FREEDOM is NOT possible without CAPITALISM !

“As a group, businessmen have been withdrawing for decades from the ideological battlefield, disarmed by the deadly combination of altruism and pragmatism. Their public policy has consisted in appeasing, compromising and apologizing: appeasing their crudest, loudest antagonists; compromising with any attack, and lie, and insult; apologizing for their own existence. Abandoning the field of ideas to their enemies, they have been relying on lobbying, i.e., on private manipulations, on pull, on seeking momentary favors from government officials. Today, the last group one can expect to fight for capitalism is the capitalists.”

Ayn Rand

Becoming the YOU you are to Be - Chap. 3 "It IS Your Attitude"

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours".

Thoreau

(Shared by my teammate Andrew S.)

YOU own "IT"

In the final analysis, your attitude determines your effectiveness in everything, every time!

Attitudeman

Reason over Fear.....

You read about it everywhere....the slow undoing of all things we hold sacred; the disintegration of the principles upon which our great nation was founded; the inevitable path to destruction due to the secular influence.....Regardless of your beliefs, it is immutable that the FACTS have led us to progress beyond our wildest dreams in little over 250 years. The economic progress of our nation; that which destroyed the communist threat, the axis powers, the European empires, and in time the terrorist cowards, is the force that invigorates our notion of freedom: to be left alone to fulfill our pursuits towards our own interests and in the process to cause no harm to others and to expect the same. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness - Not Death, Repressiveness, and Conformity. Who would trek distances and suffer hardship to escape a "frying pan" only to fall into the "fire"? - Not the immigrants of old and certainly not the immigrants of today. They have come for the last two and one-quarter centuries because of the promise held by the greatest of documents created by the MIND OF MAN - the US Constitution. http://www.usconstitution.net .

I will not fight for the advancement of any religious creed including my own; but I will fight for the rights we have defended since the founding of the republic. Yes indeed, there are many enemies abroad. However, the enemy within is today more nebulous and dangerous. In playing to the fears of Americans today, this cabal is asking us to forgo some of our freedoms for the public good/safety. I say, let me live free and die unencumbered, for the renunciation of freedom is no protection against evil!

LGL

Coming up for air....

Attitudeman has been submerged since last post! The day begins at 5:55 as I dash into the car, gym bag/briefcase/suit loaded the night before, arriving downtown at 6:50 for my workout and in the office or headed somewhere by 8:15 . By 6:30 that evening (no use leaving before due to bumper/bumber) I can treck home arriving by 7:15 . I believe this is as good as it is going to get - 13 hours; now looking for sleep by 10:00 (3 waking hours w/ the family - as I am hearing repeatetly). If this is the given reality, and I believe it is, the question becomes "How do I bend the organization/processes/client-team member expectations" so as to not "win the battle and loose the war"? The principal resource NOW is time. How to maximize time availability to accomplish my main behavioral goals: Assist each team member by allocating scheduled precious time, and calling on our clients to create a better awareness of their needs on a global basis. I am sure I have a plethora of financial and structural goals (I can give you 20 in 20 seconds), but I will achieve mostly all of them by focusing on the prior noted behavioral goals - that is the plan anyway!. Anything else will solely be a full reaction to the non-stop assault from every conceivable area. It is my choice how I dedicate my time; either I own it or someone/something will. Stay tuned......

One more thing.....

No one really cares about your opinion, as a matter of fact, your opinion can be more of a negative in effecting the perceptions of others. However, your attitude is a true reflection of your beliefs, which guide your actions and results. Others will "see" the consistency of your actions, and even if they disagree with your assessments, they can not deny your purpose.

Attitudeman

Shared by my friend of 33 years, Allen C.

Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitude towards life. The longer I live the more I become convinced that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it. I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitude is right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for ME.

Chuck Swindoll

Self-deception aka the worst lie

There are many distractions, as many as you will allow to intrude into your awareness. Are these distractions becoming an emotional response, to your perception of equity, on your treatment ( financial and/or opportunity) as opposed to a peer(s)? Is the response relative to where you are professionally, intellectually or socially as to where you perceive you should be? Many people will wish to "right" the situation by jumping from an organization or social group to another in the attempt to gain justice or parity. Yet, only a few will assess their own efforts at gaining greater awareness, knowledge and skill by which to gain progress intellectually, socially and economically. These few will progress simply because they are aware of their weaknesses and will strengthen these as they become more valuable to their groups. Those that "cut the corner" will find themselves in a similar position in the short-term and facing the same issues, simply in another environment. There are no short-cuts; there is only effort, that over time produces greater insight and creativity, and eventually a competitive advantage. YOU have heard it before! Why is it not obvious already? It's obvious, you are just playing self-deception.

ATTITUDEMAN

We are traders and therefore free...

