100,000 working hours

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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A person of 25 has before him or her some 100,000 working hours should the person decide to retire at 65.

 

How many of your working hours will be alive with the magnificent force of a positive mental attitude?

 

And how many of them will have the life knocked out of them with the detrimental effects of a negative mental attitude?

 

That is an important question because the end result of your life will be affected by your attitude.

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An interesting experience about customer service.

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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I received an email that Macy's was holding a great sale last week so needing a couple of suits, I headed there. I found a great sale and actually bought 4 suits instead of 2.
While I was trying them on, the salesman approaches me and says that Macy's is going to hold another sale in a week and that they were going to slash 25% off the prices I was buying. I would save a lot more money. He then said that he would give me the 25% discount right there and then.
That is great customer service and has made me loyal to that particular salesman and to Macy's in general.

I go to Books and Books yesterday since I had an hour to kill before meeting my sister and brother in law in Houston's in Coral Gables.
I just love Books and Books. It is my favorite book store and I buy lots of books and I do my own book signings there. Many of my friends visit it and often we meet at the restaurant at the back to eat and have some quality time to chat. Mitch the owner is a great guy and a very close friend to my very close friend Bruce Turquel.

I write about what happened now  so as to help them change their ways and also to help readers of my blog.

I saw a book that had great information that I could use in a meeting I had a few hours later so I decided to buy it. I had received an email a couple of days ago that said that Books and Books was holding a sale on July 4th discounting 30% of all books.  I always get a 10% author's discount there but I couldn't add my 10% to the 30% and I am ok with that an understand it.

I go to the register to pay and I tell the very nice lady there that I had received the email announcing the sale and I wanted to buy the book right there and then with the 30% discount.

She said that she didn't know if she could do that but she was willing to go to the manager and ask.

She did go to the manager and came back and said that she was so sorry, that the manager said it couldn't be done.

I needed the book right then and there but just to see what she would do, I  asked her if she could then hold the book for me, in other words, reserve it so that I could get it the 4th of July. She told me that she couldn't do that either.

I would like all of you to analyze this. Here I am at the store, I have the book in my hands, I want to buy it right there and they say no because I am a couple of days early.

While she was checking with the manager, I opened my Ipad, went to Amazon and looked for the book. They had it for 20.00 plus the 3.99 roughly equal to the 30% discount I could get in Books and Books.

I then saw thye had it on Kindle which would allow me to have it right away for 14.99.

So, right there, in my favorite store, I was forced to buy from a competitor with one click because I needed the information in the book for my afternoon meeting and with the kindle I could get it right away.

Companies, stores, businessess need to keep up with client's demands and they need to solve a client's problem when it is so easy to do so.

I felt bad having to buy from a competitor when I really wanted to buy from Books and Books, an independent bookstore, because I am a loyal client, they are a very important part of our community and we all need to support them in their effort to compete with national stores.

I hope they will learn this lesson because I plan to remain a loyal client.

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Answer to the reader who wrote me about passion

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

Dear reader:

Thank you for writing me. You make very good points about following your passion. You provide the example of a young want to be actor that has to wait tables in Los Angeles until the right opportunity comes up. If he is single and 25, he can do so and in fact many artists have done so and have become Hollywood stars, most people that have done haven't become stars and have had to find other careers.
If a person is married and has the responsibility of raising a family, and what he or she has passion for doesn't provide an acceptable income in order for him to raise his family, then he has to bite the bullet and do what he needs to do.
In that case he would have to work at whatever and at night go to theather classes or write scripts or do something that would keep him at least in some way connected to his passion.
I will never forget a waiter who used to work for my ex wife in an events company who was so good that clients would request him as a waiter. One day after a wedding in Casa Espana in San Juan, PR, I approached him and congratulated him for doing such a good job. I then said, "you must love being a waiter, you were born to do this". And he said "I hate being a waiter. I am a dentist. My family had to leave Colombia because of the FARC (the communist guerrillas), they were going to kidnap us and since we didn't speak English, we came to Puerto Rico. I am studying weekdays to revalidate my career here in PR and start practicing as a dentist"
This man is doing what he needs to be doing in order to attain his dream of practicing dentistry.
In life, you will have to sacrifice things you love to do in order to pay the price and be able to get them down the road.
I don't define success by passion as you write in your email. Passion is an ingredient of success but I often talk about "well being" that is much more than success. Well being is a state that can be achieved by balancing financial stability, health, career, social and community.
Balancing these five I think you can get as close as possible as happiness.
So, in the case of our husband, he must continue doing his work and taking care of his family but at the same time he must find areas of his work that he can find passion for. Sometimes we only focus on the negative but if we look for positives, we find many that are right before our eyes and we don't see them.
If he absolutely hates his job or career, then he must start looking for something else that more resembles his passion but keeping in mind that job one is taking care of himself and his family.
He might not be yet ready to switch so he must adopt the "not yet" mentality, in other words, he is on his way but not quite ready.
You know, his problem is one that a lot of  unemployed people would kill for. He has a job and makes relatively good money. I suspect that he has an attitude problem and he should work on that.



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Email received about following your passion.

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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This is an email I received in regards to my previous post of following your passion.

 

I think you should explore the concept of having passion for your job. Although there are some people

 

who may love what they do, that is not the majority. The purpose of working is to provide income for

 

yourself and your family. Example: you love nothing more than to act. Well it's okay to be a Starving actor

 

living in a studio in Los Angeles and waiting tables on the side if you are 25 and alone. But it is not

 

appropriate if you are married and have a small child to feed. So your responsibility should trump your

 

passion in this scenario... Right???? So   If you happen to be someone who is passionate about

 

something that doesn't bring enough income for your situation.., ie playing a sport or acting or painting...

 

Then what do you do? What if you love guitar but simply aren't good enough to become famous, or you

 

are an excellent guitarist  but have never had the X factor of being discovered at a bar by a good

 

producer, or know a friend of a friend who connected you to just the right person. So you have all this

 

talent but it makes you no money. What do you do?  I ask you this because of my husband. He's

 

miserable. But he has three kids to feed. So if you define success by passion for what you do and your

 

passion doesn't equal financial stability then is it impossible to be successful? And if what is important is

 

to have passion for your work and most people don't feel this passion isn't that setting them up for simply

 

feeling sorry for themselves instead of being productive? Similar to marriage. When your standard for

 

marriage is "feeling" in love and that feeling wears off then the only alternative is divorce which results in

  

a life of other related failures: loss of income, struggles with your children, instability ... So people spend

 

their time chasing these "feelings" passion, being in love, happiness ... I'm not sure this is the right

 

formula. Do you have any insight on this because my family is in this kind of crisis. Should my husband

 

quit his job and become a teacher making $40000 putting us in more financial strain and forcing me to

 

leave my children to become the bread winner? And what if he realizes (as most do) that what he thought

 

would be his passion is not as great as he thought it was going to be- he hates waking up in the morning

 

or he finds being around kids all day quite annoying instead of stimulating. What happens to passion for

 

your work when there are other players involved that count on you? 

 

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Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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Many people seem to think that success in one area can compensate for failure in other areas of life.

 

But can it really?

 

Perhaps it can for a limited time.

 

But think about it. As I discuss in my latest book, "Keep Your Eye on the Marshmallow", success is not just a measure of how financially independent you are, it is about having  strong mutually beneficial relationships, passion for your job, career or hobby, good health, and a vision that goes further than your own family, into your community, country or even the world.

 

I call this state of success "well being".

 

True success requires balance other wise it is an illusion.

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A thousand mile journey begins with the first step.

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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On a ten point scale if I am at level 3 in any field and desire to move to level 5, I must first take the first step toward level 5.

 

A thousand mile journey begins with the first step and can only be taken one step at a time.

 

Change is happening very fast and you must keep up with our new reality.

 

I spent the whole day last Thursday attending TED Global in Scotland beamed into an auditorium in Delray Beach.

 

The tickets were free and were offered to the community. I was shocked to see half the auditorium empty.

 

The quality of the speakers were superb, luckily some of them you will be able to see soon at TED.com when their talks are uploaded. Only some of them.

 

Life sometimes doesn't offer second opportunities, watch the talks when they come up.

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Do you do what you do best every day?

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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Gallup, the prestigious survey and management company asked a question of 1.7 million employees  in 101 companies from 63 companies.

 

It was a simple question:

 

In your company, do you on a daily basis get the opportunity to do what you do best?

 

Results: Only 20% of employees, globally working in companies agreed that they have an opportunity to apply their strengths in their jobs.

 

How can companies be so near sighted?

 

Do you think that the San Antonio Spurs would be successful if they played Tim Duncan in the guard position?

 

Or the Heat play Dwight Wayne as a center?

 

No, of course not.

 

Your employees are your most important asset. The only way you can be successful is if they each do what they do best.

 

That team effort is what will get you ahead in a competitive market place.

 

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Biggest challenge is dealing with people

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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Inadequate people skills can cause as much trouble for a manager as any other factor, possibly even more. Human resources managers agree almost unanimously that people leaving their jobs or getting fired result not from a lack of technical ability or lack of hard work, but most often from difficulties in relating to and dealing with people.

Unfortunately, often we don't realize that we have difficulties in this area and when we do, it is already too late.

Companies are made of people and managing them is the most important challenge managers face every single day.

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Management versus leadership

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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Management is clearly different from leadership. Leadership is primarily a high powered , right brain activity.

 

It is more of an art, it is based on a philosophy.

 

You have to ask the ultimate questions of life when you are dealing with personal leadership issues.

 

In management, you must execute the strategy and deal with the most difficult part of any job: people.

 

Different personalities, expectations, cultures, beliefs, attitudes, behaviors etc. and motivate them to work together towards a common vision and goal.

 

If it were easy, everyone could do it and not everyone can.

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For some people life is boring.

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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For some people life is boring. They haven't found their passion yet, they simply exist, nine to five Monday to Friday and Saturday and Sunday off to do nothing, maybe drink beer, hang out, and start all over again on Monday.

