Chris Widener's Ezine
November 18, 2009
Issue 126

Welcome!

To my U.S. readers preparing for next week’s holiday, happy Thanksgiving! To my international readers, while you’re not celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday, I think being a giving, thankful person is a key to living a fulfilling and joyful life. So here are a few thoughts I have on giving that I want to share with you.

Giving—of yourself, your time, your money, your energy—is something that takes us from simply being successful people, in the traditional sense of the term, to being people who lead successful lives.

Giving is what makes us fully human. It is the essence of what we are—people who are here on earth together, not simply people who hope to clamor to the top of the pile in the survival of the fittest. Yes, pursue your life and your success with wild abandon; be responsible for yourself and take ownership of your life, realizing that you cannot be responsible for others, but also allow yourself to become a giving person.

Giving is also what allows us to accomplish things far beyond ourselves; and that is part of what living the life of our dreams is all about, right? Accomplishing great things through ourselves and others!

You Are Made For Success!
Chris Widener

P.S. Today's issue is going out to 117,910 subscribers. If you've gained value from what you read in my e-zine, 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. Chris Widener's Treasury of Quotes
5. More Information

1. Charting Your Course to Success Article

The Power in Praising Your Family by Chris Widener

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 become 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.

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 the 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 grow. Who is going to have greater relationships: the one who tears down or the one who builds up?

Stronger relationships and loyalty. When a 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 hardworking? 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 creating healthy family relationships, this is a great place to start!

—Chris Widener

Add a unique touch to your holiday cards this year. Insert the Chris Widener Treasury of Quotes booklet in the envelopes! Check out this special offer now!

2. Made for Success Quote and Commentary

“Be yourself, be tenacious, be kind and be thankful. This is the short recipe for success and happiness in life.” —Chris Widener

Chris’s Commentary:
When she cooks, my wife goes through the cookbook item by item, following the recipe exactly. When I cook, it is a dash of this and a cup of that. And, you know what? Both of them turn out tasty! So here is my short recipe for success and happiness. Being yourself lets you operate out of your strengths and not feel discouraged that you can’t be someone else. Being tenacious will always see you farther than those who give up. It will see you through to your dreams. Being kind will put people on your side, and having people on your side will advance your cause further than you can imagine. It will also give you many friends. Being thankful will keep you in the right state of heart and mind, reminding you that life is a gift!

Action Point:
Take some time today to do the following: Think through and live out who you are. Give an extra effort at something you are tempted to give up on. Do something kind for three people. Remind yourself that you have a lot to be thankful for, and say thanks.

3. The Last Word...

I hope you don’t mind two issues in a row with some wise words from my friend and personal-achievement expert, Brian Tracy. Here’s a nugget from an article by Brian called “Keys to Personal Power.” It’s perfect for the approaching Thanksgiving holiday!

An Attitude of Gratitude
The need for appreciation is a deep, subconscious desire of every person you meet. When you satisfy this need, you will become one of the most popular people in your world. And what is the key to expressing gratitude and appreciation? Simple. Just say thank you on every occasion.

—Brian Tracy

4. Chris Widener's Treasury of Quotes

You can also choose inspirational booklets from other renowned success experts. Share quotes, words of wisdom and sage advice from authors Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, Denis Waitley, Brian Tracy and others. They’re just the right size for stocking stuffers or to send with holiday cards! Some as low as 64 cents each in quantity!

Learn more about this very special offer! You may also order by calling 877-929-0439.

5. More Information

Ezine Archives - To review previous issues of Chris Widener's Ezine, please go to: Ezine Archives

Printer-Friendly Version - Chris Widener's Ezine: Issue 126 - Printer-Friendly

How to Subscribe - Subscribe at Chris Widener International

How to Unsubscribe - Use the automatic link at the bottom of this email

For a complete listing of Chris Widener's books, CDs and downloadable products go to:
Chris Widener's Online Catalog

Booking Chris Widener - Send an email to speaker@chriswidener.com and include your name, company, date and location of event, along with anticipated audience size and composition.

No Spamming or List Sharing! - You can rest assured that your subscription email address will be kept in the strictest confidence. We do not divulge, nor make available to any third party, our subscription list. Your privacy is paramount to us! Therefore, it receives the respect it deserves!

Copyright/Reprint Info - The contents of this Ezine may be copied, reproduced, or freely distributed for all nonprofit purposes without the consent of the author as long as the author's name and contact information are included.

Example: Reproduced with permission from the Chris Widener Ezine. To subscribe to Chris Widener's Ezine, go to http://www.chriswidener.com  Copyright 2009 Chris Widener International. All rights reserved worldwide.

All contents Copyright 2009 Chris Widener International except where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved worldwide. **Duplication or reprints only with express permission or approved Credits (see above). All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

This email sent by:

Chris Widener International
200 Swisher Road
Lake Dallas, TX 75065
877-929-0439
International and/or Dallas/Ft Worth - 940-497-9264
Fax - 940-497-9799 or visit the website - http://www.chriswidener.com

This ezine address is not set up to receive emails. Your message is very important to us, so please use one of the methods below to contact us. The best way to contact us is to email us customersupport@chriswidener.com. Or you can visit us at here. You can also reach us by calling our customer service line toll free at 877-929-0439. Thank you very much for being a valued ezine reader.