A nation in denial

Why are so many people in debt? 

Everyone seems to be deep in debt; governments and individuals alike. Debt is a form of slavery. In most cases debt works against prosperity and healthy living. The high level of indebtedness is a phenomenon that has been growing since the end of the Second World War. It started with housing, and then went into automobiles, then into student loans and everything else with the widespread use of credit cards. Who do we owe all the trillions to? That answer is for another blog. Time has come to stop living in denial and face our debts. Mortgaging our future to indulge in the present is not the way to live!

1) Financing growth through debt can be a disastrous proposition especially when there is a major shift in the economy; like what is going on right now. The fiscal cliff is real. The largest wealth transfer in history will occur during the next economic downturn. The loss of homes and cars is a real possibility during the upcoming economic contraction. There will be very few places to hide.

2) People get into debt because of ignorance, indulgence, and poor planning or poor thinking. People get into debt by over purchasing housing, cars, and failing to plan for predictable expenses like car/house maintenance.

3) Avoid accumulating long term debt. If you do so make sure you can service and repay your long term debts. Learn to face reality and develop and carry out a plan to pay off all debts. Faithfully pay all your creditors.

4) Never speculate with borrowed money especially during current times.

5) Never let the get-rich-quick mind set in. Understand the principles of wealth creation.

6) Accept responsibility for your life and live within a financial plan. Failing to plan is planning to fail.

7) If you cannot buy on cash, you have not earned it yet, meaning you do not deserve it. If you have to finance your entertainment and recreation, it is not time to play.

Only keep the level of debt you can service no matter your economic conditions or circumstances.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

Success, Significance Anyone?

Why only 5% of the people succeed in life? Simply because they never defined what success looked like to them. Success always follows excellence. Even better than success is significance.

Thank you Zig Ziglar for all your teachings

1) Success comes when opportunity and preparedness meet. The only limit to your success is you.

2) Great opportunity is all around us. The sad part is that most people cannot recognize it.

3) We all control our own future no matter what circumstances come our way.

4) We are the result of our own choices. Decisions compound over time either in the positive or negative direction.

5) Applied knowledge is powerful. Knowing and not doing is not knowing.

6) What we need to succeed already lies within us: our minds, unique talents, abilities, and time. Find your purpose, find what you love to do and develop mastery by doing it over and over.

7) Our rewards in life always catch up to our level of service to others. No one can truly become successful without helping others to succeed.

Our short lives on this earth are sowing times. Live every moment as a seed of eternity!

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy)

Time, Money or Both?

We all chase time, money or both. Most of us sell our time for money. It is a onetime exchange. The more time we sell the more money we can have or the other way around. We end up giving the best years of our lives in this exchange then later in life we realize the more valuable of the two is time.

1) The great majority of us have been trained, conditioned to become employees. The problem with America today is that too many want to be employees and too few want to be business owners. The government is part of the problem, not the solution by bashing businesses and putting employees against business owners. Without healthy businesses there is no healthy economy, period.

2) The principles of wealthy thinking are available to everyone; few apply them.

3) It does not matter how much we make, what matters is how much we keep and what we do with the money. As an employee we work 8 hours and get to keep 5 due to taxation.

4) They only way to have both time and money is to invest both. Short term thinkers have more stressful lives due to the need to exchange time for money. Stop spending and start investing time and money.

5) Learn to value time more than money. Imagine time being gold and money being silver. Time is as good as gold!

6) Investing time is what creates wealth. It takes understanding of 3 powerful wealth creation principles to invest instead of spending time: long term thinking, delay gratification, and the power of compounding.

7) Wise business owners build assets so when they stop working their assets keep producing income for them. While traveling on vacation the money is still coming in.

Remember that money is not the most important thing, time is. Time is what creates wealth. Also, money is not the most valuable thing, oxygen is!

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

Brain Scrubbing

Are we ready for a brain cleansing? 

How about you asking yourself 3 questions:
Do I really know where I am at? 
Do I know how to track my progress? 
Do I know my target, my destination?

