Black Belt Mindset PowerBLOG

On the Death of Success & Individual Freedom

2010-03-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

Update! At least he's honest...Rev. Al Sharpton says America clearly voted for socialism when we elected President Obama...and so it goes...

Fundamentally, success is a feeling. That’s why money alone can’t define one’s success; it’s simply not possible. You can have all the money imaginable and still not “feel” successful while someone else with barely a pot to piss in might feel satisfaction in the extreme.

The only consistent feeling associated with success is abundance. When you feel a sense of abundance, or if you prefer, fulfillment in material, emotional and spiritual life you probably feel successful. That threshold of abundance or satisfaction is determined only by the person you’re looking at when you brush your teeth in the morning.

The destructive forces that act against success are:

     • Fear,
     • Doubt,
     • and Complacency.

Of the three, complacency is the most dangerous.

Never in my lifetime have I seen a more serious threat to individual freedom and personal liberty than the threat posed by the debate over mandatory healthcare in the United States. This is the most egregious attempt at collectivism in U.S. history and is proof that government imposed altruism is the most destructive force working against individual freedom.

The United States was founded on the principle of individual freedom. This made us, for the first time in history, a society in which the government was a servant of the people rather than one in which the people were subjects of the government. This important distinction was expressed to the world in the elegant prose of the Declaration of Independence. Most important was the declaration that individual rights are natural rights and not defined by a ruler or a ruling body. Our founders created a government that would above all assure that individual rights would be protected from any actions of that government.

The fact is, despite the rhetoric, healthcare is not a right. Your freedom to care for your own health is. You don’t have the right to health insurance anymore than you have the right to a plasma screen television or a new car. You have the right to pursue these things provided you don’t impose on the rights of others to do the same.

This important distinction resonates most clearly in the words the founders used to define exactly what natural rights were: “…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Note clearly the word “pursuit.” Your right is a freedom to pursue happiness, not a guarantee of it.

“A right does not include the material implementation of that right by other men; it includes only the freedom to earn that implementation by one’s own effort.” Ayn Rand

As soon as you allow your government to take from one to satisfy the needs or desires of another, you’ve crossed the line from freedom to tyranny; the only debate is one of scale.

If you feel it is morally just to provide for the healthcare of others, do it! It may be a moral obilgation to care for others, that's the job of charities not the government. You’re absolutely free to pay for the healthcare of another person or to purchase health insurance for your employees. In fact, you can even through the political process persuade the majority in your own State or municipality that you should provide all the basic material needs for the citizens of those entities and do so. The States and the people do have the privilege to create programs and make laws outside the power specifically enumerated in the Constitution; the federal government does not.

Why were the founders so paranoid about the power of a strong, centralized authority? That’s exactly what they rebelled against. As soon as the central authority has control over the natural rights of the individual, the government becomes a threat. It doesn’t matter if that threat comes from a king, a dictator, a president or from Congress.

Before you respond with the argument that all people living in the United States should be entitled to a basic level of healthcare ask yourself at whose expense? Before you consider that, remember that expense is not just a dollars and cents issue; those dollars and cents are only symbols representing the product of each individual’s labor. The government simply does not have the right to control the product of your individual labor (though arguably that limit has been violated numerous times throughout our history.) As soon as the government confiscates your labor and gives it to someone else, that government has become tyrannical and you’ve become a slave, not a free man.

One might argue that each of us offers our consent through the electoral process. The potential for abuse of that consent is exactly why the founders specified so clearly the limitations of federal power. The Constitution does not tell the government what it can do; it specifically tells the government what it can’t do.

So why do so many people want the government to expand and become the beneficent provider of our basic material needs?

Is it because we’re attempting to evolve into a more enlightened society that assures a basic level of material comfort for everyone? That’s the argument of every elitist in history. There are always those who know best you need most. When those people are elected to Congress, it’s inevitable that they feel entitled and endowed with the wisdom to decide what’s best for you. This is not theoretical; it’s happening.

Did the great socialist regimes of the 20th century succeed in creating a perfect altruistic society? No; every one failed miserable and slaughtered millions of people in the attempt. You can argue that this is because those societies were not ruled by Aristotelian intellectuals who theoretically rise above personal interest to rule with pre-ordained wisdom and kindness but rather by despots and psychopaths. It’s no accident that despots and psychopaths do pretty well politically when they can appeal to a society’s sense of entitlement or complacency.

The United States is the only society, or at least the first, that placed the interests of the individual above that of the collective; and it works. In the midst of our self-interest we are still the most dynamic, generous, charitable and selfless nation on earth.

So why are we locked in the most contentious debate in modern history over what seems to be the moral and logical desire to provide basic health care for every American?

Because we’re lazy.

Wouldn’t it be easier to simply have one system? We wouldn’t have to shop for insurance, we’d know that no matter what happens to us we can go to the doctor or hospital and our needs would be taken care of. Everyone would have access to the same basic care. Best of all, just like taxes, we really wouldn’t notice the costs of this service because it would just be taken care of; all we have to do is manage the money we have left after all the deductions are taken from our paychecks. Our healthcare, for all intents and purposes would be “free!”

Not so much.

The experiment has already failed. “FREE!” is not the same as freedom. Every example of nationalized healthcare has some degree of restriction, rationing and denial of treatment. The difference is that the authorities decide who is treated and how, not the individual. Certain treatments even in the most democratic versions in Canada and England are outlawed and access to them is restricted by law regardless of your ability to pay on your own. At the same time taxes in these semi-socialist states are the highest in the world; no, it’s not free.

This is the heart of the issue. It’s not about covering people with authentic need; we could have done that for the next 10 years with the money and resources we’ve wasted on this battle.

We’re again facing a defining moment in American history. Are we a bunch of complacent wimps who need a paternal government to provide for our basic needs? Are we reverting to the status of subject, subject to the generosity of our rulers?

Will we emerge from this as a people who above all cherish individual liberty or as a people who would prefer a central authority vested with our trust to define and assure just access to minimal standards of living for all?

Complacency will certainly assure just that.

Jim Bouchard is a speaker, media personality and author of Think Like a Black Belt (available May 2010) and Dynamic Components of Personal Power. Visit JimBouchard.org.

Note from Jim: Hey, I love to write in a hard-core, pithy, “man of the streets” style; that’s who I am. I’d love to inject some sarcasm and have a little fun with this whole issue. This issue is too important, so pardon my departure. For those who look for the “Black Belt” theme in my articles I’ll say that in this case, the real Black Belt Mindset is expressed by simply facing the challenge in front of us. Whichever way this issue goes, I’ll be back to task next week.

Lessons from Joe Stack and the Austin IRS Plane Attack?

2010-02-19T09:17:00.001-08:00

"It was totally out of character…" that's what Billy Eli and other friends of Joe Stack keep saying. Nobody saw this coming except maybe Joe Stack; and he did a good job of hiding it.

The likely reaction to the attack on the Austin IRS building will be to try and learn some lessons from this incident, to try and "keep this from ever happening again." Before we spin-off on too many tangents, let's take a focused look at Joe Stack and his motivations.

Stack was a seriously disturbed human being…period. The fact that his closest friends didn't see it is not unusual, in fact it's typical. Even if you know what signs to look for, your natural tendency to see the best in those close to you would likely prevent you from believing that anyone you know could be capable of such a horrific act of violence and destruction.

Stack was also a highly intelligent person. It shouldn't be hard to believe that he could purposefully hide his deepest angst and put a cheerful face on for the public. At the same time, everything was not roses and sunshine as evidenced by his recent divorce. He attempted to murder his estranged family by burning their home to the ground. In hindsight, I am certain that Stack's ex-wife will give us a different portrait of the man than the one his friends and casual acquaintances are painting.

An intelligent, clever, deranged person is capable of incredible levels of deception. In retrospect we'll see that much of Stack's life was a deception. It's already evident from his "manifesto" that he was hiding tremendous anger, resentment and a grave sense of injustice. His writings are that of a self-absorbed paranoid; experts are calling him a narcissist.

That doesn't mean he wasn't a nice guy and it doesn't mean anyone else could have seen this coming, even or especially those closest to him.

It would be typical for those closest to the perpetrator to experience extreme feelings of guilt and self-doubt. Could anyone have prevented this tragedy? Why didn't they see the signs?

These feelings are useless and unwarranted. The family and friends who survive Stack are victims; they are not complicit in his acts. He long ago chose to act alone. In his own words he says:

"Needless to say, this rant could fill volumes with example after example if I would let it. I find the process of writing it frustrating, tedious, and probably pointless… especially given my gross inability to gracefully articulate my thoughts in light of the storm raging in my head."

Stack couldn't sort out his anguish for himself, much less express his feelings to others. His manifesto is a pointless, rambling diatribe that blames society, the government, corporations, politicians and churches for what he perceives as the injustices in his life. There is only one short, but significant example of what might be interpreted as introspection in his 3,000 word suicide note:

"Sadly, though I spent my entire life trying to believe it wasn't so, but violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer."

Sadly, Stack reached a point where he genuinely believed this to be true.

There is a clear and present danger in our attempt to understand Joe Stack and the reasons for his attack. Our society is understandably in the midst of a heightened state of sensitivity when it comes to acts of extreme violence. We want to know the reasons behind it; we want to face our enemy and if possible, avenge the suffering and deaths of the victims.

There is no enemy here, but there are plenty of people who will attempt to create one and others who will exploit our sensitivity to exalt Joe Stack to martyrdom. There are organized and institutional enemies out there both outside and within our borders. There is no reason to believe Stack is associated with any of them. His actions were that of a psychotic; not a rebel with a cause.

Commentators have already remarked on the "articulate" expression in Stack's "manifesto." What "manifesto?" (Read Stack's suicide rant here.) This is a suicide note. There are no rational arguments, only attempts to assign blame. Stack rails against the same society and system in which he was able to create what most rational people would describe as a very comfortable, even successful life. Let's not lose sight of the fact that despite his incessant complaints of persecution and mistreatment, this guy flew his own private aircraft into that Austin building.

The danger is that his arguments will resonate with some. He identifies institutions that many will see as common enemies and he is likely to strike a chord with those who feel disenfranchised, particularly given our current economic conditions and our lack of confidence in our political system.

Do not make Joe Stack the leader of the 2^nd American Revolution; he was a violent psychopath. Joe Stack was a nut. This is a sad and tragic story and each of us given should pay close attention to the pressure and stress we feel, particularly if you're experiencing financial hardship or other difficulties. Pay even closer attention to any feelings of resentment and rage you might have, however justified, if your current situation is due to conditions or circumstances beyond your control.

No matter how bad it gets, would you burn down your own home, attempt to kill your ex-wife and step daughter and fly your plane into a building full of innocent people? If you do feel as if doing harm to others would be some kind of answer to your problems, please reach out and get help now.

You may at this very moment be experience some or most of the frustrations that Stack so emotionally expresses in what the media is calling his manifesto. The plain truth is that if you are experiencing financial or emotional challenges, whether these challenges are of your own making or due to conditions beyond your control, the solution always starts with you. You can choose to begin the process of making a better life for yourself, or you can choose to fall into a state of despair that would make you vulnerable to some degree of the insanity expressed by Stack. You can choose to attack windmills, or you can choose to take the first small step toward creating the life and success you want.

Let's be very careful that we don't allow Joe Stack to be transformed into a martyr or a hero. If he is a symbol, he should only be a symbol of our need to accept personal responsibility for creating the solutions to whatever problems we have. Let him be a symbol that we should pay close attention to the people around us and reach out to them if we think they need our help.

Most of all let him be a symbol of the fact that sometimes people simply succumb to the terrible condition of mental illness and sometimes it isn't anybody's fault.

My heartfelt sympathy goes out to the friends and families of those killed in this brutal incident. My sympathy extends to the friends and family of Joe Stack, particularly those who will feel that in some way they should have seen this coming.

My sympathy also extends to Joe Stack himself. It is a genuine tragedy that such an intelligent and seemingly gifted human being could not find a way to reach out for help before he caused so much violence, grief and suffering for so many.

A wasted life is always a tragedy.

"All life is precious and can never be replaced." Shaolin Temple saying

Jim Bouchard is an internationally recognized speaker and author of Think Like a Black Belt and Dynamic Components of Personal Power. Visit JimBouchard.org.

Update: Victim identified...

Why the Security Guards were right and what they did was wrong

2010-02-15T08:26:00.001-08:00

Sometimes you do the right thing and you get kicked in the ass; sometimes you get hurt. That's the plain facts of life. Sometimes doing the right thing means breaking some rules and risking a good ass kicking.

The Seattle security guards who stood by and watched one teenage girl kick another teenage girl in the head did everything by the book. It's about time we burned some books.

It's really a simple matter of policy. That statement should cause you to feel nauseated or angry, but it's true. The policy of the Olympic Security Service in Seattle is clear: observe and report. That's the policy for most civilian security agencies, store clerks and bank tellers across the country.

There's good reason for this policy. Most civilian employees are not trained to stop a violent attack and even if they are, they are not generally afforded the same legal discretion in the use of force equal to that given law enforcement personnel. The intention is to prevent untrained people from causing injury or harm to innocent people, or themselves.

Even law enforcement officers have been under increased pressure. They're sued for excessive force even in cases where their application of force appears more than reasonable. In most cases, they're subject to administrative leave and public condemnation as they wait for their names to be cleared. If their actions are deemed justified; the news of exoneration is seldom given the same media attention as the accusation of excessive force.

I'm not defending anyone who uses excessive force whether law enforcement or anyone else. The real danger today, however, is that you can be doing exactly the right thing as measured by the standard of what any reasonable person would do and still be subject to criminal charges, lawsuits, loss of your job and damage to your reputation.

That's why the Olympic Security Guards were right. What they did, or didn't do, was wrong.

Responsibility sometimes transcends what "reasonable people" might do in the face of real danger. Still, the guards did act reasonably so let's be sure we cover all the arguments justifying their actions/inactions.

Company policy says they did the right thing. We already beat that horse, but it is reasonable to follow company policy. Is following company policy justification enough to stand by while someone else is lying defenseless on the ground as another person kicks her head? Would you have risked your job to intervene on her behalf?

How about the danger of personal injury? One report cited that the guards acted properly since they were outnumbered 3 to 1. I've been teaching self-defense for over 20 years and every time we talk about similar situations I caution people to be very careful before they get involved. Part of the reason for this caution is the risk of personal injury, particularly if you're facing overwhelming odds or you're unarmed.

Would you face an angry violent mob to protect someone you didn't know?

The final argument is that this attack may have been provoked. It's certainly not reasonable to ask someone to try and sort out the justification for such an attack to decide whether it's appropriate to intervene. Would you want to know all the circumstances before you step into a situation like this one?

No matter what the provocation, what justification is there for a group of young women, or anyone else for that matter to track down and batter someone who poses no immediate physical threat?

Maybe it's time we become a lot less reasonable. This case is not isolated; the news has been full of reports of violent attacks, particularly by young people where bystanders lived up to the name until it was too late to help the victims. A few months ago dozens of teens walked by for nearly two hours as a classmate was brutally and repeatedly raped at a high school dance. Adults have even instigated attacks by their own children on others. In one recent case a parent prevented a victim from escaping a beating at her own home by her own daughter. Are these the actions of "reasonable" people?

Here is my "unreasonable" response:

This girl was escorted by mall cops to the area patrolled by the Olympic Security guards. She told the guards what was happening and asked for their protection. If their job is to observe and report, that's when they should have reported and had real cops on the way. Also at that point the very least they could have done was to take this young woman to a safer location.

Once the fight started it would seem a reasonable person concerned about personal harm would move to safety. These guys stood inches, not feet, inches from the fight. It does look like the closest guard is telling the attacker to back off, but is that enough? Part of the reason these guards probably don't act threatened is because they aren't. Two of the guards obviously weighed more than both the victim and the assailant put together. These were skinny teenage girls, not 200 pound men.

Forget the guards for a second; what about the dozens of other people walking by on the platform? Nobody wants to get involved? Did they assume the guards would handle it? Were they also afraid of this 110 pound teenage girl?

But what if one of the guards did grab the attacker? What if in the struggle the guard injured the attacker; what if they broke her arm? What if the other kids suddenly jumped in? The problem here is that the guards would likely lose their jobs, and would probably be the target of civil litigation. In our society the person doing the right thing is not always protected by the law. Sometimes the scumbag who is injured in the act of committing a crime comes out better than the person who risked his own safety to stop the crime.

Here's what should have happened:

Screw the possible consequences. Somebody, and most likely the guards whom the victim approached for help should have grabbed that skinny punk kid and tossed her across the platform. Those actions would have at the very least saved the victim from taking some of the 16 blows I counted on the video. This fight lasted nearly as long as an official round of amateur boxing. Wasn't that enough time for someone to step in?

One expert on ABC News, Professor Harold Tarkooshian of Fordham University stated that only 5% of the population would intervene given the same circumstances. The 95% who would not act would probably have reasonable justification to "observe and report." Some would not be physically capable, that makes sense. Others would fear retribution or personal injury, perfectly reasonable. Still others would simply not want to risk the possibility of a lawsuit not knowing all the circumstances, perfectly understandable.

It does take courage to act. Courage is not the absence of fear, that's stupidity. Courage is your willingness to act in the face of fear.

If you were faced with the same circumstances, would you be in the reasonable 95% of the population, or would you be in the 5% who would have the courage to act?

Here's a video of the attack with commentary from ABC News.

Jim Bouchard is an internationally recognized speaker, media personality and author of "Think Like a Black Belt." Jim is a self-defense expert with over 25 years experience and has served as a firefighter and bodyguard and has been involved in dealing with violent attackers in both roles.

For more information on Jim Bouchard and "Think Like a Black Belt" visit JimBouchard.org.

How DO You Boost Self-Esteem?

2010-02-01T09:49:00.001-08:00

February is National Boost Your Self-Esteem Month! For more information and tools for esteem building visit JimBouchard.org!

You cannot "gift" self-esteem. Self-esteem can only be developed the old fashioned way; you have to earn it!
The formula is simple; not always easy. Think about the times in your life when you really felt a charge of self-esteem or self-worth:

When you complete a big goal.
When you do something really tough and see it all the way through.
When you face a major challenge or adversity and succeed…or survive!
When someone else recognized you for a job well done.

The best way to boost self-esteem is to take on some worthwhile, maybe even difficult challenge and see it through. Obviously self-esteem is boosted when you're successful, but you can also increase self-esteem by staying in a difficult fight whether you win or lose.

Challenge is the critical component. Does checking off some small or easy task on your list really boost your self-esteem? It may feel good to knock off some mundane task, but confidence and self-worth really comes from facing a meaningful challenge. The great thing is that these challenges are all around you:

Take a college course or professional development seminar.
Volunteer for a role outside your normal comfort zone.
Set a challenging business or personal development goal and go for it.
Learn something new; start learning a musical instrument or a new language.

The other important component in self-esteem is your perception of how other people see you. It's not always nice or easy, but it's the truth. Your self-esteem is sometimes affected by the opinions of others. I'm not encouraging you to become an egomaniac, but to a degree you've got to decide how other people's perceptions about you are going to affect your self-esteem. There's a vast difference between rationally processing other people's useful input and letting other people either build you up with false praise or knock you down with unprovoked attacks.

The most obvious boost to self-esteem originating from others is when you're recognized for a job well done or a significant contribution. But self-esteem cannot be "gifted," right? Still right! When you're recognized for your accomplishments remember that you're the one who did something worthy of that recognition. You have to train yourself to recognize and accept success.

Of course recognition for just showing up it does nothing for self-esteem! That's why we shouldn't be handing out trophies for losers! Harsh, but true! Most people (especially kids!) know when they're getting something for nothing, and that does nothing for self-esteem. It does quite the opposite; it causes you to question why you're being honored and usually results in feelings of unworthiness.

Be careful though…honorable mention is sometimes an honorable recognition! I always like to watch the last runners coming in at a marathon. These are the people who survive the race despite injuries and disabilities. I love to see someone literally dragging himself across the finish line 4 hours after the leaders. That guy deserves recognition; he could have quit! The honor is for finishing something most of us would consider impossible, not just for showing up on race day.

I just watched the 2010 "X-Games." There was a crash during the extreme snowmobile races; it looked to me like one of the racers broke his leg. I was amazed that the driver was continuing with the bottom part of his left leg flapping in the breeze! He pulled off the track where it became obvious that he didn't break his leg…he lost it! His prosthetic leg had come loose during the crash and his assistants were working frantically to get his leg back on and finish the race…and he did!

