
15. Reliance Industries (2008 – #19)
16. Samsung Electronics (2008 – #26)
17. General Electric (2008 – #4)
18. Volkswagen (2008 – NR)
19. McDonalds (2008 – #30)
20. BMW (2008 – #14)
21. Walt Disney (2008 – #14)
22. Honda Motor (2008 – #16)
23. AT&T (2008 – #27)
24. Coca-Cola (2008 – NR)
25. Vodafone (2008 – #47)

I’m certain you would expect me to endorse training and innovative efforts as I make a living assisting clients to do just that. However, I challenge you to take a second look at those on the above list. Consider their long-standing success, their stock return, their revenue growth, and their margin growth. Note the fact that these productive organizations believe and engage in the pursuit of innovation as a critical strategy in their journey to success in the midst of our current recession and market meltdown.

Again, browse the above list, answer the following question, and take the proper action while you still have the option to do so.

The question you should soon discuss with your leadership team: Do we delay innovative efforts until the dust settles and better times return OR do we initiate, encourage, and support innovative strategies at every level of the organization to survive, improve efficiency, quality, and flexibility to attain the success we seek?

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

You can’t pick up a newspaper or surf your television channels without being told how tough times are today. We’re also told to expect it to get worse before it gets better. That’s always encouraging.

These tough times have happened before—many times throughout history. You can bet they’ll happen again and again in the future. Those who are wise learn from the past—others are destined to repeat the past until they do learn.

What are some of the basic lessons we’ve learned from past turbulent times? There are many to be sure and we must choose those which best meet our needs and circumstances.

History mentions many:

• Research
• Network
• Create
• Innovate
• Change
• Never give up
• Try, try again
• Take one step at a time
• Keep moving forward
• … and probably most important, Be persistent.

Here’s a perfect example. Theodore Geisel’s first book was turned down by 28 publishers before Vanguard finally accepted it. After that Geisel went on to write 46 other books including two you’re sure to recognize: The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham. We know Theodore Geisel, of course, by his pen name: Dr. Seuss. His world-renowned stories inspired a line of clothing, television specials, movies, many toys, Halloween costumes, furniture, games, puzzles, a web site, etc. What if he hadn’t been persistent during any of those 28 rejections?

Geisel’s not the only author who learned the value of persistence. Each of the following famous novels was originally rejected by publishers. Most went on to be filmed for the big screen.

• The Time Machine (H.G. Wells)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (J.K. Rowling)
• The Good Earth (Pearl Buck)
• Moby-Dick (Herman Melville)
• The Naked and the Dead (Norman Mailer)
• Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
• A Time to Kill (John Grisham)
• The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (John LeCarre)
• Animal Farm (George Orwell)
• Lord of the Flies (William Golding)

Examples abound from all walks of life. The common thread? Persistence.

Thomas Edison said: “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Robert Schuller said: “Tough times never last, but tough people do!”

Be persistent!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

It’s always nice to have support and receive advice when tackling a project or challenge. However, it’s just as important to recognize that not all advice is good advice.

Too many people today are discouraged, deterred, or manipulated by the criticism, predictions, or negativity of others. While advice and input can be worthwhile in many situations, they can be extremely detrimental in others.

• Listen to the input.
• Weigh the pros and cons.
• Determine what will be helpful.
• Seek additional input.
• Focus on the positive.
• Disregard the negative.
• Take action, be flexible, never give up.

Over the decades there has been much advice offered by highly educated and experienced people to those attempting a new and improved approach to a variety of challenges. While education and experience can often be powerful attributes, they don’t always guarantee success. In some cases, it can be just the opposite. Consider “Sacred Cows,” “NIH” (Not Invented Here), “We’ve Always Done It That Way” and other attitudes that so quickly stifle progress.

Here are a few examples:

“I cannot see any nation or combination of nations producing the money necessary to put a satellite in outer space.”
~ Sir Richard Wooley, Astronomer Royal, 1957

“Television won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.”
~ Darryl F. Zanuck, head of 20th Century Fox, 1946

“No woman in my time will ever be prime minister.”
~ Margaret Thatcher (prime minister), 1969

“No flying machine will ever fly from New York to Paris.”
~ Orville Wright, 1908

“That is the biggest fool thing we’ve ever done. The bomb will never go off.”
~ President Harry S. Truman, after being briefed on the Manhattan Project in 1945