1) We have been brainwashed to ignore the fact that we need to learn and grow, to self-educate ourselves.

2) If we think we are just fine the way we are we are dead wrong. We can’t think we are ok.

3) If we think we are ok where we are at we will never change and get better.

4) Playing sage is not a strategy for survival. If we don’t think we need to get better then we better be prepared to face big problems ahead.

5) We want to want to know where we are messed up in order to fix ourselves.

6) If we are in a mess it is difficult to figure out where we want to be. Get help. Talk to a mentor to clarify what the end picture looks like; define the steps required to get there.

7) Never compare yourself with others. They are average. Compare yourself with excellence and move in that direction.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

Wise, ignorant or fool

1) Bankrupt minds say “I don’t have time to read.” Mind bankruptcy has become a plague as evidenced by fear, apathy, hopelessness, and gossip.

2) People are proud of their busy lives. Remember that those that control your thoughts control your money and your vote.

3) Our deepest learnings come from our mistakes. Expect and inspect. A negative expectation is a quick road to a dead end.

4) Progress is just one right idea away and the first step of progress is measurement.

5) We can only defeat the enemies we understand. What are the motives of anger and rage?

6) A man of character finds attractiveness to difficulty. Find delight in risk, opportunity, adventures and dreams.

7) Here is a nugget to take notice “the right thought plus the right people plus the right environment at the right time for the right reason gives the right result.”

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

Think and change, change and think

The teachings required for successful living are no longer being taught and thought in most homes and schools. We must teach ourselves and those around us how to think. We must teach what encompasses a great life by using the thinking process.

1) The mind is a thought factory. What is your manufacturing capacity? What is your manufacturing utilization? Who is running your factory?

2) Thoughts are reasoning power, the ability to imagine. How reliable are the engines of your factory?

3) Dare to read, speak, write and associate with like minded people. Great thinking is the output of great information. Are you in control of the inputs into your thought factory?

4) A mind has its own place since it can make hell out of heaven and heaven out of hell. How often do you think about thinking? Why let those unqualified to run your thought factory do so?

5) The outcome of thinking changes our lives. We are all work in progress, in incubation, the time it takes to change our thinking process.

6) There is extraordinary power in thinking BIG. Great men see that thoughts are what rule the world. What are you thinking?

7) Freedom is having the options to pursue what matters in life. Freedom is having the options to choose what areas to be self-educated via sharing of ideas. What describes your life? What are the outputs from you thought factory?

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

The Finisher

Let's be finishers in a world of starters!

1) The time to be thinking about eternity and the spiritual status of our souls is not when we are old or sick. The right time is today!

2) Our harvest comes when we stay true to our faith and have 100% belief in what’s to come. Prepare and your chance will come.

3) If we put our faith in government to take care of us in times of urgent need we will be gravely disappointed. Is our faith so low that we have to rely on politicians? 

4) We all have been given a mind of our own, a body to work and the power of choice to make personal decisions. Decisions compound.

5) How we look at other people is how they look back at us. Look into their hearts and not at their outer appearances.

6) The depth of our hearts determines the quality of our harvests, success or failure. Be a great people reader and encourager.

7) What is your covenant? Are you faithful or do you keep doubting and questioning your covenant?

Don’t miss the boat. Build your future on high and solid ground. Always remember that there is a rainbow after the storm.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

Follow and lead, lead and follow

Leadership and followership go hand in hand. Great leaders are precious, great followers priceless!

1) Who am I following? Why?

2) Do I know and follow the principles to make me a great follower?

3) What preparation am I taking for the day when my leader call?

4) When my leader makes the call am I ready to follow? When I am called to action do I give my all?

5) What level of commitment am I ready to make to see my leader’s vision become a reality?

6) Does my leader have enough confidence and trust in me?

7) Does my confidence precede my commitment?

There is miracle in personal commitment. Let’s commit to follow the leaders so we can become leaders.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

Today I Count My Blessings

Faith - I am thankful for the God I have and for His son being a role model for my life. I am thankful for Christ’s teachings and for His exemplary leadership model that started with St. Peter and continues today with Pope Benedict XVI. I am thankful for all the sacraments in my church so I can have eternal life. I am thankful for the gift of prayer.

