We’ve added still another category to our growing list of “Words of Wisdom” subjects, bringing our current total to 33 categories.

The month of May is National Smile Month. The majority of the focus is dedicated to improving the public’s oral health and emphasis is placed on products and procedures which are designed to enhance your teeth, lips, etc.

I’d like to focus a little bit more about the importance of and consequences resulting from something as simple as a smile. It’s one of the most powerful tools we have in the effort to make a difference in the world today!

A recent study was conducted as to what makes us smile most often. See if you agree.

What makes us smile?

• Finding money in an old pair of jeans (69%)
• Hearing a baby giggle (51%)
• Seeing an old friend (50%)
• Looking back at old photographs (47%)
• Sitting in the sun (46%)
• Hearing a song that reminds you of your past (45%)
• Winning money in the lottery (44%)
• Finding a bargain in the sales (44%)
• Waking up on a Saturday and realizing it is the weekend (41%)
• Fitting into a pair of jeans that used to be too small (41%)
• Seeing old people holding hands (39%)
• Booking a holiday (39%)
• Bumping into someone you haven’t seen for ages (37%)
• Finding out someone likes you (36%)
• Landing at the holiday airport (33%)
• Someone offering an elderly person their seat on a bus or train (31%)
• Watching other people fall over (30%)
• Bank holidays (29%)
• The smell of a Sunday roast (29%)
• Swimming in the sea (28%)

Feel free to check out our in-depth offering of quotes on many additional 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 attitude, change, chaos, creativity, customer service, dreams, employee engagement, employees, empowerment, enthusiasm, execution, fear, gender, goals, leadership, mentoring, motivation, networking, passion, patience, persistence, politics, potential, random acts of kindness, reading, repetition, sales, sense of urgency, teachers, teamwork, time management, women, and now smiling!

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

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.

Time:

• Some waste it.
• Most need more.
• Many try to save it.
• No one has enough.

This “time challenge” is nothing new. It’s been around since time immemorial.

It will be with us until the end of time. It’s how we make the most of our time that differentiates the successful from those who continue to suffer the consequences of stress.

Would you like to see how fast and effortless you can actually change your life? You might be surprised! Read on to discover this powerful strategy … unless you don’t have time!

Think about this:

How many minutes are in one year? In a non-leap year, there are 525,600 minutes in one year. In a leap year, there are 527,040 minutes.

Of those Five Hundred and Twenty-Five Thousand, Six Hundred minutes you were blessed with last year, how many were devoted to:

• Learning?
• In church?
• Meditating?
• Exercising?
• Researching?
• Bench marking?
• Deep breathing?
• Reading a book?
• Exploring nature?
• Volunteering in your community?
• Casually chatting with your parents?
• Casually chatting with your siblings?
• Casually chatting with your children?
• Casually chatting with your neighbors?
• Casually chatting with your co-workers?
• Casually chatting with your grandchildren?
• Sharing your experience and expertise as a tutor?
• Sharing your experience and expertise as a mentor?
• Casually chatting with your spouse or significant other?

If you had invested some of those precious moments in any of the above activities, you’d be better off today in so many ways. By the way, what were you doing that didn’t permit you to invest even a few of those moments in one of the activities listed above?

Let’s do a couple of quick re-frames. Be honest as you answer the following.

Re-frame #1

Let’s say you dropped dead right now. You get to wherever you’re going, take a deep, well-deserved breath, grab a comfortable chair, and look back closely over the past year of your life. Are you satisfied with how you invested your time during your last year on earth? If you could, would you change your time allotments? Would you and those in your life prefer that you had spent more of those final moments investing in the areas mentioned above? It’s not too late!

Re-frame #2

Let’s say it’s time for your annual physical check-up. You’re close to your doctor so he doesn’t hesitate being very frank with you. After some tests, he sits down with you and explains that you have one year to live. Absolutely certain. You’ll be able to conduct your daily routine as usual. No pain. No limitations. At the end of one year, your death will be painless, but certain.