 

That is very sad and what is even sadder is that it is the case for the majority of people in every country, all over the world.

 

There are a few that go overboard. They simply want too much excitement, often placing themselves and others at risk. There is a psychological trait that these people have and we can identify it and help those that carry it try to moderate their actions.

 

This is a great example of this behavior. It is a great video and very entertaining. Watch it when you are free or during a weekend. Don't miss it.

 

http://www.youtube.com/embed/hUj65M4T1cg?feature=player_embedded

 

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Finally over a million views on my TED U Talk

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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1,000,197 Views

In this short talk from TED U, Joachim de Posada shares a landmark experiment on delayed gratification -- and how it can predict future success. With priceless video of kids trying their hardest not to eat the marshmallow.

Joachim de Posada is a speaker and motivational coach. He's the author of "How to Survive Among the Piranhas" and "Don't Eat the Marshmallow ... Yet.
If you haven't seen it, go to http://www.ted.com/talks/joachim_de_posada_says_don_t_eat_the_marshmallow_yet.html

Also, if you are around Miami on June 4th, we will be presenting Keep your Eye on the Marshmallow at Books and Books in Coral Gables at 8pm. Hope to see you there.

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Imagination and the power to choose

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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Through imagination, human beings have the power to visualize uncreated or unrealized worlds of potential that lies within every single human being.

 

Through our conscience, what Freud used to call the super ego, we can come in contact with universal laws or principles and when we connect them with our own, unique singular talents and ways we can contribute to our happiness and the happiness of others, we are able to write our own script in our lives and not be at the mercy of circumstances.

 

Yes, there are many, many things we can't control in life. Some good, many even bad ones. But what we do have the power to do is to choose how we react to any event we face in life.

 

That is our biggest singular power.

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A state of well being

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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Sometimes there are apparently noble reasons given to making money, such as the desire to take care of one's family.

 

And these things are important.

 

But to focus on money making as a center of your attention, will bring about its own undoing.

 

To quote page 8 of our book Keep your Eye on the Marshmallow.

 

" While career advancement and financial health are important, there is much more to life. Success, then, is not just a measure of how financially independent you are; it's about having strong, mutually beneficial relationships;passion for your job, career or hobby; good health; and a vision that goes further than your own life or family, into your community, country or even the world. We call this state of success "well being"."

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Increase the happiness level in your workplace or community now.

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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You have it in your power, under your control, to increase the sum total of happiness in your workplace and or community now. How?

 By taking the time to give a few words of praise or  appreciation to someone who is lonely, sad or discouraged because of circumstances in their own lives. Remember that when things are not working out for someone, for whatever reason, everything looks bleak and a word of encouragement can go a long way. 

 Perhaps, after a few minutes,  you will forget the the kind words you said to someone, but that person will not forget and will even remember them over a lifetime.


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Human Beings are limited

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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We have to accept that human beings are limited. But in reality, we can push back the borders of our limitations.

 

An understanding of how our brain functions and the power it has, leads us to believe that there is tremendous unused potential in all of us. No, that we use only 10% of our brain is a myth. Don't believe it.

 

How can it be said that we use only 10% of our brain when we really don't know the full potential of the brain. We just don't know. But we are learning fast and it is very exciting.

 

The more we learn, the more clearly we can focus the power of the brain and the greatness of our mind to solve our problems and guide us to achieve our dreams.

 

Don't get in the way with dogma, with old time thinking, with what you were taught as a child, most of it wrong, and discover the world out there full of exciting opportunities.
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Human beings are limited, but...

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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We have to accept that human beings are limited. But in reality, we can push back the borders of our limitations.

 An understanding of how our brain functions and the power it has, leads us to believe that there is tremendous unused potential in all of us. No, that we use only 10% of our brain is a myth. Don't believe it.

 

How can it be said that we use only 10% of our brain when we really don't know the full potential of the brain. We just don't know. But we are learning fast and it is very exciting.

 

The more we learn, the more clearly we can focus the power of the brain and the greatness of our mind to solve our problems and guide us to achieve our dreams.

 

Don't get in the way with dogma, with old time thinking, with what you were taught as a child, most of it wrong, and discover the world out there full of exciting opportunities.

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30.8 million dollars for a 500 year old manuscript?

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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Leonardo Da Vinci wrote a manuscript titled the Codex Leicester. Bill Gates bought the manuscript for $30.8 million in 1994, making it the most valuable manuscript in the world. So, I asked myself why would Bill Gates,  who's at work reinventing the nuclear reactor, trying to eradicate malaria in the world and inventing toilets to prevent diseases, be so interested in a 500-year-old journal?
Here is his anwer:
"It's an inspiration that one person--off on their own, with no feedback, without being told what was right or wrong--that he kept pushing himself," Gates says, "that he found knowledge itself to be the most beautiful thing."

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Successful people

Joachim De Posada

By Joachim De Posada

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Successful people are willing to do things that unsuccessful people are not willing to do.

Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of passion, sincere intention and great effort.

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