Is Attitude Really a Choice?

Attitude Is a Choice

Yes, attitude is a choice. Like many others thing we do be it taking a daily shower or brushing out teeth, attitude is a daily choice. Attitude is also a habit. Repeated choices become habits and in this case a good one. A great attitude is a habit that is easy to break since we are tested all the time. 

We all have seen cases in others, even basket cases, of poor attitude. All we have to do is pay close attention when people interact. However, how well do pay attention to our own attitude? 

Attitude makes all the difference as it defines us and it opens the roads to great things, a great life. Is your attitude a winning attitude or a losing one? Our attitudes get tested all the time, don’t they? We may pass the written test. The question is do we pass the oral test in our daily interactions with others.

Here are 7 attitude checks we can perform on ourselves:

1.    Empathize with others. We simply don’t know what others are going through in their lives. Give them grace.

2.    Accept criticism. We can learn from what other don’t like in us. Their directedness can be a source of great information for us.

  

3.    Go the extra mile. Do a little more than others do and do it consistently. Extra effort is a great attitude builder.

4.    Be tolerant. Tolerance allows us to live with others that are different than us. Show love, humility and patience.

  

5.    Be proactive. Don’t react, respond instead. Take the higher ground. No matter the circumstances, no matter what happens to us, we have the choice to respond. Freedom to choose is a powerful attitudinal quality.

6.    Be disciplined. It takes a lot of effort to drop bad habits and pick up new ones. The rewards are worth it. Choose to be a master in self-discipline.

7.    Be humble. Easy to say but hard to practice. When we realize we are not superior to anyone else, humility sprouts inside us.

Have you taken your attitudinal shower today?

The purpose of the 7 Daily Nuggets is to teach us what we need to know to live a prosperous life; the things that we may not have learned or are not currently learning in church, school, home or at work. Let’s apply what we learn here and share these nuggets with others. We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

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)

A Leader’s Legacy

A Leader’s Legacy

The purpose of the 7 Daily Nuggets is to teach us what we need to know to live a prosperous life; the things that we may not have learned or are not currently learning in church, school, home or at work. Let’s apply what we learn here and share these nuggets with others. We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Great leaders leave a legacy for centuries to come. When you think of great leaders who comes to your mind?

Today we look at 7 great leaders of the past to remind us of the positive impact they had in our lives. Two from the world of politics, two from the world of business, two from the world of sports, and one from the spiritual world. These individuals left their marks for mankind. All of them had their share of difficulties, challenges, suffering, and even ridicule. They all persisted to the very end until their missions and visions were realized. Their unwavering faith in themselves, in people, and above all in our Creator produced results that improved the lives of people around the world. Here is the list.

1.    George Washington. The father of our nation. Washington created a model nation, a republic that served the beacon of freedom for the world for over two centuries. He raised a young nation providing the required leadership during her upbringing.

2.    Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln presided our nation during a civil war; a time of division. A man who had been through enormous personal defeats and suffering answered the call to leadership.  His perseverance led to the preservation of the union and the abolishment of slavery. Lincoln went from failure, to failure, to greatness by preparing himself for when his time would come. Winston Churchill also went through his share of failure in preparation to fight evil and prevail.

  

3.    Sam Walton. A simple man, yet a genius in the world retailing. Sam realized that the money was no longer in manufacturing but in distribution. Sam brought low cost goods to the masses. Sam was a man of vision, mastered his craft, kept score on what mattered and led by example. Imagine what we would be paying for stuff if Sam Walton would have quit after losing his first business from a bad deal.

4.    Ray Kroc. The king of franchising, a concept that in the early days, thought by many to be illegal. Imagine a world today without franchising, the multiplication of a proven process. Kroc created many millionaires before becoming one himself. Over half of every dollar spent today flows through some sort of franchise. The value McDonald business is not in selling hamburgers but in multiplying a successful operating system. I confess the fries and the shakes are my favorites.

5.    Vince Lombardi. Lombardi was a man of deep conviction and unwavering faith. He created man that happened to play football. Pursuing excellence via work ethic was his hallmark. His players at the Green Bay Packers would practice the plays to near perfection. Remember the “Packers sweep?" Opponents knew ahead of time what the play was going to be yet they could not stop the Packers for scoring their touchdowns. We learned from him that perfect practice makes perfect.

  

6.    John Wooden. Wooden in a different sport than Lombardi also shaped great man to be basketball players. Wooden focused on mastering the fundamentals of the game. A man of great faith, patience, attention to detail, and perseverance. Imagine diligently working for 17 years before winning a major championship. Wooden set a new standard for coaches and players. Wooden took the time to bring out the best in his players.