Family - I am thankful for the large family that I have and for the beautiful heritage that came with it. I am thankful for the parents I have. I am thankful for the siblings I have. I am thankful for the children and grandchildren I have. I am thankful for the lady in my life; for the great encourager she is. I am thankful for the time I have to spend with my family.

Finances – I am thankful for the financial resources entrusted to me to provide sustenance for my family and others in need. I am thankful for the growing financial resources becoming available for further benefit of my family and those around me. I am thankful for the ability to prioritize my financial resources to invest in my self-education and the education of others in my community and around the world. I am thankful for the resources and inspiration to write another book.

Freedoms – I am thankful for the ability to live in a free country. I am thankful for the freedom to be a freedom fighter through my writings, speaking engagements, and educational endeavors.

Health – I am thankful for my health. I am thankful for the ability to grow and prepare my food. I am thankful for my massage therapist for fixing my back muscles. I am thankful for the ability to live in the country where I can work with the land and enjoy nature.

Leadership – I am thankful for the great leaders I follow. I am thankful for those that follow me. I am thankful for the business partners that I have. I am thankful for working in the most rewarding field of endeavor, leadership.

Friends – I am thankful for the friends that I have. I am thankful for the friends that were there when I needed them. I am thankful for all the friends helping me to get better by providing honest feedback and encouragement.

Fun – I am thankful for the fun that I am having everywhere I go in all that I do. I am thankful for living a life of no regrets. I am thankful for the leisure and educational travels I have. I am thankful for all the bond fires and conversations with friends.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

Courage

Courage is the second ingredient, besides integrity, that make up our character. We are living at times where the lack of character in our leaders is blatant. It is like a plague passed through our land and eliminated the courage and integrity from our society. The time has come for us to face the truth and develop the necessary courage and display integrity to take back our nation from mediocrity.

1) If someone tells you the truth will you be prepared to hear it? Will you recognize the truth?

2) We know are pursuing our dreams when we feel we don’t have a second to lose. It takes courage to dream big and pursue worthy dreams.

3) Let’s chase our dreams with energy and passion or we will be bystanders watching our dreams go down the drain. How will the next generations dream if we don't teach them how to dream?

4) It takes courage and commitment to chase our dreams since we will encounter plenty of naysayers and dream robbers along the way. Never let others take your dream away.

5) Stupidity begins where courage ends upon quitting the pursuit of our dreams. No dream, no stories, no legacy.

6) The great majority of people are simply too lazy, too concerned about what others think, or too afraid of change to ever stretch and grow. Change is a requirement to harness the enormous potential hidden inside them.

7) Let’s have the courage to never waste a second living in the past, mourning over our mistakes or letting rejection and resistance stop us from reaching greatness.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy)

Chasing Worthy Dreams

What are we all chasing? What are we so busy about?

Here is what happens when we chase worthy dreams:

1) We transform ourselves from ordinary to extraordinary.

2) We wake up every morning feeling excited about what the new day will bring.

3) We become filled with joy that is contagious.

4) We want to shout to the world powerful words and laughter for others to hear.

5) We inspire others to go after their dreams.

6) We enjoy an amazing and fun-filled lifestyle.

7) We make the awkward and uncomfortable seem easy to others.

If we listen to the whispers of our hearts, use our heads, feed our spirits, and nurture our souls we will definitely make a difference to this world.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

The Magic of Silence

One must shut down the loud screaming noise in order to hear the gentle whispers.

1) Are you a long way from the wonderful life you dreamed about?

2) Are you running a race you cannot win?

3) Nothing is as bad as knowing you had the chance to live the life you truly wanted, to do and be what you truly love, and you did not take that chance. It is called the pain of regret.

4) What were you put on this earth to be? What is your life’s true passion? Find it and pursue it!

5) No one is going to reveal to you your purpose and passion in life. You must discover for yourself no matter how long and frustrating it is. Television and media are designed to achieve exactly the opposite, keep you ignorant and dependent. Silence and solitude is your option to speed up the process of discovering who you want to be.

