The Greatness of America

Geri Stevens had a passion for jury duty. She was the head of jury selections in the judiciary department for the city of San Diego. Every Monday she would address a new group of potential jurors, reminding them of the special place they had in our justice system and would review their responsibilities.

The majority of people who receive a jury summons immediately begin to think of what they can do to get out of it.

Have you ever sat in a room with other potential jurors?

It is not a happy place to be!

Geri finally convinced John Maxwell to attend one of her jury orientation sessions, and he was beyond surprised by the experience.

Maxwell recalls Geri standing before her unreceptive audience with an air of excitement and said,

"This will be one of the most wonderful weeks of your lives."

That got everybody's attention.

She proceeded to express her passion "about the greatness of America and the right of each citizen to have a fair trial. She explained to the jurors how their decisions would make a difference and that they were examples of why America is a nation coveted and admired by others. At the close of her 45-minute inspiring talk, the potential jurors gave her a standing ovation!"

Geri Stevens' passion for America transferred to the prospective jurors. They were transformed from an uninterested group of citizens, serving their civic duty to an inspired group of Californians who looked "forward to being selected to serve on a jury."

My family emigrated to America and became American citizens. They embraced a dream of hope for a better life and opportunities for their families.

My mother's parents Mary Chernick Leader and Earl D. Leader's parents were from Russia and Hungary. My Grandmother Mary Chernick's parents escaped to America from Lithuania, Russia with her two older brothers Michael and Harry. They traveled by ship to escape the violent massacres in Russia of Jewish families condoned by Czar Alexander 111.

My Grandfather, Earl D. Leader, his original name Emil Ungerleider, talked about how his father, Mendel Ungerleider's parents, 13 siblings, spouses, cousins and other family members died in Hitler's concentration camps while he, his sister, their spouses, children, and their parents were in America safe and sound.

Emma Lazarus was an American poet who wrote her poem "The New Colossus, in 1883 "to raise money" for the construction of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. In 1903 her poem was engraved on a bronze plaque and mounted inside the pedestal's inner wall on the Statue of Liberty.

"Give me your tired, your poor,

your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

The framers of our Constitution were wise enough to realize that our unalienable rights did not come from government or man; they came from God. They were also wise enough to create the Constitution and Bill of Rights to be exclusionary (explaining what Government cannot do, rather than all the things it could do).

The very freedoms that most of us take for granted like the pursuit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government to right wrongs are what make this country great. It is also why this great nation of ours is a magnet for people from all over the world who answer the battle-cry of their souls to be free by seeking citizenship.

Where my family is from (Russia and Hungary), there were no rights, no choices, no opportunities, no free speech, no right to a fair trial. You did what the government officials told them to do. There was no freedom of expression. There was no choice in anything. When you argued to protect yourself, they would throw you in prison and kill you.

President Ronald Reagan said, "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction... It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. "

Let your voices be heard as American citizens. Share your stories of the greatness of America just like Gerri Stevens and my grandparents did and elect political candidates who will protect and defend our constitutional and unalienable rights so that generations that come after us can enjoy the American way of life!

Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, speaker, business owner, teacher, conductor, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Business". Her observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. Her latest book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget" is available everywhere books are sold. If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com

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Anthony Robbins: Who Do You Think You Are?

STOP NEGATIVE SELF TALK - Listen To This Everyday

WORK EVERY WAKING HOUR - Elon Musk (Motivational Video)

Tony Robbins - Energy For Life

Hit A Wall

Not again. I can't believe this is happening to me. Am I ever going to catch a break? I can't trust anyone.

Sometimes you just hit a wall. Other times you are making a choice to be a victim. It is your mindset that causes the murky waters. Yes, there will be times when life isn't fair. And I never wish to minimize anyone's suffering. But we need to ask ourselves if we are causing self imposed suffering? I think we all are guilty of this at some point in our lives. But so many have the "Not Again" attitude that is draining not only them, but everyone else around them.

I see this all too often in my practice. A new client comes in and tells me all the terrible things that are happening to them. I go into support mode and begin to line up some action items to stop the suffering. Over the course of a few months, no action items have been completed, let alone attempted. There is blame being cast at every person that is left in their life. And lastly, the slowly stop showing up for their appointments. It's hard to support someone who self identifies as being a life long victim.

