How Hungry Are You?

WHY IMMIGRANT SUCCEED AT A HIGHER RATE THAN BORN CITIZENS?

What are the traits immigrants carry in them to succeed at a much higher rate than people born in the country? What makes people from humble beginnings become successful in a new country while the born citizens with the same opportunity have difficulty to rise above their circumstances? A great example of immigrant successes include two Cuban born (Carlos Gutierrez, the ex-CEO of the Kellogg Company, ex-Secretary of Commerce and now Vice-Chairman of Citibank and Roberto Goizueta, the legendary ex-CEO of Coca-Cola). In the next seven days we will explore the traits that propel immigrants forward. The trait for today is hunger.

HUNGER

1) Immigrants have the hunger and ability to withstand the pain to realize their vision. They have a burning desire to succeed; that fire in the belly. They are willing to go against the current until the current turns in their favor.

2) They have an entrepreneurial mindset to be nimble, take calculated risks, solve problems, and work hard. They are always grateful yet dissatisfied with their current reality. They leave no stones unturned. Hunger is the gap between current reality and vision.

3) They go beyond success; they live a life of significance. They earn the respect, admiration, recognition and trust of those they admire. They have the entrepreneurial mind by living with initiative, imagination, ingenuity, and tenacity.

4) They work like their life depends on them and pray like their life is on God’s hands. They know that closed mouth does not get fed; a closed mind does not get free.

5) They live a disciplined life dedicated to serve others especially those in need. They know that they either discipline themselves or the world will discipline them.

6) They expand their efforts, their reach and their level of influence. They know that here is no competition for those with worthy dreams. Their purpose feeds their hunger.

7) They start or run many businesses and leave a legacy for centuries to come. They build a future for their children’s children.

Be blessed and a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

EFFICIENT OR EFFECTIVE?

THE WISDOM OF STEPHEN COVEY

How valuable are you for being the best tree cutter in the wrong forest?

In his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey describes powerful habits of effective people. Stephen passed away recently but his legacy will live on for centuries to come. I read his book 21 years ago and by applying just the first two of his principles I benefited greatly. Knowledge per se is of no value if we don’t apply it. It is the application of knowledge that will give results in life. Take the following 7 habits to heart, apply them and your life will drastically improve. Thank you for all your teachings Stephen. I know you are in heaven now enjoying your rewards for a lifetime dedication to make millions of people better human beings.

1) Be Proactive. The secret to life is found in the seconds between stimulus and response. Respond instead of reacting. Responsibility is the ability to respond. All your power lies within you. Learn, act, take charge of your life. Life this powerful habit and grow your circle of influence.

2) Begin with the end in mind. All things are created twice; first mental, then physical creation. Have written mission, vision, and purpose statements. Your statements served as a center for guidance in life.

3) Put first things first. Focus more on the important few and less on the urgent many priorities in your life. Doing the right things is more important than doing things right. Focus more on results and less on output and activities.

4) Think win/win. Winners focus on win/win or no deal. Have consideration and courage and do little things well consistently. Keep all your commitments especially those you make to yourself. Be the first to apologize, learn the lesson and move on.

5) Seek first to understand then to be understood. Be empathetic, not sympathetic. Diagnose before prescribing. Learn from all your reflections, observations, and failures.

6) Synergize. High trust is earned. Surround yourself with people smarter and different than you. Find and listen to a good mentor.

7) Sharpen the saw. Seek continuous education and wisdom. Define what you want out of life, learn all you can, commit to your dreams, and take the required actions to achieve your dreams. Go from dependent to independent to interdependent.

Be blessed and a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Plant Readers to Harvest Leaders

Reading the right books is truly a PRICELESS habit.

Reading like praying is a habit that greatly enhances our positive and uplifting attitude about the world around us. No matter who you are or what you do if you are not reading two great books a month you are falling behind.