This guy earned his trophy! Instead of quitting he put his leg back on and finished. I hope he feels great about himself; he should! This racer's name is Mike Shultz. (Read more about Mike Shultz here!) Shultz earned whatever trophies he might earn the day he decided to get back on his sled with half his left leg missing!

I've had many great successes in my life. It took me a long time to learn how to recognize or accept success, even when other people were recognizing me for that success. Recognition can boost self-esteem if:

The recognition is for genuine accomplishment.
It comes from a credible source.
You're receptive!

I've had many "Wayne's World" moments in my life. That's when someone offers genuine praise and I respond with my "I'm not worthy" chant. It's important to sort hollow praise from the noise, but when someone really notices when you do something remarkable, just say "thank you!" You see, the acceptance of genuine recognition is an action in itself; an important action in the self-esteem boosting process.

If recognition doesn't come, be ready to encourage yourself! Recognition is nice, but not necessary.

Here are three simple (not easy!) steps to help you boost your self-esteem:

Find a meaningful challenge and go for it.
Recognize the value of your success or your genuine effort.
Accept recognition from credible sources.

Genuine self-esteem is not egotistical or selfish. It's synonymous with "confidence," an important quality of Black Belt Mindset. Knowing your own qualities and developing some surety in your ability to face challenges is an important value to yourself, but also the people around you. A more confident you is a greater resource to the important people in your life and to your community at large.

Boosting your self-esteem is a worthy goal for this month. The world needs a more confident you!

I'll post more about self-esteem throughout the month!

Want to start the process of boosting self-esteem in your life now? Get your copy of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER and your Power 101 audio program today!

You Don’t Have to Be a Champion

2010-01-13T16:13:00.001-08:00

To be successful do you have to be the best?

A few years ago my wife Alex and I were on vacation in New Brunswick, Canada. We love the back roads and grab about any excuse we can for a side trip away from the major thru-ways; not a problem on this ride as we drove through Baie-Sainte-Anne, a small, rugged working fishing village. There wasn't much to see; small houses with boats in various stages of repairs, lawns covered with fishing gear and lobster pots.

We were struck by the site of a billboard, almost bigger than the small ranch house next to it. The sign read: "Welcome to Baie-Sainte-Anne, home of Yvon Durelle; the Fighting Fisherman!" It turns out the big sign and the little house both belonged to Durelle. Being a rabid boxing fan and an amateur boxer of negligible distinction I had to have a picture standing next to that sign!

Yvon Durelle was once a Canadian middleweight and light-heavyweight champion, but when there's an ultimate championship at stake other titles seem more like prerequisites for greatness rather than greatness themselves. Durelle set his sights on the World title.

His shot came on December 10, 1958 in Montreal. Authentic fight fans and pugilistic pundits still consider Durelle's battle with light-heavyweight World Champ Archie Moore to be one of the best fights in history. The Fisherman pounded the heavily favored Moore to the canvas 3 times in the first round; that would have been enough to earn the belt today but that was a different era in boxing. He knocked the champion down again in the 5^th. Somehow Moore weathered the beating and eventually knocked out Durelle in the 11^th to save his title.

Durelle never became World Champion. He retired with a record of 90 wins, (51 by way of knockout), 24 loses and 2 draws. One of those draws would likely have given him an earlier chance at the World title. After what most witnesses scored a sound beating of the number one contender, the boxing powers decided that the popular Tony Anthony was going to fight for the title and Durelle would have to wait. There's no such thing as a "fair fight."

Yvon Durelle's toughness, tenacity and refusal to give up despite the politics of boxing that no doubt gave little favor to the Canadian fisherman earned him revered status as a boxing legend; yet he never earned the World Championship he worked so hard for.

Most of us have stories closer to Yvon Durelle's than that of your favorite World Champ. Most of us have faced our share of challenges. Some of us have gotten a shot at the big prize only to come up short. All of us have faced times when politics and favoritism have deprived us of opportunity we might consider rightfully ours.

What did you do in those times? Did you keep punching? When you got knocked down, did you get back up? After a loss, did you climb back in the ring?

Authentic success is not a gift; it's a prize hard won with blood, sweat and tears. It's as much a process of defeat as it is winning. It's a process of surviving defeat and training for the next opponent.

There are a lot of great athletes in the boxing world. At any given time there is only one Champion. It's the same way in life and business. Your company may have a lot of great executives; there's only one CEO. There's only one captain on a ship.

If you compare yourself to others be prepared for one of two outcomes: you'll be better, or you'll be worse. Just like the contender who takes the Championship bout; you may become the Champ, you might not.

Losing a Championship does not make you a loser. Fighting for the Championship makes you a winner; every time! I'm not saying that to make you feel good, it's a fact. There can only be one Champion, but every contender has faced and defeated the best of the best to earn the shot at the title.

You may never be the Champion; you can always be a contender. That's really what life and success is all about for most of us. The important thing is to be in the fight. If you don't take the title, at least you've faced the best. Compare yourself with those who never had the courage to step in the ring!

Success isn't always about becoming the best in the world. It's always about becoming the best you can be.
After their legendary fight Archie Moore said the fisherman from Baie-Sainte-Anne was the toughest opponent he had ever faced. What will your opponents say about you? Yvon Durelle is not a household word. Among his peers and those who count his name is part of a timeless legend.

Success is living a life you can be proud of. Keep punching; keep getting back in the ring and you'll always be in contention.

That's success!

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Mindset Master…speaker, media personality and author of Think Like a Black Belt (available May 2010) and Dynamic Components of Personal Power.

Jim's official amateur boxing record will forever stand at 0 wins, 1 loss. His "unsanctioned" record will never be published!

Visit JimBouchard.org!

Your Kids Are Your Own Fault

2010-01-01T13:23:00.001-08:00

Larry Winget has written one of the most important books on parenting for our society in our time.

Yes, that Larry Winget; the bald, brash, controversial and I dare say at times engagingly abrasive speaker and author whose trademark Western shirts and cowboy boots make it seem more likely that he’d be Kinky Friedman’s next running mate than America’s next Dr. Spock.

Don’t expect the typical “how to” guide to successful parenting; Larry has not written a cookbook here. This is a direct call to action that slaps us in the face with the truth and consequences of parenting, good and bad.

“Your Kids Are Your Own Fault” is important for two reasons:

• In his own inimitable blunt style Larry reminds parents that it is your sacred obligation to parent…and to do it well.

• He addresses the ugly and sometimes painful realities facing contemporary families without flinching.

He covers it all: respect (or lack of it), personal responsibility, success, discipline and punishment. He also talks about cars, drugs, drinking and sex. Yes…sex:

“Kids are going to have sex…Am I condoning it? Am I saying that they should have sex? No. I am only saying that kids are going to have sex. Teach them responsibility, respect and safety. Talk to them…Do your job, Mom and Dad; have the talk.”

That’s typical Larry Winget advice; his overarching theme is personal responsibility. He’s become one of America’s most successful speakers and authors by telling us to “Shut Up, Stop Whining and Get a Life,” “You’re Broke Because You Want to Be” and “It’s Called Work for a Reason; Success is Your Own Damn Fault.”

“Your Kids Are Your Own Fault” is Larry Winget in full voice. If you’re ready to take a serious look at where you are as a parent and how to handle the challenges of contemporary family life without excuses, “Your Kids Are Your Own Fault” should be in your bookcase.

Is Larry Winget qualified to write a book on parenting? First and last, he is a parent. He’s raised two sons who have become happy, successful and responsible adults. That alone wouldn’t earn my endorsement. I’ve worked with thousands of kids and parents as a professional martial arts instructor for over 20 years. I’ve seen the best of the best and some of the worst.

It’s evident from his book that Larry is one of the best, not because he didn’t make mistakes; he did and shares them candidly. I can recognize Larry’s quality as a parent because he approaches parenting as an imperfect blend of art and science. Like any other worthwhile adventure, parenting requires a continual commitment to self-improvement and change.

I’ve read dozens of books on parenting, teaching and coaching to help me become a better teacher and more important to make me a better resource to the young people and parents I serve. Too many of these are academic studies. Many approach the subject from a clinical psychological perspective or from a medical point of view. Way too many simply lack humanness and accessibility.

As he’s done with his other subjects, Larry goes for the pressure point and delivers an insightful and practical guide for becoming an effective parent. He does it with wit and a wry sense of humor that entertains, sometimes instigates, sometimes aggravates, once in a while provokes and always hits a nerve. There’s also the warm side as he shares plenty of stories from his own experience, and that of his kids, to make “Your Kids…” just a fantastic read.

Most of all, it’s honest. To this day when I have to address kids with criticism or correction, I always ask them, “Do you want me to be nice, or honest?” They always say honest. (I give adults the same option!)

Here’s a passage that really rang the bell for me:

“People tell their kids, ‘You can be whatever you want to be.’ That isn’t realistic. You should not be telling our kid that he can be whatever he wants to be. Why? Because he can’t.”

For years I’ve made two promises to my martial arts students and only two. I now make the same promises to anyone willing to learn how to Think Like a Black Belt.

1. If you’re willing to do what it takes to make it to Black Belt (or learn how to think like one), you can do whatever you want with your life…within the scope of your talents and abilities.

2. You’ll learn how to recognize and develop your talents and abilities.

Larry, thanks for the validation:

“The truth is he (your kid) can be whatever he has the basic talent for being and is willing to work hard enough to become using that talent.”

Insulting and demeaning children causes them great harm; being honest with them gives them hope, encouragement and freedom.

The only real problem I have with Winget’s book is this: he’s probably going to end up preaching to choir. That’s OK, sometimes validation is as important as education. If you consider yourself a good parent already, you’ll enjoy this book because you’re probably singing in harmony. Larry’s views on particular issues may piss you off at times; that’s his charm! But above all he’s not telling you what to do; he’s simply pointing out what needs to be done!

If you’re struggling with parenting your children; this book is essential. To paraphrase Larry, stop whining and start reading. He probably won’t solve all your problems but you’ll realize you’re not alone and you’ll either find the inspiration or instigation to make some changes.

I’m also going to recommend this book to teachers, coaches and anyone else who works with children whether you have kids of your own or not. You’re an important part of the process of “raising responsible, productive adults” in our society and Larry has started an engaging, constructive and important dialog on how we can help young people face today’s incredible challenges.

If you know someone else who is struggling with the challenges of parenthood; buy them a copy!

“Your Kids Are Your Own Fault” will help you become a Black Belt parent and earns Larry Winget the honor of Black Belt Mindset Master!

Jim Bouchard
Internationally recognized Speaker, Black Belt Mindset Master, media personality and author of Think Like a Black Belt and Dynamic Components of Personal Power!

Larry Winget appears on a very Special Episode of Black Belt Mindset PowerPOD; Tuesday, January 12th…

…also: Larry will be the special guest as Jim guest hosts Jon Hansen’s PI Window on Business on Friday, January 15th.

Be sure to join our No Spam email list at JimBouchard.org for details and updates on all events and media appearances!

I slept with Tiger Woods too…

2009-12-16T10:00:00.001-08:00

Well, to be honest, I didn't. I'm straight, I'm happily married and I don't like golf; but this is the kind of headline that can really get you noticed these days!

That's the shame of it. Now before I go too far this is not an article on sex scandals. This is an article on acting responsibly and how acting irresponsibly can destroy your business, your brand and your personal life. More important, this is an article on what you can do to avoid the same sort of disaster that Mr. Woods has created for himself.

And that's where it starts…

You can judge Tiger's actions any way you want. The fact is that nobody forced him to go on sex romps with multiple high-profile partners and purchase group sex partners from an escort service. It's an old cliché but appropriate, Tiger made his own bed; or at least he paid good money to have his bed made up after he and his partners were done using it.

At first I thought the Tiger Woods brand was salvageable. There are three sides to every story and at best we may hear two of them. I'm not one to judge anyone for making a mistake or even for doing something stupid once in a while. Tiger's troubles appear to be much different than the average married person seeking comfort or excitement in the arms of someone other than their spouse.

Had this been a singular occurrence I may feel differently; none of us are immune from runaway emotions or lapses in judgment. Obviously Tiger was well aware of the level and seriousness of his behaviors and he chose to continue. This boils down to a personal responsibility issue. Once he decided that his gratification was to be found outside his marriage, he should have ended his marriage…or stopped his behavior.

Now for the business part:

Why do any of us have any business commenting or criticizing a private individual's behavior? Tiger Woods is not just a person, he's a commodity. He chose his life and as a commodity he has traded on his public image, persona and reputation. He marketed an image of excellence and trust that the public literally bought into. People spent their hard-earned on products and services because they trusted Tiger.

Granted, Tiger Woods is an international brand; but you have the same responsibility in your local business and marketplace. You also have the same responsibility if you're in a trusted leadership position in a major corporation or if you're the front line supervisor at a fast food restaurant. The fact is that behind every brand, every customer relationship and every business interaction there is a person. That person is you.

I'm not a branding expert; I'll leave that to my dear friend Dr. John Tantillo. In fact, you can read some of his thoughts on this subject here.

I'm a personal responsibility expert. Black Belt Mindset is about honor, respect, responsibility, excellence and leadership. It's about trust and trustworthiness. When you represent you business and your family your actions and deeds, or misdeeds, are not yours alone. Your actions affect others and it's your responsibility to take care of the other people in your life by living respectfully.

When you choose not to act respectfully or responsibility, you own the consequences.

But people make mistakes, right? That's right; and it's up to the people making the mistakes to fix them.

So far it seems that Tiger Woods is doing just that. He did not act responsibly toward his family, his sponsors or his public before his randy ways were discovered. It seems now that he recognizes the damage he's done and he is choosing to at least take some time away from his games in the bedroom and on the golf course and try to make some reparations. Personal responsibility is not always about being perfect and honor is often about atoning for past transgressions.

I'm also impressed that Tiger has not lashed out at the press or the public. Too many celebrities blame the media for their problems or criticize the public for poking their noses in where it doesn't belong. Again, if you're trading on your brand or reputation, and we all are, then our actions are to a degree open to public scrutiny. Privacy should be granted when someone is heading for the bunker to resolve their problems.

Another reason the Tiger Woods story is so compelling is the "role model" aspect. Charles Barkley was wrong; a public figure is a role model whether he likes it or not. When you're trading on your public image you are a role model. You may not be a positive role model, but other people, particularly young people will emulate your behavior. Ultimately your legacy will depend on how people perceive you and whether or not they think you're someone worth emulating.

Having said that; it's not the celebrity's fault if you decide to go out and act like a jerk too. If you're a parent it's your job to teach your children what behaviors are right and which are wrong. When a celebrity messes up it's a teachable moment. The problem with celebrity role models is when parents are not actively engaged in who their children model and what their message is. You've got to be part spy, part confident and part dictator. There's a lot of media power and peer pressure out there; your job is to sort through it and make sure your kids get the right message.

The lesson from the Tiger Woods adventure is simply this: your actions affect the lives of others. The difference between right and wrong is not usually rocket surgery; do wrong and you had better be prepared for the consequences.

Think Like a Black Belt:

Respect means taking care of yourself and others. Before you act think about the consequences your actions will have on yourself and those around you.
Honor means taking responsibility. When things go sour, take your medicine.
Courage means facing up to difficult situations. It's not easy to make things right after making a mistake; it is the right thing to do.

I wish the best for Tiger Woods and his family. He does seem like a basically decent person who allowed himself to get caught up in the temptations of fame and fortune. For those who wish to criticize it's your right; just consider honestly whether or not you would be susceptible to similar temptations given the same exposure. If you think you might be tempted to pull a Tiger Woods, now is the time to start strengthening your resolve or reconsidering your current situation.

Jim Bouchard is an internationally recognized speaker, media personality, Black Belt Mindset Master and author of Think Like a Black Belt. Visit JimBouchard.org.

You Don’t Need Permission for Excellence

2009-12-12T12:12:00.001-08:00

Why would you need anyone's permission to excel? Who has the right to determine your greatness?

Parents certainly have an influence. Have your parents ever told you that you're not good enough? Have they told you that you need a "fall-back" plan or that you didn't have the talent to make it? Have they reminded you that nobody else in the family ever succeeded at what you're dreaming of?

Teachers have a part. You may not be making the grades. You might not be going to the "right school." You may choose a major only to be told that nobody makes a decent living with that degree.

Coaches can do some damage too. How do you feel when you're riding the bench? What does it feel like when a coach tells you that you're simply not good enough to start or that you lack the natural abilities of the star athletes?

What about your boss? Have you ever been passed up for a raise or reprimanded for a mistake? Have you ever been held back due to office politics or had someone else take credit for your idea?

Sometimes people try to hold you back out of jealously, politics, selfishness or ignorance. Others hold you back because they're dictators, not leaders. Sometimes they're protecting their own turf and you pose a threat.

Sometimes people try to hold you back because they genuinely care about you. They might not want to see you get hurt or fail. They may really be acting with best intentions and your best interests at heart.

Sometimes the people holding you back are right! They may be experts in the adventure you've chosen and might know you simply don't have what it takes. They might honestly recognize that your talents are better suited to a different endeavor.

You don't need anyone's permission to excel. You do need talent and ability. You need desire, perseverance, courage and audacity.

I make two promises to my martial arts students. These are the only promises I'll make. I promise anyone willing to do what it takes to earn a black belt that:

You'll be able to do anything you want with your life; within the scope of your talents and abilities.
You'll learn how to recognize and cultivate your unique talents and abilities.

My students don't need my permission to earn a black belt. When I award a black belt I'm offering recognition and certification for their accomplishment; I'm giving them credentials. They need to grant themselves permission to be excellent. What I'm giving them is an opportunity and a platform to discover their excellence. If I'm the Wizard, I'm only giving the Scarecrow his diploma. Just like the Wizard I might have provided the challenge but he had the brains to succeed all along!

When it comes to excellence the only time you'll need someone else's permission or approval is when you ask for it…Don't!

Be realistic. Expert opinions and experience should be part of formulating your best expression of your talents and abilities, but then you've got to make your own decision. When someone with reasonable abilities fails, it's not usually due to a lack of talent. Michael Jordan was kicked off his high school basketball team; he had the talent he just hadn't done the work he needed to do to become great yet!

You should pay attention to the effect your actions will have on others. If your plans are genuinely selfish and might harm you or the people around you, you shouldn't need to ask anyone's permission. You should know enough to deny yourself.

Ask someone else for permission and there is always a chance it might not be granted. From someone else's perspective you may not be talented, deserving or good enough. They may not want you to excel.

Don't ask for permission. Take a rational look at your talents and abilities, factor in your passion and when you decide on a course of action go for it!

Ultimately, the only permission you need to achieve greatness is your own.

Jim Bouchard is an internationally recognized speaker, media personality and author of Think Like a Black Belt and Dynamic Components of Personal POWER! Visit JimBouchard.org!

No Does Sometimes Mean No…Even in Sales!

2009-12-07T08:50:00.001-08:00

I just posted a comment to a discussion stream on LinkedIn and damned if I didn't impress myself! (It's sometimes good to be somewhat self-amused!)

At any rate, I thought it would make a useful blog post…file this one under the BizJitsu series and watch for my new BizJitsu blog coming soon!

Conventional sales training teaches you that you should never be discouraged by the word "NO." You should be persistent and never take NO for a final answer.

NO! I'm all for perseverance and persistence but if you're hearing NO a lot you better take a look in the mirror, or better yet record (and listen to) your next sales call.

I'm going to chime in from the customer's perspective: There is such a thing as "NO" and I must say it a dozen times a week...and I DON'T want to hear from those people again!

I say NO when when the salesperson making the call has obviously done NOTHING to find out why, how or even if I would use their product or service.

I say NO when the salesperson has obviously done NOTHING to find out about me other than my name, and especially if they pronounce that wrong! We have access to the miracles of Google and LinkedIn; this should virtually elminate the cold call. Still, I get calls from people who have no idea what my specific needs and wants might be.

I say NO when the salesperson refuses to get to the point. I'm busy and while I'm the first to say (and will again in a second) that the relationship is crtical to the sale, I don't have time to listen to 30 minutes of crap about someone's kids or dogs and I don't care to unless I know them! Tell me what you're after and then we'll work on the relationship...

...having said that, the salesperson had better get to know me, and my needs and wants before making a pitch.

