The Sum

Life is a series of collisions with the future; it is not the sum of what we have been, but what we yearn to be.

(Jose Ortega y Gasset, Spanish Intellectual and Lecturer)

The desire that we have, the yearning for what we want to be is never given it is earned. The phrase "you have to pay your dues" is so very true yet so very simple that many individuals do not get its meaning. To get where you want to be you have to be focused on your objective, persistent and patient.

Peace Of Mind

There was a time in my life when I thought I had everything - millions of dollars, mansions, cars, nice clothes, beautiful women, and every other materialistic thing you can imagine. Now I struggle for peace.

(Richard Pryor, voted best comedian in the world by Comedy Central)

Money will not solve your problems and it will not make you happy. If that was the case than why is it that the highest percentage of people in the U.S. who commit suicide are millionaires? Peace of mind is something that is worth having in life. Without peace of mind it would not matter if you were the richest person in the world because you would still be unhappy. Peace of mind is what everyone should be striving for.

Noise Pollution

Why don’t you shut up?

(King Juan Carlos of Spain)

There's such a thing that I call noise pollution and that's when an individual talks beyond the message he wants to convey to his audience. It is much better to get your point across quickly and than let others have their say. By dragging things on you lose people's attention and you run the risk of being labeled any number of derogatory terms. When speaking get to the point and let others contribute their viewpoint.

Power

If I had the power in those days, I might have done other things to save merengue from extinction, but I didn’t have that power. Being the home-boy that I am, I had to limit myself, heeding the advice of a saying which I later learned: “If you can’t beat them, join them.”

(Johnny Ventura, Dominican Politician and Entertainer)

It is very important to know how to choose your battles. It will do you no good to get into a battle that you cannot win. By using wisdom you can avoid pitfalls that can be potentially devastating.

Something To Say

We had something to say. Whenever we played, people didn't dance, they listened.

(Ruben Blades, Lawyer and Entertainer)

In whatever you do, make sure that you convey a meaningful message to those around you. The message can be through a song, your actions or what you say it just has to be meaningful.

Work Hard

Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil.

(J. Paul Getty, Patriarch of the Getty fortune)

Good things happen to those who work hard for it. Despite the pitfalls that are encountered along the way as long as you persevere, things will be fine in the end. Work ethic is everything because than you can truly say that the rewards given are well earned.

No other way

A man who carries a cat by the tail learns something he can learn in no other way.

(Mark Twain, American Author)

Going out and doing things will give you the experience needed to survive in life. Theoretical learning is fine however it's the practical experience that is essential to character development.

Dignity of Labor

I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living.

(John D. Rockefeller, American Industrialist and Philanthropist)

Everyone has the same opportunities in this world despite what social strata they are born in. It's their decisions that lead them towards their path of choice. The opportunities are there for everyone however, it is the very few who ever learn how to take advantage of these opportunities when they are presented in life.

Alliances

In this new wave of technology, you can't do it all yourself, you have to form alliances.

(Carlos Slim Helu, Mexican Billionaire)

Corporate America has always formed alliances and that is why corporations continue to grow wealthier. It is easier to shoulder burdens with an alliance than by yourself. A corporate team of owners has always been the way to go as long as everybody is on the same page.

1-Foot Bars

I don't look to jump over 7-foot bars: I look around for 1-foot bars that I can step over.

(Warren Buffett, Entrepreneur)

With experience you learn the easiest, most efficient way to solve certain problems. The one thing that experience teaches you is to work smartly. A person still has to go through struggles but that is just a part of life that gives you character development. After you have gathered enough experience you are able to see where the one foot bars are and use them appropriately.

Artist

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.

(Pablo Picasso, World famous artist)

The stigma in a lot of schools nowadays are that arists and musicians are a little out there. The truth of the matter is that they have learned how to harness their creativity. Everyone is born with this creativity but society has been taught to stifle people's creative side as children. Think of how better off society would be if everyone would be allowed to nurture and harness their creativity.

Playing Good

We're not hitting on all cylinders, defensively. When we're playing good, I'll let you know.

(Tony Dungy, First NFL African American coach to lead a team to a Superbowl win)

When people allow themselves to be satisfied with their performance, they tend to start getting lax. Always set goals for yourself and when you achieve them, set them higher. Remember there's always room to learn and improve because that is a continual process.

Answer

We can't answer King's assassination with violence. That would be the worst tribute we could pay him.

(Sammy Davis Jr., Singer and Actor)

Answering with violence or hostility makes things worse in most cases.

Always go into situations level headed and always think things through and be prepared before each meeting.

Give

I give 'em the hip, then I take it away.

(Jim Thorpe, Native American Olympic Gold Medalist, NFL Hall of Famer and voted The Greatest American Athlete of the 1st half of the 20th Century)

When giving something to the community, don't give with false pretenses. Always give freely from the heart or not at all. People can sense when you are not sincere in your giving and giving with ulterior motives will backfire.

Feeling Better

When we lost, I couldn't sleep at night. When we win, I can't sleep at night. But, when you win, you wake up feeling better.

(Joe Torre, MLB Manager)

You not only feel better when you win, you feel better when you do the right thing and make amends for an act that should not have been done previously. Everyone makes mistakes, what separates those who never develop from those who continue to have character development is the ability to act and make things right from previous wrong actions.

Satisfaction

Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.

(Mahatma Gandhi, Non-Violent Activist of Indian independence)

In order to be fully satisfied you have to be pleased with your own personal effort, regardless of other people's opinions. Good things happen to those who put forth the effort and give their all. Those who don't continue to wait for things that shall never arrive.

Gift

Being a singer is a natural gift. It means I'm using to the highest degree possible the gift that God gave me to use. I'm happy with that.

(Aretha Franklin, Singer and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

Everyone is born with a natural gift or talent. Now what one does with that natural gift means all of the difference in the world. When one uses their gift to the fullest degree possible, that person for better or worse will make an impact on society.

Have to

You do what you have to do now so that later on you can do what you want to do.

(Denzel Washington, Academy Award winning Actor)

Nothing is ever given to anyone in life. In order to achieve anything in life there has to be struggle and sacrifice. You have to do things that you normally are averse to doing in order to have the luxury of doing what you enjoy in the future.

Excellence

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is a habit.

(Socrates, Philosopher)

Always get in the habit of doing the best job possible in any given task. When that habit is instilled in you good things start to happen. This starts a positive cycle that just builds momentum.

Teacher

If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.

(Confucius, Chinese Philosopher)

You can learn from everyone that is observed in your lifetime. The good and the bad qualities that are seen in people are all lifetime lessons for those who choose to learn from them. Those who will not learn from others around them will soon fall far behind those who will.

Competitive

If you're a competitive person, that stays with you. You don't stop. You always look over your shoulder.

(Magic Johnson, Businessman and Retired Professional Basketball Player)

A competitive drive is what fuels success in whatever endeavor you choose to participate in. If the drive is lost than it's time to step out of that game and find a new one to fuel those competitive fires. For those who have this trait not using that competitiveness will cause a lifetime of problems for the ones who are not in charge of anything.

Talent

The main thing to do is relax and let your talent do the work.

(Charles Barkley, Retired Professional Basketball Player)

In addition to the above, it is imperative in the creation of a company ownership team to have the right people in the right positions. Having a person misplaced in a position will cost the company untold wasted hours of nonproductivity. Placing team members in the right position will play to their strengths and cause optimal productivity.