Are you a dealer in Hope?

"Leaders are dealers in HOPE."-Napoleon

I loved reading a wonderful article in SUCCESS Magazine recently. This article is written by John Maxwell who is a gifted leader, speaker and author. I always know that I will be encouraged and sweetly challenged by his words.

In this article John Maxwell speaks about, "How to Be a Dealer in Hope" by helping others believe the impossible is possible. He shares that " Hope gives us reason to live. It takes obstacles and transforms them into possibilities. Hope gives us the strength and the courage we need to make the most of life."

In his first book written in 1979, Think on These Things, John Maxwell writes the following words:

What does hope do for mankind?

*Hope shines brightest when the hour is darkest.

*Hope motivates when discouragement comes.

*Hope energizes when the body is tired.

*Hope sweetens when the bitterness bites.

*Hope sings when all melodies are gone.

*Hope believes when the evidence is eliminated.

*Hope listens for answers when no one is talking.

*Hope climbs over obstacles when no one is helping.

*Hope endures hardship when no one is caring.

*Hope smiles confidently when no one else is laughing.

*Hope reaches for answers when no one is asking.

*Hope presses towards victory when no one is encouraging.

*Hope dares to give when no one is sharing.

Are you the kind of leader that is a dealer of HOPE? Do you inspire others to believe that what is impossible is possible. John Maxwell says that, "Leaders help people believe the impossible is possible,which makes it highly probable." A good leader is a dealer in HOPE.

You can read John Maxwell's article on, "How to Be a Dealer in Hope" in the current edition of SUCCESS Magazine. Just go to www.successmagazine.com.

I was a BIG GIRL!

Have you ever had to buy clothes from a store that sells clothes for PLUS sized women? LANE BRYANT, JUST MY SIZE and WOMAN WITHIN are the names of a few stores where you can buy PLUS sized women's clothing. Don’t the names JUST MY SIZE and WOMAN WITHIN scream the words overweight and large to you?

When you Google PLUS size women's clothing, these words are used to describe these clothes: TRENDY, FASHIONABLE, STYLISH and FLATTERING. When you search Google for MISSES clothing you do not see any of these words used to describe the clothing. Why is that?

It seems that wonderful adjectives must be used to help you feel better about wearing BIG SIZED clothing. I was a BIG GIRL! I had to wear PLUS sized clothing. At my largest size, I wore a size 20 Womens. How did this happen to me? Due to an injury my body is immobile and I cannot move easily, so I have a very sedentary life. In my late 20s, I had a spinal cord injury and have spent the last 18 years unable to move like I once could.

With the loss of my body and some other former privileges, I did not make the best eating choices and I ate what I liked (cheese, pasta, bread & butter, more cheese and don't forget the ice cream). I also experienced some uncomfortable health challenges which also hindered my ability to be disciplined in making good choices. Over the last several years I have exercised regularly and changed my eating habits but I could not get the weight off even with making better choices.

After using Mannatech products, I began to feel better . As I felt better and continued to exercise and eat well. I began to realize that I was a BIG GIRL and was ready to do something about it. Today, I can wear a size 12 MISSES clothing. How did this happen to me? I added to my regiment the Mannatech products OSOLEAN and GLYCOSLIM Meal Replacement Shake and continue to exercise regularly and eat well. I am losing fat while staying healthy and protecting my lean muscle.

Now that I am a smaller woman, I wear clothes that do make me feel TRENDY, FASHIONABLE, STYLISH and FLATTERING. I am SKINNIER in MY JEANS and it FEELS GREAT to LIVE WELL. Are you tired of being a PLUS sized woman or man? Take a look at the tab titled SKINNY IN MY JEANS for more information and to order OSOLEAN.

I AM NOT A BIG GIRL ANYMORE! I am SKINNY IN MY JEANS and O so LEAN!
You can do this too! :)

Where are the blueberries?

I've just discovered a wonderful place for incredible information about all things natural and good for you. I have discovered Naturalnews.com. I was looking at different information on this site and stumbled upon a very entertaining video which is a comedy skit titled General Mills Mind Games -Comedy Skit about Total Blueberry Pomegranate Cereal (naturalTV.com).

I was greatly entertained as I viewed this video. After viewing this comedic nutritional video, I asked myself a question "Where are the blueberries?" You see, there is a cereal called Total Blueberry Pomegranate by General Mills. They say they have blueberries and pomegranates in this cereal. Guess what? They are not telling you the truth.

The front of the total cereal box says "100% nutrition." Does the word artificial mean 100% nutrition? How is something artificial good nutrition for the body? There are no blueberries in Total Blueberry Pomegranate cereal. There is artificial flavor and RED 40 (this must be the pomegranates) and BLUE 2 (this must be the blueberries) and other added colors in this cereal that was called in 1961 a "benchmark for healthy cereal." Definitely times are changing. I wouldn't call this cereal healthy or nutritious.

We are so easily misled as consumers. I wonder how people can eat something that says it has blueberries and pomegranates in it when it is just colored sugar. It kind of reminds me of when I was in sixth grade and I bought a pet rock believing that it really was a pet. Why are we so easily misled? Don't you want your Total Blueberry Pomegranate cereal to really have blueberries and pomegranates in the cereal? How do you know if what you are eating is really food? READ THE LIST OF INGREDIENTS on your food labels. Avoid foods that have the word ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR in them.

So next time you buy a box of Total Blueberry Pomegranate cereal don't forget to ask yourself, "Where are the blueberries? "

BACKSPACE and DELETE

I just got finished typing some messages on Facebook. I was noticing how I was being very careful with my choice of words. I would type something and then read it and think about how it sounded. If my words did not communicate what I wanted to say in the way that I wanted to then I could easily make changes in the words I used.

Photograph by Chance Agrella

As I was making corrections on my messages, I began to think about how cool it was to be able to pick and choose my written words carefully by easily being able to make changes quickly by using the backspace key and also deleting. As I would make changes in my written text, I began to think that it was really wonderful to be able to easily change my words and I was wishing sometimes that I could have a delete and backspace button with my spoken words.

Have you heard that saying, "Open your mouth and insert foot." Have you noticed that you sometimes say things and then wish you could take it back? Are you like me in that you wish you could have a delete and backspace button for your spoken words? Do you remember hearing these words, "think before you speak?"

Unfortunately, we do not have a delete or backspace button for our spoken words however, we can take time to carefully choose our words by listening well and thinking before we speak. The next time you are communicating with your spoken words don't forget to take some time and listen well, think, consider and then share your insight.

TERRIFIC

Do you remember the characters Charlotte and Wilbur? These characters are in the classic award winning children's novel Charlotte's Web. This is a great story about friendship and the power of words.

Wilbur is a pig and he is in danger of being slaughtered by a farmer. He spends his time in a barn and develops a friendship with a very intelligent spider named Charlotte. Wilbur and Charlotte have a very special friendship. Charlotte begins to write messages praising Wilbur in order to persuade the farmer to let Wilbur live.

Charlotte writes these words in her web to describe Wilbur:

SOME PIG

TERRIFIC

RADIANT

HUMBLE

These words enabled Wilbur to become famous and everyone had something good to say about him. Wilbur was even awarded a medal for being phenomenal and completely out of the ordinary. His life is spared.

Positive and uplifting words helped others see Wilbur's life as one worth protecting. Good words also helped Wilbur grow in confidence. From this story, we can definitely see the power of words. I recently read a Proverb that says that " the power of life and death are in our tongue."

The words we speak make a difference. Are your words to others positive, uplifting and encouraging? Are you around people who are speaking good things into your life? May we be like Charlotte and speak words that build up and make a difference for others. You will be RADIANT and TERRIFIC as you speak good words to those around you.

Your Success- Delayed Not Cancelled

Can you imagine arriving at the airport at 9:15 PM to catch your 10:35 PM flight home and you find out that your flight has been canceled? What would you do? How would you respond? My friend Philip Blackett recently experienced this. He was leaving a Mastermind event in Phoenix and heading back home to New York City. His flight was canceled and he was not able to fly home until the following morning.

Philip remembers hearing complaints from fellow passengers as they heard the bad news of the canceled flight. Philip decided to respond differently to his delay by looking at it positively. So he enjoyed a free night in a motel near the airport. He was able to fly home the next morning. While on the airplane Philip recorded a short video where he explains how Your Success is Delayed but NOT CANCELLED.
Philip shares some incredible words in this video. You won't want to miss hearing him share about SUCCESS.



(YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO VIEW THIS VIDEO because of Facebook privacy, so feel free to view it on our FAN PAGE-look right to see how to join us.)

Philip Blackett is a Small Business Marketing Strategist for A&E Lifestyle Marketing where he helps Entrepreneurs, Professionals and Small Business Owners get MORE Customers, Clients and Referrals by improving the way they Brand and Market themselves to their Communities. Philip’s mission is helping Ordinary people Create More Abundant Lives and Extraordinary Businesses. You can find him on Facebook and his blog www.PhilipBlackett.com.

FREEDOM

"The freedom to share one's insights and judgments verbally or in writing is, just like the freedom to think, a holy and inalienable right of humanity that as a universal human right, is above all the rights of princes."

These words were written by Carl Friedrich Bahrdt who was a German writer and theologian and lived in the 1700s. I wonder what Carl would have thought of Social Media.  Would he have appreciated the freedom that is demonstrated on Facebook and Twitter, where we can communicate our thoughts, feelings, insights, likes and dislikes freely?  Would he love the fact that not only are insights and judgments shared in writing but they are also shared verbally through video?

You can say anything you want and be heard (and seen) by everyone on You Tube videos.  We definitely enjoy a lot of freedoms on the Internet when it comes to sharing "one's insights and judgments." I wonder which videos Carl would like the most.   And would he prefer to send a Tweet or write on somebody's wall?  Do you think he would accept your friend request?

A lot has changed in 200 + years but it seems that one thing remains the same. We as people have a longing to express ourselves and to be heard. May we continue to enjoy the freedom of sharing our "insights and judgments" which is "above all their rights of princes."