I say NO when I don't like the person. One of the most overlooked aspect of sales is to be a likeable person. This means to be sincerely interested in the customer's needs above the amazing benefits of your wares. Napoleon Hill and Dale Carnegie should still be required reading for all sales people.

The BizJitsu (TM) technique for minimizing negative responses is to do your homework to assure you're meeting the prospect's unique needs and desires. This is the relationship building part and it involves RESPECT for the prospect's opinions, time and budget.

If you sense a genuine NO coming at the end of the conversation; don't make the pitch! If you're not a fit, so be it! That prospect may just recommend you to someone else simply because you showed respect, sincerity and didn't waste their time. You're more likely to earn great referrals by being a likeable person; you'll never get a referral by being a pest!

BTW...I offer a workshop as part of my BizJitsu series titled:

One With the Enemy: Relationships Before Sales! If anyone is interested give me a shout at 800-786-8502 or visit JimBouchard.org to get to know me better.

If you're not interested I promise I'll never bother you!

Best thoughts!
Jim

Resolutions Suck!

2009-11-30T09:15:00.001-08:00

It's time for my annual rant on the ineffectiveness of New Year resolutions. This year I'm adding business planning and professional development goals suck too!

"But, you've got to do it!"

Only 12% of anyone who makes resolutions makes it past the first month. How many small business people make plans or review their last plan in preparation for the New Year? Of those, how many set goals that are unattainable or unrealistic?

Since I've been teaching people how to think like black belts I can tell you've I've met too many people who either do no planning whatsoever or set goals they won't reach unless hell freezes a bridge across the River Styx.

Here are some common bullshit excuses and some no bullshit responses:

I don't have enough time.

This is the biggest pile of bullshit excuse out there! First of all, immediately stop what you're doing and go to the bookstore…now! Buy a copy of Stephen Covey's "First Things First." Sit down and read it!

Planning and goal setting is a number one priority whether you're mapping out strategy for a business or keeping your skills sharp to assure you're going to continue to be a valuable employee. You don't have the time NOT to plan!

I heard this excuse from a guy who hasn't had a job in 4 years! I don't know what else he's doing with his time, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that part of the reason he's still out of work is that he doesn't have a concrete plan for getting any!
I don't have the money to _____________ (fill in the blank!).

Steal a pen and a single piece of paper! Actually, go to any bank or real estate office and act as if you're a customer, they'll give you a promotional package that will inevitably include a branded note pad and pen.

Whatever you're going to do in the coming year is dependent on the resources you have right now. You may be eating bean sandwiches, but there has never been more opportunity to accomplish so much with so little. You do need to take a realistic inventory of your current material; emotional and spiritual resources…

…then you need to DO SOMETHING! Not having the money is not an excuse; it may be the beginning of your highest priority goal!

Some people will use other scarcity issues as an excuse; not skilled enough, don't have the connections, no experience etc. So what? If you're lacking in some area it will be part of your plan to change that condition.
Things are changing too fast; there's no way to predict ___________ (fill in the blank!).

Amen. Planning is not prophecy. I'll even grant that you could create the most bomb-proof plan ever created only to get blown up by a bigger, badder bomb!

Planning is dynamic; it's an ongoing process. But, you've got to start somewhere. You've got to have your eyes on the horizon and you've got to develop tools for making reasonable assumptions based on actual data.

That's what the planning process is all about. In addition to preparing you better for the coming year, planning helps you develop a greater awareness of the dangers and opportunities ahead.

So why do so many goals fall short and so many plans go unfulfilled? Here are some of the top dangers whether you're making a personal resolution or drafting your business plan:

Unrealistic or unattainable goals. Base your plan on an accurate inventory of material, emotional and spiritual resources. This is the first part of the planning process.
Bad data. Do your homework; make sure your inventory is accurate. Avoid taking emotional leaps. It's great to have a big idea that keeps you focused on the horizon, but remember to check the ground in front of you.
Unspecific goals. You've got to be focused to succeed. Goals that are too broad or general are much more difficult to accomplish.
Setbacks. Develop Black Belt Mindset; if you get knocked down seven times, get up eight! Small setbacks shouldn't derail your plans. Good planning helps you anticipate and overcome setbacks.

Now is the time to sit down and develop a clear picture of what you hope to accomplish in 2010. You may want to expand your business, or assure that it weathers the economic storm. You may want to expand your value in the marketplace by learning new skills or earning new certifications. You may want to prepare for your newborn's college education or your own retirement.

Whatever it is you hope to accomplish follow the example of the world's most successful people. Successful people don't wait for opportunities; they plan for them!

Additional reading:
Resolutions: Bullshit!

Resolutions SUCK! Start your New Year REVOLUTION!

"Jim Bouchard's program is a revolutionary approach to planning and goal setting!"

In New Year REVOLUTION:

Take an accurate inventory of material, emotional and spiritual resources. For business, this inventory includes tangible and intangible assets.
Develop specific attainable and sustainable goals based on current resources.
Access the discipline and focus you need to accomplish your goals...even when times are tough!

"This may be the most important workshop you'll attend as you start your New Year!"

Book your own New Year REVOLUTION workshop featuring Jim Bouchard, author of Think Like a Black Belt! Programs for businesses, associations, chambers and meetings! Call 800-786-8502 today!

For more information visit the New Year REVOLUTION page here!

Gratitude is Not a Platitude: Part II

2009-11-18T07:21:00.001-08:00

Let's smash a cliché. Too many gurus stand in front of too many audiences and with beaming smile and hands in the air exhort "the attitude of gratitude!"

I'm not smiling and I'm not exhorting. Gratitude is not a platitude; it's an essential daily practice. A gratitude practice is a practical technique for taking inventory of your emotional, spiritual and material resources.
Here's how it works. Take some time to simply think about the people in your life, the things you have right now and most of all your talents and abilities. These are the emotional, spiritual and material resources you have in hand to work with. Whatever you do and whatever you want to accomplish from here on starts with these resources.

Be thankful; even if some resources are scarce! The old adage that says "it can't get any worse" is a bold faced lie! I'm not a pessimist but no matter how bad things are right now, I know things can always get worse. Whatever resources you have here and now are worthy of gratitude; just think about life without them.

Chris Gardner's story "The Pursuit of Happyness" is inspirational on a number of levels. You might remember Chris played by Will Smith writing out a check. His son Christopher asks what he's doing and Chris replies, "I'm paying a parking ticket." Christopher says, "But we don't have a car anymore." Chris answers, "Ya, I know!"

What is there to be thankful for in a moment like that? Have you had times like that? I have.

I can remember waking up on cold Maine mornings in my 1050's vintage mobile home and chipping a skim of ice off the water in the toilet so I could complete my constitutional. I can remember having genuine fear over whether or not I'd have enough to eat for the rest of the week or whether the power would be shut off. I can identify with Chris Gardner because like Chris, some of my poverty was due to my pursuit of what other people might consider unattainable dreams. Mine was compounded by extremely poor choices, what Gardner calls the “being stupid” part of life.

At some point I learned to simply be grateful; even at times when happiness was only a pursuit. In Chris' story he has a son to worry about; I can remember being grateful that I didn't have kids.

What did I have to be thankful for? I had friends that cared about me. I found mentors who took a genuine interest in me and offered sound advice for changing my condition. I began to discover talents and abilities. I would later find martial arts and start to develop self-confidence. Later I'd learn how to transform some of that confidence into a sense of purpose and self-worth. Much later I'd learn how to share that value with others.

It all starts with gratitude. Before I learned how to be thankful for what I had I was completely immersed in poverty; not just material poverty but complete scarcity of emotional and spiritual resources as well.
Eventually I learned that even if I had to chip ice off my toilet, at least I wasn't sleeping outside in the snow bank. I learned to be thankful that I quit drugs before they killed me. I learned to be thankful that I had a drive to learn and work ethic that I could access to change my life.

For the sake of this story I'm condensing a process that took years; but eventually I learned to simply focus on what I have here and now. No matter how scarce, the resources I have now are the resources I have to work with to effect change and move forward. I learned that I was a pretty resourceful bastard! Given the opportunity (or the challenge), most people can be pretty resourceful. This process of focusing on what I have instead of worrying about what I don't have became my gratitude practice.

Now I'm grateful for everyone who is a part of my life. I'm grateful for the students in my martial arts program, for my friends and family and most of all for my wife Alex who indulges and supports my wild and often risky adventures. I'm grateful for my modest, warm and comfortable home. I'm grateful for the talents and abilities I've discovered. I'm particularly grateful for the places I've seen and the wonderful adventures I've had.

I could still use a quick and bountiful cash infusion, but who couldn't? When it comes, I'll be grateful!
Your gratitude practice can be as formal as a prayer or period of meditation or reflection. You can sit down and actually do an inventory of material, emotional and spiritual assets. Whatever you do make it a regular part of your life.

My practice is simple. I just take some time throughout the day to say thank you; and it works!

Spectators, Voyeurs and Cowards

2009-11-03T09:11:00.001-08:00

No attempts at literary cuteness today:

The actions, or rather inactions of the spectators, voyeurs and cowards who watched a young woman raped in Richmond, California have left me sick to my stomach.

Have we raised a generation of spectators? Over 20 kids watched one of their own brutally assaulted for more than two hours. Only one young woman had even the decency to call the police?

The kid who dropped the dime is being made out a hero. I'll give you this; she did the right thing. I'm not diminishing the quality of her action; I'm sure she had to consider retribution from her peers. Still it's sad that we consider the most obvious and fundament action we'd expect in this situation an act of heroism.

As a professional in the self-defense industry I'd be the first to give a pass to anyone who might fear getting physically involved in stopping an attack like this. The least you can and should do is call for help. Had any of these kids jumped in and pulled the rapists from their victims I'd certainly acknowledge their courage and heroism.

Those who watched, and photographed, and texted their friends while the rape was still going on are cowards. These kids are a waste of food. My first impulse is to sentence all of them to a televised re-run of the incident with each of them in the featured role.

I had to do some work and some soul-searching to find compassion for the kids who stood by and watched. The fact is that by our legal standards, they had no obligation to help. We've enabled a generation of spectators. We've taught young people to stay out of it, mind their own business, and not get involved. We've told them that someone else's problem is, well, someone else's problem. We've enabled kids to blame others for their behaviors and blame others for their crimes. We've crippled them with entitlements and excused their lack of personal responsibility.

Then I remembered the kids I work with every day. Kids who come to martial arts classes day after day; work hard and focus on improving themselves; kids who understand that respect means taking care of one another and that it's their responsibility to do so. These kids know that the absence of fear is stupidity and that courage is acting in the face of it.

I like to think that most kids would have tried to stop this rape. Most kids would have called the cops.
What's the difference? Why would some kids, and adults for that matter, put themselves in harm's way to protect someone else while others are content, even entertained to stand by and watch?

We've got to stop blaming media, schools and government for these problems. It's time to hold ourselves accountable as parents, teachers and neighbors. It's time to provide the best possible examples we can and insist on discipline, focus, respect and courage from ourselves.

We've got to teach these values early and often. We've got to indoctrinate young people with positive values and role models in order to inoculate them from the insanity we've tolerated for way too long. We're not going to win this war through appeasement, we've got to stay in the fight and make sure our young people are strong enough to face the battle; this war never ends.

We've got to return to the fundamental teaching that sometimes you've got do what might be painful, difficult or dangerous for no other reason than it's the right thing to do.

It's not for me to forgive the young men and women who treated an actual rape like a reality TV show. I hope that for her own health and sanity the victim can find forgiveness for them. I want to stay good and pissed off. I'm hoping this energy will help me stay focused on the important job of training young men and women, and adult men and women, to live a life of discipline, personal responsibility and courage.
These days that's not always an easy job. It is the right thing to do.

Article on reaction to Richmond High rape from Contra Costa Times...

Video on classmates and the young woman who called police from FOX News...

BizJitsu Techniques for dealing with Fear

2009-10-18T08:29:00.001-07:00

Fear, doubt and complacency are the components of the Failure Triangle. In personal life we can afford some time to work through these issues; in business we better grab these problems by the ears and kick them in the ass.

It's perfectly natural to have some genuine fears when you're in business. If you're a business owner, entrepreneur, executive or manager you've chosen a life that involves risk; with risk comes fear.

Fear is a natural human emotion. Fear is designed to protect you from unwarranted dangers; it's a survival mechanism. Fear also keeps you from making stupid mistakes or taking foolish risks.

The fact is too many people think that courage is the absence of fear. The absence of fear is stupidity, not courage. Courage is your ability to face fear and take action despite your fear when necessary and warranted. Of course the line between foolishness and bravery is different for everyone. The entrepreneur is by nature a risk-taker; your risk tolerance may in your mind be calculated when others are telling you that you're nuts!

Fear causes inertia. Inertia left unchecked can deteriorate rapidly into complacency. When I'm talking about inertia I'm talking about letting a particular fear stop you from taking action that's necessary to move you forward.

You put off making a difficult sales call.
You delay an important decision for fear of making a mistake.
You reschedule a difficult performance review.

In each of these situations doing nothing is probably less painful in the short term. The problem is that the longer you allow fear to paralyze you, the more likely the eventual consequence will be magnified.

BizJitsu Technique #1: Grappling!

Sometimes you've just got to get into your fighting stance and engage the enemy. This is close quarters combat. You're got to be willing to go to the ground. Of course this is easier said than done.

In order to be an effective grappler you've got to train. The more you train the more control you'll have over your fear. The fact is that a lot of fears are caused by a lack of preparation. Be honest and ask yourself if you're really ready for combat. If not; is this fear the legitimate result of a lack of preparation and training on your part?

Have you done all the research you can on a new prospect?
Have you done your due diligence and weighed all the options before you make a big decision?

BizJitsu Technique #2: Leverage!

Sometimes you've got to gain an advantage over your opponent. You can't fight strength against strength.

What I mean is that if your opponent is stronger than you; you've got to gain advantage by finding a point of leverage that will increase your power.

You can find leverage by seeking the advice and support of others who have faced similar fears. Leverage your network, peer groups, trade association colleagues and the people on your direct team.

Too many business leaders try to manage fears solo. If you want to motivate your team in difficult situations; share the problem with them and solicit their support as part of the solution. Leverage the power and energy of your entire organization to help you gain advantage over the fear you're facing and move forward.

BizJitsu Technique #3: Be one with the enemy!

Underlying almost all fears is the fear of failure. I'm not going to lay any trite platitudes on you; the fact is that failure is a necessary and inevitable part of the business process. It's just part of life.

You can play semantic games and say that failures are really just lessons; failure still sucks. The fear of failure sucks even worse. The fear of failure can cause a self-perpetuating downward spiral that can become debilitating if left unchecked.

So what do you do?

Accept failure, embrace it! Be one with this enemy!

Failure is just part of the human experience. There's no greater legitimate human fear than that of losing your own life. Can you imagine what was in the minds of the Apollo 13 astronauts when they heard and felt the explosion as they continued to speed away from the earth faster than a bullet? Can you imagine what was felt in the chests of all the engineers, mission control personnel and vendors that worked on the Apollo team?

It would have been perfectly understandable if fear had paralyzed anyone on the Apollo 13 team. Instead they accepted whatever circumstances and conditions they were dealing with and re-focused on overcoming whatever problems they faced. They quickly integrated failure after failure into their collective experience in faster than real time. This experience opened them up to the possibilities and solutions that would bring the astronauts home.

In the middle of the entire mess Flight Director Gene Krantz delivered his now immortal directive, "Failure is not an option!" His friends and colleagues were in that spacecraft. I'm sure we can all appreciate the fear that Krantz and his team faced. Instead of allowing fear to stop them; they worked the problem and transformed every failure into the solution that would prevent ultimate "Failure" with a capital "F."

Fear is a natural and essential part of our human experience. Part of the problem is that so far as we know, we're the only creature on earth that can intellectual consider the outcomes of our actions, or inactions, in the greater scheme of the impact those actions will have on our future and the lives of others. Your thoughts and actions transcend instinctive behavior; we consider the possible consequences of our actions and it makes sense that this process can sometimes cause understandable fear and trepidation.

You can also transcend the paralyzing effects of fear. Of course, this requires discipline and training. If you want to become better at facing and overcoming fear, it starts with small, attainable, actionable steps. Condition yourself by accepting ever increasing challenges and facing greater fears just as you'd add weights to a bar bell to slowly build your biceps.

Most of all remember that you're not alone! Fear seems to be the most isolating emotion; yet it's difficult to imagine any fear that hasn't been faced by someone else, and likely someone you know.

As a leader you may eventually have to act alone; and you're likely to bear sole responsibility for the consequences of that action. Never be afraid to call on others to help you prepare to take that action.

Jim Bouchard will train you and your team in BizJitsu: The Art of the Business Warrior! Call 800-786-8502 and visit JimBouchard.org for more information on BizJitsu and all of Jim's speaking, coaching and training services.

Note: Anxiety can be a debilitating mental illness that should be distinguished from the ordinary, albeit serious issue of fear discussed in this article. If you feel you may be dealing with authentic anxiety issues you should consult a qualified medical psychological professional.

Puff the Magic Dragon…

2009-09-29T11:49:00.001-07:00

…lives by the sea; and so do most of the assholes that try to sell you get rich quick schemes, wealth without effort, manifesting secrets etc, etc, etc.

They live in Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and San Diego. Some live in the mountains and lush desert resorts, but you get the point. All I'm saying is that if they're living the high life it's probably due to much more than just wishing, and hoping, and manifesting, and positive thinking. Once in a while someone wins the lottery, but most of the recipe for success consists of 10 parts hard work with equal parts failure, frustration, disappointment, doubt and fear blended vigorously.

Oh, and some of the assholes I've seen in this world simply inherited money from their parents and haven't blown it all yet. If they're good marketeers they may even expand their inheritance several fold. It's easy to "go with the flow" when you were born on the river of plenty. By the way; you can sell anything if you've got enough capital to sustain a global marketing campaign.

Before I launch into my tirade; there is something to be said for "going with the flow." If you're relatively relaxed, open to new ideas and experiences and enjoy a relatively balance life you're going to be healthier, more engaged and more energetic. Your brain will generally work better so you'll make better decisions. You'll see abundance and opportunity where others might see scarcity and danger.

My mission today is to make sure you don't throw good money down the tubes on teachers, seminars, books and DVDs that promise to reveal the secret technique to success, health and wealth.

If you really want some secrets, here they are for free:

Find someone who was successful doing what you want to do. Do what he did.
Once you fully commit to a goal; keep going until you reach it.
Accept failure as part of the game.
Recognize small successes along the way and reward yourself for them.
Do the right thing and you'll always feel better than you would if you did the wrong thing.
Two heads might not be better than one, but two brains are. Make sure to surround yourself with good brains.
Treat people with respect. All people; those above you, below you and around you.
Work really, really, really hard.
If you really want the easy life, find something you really love to do and work really, really, really hard at that.
Give unconditionally; especially love, respect and wisdom. Giving is what you do now; rewards are what might come later.
You're not entitled to anything but opportunity.
Be here, right now and enjoy.

I may have just saved you several thousand dollars and many hours of study and research! That's how I learned these secrets. Many of these secrets came to me from ancient martial arts masters who were experts at doing things very well and maximizing human potential. Others I learned from generous teachers, bosses, mentors, peers and small children.

So…I'm saying you should never buy motivational books, attend self-help conferences or watch inspirational videos, right?

Wrong. I also learned many of these "secrets" from seminars, videos, great speakers and my Dashboard University.

Invest as much time and money as you're comfortable with on books, programs and seminars. Just be sure you're spending with your head and not just your heart; particularly when your heart is empty. Moments of emotional, spiritual and material poverty and desperation are not the best times to commit resources you don't have on promises that may or may not be realized. You may have more fundamental work to do first.

Make sure your expectations are realistic and that your motivation is internalized and sustainable. Start with a practical inventory of your resources and invest your time, money and energy based on a rational assessment of your current position. I encourage big goals and grand adventures; just be sure you prepare and provision for the expedition!

Finally, beware of the bullshitters! There is no authentic success without hard work. These days the most co-opted and exploited philosophy is the Law of Attraction. Can you really expect to manifest wealth by cosmically aligning your energy fields and mental state with the quantum field of the universe? Is the universe really some kind of psycho-metaphysical vending machine?

Come on. Think about some of these claims and apply your bullshit detector.

