Self-Esteem Boosters

Self-Esteem Boosters

1.      Express gratitude often. Learn to see the greatness in you, in those around you, and in the world we live in. Take time to be grateful for what you have.

2.      Be compassionate towards others. No matter how tough our lives are there is always someone that has worse than we do. Give a hand up to others. Empathize instead of sympathize.

3.      Have an accurate self-assessment. Self-deception is the hallmark of losers.  Self-deception and low self-esteem are closely related.

4.      Use reframing. Be careful what stories you are telling yourself; they tend to stay with you. What matters is what we do with what happens to us not what actually happens to us. There is always a blessing in disguise in every challenge.

5.      Be a learner for life. Self-discovery is a big self-esteem booster. Be always alert to learn every day in every way. Self-education is the key to boost self-esteem. Apply the lessons to get results. The day we stop learning we start dying.

6.      Stop judging. God alone is qualified to judge the heart of man. We never know what is in the heart of man.

7.      Shut down the inner critic. Our biggest critic lives inside us. Learn to quiet down the negative voice and turn up the positive voice. Stop listening to yourself and start talking to yourself.

Will you join my cause to fight mediocrity in the world? Pass these nuggets on to 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

Living Life

The Game of Life

We can win the game of life as long as we understand the game and play by the rules. Here are 7 nuggets on the most important game we play. 

1.      The defense. Take full responsibility for your life. We only get one chance to fully live. Learn how to respond to all that happens to you. Fight evil with good. We cannot win the game by only playing defense.

2.      The offense. Take action. Get going. Figure out what compels you to get in motion. We are either moved by our dreams or our dreads. Take offense without being offensive.

3.      The rules. The lessons are repeated until lessons are learned. Learn and apply, apply and learn. Always have an accurate assessment of yourself. Only compare yourself with you. If we are not getting better we are going backwards.

4.      Proper thinking. We become what we think. Learn to think like the great minds do. Learn to use the mind, especially the subconscious mind.

5.      Relationships. Go beyond communication; learn how to connect with others to build lasting relationships fueled by trust. Our value is determined by the number of relationships multiplied by itself (V=N*N).

6.      The scorecard. We can only improve what we can measure. Focus on the few important things and ignore the many irrelevant things. Focus on improving what is in your sphere of influence and control.

7.      Legacy. A great life is lived by design. You can design your life independent of your circumstances. What will you be remembered by? Are you living life or is life leaving you?

Will you join my cause to fight mediocrity in the world? Pass these nuggets on to 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

Wish I Knew

Wish I knew

I wish I knew then what I know now. Formal schooling has an end; education is for life.

1.      Finding the purpose. I wish I knew my purpose. Why don’t we teach the youth to find their purpose earlier in life? Detect your purpose and live a fruitful life.

2.      Taking more responsibility. I wish I took more responsibility. Why don’t we teach the youth to take more responsibility earlier in life?

3.      Having a mentor. I wish I knew the value of a true mentor. Why don’t we teach the youth the value of a true mentor? A mentor can see in us what we cannot see for ourselves.

4.      Growing up quickly. I wish I nurtured more the kid inside. Why don’t we teach the youth to nurture the kid inside them? Is the person you are today proud of the kid you were then?

5.      Being bolder. I wish I became an entrepreneur sooner. Why don’t we teach the youth about entrepreneurship? Security is no longer in a job; security is in building ourselves and our own businesses.

6.      Say no more often. I wish I said no more often. Why don’t we teach the youth to say no to the good to pursue the great? It is better to stay home than to hang out with the wrong crowd.

7.      Having time and money. I wish I knew the value of investing time and money. Why don’t we teach the youth that the only way to have time and money is to stop spending and start investing them. Invest in self above all else.

Will you join my cause to fight mediocrity in the world? Pass these nuggets on to 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 special moment

That special moment

“There comes a special moment in everyone’s life, a moment for which that person was born. That special opportunity, when he seizes it, will fulfill his mission – a mission for which he is uniquely qualified. In that moment, he finds his greatness. It is his finest hour” - Winston Churchill.

A spiritually, financially, and politically free nation is made up of free people.

1.      The leading indicator for results in any nation is measured by her people’s competence and capacity. What are you doing to increase your competence and productive capacity?

2.      A country’s organizations must concentrate their resources for results instead of non-productive ventures. Are we enabling or disabling others by our own example?

3.      A nation’s future is measured by the quality of her leadership. Are the people you are serving changing their behavior and their hopes for a better future? From a freedom standpoint, are we better off today than in 2008?

4.      We can never help others by giving what they can conquer for themselves. What are you laboring to conquer?

5.      Never set personal goals for others who are capable of setting realistic goals for themselves. Aren’t we all in control of the results we get in life?

6.      Without a profit there is no business in the long run for any business. How profitable has your business been?

7.      Without measurable results, changed lives and conditions, there is no reason for any organization to exist. Does your organization meet these criteria?

Will you join my cause to fight mediocrity in the world? Pass these nuggets on to 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

Healing our wounds

The wounded healer

1.      We are all wounded people. How are we healing our wounds?

2.      Our wounds are physical, mental, spiritual or emotional. Which wounds are in need of healing the most?

3.      Wounded people have the ability to relate with others. How are we putting our woundedness in the service of others?

