I was in Ed Foreman’s office the other day and during the course of the conversation he turned to me and said “What’s the best good thing that’s been going on with you?”

I’m sorry to say that I had to stop and think about the answer. Knowing Ed, I should not have been surprised by the question. You see, Ed teaches this in the Successful Life Course and in many of the CDs.

Most people ask “How are you?” or “How are things going?”

There are two types of answers to this question. The most common answer is “Fine, how are you?”, which really conveys no information at all. The other type of answer usually involves some long explanation of how bad things are going.

When you are asked “What’s the best good thing that’s been going on?” you first have to think of the GOOD things that are happening. Sadly, that’s not what we spend most of our time thinking about. Thinking about the good things in your life makes you feel better, and talking about good things makes for a positive conversation that lifts everybody’s spirits.

Ed even suggests that a weekly staff meeting begin with a “Good Things Report” where each attendee takes a minute or two to talk about the positive things, either personally or professionally, happening in that person’s life. This makes for a much more positive and productive meeting.

Aside from making you feel better at the time, this question makes you want to look for the good things as you go through your day to day life. I know that I’ll be talking with Ed again, and you can bet I will have good things to talk about.

Now I ask you the question…
What’s the best GOOD thing that’s been going on with you?

Success is defined in the dictionary as “the achievement of something attempted”. No matter what your personal definition, success can be most easily understood as reaching a goal. Even though we all set goals for ourselves many of us do not reach them. What stops us and what can we do to change this?

Two men have made it their life-long goal to help others reach theirs: Ed Foreman and Zig Ziglar. Both of these men had modest beginnings: Ed was raised a farmer’s son while Zig was raised by his widowed mother as one of 12 children. Both men grew up to be millionaires long before the age of the dot com. The values they learned during those years: enthusiasm, positive thinking, discipline, integrity, and love of people, have made them the men that they are today and the reason others seek to emulate them. Let us examine these values and take a look at what they can do for us.

Enthusiasm

One executive who heard Ed Foreman speak said, “Listening to Ed is like trying to drink from a fire hose…he delivers so much useful, meaningful information with such enthusiasm!“. Clearly, Ed Foreman loves what he does and does what he loves. It is this passion for his mission that carries over into his message and inspires others to take up their own mission with enthusiasm.

Zig Ziglar has been electrifying his audiences since 1970 as a motivational speaker, alongside such notables as Presidents Reagan and Bush, but it is often Zig that the audiences are there to see.

Their message is clear: if you wish to be successful you must be enthusiastic about what you do and that will carry you through your days. Enthusiasm is catching and can help you see what is in front of you in a whole new light.

Positive Thinking

Although Norman Vincent Peale is the name most people think of when it comes to positive thinking, Ed Foreman is right there beside him in terms of using thoughts to get desired outcomes. Long before the success of nationwide bestsellers like The Secret, Ed’s message was that “thoughts lead to actions which become habits that create the character that you become“. By thinking about what we want to happen instead of what we don’t want, we can create our reality.

Zig Ziglar elaborates on this further when he says “Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.”

Learning to face challenges head on with the belief that the outcome will be beneficial, either as a winning moment or as a learning experience, can make all the difference in the world. Trials become opportunities, fear is replaced by excitement.

Discipline

Probably the biggest obstacle to attaining goals is having the discipline to take action and complete our tasks. “It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action and discipline that enabled us to follow through,” says Zig Ziglar.

From Ed Foreman’s perspective, discipline is the catalyst for change that brings about the state of being. “Winners do the things that losers don’t like to do.”

Remembering what you want and then acting as if it were already a reality is what gives us real change. The application of what we know to be the correct way of thinking and acting is what helps us reach our goals more efficiently.

Integrity

Everyone has a strict moral code that they live and work by and it is in adhering to that code that their character is revealed.

Realizing that “every choice you make has an end result” has helped Zig Ziglar make choices that are directly in line with his personal values. An evangelical Christian, Ziglar incorporates his beliefs into his motivational speeches.

Ed Foreman holds strongly to the power of forgiveness and encourages his listeners to “get over it and get on with your life“.

Keeping firmly to your values as you go through your life will help you see clearly what is most important and help you move past what isn’t, allowing you to advance further along your chosen path.

Love of People

Both Ed Foreman and Zig Ziglar have a deep, genuine love of people. This is evident in the manner in which they conduct themselves in their professional lives as well as in their message.

After becoming a millionaire and a success in the business world, Foreman served as a United States Congressman in two different states before embarking on his current career as a motivational speaker. His energy for helping others achieve what they want in life has made him well respected in his career.