The Law of Attraction does work. You do tend to attract more opportunities when you're in a positive frame of mind. Negativity is blinding and narrowing. Positivity opens you to possibility which in turn improves probability of success. If you're a positive, creative and energetic person you're likely to find other positive, creative and energetic people; and those are the people who get the work done!

The Law of Attraction, however, is dependent on one ancient principle the great Chinese philosophers called "kung fu."

A good translation is: WORK.

The Law of Attraction is an action philosophy. At least that's what Napoleon Hill taught and he was the one who coined the phrase. The Law of Attraction is the result of a process of self-perfection. Making yourself a better person creates value for yourself and those around you. People are attracted to you because you offer greater value when you're a better person. You're open to greater opportunities because you train yourself to recognize them and you're constantly preparing to take advantage of them.

Self-perfection is hard and endless work. Enjoy it; it's worth it!

Here's what you should reasonably expect from motivational teachers, seminars, books and other materials.

Inspiration and stories that motivate you to action. The first action is to internalize the motivation.
Examples for what to do and how to do it.
Systems and techniques that may make your journey to success more efficient or less painful.
Validation of feelings of pain, suffering, frustration and failure. The knowledge that you're not alone and that successful people have these same feelings.
Encouragement to continue on your path if it's the right one.

If you're willing to invest blood, sweat and tears along with a few bucks, then find a teacher, coach, book or seminar that makes sense to you and go for it!

If you're looking for a shortcut to fame and fortune; go to Vegas; you've got just as much of a shot as anyone else.

Jim Bouchard
Speaker, life-coach and author of Think Like a Black Belt and Dynamic Components of Personal POWER!
www.JimBouchard.org

Leaders and Dictators

2009-07-23T16:44:00.001-07:00

Contrary to what some leadership teachers preach, you can control people through force, deception, coercion, fear, bribery and violence. There are three major problems with trying to control people, particularly using these methods:

People don't like to be controlled and will rebel.

It's expensive.

It's wrong.

Fear and force are the commodities of the dictator. A dictator can be very efficient; he doesn't have to take the time to attract people to his cause. The dictator simply decides what he wants to do and does it with no regard for the impact of his actions on others. In the short term, you can affect some control as a dictator but it's an incredible drain on resources to maintain this control. The dictator is always worried about his enemies, and even his friends are potential enemies.

Effective leadership is based on your ability to attract a willing group of followers. The key word in that statement is "willing." When people are attracted to an authentic leader the power of this relationship is exponential. Bill Belichick took a group of second-stringers, an unknown back-up quarterback and a bunch of cast-offs and turned them into the team that transformed the New England Patriots from a perennial loser to an NFL dynasty. John F. Kennedy set a goal that pushed the envelope of impossibility and we landed the first man on the moon. Abraham Lincoln understood the destiny of a relatively new country and forever united the States. Mahatma Gandhi asked a nation to find its identity and freed India from the greatest imperial power on earth. General George S. Patton took an army out of a winter battle, marched it over 100 miles without sleep and defeated an entrenched German enemy. Martin Luther King stood against violence and injustice with fortitude forever changing our society.

What do these incredible leaders have in common? They all had the ability to develop willing followers. Willing followers will defy the odds, display incredible courage and make unbearable sacrifices to rally behind their leader. They'll put personal ambition aside; at the same time they'll find undiscovered levels of personal excellence and performance.

Study these leaders and you'll find some very clear characteristics. You'll find skills and techniques you can emulate. Sure, many great leaders seem to be born with a larger than life sense of self-confidence and charisma, but I chose these examples because in studying the lives of these men, all heroes of mine, and you'll find people who also faced terrible moments of self-doubt, adversity, unpopularity and personal defeat.

Each of these men also understood and exemplified some of the most powerful values and components of effective leadership.

Personal responsibility. Share the credit, keep the blame. All of the leaders I chose in this example were famous for crediting followers for success and assuming responsibility when things turned for the worse. They shielded loyal followers from blame for mistakes and recognized them for their contributions.

Unwavering commitment to the cause. Would you follow someone who doesn't know where he's going? Of course you've got to choose your leaders wisely; some can lead you off the cliff!

Flexibility in action. Firmness in commitment does not exclude flexibility. A great leader is able to adapt to changing conditions while maintaining focus on the ultimate goal.
Personal discipline. Dedication to self-perfection. This is the old adage that a great leader walks the walk.

Courage. Not the absence of fear, but the ability to act in the face of fear.

Generosity. Particularly in sharing power. Power is only expanded by sharing.

There are many other traits of effective leadership and it's certainly a bonus if you're born with genetic self-confidence, charisma or attractiveness. I selected these traits because anyone can develop and cultivate these through practice and discipline. You may be lucky enough to be a born leader, the rest of us have to learn the trade and effective leaders are always trying to improve.

You can become an effective leader. You can become a more effective leader. Study leadership and study great leaders, but don't stop there. Identify your own personal weaknesses and strengths. Cultivate your strengths and mitigate or correct your weaknesses. Commit yourself to improvement in perfection, confidence and leadership and you can become an effective leader at home, at work and in the community.

The power of a society doesn't depend on the leadership of a few exceptional individuals. Our power is multiplied when each of us embraces leadership at all levels. Encourage leadership at all levels and your organization becomes more powerful, effective and productive.

We need more leaders. Be a leader!

Special Leadership Edition of PowerPAGE available featuring Neil Ducoff, author of No-Compromise Leadership & Mark Altman, author of Leadership for All the Mountains You Climb.

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Jim Bouchard teaches you how to Think Like a Black Belt! Jim is a speaker, coach and author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. His second book, Think Like a Black Belt scheduled for release in January, 2010. Find out more at JimBouchard.org.

The Death of Certainty: I Think…

2009-06-30T09:00:00.001-07:00

The two weakest words in the American lexicon:

"I think…"

Is it just me or does nearly every expert commentary on any serious life altering issue now start with the words "I think?" I'm sick of it! I don't want to listen to anymore "I think," tell me what you KNOW! You're the expert!

I think we've reached a point where people are afraid to take a stand. What' wrong with really knowing something? You're a human being; you're entitled to express yourself knowingly based on your knowledge, expertise and personal experience. When you've got a solution, a nugget of useful information or a genuine opinion, just tell me what you know!

"I think the economy is still heading for serious trouble over the next few months…" Who cares? Tell me what you know about it; specifically! I think that "I think" has become a fail-safe for people who either don't really know what's happening but are still paid to talk about it. Nowhere has this been more apparent and dangerous than in economics. A couple of years ago most of the experts were saying "I think the economy is fundamentally strong." Now these same experts are saying they never saw this disaster coming and they don't really know if things are turning for the better or the worse! Vice-President Joe Biden just said that "NOBODY" saw this coming; if you didn't know which way the economy was going you should've kept your "I think" to yourself!

Honestly, I don't think I have the solution to the economic crises. I KNOW I have a technique that will help you make your point clear, believable and sincere whenever you need to express your opinion or share your knowledge. This technique works in a one-on-one sales call; it'll make your elevator speech more memorable; it'll make your next keynote powerful and position you as an expert in your field. It may even help you meet your next romantic partner!

…And it's simple!

When you're making a statement of fact, simply state the fact.

"I think we're heading for a new age of prosperity because I think the American Entrepreneur is the engineer of our future success!"

…or…

"We're heading for a new age of prosperity! The American Entrepreneur is the engineer of our future success!"

Just read these two lines and see which one feels more powerful. Power is your ability or capacity to perform or act effectively. One of the most important aspects of Black Belt Mindset is Confidence. People respond to authentic confidence and power; they're turned-off by weakness.

To really be effective, confidence has got to be authentic. Confidence has to be rooted in honesty and tempered by humility. Humility isn't weakness, it's simply acknowledging that no matter how confident you are, you're willing to learn, grow and adapt as you develop new knowledge, insight and wisdom. Just blowing your horn isn't an expression of confidence, that's just cocky!

Save "I think" to punctuate a sincere expression of personal opinion that sometimes transcends facts and data. It's OK to share a thought based more on feeling than pure rationale. It's an expression of weakness to use "I think" as a prefix or filler when you're not sincere or sure of your facts.

There's still an out if you're wrong! Believe or not from the dawn of humanity most people have been wrong once in a while. Being an expert doesn't mean you're right 100% of the time; it means you're willing to stand behind your statements and judgment based on the knowledge and experience you have at the time. If your perspective changes, then change your message; and be damn sure of yourself when you do! You're the expert!

I think this is enough ranting about "I think." I hope my argument will help erase "I think" from American public speech. "I think" is the weakest form of expression; I know that without it you'll express yourself with power and clarity.

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt POWERVATOR, speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER!

Think Like a Black Belt! Visit JimBouchard.org.

Book Jim for your next corporate event, conference or retreat! Call 800-786-8502!

Why do employees waste time at work?

2009-06-18T08:55:00.001-07:00

That's the $5,700 question! According to an extensive survey by Salary.com the average American worker is wasting 2.09 hours a day; that means about $5,700 a year in wasted wages per employee. By any accounting measure, that sucks!

Where's the time going? The Top 4 answers include:

Personal web surfing
Socializing
Conducting personal business at work
Spacing out!

That's right, "spacing out" is the number 4 time waster at work!

WHY?

The number one reason given for wasting time at work is simply not having enough work to do. Next is the perception of being underpaid for the job followed by allowing other workers to distract you.

Not enough work to do? What's up with that one? Should most American companies simply put more people on the street? Assuming this is an accurate reason for wasting time, what can be done to fill this perceived void in the work day that would benefit both the employee and the company?

The most important concept in Black Belt Mindset ™ is:

"Perfection is not a destination, but a never-ending process!"

Personal and professional development is a key component in productivity, innovation and job satisfaction. Provide opportunities for employees to fill wasted time with developmental programs and resources. Invite speakers and trainers, develop in-house mentoring and utilize on-line and self-directed programs to help employees grow personally and professionally.

Let's do a little "Bizjutsu! ™" The first secret of the martial arts is practice. The second secret is more practice! Encourage employees to perfect job skills through interactive practice sessions. This is especially productive in sales, mentoring and leadership areas. Wasted time could also be directed toward peer mentoring, cross-training and innovation brainstorming sessions.

What if some of this wasted time was simply translated to wellness and personal development programs? Wellness programs reduce sick time, lower insurance premiums and claims and improve job performance. Personal development opportunities engender loyalty, strengthen team morale and develop talents and abilities that increase job performance.

The pro-active employer can do a lot to reduce wasted time. Still, if you're an employee it's ultimately your responsibility to use your time properly on the job! First of all, you are the only person responsible for your personal success & happiness. If you feel you're underpaid, then get a better job! If you've honestly outgrown your position, look somewhere else; on your own time! If your employer is paying you an agreed upon wage you're not underpaid. You accepted the deal. If you're worth more; prove it! If you're truly giving value beyond your compensation you will have no problem earning a good recommendation for your next position whether that happens with your current employer or somewhere else.

You don't need to wait for a corporate program to develop your talents and abilities. Use down time to improve yourself. If you don't really don't have enough work to do, ask your supervisor to allow you to utilize wasted time for professional development.

Letting other workers distract you? You need to invest some time to develop Black Belt Mindset ™! Get my first book: Dynamic Components of Personal POWER and study the section on "Focus!" Every minute on the job is valuable in creating your personal vision of success and happiness. Why let someone else screw it up for you? Learn how to apply focus to reduce distractions and improve your personal power, productivity and value.

There is one more alternative: start your own business. I guarantee you'll have an entirely new appreciation for the value of time on the job!

Communication between employers and employees can eliminate most of this lost and wasted time on the job. Find out specifically why people waste time in your organization and channel that wasted time to productive ends. The potential savings are immense; the potential for increased productivity and profitability is exponential. One study showed that an investing in an engaged workplace culture can increase productivity by more than 700% over companies who ignore or refuse to invest in employee engagement and motivation.

What's needed is simply a culture that encourages focus, discipline and constant attention to self-perfection at all levels. That's Black Belt Mindset ™!

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt POWERVATOR: speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. Book Jim for your next corporate event or conference & bring Black Belt Mindset ™ to your organization!

Call 800-786-8502 and visit http://www.jimbouchard.org/!

A Response to Janeane Garofalo

2009-05-13T10:06:00.001-07:00

I was all set to blast Janeane Garofalo unmercifully after her latest ridiculous rant. As much as I try to live by the Rule of Respect, Garofalo has challenged my patience and tolerance. Too many people substitute weakness and silence for authentic tolerance and compassion. I really felt it was my duty to speak up even at the risk of lowering myself to Garofalo's level and calling her hideous names including bitch, (Yup, that one did come to mind!), bigot, ignoramus and intolerant dolt.

I decided not to go there.

After all, Ms. Garofalo is entitled to her opinion. I'd prefer to debate her point by point.

In one of her recent tirades she said that everyone who attended the Tea Party protests were racists, that the protests were not about the economy but were obviously a bunch of "rednecks" who were "all about hating a black man in the White House."

I wanted to tell Ms. Garofalo that I voted for Jesse Jackson when her mother was still dumping poop from her Pampers. Of course, in the spirit of refraining from juvenile retorts, I decided to find out how old she is. To my surprise, these uninformed childish remarks come from someone who is only 4 years my junior. My mistake, I took Garofalo for much younger. I did in fact vote for Jesse Jackson for President; I don't know if Ms. Garofalo was still wearing diapers at the time.

The fact is that like many who attended the Tea Party protests, my issue has nothing to do with race. This seems to be a prominent theme in Garofalo's life. She also openly expresses hatred for attractive women and athletes. Strange perspective from someone whose looks have certainly not shut any doors in her career, but who am I to judge the depths of her insecurities? Oh, the race thing…I forgot that in the Janeane Garofalo world view you're only considered a racist if you're white; my mistake. I suppose the words redneck and cracker are terms of endearment, silly me to be offended.

By the way Janeane my neck is a rather bland beige color sometimes turning mocha brown in the summer. It is not red despite the fact that I often wear white socks and have enjoyed the occasional Blue Ribbon beer.

Next she goes off about how none of the people who attended the Tea Parties know anything about American history. To give her credit where credit is due, she did graduate with degrees in history and American studies from Providence College (Let's Go Friars!) so she must know something about the original Tea Party. She may have a point here; the original Tea Party was an illegal protest by English citizens in direct violation of several laws regarding assembly and the destruction of private property. If we really wanted to be authentic, we probably shouldn't have drawn permits for our events, should have destroyed someone's property and polluted some waterways. We really could have lived up to Garofalo's distorted accusations by disguising ourselves as Native Americans. That would not only have been racist, but we all could have hidden our true identities from the media who of course do nothing but promote right-wing causes. Oops! I forgot; at least at the event I attended the media never showed up!

Finally, Garofalo says that this protest is not about economics. If it were, she asks, where we were when the Bush administration was spending us into debt. Like many others I opposed the original TARP package. I questioned policies that were creating derivative financial products and extending credit without diligence. Janeane, most of us were speaking out then as now, though it was and remains a difficult struggle to be heard. We were respectful in our debate then as now which also makes it difficult to attract attention to our cause; obviously name calling and hatred attract more media exposure.

The real irony is that the political machinations that created these conditions were remarkably bi-partisan. Republicans allowed spending to go on unchecked and lost any fiscal high-ground as they joined Democrats in creating the policies that allowed the housing and credit bubbles to first inflate and then burst. Democrats jumped into bed with the "evil" big businesses that they'd been railing against for years; many of them own these business. Career politicians from both parties curried favors, lined their pockets and sold out the American taxpayer to preserve their power and increase their personal fortunes.

Of course most of us do not enjoy the public platform that Garofalo and other celebrities can use to blow their political horns. Pardon us if we were busy at our local Chambers of Commerce, attending town meetings and trying to get the ears of our state and federal representatives, many of whom have long ago forgotten that they work for us.

Here's the deal Janeane. I am very concerned that America is devolving at an increasing rate into a society where initiative is destroyed, personal responsibility cast aside and people who contribute to society are robbed by those who do not. We do not lack compassion as you accuse; we're committed to helping those with authentic need and those who appreciate and leverage our generosity to improve their lives. We're sick of those who take what we give and demand more and those who can and should contribute but instead condemn themselves to a never-ending cycle of dependency.

Most of all I'm sick of elite voices thumping chests and spouting rhetoric about tightening our belts and putting our "skin in the game." We've been skinned and our hides have been sold to keep lousy business afloat, to support foreign banks and to support politicians that pander to the same interests they publicly denounce. Our hard-earned supports illegal immigrants, deadbeats and people who refuse to do anything to take care of their own health.

Until recently we watched as our personal liberties were threatened and as our fundamental rights became the subject of political debate and judicial discretion. We've seen our treasure plundered and redistributed by so-called experts who cannot provide solutions but have the power to rob us of our property.

The Rights expressed in our Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution are not granted by our government. These are the natural rights of mankind that our founders, for the first time, rightfully protected from the abuse of any government. Many Americans have surrendered these rights for the sake of convenience. Many more of us have not.

The vast majority of the people who attended Tea Parties are those who still value the rights of the individual, the sole entitlement of opportunity and the fundamental principal that our government was created to serve and protect the individual, not to be a patriarchal provider to a society of dependents.

Janeane, to be blunt you're one of those elite voices. If you want to really find the heart of the American people I invite you to a delicious bar-b-cue and respectful debate on July 4^th weekend. If you're willing, I'll even take you to a Tea Party event so you can actually meet the people you so openly condemn.

You're a self-professed pessimist. You once said, "I guess I just prefer to see the dark side of things. The glass is always half empty. And cracked. And I just cut my lip on it. And chipped a tooth."¹ I know you're a comedienne and to be honest, that is kind of funny in context, but it's also kind of sad in a way.

I'm a self-professed optimist. Despite a few chipped teeth, a dozen or so concussions, a pound of metal in my leg and times when my wallet and my heart were empty I remain optimistic for my future and the future of our country. Let's visit for a few hours; maybe I can cheer you up!

On second thought, I'd rather just enjoy my weekend.

Click here for Ms. Garofalo's complete exchange with bloggers in Boston.

Wikipedia contributors, "Janeane Garofalo," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Janeane_Garofalo&oldid=289665592 (accessed May 13, 2009).

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt POWERVATOR...Speaker, coach and author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER! Click here for more information on Jim or to book him for your next corporate event, meeting or conference!

Jim also serves on the Governement Liaison Committee at the Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber of Commerce where is active in working with business people and legislators to create sensible policy for Maine and America. We could not find any such affiliations for Ms. Garofalo....DCPP Staff.

The Flu & You (& your business!)

2009-04-30T06:26:00.001-07:00

Lock the doors! Stay away from all other human beings! Wear a mask and incinerated clothing daily and carry a can of Lysol with you at all times!

Actually, there are relatively simple, common sense ways to deal with the newest global catastrophe identified by our vigilant 24/7 news organizations. Before I share those simple protocols, I'd like to clear up some misconceptions about the flu.

You can still eat the poor little piggies! The swine flu outbreak should not deter you from your springtime bar-b-que. The flu is not spread by eating pigs; it's named that because before the clever little virus mutated, it was primarily a pig disease.
The great mystery: Why are a higher percentage of people dying in Mexico than in the States and other areas? While not a politically correct sentiment and Michael Moore's incontrovertible research, The U.S. does still have the best health care system on earth. We starting tracking and reacting to this outbreak even before the virus became the latest illegal alien to cross the Mexican border. If you pay attention to the protocols specified by the CDC and other medical advisors your chances of getting the flu will be greatly reduced and your chances of full recovery after a few days of suffering will be greatly enhanced.
The flu can kill. In fact, flu kills about 30,000 people every year. The Great Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918 killed about 300,000 people in the States. We had the potential of another serious epidemic in 1976 which led to a controversial inoculation program. At any rate, the media seems to be relying heavily on 1918 data. Remember also in 1918 that medical science had still not found penicillin (I know, not effective against viruses, just making a point!), we still locked up "mentally challenged" people in "sanitariums" and we were just barely out of the stage where the local doctor was likely the local barber simply because he had some useful cutlery!
Small children and the elderly are at the greatest risk. That's always true with a viral outbreak. It's smart to take extra precautions for newborn infants, smaller children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems.

OK…now on to the common sense part of our program. You have a great deal of POWER when it comes to preventing the spread of the flu. Remember in Black Belt Mindset power is "your ability to perform or act effectively." You can learn much more about that by reading Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. The point is you can take effective action to mitigate your chances of infection and to help keep others safe as well.