4.      We all can be wounded healers when we become a source of healing. How are we tending to our own wounds?

5.      Our humiliation can bring joy to others. How are we bringing joy to those around us?

6.      Our rejection can bring a community of joy. Are we using rejection for the production of sacred things?

7.      Time heals if we actively work with our suffering for the source of forgiveness.  Are we tapping into the power of forgiveness?

Will you join my cause to fight mediocrity in the world? Pass these nuggets on to 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

The Power of Why

Why is it?

Here are a few questions to think about. So few people think because of the convenience of not thinking. We become the products of our own thinking. No thinking, not much of a life. Our thinking determines where we end up in life. When we improve the quality of our thinking we improve our lives.

1.      Service and sacrifice. Why most people want to be entertained and comforted instead of sacrificing and serving for the betterment of our communities?

2.      Responsibility. Isn’t time to have a statue of responsibility to go along with the statue of liberty?

3.      Friendships. Why we talk about friends so much in social media yet the average person has less true friends now than a decade ago?

4.      Leadership. Why there is so much talk about leadership yet leaders are so rare in America?

5.      Christianity. Why there is so much talk about Christianity yet so few true Christians in the world?

6.      Finances. Why there is so much information about personal finance yet America and most Americans are financially broke?

7.      Education. Why do we spend the most in the world on health and education yet we are lagging behind the developed world in health and education?

Will you join my cause to fight mediocrity in the world? Pass these nuggets on to 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

The unpaved road

The road to success

1.      Do what has never been done before. Why not attempt to do the good that has never been done before?

2.      We can only be the best we can be by learning from others. Are we learning from others at least as much as we are learning from ourselves?

3.      The road to success is paved with new mistakes. Why make old mistakes if there are so many new ones to be made?

4.      Saints strive for perfection; the rest of us can strive for excellence. What are you striving for?

5.      We only get what we can picture. Do you have a clear picture of the standard of excellence you are striving for?

6.      The only true music comes from the sounds of nature. What music are we listening to?

7.      Never follow what others wish for you, follow the desires of your heart. What are the desires deeply seated in your heart?

Will you join my cause to fight mediocrity in the world? Pass these nuggets on to 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

Can you obey?

The Law of the Farm

1.      The Law of the Farm says that if we follow a sequence of proven principles we get a predictable performance. 

     Did you know that a proven system produces a predictable performance?

2.      The Law of the Farm applies to everything we do in business and in life. 

     Have you thought about applying this powerful law in your life?

3.      The principles governing the law of the farm are perspective, planning, preparation, planting, prevention, protection and performance. 

     Can you imagine following these principles in everything we are involved with?

4.      The Law of the Farm brings to life the biblical law that says we reap what we sow. 

     Did you know that in one way or another we are all sowers?

5.      The Law of the Farm is a natural Godly law. 

     Did you know that natural laws supersede all man made laws?

6.      Farming is the most noble of all professions. 

     Have you thought about thinking like successful farmers do?

7.      My parents used the Law of the Farm not to raise animals or grow crops; they used the law to raise boys and girls. 

     Are you applying the law of the farm?

Will you join my cause to fight mediocrity in the world? Pass these nuggets on to 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

Yes YOU can

Limiting Beliefs

Find your limiting beliefs and shatter them.

1.      Don’t ever feed for one second the thought you cannot make a positive lasting impact in your world. 

What makes you think you cannot make a difference?

2.      Channel your energies from constant struggles to constant giving. 

What makes you think you cannot be a giver?

3.      There is nothing this world needs more than people uniting to fight evil. 

What makes you think you cannot be a warrior?

4.      Our actions ought to inspire others to become more. 

What makes you think you cannot serve others?

5.      Nothing takes place of deliberate practice towards self-mastery. 

What makes you think you cannot master your craft?

6.      Courage is to do the things other don’t think you are capable of doing. 

What makes you think you cannot do what you think you can’t?

7.      All champions in history learned from their mistakes and kept on trying again and again.

What makes you think you cannot be a champion?

Will you join my cause to fight mediocrity in the world? Pass these nuggets on to 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

On Freedom

The Value of Freedom

1.      It is easy to lose the freedoms we don’t appreciate or don’t even know we have. Which freedoms are you willing to fight for?

2.      Those that are free and don’t fight for those that are not will lose their freedoms. What role are you playing in preserving our spiritual, economic, and political freedoms?

3.      Don’t think about price of freedom and success; think about the cost of apathy, mediocrity, dependence and bondage. Which direction are you heading?

4.      Don’t fight for your rights, fight for the freedom to take responsibility; there is less competition there. Are you forsaking the rights to solve your own problems?

5.      The wise always go beyond conventional wisdom, they swim against the current. Do you have the courage to go against conventional wisdom?

6.      Invest all you can in your character; your freedoms will trail. Are you investing time and money or spending time and money?

7.      All the rewards we need are found in the journey of living a free and significant life. Are you free to live the life you always wanted to live?

Will you join my cause to fight mediocrity in the world? Pass these nuggets on to 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