7.    Mother Teresa. She dedicated her life to serve the lowliest of the low. She taught her sisters how to serve others so they could die with dignity. She saw Christ in the eyes of the poorest of the poor. She never asked for much and she received everything, the respect of the world. I know that because of her I am a better person.

Who are your heroes?

What legacy is going to be yours?

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)

Got Commitment?

The 7 Commitments of Leadership

The purpose of the 7 Daily Nuggets is to teach us what we need to know to live a prosperous life; the things that we may not have learned or are not currently learning in church, school, home or at work. Let’s apply what we learn here and share these nuggets with others. We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Leaders are committed to improve the lives of those around them everywhere they go. Leadership is hard to fully understand and even harder to demonstrate.

What do great leaders commit to? There are many things leaders can and should commit to. Once a leader commits and takes charge of leading others by living the commitments made, nothing short of miracles occur.

Here are the 7 important commitments of leadership:

1.    Clarity. Without vision, organizations perish. Leaders commit to their vision and living their purpose. Crystal clear goals come out of a clear and compelled vision, communicated with clarity. Genius is to take the complex and put it into simple words so the common person can understand. This made Ronald Reagan a genius.

2.    Learning. Leaders commit to learning to develop their potential. Committed leaders develop breadth and depth of knowledge by learning from inside and outside their organizations. Their commitment sets the pace and expectancy for everyone to learn. No matter what your overriding purpose is, be a creator, innovator, implementer, accountant, etc. you know you must follow the pace set by the leader if you want to survive in a flat and competitive world.

  

3.    Love. For many love is a softy word, but love is the most powerful force in the universe. Leaders are committed to loving their people. The stability created by the leader’s love allows people to focus on doing their work with love.

4.    Energy. The energy of leaders flows from their core, their heart, their love for their people. Leaders channel their energy by focusing on key priorities. Leaders direct the effort towards the right activities. 

  

5.    Audacity. Leaders have the courage to take their organizations to uncharted territory. The leader’s courage and quest for achievement provides a great expectancy for the people to overcome their fears from their actions of bravery.

6.    Results. The leader keeps the eye on the scoreboard. A great scoreboard contains the leading indicators as well as the numbers where the shared rewards are based upon.

  

7.    Momentum. The leader knows how to overcome inertia. Once the flywheel gets going momentum takes over. A leader must guard against campers and those that may even sabotage the precious momentum created by the organization.

How committed are you to improve your life and the life of those around you?

There are miracles in total commitment!!

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 Value of Wisdom

The Value of Wisdom

The purpose of the 7 Daily Nuggets is to teach us what we need to know to live a prosperous life; the things that we may not have learned or are not currently learning in church, school, home or at work. Let’s apply what we learn here and share these nuggets with others. We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Proverbs 3:13-15. Happy the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding! For her profit is better than the profit in silver; and better than gold is her revenue; She is more precious than corals, and none of your choice possessions can compare with her.

How does one go about becoming wise? 

What are the ways to wisdom? 

Here are 7 ways to become wise.

1.    Values. Values are like a compass that guides our lives. The right values provide a rock solid foundation upon which we can build our lives.

2.    Reflection. Our actions produce results. Reflection upon our results in life is a solid way to become wise. Willingness to change is fundamental to become wise.

3.    Experience. The application of knowledge is another way to build wisdom. Knowing is not enough, we must act based on the correct knowledge. Wise is he who taps into the experience of others while building his own.

4.    Counseling. Mentor, teachers, friends, and great books are the source of guidance to improve the quality of our decisions. Mentors provide a perspective that is difficult to see for ourselves.

5.    Study. The study of history is essential to tap into the wisdom of the ages. The bible and other great books, like the classics, biographies of great men and women, are a source of wisdom.

  

6.    Focus. Focus leads to competence in our chosen areas. We are all endowed by our creators with hundreds of potential skills and abilities. It is up to each one of us to decide what areas to focus on to develop competence. Deliberate practice is one of the keys to become wise.

7.    Work. Nothing takes place of hard work to get going. There is no shortcut to wisdom. Smart work is only effective after hard work. Be patient and take the time to become a master at your craft. Having love and intimacy with the work we do is essential to become wise.

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)

R U Prepared for It?

Are you prepared?

The purpose of the 7 Daily Nuggets is to teach us what we need to know to live a prosperous life; the things that we may not have learned or are not currently learning in church, school, home or at work. Let’s apply what we learn here and share these nuggets with others. We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Success comes when opportunity and preparation meet. Opportunity does not knock at our doors every day. When it does are you prepared to recognize it to take action?

Do you get excited just thinking about it? Do you have enough faith the opportunity will come?

Henry Ford said that most people do not recognize opportunity because it is dressed in overalls and it looks like work.