1) All great leaders are voracious readers. Reading 30 minutes allows the common person to read 2,000 books in a lifetime. A voracious reader will read over 10,000 books in a lifetime.

2) Reading exercises our brain and expands our thinking and vision. We become the product of our thinking. Why not learn how to think like the great minds do?

3) Reading awakens ideas dormant inside us. Success rarely comes from new ideas, success comes from implementing old, simple, and proven ideas.

4) Reading allows us to borrow the thinking of great authors. The right information is available to everyone. Do you have the hunger to learn and apply what you learn?

5) Reading allows us to create mental pictures of a better future. In life we don't get what we deserve, we only get what we picture.

6) Reading keeps reminding us of the actions to take. Results do not come from knowledge, results come from the right actions from the right knowledge.

7) Let not a day go by without reading. Knowledge compounds faster than money. Knowledge alone is of no value unless knowledge is applied. Applied knowledge leads to results. THe examining of results leads to wisdom.

Be a planter of readers and you will see the world around you with different eyes

Be blessed and a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

911 REFLECTION TIME

NEVER LET A CRISIS GO TO WASTE

Freedom can be a threat to those that that aren’t free. The terrorists’ purpose with the 911 attacks was to hit America at the core of its being, our freedom. A day I will never forget. We all know where we were and what we were doing on September 11, 2001 when we first heard about the attacks. It was a day the world changed. What is the direction of freedom in the last 11 years? Take a few minutes today to reflect on the following questions. What have we learned as individuals and as a nation from the September 11, 2001 horrific terrorist attacks?

1) Are Americans more united or divided after 11 years? What is the evidence?

2) Am I freer or more dependent than 11 years ago? How so?

3) Am I economically stronger or weaker as an individual? How so?

4) Am I spiritually stronger or weaker as an individual? What is the evidence?

5) Is my resolve to protect freedoms stronger or weaker today than 11 years ago? How so?

6) What am I doing to preserve the freedoms of those less fortunate than I?

7) How do I express gratitude for those that are fighting to keep us free from further attacks?

Let’s unite and never surrender to the threats to freedom. May God bless America

Be blessed and a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

The 7 Leonardo da Vinci Principles

The 7 Leonardo da Vinci Principles

A genius of geniuses!

1452-1519. He was a prolific painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist, and writer. He was the most diversely talented person to ever live. Many of his concepts would become inventions centuries later. How did Leonardo da Vinci become such a genius? What were the principles he followed? Genius is the ability to translate the complex into the simple so the average person can relate and appreciate. Da Vinci had a unquenchable and burning desire for knowledge and respected those he could learn from. He sought out different perspectives. He learned from children and adults alike. He fell in love with learning and nurtured his intellectual and emotional intelligences. He sought feedback to find his blind spots and he dared to know the unknowns about himself. He acknowledged his mistakes and learned from them. He questioned conventional wisdom and authority. He persevered in the face of obstacles and viewed adversity as an opportunity for growth. His knowledge came from his perceptions. He marveled at the beauty of nature and the universe. He created mental images and developed the ability to describe them in details. He pictured things clearly in his mind. He was an open-minded skeptic. Anyone can become a genius by developing his following 7 principles.

Curiosity – insatiable curious approach to life

Knowledge – knowledge testing through experience, perspective and willingness to learn from mistakes

Improvement – continuous refinement of the senses as a means to enliven experience

Willingness – willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty

Balance – development of the balance between art and science, logic and imagination, whole brain thinking, the conscious and the uncouncious

Grace – cultivation of grace, ambidexterity and poise

System – system thinking – appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and phenomena

Be blessed and a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

EAT THAT FROG!