After you get over the initial shock, you start to focus on the coming year and how you’re going to spend it. More time at work? Bringing more work home? Maybe considering some of those things mentioned above? Five minutes ago you probably thought something along the lines of: “Nice list. Very touching. That would be nice. However, the reality is I’m too busy for that stuff. I have a life to live!”

How do you feel knowing that life now consists of just 525,600 minutes? How do you want to spend them now? See how quickly you can re-frame your thinking … change your mind and actions, and enhance the lives of others as well as your own? That’s a tremendous skill which YOU possess. Why wait until you hear from the doctor? Do it now! Avoid regret! Are you SPENDING your time or INVESTING your time. Think about it!

I hope reading this message didn’t waste any of your time!

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 added still another category to our growing list of “Words of Wisdom” subjects, bringing our current total to 32 categories.

As I mentioned in Monday’s article, yesterday was Teacher Appreciation Day and we’re also currently in the midst of Teacher Appreciation Week. It’s a shame that we don’t celebrate the contributions of these “special angels” every day of the year as they certainly deserve the adulation and support.

As you read the various “Words of Wisdom” focusing on teachers, think about sharing them with your family, friends, and associates and encourage them all to “Thank a Teacher” as often as possible! You’ll appreciate it as much as the teachers do!

Feel free to check out our in-depth offering of quotes on many additional 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 attitude, change, chaos, creativity, customer service, dreams, employee engagement, employees, empowerment, enthusiasm, execution, fear, gender, goals, leadership, mentoring, motivation, networking, passion, patience, persistence, politics, potential, random acts of kindness, reading, repetition, sales, sense of urgency, teamwork, time management, women, and now teachers!

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

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.

Let me share a few figures with you that should shock you if you’ll pause to think about them for just a moment!

1. There are 4,146 colleges and universities in the U.S. alone.
2. There are approximately 15.9 million students enrolled in the nation’s colleges and universities this year.
3. Average tuition, room and board (for in-state students) at the nation’s four-year public colleges and universities for an entire academic year is $9,953. Remember, however, this is the average cost which means 50% are paying more than this figure.

If you’d like, you can grab a calculator and stun yourself as to the number of dollars being invested in higher education today, but that’s not really necessary. I think everyone knows the kind of money we’re talking about.

Isn’t it somewhat ironic that parents all across this great country are willing to mortgage their homes, cash in stocks and bonds, and save or make loan payments for what seems forever … and to what end?

Obviously, it’s to obtain a great education for their children to ready them for a career that will hopefully provide security and content.

And yet the majority of those parents who are ready to make these major sacrifices won’t sit down with their children and spend some time sharing their own experiences and life lessons and sharing simple values which could easily change the lives of their offspring.

There are so many simple values that can have an incredible impact on your children if imparted properly by loving and caring parents. Look at life in the U.S. today and consider how many leaders in business, politics, education, military, etc. say one thing and yet do another or, worse yet, nothing at all. At the moment, it’s crippling our country and stifling our progress! You read it in the papers every night or see it on television 24/7.

I wonder how many of those headline-grabbing leaders were ever told the importance of simply Walking the Talk? What a difference that might have had on today’s society and culture! Did YOU ever receive that message? Are you going to readily invest a little time and love to make certain your children understand the importance of this simple but powerful message. It can change the world! And this is just one of many very simple values we should be sharing.

If you’re uncertain as how to impart such a message, take a look at this short video on “Walking the Talk.” It’ll give you some expert talking points. In fact, better yet, share the video itself with your children followed by a interactive discussion on the subject. 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.

Over the past month, I’ve provided two dozen questions that hopefully cause you to think in a refreshing exercise of truth and revelation.

The response has been very positive so here’s another dozen questions I hope you enjoy answering. I think you’ll discover some personal insight you might find not only revealing but, in some cases, even surprising.