Here are a few questions to get you prepared.

1.    Do you know what you want? Is it written and in pictures? Are you focusing on the why of what you want?

2.    What does success mean to you? Do you have a clear picture of your destination?

  

3.    How are you preparing to recognize opportunity when it comes? Are you willing to jump into it full throttle?

4.    Are you willing to do what it takes to succeed? Are you willing to accept and pay the price?

5.    Will you have staying power? Will you persist to the end? Will you finish the race?

6.    Will you take responsibility and learn from all the mistakes along the journey? How fast will you get up after every fall?

7.    Are you prepared to survive success? What will you do when you get there?

Prepare and your chance will come!

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)

Don’t you wish you knew?

Don’t you wish you knew?

The purpose of the 7 Daily Nuggets is to teach us what we need to know to live a prosperous life; the things that we may not have learned or are not currently learning in church, school, home or at work. Let’s apply what we learn here and share these nuggets with others. We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

There are certain truths we all wish we knew earlier in life. Here are 7 that can make all the difference in our lives. Seek the truth, speak the truth, and soon you will be living the truth. Start applying truth in your life and the truth will set you free.

1.    Respond instead of reacting. One of the great secrets of life is found in the seconds between stimulus and response. We have the opportunity to practice this truth many times every single day.

2.    Investment. The best investment you can make is the one in yourself. Invest in developing the right thinking. Act upon proper thinking.

3.    We are the product of our own thinking. We become what we think. We become what we picture. We become what we pray. Improve the quality of your thinking and drastically improve the quality of your life.

4.    Looking for treasures. The greatest treasure you will ever find is buried deep inside you. Have the courage to go there and unearth it. Use your treasure for a purpose, for something much bigger than your own survival.

5.    Time and money. We all would like to have a lot of free time and unlimited amounts of money. We chase money so we can have free time to spend the money. The best way to have time and money is to invest both instead of spending them.

6.    Discovering abilities in others. Man’s greatest ability is to discover and invest in the abilities of others. The only way to achieve lasting success is by helping others to succeed.

7.    Discovering and living our purpose. Our purpose is found at the intersection of our passion, our potential, and our profit. Take time to discover your purpose and live it. It takes time to master the skills and abilities necessary to fully live a great life. The price paid during the journey is well worth it.

And now you know. Go forth and do it!

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)

Got Culture?

The Value of Organization Culture

The purpose of the 7 Daily Nuggets is to teach us what we need to know to live a prosperous life; the things that we may not have learned or are not currently learning in church, school, home or at work. Let’s apply what we learn here and share these nuggets with others. We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Today’s nuggets are on organization culture. Every organization has a culture. What kind of culture is present in your organization? Is it a healthy culture or an unhealthy culture? The quality of the culture is a reflection of the quality of the leadership in the organization.

1.    The most valuable intangible asset of an organization is its culture.

2.    Great leaders produce the culture and the culture produces the results.

3.    Great leaders are precious, great followers are priceless. If you are too big to follow you are too small to lead.

4.    Great leaders focus on developing a community of followers so great leaders can emerge.

5.    The right organization culture is hard to create and most difficult for the competition to copy.

6.    Great leaders love their people and the people love what they do.

7.    Leadership is about people, management is about numbers; leaders influence the people and the people influence numbers.

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 Value of Freedom

The purpose of the 7 Daily Nuggets is to teach us what we need to know to live a prosperous life; the things that we may not have learned or are not currently learning in church, school, home or at work. Let’s apply what we learn here and share these nuggets with others. We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

What does freedom mean to you?

What freedoms you value the most in your life?

Where there is freedom there is prosperity. It is so easy to take for granted what we grew up with. Freedoms must be protected if we are to pass them to the next generation. It is easy to lose what we don’t even know we have. 

The best way to value our freedoms is to travel to places where certain freedoms are not present. It is our responsibility to pass onto the next generation the freedoms we received from those that came before us. Is that the case in our nations today? Why is government size, controls, legislations, taxation, etc. increasing? 

Have we taken full responsibility for our lives so we can enjoy, protect, and propagate our freedoms?

I don’t know what freedom means to you. Spend some time thinking about what freedoms you value most. As for me, here are words that come to mind when I think of my freedoms.

1.    Read. Write. Speech. Education. Leadership.

2.    Religion. Worship.

3.    Property. Use of property.

4.    Association. Assembly. Family. Friends.

5.    Choice. Work. Investment of time and money. Health.

6.    Travel. Hobbies. Fun.

7.    Pursue dreams. Help others.

What freedoms do you value the most? Remember that with each freedom comes a corresponding responsibility.

Leave your thoughts, comments.

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)