Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Problems scream, solutions whisper

Problems scream, solutions whisper
Stop focusing on the problem and start looking for solutions.


The 7 daily nuggets today come at the suggestion of a friend when I mentioned that problems scream at us and solutions speak to us in a soft voice. Enjoy the nuggets Pat.

1.      Problems are found in every station; solutions in specific frequencies.
2.      Hear the loud voice of failure; listen to the soft voice of victory.
3.      Opinions come from everyone; results from the disciplined few.
4.      Everyone can view the sights; few can walk away with a vision.
5.      Opportunities come to everyone; freedom only comes to the brave.
6.      Problems come fashionably dressed; solutions are disguised in overalls.
7.      Fears gang up right to our face; faith is found alone at a distance.

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them 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
Author of the book Priceless
Co-author of the book Follow to Lead - www.follow-to-lead.com
"The future belongs to those who can see and pursue opportunities before they are obvious."
"Leadership is about people, management is about numbers; leaders influence people and the people influence numbers."

"Those that take swift action will always leave those that don't breathing the dust."

Monday, March 30, 2015

The Financial Matrix

The Financial Matrix

What do you know about the Financial Matrix?
What this powerful video then drop a comment.


1.      How is the Financial Matrix impacting you?
2.      Can you be hurt by what you don’t know?
3.      Can you lose what you don’t know you have?
4.      Are you trapped in the Financial Matrix?
5.      Are you really in control of your life?
6.      How much energy is the Financial Matrix extracting from you?
7.      What are you doing to escape the Financial Matrix?

DO YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF THE FINANCIAL MATRIX? Would you like me to help you? I am willing to help you. If I escaped, so can you!

 http://www.lifeleadership.com/61236411/Products/FinancialFitnessPack.aspx

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them 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
Author of the book Priceless
Co-author of the book Follow to Lead - www.follow-to-lead.com
"The future belongs to those who can see and pursue opportunities before they are obvious."
"Leadership is about people, management is about numbers; leaders influence people and the people influence numbers."

"Those that take swift action will always leave those that don't breathing the dust."

Friday, March 27, 2015

How to survive when faced with your greatest fear

How to survive when faced with your greatest fear

How do you go about surviving when faced with big problems, great uncertainty, and the greatest fear you have ever face?


Here are 7 things you can do to survive and thrive under such predicament:
1.      Understand fear. Fear is built into each of us as a defense mechanism. The only way to kill fear is to take action. The longer we wait to take action the bigger our imaginary fears. We all encounter big problems laden with ability to unload fear in us. We have to fight fear to live a great life. There is no other way. Never listen to your fears, listen to your faith.

2.      Learn to reframe. Most of what we fear never becomes reality. See the hidden opportunity. Never let fears to add up to a point you become paralyzed.  Nothing worthy is ever easy. Have the guts to accept reality and move on taking full responsibility for your life.

3.      Have faith. We don’t lack ability, we lack faith. It is in our faith we find the courage to face our greatest fears. We seldom have all that we need to realize the greatest opportunities in life. We must learn as we go, slaying a fear at a time, by taking action as each step of the way is revealed to us.

4.      Learn to live with uncertainty. Face each day with the expectancy that problems are certain to come and be ready to meet resistance. Opposition, enemies, failures, and frustrations are all part of the game of life. Face them squarely in the face, be a fast learner and doer, and your success is waiting for you on the other side of all these obstacles.

5.      Played safe will get you killed. What was safe in the past is the risky today. Standing still or moving slowly will get you killed. Playing safe serves on one. Explore, discover, innovate, dream, and be the one others wish to be. Become that brave soul living for excellence. Never blame your circumstances, in them you will find the blessings needed to achieve greatness.

6.      Don’t worry about looking foolish. Remember others will not know what you are chasing. Your obstacles are invisible to them. Imagine a dog chasing an invisible rabbit. Only you know what you are chasing. The crazy impossible things will keep you going long after others have given up.
7.      Unleash the power within you. All you need to succeed is already inside you. Tap into the power dormant inside you. Momentum will carry you through whatever challenges lay ahead of you. Fear living a life of regrets, a life that surrendered to your fears. What have you been called to chase? Think, if it is up to be it is up to me. Have real dreams, face and endure uncertainty and struggle, and go claim your victory! You are worthy!