1. If you had to develop a brand-new course to be taught in colleges, what would it be?
2. If you could erect a lighthouse that would guide all human beings toward one particular virtue, which virtue would it be?
3. When you were a child, what job did you most want to have when you grew up?
4. Which of the seven dwarfs personifies you best—Dopey, Sneezy, Sleepy, Bashful, Grumpy, Happy, or Doc?
5. If you could bring back any tradition that seems to have faded into the past, what tradition would you bring back?
6. In hindsight, what particular class in school, at any level, above all others do you wish you had paid more attention to or taken more seriously and why?
7. What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned in life thus far?
8. What fear do you most want to be rid of forever?
9. You are offered an envelope that you know contains $50. You are then told that you may either keep it or exchange it for another envelope that may contain $500 or may be empty. Do you keep the first envelope or do you take your chances with the second?
10. Where do you turn for tough decisions?
11. If you could eliminate one month on the calendar, going directly from the month preceding it to the month following it, which month would it be?
12. If you could wake up tomorrow morning fluent in any language, which language would you choose?

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 added still another category to our growing list of “Words of Wisdom” subjects, bringing our current total to 31 categories.

I can’t think of a more suitable time in our lifetime to focus on the importance of “patience” than right now. The entire country is being asked to be patient at a time when it appears almost impossible to do for so many.

While patience appears critical at the moment, it’s always been a crucial trait for those striving to achieve success. However, in today’s world of continuous technology enhancements, the word patience is almost becoming extinct. Everyone wants everything right now … and in many cases, can get it. And yet, each day continues to be twenty-four hours, the week continues to be seven days, and the year continues to be 52 weeks.

Therefore we can continue to schedule our daily activities in such a way as to avoid the chaos which seems to mount with each passing day. Respect the value of patience and practice it regularly. The results will be phenomenal!

Feel free to check out our in-depth offering of quotes on many additional 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 attitude, change, chaos, creativity, customer service, dreams, employee engagement, employees, empowerment, enthusiasm, execution, fear, gender, goals, leadership, mentoring, motivation, networking, passion, persistence, politics, potential, random acts of kindness, reading, repetition, sales, sense of urgency, teamwork, time management, women, and now patience!

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

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.

For centuries it’s been said that “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” … and that’s absolutely accurate 50% of the time! Yes, March is unpredictable at best. It’s always been kind of the “mean month in-between months” time of the year as many grow anxious in their desire for warmer weather.

Those animals hibernating during the winter months are emerging in search of a welcome from the season’s first robin. The First Day of Spring arrives and Daylight Savings Time offers us the privilege of running all over the house to reset our clocks.

Basketball fans prepare for the tension and excitement of coast-to-coast March Madness as baseball fans keep an eye on Spring Training as they await opening day festivities on April 5th. This is the month of the Iditarod Race for those who simply can’t let go of winter.

The “Apprentice” and “Dancing with the Stars” return to heat up the competition for the annual TV Sweeps which have this year moved from February tto March. Add to that excitement the glitz and glitter of the Annual Academy Awards.

You can’t forget the “Ides of March” and the traditional journey to Easter festivities as families honor Palm Sunday and Passover.

The month of March also offers a wide variety of monthly, weekly, and daily celebrations for families, workplace promotions, and customer involvement. Take a moment to sit down with family and/or workplace associates to formulate a game plan to take advantage of the many March offerings.

Monthly Celebrations and Observances

• Academy Awards Month
• Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month
• American Red Cross Month
• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Month
• Deaf History Month
• Employee Spirit Month
• Ethics Awareness Month
• Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science & Engineering Month
• Honor Society Awareness Month
• Hoops Madness Month
• Humorists Are Artists Month
• International Expect Success Month
• International Idea Month
• International Listening Awareness Month
• International Mirth Month
• Music in Our Schools Month
• National Caffeine Awareness Month
• National Cheerleading Safety Month
• National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month
• National Clean Up Your IRS Act Month
• National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
• National Craft Month
• National Eye Donor Month
• National Frozen Food Month
• National Kite Month
• National Multiple Sclerosis Education & Awareness Month
• National Kidney Month
• National Noodle Month
• National Noodle Month
• National Nutrition Month
• National On-Hold Month
• National Peanut Month
• National Sauce Month
• National Poetry Month
• National Social Workers Month
• National Umbrella Month
• National Women’s History Month
• Orlando Family Spring Break
• Optimism Month
• Play the Recorder Month
• Poison Prevention Awareness Month
• Red Cross Month
• Save Your Vision Month
• Sing with Your Child Month
• Small Press Month
• Spiritual Wellness Month
• Spring Month
• Supply Management Month
• Women’s History Month
• Workplace Eye Health and Safety Month
• Youth Art Month

