Chris Widener's Ezine
November 5, 2008
Issue 99

Welcome!

Have I told you that I have something in common with 2000 Olympic wrestling silver medalist and Mixed Martial Arts middle-weight contender Matt "The Law" Lindland? Oh, sure, I can sometimes be a tough guy, but you won't find me getting on the mat with Matt, so that's not it. And we both are highly motivated guys who set clear goals and constantly strive to get better at what we do, but that's not it either. What I'm talking about is the fact that we've both been recently honored as Dad of the Month by DadsWorld.com, the world's leading website for dads. I even beat Matt to the punch, so to speak, as I was named July 2008 Dad of the Month and he was a later honoree.

It's humbling to be honored in this fashion. I am very proud of my family and consider this tribute to be as much a reflection on them as it is on me. It is also a reminder to me of the importance of loving your kids, encouraging them, teaching them, and kickin' them (figuratively speaking) in the rear when they need it!

Go here to see the brief interview with me:
http://www.dadsworld.com/dad-of-the-month/July2008-dotm.html

You Are Made for Success!
Chris Widener

P.S. Today's issue is going out to 110,068 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. Need a lift to Successville?
5. More Information

1. Charting Your Course to Success Article

The Power in Praising Your Family by Chris Widener (Excerpted from Week Nineteen of the One Year Plan)

One of the keys to success is to have successful relationships. We are not islands and we don't get to the top by ourselves. And one of the key ways to grow successful in our relationships is to be "life-giving" people to others. With every person we meet, we either give life to or take life from.

You know what I mean. There are people who encourage you and after spending time with them you feel built up. Then there are others who make you feel torn down. Successful people are people who have mastered the art of building up others. This is especially true of our families.

One of the ways we build up our families is to praise them. There is power in praising people! Something begins to happen in them, in you, and in your relationship when you praise someone. Can you remember a time when someone told you something about you in a praising manner? It was great, wasn't it? You probably liked that person more after they praised you, didn't you?

Now I am not talking about praising people for the sake of praising people. I am talking about honestly looking for and praising positive character traits and actions of your spouse and children. Don't lie to them. If they have done something wrong, correct it, but when they do something right, praise it!

With that said, here are benefits of and ways to start praising the people in your family.

Benefits:

Your relationship grows. Life is about relationships--family relationships, friends and co-workers. When we begin to praise people for their positive aspects, our relationships grow. It puts them, and us, on the fast track. Your leadership and influence grows. Who is going to have greater relationships, the one who tears down or the one who builds up?

Stronger relationships and loyalty. When the person is appreciated and praised, they become fiercely loyal, because they know that you care for them, love them and appreciate them. This will take you to success.

Happier, more fulfilled people. I truly believe it is our job to build the members of our family up and that they need it. There will always be others who come along to tear them down; it is our job to instill in them the power of praise!

Some Ways to Praise:

Character traits. Is your wife joyful? Is your husband hard-working? Is your son or daughter honest? Then let them know how much you appreciate that in them. Say something like this, "You know Tom, I think it is great that you are such a hard-worker. You really set a good example and I want you to know how much I appreciate that." Simple!

Action. Same idea as above. "Sue, I don't know if I have ever told you this, but I love how you always take action on the things you believe in. Thanks for that."

Other ways you can show praise and appreciation is with a card or a gift.

Make it your goal to praise every member of your family at least once each day. If you can, praise them a few times a day. It will take work but it is possible. It just takes discipline and a little work.

Any way you cut it, there is power in praising people. If you are serious about healthy family relationships, this is a great place to start!

Questions for Reflection

Q. Do you know the best way to express love to your spouse so they interpret it as love and can appreciate it the most? Do you tell your spouse and kids that you love them each and every day?

Q. Would your family characterize you as having a serving attitude and heart toward the rest of the family? Why or why not? In what ways could you become a person who serves better?

Q. Are your family relationships characterized by honest and open communication? If not, what is the hindrance? What could you do to open up the communication?

Q. Are you patient with your spouse and children? Who are you most patient with? What are the things that trigger a lack of patience in you? How can you improve in that area?

Q. When was the last time you had fun - real fun - with each member of your family? What kinds of fun things do you like to do with your spouse? What kinds of fun things do you like to do with your kids? More importantly, what fun things do they like to do with you?

