Quotes and Anecdotes

<strong style="font-weight: 600;font-size: 1.2em">My Business or Your Business?</strong> <span class="customsmall customnewline">How gossip sucks the life out of an organization</span>

My Business or Your Business? How gossip sucks the life out of an organization

Everyone has a vital role to play in creating a positive work environment. Still, although everyone knows it, sometimes things turn negative, or worse, toxic. One of the most counterproductive activities that can harm a business is talk, gossip, and needless...

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<strong style="font-weight: 600;font-size: 1.2em">Develop a Growth Mindset</strong> <span class="customsmall customnewline">It’s all about your attitude.</span>

Develop a Growth Mindset It’s all about your attitude.

Fixed mindset or growth mindset – it’s your choice. If you have a fixed mindset, you believe you are who you are, and you cannot change. This creates problems when you are challenged because anything that appears to be more than you can handle is bound to make you...

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<strong style="font-weight: 600;font-size: 1.2em">Real Life</strong> <span class="customsmall customnewline">Have you ever noticed the cleverest people at school are not necessarily those who make it in life?</span>

Real Life Have you ever noticed the cleverest people at school are not necessarily those who make it in life?

What you learn at school are facts, known facts. Your job at school is to accumulate and remember facts. The more you can remember, the better you do. Many times, those who fail at school are not interested in the facts, or maybe the facts are not put to them in a...

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<strong style="font-weight: 600;font-size: 1.2em">Be Prepared To Be Disappointed</strong> <span class="customsmall customnewline">…or make disappointment your strength!</span>

Be Prepared To Be Disappointed …or make disappointment your strength!

You can look at this as a positive or a negative statement, your choice. If you are prepared for disappointment, you have a chance of turning that disappointment into a positive. Most people think of disappointment as a negative and turn disappointment into a...

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<strong style="font-weight: 600;font-size: 1.2em">Accuracy is Everything</strong> <span class="customsmall customnewline">You Must Sweat the Small Stuff</span>

Accuracy is Everything You Must Sweat the Small Stuff

If you don’t care about the tiny details, you’ll produce bad work because good work is the culmination of hundreds of tiny details. The world’s most successful people all sweat the small stuff. While the competitors think consistency or big wins are the path to the...

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<strong style="font-weight: 600;font-size: 1.2em">My Measuring Stick</strong> <span class="customsmall customnewline">Measure workplace strength for you and your company</span>

My Measuring Stick Measure workplace strength for you and your company

Do I know what is expected of me at work? Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work correctly? At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day? In the last 7-10 days, have I received recognition or praise for good work? Does my...

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<strong style="font-weight: 600;font-size: 1.2em">Harvesting Gratitude</strong> <span class="customsmall customnewline">A Bestifor Thanksgiving Message</span>

Harvesting Gratitude A Bestifor Thanksgiving Message

As we pause to celebrate Thanksgiving and the upcoming holiday season, we find ourselves reflecting on the incredible journey we've undertaken together as a company. This season of gratitude provides the perfect opportunity to express our deepest thanks to the...

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<strong style="font-weight: 600;font-size: 1.2em">Reminiscing About The Future</strong> <span class="customsmall customnewline">Why are we so obsessed with the future?</span>

Reminiscing About The Future Why are we so obsessed with the future?

Because, as inventor Charles Ketterling has suggested, we will have to spend the rest of our lives there. If we can discern what the future has in store for us, we can better prepare for it. We can take advantage of what the future holds for us – we’ll know what...

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<strong style="font-weight: 600;font-size: 1.2em">Today</strong> <span class="customsmall customnewline">What can you do today that you couldn’t do yesterday?</span>

Today What can you do today that you couldn’t do yesterday?

Every time you achieve something new, you should immediately look for something to build on that success – often in ways that weren’t necessarily obvious to you beforehand. What can you do today that you couldn’t do yesterday that moves you closer to what you want...

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<strong style="font-weight: 600;font-size: 1.2em">The Best Is Yet To Be</strong> <span class="customsmall customnewline">Fifteen Ideas For A Better Organization</span>

The Best Is Yet To Be Fifteen Ideas For A Better Organization

Test assumptions as inferences Share all relevant information – no silos Focus on interest, not positions Be specific – use examples – don’t mince words Agree on what important words mean – clarity Explain the reasons behind one’s statements, questions, and actions...

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<strong style="font-weight: 600;font-size: 1.2em">Omnipresence</strong> <span class="customsmall customnewline">Being everywhere – in all places, at all times…always</span>

Omnipresence Being everywhere – in all places, at all times…always

All powerful companies, ideas, products, and people are omnipresent. This is the kind of mind-set from which you must operate – to make yourself (your company) available everywhere. The goal is to make people see you and/or your company, so often that they think of...