Weekly Celebrations and Observances

• National Cheerleading Week: 1 – 7
• National Ghostwriters Week: 1 – 7
• National Write a Letter of Appreciation Week: 1 – 7
• Newspaper in Education Week: 1 – 5
• National Procrastination Week: 1 – 7
• Return the Borrowed Books Week: 1 – 7
• Universal Human Beings Week: 1 – 7
• YoYo and Skill Toys Week: 1 – 7
• Iditarod Race: 6 – 21
• Bubble Gum Week: 7 – 13
• Celebrate Your Name Week: 7 – 13
• Crochet Week: 7 – 13
• National Consumer Protection Week: 7 – 13
• National Words Matter Week: 7 – 13
• Save Your Vision Week: 7 – 13
• Telecommuter Appreciation Week: 7 – 13
• National Professional Pet Sitters Week: 7 – 13
• Read an E-Book Week: 7 – 13
• Teen Tech Week: 7 – 13
• Make a Referral Week: 8 – 12
• National Sleep Awareness Week: 8 – 12
• Universal Women’s Week: 8 – 14
• Campfire USA Birthday Week: 14 – 20
• National Poison Prevention Week: 14 – 20
• National Toad Hollow Week: 14 – 21
• National Agriculture Week: 14 – 20
• National Animal Poison Prevention Week: 14 – 20
• Act Happy Week: 15 – 21
• Wildlife Week: 15 – 19
• International Brain Awareness Week: 15 – 21
• Wellderly Week: 15 – 21
• American Chocolate Week: 15 – 21
• National Inhalant and Poisons Awareness Week: 16 – 22
• Clean Your Closet Week: 17 – 24
• National Bubble Blowers Week: 19 – 27
• Consider Christianity Week: 21 – 27
• Passion Week: 21 – 27
• World Folk Tales & Fables Week: 22 – 28
• National Cleaning Week: 28 – 4/3
• Holy Week: 28 – 4/3
• National Protocol Officer’s Week: 29 – 4/4
• Root Canal Awareness Week: 28 – 4/3