6) Intense introspection is a painful process worth the risk.

7) Your destiny will come in the form of a small voice whispering at your soul.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

Examining our lives

Question your distractions, deadlines and priorities if you want to live a productive life.

1) Wisdom is more about asking the right questions and less about having the right answers.

2) Little things done with great love make up the big achievements of mankind.

3) Life becomes interesting because of our differences and not our similarities.

4) Why are we so obsessed with outer appearances when our inner qualities is what matters most?

5) If we desperately need to replace ourselves why do so many people hold on to what they know?

6) Love is a powerful force that brings enduring meaning to our lives. Love of life is like a fire burning deep inside us.

7) Creativity brings passion to life revealing things that are worth living and dying for.

What is that you truly love? 

Never lose sight of where you are going and who you want to become in the journey.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy)

Serving Leaders are PRICELESS

Serving leaders know and do it!

It is easier to see what we are going through; it is more difficult to see what we are going to.

1) Serving leaders know to focus on building leadership capacity in their organizations.

2) Serving leaders know to be humble, devoted to service of others with unwavering resolve to improve organization performance.

3) People, teams, and communities flourish around serving leaders.

4) Serving leaders know how to create a compelling picture of the future unleashing the strengths, talents, and passions of those they serve.

5) Serving leaders know that the best predictor of business success is the quality of leadership of their organizations.

6) Serving leaders know they have to genuinely love their people, preparing them for a better future by doing great things together.

7) Serving leaders know how to assemble a people development engine and they are in charge to charge up their people. They do it all by setting their egos aside and putting others first.

Are you a serving leader? Why not? Don't you want to leave a legacy?

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

LIFE AS A GAME

If life is a game, wouldn't it make sense to know the rules?

The template for living a great life is available to everyone. How come then so few bother to learn the rules of engagement, the rules of the game, to play fairly and squarely, and win at the end. We all ought to know our final destination, the end zone, and the model player we want to become.

1) We are all given a body to live in. Prevention is the best medicine. Accept and respect your body.

2) Life brings lessons to all of us. Have courage and take responsibility for life. Be open and graceful.

3) The lessons are disguised in our mistakes. The lessons are repeated until the lessons are learned. Be compassionate and forgiving.

4) Learning continues all the way to the end. Continuously learn and grow. Be aware and patient and your time will come.

5) We project ourselves into others. Others are mirrors of us. Tolerate and encourage others.

6) There is no better place than where we are. Wherever we go there we are. All the answers we need have the seeds buried inside of us. Have gratitude and an abundance mentality.

7) What we make of life is up to us. Think, “If it is up to be it is up to me.” Have courage to take responsibility for your life. All the power you need lies dormant inside you.

The above rules are easy to forget. Always be mindful since all the above is forgotten at birth. We all need to be reminded daily; it is like taking a shower! 

Do you know your destination and the model player you want to be?

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

IF YOU KNEW WOULD YOU DO IT?

KNOWING AND NOT DOING IS NOT KNOWING!

THINKING IS THE HARDEST AND MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO; THAT'S WHY SO FEW PEOPLE DO IT. DON'T LET TECHNOLOGY TAKE AWAY YOUR ABILITY TO THINK.

1) Who would you be if you knew you could not fail?

2) Where would you live if you could afford to live anywhere?

3) Where would you travel if you had money to travel anywhere anytime?

4) What car would you drive if you could buy any car?

5) Who would you help if you could help anyone in need?

6) Who would your mentors be if you could mentor with anyone of your choosing?

7) Who would yours friends be if you could choose your friends?

Can you answer all the questions above? A life without dreams is not worth living. Dream and dream big if you want to leave a legacy. God has placed deep inside each of us hundreds of talents and abilities. If God be for you who can be against you? We can accomplish anything with a higher power flowing through us. Faith and finances go hand in hand. You can go from faith to freedom.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

IF WE JUST KNEW THEN

How foolish not to learn from our elders?