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<strong style="font-weight: 600;font-size: 1.2em">Action</strong> <span class="customsmall customnewline">Exactly how much action is necessary to create success?</span>

Action Exactly how much action is necessary to create success?

“The universe doesn’t give you what you ask for with your thoughts; it gives you what you demand with your actions.” -Dr. Steve Maraboli Too many of us are looking for the secret shortcut, and unfortunately in almost every instance, there is no shortcut. The more...

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<strong style="font-weight: 600;font-size: 1.2em">The Price or <i>The</i> Price?</strong> <span class="customsmall customnewline">The “Art” of Price Discovery</span>

The Price or The Price? The “Art” of Price Discovery

With stock and commodity prices all over the place and everyone trying to figure out "real value" is, it is time to share a favorite story. This is a wonderful tale about “price discovery” involving two of our nation's most famous business titans: J.P. Morgan and...

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Broken Windows

Broken Windows

When is a dirty bathroom a broken window? It is a question that today could be at the core of a business’s success or failure. Answering that question correctly and using the answer as a beacon could allow your business to dominate its competition indefinitely....

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Dipper and the Bucket

Dipper and the Bucket

The Theory of the Dipper and the Bucket Each of us has an invisible bucket. It is constantly emptied or filled, depending on what others say or do to us. When our bucket is full, we feel great. When it’s empty, we feel awful. Each of us also has an invisible...

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The Joy of Being Wrong

The Joy of Being Wrong

…or, “The Thrill of Not Believing Everything You Think” I have a pair of beige, stonewashed jeans that I love. A friend of mine once made the mistake of calling them gray, so I corrected her. A spirited disagreement ensued, and I enlisted the help of various...

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Success vs Excellence

Success vs Excellence

What is the difference between Success and Excellence? Success is based on a comparison with others. Excellence is measured against your own potential. The only comparison I should be managing is with myself. Will I be better tomorrow than I am today? Will I be...

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Tenacity

Tenacity

Tenacity [tuh-nas-i-tee] noun _____________________ the quality of being very determined; persistent forward momentum with a game plan; to never stop trying to achieve a goal even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds “There are risks and costs to action....

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Confident <i>yet</i>  Humble

Confident yet  Humble

When in decision-making meetings, argue as if you’re right, but listen as if you believe you’re wrong. When in conflict with team members, be willing to lose a few battles to win the war. Predetermine what “hills you are willing to die on.” Remain teachable in new...

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Thankfulness at Thanksgiving

Thankfulness at Thanksgiving

“Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year because it reminds us to give thanks and to count our blessings. Suddenly, so many things become so little when we realize how blessed and lucky we are.” -Joyce Giraud “Thankfulness is the quickest path to joy.”...

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What’s Your Limit?

What’s Your Limit?

“The only thing limiting you is yourself.” -Ken Poirot “If you surround yourself with positive people who build you up, the sky’s the limit.” -Joel Brown “Push YOURSELF to the edge of YOUR limits. That’s how you expand.” -Robin Sharma “There is no finish line. It’s...

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Confidence

Confidence

The man who thinks he can and the man who thinks he can’t are both right.  Confucius knew that an individual executes to the level of what he or she believes in themselves. Create a higher level of self-confidence – create a higher level of self-esteem. Many people...

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Pareto’s Principle

Pareto’s Principle

The 80/20 Rule Most of what exists in the universe – our actions, and all other forces, resources, and ideas – has little value and yields little result; on the other hand, a few things work fantastically well and have tremendous impact. There is no magic in the 80...

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YOU, and your self-image

YOU, and your self-image

How do you feel about yourself as a person? Are you positive? Are you negative? On a scale from 1 to 10, what number would you use to describe how you feel about yourself? Take a moment to rate yourself. Whatever number you picked to describe your self-image also...

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Teach Me

Teach Me

This is what I know today, but I know there’s more to know. Our learning is dynamic and limitless. This allows you to be confident and passionate, while at the same time hungry and open to learning. Learning – it requires an intentional decision. The posture of...

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Adapt

Adapt

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change.” -Charles Darwin “I used to resent obstacles along the path, thinking, ‘If only that hadn’t happened life would be so good.’ Then I suddenly...

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Questions?

Questions?

We know the brain must answer every question posed to it, and that one of those answers might be “I don’t know.” What happens then? If we respond by just giving up, nothing is gained. In fact, a lot is lost. In addition to missing out on opportunities, we also...

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Labor Day

Labor Day

Labor Day was created in the United States to honor the contributions of the vast workforce of the country. Celebrating Labor Day reminds us of the value of people who work in different industries. It is through them that we have all of the conveniences we’re...

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Be Ambitious

Be Ambitious

“A man’s worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions.” -Marcus Aurelius Ambition is the most important tool to achieve success, overriding both talent and resources by far. An ambitious attitude can lead anyone to triumph and satisfaction, regardless of...