Daily Celebrations and Observances

• 1 – Share a Smile Day
• 1 – Peanut Butter Lover’s Day
• 1 – St. David’s Day
• 1 – Peace Corp Birthday
• 1 – National Pig Day
• 1 – Plan a Solo Vacation Day
• 1 – Refired, Not Retired Day
• 1 – Beer Day
• 2 – Old Stuff Day
• 2 – Namesake Day
• 2 – NEA’s Read Across America Day
• 3 – Peach Blossom Day
• 3 – I Want You to Be Happy Day
• 3 – National Anthem Day
• 3 – Peace Corps Day
• 4 – Benjamin Harrison Day
• 4 – Courageous Follower Day
• 4 – Holy Experiment Day
• 4 – International Scrapbooking Industry Day
• 4 – March Forth – Do Something Day
• 4 – Hug a G.I. Day
• 4 – National Grammar Day
• 4 – Toy Soldier Day
• 5 – Saint Piran’s Day
• 5 – Nametag Day
• 5 – World Day of Prayer
• 5 – Employee Appreciation Day
• 5 – National Salesperson Day
• 5 – Multiple Personality Day
• 6 – U.S. Snowshoe Day
• 6 – Iditarod Race Begins
• 6 – Dentist’s Day
• 6 – National Frozen Food Day
• 7 – Academy Awards
• 7 – Daughters’ and Sons’ Day
• 7 – National Be Heard Day
• 7 – National Crown Roast of Pork Day
• 8 – Day for Women’s Rights
• 8 – Fun Facts About Names Day
• 8 – International Working Women’s Day
• 9 – Get Over It Day
• 9 – Organize Your Home Office Day
• 9 – Panic Day
• 9 – Unique Names Day
• 10 – Learn What Your Name Means Day
• 10 – International Day of Awesomeness
• 10 – Mario Day
• 10 – Money Day
• 10 – Registered Dietician Day
• 10 – Salvation Army Day
• 11 – Dream 2010 Day
• 11 – Johnny Appleseed Day
• 11 – Worship of Tools Day
• 11 – World Kidney Day
• 11 – Girl Scout Day
• 12 – Plant a Flower Day
• 12 – Stop Smoking Day
• 12 – Middle Name Pride Day
• 13 – Donald Duck Day
• 13 – Ear Muff Day
• 13 – International Fanny Pack Day
• 13 – Genealogy Day
• 13 – Jewel Day
• 13 – Good Samaritan Involvement Day
• 13 – K-9 Veterans Day
• 14 – Check Your Batteries Day
• 14 – Daylight Savings Time Begins
• 14 – Learn About Butterflies Day
• 14 – International Ask a Question Day
• 14 – National Potato Chip Day
• 14 – National Pi Day
• 15 – Brutus Day
• 15 – Buzzards Day
• 15 – Ides of March
• 15 – Napping Day
• 15 – True Confessions Day
• 15 – Dumbstruck Day
• 15 – World Consumer Rights Day
• 15 – Everything You Think Is Wrong Day
• 16 – Freedom of Information Day
• 16 – Lips Appreciation Day
• 16 – Everything You Do Is Right Day
• 16 – St. Urho’s Day
• 16 – Wellderly Day
• 17 – Campfire Girls Day
• 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
• 17 – Submarine Day (the boat)
• 18 – Incredible Kid Day
• 18 – Awkward Moments Day
• 18 – Companies That Care Day
• 18 – Supreme Sacrifice Day
• 18 – Forgive Mom and Day
• 18 – National Biodiesel Day
• 19 – National Chocolate Caramel Day
• 19 – Poultry Day
• 19 – Operation Iraqi Freedom Day
• 19 – Swallows Return to San Juan Capistrano Day
• 20 – Great Amercian Meat Out Day
• 20 – Kiss Your Fiancé Day
• 20 – International Earth Day
• 20 – National Ag Day
• 20 – National Quilting Day
• 20 – Snowman Burning Day
• 20 – lst Day of Spring
• 20 – Won’t You Be My Neighbor Day?
• 20 – Corn Dog Day
• 20 – Maple Syrup Day
• 21 – Memory Day
• 21 – Children’s Poetry Day
• 21 – National Common Courtesy Day
• 21 – Single Parents Day
• 21 – Fragrance Day
• 21 – World Down Syndrome Day
• 21 – As Young As You Feel Day
• 22 – International Day of the Seal
• 22 – International Goof-Off Day
• 22 – World Water Day
• 22 – National Sing Out Day
• 23 – National Puppy Day
• 23 – Near Miss Day
• 23 – National Chip & Dip Day
• 23 – World Meteorological Day
• 23 – American Diabetes Association Alert Day
• 24 – Kick Butts Day
• 24 – National Chocolate Covered Raisins Day
• 24 – World Tuberculosis Day
• 25 – Letting Go of Stuff Day
• 25 – Waffle Day
• 25 – Pecan Day
• 26 – Legal Assistants Day
• 26 – Make up Your Own Holiday
• 27 – Celebrate Exchange Day
• 27 – Education and Sharing Day
• 27 – Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day
• 28 – Palm Sunday
• 28 – Weed Appreciation Day
• 28 – Something on a Stick Day
• 29 – Knights of Columbus Founders Day
• 29 – National Mom and Pop Business Owner’s Day
• 29 – Passover
• 30 – National Doctors Day
• 30 – Pencil Day
• 30 – I Am in Control Day
• 30 – Take a Walk in the Park Day
• 31 – Bunsen Burner Day
• 31 – Tater Day
• 31 – National Clam on the Half Shell Day

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.