There truly are victims out there. I have worked with the sexually assaulted, the sex trafficked and abandoned. People with completely horrific backgrounds. And believe it or not, some of these people carry a brighter disposition than many of us who take a bad day and make it much worse than it really is. We must train ourselves not to over react when we hit the wall. And because this is life, we are all going to hit the wall. The question is, do we stop driving? Or, do we just accept that there will be more walls in the future? I have found that acceptance overrides fear. Because if we fear, life begins to shrink all around us.

Why is it that some people focus while others fold when they hit the wall? It is all about the mindset. I love using the analogy that the greatest baseball players only get on base maybe 30 percent of the time. In other words, they get a hit 3 out of ten times at bat. While some see 30 percent as a failure, others see it as an accomplishment. Mindset. How do you see it?

We're going to have some bad days. We're going to pick some people who are not a good fit for us spirituality and or mentally. Train yourself to outlast the storm. Learn to let those people go who do not inspire you to level up. I promise it doesn't make you a bad person to want more for yourself. Just as you wouldn't purposely carry these bad days with you. Do not carry the uninspired in your inner circle. Because we're going to hit the wall. And when we do, the last person you want to try and lift you up is someone who is a life long victim.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Vance_Larson/1729477

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Can You Hear Me?

Have you ever experienced a moment when you realized that the thing you asked your staff, teammates, or even your children to do yesterday still hasn't been done - even when you gave them very clear instructions? It's easy to point blame, but consider this: it could be they really didn't hear what you thought you communicated.

We often don't effectively reach our goals because we fail to take into account how we communicate. Studies have shown that communication is the most common thing managers do, spending 60% to 80% of their time communicating with their teams. However, stats also suggest most managers are bad communicators. In one relevant survey, 86% of managers thought they were good communicators, but only 17% of the employees surveyed said their managers did indeed communicate effectively. Another survey uncovered that only 14% of people rated their managers as "good" or "very good" communicators.

Even if you're not a manager, realizing the importance of good communication is still your responsibility. The hours wasted on projects that have to be redone because of the lack of communication between coworkers is staggering. Similarly, the job seeker often struggles with how to communicate their skills in a way that sets them apart.

Changing the way you communicate isn't easy, but I do have three simple words to help you make this change easier: Repeat, Confirm and Clarify!

REPEAT what you thought you heard or ask those receiving the instructions to repeat what they heard. You might be surprised at how their understanding of what you said is actually quite off.

Secondly, CONFIRM the deadlines. Everyone must understand the expectation and urgency of the matter at hand. For example, job seekers should always confirm when they should expect to next connect after an interview. Say things like, "If I don't hear from you by this date, can I follow up?" This keeps the process and line of communication moving.

Lastly, CLARIFY how to communicate back that the duty or task is done. Is a presentation in order? Will a phone call suffice? Find a tangible example of how this communication will take place.

A plan to Repeat, Confirm and Clarify may sound simple, but it can be a challenge if you're in a rush to get back to a project or move on to the next one. It also gets more complicated the more people you have to communicate with.

So ask yourself if there's evidence you might need to develop a better communication strategy. If so, take time and effort to truly be heard, simply starting with three simple words: Repeat, Confirm and Clarify.

Once you master this approach consistently, you'll like the answer you get when asking, "Can you hear me now?!"

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Five Thoughts You Think Before Giving Up

The hardest part about making the decision to give up is that there is always a fine line between the give up and success axis. We have all been on both ends of the spectrum; the times when you finally broke through and achieved your goal; and the time when you have quit just shy of the goal line. Perhaps the most influencing part about going one way or the other on that line is the thoughts you think right before that decision. Here are 5 of the most common thoughts people think before giving up on an intended goal.

"This is just too hard"

This one is heard all too commonly. Everything is fine and dandy until its gets just hard enough to reach your breaking point where the brain says this is too uncomfortable and I am at my limit. So then your brain signals to your body to just stop working on what ever it is that you are doing. It's not your brain's fault as this is what it is designed to do. The issue is though, is that goals and accomplishments worth doing are almost always hard and difficult to accomplish, but that is simply what makes it worth the hardship you'll go through; to see the glory of the other side.

"This is not worth it"

Most that use this one are the ones who have been in the trenches so long that they have lost sight of the real intended goal and more importantly the reason why they started in the first place. At this point in their mind, the struggle of working towards the goal now out weighs the intended emotion received with the accomplishment of the goal. In this case the best action to take is to stop the work and go back to look at the reasoning of the intended project and the outcome that it would accomplish. Most of the time that feeling will be reinvigorated and struggle will lessen enough to complete the task; finishing the goal.