"In a capitalist society, all human relationships are voluntary. Men are free to cooperate or not, as their own individual judgements, convictions, and interests dictate. They can deal with one another only in terms of and by means of REASON, i.e. by means of discussion, persuasion, and contractual agreement, by voluntary choice to mutual benefit. The right to agree with others is not a problem in any society, it is the right to disagree that is crucial. It is the institution of private property that protects and implements the right to disagree - and thus keeps the road open to man's most valuable attribute: the creative mind."

An Ayn Rand quote

Hard to do.....

"It is harder to achieve self-esteem than to practice self-sacrifice."

an Ayn Rand quote

Step back.....

Why do you do what your do? I recently stepped back for a two-week period, actually left the country with my family. The normal stimulus was out of reach, even those tools that keep you connected to familiarity such as cell phones and internet. Within a few hours of abandoning our comfort zone of home, work, and space, it became evident why I do what I do (professionally, intellectually, communally). I do what I do for my benefit first, but then significant benefits also accrue to my family and all other connected constituencies. It is true that when you are facing the "tree", it is difficult to see the "forest". But periodic detachment from your zone of familiarity is not a detachment from reality, more so it is a refreshment that clarifies the overall mission. The danger lies in not stepping back, because then you are not aware of peripheral reality changes, number one, and number two, your intellectual breadth is not utilized efficiently. I will step back more often going forward (at least I will be aware that this is good).

ATTITUDEMAN

Integrity leaves a trail.....

Who you are and who you say you are can not be contradictory. Who you are is manifested through your actions and behaviors and people will judge you accordingly, a moral judgement if you will. Who you say you are is not only attached to you the person, but to those constituencies you serve, i.e. family, team members, clients, etc. It is imperative that we cast a perception of who we ARE and we do this by saying it is so through advertising, conversations and other media. However, if others begin to experience incongruence relative to your message (who you say you are) and reality (how you behave), then confusion will arise for all those attached to your communication chain. People will seek clarity, not confusion. People will follow if the message and the behavior are consistent.

L G LOBO

Careful what you ask for.....

Here it is, you have achieved the pinnacle of your professional aspirations. Congratulations! Years and years of proving to yourself that you are worthy of happiness and success. So, why are you anxious and saddened? Over and over you have helped so many become successful regardless of geographies or circumstances. Is it the anxiety of this next step and the many unknowns involved? Is it walking away again from a high performance team? Yes to both. However, confidence is gained by the surety of owned execution and you know how to do this. Needless anxiety is worthless, yet the pain of separation is real and of that you should be proud; because you care, they have cared to accomplish the team mission, and they did.

Remember, there is no standing still, this is merely the next step towards your professional development. Celebrate and be PROUD!

The New Left: The Anti-Industrialist revolution

“And so today we see the spectacle of old Marxists blessing, aiding and abetting the young hoodlums [the new leftists] (who are their product and heirs) who proclaim the superiority of feelings over reason, of faith over knowledge, of leisure over production, of spiritual concerns over material comforts, of primitive nature over technology, of astrology over science, of drugs over consciousness.

“The old-line Marxists used to claim that a single modern factory could produce enough shoes to provide for the whole population of the world and that nothing but capitalism prevented it.

“When they discovered the facts of reality involved, they declared that going barefoot is superior to wearing shoes.”

~~an Ayn Rand quote~~

MLK's Letter from Birmingham Jail

April 16, 1963

MY DEAR FELLOW CLERGYMEN:

While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.

www.almaz.com/nobel/peace/MLK-jail.html

Essence of human morality....

"If you ask me to name the proudest distinction of Americans, I would choose
.... the fact that they were the people who created the phrase 'to make
money'. No other language or nation had ever used these words before; men
had always thought of wealth as a static quantity - to be seized, begged,
inherited, shared, looted, or obtained as a favor. Americans were the first
to understand that wealth has to be created. The words 'to make money' hold
the essence of human morality."



~ an Ayn Rand quote

Responsibility is not a one-way street

What a day! A person to whom you have given significant support and attention suddenly decides YOU are a hindrance and an obstacle to their progress. A hurtful feeling for sure. But you know what, this is their template, not yours. You were grounded in being helpful and truthful. Many people want to avoid the truth and lash out as their only means of response. YOU have the right attitude and do not respond negatively to their outburst, step back, give them space, if they come back then progress is being made, if they do not, move on.

Welcome!

Buenos dias!

I want to welcome you to this "protective coccoon" where only the positive resides. A place where you can go to clarify the good of your life, the ownership of your happiness, the embrace of reality.

"It IS Your Attitude" was published in 2004 as a tome of what is meaningful and what is trivial in life. Distributed through www.itisyourattitude.com , the book has been purchased by educators, business executives, not-for-profit groups, religious organziations and individuals from all walks of life.

"Your attitude determines your effectiveness is every thing, every time"

Luis G. Lobo