A few weeks ago I wrote ”To Ask or Not to Ask … That Is the Question!” which offered a dozen questions you might want to consider asking yourself in a refreshing exercise of truth and revelation.

I received some interesting e-mails and even phone calls providing very positive feedback as a result of this challenge. So much so, in fact, that I’m expanding the list of provocative questions.

As in the initial exercise, find a comfortable seat and make certain you have a legal pad and pen at your disposal. Take a look at the following questions and choose a few which you feel might address a current challenge in your life. While doing this alone, you should have no fear or reluctance in answering each question truthfully. Failure to do so would certainly defeat the purpose of this exercise.

Read your question of choice, think about it for a few moments and then jot down all thoughts which may come into your mind. Don’t evaluate your responses at this point, just record them. Upon completion, you may want to add additional notes or revise some content upon further thought.

If you are perfectly honest in your answers, I can assure you that you’ll discover some personal insight you might find not only find revealing but, in some cases, even surprising. Your data may lead you to additional research, conversation with a trusted source, or even more professional couseling should you feel it necessary.

Here are some additional questions you might want to consider:

1. How much time are you actively spending to increase your knowledge?
2. What is it you’ve been putting off and KNOW you should do right now … before it’s too late?”
3. What is one thing that I can do for someone else who has no opportunity to repay me?
4. Have you seriously considered where you want to be and what you want to be doing five years from today?
5. Would you be willing to allow someone to videotape your personal life and then use that tape as a training resource for others?
6. What are the most important characteristics you would like to be remembered for?
7. Must your children, grandchildren, and/or spouse fight to get your attention?
8. If I neglect taking action on my most critical challenge, will it get better or worse?
9. Have you clearly defined your personal and/or professional goals? (Don’t discount this one … it can produce life-altering results!)
10. Who could you write to or phone this weekend to give a “boost of encouragement” to?
11. What time-wasting activities can you eliminate or drastically reduce?
12. When was the last time you complimented your family or staff members?

By the way, you may not like the answers … but you need to hear them!

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 Associated Press reports that Americans spend about $34 billion annually to visit therapists support when they are going through difficult times … family troubles, relationship issues, school and/or work challenges, etc.

While there are a wide variety of treatment strategies, many therapists use the power of questions to identify and sometimes arrive at a method of treatment.

This approach can also be utilized to a certain degree in our everyday lives as well. While I would never recommend this strategy in leui of professional treatment, it can certainly assist us in areas of personal growth and self-realization.

Find a comfortable seat and make certain you have a legal pad and pen at your disposal. Take a look at the following questions and choose a few which you feel might address a current challenge in your life. While doing this alone, you should have no fear or reluctance in answering each question truthfully. Failure to do so would certainly defeat the purpose of this exercise.

Read your question of choice, think about it for a few moments and then jot down all thoughts which may come into your mind. Don’t evaluate your responses at this point, just record them. Upon completion, you may want to add additional notes or revise some content upon further thought.

If you are perfectly honest in your answers, I can assure you that you’ll discover some personal insight you might find not only revealing but, in some cases, even surprising. Your data may lead you to additional research, conversation with a trusted source, or even more professional couseling should you feel it necessary.

Here are just a few of the important questions you might consider:

1. What one decision would I make if I knew it would not fail?
2. What one thing should I eliminate from my life because it holds me back from reaching my full potential.
3. Am I on the path of something absolutely marvelous, or something absolutely mediocre?
4. Am I running from something, or to something?
5. What can I do to make better use of my time?
6. Who do I need to forgive?
7. Of the people I respect most, what is it about them that earns my respect?
8. What would a truly creative person do in my situation?
9. What outside influences are causing me to be better or worse?
10. In what areas do I need improvement in terms of personal development?
11. What gifts, talents, or strengths do I have?
12. What is one thing that I can do for someone else who has no opportunity to repay me?

By the way, you may not like the answers … but you need to hear them!

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.