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them 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

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Why you do what you do?

Why you do what you do?


Do you know who you are? 
Do you know what you stand for? 
Do you know why you believe in what you believe? 
All great men and women have asked themselves these and many other important questions and answered them? A typical question to start small talk is what do you do? As a matter of fact, this questions is so common that Americans are known and defined by what they do, their professions. Today we take a look at 7 important areas of our lives, asking ourselves the right questions, to get to the core of whom we truly are. Answer the following 7 questions and you will have a much better understanding of who you are and why you were created to be you.
1.   The Hunger. What are you hungry for?
2.   The Heart. What are the desires of your heart?
3.   The Will. Do you have the will to begin, to persist, and to finish your mission in life?

4.   The Love. What compels you to act out of love?
5.   The Passion. What are you deeply passionate about?
6.     The Reward. What rewards would fulfill your mission in life?
7.   The Influence. What level of influence would you like to achieve?

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them 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

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Are You Using the Laws of Success?

Are You Using the Laws of Success?
These 7 laws of success have been used by many successful people for centuries. Are you using them? Why not?
1.      Purpose. Are you set to succeed at something that matters?
2.    Vision. Does your vision ignite the hunger in you to go where you need to go?
3.    Commitment. How committed are you to achieving your dreams and goals?
4.    Initiative. Are you willing to lead in areas you never led before?
5.    Discipline. Are you willing to persist until you develop the right habits?
6.    Collaboration. Do you have the humility to collaborate and learn from others?
7.      Adaptability. Are you willing to manage the frustrations you will encounter on your way to success?

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them 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

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

The Return of the Entrepreneur

The Return of the Entrepreneur

What can we, the entrepreneurs, learn from the parable of the Prodigal Son: Luke 15:11-32?


1.      Grace is more powerful than love. Grace is about loving the unlovable. Grace is about forgiving those that deserve the least to be forgiven.
2.      We play different roles throughout our lives. As we live out our lives we go through all the three roles; the younger son, the older son, and the father. It is easier to judge others when we are not walking in their shoes.
3.      We find ourselves in our struggles. Failure is not final. It is through pain that we find ourselves. It is in our suffering we find our greatness and the ability to relate to those who suffer.
4.      Fleeting pleasures lead to the fall. Pride and arrogance come before the fall. It is after we humble ourselves asking for forgiveness that we grow into the next phase of life.
5.      Growing up and taking responsibility. At some point in our lives we must take full responsibility for our lives and start serving others. The lesson to the older son was about starting to think like the father.
6.      Greed leads to resentment. We only value what we truly earn. We can easily take for granted what is freely given to us. Comparing ourselves to others can easily lead to jealousy and envy.
7.      Trade rivalry for brotherhood. We must protect against anything that comes in between ourselves and our brotherly love. We often have to lose what we have to value what we once had.

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them 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

Monday, March 23, 2015

Entrepreneurship - Daily Dose 30

The Age of the Entrepreneur – 30

Entrepreneurs are freedom fighters. Entrepreneurs are the protectors of freedom. Entrepreneurs are leaders and leaders are entrepreneurs. The nuggets today come from reading the book Freedom Matters by Oliver DeMille. The future of freedom depends on leadership, your leadership. There are 7 types of leaders necessary for freedom to flourish. Which type of leader are you? All 7 types of leaders are equally important. We are all called to lead at one point in our lives. Are you ready to lead when your time comes?
1.      Family Leaders. Without great family leaders freedom never lasts. When family leaders dominate a society we end up with an aristocracy or the mafia. Where have all the fathers gone when only one third of boys have a father figure in their lives? Which direction is the American society moving?
2.      Religious/Ethical Leaders. Without great religious leaders freedom never lasts. When religious leaders dominate we end up inquisition, inability to practice the religion of choice, corruption, immorality, and violence. Which direction is the American society moving?
3.      Business Leaders. Without great business leaders freedom never lasts. When business leaders dominate people become trapped, enslaved in a financial matrix, unable to escape. Which direction is the American society moving?
4.      Education Leaders. Without great education leaders freedom never lasts. When education leaders dominate we end up with training and indoctrination instead of true education. Which direction is the American society moving?
5.      Media/Artistic Leaders. Without great media leaders freedom never lasts. When media leaders dominate we end up spreading mediocrity instead of wisdom; a Hollywood. Which direction is the American society moving?
6.      Community Leaders. Without great community leaders freedom never lasts. When community leaders dominate we end up with a nasty societal system with prison camps, torture, secret police, etc. Which direction is the American society moving?