The Wisdom of Brian Tracy

Brian wrote one of my favorite books “Eat that Frog!” Brian delivers a punch with few words. Take his advice to heart, apply what he teachers and you will get big results, really big results in your life. You may even have people around you say things like "You are really lucky" or "I wish I were as lucky as you are". The harder you work on what Brian teaches, the luckier you will get. His message is simple yet powerful. Get rid of all excuses and stop procrastinating. Learn how to tackle the big problems, do what the common person is not willing to do and you will literally start seeing what the many ordinary people call "luck" happening in your life. Thanks Brian for all your teaching. Here are the nuggets:

1) Spend time in the activities that make the biggest difference in your life. Learn and apply. The key to success and significance is action.

2) Find out what successful people do and do the same things until you get the same results. Successful people do the right things right.

3) Get rid of the deep feelings of inferiority and inadequacy.

4) Tackle the biggest, toughest, most important task first thing in the morning.

5) Discipline yourself to get things done and focus on results. Never confuse activity with accomplishment.

6) Your mind is like a muscle. Deliberate practice, yes repetition is the key to mastering any skill. You have virtually unlimited capacity to develop skill, habits, and abilities.

7) Decide exactly what you want, write it down, set a deadline for completion, list all you have to do to achieve your goals, turn the list into a plan, take immediate action on your plans, and resolve to do something every single day to move you towards your goals and dreams.

Be blessed and a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx

Vote Wisely

Vote wisely!

This is the most important election in American history. 

1) The time has come to ask the right questions and get the facts. We either will see a shift from force to freedom or continue in decadence, losing what is left of our freedoms. Do your due diligence. Make sure you vote and vote for a freedom shift. We owe this to our children. Do we want to go down in history as the generation who sold their freedoms? Why are we compromising the future of our children so we can live a lifestyle that is not earned? Only a wise nation can remain free!

2) Asking the right questions is the most important thing any individual can do prior to voting. Are the candidate’s values the American Values? Are the candidate’s values your values? Is the candidate’s ideology your ideology? The data and the answers are available. We lost the ability to ask the right questions. Those with opinions are at the mercy of those with the facts.

3) The current policy of “quantitative easing” will end in a catastrophe. The government is about to do another infusion of fiat money to stimulate the economy. Imagine you printing paper dollars in your basement, keep depositing them in your bank so you can buy back your mortgage? That is precisely what our government has been doing; issuing more currency to buy back its bonds. Never in American history has so many people depended on government assistance for their day to day living. This is not a new but an old form of slavery. The Roman empire kept people fed and entertained until it collapsed. Continuing to do the same thing and expect different results is the definition of insanity. Albert Einstein said it!

4) What would our founding fathers say about our country today? What candidate has a better vision for the future? Is it a freedom vision or is it a bondage vision, a dependence vision for a society where the government runs our lives? Believers have been instructed about the false prophets! A false prophet has eloquence; they talk a great talk with great promises. False prophets and false leaders lead their nations into ruins.

5) No one has ever accomplished anything of lasting value, left a lasting legacy that did not believe in our Creator. Who do we trust in times of crisis and despair? Would you place more faith in Atheists or those believing in God? Our children’s future is at stake here and now!

6) This election is not so much about new ideas. It is about the known ideas that work. It is about dropping the ideas that are moving our nation into bondage. We need a president that embodies the leadership qualities to lead a deeply divided nation, a nation where the individuals take responsibility for their lives and stop chasing government handouts. Look for leadership qualities like character, vision, conflict resolution, handling adversity and a track record of results in turnaround situations. We need a president with a bold vision to implement known and proven ideas to unite the nation not further divide it. We need a president with a vision to restore the American dream, not his personal dream. We need someone bolder in the walk than the talk. Don’t we all wish we had an Abraham Lincoln we could vote for? Vote for the one that comes closest to Abe then.

7) It is time for all of us to take responsibility for our future. Get engaged in these last few months to find the truth. It is only the truth will set as free from the current scenario. This is the time to imagine a future greater than our past by asking questions that are bigger than our answers. This is the time to ask bold questions and say bold prayers so God’s will be done!

Be blessed and a blessing to others

Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx