Siemens People Builders

Norman Vincent Peale said, “If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm.  Life does give back in kind.”  Henry David Thoreau said, “None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.”  Steve Siemens says, “When you stop looking for a rose, you will seldom find one.  When you stop looking for the good, you seldom find good.  When you stop looking for positivism, you won’t find that either.  And when you stop looking for enthusiasm, enthusiasm stops looking for you.”

Enthusiasm costs you nothing and requires no college education or advanced training.  If you embrace it, it’s yours.  It’s yours for as long as you apply it, hold on to it, and seek it.  Enthusiasm is contagious – others get it when around you.  It draws people to you and keeps them coming back.  Not because you have it “all together”, but because you hold it together.  Problems become opportunities and challenges become opportunities for growth.  You have a great sense of purpose when you live with enthusiasm.  There is a reason to get out of bed every morning and fulfill not only your dreams and goals but also your purpose.  You see things other don’t and won’t see.  You feel great when things are upside down.  Oh, you won’t be laughing with fake emotion.  You’ll be facing life with real understanding that the challenges are temporary and tomorrow will be better.

There are many things to detour you today, to rob you of your joy, to provide moments of discouragement and even loss of hope.  There are many uncertainties and tons of negativism.  If you aren’t careful, you can get caught up in the “negative dark” side and become one of those basement people no one enjoys.  Or, you can keep everything in balance, and perspective.

My life just keeps getting better.  Each year is more fulfilling, rewarding, and fun.  There is a zest (keen enjoyment, gusto) for tomorrow because I will face tomorrow with enthusiasm.  I plan on living so enthusiastically, I can’t fail!

Will you join me?

These are just my thoughts on a Thursday morning.

The People Builder
Steve Siemens, CSP

Listen to the news…read the newspaper…go to coffee with friends and you find yourself being surrounded with negativism, questioning, doubts, and fears. People have lost their perspectives about some issues and have unrealistic expectations.

We are living in tough times. There are uncertainties and instability in many areas of our lives. Yet, rough times don’t last but tough people do.

Resolutions at the beginning of the year don’t work for me, so I write a theme for the year. Then during the year, everything I do is tied to the theme. It has worked and made a positive difference in my life.

To keep everything in balance this year, why don’t you decide along with me, to SHINE IN 2009? If that is your decision, here are five ideas I’m working on and I hope you’ll also consider:

SINGLE FOCUS

Focus on the goal not the obstacles. What we pay attention to, we empower. A single focus will make you; a lack of it will break you. Just like a horse needs a bit, a ship needs a rudder, and a winning team needs a coach, our lives will not ever grow until we are focused, disciplined, and determined.

Question: What is one thing you need to have a single focus on this year?

HEALTHY CHOICES

Make every Sunday the day you recommit to living your healthiest life by making healthy choices. Some of the healthy choices we can make include: making regular exercise fun, spending time with people we love, working weekly on mind games and solving puzzles, getting enough sleep, smiling continuously, and reading. Studies are now even saying that red wine and dark chocolate have benefits. Do everything in moderation and make every day count. And one more thing, teach yourself to relax, to turn distractions off.

Question: What are two things you are going to change this year to make healthy choices?

IMAGINATION UNLEASHED

What holds so many people from reaching their potential is they have no imagination. Imagination is the true magic carpet according to Norman Vincent Peale. And Les Brown says it this way, “Live out your imagination instead of out of your memory.” This year, unleash your imagination. Soar where you’ve never soared before and dream of going places you’ve never been. It’s not time to worry and wait, it’s time to unleash, remembering worry is a misuse of imagination.

Question: What do you need to eliminate so your imagination can soar?

NEGATIVE-FREE ATTITUDES

There is no place ever for a negative attitude. Ever! 95% of what you see, hear, and read is negative. So be careful what you look at, listen to, and read. Starting your day reading the newspaper might need to be reconsidered. Going to lunch or on break with people who are always criticizing others, focusing on what’s wrong, or talking trash might not be the best way to spend your time. Eliminate the negative so the positive can grow. You’ll shine because people want to be around people who have hope, passion, and are gracious. This year being negative-free is not an option, it is a requirement!

No question: Just decide you are going to be negative-free. It is a choice and it becomes a lifestyle.

EXTRAORDINARY BELIEFS

Real heroes, in my book, are people who fall, fail, and are flawed. But in the end, they win because they’ve stayed true to their beliefs. What you believe is what you get. Our beliefs come from our character, integrity, and values. The world needs people with extra-ordinary beliefs. Make it your desire and goal this year to be one of those people.

Question: What are three beliefs you will live out this year? In fact, you will go to the top of the mountain and die for them?

Life is tiny changes. Will you join me this year in making some tiny changes in five areas? Will you work hard to shine?

If you do, you’ll SHINE and be “mighty fine” in 2009! The challenges will be great but the opportunities will be greater! Together, we can be a beacon of light in a world that needs some sunshine!

And these are just my thoughts on a Monday morning.

THE PEOPLE BUILDER,

Steve Siemens, CSP

Stop All Criticism
Criticism never changes a thing. It leads to defensiveness, non-listening, no problem solving, and disaster. Refuse to criticize yourself and others. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Do the same for others. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself, your changes are positive. The same is true for others.

Don’t Scare Yourself
Stop terrorizing yourself with your thoughts. It’s a dreadful way to live. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure (mine are mountains and oceans), and immediately switch your scary thought to a pleasure thought.

Be Gentle And Kind And Patient
Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself as you learn the new ways of thinking. Treat yourself as you would someone you really love.

Be Kind To Your Mind
Self hatred is only hating your own thoughts. Don’t hate yourself for having the thoughts. Gently change your thoughts. Remember the proverb: “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

Praise Yourself
Criticism breaks down the inner spirit. Praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Samuel Taylor Cooleridge says, “The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions–the little, soon-forgotten charities of a kiss or smile, a kind look or heartfelt compliment.” Tell yourself how well you are doing with every little thing.

Support Yourself
Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. Be strong enough to ask for help when you need it. Great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.

Be Loving To Your Negatives
Acknowledge that you created them to fulfill a need. Now, you are finding new, positive ways to fulfill those needs. So, lovingly release the old negative patterns.

Take Care Of Your Body
Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need to have optimum energy and vitality? Learn about exercise. What kind of exercise can you enjoy? Cherish and revere the temple you live in.

Mirror Work
Life is like a mirror. If you frown at it, it frowns back. If you smile at it, it returns the greeting. Look into your eyes often. Express this growing sense of love you have for yourself. Forgive yourself as you look into the mirror. Talk to your parents as you look into the mirror. Forgive them too. At least once a day say: “I love you, I really love you.”

Love Yourself
Do It Now – Don’t wait until you get well, or lose the weight, or get the new job, or the new relationship. Begin now — and do the best you can. As was said in the movie, Dead Poet Society, “Carpe Diem!” Rejoice while you are alive; enjoy the day; live life to the fullest; make the most of what you have. It is later than you think.

If you don’t think every day is a good day, just try missing one. And if you don’t think you are a person of value and worth, just think of the emptiness so many would feel if you were not in their lives.

Treat yourself and others RIGHT today!

And these are just my thoughts on a Friday morning, the day after Thanksgiving!

THE PEOPLE BUILDER,

Steve Siemens, CSP
Siemens People Builders

“That’s a good idea, but…” “That’s an interesting thought, but…” “Your report was fine, but…” “I should spend more time with my family, but…” Have you heard any of these statements before? Maybe you were the person saying them. Either way, the but in each phrase causes a problem because it cancels out the good things that precede it. When people hear you use the word but in a sentence, you’re telling them to discount whatever came before it and pay attention to what follows. Instead of using the word but, try using the word and. For example: “That’s an interesting thought and here’s something else to think about.”

The word but can also cause a problem when it is used to make an excuse for something you didn’t do. For example: “I would have made the phone call, but…” This is an excuse and communicates that the phone call you should have made wasn’t that important.

On the topic of excuses, Peter Ueberroth, chairman of the 1984 Olympics, used a sign for the planning committee that read: “Lack of planning on your part does not constitute a crisis on my part.” That puts excuses into perspective. It simply says don’t make excuses; take action. We all have the same amount of time in a day. Only dead people have no time and only living people say, “I don’t have time.” That doesn’t make sense. So stop making excuses for poor use of time or poor planning.

A much better way to handle the situation of a missed phone call is to say, “I’m sorry I didn’t call you. I wasn’t watching the time so I didn’t get it done.” Unlike the first response, this is an honest statement that communicates you’re taking ownership for not making the call. It just sounds better and is more honest.

I feel strongly that the place this word is overused the most is in our families. If we use it too much at work, we may get fired. If we use it too much with our friends, we may lose our friends. In those situations we know that there are consequences. However, when we use it with our families we tend to think it will all work out OK. Although most people will tell you that their families are top priorities, their day-to-day, month-to-month activities may tell a completely different story.

Jennifer James, a former Seattle columnist, once pointed out, “When we’re moving fast, sometimes the relationships we care most about get short-changed. We think those we love will forgive us if we spend most of our time on other things. But a child may grow up before we notice that hours of being too busy have extended into days, weeks, months, and years. This is a bit of what happened to the boy who recently divorced his mother. She always thought there would be time to get back together.” She was wrong.

My wife does a great job reminding me of this. There are times when what we are doing may seem the most important thing at that moment, but it may really be stopping to listen to a child, or hugging your spouse, or calling a friend. One of the biggest reasons to stop using the word but is because it de-values others and makes them feel unimportant.

We didn’t always make it to the dinner table together as a family so we made breakfast a priority. When I was president of the college and out of town most weekends, going to Village Inn for breakfast together on Monday morning was set in stone. Not only did we strengthen our family, we developed a great friendship with our server, Lisa, which lasted many years. (And our kids found out about chocolate chip pancakes!)

So when you find yourself using but in a way that discounts what others have said, or to make an excuse, change your approach and focus on your words. A simple word like and can make such a big difference. If you are using and more than but, keep it up. Why? Because you’re building connections to the hearts of others. If you aren’t… just and over the buts!

And these are just my thoughts on a Monday morning!

Steve Siemens, CSP
THE PEOPLE BUILDER

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back:

Time
Words
Opportunity

Three things in life that may never be lost:

Peace
Hope
Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable:

Love
Self-confidence
Friends

Three things in life that are never certain:

Dreams
Success
Fortune

Three things that make a man/woman:

Hard work
Sincerity
Commitment

Three things in life that can destroy a man/woman:

Alcohol
Pride
Anger

If I had the ability to rub a bottle and a Jeannie would appear granting me three wishes, I’d only ask for one. Just give me 60 days

If we went 60 days without a negative comment, if we went 60 days without anyone complaining, and if we went 60 days with everyone doing the right things, just think what we could do!

Why don’t you make the next 60 days more than a wish?

Steve Siemens, CSP
THE PEOPLE BUILDER