"I can't do this"

Closely related to our first reason with some subtle differences. The first reason dealt with the brain's defense mechanism to activate and give reasons to stay in that comfort zone; this reason though is a direct reflection of self worth and the judgement on which you give your abilities to complete the task. You have deemed yourself unworthy by your own accord to be the one who has success at this goal. Simple way to reverse this is drop the letter "t" off of can't and turn it into I can. Simple positive affirmations go a long way in overcoming the "I can't" plague, and the results it has can be pretty amazing too.

"They didn't finish, why should I?"

Another easy justification to let yourself off of the hook. If others put in effort and didn't make it, what makes me think I can make it? This is the age old trap of putting yourself on the level of everyone else and limiting your personal power to join the average crowd. When you level yourself to others who have already given up, you essentially say "I will only ever be as good as them and nothing more". It takes all of your own individual talents and gumption, and throws them right out the window. It should not matter what anyone has said or done, you are not everyone else nor do you ever have to be. Show your personal ethics in such a way that that average crowd turns around and beings to marvel at you, now making you the standard that they follow and not the other way around.

"I'll do this later"

Some may argue that this is not necessarily a thought of giving up; it essentially is though. While I warrant the sometimes this can be used in the proper manner without the thought of never returning to it; it is mostly used in the negative way. This is a synonym for 'I give up'. Putting a task off for "later" means that your brain is using one of its many distractive techniques to keep you in a comfortable state and not challenge you. You know that later never comes, and therefore the goal never gets done. Instead, perform at least a little task that can be completed in a short time, ensuring that you will get it done, since you have already started.

Giving up develops a habitual nature of negativity that will consume your daily life if allowed. Remember these 5 thoughts the next time that lazy monster rears its ugly head, pushing you from giving up and sending you into victory lane with all of your goals and dreams.

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Louise Hay - Power Thoughts on Love and Relationships

The Magic in Your Smile

When was the last time you allowed a beautiful memory to keep a truly good smile on your face? One of the things you should press to do and keep daily is your smile. You'll be amazed to know what keeping a smile on your face is already helping you have.

Dale Carnegie mentioned that "the expression one wears on one's face is far more important than the clothes one wears on one's back". You could not agree less with the words in this quote.

Ever wondered why most people never seem to be aging? What makes you feel more relaxed with some people and not others? How did you feel that day you had a sour morning and your colleague beamed a smile at you? A smile is the cutest thing anywhere in the world.

In a Swedish study, subjects were shown pictures of several emotions: joy, anger, fear and surprise. When the picture of someone smiling was presented, the researchers asked the subjects to frown. Instead, they found that the facial expressions went directly to imitation of what subjects saw. It took conscious effort to turn that smile upside down. So if you're smiling at someone, it's likely they can't help but smile back. If they don't, they're simply making a conscious effort not to.

A smile has special powers and you need to believe that! It can quickly calm fear, insecurity, hurt and anxiety, not only in your self but in the lives of everyone else experiencing those feelings.

Smiles are contagious! Give it to the world and you'll get it right back.

You can make a difference in your life and in the lives of others simply by smiling. Have a look at this, each time you smile at a person, their brain coaxes them to return the favor. You are creating a symbiotic relationship that allows both of you to release chemicals that make you feel good in your brain, activate reward centers, make you both more attractive and increase the chances of you both living longer, healthier lives.

Again it is of utmost importance to know and remember that it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown. Nobody wants to have wrinkles, so ensure somehow that your smile stays on your face.

It'll amaze you to know that smiling is a key for establishing healthy and genuine friendships. A smile from a person to you indicates that they like you. Your smile also can also offer encouragement to the people you meet and talk with.

Do you want to make a lasting and beautiful first impression? Smile. You look better when you smile, people treat you differently and you're viewed as attractive, reliable, relaxed and sincere. Attempt thinking of a beautiful memory and put on that beauty you got.

Make it a priority to smile. Attempt to make it a new decision today.

Smile... The world is so much better when you do.

Augusta Ogban

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Tony Robbins: THE MAGIC OF CHANGING YOUR THINKING! (very motivational)

Inspiring words from Oprah Winfrey

10 Mistakes Most Young People Make & Regret Later in Life

Tony Robbins: Feeling Lost? How to Find Yourself Again ( Tony Robbins Passion )