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Servant Leadership

Servant Leadership

It’s been said for a thousand years: Give and you shall receive. That is the essence of servant leadership. Character:  You serve your team with credibility, integrity, and the core values that they expect. Learning:  You serve your team by being a student, by...

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What’s Your Limitation?

What’s Your Limitation?

“Believe in your infinite potential. Your only limitations are those you set upon yourself.” -Roy T. Bennett “Most people are not really free. They are confined by the niche in the world that they carve out for themselves. They limit themselves to fewer...

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Awareness

Awareness

“Awareness precedes change.” -Robin Sharma Awareness is the ability to perceive what is going on – or not going on – in the world around and within us. Paying attention is proactive. It is a conscious act that expands our consciousness. A key to dramatic growth is...

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Accomplishment

Accomplishment

“What could we accomplish if we knew we could not fail?” -Eleanor Roosevelt “If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” -Thomas Edison “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” -Max...

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Improvement

Improvement

“The only source of knowledge is experience.” -Albert Einstein “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” -Sun Tzu The biggest improvements we make usually come from upgrading areas of weakness and developing important skills and offerings we currently lack....

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Education

Education

“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” -Derek Bok “Education is that which remains when one has forgotten everything he learned in school.” -Albert Einstein “To learn and not to do is really not to learn. To know and not to do is really not to know.”...

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Curiosity

Curiosity

“Satisfaction of one’s curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness of life.” -Linus Pauling “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning.” -Albert Einstein “Curiosity is one of the most...

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Shall we work today?

Shall we work today?

“Self-belief and hard work will always earn you success.” -Virat Kohil “A dream does not become reality through magic, it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” -Colin Powell “Sometimes success is disguised as hard work.” -S. Truett Cathy “Amateurs hope,...

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Grandma’s Ham

Grandma’s Ham

The story of “Grandma’s Ham.” A husband and wife were fixing dinner one night. The wife, who was preparing the ham, cut off the two ends of the ham before putting it in the oven. The husband, who thought that was such a crazy waste of good ham, asked, “Why do you...

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The Law of Consistency

The Law of Consistency

Motivation gets you going, but discipline keeps you growing. It doesn’t matter how talented you are. It doesn’t matter how many opportunities you receive. If you want to grow, consistency is the key. Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to...

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A fable

A fable

One evening, an elder Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us. One is Fear. It carries anxiety, concern, uncertainty, hesitancy, indecision, and inaction. The other is...

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KNOWLEDGE

KNOWLEDGE

“Knowledge is the only instrument of production that is not subject to diminishing returns.” -J.M. Clark “When you really pay attention, everything is your teacher.” -Ezra Bayda ‘’A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their...

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LEVERAGE

LEVERAGE

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” -Peter Drucker “Leadership is about achieving a goal through a team. To achieve a goal, a team needs help – help to gain resources and to remove obstacles. Leadership boils down to a choice –...

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CREATURES OF HABIT

CREATURES OF HABIT

“The chain of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” -Samuel Johnson We focus on our strengths not only because it gives us more pleasure than dealing with our weaknesses, but also because we are creatures of habit. Once a routine...

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THE LANGUAGE OF PERSUASION

THE LANGUAGE OF PERSUASION

When using the language of persuasion: 7% of your impact is through your words  38% of your impact happens through the tone of your voice 55% of your impact happens through visual input Understanding tone and body language are critical to connect and persuade. You...

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Appreciate Problems

Appreciate Problems

Our natural tendency is to avoid problems, but they can be a blessing in disguise. If we think of problems as opportunities to improve or as puzzles to solve, businesses to start, or markets to win over, then we realize how potentially satisfying and profitable...

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RESPONSIBILITY

RESPONSIBILITY

“No raindrop ever considers itself responsible for the flood.” -Anonymous “The price of greatness is responsibility.” -Winston Churchill “Those who enjoy responsibility usually get it; those who merely like exercising authority usually lose it.” -Malcolm Forbes...

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JUST ASK

JUST ASK

“Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it!” – Mary Angelou “The sure way to miss success is to miss the opportunity.” – Victor Charles “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we are curious, and curiosity keeps leading us...

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SUCCESS

SUCCESS

“He who does nothing does not fail.” -Old Italian proverb “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” -Colin Powell “Don’t find fault, find a remedy.” -Henry Ford “We get to choose every day to be happy...

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On Courage

On Courage

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it take to sit down and listen.” – Winston Churchill “One of the best ways to persuade others is with your ears – by listening to them.” – Dean Rusk “The art of conversation lies in listening.” –...

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INTUITION

INTUITION

“We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge.”  – John Naisbitt “The only real valuable thing is intuition.” – Albert Einstein Intuition becomes increasingly valuable in the information society precisely because there is so much data. That means...

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ATTITUDE

ATTITUDE

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, or...

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Weekly Farm News

Sergio’s crew hard at work cleaning the fuelling station pad