Zig Ziglar also has found his greatest success in helping others. He has said “You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want“.

Both of these men understand the law of reciprocity – that to receive you must first give, whether it is a service, product, or of yourself.

While success may seem elusive at first, keeping focused on our goals and maintaining our values is what will drive us to accomplish what we set out to do. The examples from the lives of people such as Ed Foreman and Zig Ziglar help us see all our dreams are possible.

by Anthony D. Carter

YOU determine what your goals are. Your goals guide your life. It is important that you write those goals down. Here are 5 reasons for writing your goals down:

MIV-Makes It Vivid - Your goals take on a life of their own when you write them down. The written word is more powerful than the thoughts which come and go throughout the day. When you write the goal down it become concrete and real to you. Before you write your goal down it is only an aspiration. It is a wish.

PCR-Provides Constant Reminders - Out of sight, out of mind is the saying that can apply to your goals when you do not write them down. With so many obligations pulling at us in a typical day it is difficult to keep our mind centered on our goals if we don’t see them often enough. In order to hit our goals we must be able to see them and think about them throughout the day so they don’t get lost in among our other responsibilities. Regularly reading your written goals gives you constant reminders during the day. As you keep those goals in front of you impress them upon your mind.

EP-Establish Priorities - Written goals help you prioritize your activities. You especially need this in the beginning. Before the habits have been developed you need to remind yourself of what you are trying to accomplish. Otherwise you will find yourself operating business as usual. I always use written goals to help me establish the order of my priorities for any given day when I first set my goals. Because I have them written down and I am looking at them constantly, the task associated with my goals rise to the top of my list of things to do.

KYF-Keeps Your Focus - When you write your goals down and read them regularly you begin to center your attention on their completion. As your focus on them becomes stronger your goals are kept at the forefront of your thoughts. Every time you read your goals you are giving your subconscious a clearer image of the target.

MIAH-Makes It A Have To Have - When you write your goals down you begin to put importance on them. Your goal moves from being something nice to have to being something that you must have. When your goal is written down and you can read it and think about throughout the day it begins to matter more to you. It becomes something that you think about constantly.

And now I would like to invite you to claim your free access to my special report “Setting And Hitting Your Goals” by going to http://www.setandhitgoals.com

From Anthony D. Carter – a leading expert on goal setting.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_D_Carter

by Ed Foreman

Which side do you choose?

Life comes to you each day and
you get to choose what kind of a day you’re going to have.

MENU

HOW TO MAKE A “TERRIFIC” DAY

MENU

HOW TO MAKE A “TERRIBLE” DAY

Given these choices, which side of the menu will you choose today?

Download The Daily Menu

Defender Direct, Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a privately held company that sells and installs ADT security systems and Dish Network Satellite TV to homeowners across the U.S. Its President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dave Lindsey started the business out of his home in 1998, making the transition to entrepreneur from security sales. He used $30,000 of his and his wife’s personal savings to fund the start-up, which he called Defender Security Company.

Since its humble beginnings in the Lindseys’ spare bedroom, Defender has become one of the largest security and satellite dealers in the Midwest, experiencing an average annual growth rate of 60 percent over ten years. In 2008, Defender generated $78.1 million in revenues, and earned the rank of 387 on the Inc. 500 list of “America’s Fastest-Growing Companies. With 1,500 employees, the company had a national footprint of 120 offices in 40 states.

Dave Lindsey explains, “Defender has grown faster than its peers not because we are better at selling and installing security systems, but because our people have grown. Our sales have doubled because the capacity and talents of our leaders have doubled. A few years ago we stopped trying to double our business and realized the way to grow was to double our team members’ enthusiasm, optimism and skills. Send people to seminars, leadership conferences and self-help programs. Build a culture on purpose, not by accident.”

Defender is now sending a total of 30 people (15 employees plus a spouse, significant other, parent, or other guest of their choice) to participate in each session of the SUCCESSFUL LIFE Course. Dave attributes Defender’s success to its culture, which he has built around each employee’s “personal growth.” As he says, “Another word is TERRIFIC. We talk about being terrific every day, and we choose to be that way. We coined a saying,

“Businesses don’t grow—people do.”

I don’t want this to become a cliché around Defender because it’s been our secret sauce. All of us had to grow. We’ve accomplished this reinvention through good books, good tapes and networking with good people motivated and inspired through the SUCCESSFUL LIFE Course. Our ability to forgive each other is one of our greatest strengths and it’s the glue that allows us to stay at this breakneck speed.”

The SUCCESSFUL LIFE Course can be the secret ingredient to inspiring your team to be and do all that they are capable of accomplishing. Other clients, including BWI Inc.; Ferguson Integrated Services; Quality Care; Rinderle Door Company, Caterpillar, Milliken Textiles, et al, have also contracted to send their people to each session of this life-enriching experience. Join us soon for a session to see for yourself why business leaders from throughout the world are so enthusiastic about the results they, and their teams, have achieved as a result of applying these successful daily living principles to their business and personal lives!

If you CAN’T do anything about it,

Why Worry?

If you CAN do something about it,

Why Worry?

You probably remember Roger from our article Life Is Terrific Around the World.

It’s been 25 years since Roger took the Successful Life Course. He still remembers and practices goal setting and the other principles taught.

And it has helped him to be successful. He achieved his goal of going around the world in 1985.

Now, 24 years later, Roger went back to India.

Here he is in front of the Taj Mahal, in the same place as before, with a Life Is TERRIFIC! bumpersticker!

Way to go Roger! Thank you for sharing with us!

What-a-ya’ got to be thankful about?

We’ve been bombarded lately by the news media, the pundits, economists, bankers, and politicians that “We’re in a RECESSION,” aka “the sky is falling, the sky is falling!” If you dwell upon the situation, study it and wallow in it, you’ll begin to feel apprehensive, doubtful and scared!

Things are really not that bad for us. We’re enjoying smooth sailing. It’s been a good year…maybe not a great year, but a very goood year! We’ve served a lot of wonderful, appreciative customers who have paid their bills. We received lots of orders for our products from new folks we’ve never dealt with before. We’ve addressed business meetings across the U.S.A. and around the world. Our 3-day classes here in Texas have been well attended. We’ve met new people, traveled to exotic locations and had fun! Did we achieve all our goals? No. Did we experience any disappointments? Of course. Could we have improved our revenue? Yes. Are we happy anyway? You better bet we are!

We’re thankful and happy for the support of our many wonderful clients and friends. You have given us confidence by placing your trust in us! We are enjoying the blessings of good health, family, freedom, travel, “toys”…and the knowledge that we live in a part of the world that most people would love to experience. They find it hard to believe that we have it so GOOOD…and wonder why some folks complain and feel so bad!

Here’s a good suggestion…take at least an hour…a reflective hour…and make a list of everything good that happened in your life in the last 12 months…from the little things to the big ones! It’ll require a little time for you to “shift gears” from what’s wrong to what’s right. Maybe you got a promotion, more responsibility and the opportunity to grow…a new job…a new client, or a new addition to your family, or remodeled the house, the old car kept running good, or you traded for another car, home, job or bike. Your kid got well or made good grades…someone special respects and loves you…you improved your diet, exercise and energy level…you watched a sunrise, walked in the moonlight…lived without fear…set and achieved some new goals. You get the idea. Rack your brain…put it into “positive gear,” count all your blessings and see how very much you have to be thankful for! Add to your list daily!

Think about what you think about…thankfulness and blessings, or complaints and despair? You decide, it’s your choice…complainers will always have plenty to complain about…happy people look for things to be happy about and they enjoy happy, healthy, productive lives!

We expect 2009 and 2010 to get better…the markets will recover…our new President will do better than some folks expected…the sky won’t fall…the sun will continue to shine. Get HAPPY ‘n Stay TERRIFIC!

Ed Foreman
Earlene Vining
Linda Barrett
Phillip Hettich

It’s always good to hear success stories from our graduates.

I recently got an email from Roger Knipp. Roger took the 3 day Successful Life Course with Ed Foreman and Earlene Vining in 1984.

He said “As a result of the course, I set a goal of going around the world, which I did in 1985. I took a picture of myself in front of the Taj Mahal in 1985, holding up a Life Is Terrific bumpersticker. Had that picture in my living room for two decades and still cherish it. And Ed put it in his newsletter in late 1985.”

Talk about the power of goal setting!

Now Roger is going back to India and is going to take one of those bumperstickers. He says “I will be seeing the Taj Mahal again and I want to strike the same pose holding the same bumpersticker.”

We’re rooting for you, Roger! Please send us the new picture when you get it!

Do you have a success story to tell? Sharing success encourages all of us to better things and helps counteract all of the negative news we are bombarded with daily. If you have a success story, please let us know by clicking the “comment” button below or send an email to support@edforeman.com.