The nursing homes of this world are full of wisdom. Let’s not allow all that wisdom to be buried without preserving it. We are going to need it in the years to come.

1) If we choose the hard life early on life gets easier and easier. If we choose the easy life early on life gets harder and harder. Delay gratification.

2) Attitude amplifies effort. Attitude is the difference maker. Attitude is a choice.

3) The spines of the weak stiffen in the presence of the bold. Courage is developed.

4) The longer we are willing to wait to get paid for the work we do the more we get paid for the work we do. Invest in people.

5) Compound interest is the 8^th wonder of the world and it is available for anyone to put it to work for and not against us. Learn to think like wise bankers do.

6) We are only one generation away from losing our freedom. Freedom is not free. Our ancestors shed their blood so we could be free. 

7) When young we spend our health to get our wealth then we spent our wealth to get our wealth back. We are what we eat. Control what passes through your food inlet.

Reflect upon the statements above. It is never too late to start living the life you always wanted. Action cures fear!

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

Can you imagine?

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

Are you letting your imagination guide your life? Why not? A life full of imagination and dreams is a life  worth living. Let your imagination guide your race. 

1) If we never left the scene of a decision without a plan for action.

2) If we leveraged each other strengths instead of focusing on the weaknesses.

3) If we had a 20/20 vision towards our destinations.

4) If we focused 90% of our energy in encouragement others and 10% in correction them.

5) If we had clearly written goals for what we the next 5 years.

6) If we could run our own race towards living the life we always wanted to live.

7) If we live lives full of hope, vision, education, courage and action.

If we can imagine we can have it. Let's put forth the efforts required to live a significant life.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

Just imagine

Can you imagine?



Can you imagine if we focused on getting better, changing ourselves, and influencing our communities? Imagine if we took the blame and apologized for our mistakes. We might just change a nation in deep need to be restored to its greatness again. Why not? We cannot change others. We can only change ourselves and that is enough. Imagine living the following seven nuggets.

1) If we did what we knew

2) If we finished what we started

3) If we used our unused potential

4) If we had the courage to change and repair ourselves

5) If we did not argue with and accepted our limitations

6) If we used our riches for service and not for our pleasures

7) If we had the will to endure the struggles to taste the victories

We can all imagine and live the life we always wanted. Imagination is the key to achievement and significance.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

FEAR

Fear is False Evidence Appearing Real. 

Look at these two pictures. One is pleasant and we enjoy looking at it having many thoughts about it. The second one does not generate the same feeling at the first one. Why? Because most of us do not know what the object on the second picture is. Do you know what it is? Bet you would easily touch the red leaves in the first picture and not the red object on the second picture. Drop a comment about the unusual object in the second picture and your thoughts about fears.

Most things we fear never come to pass. Fear is lack of information. We fear what we don’t know. Fear helps us to determine what we need to do next. Fear is also a built in protection system from real danger. Here are some questions about fear. Take the time to learn about fear. The right information and thinking helps us to act despite our fears. The more we learn about our fears the more we develop courage. Let’s live a life of hope instead of a life of fear!

1) Is this fear about protecting my ego or a true safety hazard?

2) Why does this fear exist?

3) What can I learn from my fears?

4) What are my biggest fears telling me?

5) How can I live a significant life despite my fears?

6) When do I fear the most?

7) Where do I encounter my fears?

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

Persistence

Nothing takes place of persistence!

Keep going forward, press on, continue onward, keep moving! These words are top of mind of champions!

1) Effort counts more than ability; talent is overrated.

2) Our full potential is only realized via persistent effort; diligence is the cousin of persistence.

3) Ten thousands hours of persistent effort produces champions in any field of endeavor.

4) Habit and discipline must be developed and cultivated to achieve mastery.

5) Never give up on your dreams, your miracles, and your promises.

6) Never lose heart, patience or faith; higher powers are with you.

7) Choose to be un-offended and keep your heart pure; your rewards are at hand (after you put in your ten thousand hours of course!).

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

On Success

Do you know what you want?

Is what you want written? 

Knowing comes before doing. Knowing and not doing is not knowing! Take these nuggets to heart and you will never be the same. 

1) Never let your eternal priorities get in the way of your temporal responsibilities.

2) When we don’t pursue our God-given dreams we end up wandering in this wild world for our entire life.

3) Everyone wants to be successful yet very few people actually define what success means to them.

4) If we don’t have a personal definition of success we will get at the end of life realizing we have succeeded at the wrong thing.

5) We often need a change of perspective to realize what we really must chase in life. A new perspective comes when we change the pace and the place we are at.

6) Most of us don’t get what we want because we don’t know what we want. How can we hit a target we don’t have? Stop being insane! Put some sanity into your life!

7) Most of us don’t get what we want because we quit pursuing what we want. We give up too easily and way too soon.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy)

Formula for Success

Success Formula

What are the ingredients for the recipe of success? Just like baking tasty breads, quality and quantity of ingredients is the key to produce the right flavor, texture and appearance profile. It is no different when it comes to the recipe of success. Hard work plus smart work plus time with the right ingredients leads to stunning success. A great book to read is Maximum Achievement by Brian Tracy.

Peace of mind. Peace of mind comes from living according to our values in the fulfillment of our purpose. Do you bring peace or turmoil into others?

Health and energy. Health and energy comes from paying close attention to our body rhythms. The key is to expend our energy to achieve our mission in life. How is your energy being channeled?

Loving relationships. Everything boils down to relationships since we were all made to live in community. Loving relationships is a measure of how well we are doing in life. Our hungry hearts need to be satisfied with proper doses of love. How big is your love bank account?

Financial freedom. Lack of money is the cause of evil in this world. Money worries stops many from living the life they always wanted. How does money enhance your life?

Goals and dreams. We are all here to make meaningful contributions to society. What is your contribution?

Self-knowledge and self-awareness. We can only change ourselves and that is all we need to do to change the world around us. How well do you know who you are?

Personal fulfillment. Have a positive uplifting mental attitude. Refrain from dumping your garbage into someone else's clean space. Do you know how to develop and maintain the right attitude?

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy)

Intentional Living

Making Room for Life

Chaotic lifestyles starve connectivity and choke connected relationships out of life. Don’t let it happen to you. Technology exists for us to leverage it and not let it leverage us!

1) The solution does come from doing the same old thing and expecting different results. In order for things to change something has to change.

2) Learn to live with change and still carve time each day for important relationships.

3) Watch out for the busy loneliness screaming at you. It traps you into believing the busyness equals productive which is not the case.

4) No one really has the time; we have to make time for what is important. The problem is that the urgent screams at us while the important only whispers at us. Learn to tune in the quieter voices by turning down the loud voices of the loud world wanting things from you.

5) Make time for children, elders, and those important around you. Discover or rediscover the art of play and laughter.

6) Meal time is sacred time. Meal time is sharing time. Meal time is short story time. Meal time is memory time.

7) Get the work done at work. Leave the work at work not just physically, mentally as well.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy) 

The Wheel of Life

The Fun-damentals of life!

The wheel of life has many spokes. A smooth sailing life has a balance in the following spokes. A rough ride through life happens when spokes have different length and strength.

1) Faith. Eternity is a long time to be wrong when it comes to caring for our souls. The best course of action is to find the truth and live by it.

2) Family. We don’t get to choose what family we are brought into. We do get to choose what legacy we leave behind.

3) Finances. Time is more valuable than money. The greatest gift of all is the gift of our time to relieve the suffering of others.

4) Following. All great leaders were great followers first. There is no leadership without followership.

5) Freedom. Freedom is the most precious and least appreciated of all the fundamentals in life. Freedom is like inherited money. It is easy to squander the freedoms we did not have to fight for.

6) Friends. Friends lighten the burdens in life. The best way to have great friends is to be a great friend first. Ego is normally what stands in the way of great friendships.

7) Fun. Ancient Greece had a complete different way to define fun than we do today. True friendships prospers in an environment where friends are constantly looking out for ways to improve themselves so they can improve their friends.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy)