Chris Widener's Ezine
August 18, 2006
Issue 44
Welcome!
A subscriber recently wrote to me and asked me
to consider this common phrase – Once in a lifetime. "Isn't every
moment of our lives, once in a lifetime?" he asked.
Touché! Indeed, he is correct. Every moment of our lives is the last
chance we get to live that moment.
What happens though is that we figure we will be able to live
another moment in the same way we are passing on right now. Time
becomes a commodity that we trade… and the riskiest commodity of all
– futures! We pass on this moment for the option to live it in the
future.
The problem is that there is no guarantee of the future… Take some
time this week to think about the Once in a Lifetime opportunities
you are passing up each day:
The opportunity to play with your children or grandchildren.
The opportunity to love your spouse.
The opportunity to take that business risk.
The opportunity to take that dream trip you have thought of for
years.
Live for today my friends. Make today the best day that you can. Be
aware of every moment and how it is the last time you will be able
to make the decision on how to spend it. Today is your once in a
lifetime opportunity to live your dreams, love your family, and make
a difference.
As the marketing profession would put it: Don't miss this Once in a
Lifetime Opportunity!
You Are Made for Success!
Chris Widener
P.S.
Today's issue is going out to 67,640 subscribers. If you've gained
value from what you read in my Ezine, then I would like to thank you
in advance for forwarding this issue to friends, family and
associates!
In This Issue.......
1. Charting Your Course to Success Article
2. Made for Success Quote and Commentary
3. The Last Word...
4. Hot Off the Press - Chris Widener's New Book!
5. More Information
1. Charting Your Course to Success Article
Measuring Success by Chris Widener
As I have worked with people over the years I have seen an amazing
thing. People often get frustrated because they aren't achieving
"success." There are lots of possible reasons for this but one reason I
have found that sticks out is that many people allow their definition of
"Success" to be driven by someone or something else.
Instead, we ought to be looking at our own, skills, opportunities, life
situations, etc. to determine what it would mean for us to be a success
in our own mind rather than someone else's.
Thus, the key to "Success" is all in the head - our head! We develop our
own thinking about what it will mean to become a success.
The frustration comes in when we look at what someone else thinks is a
success and try to attain it, only to find it elusive.
For one person, being a success may mean to make $100,000 a year. For
another it may be $250,000. Another may not be concerned with the yearly
income but be more concerned with a net worth.
Still another may not be motivated by money and may consider himself a
success by how many street kids he gets pointed in the right direction
and into a productive life.
Now the temptation would be for the person working with street kids to
think they aren't a "success" because they don't make much money. The
temptation for the person making $100,000 may be to think they aren't a
"success" until they make $250,000. And the temptation for the person
making $250,000 may very well be to think they aren't a "success"
because they aren't helping street kids! And 'round and round' it goes
when we are gauging ourselves by another's measure of success.
So my advice is this: Set your own course, and stay on course. Don't
measure yourself against any other standard of success. Do what you do
best and the rest will take care of itself.
Here is the truth. Being a success is doing your best, not being the
best.
When we get to that point, we will experience a lot more joy and a lot
less frustration. And that sounds good to me!
Chris Widener
2. Made for Success Quote and Commentary
"The most powerful tool for change and achievement you have in your
arsenal, sits, waiting to be used, right between your ears." -- Chris
Widener
Chris' Commentary:
The mind is truly incredible. Think about how much it gets done when you
aren't even purposefully using it! You have an itch and it tells your
arm and hand to get busy! How much more the brain can accomplish if we
set ourselves to be conscious of the effort. Your mind can control your
body. Your mind can help you break bad habits. Your mind can solve
problems. I find that there are two main problems with most people in
this area. One, they have programmed their minds negatively and thus
can't get their minds to produce the results they want. Two, they don't
take the time to think, ponder, and make conscious decisions to put
their minds to work. But if they would - watch out!
Action Point: Prepare your mind today. First, be sure to put something
positive in it. This will "prime the pump" so to speak. Secondly, take
some time to get it moving consciously. Think, ponder and exercise your
ability to choose!
3. The Last Word...
This week's Last Word offering is the first couple of pages from my
new book, The Image. Why, you might ask? Well, since you don't have the
advantage of pulling the book off the bookstore shelf, reading the back
cover of the book and thumbing through the pages to get a feel for the
book, I thought I'd give those of you who like to sample before you buy
the opportunity to do just that. Then if you like what you read, scroll
down to the next section, (#4) and click the link to make your purchase.
:-) So without further adieu...
1
The Bus Ride
“I am basically struggling with how my work – and
what I want to accomplish in life – goes together with my Christian faith.”
It’s funny
what can come from a “chance” meeting.
Kate Miller was riding the Metro Bus into Seattle from her condo in a suburb
east of Seattle for at least the 1,000th time. Every day for the past
five years she had gotten up and commuted to her office in Seattle to engage in
the wheels of commerce. Right out of business school she had secured a job with
a prestigious firm that handled high level business transactions and business
exchanges. Although she enjoyed it, something held her back. Something kept her
from living
fully engaged in the process.
She sat on the bus as it came to a stop at the Eastgate Park and Ride, watching
as a number of people got on and took their seats. She recognized the same
people, even though she had never really spoken to any of them before. Then one
woman, about fifty-five, got on who caught her eye. She looked familiar for some
reason. Maybe a local celebrity? But why would she be riding the bus? She was
very well put together--hair perfect, nails done, like she walked right out of a
Talbot’s Catalogue--certainly not the look of most people who ride the bus!
The woman walked back as Kate watched, and then she stopped right in front of
Kate.
“Would you mind if I sit next to you?” she asked.
“Oh, of course,” Kate responded, moving her newspaper out of the seat to make
way for the older woman.
“Thank you,” she said, the model of decorum. She placed her purse on her lap and
extended her hand. “I am Susan Hart. How are you?”
Kate took her hand and shook it. “I’m fine, thank you. My name is Kate. Kate
Miller.”
“Nice to meet you, Kate.”
“I’ve never seen you on the bus before. Are you new here?”
“No, I just had to leave my car in the shop. They didn’t have any loaner
cars and my husband is out of town, so I decided to take the bus.”
Kate just smiled. She wondered what kind of car a woman like Susan Hart drove.
She concluded Susan drove a Jaguar. “What kind of car do you drive?” she asked.
“I have a Bentley Coupe,” Susan replied.
Wow. Under-guessed that one, didn’t you?, Kate thought. There was a bit of
uncomfortable silence as Kate pondered the woman who sat next to her – the woman
who drives a car worth more than her studio condo.
They sat quietly next to each other for a few moments. The bus pulled back onto
the street and was on its way before Susan asked what Kate did for a living.
“Well, believe it or not, today is my last day at a job I have had for five
years. I am in business brokering, basically. I work at Smith, Allen and Jones.”
“Oh, I am familiar with them. Why are you leaving that position?”
“Well, I like it, but I feel a little unfulfilled. I have a bunch of money saved
up, so I am going to take a few months off, think about what I want to do and
then make a career move.”
“That sounds like a great idea. What kinds of things are you going to think
about?”
Kate had given a lot of thought about what she wanted to think about. She knew
the answers that she would be looking for. Little did she know that the answers
had come looking for her in the form of Susan Hart. “I am basically struggling
with how my work – and what I want to accomplish in life – goes together with my
Christian faith.” Kate didn’t know where Susan stood on issues of faith but
figured she would cut to the chase.
“Yes, the idea of Christianity and the workplace is a big one,” Susan said.
“Are you a Christian?”
“Certainly. I have been since the seventies. I grew up in a great home, but one
where we didn’t talk much about God or Christianity. In college, I went on a
retreat with a friend of mine and became a follower of Christ. Changed my life
ever since.”
“That’s great.”
“It is. It has made a real difference, and I understand what you may be going
through.”
Kate looked out the bus window at Lake Washington as they drove the last part of
the I-90 floating bridge and entered into the tunnel that would take them into
Seattle.
“What exactly are you thinking about in relation to faith?” Susan asked.
“Well, I guess how I can be successful, make a lot of money, achieve all of my
dreams and still be a Christian.”
“You think that you can’t do all of those things and still be a Christian?”
“I don’t know. I mean, think of all the sermons you’ve heard on ‘blessed are the
poor,’ ‘be humble,’ ‘don’t long for things of this world.’ It just doesn’t add
up.”
The bus was now proceeding up
Fourth Avenue and Susan was reaching into her purse for a business card. As the
bus came to a stop, she handed the card to Kate and told her to call her later
today. Susan invited Kate over to her office to talk further. “This is my stop,
so I have to get off. Call me. I think I can help you.”
“I will,” Kate said. With that, Susan exited the bus and walked toward a
glistening glass building.
Copyright © 2006 Chris
Widener International. All rights reserved worldwide.
4. Hot Off the Press - Chris Widener's New Book!
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Hot Off
the Press - Chris Widener's New Book!
The Image by
Chris Widener
 Kate Miller was an aggressive young
businesswoman, but something had been bothering her. Every day for the past
five years she had gotten up and commuted to her office in Seattle to engage
in the wheels of commerce. Right out of business school she had secured a
job with a prestigious firm that handled high level business transactions
and business exchanges. She enjoyed her work, but something held her back.
Something kept her from living fully engaged in the process. It was her
questions about how her faith fit with being a successful businessperson.
She wondered if she could be a truly strong person of faith if she was also
trying to be successful in the marketplace. Was it okay to be ambitious? To
set goals? To have increasing wealth and affluence?
This book is compelling, to
the point and addresses questions so many have struggled to answer in their
lives. Chris Widener and his unique ability to weave vital success
principles into a story will inspire you to Go For It and to Reach
for your God-given potential!
Here is an excerpt from The
Image Foreword written by Donna Johnson:
"As a leader in my company
and in an industry that relies greatly on personal growth, I am bombarded on
a daily basis with books and articles from various success coaches and
authors. On one such day last year, Loraine Grover, one of my business
partners from Seattle sent me Chris Widener’s book The Angel Inside. To
be honest, I set it in my “to read” file, and didn’t look at it again. A few
months later, I heard that Chris was graciously opening his home in Seattle
for Loraine, a member of his church, to host a celebration party that
leaders in our company host when others reach the VP level of our business.
When I drove up to this beautiful home, and met
Chris and his lovely wife and children, I knew they were very special. I was
amazed as this young man began to speak, and poured out incredible wisdom
beyond his years. The next afternoon, as I rode the ferry boat to visit my
son on Orcas Island, I devoured The Angel Inside. I
literally could not put it down. It touched me just as the early books of Og
Mandino did early in my career. Chris has an incredible gift of weaving time
tested success principles in a compelling story. Chris’ next book
Twelve Pillars, co-written with personal development legend Jim
Rohn, made just as big of an impression on me and my team. We quickly saw a
classic series developing! Then Chris sent me a preview copy of the
manuscript for The Image. I’m not sure if it’s because the
main character of this book, Susan, is a woman, but this is the one that hit
closest to home. I wondered how these books could keep getting better and
better! The principles Chris talks about in The Image are
principles I have had to learn to get me where I am today, and are key for
anyone who wants to achieve success in business.
It’s never too late to be the person you always
wanted to be, and it’s never too late to inspire others to do the same. We
all have a gift, and a purpose. I can promise you, that once you begin to
read The Image you will not be able to put it down. Like the movie,
Pay it Forward, enjoy it, but pass it on to inspire others. You
have just lit your own fire. Now pass on your torch, and fuel the flame to
ignite others! You can make a difference, and with God’s
strength, you are well on your way!"
This is one book you will refer to again and again and give away
again and again!
Plus Receive
2 Bonuses with Your Purchase!
Bonus 1: Receive FREE your choice of Zig's
Little Book of Big Quotes by Zig Ziglar ($2.25 value) or
Jim Rohn's
Building Your Network Marketing Business 67 minute CD
($4 value) for each book you order!
So if you order 25 books at the Special quantity discount pricing, receive
an additional 25 copies of either Zig's
Little Book of Big Quotes or Building Your Network Marketing
Business.
Bonus 2: When you order in quantities of 25
books or more you will receive a free 15 minute coaching consultation with
Chris Widener. In quantities of 100 or more you will receive a free 45
minute coaching consultation with Chris (a $195 value).
Special pricing on single and quantity
purchases for this New Release
is available.
Also Special Chris Widener Book Package containing The Image,
Twelve Pillars and The Angel Inside is Available! Special
Buy All Chris Widener Package also available.
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5. More Information
Ezine Archives - To review previous issues of Chris Widener's Ezine,
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