Chris Widener  

To hear (or see) what Chris Widener has to say about the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan or to join Chris and Jim Rohn as part of the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan and to participate in a Special Introductory Offer, go to http://oneyear.jimrohn.com or call 800-929-0434 for more information.
 

2. Made for Success Quote and Commentary

"Nothing you do for children is ever wasted. They seem not to notice us, hovering, averting our eyes, and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted." -- Garrison Keillor

Chris' Commentary:
I get a lot of emails and phone calls about kids. People want to make sure that they are making a difference in the lives of the kids around them, whether they are their kids or perhaps the kids of friends or relatives. The issue is that they wonder if they are actually making a difference. The problem is that kids aren't very good at giving feedback. Can you imagine your six year old pulling you aside and saying, "You know mom, I have been meaning to tell you something. I just want you to know that all of your hard work, discipline and loving encouragement is changing and shaping my life in ways that will one day serve me well in the real world." Of course not! But the truth is that all of your hard work, discipline, and loving encouragement are changing and shaping them in ways that will serve them well one day! The key is to be involved, whether with your kids, or if you don't have kids, then with the children of your friends or relatives. Or your grandchildren. Don't expect much feedback, just get involved. Action Point: What can you do to make a difference in a child's life today? Then do it!

3. The Last Word...

My old friend Dianna Booher is releasing a new book this Friday and it's receiving some well-deserved attention ... Here is a brief note from Stephanie Speights, PhD, about the book. It's all about grammar in your business correspondence and the importance of paying attention to the little things that can make a big difference. Enjoy! -- CW

Are Your Sentences Sapping Your Sales?

Here's a new gripe that may be driving clients up the walls—and out the doors: Like the dripping of a leaking faucet, grammar errors can grate on their ears. Do these comments sound familiar to what you hear around you every day?

"Bob and myself will be out to your office later today."  
"This equipment works real good."
"Please email Tom, Jean, or I, and we'll send you a pass to the tradeshow."
"Me and her are the only ones handling calls today."
"She don't understand the complexity of the problem."

Let me explain in the words of a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, talking about one of his vice presidents about to be dismissed.

"Roger has to go. He's just not the type we need around here. At the next rung of the ladder, these vice presidents will need to spend 90 percent of their time networking to bring in the big clients. They attend social functions, serve on community boards, entertain our biggest clients and their spouses for a week on a yacht in the Caribbean. Roger just doesn't have what it takes at this level. His hair looks disheveled half the time, and his grammar grates on me. In fact, his wife is an embarrassment socially when she accompanies him to client functions because her grammar is even worse than his. They're both college educated,…but just not polished."

Image can stall a relationship or a career—and certainly block a sale.

When customer emails and proposals contain grammar errors, customers begin to wonder, "If the writing is wrong, how do I know they'll amortize my loan correctly?" "If they don't punctuate correctly, how do I know they'll deliver the merchandise on time?"  

And where there's no conversational context and feedback, there's an even bigger issue than image:  clarity!  Add or remove a comma in a sentence, and you may unknowingly reverse the meaning of a sentence.

If I'm hitting a little close to home here, you may find this book helpful:  Booher's Rules for Business Grammar: 101 Fast and Easy Ways to Correct the Most Common Errors  (McGraw-Hill) by Dianna Booher to the rescue. The entertaining, brief chapters (most 1-2 pages) focus on the common mistakes you hear every day (like the ones in my opening paragraph). The examples and "memory tricks" at the end of each chapter solidify the principle for the next time, and the next time, and the next time you find yourself in the same situation.

There's also a free online assessment at www.howsyourgrammar.com   

Frankly, bad grammar is like bad breath—even your best friends won't tell you. In tough economic times, super stars remain successful because they pay attention to the little things that can make a big difference.

Errors Marked from Above:
"Bob and myself will be out to your office later today."  
"This equipment works real good."
"Please email Tom, Jean, or I, and we'll send you a pass to the tradeshow."
"Me and her are the only ones handling calls today."
"She don't understand the complexity of the problem."

For more information, visit www.boohersrules.com

4. Need a lift to Successville?

Okay, so Successville isn't really the name of a place, but let's use it as a symbol of your ultimate destination to success in your business and your life.

In today's economic climate, you may be struggling to get traction on your journey to Successville.

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To learn more, go to http://www.YourSuccessStore.com/Successville today or call 877-929-0439.

5. More Information

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