“I cannot conceive of anything more ridiculous, more absurd, and more affrontive to all sober judgment than the cry that we are profiting by the acquisition of New Mexico and California. I hold that they are not worth a single dollar!”
~ U.S. Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts, 1845

Successful people throughout history have never been deterred by the negativity of others. To achieve true cutting-edge progress in any endeavor, apply the seven step process noted above.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

We’ve been very fortunate during the past few months to have received some great feedback from teachers, parents, and other youth leaders. In conjunction with that feedback, the month of February this year offers a rare occurrence: within this month’s 28 days, we’ll be celebrating:

• National Youth Leadership Month
• National Parent Leadership Month
• Plant the Seed of Greatness Month and 
• International Boost Self-Esteem Month

If you’re working with young people in a classroom situation, Big Brothers or Big Sisters, a church group, Boys or Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, Junior Achievement, Youth Leadership Councils, S.A.D.D., Brownies or Cub Scouts, YMCA or YWCA, a 4-H Youth Development Program, your own immediate family or any one of the many other youth organizations, we’d like to encourage you to share the wisdom of the ages as a strong leadership influence on the young people in your life.

Plant the Seed of Greatness, Boost the Self-Esteem of the young people in your life, demonstrate your Parental Leadership, and encourage Youth Leadership in your community—whew! That’s quite a tall order, but when you think about it, combing the potential of all four challenges may be a very powerful strategy indeed! This is a rare opportunity for us at a time when our young people aren’t seeing a lot of good examples in today’s chaotic environment. In addition, the media certainly isn’t contributing in any way.

Then why not utilize our illustrious past to share examples of how so many people and organizations, from every walk of life, have overcome negativity, barriers, and serious challenges to not only emerge successful but also make a very positive impact in so many ways?

Over the past several years we have shared dozens of short, motivational anecdotes that can and should be shared with today’s younger generation in hopes of offering inspiration and hope at a time when we certainly need it.

Listed below are the names of people and organizations you might want to discuss with the young people in your life. Each anecdote can be read in less than a minute or two. Simply click on the subject title link of your choice below, and you’ll find the three to eight narratives listed there. Download and reprint as many as you like and get them into the hands of as many young people and adults as you possibly can. Reprint them in your newsletters and bulletins. We need these stories today more than ever before.

We’ve already heard from several teachers, counselors, and parents who have used these anecdotes with great success to the delight of the young people with whom they shared.

Download, print, share, and discuss these many narratives to assist you in your quest of contributing to each of this month’s four opportunities – National Youth Leadership Month, National Parent Leadership Month, Plant the Seed of Greatness Month and International Boost Self-Esteem Month.

When the Going Gets Tough – 1

• Lucille Ball
• The Beatles
• Benjamin Franklin
• Sir Isaac Newton
• Babe Ruth
• Chicken Soup for Soul Series

When the Going Gets Tough – 2

• Beethoven
• Katie Couric
• Home Depot
• Walt Disney
• Helen Keller
• John F. Kennedy
• Grandma Moses

When the Going Gets Tough – 3

• Garth Brooks
• Carly Fiorina (HP)
• The Gap
• Kinko’s
• Dr. Suess
• Sam Walton

When the Going Gets Tough – 4

• Peter Benchley (author)
• Thomas Edison
• Ulysses S. Grant
• Thomas Monaghan (Dominos Pizza)
• Edgar Allen Poe

When the Going Gets Tough – 5

• Ray Kroc (McDonalds)
• Jay Leno
• Joe Louis (boxer)
• Willie Nelson
• Fred Smith (FedEx)

When the Going Gets Tough – 6

• Alexander Graham Bell
• Thomas Edison (2)
• Lee Iacocca
• Marilyn Monroe
• H. Ross Perot
• Elvis Presley
• Xerox
• Wilma Rudolph (athlete)

When the Going Gets Tough – 7

• Johnny Cash
• Sigmund Freud (psychiatrist)
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Supreme Court Justice)
• Sylvester Stallone

Inspirational Individuals Who Overcame Obstacles

• Charles Dickens (English novelist)
• Hank Williams
• J.K. Rowlings (Harry Potter author)

Key to Success? Ya Gotta Get Up!

• Dr. Seuss (2)
• Michael Jordan
• Henry Ford
• Apple Computer
• Coca-Cola
• Walt Disney (2)
• Beethoven (2)
• Xerox (2)
• Trivial Pursuit!
• Helen Keller (2)
• Gone with the Wind
• The Wizard of Oz

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.