Your grandmother may have been a medical genius! Here's what she likely told you and these tips are validated by the Center for Disease Control and the Surgeon General!

Wash your hands.
Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
Keep your stuff clean.
Stay home when you're sick.
Keep your hands and fingers out of your eyes, nose and mouth.

We shake hands a lot, particularly people in business. Wash your hands or carry a bottle of disinfectant hand cleaner with you. If you're paranoid about antiseptic hand cleaners destroying your immune system, don't worry about it; that's been de-bunked.

We also stuff ourselves into planes, trains, offices, schools and elevators on a daily basis with people who may not head their grandmother's advice. The CDC does advise wearing a mask in crowded areas where people may have the virus. Of course, you can also get yourself a full "pandemic emergency defense system" including mask, gloves, goggles, disinfectant hand-wipes and full haz-mat overalls. I found a bargain on volume orders of full kits at FLU ARMOUR! (I didn't find an affiliate link, so I'm not making a commission by sending you there!)

All joking aside, this is probably a good idea if you work in a hospital or clinic, but I think we can handle school and the office with just a couple of more common sense steps and a little personal responsibility:

STAY HOME WHEN YOU'RE SICK! I know grandma already told us this, but it bears repeating. I'll also add: KEEP YOUR KIDS HOME WHEN THEY'RE SICK…even if it means staying home with them! It's selfish and stupid to take your germs to where they're going to harm other people.

This especially goes for people who use public transportation. I travel a lot and I don't want to sit on a 5 hour flight next to your selfish coughing and wheezing butt. I guarantee if you sit next to me on the plane you'll be subjected to a continual flow of high-pressure air from every nozzle I can point at you!
EMPLOYERS: SUPPORT EMPLOYEE's DECISION TO STAY HOME! OK, some people will take advantage and fake it, but that's way better than having half your business out with the flu at one time. If you've got employees working with the public, what could be worse for your business during this scare than having your employees sneezing and coughing all over customers and prospects?

If your employees are staying home to nurse sick children, support that decision as well. It's the right thing to do.

One of the best ways to prevent spreading this or any other nasty virus around is to keep your own immune system healthy and fully functioning. Eat properly, exercise regularly and try to reduce stress in your life; simple, not easy! This requires Discipline, the most important Dynamic Component of Personal POWER! If you need some help in that area go to JimBouchard.org and I'll do what I can!

Be vigilant, not paranoid. Just like the Scouts, be prepared! Lay in some supplies in case you or someone in your household needs to hunker down for a few days. If symptoms are severe, get thee to the doctor.

Best thoughts for HEALTH and happiness!

DO NOT Let it Get THAT Bad…

2009-04-22T15:43:00.001-07:00

A man named David Kellerman was found dead this morning, hanged in his basement.

That name may not resonate unless you've been keeping up with current investigations at the eupho-governmental agency Freddie Mac. Until 5 am this morning or so the now late Mr. Kellerman was serving as acting chairman of Freddie. Tragically, he leaves behind a wife and young daughter. Kellerman was 41 years old.

According to the Baltimore Business Journal:

"Nearly half of Freddie Mac's $50.1 billion net loss in 2008 occurred during Kellermann's first full quarter as acting CFO, or soon after it was taken under the government's control. The company reported a net loss of $23.9 billion for the quarter ended Dec. 31, or $7.37 per diluted share, compared with a fourth-quarter 2007 loss of $2.5 billion, or $3.97 per diluted share."

Freddie Mac has been under investigation by the SEC and the Justice Department in relation to their accounting practices. Kellerman has been an auditor and analyst at Freddie for 16 years prior to becoming CFO. Did he take his life for some reason related to this investigation? Was it the pressure? Was it a combination?

It doesn't matter.

That may sound harsh but the gloves are off. Kellerman is not the first top-tier executive to commit suicide over the past few years. Add the rash of murder/suicides over the past few weeks by people who recently lost jobs or faced other financial hardship and we've got an emergency on our hands.

There will be some who say it's time for reflection. Bullshit; it's time to do something and now.

Before we do anything else we've got to return to traditional values of personal responsibility, perseverance, courage, honor and honesty. We've got to trumpet these values loudly and indoctrinate our culture with these values at all ages.
We've got to start sticking our collective finger in some chests and hold people accountable for their greed, arrogance and audacity when those behaviors cross ethical and legal limits.
We've got to become engaged in one another's lives again. The quiet-guy-next-door who never-bothers-anyone does not suddenly commit murder and suicide. These are the acts of desperate and isolated people. In the typical epilogue to these stories co-workers, neighbors, friends and family start to recognize symptomatic behaviors. It's time to start paying attention before when someone is standing quietly on the edge of the cliff instead of after he's jumped.

It's ignorant to say that anyone other than the guy with the gun or the rope is responsible for any of these deaths. On the other hand, too many of us have grown distant from the people around us. We don't want to interfere. We don't want to rock the boat. We don't want to get anyone angry or upset. We don't want to provoke.

Fear, doubt and complacency are the causes of the failure of our society; and yes, I say we're in a state of failure. To call it anything else is irresponsible. To wallow in this sad state is stupid, lazy and inexcusable. By and large we're a compassionate, ambitious and even disciplined people. It's time for the good silent people to speak up and the good spectators to get in the game. It's time to share the power you have by teaching others how to live with honor, dignity and discipline.

It's time to teach others how to face fears with courage.

Courage is not the absence of fear; the absence of fear is stupidity. It's right and natural to have fear when you're facing a federal investigation, the loss of your job or the foreclosure of your home. It takes courage to face these challenges and do what it takes to get past them. It takes emotional and spiritual resources to see you through the tough times. This support can and often should come from people around you who should be willing to help. Emotional and spiritual support is often more valuable than material support at these times.

It's easy to say you'd never consider taking your own life, much less anyone else's. I'm sure most of these people felt the same way for most of their lives. Most of us at some point will face some adversity that causes to wonder what the point is to the whole mess. Can we continue to live the "full catastrophe?"

If you're feeling desperate, trapped, isolated, angry or hopeless ask for help; now. If you know someone who else who is nearing the edge of the cliff, reach out a hand; now!

The gloves are off; there's no help once you're dead. No matter how bad things may be, as long as you're drawing breath you have a chance to create a new vision of success and happiness, but that chance starts with you. Reach out; people do care and are willing to help! By helping one another we truly share the power that can change our world!

A Message to Roxana Saberi

2009-04-19T06:56:00.001-07:00

For those who may not know: Roxana Saberi is an American journalist who has been imprisoned in Iran. Roxana was fascinated with Iran in part because of her Iranian heritage. She has constantly expressed a deep love for Iran and the Iranian people. She was originally detained for purchasing a bottle of wine. Her 8 year prison sentence is for alleged espionage based on a coerced confession.

Roxana,

You have the support of millions of Americans and many more millions of people around the world. You are in our hearts, on our minds and in our prayers. You are a symbol of what it means to pursue your passion honestly and diligently. You were imprisoned for simply wanting to your job to the best of your ability and to share your deep interest in the Iranian people with the world.

Please take this support to heart and remain strong. Those who imprison you have temporarily taken control; they cannot take the power you have to continue your work. Power is your ability or capacity to act or perform effectively; your story is now reaching millions of people who were previously unaware of your work. Your captors have in fact given you more power!

To fully utilize this power you have to stay strong!

It was reported in the TimesOnline-UK that you are considering a hunger strike. Reza, please reconsider this action! Harming yourself in any way will do nothing to deter your captors. If they have the audacity to imprison an American citizen during these challenging times they are obviously firm in their resolve to use you to further their agenda at whatever personal expense to you.

I personally implore you to stay focused on your return home to the people who love you. Your father is doing everything in his power to affect your return and many will be joining his efforts. Draw on the strength of resolve your father and others are employing to bring you back home.

Keep yourself healthy. Feed your body on whatever resources your captors provide and nourish your mind and spirit on the thoughts and prayers of all of us who are following your story.

You are obviously a powerful and driven young woman. You're already extremely successful in the challenging and highly competitive field of journalism. You chose to report from a country which has historically seen foreign journalists as a threat. You knew that going to Iran was much more dangerous than reporting from the safety of the States; still you felt a calling to go and report first-hand.

Draw on the deepest reserves of your physical, emotional and spiritual power not only to survive, but to return to us as a dynamic force for understanding the complex dynamics of the Middle East. You are, in fact, continuing the incredible vocation you have chosen. You've got to stay strong and healthy so you can return home and share your experience with the world.

Your captors have restricted your physical freedom for the moment. It's up to you to preserve your liberty. You have the power to stay strong and return home. I personally look forward to hearing your reports on this ordeal and with many others; will follow your story to your safe return and beyond.

Best thoughts always!

Jim Bouchard

It is my hope that somehow, Roxana will receive these words of encouragement. I hope at the very least she'll find out that many people are following her story, respect her courage and will be keeping her in our thoughts and prayers.

Please help spread this message by adding your thoughts and forwarding these sentiments to your networks. Together we can create a critical mass that will somehow reach Roxana and her family so they will know they have our support.

We’re the April Fools

2009-04-04T08:05:00.001-07:00

We're fools! Through greed, complacency and comfort we created a huge mess. Now there are experts, pundits, philosophers and bandits telling us that the American Dream is over.

BULLSHIT! (You probably knew I was going to say that!)

Who the hell do they think they're talking to? These guys are ignoring the most powerful and effective group in America. In fact, despite flapping lip-service to the contrary they don't even know we exist!

The American Dream is alive and well and its booming beating heart is in the chest of the American Entrepreneur: YOU! Do you run a corner convenience store? Do you own a gas station, a hair salon or repair shop? Are you fixing the lawnmowers that Big Box sells but can't service? Are you a plumber, a small-town doctor, lawyer or dentist? Are you landscaping, building, paving or painting? Do you teach karate, Pilates, yoga or aerobics?

Uncle Sam doesn't just want YOU, he needs YOU!

American small business did not create this mess. We may have helped it along because we did sometimes borrow more than we should have, even if it was to keep our businesses going. We did invest in stocks that looked really great without spending too much time learning about the executives running the companies in our mutual funds. Some of us may have bought houses a little too big; after all the economy was strong, Freddie and Fannie were in great shape, right? We did have a few too many credit cards at times and maybe should have waited a little longer for that boat or summer home.

So what? We're still alive and kickin'! We don't get bailouts; we pick up a bucket and start bailing! We downsize, go without pay, lean our operation, cut expenses, cancel vacations, sell property and work extra hours.

The American Dream cannot be taken from us. We can surrender it, but it cannot be taken against our will. Will you allow your Dream to be taken from you? I won't; and most of the entrepreneurs I know won't either.

Rats always run from a sinking ship. Let them run. Our ship may be taking on water, but the American Entrepreneur is the guy in the bilge patching the holes. We're the damage control team. We'll get the pumps going again and when we bring this ship back to safe harbor we're going to be the people who enjoy the greatest rewards.

We'll know we can survive and prosper on our own terms. The confidence that you can face any adversity and succeed is the most valuable asset you can ever acquire. Confidence is not a line-item on your balance sheet, but you don't have a balance sheet without it.

The entrepreneur is truly a free human being. It doesn't matter if you're an employer, an employee, mom & pop or solopreneur; when you accept full responsibility for your own success and happiness you are an entrepreneur and you're free.

Fools made this mess and other fools let them. These fools confused power with control. Power is your ability to act effectively. That can never be taken from you; it can only be surrendered. Don't surrender! Work together, find partners for Coopertition ™, re-dedicate yourself to constant improvement in creativity, efficiency and productivity. Look for opportunity in this disaster.

We may have foolishly let the fools take control for a while; they will never take our Power!

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Powervator; speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER! Jim will be appearing at several major events open to entrepreneurs in New England in April & May, click here for details!

Resentment is NOT a Transferable Quality!

2009-03-26T05:25:00.001-07:00

Getting laid-off? Tough! Get over it!

Before you judge me as heartless; I've been through it myself. I was laid-off from what most people would consider to be a pretty exciting job as a television producer. Of course, I was young, full of piss and vinegar and at the time just thought this was another example of "the man" keeping me from my entitlements!

What an idiot!

With the benefit of hindsight I know that business owners and executives hate to lay people off. If nothing else putting people on the street marks a failure. Most business people take great pride in expanding their companies, not in contracting them. More importantly, despite the negative mythology most business people are caring and compassionate people who care about their employees.

A lay-off or downsizing usually means your company is in survival mode. They're doing what it takes to stay in business and their immediate priority will and should be the welfare of the people they can hold on to. You've got to move a long and take care of yourself.

You're likely going to scramble for a new job. The one overwhelming piece of advice I can give you is to take your talents and abilities with you, and leave any resentment with the other crap you left in your desk when they gave you the pink slip!

When you're asked about your previous employment be succinct, honest and positive. Tell your potential new employer how much you appreciated the opportunities you had at your last job. Share examples of how your previous boss helped you grow and develop your talents and abilities. Say that you wish you could have stayed, but that you understand the difficult decisions that every business has to make when things get lean.

I vividly remember the moment I was called in to the office and told that I'd be laid-off. I have to say that my supervisors handled it with caring and compassion within appropriate decorum. That didn't necessarily mitigate feelings of confusion, disappointment, worry and yes; some resentment at the time. There were some people who broke down in tears; others who responded with open anger and hostility. I'm very grateful my mother taught me to handle a moment like this with restraint and dignity.

My supervisors gave me letters of recommendation, provided references and even passed my name along to other employers in their networks. Do you think they did that for the people who got pissed off and screamed at them?

My best friend at that job took me out to breakfast later that morning. He said that this wasn't the worst day of my life; it was the best. It took a while to realize it, but he was right! For me this marked the beginning of my life as an entrepreneur. Who knows what incredible adventures lay ahead of you?

There will be feelings of resentment, confusion, betrayal and doubt. Leave that all behind and look forward to your next opportunity…it's there for the taking!

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Powervator: Speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER!

Facing a lay-off? Click here for a complimentary PowerCOACHING session! Jim will help you take inventory of where you are now and help you plot a course toward your next success!

We’ve Become Weaklings!

2009-03-08T08:11:00.001-07:00

We did it to ourselves. We've been whining, complaining and bitching about life even while we were drowning in abundance. We've been satisfied with enough and forgot that for everyone to have enough you've got to have enough to give; and that means more.

We've surrendered our government by the people to egotists, career politicians and deal brokers. There are good people in government, but when they stand up we shout them down, condemn them as nuts and vote for celebrities with more charisma. We deify leaders who tell us what we want to hear and we vilify leaders who hold to ideals despite the cost to their own reputations.

Only last week one prominent congressional leader said that we had better not let our ideals stand in the way of what he considered necessary action. I want you to take a minute and think about that statement. Let's not let ideals, values and principles stand in the way of doing something even if what we're doing might be wrong and might not work. And we're wondering why we're in our current situation?

Before you start thinking I'm going on some right-wing tirade, listen: I'm not talking right or left, republican or democrat, and I'm not advocating for some bi-partisan Disneyland either. What I'm saying is that we're taking it up the butt from people who want to stay in power. I actually understand and respect their ambition; what I loathe is that we're letting them get away with it.

Government by the people means it's up to the people to take care of the government; not the other way around.

Too many of you assume that the President or the Congress or some fictitious bi-partisan synergy of the two controls the economy. It just ain't so. You control the economy. You control it with your decisions to buy or not to buy. Look how you scared the oil speculators who were betting on the fact that you wouldn't stop driving when gas hit $4.00 a gallon. The government didn't limit the price of oil, and OPEC was getting ready to drive the price up. You knocked the price of oil down.

Too many of you are waiting for the government to save the economy, or at least your little piece of it. The government is not going to put money back in your 401K or save your job. Unfortunately, neither is the government going to punish the crooks that plundered your hard-earned; it's too much of an inside job.

Enough bitching and moaning; it's time to do something. It's time to stand up and be powerful.

I'm sorry you lost your savings; I did too. I'm pissed off! Focus on earning it back and then some. If you're already at retirement age I truly am sorry; help us hang the villains that robbed you of what you truly earned; don't take this lying down.
Learn more about how the financial markets really work. Learn to recognize scams and deals too good to be true. Learn to manage your investments and control your own retirement fund. Even the so-called experts are now saying you shouldn't listen to them; don't!
Invest in yourself! Start a business; full-time, part-time it doesn't matter. Do something to take more control of your destiny. Fortunes are made in recessions; find the opportunity.
Stop worrying about anything you can't do anything about. Stop watching the news; blood sells but it doesn't help you get ahead. Focus on what you can do and stop listening to people telling us the world is coming to an end. Plan for the end of the world and you're going to have a problem when you wake up tomorrow and it's still here!
Become powerful! Power is your ability or capacity to perform or act effectively; simple, not easy. Become more effective, that's how you increase your value. Leverage that value in new and creative ways. Go out and actively look for new opportunities before someone else puts you on the street.
Don't wait for the lay-off or the downsizing. Fire them, don't let them fire you! You do this by continually learning, expanding your talents and abilities and increasing your power and value. Create your next opportunity now!

I don't care if you come from the depths of poverty or you were born with a silver spoon shoved down your throat. In fact, if you don't have anything right now you've got an advantage! Take a chance; what have you really got to lose? If you're someone who is getting tossed out of the ivory tower you're about to start on the greatest adventure of your life.

We've become weak; we've got to get to the gym! Think like a black belt! Get tough and do not surrender. Decide right now that you're going to do whatever it takes to create your vision of personal and professional success & happiness. Do it with honor and righteousness; success with honor is lasting.

I'm not willing to surrender; I'm not done yet! I'm not waiting around for economic salvation or bail-out. Who do they think they are anyway? Their generosity is amazing when they're spending our money! Quit and you may live, you may even be safe and comfortable for a while. Just remember, salvation has a price too; you pay for salvation with fear, doubt and complacency.

Fear: Will anyone really save me and when?
Doubt: It's getting worse and nobody seems to be coming!
Complacency: I give up! I'll accept mediocrity and weakness; I can't do anything about it anyway.

Is that any way to live?

No, I'm putting boots to the ground and going for it. I don't want safety; I want success. Success requires action and action comes with risk. I'd rather risk failure on my own than mortgage my life for salvation at the hands of others.

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Powervator: speaker, coach and author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. Find more POWER at JimBouchard.org!

Click here for a FREE PowerCOACHING session with Jim Bouchard, America's Black Belt POWERVATOR!
Learn to set meaningful attainable goals, develop self-motivation and discipline and become more effective and valuable in personal and professional life!

Is Personal Responsibility Dead?

2009-02-22T10:22:00.001-08:00

Not yet, but it's on life support!

The value of personal responsibility is certainly threatened today. Saving it is really up to you, and me.

Before I go off on this rant, it's important to note that there are people in genuine need and there's nothing wrong with asking for help. There is something insanely wrong when that help becomes an entitlement and the generosity of others is repaid by petulance instead of gratitude.

Our culture's radical departure from personal responsibility has become a major issue as our economy struggles to staunch the bleeding. The pending mortgage assistance program has raised temperatures across the country as some people start to position themselves for assistance and others condemn borrowers who simply got in over their heads.

The fact is some good people who did everything the right way are in trouble. It's also a fact that too many people willingly borrowed way beyond their means and set themselves up for disaster. A lot of people are likely to lose their homes over the next few months no matter what type of program is in place, but unless we return quickly to some fundamental values in our society we're likely to lose much more than our homes.

If you made the deal; you're responsible. It wasn't long ago that we were screaming about aggressive credit card companies pushing us over the cliff of unsecured debt. Now we've done the same thing with our houses. The fact is that nobody held a gun to your head and told you to apply for a new Capital One card and nobody threatened your life if you didn't sign that ARM on your house. You signed the papers, you made the deal, you owe the money.

On the other hand, the lender is responsible for his end of the bargain as well. You aggressively loaned money to people you knew were in way over their heads. You designed loan programs without income verification. You created no-money down programs and leveraged your assets on interest-only products. If you made a bad loan, tough.

If you're fat, get your fat ass to a gym. That's a harsh one, eh? There are people who are suffering from obesity due to medical conditions outside their control; I've met one or two in my lifetime. That's all, only one or two. The vast majority of people who are obese do one of two simple things completely wrong: they eat too much or exercise too little; end of story.

Believe it or not I do have an understanding of how difficult it is for some people to control their weight. As a martial arts instructor I work with people dealing with this issue all the time. I can tell you that the only people who are successful in this area are those who accept full responsibility for their own health.

Suing McDonald's does nothing to curb your appetite.

And...whether it's right or wrong blaming societal pressures does nothing to help yourself either. The fact is that nobody can live up to the popular ideals for body type, weight and beauty. Look what happens when celebrities are caught without their make-up, with their pants down (or off!) or in a moment of emotional vulnerability.

It's up to you to design a life satisfying to you. Your feeling trumps size and shape at all times. An overall feeling of health is what's important; some people are genetically predisposed to be bigger or smaller than others. People who feel good about themselves are always more attractive and powerful than those who don't no matter what they look like. That feeling comes from within and nobody can do it for you!

I don't think it's any of my business to tell you what to eat or force you to exercise if you don't want to. It's also not my responsibility to take care of you if you don't want to take care of yourself. We could say the same for smoking, having unprotected sex or producing children you can't take of.

When someone helps you be grateful; you owe them that. People were given hotel rooms to live in for more than a year after the hurricane Katrina. To be fair, some of these people were extremely grateful and truly appreciated the help; not many of the grateful people stayed in this donated housing for the entire term. Some others were angry that they were being asked to leave after more than a year of free housing; they destroyed the hotel property and protested bitterly about being evicted.

I once listened to a woman go on a tirade about how the state was "screwing her" by threatening to stop her aid to dependent children. The reason? Her deadbeat ex-husband number 3 had moved into her apartment violating the provisions of her assistance program. This woman produced 5 kids by 3 different men. The state was further screwing her by giving her a full scholarship at a community college, paying for her membership at a fitness center to keep her healthy, providing food stamps and paying healthcare expenses for her and her children. Yes, this does in reality happen in many cases.

Screwing her? The appropriate words would be "thank you!"

Why I lack compassion for these people: The fact is I don't; I have a great deal of compassion for them. I've also learned that compassion can sometimes be a mask for cowardice. It's sometimes more compassionate to remind someone of their obligations than to bail them out. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for life; keep giving him fish and you better get a bigger boat!

Gratitude is not a platitude; or just a nice slogan to sell self-help books and inane posters. Gratitude is an empowering process that helps you recognize the resources you have to work with here and now; even when those resources are scarce. At any given moment you might be in a serious state of deficit in material, emotional and spiritual resources but you had better take inventory of what you've got; that's what you're going to use to start the process of creating the rest of your life.

Gratitude reflects personal responsibility. It's your obligation to return kindness, charity or even simple thoughtfulness with gratitude. Gratitude is the first step in the process of recognizing your part in returning that kindness, charity or thoughtfulness if not directly, then to the world at large.

Personal responsibility is the foundation of success and prosperity. Entitlement is crippling to individual spirit, energy and freedom. The fact is that in an entitlement driven culture the only abundance is the abundance of scarcity, resentment and servitude. It's not easy to be responsible for yourself but it is the price of freedom. Personal responsibility is the cornerstone of independence and personal power and liberty.

The American founders specified only 3 inalienable rights:

Life.
Liberty.
The pursuit of happiness.

These three inalienable rights point to only one authentic entitlement: the entitlement of opportunity. When you surrender yourself to entitlement you abdicate these inalienable rights. The only way these rights are lost is through negligence. The surest way to neglect these rights is to expect someone else to take care of them for you. That's what happens when you abandon personal responsibility.

But isn't it the government's responsibility to protect these values? Yes, but the government is you. We're in grave danger of losing the ideal of government by, of and for the people. What's ridiculous about that is that as a people we've never had more political power. No citizen can be legally denied a vote, but a vast segment of the population still doesn't vote or only votes in presidential elections. Anyone can run for nearly any office in America, yet political parties have to beg to recruit worthy candidates.

I don't like the way the government is managing our resources. I don't think most of them have the faintest idea about how the economic system works; the chief of the treasury can't even use TurboTax. What can you do? You can vote and participate. You can write to your representative. If you don't like the way they're managing things you can fire them. Remember that despite what some of them believe about themselves; they are "the people" too. Most of them have two arms, two legs, at least part of a functional brain and probably a mortgage just like you. It's up to you to remind them that they're only human once in a while and that after all, they're supposed to be working for you.

Too many of us have been too quiet for too long. It isn't that we didn't care; it's that we were trying to be polite. There's no time for eloquence and political correctness; it's time to be blunt. We had better return to a culture of personal responsibility or risk losing everything we've accomplished over the past 200 years; and despite what some people think that's a lot.

It's right to be charitable. It's right to help people with authentic need. Unless we accept personal responsibility for our own success and happiness, very few of us will have anything to share.

Back to Katrina: Just after the storm a number of people were re-located to recreational vehicles that had been donated and set-up outside one of the towns that had been destroyed. A news team was reporting on conditions in the area and interviewed several survivors who were complaining about the poor conditions. The predominant complaints were:

Most of the air conditioning units on the RV's were not working. (Note: this was due to the inadequate electric power supply in the emergency area that simply couldn't support the higher amperage demands of the air conditioning.)
The volunteer shuttle service was sporadic and people sometimes had to wait all morning for a lift to the local Wal-Mart for supplies. (Note: It should be mentioned that the shuttle was completely voluntary and likely staffed by people who were also dealing with storm related issues and that the local Wal-Mart was donating thousands of dollars worth of supplies to these storm survivors.)

Don't worry; I'm leaving this on a positive note!

One remarkable woman stood out. An elderly woman had just returned to her trailer after walking over a mile to the Wal-Mart and back again for supplies. The reporter asked her about the hardships of the walk and about returning to her hot trailer with no air conditioning.

The woman smiled and said she was grateful to have a roof over her head and thanked the people at Wal-Mart for their generosity. She said the walk was a minor inconvenience given the circumstances and that she had nothing but thanks for being alive, for the people who provided her with her temporary home and for the incredible kindness of so many who were opening their hearts to the refugees of the storm. In the midst of losing her home and nearly her life this woman found abundance through gratitude.

It's that simple.

Declaration of Personal Responsibility:

If I bought it; I'll pay for it. It may not be easy, but I'll do everything in my power to repay my debts. If I'm in trouble; I'll go directly to my creditors as a first step; assistance is a last resort. If I receive assistance I will endeavor to pay it back.
I will practice gratitude. When I receive help, I will return thanks. I will practice gratitude every day as a way to take inventory of the resources I have to move forward.
My health is my responsibility. I will take care of myself in body, mind and spirit. If I seek risk, I accept responsibility.
I will vote. It's the least I can do to participate in this system. The survival of American Democracy depends on my participation.
I will embrace the process of self-perfection. I will continually improve myself for my benefit and the benefit of others.
I will work to continually increase my power. Power is my capacity to act effectively. I cannot share power unless I am powerful. It's my obligation to become powerful.
I will share power, love and respect unconditionally. I will accept responsibility personally.

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Powervator; speaker, coach and author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER! Get your copy at JimBouchard.org!

Power is not Control…

2009-01-25T03:13:00.001-08:00

But I never said control isn't important!

The second chapter in Dynamic Components of Personal POWER is titled "Top 5 Lies About Power." In that chapter I talk about the lies we've been told by people who either attempted to keep power and control for themselves, or those who with best intentions were trying to protect us from the pain and suffering of failure.

One of the lies is: "Power is Control."

Power is not, in and of itself control. Power is your ability or capacity to act or perform effectively. Control is your capacity to restrain, command, dominate or regulate. You may be a very effective and powerful person, yet there may be circumstances, conditions and dare I say people you simply can't control! In the case of people, I'd argue that outside of logical restrictions that keep us from killing and harming one another, control is usually either an illusion or best left to dictators.

There are things we can control and things we can't; it's that simple. By yourself you probably can't control the global economy, regulate energy prices or keep your three year old from throwing food. What you can do at any time and given any conditions is to increase your power. You can at any point in life increase your ability to perform or act more effectively.

How? Here are steps one through a thousand:

Embrace the never-ending process of self-perfection.

Repeat…

You don't need money to increase power; take that excuse off the table now. If you're reading this you have access to a computer. How do you want to improve right now? Reduce your answer to a word or short phrase and type it into your Google search. I just did a search for self-confidence; Google returned 13 million links. 13 million links to articles, studies, advice, products and services all to help me improve my self-confidence. That would keep me busy for a while!

The words "personal power" returned over 54 million links! I'm very happy to report that a video of one of my television appearances popped up on the first page of the search right next to a video by Jack Canfield! Within seconds you can have access to over 54 million potential resources to help you become more powerful and effective.

At any point along the way you have two choices: quit or keep going. Only quitting assures a predictable outcome; once you decide to take action everything is at risk. You may fail; you'll probably encounter some degree of frustration, self-doubt and fear along the way. You can also be assured that with every drop of blood, sweat and tear you'll get a little closer to your ultimate vision of success and happiness.

You can choose to worry about circumstances, conditions and people outside your control; or you can choose to control your own destiny.

You can wait for a lay-off; or you can learn a new skill or trade.
You can wait for your sales manager to buy you new contact software; or you can buy your own and start getting ahead.
You can wait for the government to save the economy; or you can find a way to expand your market on the internet.
You can wait for the winning lottery ticket; or you can start your own business.

You're the only person responsible for your own success & happiness. Take a chance; go for it!

More powerful Google searches:

Sales Training: 30.6 million results
Language Study: 41.9 million
Job Training: 43.1 million
Leadership Training: 19.4 million
Personal Coaching: 1.2 million
Individuals affecting world economy: ZERO! (OK, I searched the exact phrase!)

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Powervator; speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. Get the power you want for personal and professional success NOW! Visit JimBouchard.org!

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Resolutions…Bullshit!

2008-12-11T07:15:00.001-08:00

Resolutions don't work; period. Statistics show that only 12% of the people who set resolutions will keep them past the first month. Why is this figure so pathetic?

Goals are not specific enough.
Don't have the material, emotional or spiritual resources needed to see the goals to a successful conclusion.
Goals lack rational, sustainable motivators.
Resolutions are simply too big.
Small set-backs become major failures.

Big ideas are great and emotion can be a fantastic motivator, but to finish the job you need a rational inventory of your current resources and a manageable series of goals that lead to your greater success.

This year replace your resolutions with a New Year REVOLUTIONtm. Completely change the way you think about goals for the next year.

First step: Take an inventory!

Whatever you're going to do in the coming year is dependent upon the resources you have at hand right here and right now. Of course, a valid goal can be to expand those resources, but you've got to start somewhere and you can't simply invent resources. You're going to need material, emotional and spiritual resources to activate and sustain your plans for the next year. What do you have in all three areas right now?

The best technique for taking an accurate inventory of material, emotional and spiritual resources is to take some time for gratitude. This doesn't need to be formal; simply take some time and think about everything you have right now. Include your friends, family and business connections; this support system is part of your emotional resources. Include your skills, talents and abilities. Include your positive traits and values like courage, work-ethic and character; these are your spiritual resources.

Next step: Big Ideas!

Take a little more time and just blast out some of the things you'd like to do if you knew this was your last year on earth! Don't worry about whether or not they're realistic yet, just organize your big ideas.

Now: Let's get real!

Finally, take a good look at your list of big ideas and decide which goals really motivate you physically, emotionally and spiritually. Then take these goals and decide which one best matches your current material, emotional and physical resources. Break that goal into a series of two or three small steps you know you can accomplish given your current resources and motivation. Now you have a set of realistic, attainable goals to start your New Year.

The best thing about your New Year REVOLUTION as opposed to resolutions is that you can start this process anytime, and revisit these steps at any time to adjust and accomplish your goals.

CAUTION: Too many people fail to achieve their goals because they allow minor set-backs to become major defeats. You may as well accept the fact that you'll face challenges and maybe even failures as you try to succeed; that's part of the deal. Rather than accepting failure, simply repeat this process, re-assess your goals, adjust and move on. You may have set a goal to lose 20 pounds before spring; losing 5 is a victory, not a defeat. Adjust your goal, your timeframe and keep going.

Best thoughts for success & happiness in the New Year!

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Powervator; speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. Jim returns to Maine for a special appearance at Borders in the Shaw's Plaza, Brunswick for New Year POWER: Creating Your New Year REVOLUTION! This event is Saturday, December 13^th at 4 pm; free and open to the public courtesy of Borders and Northern Chi Martial Arts Center!

Click here for more information on this and other coming events!

Turn Economic Disaster into Profits

2008-11-21T08:17:00.001-08:00

Every disaster is an opportunity; that's an old martial arts saying that works as well on the field of business combat. In the Art of War, Sun Tzu says:

"Speed is of the essence in war. What is valued in war is quick victory, not prolonged operations."

Entrepreneurs who are willing to be responsive and nimble are best suited to make adjustments necessary to profit in an economic downturn. Moving quickly doesn't mean you should make rash decisions; it means to prepare yourself to make meaningful decisions without hesitation and without regret. This means embracing continual development as an individual and as a company. When you're constantly engaged in research, training and development you're best prepared to respond quickly and efficiently when an opportunity is available; particularly in the middle of a disaster!

Here are some ideas you can implement quickly to turn disaster into profit:

Reposition your message; emphasize the essential quality of your product or service…
When the economy tightens discretionary spending becomes a real problem to those who provide otherwise "non-essential" goods and services. Remember that when it comes down to it, anything above and beyond food, shelter, acute medical care and basic transportation is non-essential. Find essential qualities that people will not want to do without under any circumstances and promote that message vigorously. Of course I'm assuming you deliver quality goods and services!

If you operate a restaurant emphasize the need for an occasional night out to reduce stress and keep your sanity during tough times. If you run a gym make sure people know that health is not a luxury but a necessity, particularly compared to the cost of medical problems related to a lack of exercise. If you sell financial advice, what better time to impress prospects with the need for sound guidance during confusing and fearful times?
Give it away…
There is no better time to give than when there is genuine need. Giving during tough times earns greater appreciation and builds loyalty with current customers and prospects. You still need to stay in business, but decide what you can afford to give and do it today. Can you do a seminar offering substantive advice? A restaurant might give a free cooking class highlighting how to prepare great meals on a budget. A doctor's office can give away a free exam to new patients. Membership businesses could offer a trial period, even if you haven't had to in the past. Give bonuses with premium purchases.

Look for ways to contribute to your community; non-profits are hurting during these times as well and the goodwill and networking you'll develop with a gift of time or other resources is extremely valuable.
Coopertate! Embrace the competition…
"Coopertition" is a word I coined to describe my willingness to look at competitors as allies. Leverage trade associations, Chambers and networking groups to develop strategic alliances with competitors. Together you can create co-operative marketing campaigns, develop buying pools and share resources. Compete fairly and work cooperatively.
Increase marketing; reduce advertising…
I define marketing as what you're willing to do to promote your business. Advertising is when you pay someone else to do this work for you. Make decisions quickly to leverage your resources and go guerilla in your marketing efforts. Put some feet on the street and get back to good old fashioned relationship building and community networking in your market.
Downsize…
This is always a tough pill to swallow, but sometimes a quick reduction in staff, facilities or overhead can keep you running in the black rather than digging a deeper hole just to stay in business. Smaller companies and "soloprenuers" may lack the resources to weather a bad economic storm; don't be afraid to cut quickly when necessary and utilize newly available resources to build back your strength.
Lower prices…
Maybe the last resort, but usually a viable alternative compared to closing your doors. Can you operate for a time on smaller margins? If so, change prices quickly and make a big hairy deal about it! Make sure your customers know you're walking the walk with them. Times are tough, we're all in this together. Turn a price reduction into an opportunity to develop good will with current customers and a marketing opportunity to generate new business.

It's most effective to combine several strategies. Make decisions quickly and implement them immediately. Never look at any of these adjustments as a failure. You're doing what it takes to survive and prosper during difficult times. At the same time you're developing skills, knowledge and resources that will position you as a leader when the economy recovers.

No matter what you're facing; continually develop yourself personally and as an organization. Use down-time as a new found opportunity for training, research and planning. Position yourself to make more effective and efficient decisions now and in the future, in good times and bad.

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Powervator; speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. Watch for upcoming programs on how to prosper during an economic downturn. Stay up to date on this and other program, and receive thousands of dollars worth of bonus resources by joining our "NO SPAM" mailing list! Register at JimBouchard.org!

Gratitude is not a Platitude

2008-11-17T06:36:00.001-08:00

To succeed you've got to have the "attitude of gratitude." Big deal! Law of Attraction? Laws are broken every minute. But, if you don't practice gratitude you won't attract the wealth you deserve; really? What about greedy pigs who take what they want with no appreciation for where it came from. Do we really need to waste time on examples?

I do believe the Law of Attraction works and I do believe that Gratitude is an essential part of the formula for authentic success in life and business. This is because I know that true success is a product of abundance in 3 key areas of life: material, emotional and spiritual. Tolerate scarcity in any one of these areas and you will not feel successful.

Gratitude is not, however, an ethereal concept to me. Gratitude is extremely practical and rational. It simply works; here's how:

Pay attention to what you've got right here and right now and you always have an accurate inventory of the resources you have in the present moment. No matter where you're going from here or what your plans for tomorrow you've realistically got to start with the resources you can access in the present.

No matter how few your resources, gratitude gives you a perspective of abundance. Focus on what you don't have and your perspective is one of constant scarcity. What can you do with what you don't have? Focus on what you have and work from there; no matter how modest those resources are.

A gratitude practice doesn't need to be formal, religious or written out in a twelve-step program. Just take a daily look at your life and give some thought to what you have, the people who care about you and the gift of life that connects you to something larger than yourself. I try to start and end my day with this simple exercise. When I do I always start the day from a position of relative abundance and end it with a feeling of appreciation.

I'm not saying you have to be satisfied with your current conditions or circumstances. What I'm saying is that focusing on scarcity always leads to more poverty. Goals and aspirations for improvement can be very powerful motivators. To have the faith necessary to support action you've got to have some reasonable expectation of success. That faith comes from knowing that you have access to the resources in body, mind and spirit you need to take at least the first step. Practicing gratitude gives you an inventory of those resources.

My gratitude practice is very simple; I'll share it here:

Thank you.

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Powervator: Speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. Book Jim for your next corporate event or conference. Call 800-786-8502 or visit JimBouchard.org.

Get Back to Work!

2008-11-12T06:17:00.001-08:00

Martial artists like to throw around Asian words and phrases from time to time. One of my favorites is "Kung Fu."

Kung Fu literally means an achievement as a product of great effort. A more direct translation for the Western ear would be "work." To achieve you've got to practice positivity and you've got to open your mind, body & spirit to possibility. To increase probability for success you've got to take action; you've got to get to work.

Today we're facing enormous challenges in business. Whether you're an employee or an employer there are conditions and circumstances beyond your control that are impacting everyone. More important, no matter what the current conditions and circumstances there are actions you can take here and now to take control of your success.

Ignore circumstances and conditions beyond your control. That may be a tough pill to swallow, but until you let go of what you can't do anything about and start focusing on what you can do you'll be stuck in a vacuum of negativity. Decide exactly what you can and can't control and start focusing on actions that will produce direct results.
Always prepare for the day you're obsolete. If you're in business, prepare yourself for the day when your goods or services are no longer marketable. Explore how you might transfer your skill sets to a new sector, look for new & receptive markets, and investigate new marketing angles or repackaging & repurposing your product or service lines.

If you work for someone else make sure you're networking with people in your field outside of your workplace. Join associations and trade groups and know who is looking for good people. Take advantage of every training and educational opportunity available at your place of employment.
Make yourself more valuable. In business or employment, there is always opportunity to make yourself more valuable. You do this by making yourself more effective; by increasing your ability or capacity to perform or act effectively. You make yourself more powerful.

You probably have no control over the global or even local economy. You probably don't decide which military bases will be closed, which manufacturers decide to go overseas or which retailers file for bankruptcy. You can always control the process of continual self-improvement.

With the access to training and education we have today there is no excuse for complacency. You may face tough decisions including moving, changing careers or delaying retirement. Some of these decisions may be made for you. There is no reason to face these decisions unprepared.

Take full advantage of every training opportunity available at your place of employment. Don't wait for these opportunities; seek them. If they're not available, find them on your own.
Network; get to know the people who can help you find your next opportunity. As you increase your value and others know your value; there will be people in your network waiting for you to become available. Networking is not just for entrepreneurs, sales reps and CEOs; it's for everybody.
Learn: Always! Take courses at your local adult ed or community college…Can't afford that? Get to your local bookstore or get on-line…still out of reach? Get to the library; they still have plenty of books and most of them now have computers.

Power is your ability or capacity to perform or act effectively. Power increases value; the greater your capacity to act effectively the more valuable you are. When the axe comes down, the more valuable you are the less likely your head will be the one on the block. If it is, the more likely you'll quickly find your next opportunity.

There is much you can't control; you can always increase your power. The way to generate power is to get to work: Kung Fu!

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Powervator; speaker, coach & author of Dynamic Components of Personal Power. You want a kick to get you started, become more powerful and develop more options in your life and career? Visit JimBouchard.org and click on the PersonalPOWER, EntrepreneurPOWER or Life Coach button!

Not my candidate; now my President

2008-11-05T08:49:00.001-08:00

First I have to say, "Thank God it's over!" This has been a long, contentious campaign. From the primaries through the Presidential race this election cycle has been at times bitter, even juvenile. It's been difficult to sort out fact from fiction on all sides and I must say that even in the closing days of the campaign both parties seemed hesitant to offer direct, detailed plans to the American people. Let's hope that as we move forward our leaders will trust that we can handle the details.

I say once again, and I hope for the last time: "In the spirit of full disclosure…" I did not support Senator Obama; I slowly came to support Senator McCain. I was disappointed in both candidates' response to the banking crises; why was no voice raised to find and hold accountable the thieves that robbed us blind? I have always been registered as an Independent but as the petty and bitter race continued I grew tired of the rhetoric from both parties, if not from the candidates themselves consistently from their surrogates. I found myself looking seriously at registering as a Libertarian.

I ended up voting for John McCain. I do not think that Barack Obama is a bad man; I simply could not hear the voice I was looking for in his eloquent speeches. I do not favor single-payer health insurance. I do believe friends returning from Iraq who understand the real and imminent dangers they're fighting against. I do not favor an advancement of more socialist policies including re-distributing wealth or taxing successful people at higher rates.

As I heard both men speak, Senator McCain in concession and President-elect Obama in acceptance I could not help but be impressed with the grace, eloquence and directness in both men's addresses. Both speeches were among the best political addresses in American history. My prayer is that the words are authentic. It is time to put aside differences and work together; some of us have been demanding that course of action for a long time. It is time for partisan politics to be subjugated and the will of the people to take full precedence in shaping the future of our nation.

Will this happen? To paraphrase our new President-elect: "Yes, it can!" I do hope so.

Most important it's time for all of us as Americans to move beyond the petty political bickering. Because your opinion is different than your neighbor's does not make him a fascist, a racist, an idiot, a redneck, a communist, or any other of the litany of juvenile name-calling you care to note. We're Americans. Our differences do not make us strong; our ability to work together despite our differences is what makes us strong. We've got to return to a culture of civility; that's what allows us to work together.

You may have supported President-elect Obama, or like me you may have voted against him. He is soon to be our President. He deserves the chance to see if his ideas and policies will deliver. He deserves our respect and our support as President. If you differ with his policies, you should oppose them. Maybe we can start with a clean slate and separate our political differences from personal hatred.

One great step toward healing the divide we've felt is to recognize the sincere efforts of our current President George Bush. You may not agree with his policies; that does not make him an evil person. He does not deserve to be the object of personal hatred and vilification. He served as our President during incredibly difficult times. I cannot imagine a more difficult position than that of President of the United States. How many of us would accept this responsibility? How many of us would be willing to make decisions that cannot help but cost lives or live with information that would freeze most of us in our tracks? Could you start each day full of hope knowing that you must make decisions that will inevitably make you the target of hatred so intense that your life is in constant danger?

No matter what your political allegiance you should be incredibly moved by the historic importance of the election President Barack Obama. It is a completion of a long struggle to elect a black man to the presidency. It is significant that he comes from mixed heritage, as do most of us. It is remarkable that he came from such a humble origin to become President of the United States. He is representative of the contemporary American. His assent to the highest office in our nation should be a symbol of what our founders may not have been able, in context, to fully envision as government of and by the people. This moment should forever complete our definition of "American People."

A moment should also be taken to recognize that had Senator McCain been elected, we would also have elected Governor Sarah Palin as the potential first woman President as well. This campaign was destined for historic significance no matter what the outcome. Within only a couple of percentage points in popular vote we've expressed that race and gender are not in themselves determining factors when it comes to American leadership.

Now a healthy dose of perspective: We elected a President, not a savior. I am not making a joke; I'm making a statement. No President can save the country; that's our job. President Kennedy said that most poetically; I won't make an attempt. You are entitled to support the decisions that fit your values and oppose those decisions that are antithetical to your values. Our new President deserves the opportunity to fulfill the promises he's made. We've entitled him to this opportunity through our incredible electoral process; not perfect but always open to the possibility of continual perfection. This process of perfecting our American process and perfecting ourselves as Americans is our own responsibility.

We have a unique system of elected representative leadership; this leadership is reflective of our will. It's up to us to lead. Our leadership is a daily responsibility. Our leadership is expressed in the way we treat one another, the way we disagree and the way we resolve our disagreements. The time to lead is now and always.

Enjoy this remarkable, historical moment.

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Powervator: Speaker, coach and author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER…and part-time self-appointed political pundit! Visit JimBouchard.org.

Am I the only one confused?

2008-10-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

I started to write something in answer to this...I have no answer! If anyone can provide some insight into what is going on in this video; I beg you to please help me understand!

Please!

FREE VIDEO: Talking Politics at Work...

2008-10-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

...Without killing one another!

Can you really have respectful conversations about politics in the office? Even when you're right and everyone else is wrong? During the last few days before the election?

SURE! Watch the video to learn how...

PLUS: Click here for a FREE PushPin flyer for your office bulletin board!

Generosity: The Perspective of a Bailout Skeptic…

2008-10-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

Admittedly I’m not currently a top-bracket tax contributor; but I work very hard for the money I contribute annually to the general fund. I’m a small business owner who has paid taxes on paper profits several times over the years and has gone without health insurance to keep staff on the payroll and make ends meet. Like many of you I have a hard time spelling the word vacation in lean years and I sometimes laugh at words “week-end.” I don’t think the failure of any of my businesses would cause a ripple on even the local economic pond; so I doubt I will be eligible for any government bailouts any time soon.

I’m a little tired of people talking about “government” money spent on these bailouts. That’s my money, and it’s your money. We the people contribute to the general funds that support national, state and local government. We the people are getting hosed.

Have you ever had a friend in need who begged you for a loan, only to find out that friend used your hard-earned on some frivolity like a weekend bender or a new car stereo for a his junker? That’s what’s happening to us right now, but the tab is in the billions:

Days after receiving their bailout, execs from AIG Insurance splurged on a $440,000 corporate retreat including golf, spa treatments and banquets. Nice; did anyone invite you along?

Here are some more presents you just gave your friends and neighbors, allegedly to stave off the next Great Depression:

I hope some of you are NASCAR fans; you just gave $100,000,000 in tax breaks to race track owners. Maybe they’ll send you a thank you card with tickets to the next race.

Drink rum? You just paid for $192 million to rum distillers in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Lord yes, we had to keep that precious stream of rum flowing; you’re going to need it as you read on!

Don’t worry about the high cost of heating fuel this winter, you also just paid about $150 million to wool producers; now you can buy cheaper sweaters to keep you warm!

Remember the Exxon Valdez disaster? Exxon will soon be sending you a thank you note. It’s the least they can do; you just picked up $49 million dollars of the tab for that one. This money is going to fishermen and other plaintiffs who were suing over lost fishing grounds and revenue. Maybe Exxon will give you a discount next time you fill up as a small token of gratitude!

Do you feel good yet? You should, after all helping your neighbor is what it’s all about. If you pay state income tax to help fund your school systems, you just helped your neighbors in states without income tax by subsidizing their educational costs with a federal tax deduction. That one zapped you for about $3.3 billion. I’m going to think about this one every time I pay my “use tax” in Maine for stuff I bought in states with no sales tax.

And folks, this is just the Quickbooks version of your generosity! You’re also funding a study of arctic squirrel hibernation, tax breaks for bicycle riders and a subsidy for manufacturers of wooden arrows for children. I suppose they may be preparing for the next generation’s version of the Boston Tea Party.

By now you be feeling as if you’ve done your part to prevent a repeat of the bread lines and Hooverville shanty towns that still remind of us of the perils of economic disaster.

I may have overlooked all of the above, but there was one pill too bitter for me to swallow. I suppose it’s obvious to everyone but me that America would be reduced to a third-world wasteland without the enormous contributions of our great Hollywood film and entertainment industries. This is not just a matter of keeping P Diddy in Cristal, Sheryl Crow in toilet paper and Matt Damon in private jets; no, this is a matter of national security. Where will our next generation of America’s defenders find inspiration without the next great recruiting film from the Rock? How will we know the truth without Michael Moore? How will we keep our population strong without the stimulus provided by Salma Hayek?

I suppose I’ll just have to concede this one. After all, along with you I just contributed $478 million to Hollywood in hopes that they’ll keep me from losing my home and living in a tin shack. Oh well, maybe just to say thanks they’ll send us all one of those $5.00 movie coupons or give us a dollar off our next $12 bucket of popcorn.

Movies, arrows, bikes, squirrels, rum and race cars; all important to someone I’m sure. I just don’t see how this stuff got tagged onto the “most important piece of legislation in our generation.” I don’t see how any of this pork does anything pull us back from the “brink of economic disaster.”

If you’ve got it figured out; please let me know. In the meantime, I’m going to barbecue a squirrel I’ll shoot with a wooden arrow, drink some rum, watch a movie and wonder what the hell just happened to my money.

How to Make a Million, without Spending MORE…

2008-10-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I sat at my computer performing the excruciating but necessary year-end bookkeeping review for my martial arts business. I was fully immersed in the tedium of correcting account assignments, reconciling bank statements and trying to remember what the heck I spent $49.95 on that ended up somehow in unassigned expenses.

Just for fun I punched up a profit & loss statement and entered “ALL” in the date range. I thought; let’s take a quick look at the big picture. To my surprise and I must say, with a tinge of pride the gross income total was just a whisker over one million dollars. I had made my first million!

It didn’t seem to make sense. I still hadn’t drawn a real paycheck on any consistent basis. I had no cash reserves and the only profits I’d made existed only on paper. Thankfully before I put a deposit on my Learjet, I took a good look at my gross expenses, debt service and balance sheet. I had indeed made my first million; but it had taken a million and a quarter to do it!

Here are a few tips from my How to Make Your First Million as an Entrepreneur without Spending More than a Million to Do It seminar, whew! I share my experiences and offer some advice with the hope that you’re your day of becoming a millionaire will be a little more satisfying than mine!

1) Ever hear the scalded frog story? Debt works the same damn way!
Borrowing a large sum at once may be a challenge to a new entrepreneur, but it’s all too easy to borrow small sums and those small sums can add up to big debt. It’s very easy to use unsecured credit, lines of credit and credit cards to dig a big credit hole.

If you dropped a frog into a pan of boiling water he’d jump right out. Put him in a pan of cool water and slowly turn up the heat and he won’t notice the gradual change; despite becoming a par-boiled frog! In the same way short borrowing can turn you into a par-boiled entrepreneur.

Part of the problem is that debt service on your principal doesn’t show up on your profit & loss statement. It does reduce the liability on your balance sheet, but only interest is an expense. Be sure to create full cash flow reports with all debt service, principal and interest included, to see where your money is going. This is how you can inadvertently create “paper profits.”

2) Family business is above all, business.
You’ve no doubt had someone tell you never to do business with family or friends. From personal experience I may be inclined to offer the same advice; but for many of you involving family and friends may be a great way to get started or expand your business. Before accepting help from family and friends there is some business you should take care of.

In matters of business treat family like strangers. That means above all get everything in writing. Nothing can destroy a business or a family faster than leaving business matters to trust. Blood may be thicker than water, but ink is thicker than blood.

In writing establish how the business relationship will start and how it will operate. Clearly define rolls, responsibilities and distribution of revenues. At the beginning, establish in writing how the business will end. Provide clear exist plans for each person involved or investing in your business.

3) Contrary to popular belief, your passion does not always make a great business and you need more than passion to succeed.
There are a lot of books, seminars and speakers that teach that the key to success is to find your passion and pursue it relentlessly. Well, not exactly bullshit but not exactly true every time. Your customers don’t necessarily have to care about your passion as much as you do; but they have to care enough to want to buy it! If there aren’t enough customers who want what you love and you still want to pursue your passion; you better be prepared to move.

The next problem with this line of thinking is that there are people who are extremely passionate about something, but just plain suck at it! An essential part of creating your vision of success is to identify your talents and abilities. You’ll also need a good inventory of your material, emotional and spiritual resources to make sure you’ve got what it takes to get where you want to go. If you find you lack the talents and abilities to make a living at your passion, make it hobby and enjoy it! Hobbies are an important component of emotional and spiritual wealth. Chasing off creditors and worrying about keeping your home while you try to save your business of passion is stressful, unhealthy and just plain sucks.

I’ll support the theory that passion is an important part of success. Rationally assessing your passion in relation to your talents, abilities, resources and market is just as important.

I’m not throwing water on your entrepreneurial fire. If your talents and abilities are raw, your first step may be to develop those talents. If you’re lacking in resources, you may set short-term goals to increase these resources. If you truly believe in your ambition and you have the courage to risk failure, you’ve got most of what it takes to make it as an entrepreneur. You can learn the rest.

Passion without balance becomes obsession. With focus, timing and some planning your passion can fuel your greatest success.

Join Jim Bouchard, America's Black Belt Powervator for a special webinar on Business Expert Webinars:
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Are You Sick of it Now?

2008-10-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here’s how today’s headlines should read: “Congress Devolves into Name-Calling, Hair-Pulling Clutch of Petulant Children.” Of course, that might not be too far off the mark on any day in Congress.

I’m not picking sides; they’re all making me completely sick. We’ve got to try to figure out what the impact of the banking meltdown is going to have on our own businesses and on our neighbors. As someone who prides myself on being a student of politics and current events I have to admit painfully that I throw up my arms in frustration and disgust.

Hourly I’ve listened to partisan pundits blame the other side for current conditions, or brag about the heroic efforts their side is making to bring this wildfire under control. For the record, I’m a registered Independent and this is why. I’m absolutely sick to death of the constant petty partisan bickering, name-calling and accusation that is in fact the root cause of this entire debacle.

I’m sorry to shatter any illusions, but in legislative bodies legislation is not created in a spirit of bi-partisan interest in the American public. Articulate arguments and well-crafted oratory are not what seduces members of one side of the isle to the other. The fact is that on a national and state level, our laws and regulations are the result of a vestigial and wasteful quagmire of constant deal brokering, vote exchanges, earmarking and pork trading. Let’s throw in a healthy dose of nepotism and insider favoritism and we’ve got the system that has devolved to our current state of affairs.

The greater fact is that nearly everyone we’ve elected to office is complicit in this criminal abuse of our trust. There are some who claim they didn’t create the regulation or de-regulation that led to this crisis or those who did or didn’t carve out personal deals on loans, under the table compensation and favors and campaign contributions. Shame on you for not keeping your eyes on the ball; shame on you for keeping quiet when you smelled the leaking gas and didn’t warn those of us who put you in office and most of all, shame on you for not trusting us to understand this problem. Stop your selfish squabbling, stop your foolish CYA maneuvering and tell us what the hell happened, in plain English with names and addresses attached.

I have one more finger to point: To everyone of you who has said at one time or another that your vote doesn’t count, that the government is going to do whatever it wants anyway, that you don’t have time to get involved, that you don’t read the papers or watch the news; shame on every single one of you.

A single vote is not statistically significant when dealing with the vast numbers associated with a national election. When you do not exercise this responsibility the lack of your single vote resonates across the country. Your single vote may not decide an election; however by refusing to participate you surrender the one power guaranteed to you that makes you different than the citizens of most of the world. You surrender your voice; the voice that gave birth to our nation.

America is facing pressing problems. There are many issues on your state and local ballots that can make the difference between prosperity or bust in your communities; and in these elections a single vote just might be the difference. Vote your conscious; I don’t care if you agree or disagree with me. If you responsibly vote your conscious and your position is different than mine so be it; I respect your point of view and we have a basis for discussion. If you don’t vote, I don’t want to hear it!

I have faith that we will persevere and we will prosper, but only if you participate. It’s your responsibility to vote. It’s your obligation to learn as much as you can so you can vote responsibly. I know that’s difficult, but let’s do the best we can.

This November if nothing else let’s take back what’s rightfully ours: government by the people.

Jim Bouchard is America's Black Belt Powervator: speaker, coach and author of Dynamic Components of Personal POWER. Learn more about Dynamic Components and Jim at JimBouchard.org!

Ask Not What Anyone Can Do For You…

2008-09-17T06:12:00.000-07:00

“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address

What the hell has happened? When did we become a culture of spiritual beggars pressing the fence with our hands crying for scraps from the very people who derive their power from us?

This isn’t about politics or religion. I’m talking about the dormancy of the American spirit. This complacency crosses partisan lines and the spiritual power I’m talking about is not the domain of any particular religious group.

It’s likely that in this argument I’ll be accused of a lack of compassion. So be it; but I’ll quote a far greater philosophical mind than mine. Whatever happened to the idea that giving a man a fish only feeds him for a day where teaching him to fish feeds him for a lifetime? Which is more compassionate, throwing fish to the begging masses or making sure everyone has the opportunity to learn how to fish?

I don’t want to be misunderstood. I did not say we need to make sure we teach everyone to fish; I said we need to provide the opportunity to learn how to fish. Ultimately the responsibility for learning is the student’s.

The only person responsible for your success and happiness is the same person who brushes his teeth in your bathroom mirror. It’s not the job of the government, or your company, or your neighbor to provide the essential resources you need to create your personal vision of success & happiness.

Our government is supposed to be the mechanism whereby we can cooperatively assure we each enjoy the basic security we need allowing us the freedom to pursue our dreams as individuals. More enlightened companies know that productivity and profitability of the organization increases when the organization is proactive in providing the opportunity and resources that encourages the success of each individual.

We’re much more powerful as a group when we each accept personal responsibility for becoming powerful individuals.

Times are tough and it is right and generous to help your neighbor. When you’re the recipient of generosity it’s right to respond with appreciation and gratitude. It’s counterproductive at best to respond to generosity with demands for increased charity. It’s destructive to create a system where our cooperative institutions become the primary resource for this continual stream of entitlement.

Part of our current economic state is due to conditions and circumstances well beyond the control of any, if not most of us. That’s no excuse for a lack of participation in the solution. The first part of the solution is for each of us to make ourselves more powerful and effective. Power: your ability or capacity to act or perform effectively is what makes you more valuable to yourself and those around you. Value is what drives commerce; at all levels our system is based on commerce.

Much of our current economic state is due to conditions and circumstances beyond the control of the President, Congress or the Supreme Court. A democratic system of government is by its very nature slow. It takes time to develop a consensus; a dictator can change conditions at will. Which do you prefer? We’re also the first generation to deal with an authentic global economy. Today nearly any service and many goods can be delivered across borders at the speed of an internet connection. Speculation in global markets creates conditions tomorrow that we have to deal with yesterday.

As individuals and as a community we still have to work within the scope of that which we can really do something about. Most of the conditions we face today are not the result of what’s going on today, but a product of what we’ve allowed to happen in the recent past.

The solution is clear: let’s step up and take control of our own lives. At any time you can acquire new skills, knowledge and experience that will position you to take advantage of new opportunities. You can make a direct impact on your life and the lives of others by maintaining a positive outlook; and before I’m accused of naiveté, there are no solutions in negativity. Positivity does not guarantee desired results, negativity assures undesired results.

Negativity is blinding. Positivity opens your eyes, ears, mind and heart to possibility. The more open you are to possibility, the more you increase the probability of success. Simple, not easy.

Not convinced yet? Let’s apply positivity to an immediate real world problem. Many of us have grown accustomed to the freedom of driving solo anywhere we want to go at any time. Take a look at the other cars on your next morning commute and notice how many are still driver, no passengers.

Now you could continue to complain and wait for the government to institute some policy to affect the price of gas; but bear in mind that reactive policy usually results in some deficiency somewhere else. For example, we could drop a state tax on gas; but then don’t complain as you drive through unrepaired potholes. Negative thought and action usually results in substituting one problem for another.

Or, you could car pool: positive and immediate action! Share a ride and you just cut your gas expense in half; that’s reality! If that’s too inconvenient, fine; just stop complaining! Put three people in that car and you’ve lowered gas expenses for your commute to near a dollar a gallon. Notice I said “expenses,” you still haven’t affected the price.

Get a million people to share a ride and your regional gas dealers start to pay attention. Ten million of us and suppliers may start to get nervous. Fifty-million of us sharing a ride and the speculators and the producers start to worry; we just might lower the price of fuel for the entire world. Simple, not easy. Of course, neither was going to the moon!

Times are tough; let’s get tough right back. Let’s fight negativity with the only weapon that works: positivity. Let’s stop wondering when someone is going to save us and start accepting full personal responsibility for our success and happiness. Let’s start sharing solutions instead of commiserating in misery. Let’s start where we can have the most impact; with ourselves and with those in our daily lives and local communities.

Let’s not ask what our neighbors can do for us, but rather what we can do for our neighbors. Let’s offer encouragement in place of discouragement and sweat in place of tears. That’s how we create opportunity from adversity.

Two Filthy Words Again!

2008-09-06T05:15:00.000-07:00

I’ve been watching very little television lately. Quite by accident I happened upon a panel discussion on one of the early morning newsertainment shows featuring a group of college students and someone who was offering advice for managing finances during and after college; it got my attention!

Then I nearly threw up! I had just eaten breakfast as these words, as nearly as I can remember them actually came out of the mouth of one of these babes: “I thought that when I started cutting back on my Starbucks frappacinos it would really make a difference; I really didn’t realize how hard it would be!”

About two years ago I decided to investigate the cries that college costs were out of control. From the perspective of my all too often squandered youth: I can remember feeling the world was unfair, costs were too high and college was indeed very expensive. Point of fact: college was expensive for me because I wasted the opportunity. I skipped classes, partied too much and never graduated. I post a zero return on investment from my college degree because I don’t have one.

At any rate; the crying about high college expenses was beginning to severely impact my martial arts business. Parents were telling me that they had to make a decision between continuing their children’s martial arts programs or saving for college. For the record; investing in a quality martial arts program is one of the best ways to assure maximizing your investment in college tuition; but more on that in another article.

I had to find out if college expenses were really that out of control and if I could make sensible adjustments to keep my students while honoring those parents who were at least recognizing, and here come the two filthy words, PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for educating their children. There’s no way I could argue with a parent prioritizing the assumption of financial responsibility for higher education, particularly in this age of entitlement.

FACT: Post-secondary education is a privilege, not a right!

Before I completely piss you off; at no level is education a right. Historically you’ll find many examples of education being denied to Americans because of gender, ethnicity and race. In part to correct these injustices we enacted policies to not only guarantee, but in most cases to require education to at least a high school level. Still, this is not a fundamental right as spelled out by our Constitution and Bill of Rights. I only labor this point for one reason: If we could somehow restore the appreciation of education as a privilege we could go a long way toward helping students appreciate and take full advantage of the great opportunity of education at any level.

Back to our TV show: The next young genius was belaboring the impending burdens of student loans he was apparently forced into as the only option he had to finance his college tuition. I apologize for any lack of clarity in relaying this young man’s obviously well considered opinions as my thinking was clouded in this moment by a searing pain I was genuinely concerned may be a brain hemorrhage. At the word “unfair” it felt as if a stick was driven into my skull! “Exploitive loans, unfair interest rates, it’s not fair,” the words ripped at the back of my eyes. Once I knew for sure I was still conscious I did my best to maintain focus and follow the flow of this conversation when Frappacino Girl chimed in again!

I remember thinking that beer and a weekend ski trip were higher priorities than books and my next tuition payment. I also remember how easy “they” all made for me to dive into the deep end of college loan debt. What I don’t remember is anyone holding a gun to my head and forcing me to make these choices. I also clearly remember that when I complained about not having money for a ski trip because tuition was due; I was just as clearly told that it was up to me to decide which was more important in my life; of course I chose skiing! My fault, not theirs!
Sorry to be jumping around so much; this is a complicated subject, isn’t it?

Back to the parents of my martial arts students: is college really that expensive? Enter Michelle Obama; she claims that college expenses place an unfair burden on many families. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all for providing assistance to help level the playing field and to make sure talented kids get the opportunity to share their talents with the world. This argument is not political; I’ve frankly gotten to the point where even I can’t tell the players without a scorecard. It seems any candidate that wants young voters is using some form of this platitude. Let’s just look at Mrs. Obama’s words and what they mean in this context.

Mrs. Obama attended Princeton and Harvard Law School. Her father, who worked at a city utilities job despite having MS should be held up as a model for trying to make life better for his children. Still, Mrs. Obama could have decided to attend less expensive institutions; attending Princeton and later Harvard were choices, not mandates.

Michelle herself should be held up as an example of how hard work pays off in school. She even skipped second grade based on performance. This early dedication to her work ethic no doubt served her well at university and later in professional life. She succeeded at two Ivy League colleges despite discouraging advice from her counselors and lingering prejudices.

I don’t know if she got financial aid to help her attend these schools; I’ll assume from her story that she did and she openly talks about taking student loans. Wonderful! These are both great tools to help finance a college education.

But…expensive? We can’t argue the fact that both Princeton and Harvard cost a lot of money to attend. I won’t even bother to lower the cost of Mrs. Obama’s education by adjusting for tuition in the 1980’s; let’s just assume she’s attending today at a cost of around $50,000 a year. Even if fully self-funded, let’s estimate the total cost of her post-secondary education at around $200,000. Given her last reported salary as Director of the University of Chicago Medical Center in excess of $320,000 a year. Isn’t that about a 65% return on investment for just one year in that position? I’d take that in business every day of the week!

College can cost a lot; considering the return on investment it may be considered cheap. The average return on a college degree is one million dollars over the course of a lifetime compared to people with only a high school diploma. Expensive?

Back to the TV show: no offense to Starbucks their reputation for a quality luxury product is beyond reproach. It just seems interesting that these young people don’t have a problem spending $6.00 on a cup of coffee, yet consider their college tuition expensive.

And…we haven’t even considered the average cost of a college education or less expensive alternatives. My research found a list of the top 20 business schools offering MBA degrees for $15,000 or less. Here are some sobering, and in my humble opinion, very encouraging figures:

56% of 4 year college students attend schools charging less than $9,000 a year.
43% of students attending public colleges & universities pay between $3,000 & $6,000 a year.
Even at the high end, only 6% of students attend schools that charge more than $33,000 a year.
Public 2 year programs charge an average of $2,300/year; less than 2% of average family income.
More than $130 billion dollar in financial aid is awarded to students EVERY YEAR!
2/3 of all undergrad students receive financial aid averaging $2,000 at public 2-year colleges, $3,600 at public 4 year schools and here’s the shocker: $9,300 for private 4 year colleges!

Is my math way off, or are we doing a tremendous job at making college affordable? Where’s the disconnect? Of course, this information has to come from some slanted source with an agenda for wasting money on anything but education, right? Actually, this data is readily available for your own scrutiny at CollegeBoard.com, a website designed to help you find and finance a quality college education.

Now for the “unfair” loans cited by our frappacino drinking friends:

The average loan burden of a needs based student according to CNN is $13,800. Compare that to around $10,000 in average credit card debt for Americans.
These “unfair” loan rates have just been reduced by Congress from 6.8% to 6.12%, and you don’t start paying on these loans until after graduation. Kind of like “no payments until fill-in-the-blank” loans for furniture? Compare again to average unsecured debt interest rates at 22% to 25% and it really looks like a rip-off, eh?

What’s the story? Time to get back to our 2 filthy words: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!

The fact is that college is still a great investment. My message is POWER: Your ability or capacity to perform or act effectively. Can you perform or act effectively without college? Can you be successful without a college education? Certainly! I consider myself successful on many levels and I absolutely squandered my college opportunity. However…

…I wouldn’t advise anyone to do it the way I did.

I learned the hard way; with the gift of hindsight I can honestly say I wish I had completed my degree and entered the real world with a college diploma. A college education is a wonderful opportunity for expanding your effectiveness for the rest of your life. A college degree can be an incredible resource in developing Power for personal and professional success and happiness.

If you or your family have the resources to finance a college education; then do it. Quit bitching and whining, make the sacrifices you need to make and invest in yourself and your future.

If you genuinely need assistance to pursue a college education; here’s some useful advice:

The best thing you can do to access merit scholarships is to perform well in high school. Pay attention, get good grades and take full advantage of your high school education privilege.
There are circumstances and conditions beyond your control. If you’re attending a high school in an underprivileged area, focus on what you can control. Same advice: study hard, develop good work habit and earn good grades. You may have to work harder than some to get where you’re going, but that’s much more effective than waiting for conditions to change. Later, when you’re successful you can go back and change those conditions for others.
Investigate all your options including:
a) 2 year programs…at least to start!
b) State and public colleges and universities. Many of these institutions provide top-quality educational programs at bargain rates!
c) If you are targeting the most prestigious or expensive programs, consider starting at a less expensive college and earning the grades that will support a higher financial aid package at your target school.
d) Consider a smaller course load that will allow you to work during your studies to support your tuition and living expenses.
Most of all, start saving early and prioritize your spending during high school years.

Did you know that according to the Indiana Business Review the average American under age 25 spends over $1,500 a year dining out and $1,000 a year on entertainment? Cutting dining & entertainment expenses in half just during high school could pay for a full associate’s degree or cut the need for college loans in half for a four-year program.

Ultimately Power is about freedom. When you make yourself more effective, you become more valuable to others. Your opportunity for material, emotional and spiritual abundance increases. You have more choices; you enjoy greater freedom to live the life you choose. The foundation is Personal Responsibility.

I did not learn this lesson early. It took me over 30 years of living a life of cyclical scarcity to learn my lessons. My fault; I will not place blame anywhere but squarely on my own shoulders. With just a few years of focused effort you can save yourself from the cycle it took me my entire adult life to transcend.

You can apply a college degree to generate enormous Power in your life. Take Personal Responsibility and start creating your opportunities for a college degree now. Can you live without your frappacino today?

Check out Jim's CampusPOWER program for college & university students! How to get the most out of your tremendous opportunity, your talents and your abilities!

Possibility...Positivity...Probability

2008-09-03T06:46:00.000-07:00

Possibilities: Everything is possible. Success is always a possibility, so is failure. The first step is to be open and receptive to all possibilities...

Positivity: Focus on the possible positive outcomes. Simple, not easy. Failure is the only outcome you can guarantee. To fail, all you have to do is quit. To succeed you've got to stay focused on the positive even when the crap is hitting the fan. The more you train yourself to focus on the possible positive outcomes, the greater your...

Probability: The probability of success is dependent on two major factors:

1. Opening your mind and heart to the boundless possibilities that exist around you at all times.

2. Training yourself to focus on the possible positive outcomes of your efforts.

Failure can be guaranteed. Success is always a risk; and always a risk worth taking!

Power is your capacity or ability to perform or act effectively! POWER! Get yours NOW!
Visit JimBouchard.org!

The Importance of Effective Leadership

2008-08-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

The cost of ineffective leadership is enormous.

Some industries report as high as 65% annual employee turnover as a result of ineffective leadership.
Disengaged workers, often caused by ineffective leadership cost American business over 300 billion dollars a year.
Lost and wasted time, often due to poor or disconnected leadership averages 2.9 hours per employee per day.
Over 70% of CEO dismissals cite ineffective leadership as the reason for termination.

The economy is challenging and budgets are tightening. Those who act tomorrow will be too late. The time to improve the effectiveness of your organization leadership is now…and always!

Effective leadership is one of your organization’s most valuable assets. One of the hallmarks of any leader is a dedication to continual self-improvement and perfection. Like mastering a martial art, leadership is a skill. A martial arts master dedicates a lifetime to self-perfection. Those leaders who recognize that perfection is not a destination but rather a never ending process are those who create the most effective and productive organizations.

What would a Black Belt do?

The Sensei or martial arts master is an iconic symbol for one who embodies inspiration, wisdom and respect. The relationship of master to student engenders loyalty, respect and effectiveness. A Sensei earns respect and becomes an effective leader by honoring the relationship of teacher to student. The measure of an effective Sensei is not just in personal accomplishments, but more importantly in the accomplishments of his students.

An organization is most effective when leadership provides teaching, mentoring, coaching and motivation to empower every individual to perform most effectively. You can apply the techniques and traits of the Sensei to increase your effectiveness as a leader at work, home and in the community.

The fundamental reason that a Sensei enjoys the loyalty and dedication of his students can be found in the unique relationship of teacher to student. I’ve found that effective leadership is accomplished through two major disciplines:

1. Gratitude.

2. Generosity.

An effective teacher praises and supports the efforts of his students. This praise and support is recognition, a form of gratitude for the efforts and results produced by the student. At the same time the effective teacher shares experience, knowledge and wisdom unconditionally. It’s the job of the teacher to share; it’s the responsibility of the student to learn. To accomplish effective teaching, the teacher must share unconditionally with no expectation of return. When there is a return, it’s the role of the teacher to provide recognition, acknowledgement and reinforcement. That’s the cycle that creates the student to teacher bond.

Leadership is fundamentally teaching. A leader must communicate information and enthusiasm. A leader is more effective when can demonstrate experience and share the fruits of that experience by sharing wisdom. The more effective a leader is as a teacher, the more respect and loyalty he will earn.

In business this respect and loyalty translates directly to increased productivity and decreased losses due to disengagement, uncaring workplace practices and lost personnel.

Not everyone will feel comfortable teaching to large groups or motivating an auditorium full of people. Every leader can teach effectively at some level and the most effective leaders will develop skills at all levels. This includes one-on-one coaching, training small groups or teams and networking with peers.

One of the most valuable traits you can emulate from the Sensei is that of “Beginner’s Mind.” The martial arts master’s personal development is never finished. He approaches each day with a sense of wonder and curiosity and a longing for continual self-perfection. The greatest leaders are never those who rest on past accomplishments or current position. The greatest leaders are those who continually embrace the process of self-improvement.

After all…

“Perfection is not a destination, but a never-ending process!”

Become a Sensei in your workplace and in your community and you’ll enjoy a new level of effectiveness and power that will translate into greater success in all areas of your life, materially, emotionally and spiritually! There is no greater gift you can give another than a continually improving you!

Join me for the most unique webinar on Business Leadership you’ll ever attend!

Sensei: The Art of Effective Leadership by Teaching

Where? On your DESKTOP! Through the unique gateway offered by Business Expert Webinars you’ll attend this event by phone and view the presentation on your computer!
When? Wednesday, September 10^th at 11:30 AM Eastern Time
Registration? $79…No travel expenses! Bring your own lunch! In fact, why not book your conference room and bring your entire team?

For complete details and registration click here! Includes download link for session audio!

The Bull by the Balls…Literally!

2008-08-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

Walking up Broadway in the Financial District of New York City I happened upon a crowd of tourists posing with one of the huge bronze bull statues that represent the power of Wall Street. Of course the bull represents a profitable, charging marketplace.

At this particular monument, the bull’s horns are pointing up the hill toward the heart of the District while those of us walking up the grade are treated to the rear end of the bull revealing a bowling ball size set of, well, bull balls! That’s not the funny part. Something a little unusual caught my eye as an Asian woman who looked to be about 60 years old crawled under the hind end of the bull.

As soon as she got underneath the bull’s bottom, she turned around, smiling grandly at her husband who was ready with his camera. Grinning ear to ear she cupped her hands and pretended to support the bull’s massive family jewels!

That’s when it hit me! I wish I had my camera; I would’ve snapped this picture and made a deal with this woman to produce a complete line of motivational posters & t-shirts. In one spontaneous moment of fun she summed up exactly what we’ve all got to do when the bull is turning his backside to us: We’ve simply got to take the bull by the balls!

We can waste time bemoaning the high-price of energy and the struggling economy, but haven’t we been through this before? We’ve faced hard times as a country and most of us have faced hard times as individuals. What should we do? It’s certainly our right as Americans to bitch and moan; but I don’t remember that tactic doing me any good in the past. I’ve done my share of complaining but this time I’m simply not going to do it.

I’m going to take the bull by the balls and focus on what I can do. I can make myself better. I can make myself more valuable. I can market myself better. I can look for opportunities where others see disaster.

This time around I’m not looking back; I’m going to be the bull.

For more thoughts on dealing with difficult financial times and, gack, reccession, listen to recent PowerPOD episodes with William R. Patterson, Joan Sotkin, George & Mary-Lynn of BiggSuccess.com and Marsha Petrie Sue.

When to Quit

2008-08-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

Never! I know that sounds trite. Everyone says “never quit,” but sometimes you’ve got to know when to fold ‘em, right?

I’m not even going to try to be funny here. Most of us have been through times when it seemed the only sensible option was to quit. Sometimes the decision to keep going seems too painful and even at times vain. Most of us will experience this moment of decision again; should I keep going or would surrender be the better part of valor?

The problem is that when you keep going in the face of adversity there is absolutely no guarantee that you’re going to succeed. Yes, I did say that! You want me to be nice or you want me to be honest? No matter what secret movie or seminar you’ve watched that’s the truth. As an author I can’t guarantee that you’re going to succeed just because I told you that staying the course greatly improves your odds of success. If I’m speaking to you I may be able to share some of my enthusiasm for the battle but if I were to tell you that if you keep going despite all odds you will succeed I’d be lying.

The fact is that no amount of positive thinking or even positive action can absolutely guarantee a successful outcome. There are no guarantees at all!

There’s only one way to guarantee a predictable outcome: QUIT! When you quit you know the results instantly: Failure (note the capital “F”).

There are alternatives to quitting:

1. Tactical re-deployment: Take your resources, drop back and re-deploy your energies in a new direction.

2. Retreat: Sometimes it’s best to lay low for a little while, put some distance between you and your enemy and rest your troops. I don’t like this option, but I’ve learned to honor it!

3. Full Frontal Attack! Damn the torpedoes and all that; simply put your head down and charge into the line. Sometimes the extra push will get you through.

Finally, you can decide that your tactics or strategy should change. There’s no shame in recognizing that a particular strategy didn’t work. You can take what you’ve learned into the next campaign.

Some people might say that all I’ve done is mess around with semantics. Guilty as charged! However, if you’re of the mindset that words are not powerful you better find some new words! Have you ever marked yourself as a quitter? How does that feel? Change the language to “tactical re-deployment” and suddenly you’re looking for new opportunities. Words are important; words are the connecting point between ideas and realities.

Next time you feel like quitting just apply these three steps:

Assess the situation; sometimes it’s useful to retreat to do so.
Re-deploy or change your strategy.
Get back into the fight.

You may choose to fight a different enemy, on a different day on different ground. Once again there will be no guarantee of success; but the only way to assure a specific outcome is to quit. Personally, I will not accept that outcome; I’ll take my chances!

Have you listened to PowerPOD? Great guests...Powerful conversations on a range of topics to help you enjoy a Powerful day! Click here for PowerPOD!

The Two Disciplines...

2008-08-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

When I'm speaking people often ask me what is the most important Dynamic Component? I'd have to say: DISCIPLINE.

Discipline makes all the other components work. Discipline means developing the habit of doing what it takes to create your personal vision of success & happiness. Simple, not easy!

There are two particular Disciplines that are extremely important if you want to generate Power:

1. Gratitude: With gratitude your focus is on abundance, not scarcity. It doesn't matter what you don't have right now. Whatever you want, whatever you're going to do starts now; and you're going to start with whatever you have right now! Practice a simple Gratitude Discipline and you'll automatically take an inventory of your material, emotional and spiritual resources.

2. Generosity: Power, love and respect only multiply in your life through sharing. Trying to protect Power is really an attempt at control, not an expression of Power. Control is the resource of the dictator. Generosity is the treasure of the leader. To increase Power, love & respect you've got to share them unconditionally with no expectation of return.

It takes practice to express Gratitude and Generosity. It's sometimes difficult to stick to these disciplines, especially when times are tough. Greater minds than mine have said that it's more meaningful to give when you have little to give. I suppose you could add it's more difficult to be grateful when you have little to be grateful for!

That's OK; challenge is fuel for success. Practice Gratitude and Generosity when things are scarce and you'll open your eyes, mind and heart to the abundance that's all around you; but not always apparent! Practice the Disciplines of Gratitude and Generosity when it's most difficult and it will be natural when your resources are more tangibly abundant.

Best thoughts for success & happiness!