7.      Government Leaders. Without great government leaders freedom never lasts. When government leaders dominate a society we end up with a dictatorship or tyranny. Which direction is the American society moving?
What is your role in the above? As for me, I am a freedom fighter. My purpose is simple, to find and equip leaders to influence the 7 sectors above. It is easy to lose what we don’t know we have, such is freedom. Freedom is priceless; freedom is not free. It is well worth to pay the price for freedom because freedom matters!

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them 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

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Entrepreneurship - Daily Dose 29

The Age of the Entrepreneur – 29

1.      Entrepreneurs operate in and out. They get the motivation from the inside and their inspiration from the outside.
2.      Entrepreneurs obey their conscience. Their conscience is the compass that guides them through their journey.

3.      Entrepreneurs break barriers. They break barriers set by themselves and the world around them.
4.      Entrepreneurs are overcomers. They overcome the resistance by opposing forces.

5.      Entrepreneurs avoid Gandhi’s 7 deadly sins. Wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, religion without sacrifice, and politics without principle.

6.      Entrepreneurs make win/win deals. They think win/win or no deal.

7.      Entrepreneurs use the right power tools. Tools like persuasion, patience, consistency, and compassion.

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them 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


Saturday, March 21, 2015

Entrepreneurship - Daily Dose 28

The Age of the Entrepreneur – 28
1.    Entrepreneurs have their calendars under control. They have full control of what activities get on their calendars instead of someone else controlling their time.
2.    Entrepreneurs have their values under control. Their values guide their decisions and actions instead of someone else’s values.
3.    Entrepreneurs have their behaviors under control. They develop strong self-discipline instead of someone else’s disciplining them.
4.    Entrepreneurs have their priorities under control. They live by their priorities instead of the obligations coming from someone else’s priorities.
5.    Entrepreneurs have their self-esteem under control. Their inner peace comes from their strong faith in themselves instead of coming from the world outside them.
6.    Entrepreneurs have their have their generosity under control. They are willing to give long enough until the world returns their multiplied generosity.
7.    Entrepreneurs have their needs under control. Their needs are met from the service they provide to others.

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them 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

Friday, March 20, 2015

Entrepreneurship - Daily Dose 27

The Age of the Entrepreneur – 27


1.      Entrepreneurs let their lives speak. They listen to their voices of vocation and stay true to their voices. Their greatness is born is the cracks of time when their brain is firing in all cylinders.

2.      Entrepreneurs leave a legacy. The ripple effect of their influence can change the course of history. Their legacy is the by-product of lives lived on purpose.

3.      Entrepreneurs lead from within. Their leadership flows from their inner selves like springs flowing into rivers picking up momentum to carry their influence to the ocean of eternity. They are energized by their hunger to close the gap from where they are to where their vision takes them.

4.      Entrepreneurs discover their identities. They go through a transformative journey full of difficulty, failures, and suffering. We are more likely to find our vocations on our way down then on our way up. Endure the valleys of life for it is there that we are more likely to discover our true selves.
5.      Entrepreneurs are led and lead by truth. They continuously apply doses of truth throughout their journey. The compound effect of little doses of truth applied over time gives entrepreneurs enormous influence.

6.      Entrepreneurs are survivors. They survive many stages of doubt, fear, and even depression as they go on adding value to the lives of others. Entrepreneurs find themselves after surviving the perils of life.
7.      Entrepreneurs practice truthful discernment. They can escape a poisonous corporate culture where truth is a threat to the status quo. Entrepreneurs are willing to sacrifice the good to achieve the great.

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them 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