Category: Lunar Letter (English)

From the day we enter this wonderful world until they day we depart to a reality yet unknown, we face problems and challenges.

How do we react to a problem?

What is our attitude toward a challenge?

When a problem presents itself, we often ask:

What did I do to deserve this little gem?

Why does this always happen to me?

Fears, uncertainties and doubt whine in a whirlwind of emotion. We doubt the reason a problem arises; we question our uncertainty regarding our ability to resolve it and fear we will fail in the process.

In contrast, for a challenge, we inquire:

How can I solve this situation?

What alternatives do I have?

Our reaction is a function of our perception and our perspective. If we see something as a problem, it is common to bathe in a banquet of self pity. Conversely, when we see something as a challenge, we generally confront it with energy and enthusiasm.

What is the difference between a problem and a challenge?

They are in fact one in the same!  It’s a question of attitude and vision. What appears to be a problem without resolution today, often results in a challenge fostering growth and creativity.

Instead of wallowing in the “why” of a problem, we can challenge it! Challenging a problem allows us to see it from a different perspective. When we see difficult situations as challenges with solutions instead of insoluble problems, we design our direction and direct our destiny.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 28

Sometimes we are up and inspired; at other times we are down and uninspired.

Can we keep the flame blazing all the time?

While many argue it is possible to be positive at any given moment, life is cyclical and there will be times when we will be less energetic and happy. The trick then is to bounce back from difficult moments rather than to strive to be jumping with joy all the time.

Those who are most successful in life are those who are able to see and meet their problems as challenges rather than those who seemingly have no problems. Being inspired and motivated is not a one time thing. We must continually view problems as challenges on our road to success and happiness.

The difference between a problem and a challenge is merely one of perception. We can see obstacles in life as problems, which hinder our progress, or as challenges, which allow us to grow and prosper. Inspiration and motivation create a flame which gives us warmth and sustenance, as it did for our ancestors thousands of years ago.

Once the fire is going, we must continually fan and feed it to keep it going. As long as we have coals in our internal fire, we have hope. Once the embers in the fire of life are extinguished, it is the beginning of the end. Rain, sleet and snow will appear in our lives and temporarily dampen the fire which burns brightly within. When we clarify our burning desire, we realize how important it is to fan and care for that fire.

As we learn to feed and nurture our burning desire on a daily basis, problems and obstacles wither and die. Each of us has been inspired and motivated by different elements at one time or another. There is no quick fix and no one recipe which works for everyone to fan the fire. For some it is religion, for some it is reading a book and for others it may be realizing the importance of facing life’s challenges to care for our children. We each have an inner drive we use to get us motivated when we are down in the doldrums.

We must continually fan the burning desire which blazes within in order to bounce back from life’s difficult moments. When we consciously feed and nurture the smoldering coals within our souls, we create our destiny and determine our direction.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 27

Life is a work of art in progress. We can relate it to a book whose pages are written with the events of each day. The years are chapters; the months, paragraphs; the days, sentences and the hours, words.

We have the power to “write” the words which describe our every moment. The words we write each day influence our character and even our appearance. Some pages are filled with adventure and action; others with terror and tragedy.

Our journey through life is similar to a walk through a bookstore. The people we see are the books on the shelves and tables. Each book evokes a different emotion and sensation. Some are old friends. We recognize their covers each time we pass by and open them to see what has been recently written in their pages. Others entice us with their creative and innovative designs, inviting us to open them and browse their pages. Others are a conglomeration of colors and textures, simply part of the background.

Each of us is a book, a work of art in progress. The years, months, days and hours form the plot of the book. Some contain direction and intention; others are haphazard, without meaning or significance.

Sometimes we are drawn to the cover of a book and later dissatisfied when we begin to read because our experience and background tell us it lacks content. Other books have covers which do not attract our attention; yet, when we begin to read the pages we realize the wonderful wealth and wisdom the words provide. When we find a book which is pleasing to our mind and our eye, it becomes a friend or soul mate.

Action defines the words we write in our pages daily. A life full of mindless routine assures a piece of art lacking content and character. A life full of action assures a book with meaning and adventure.

For better and for worse, action leads us to our destiny. Frequently, we fail to take action because we fear failure. Sometimes the only way to triumph with the ecstasy of success is to fly in the face of failure. Our book includes our successes and our failures, all which give meaning to our lives.

Let’s take control of each word, sentence, paragraph and chapter which form our work of art – our lives. When we take action today, we energize our experience; determine our destiny and define the creative genius we each possess.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 26

Communication is the only tool we have to understand others and to express our ideas.  Unfortunately, it tends to be a skill we learn only by trial and error and not through formal schooling.  The art of effective communication is seldom part of our educational curriculum.

When we think of communication, we immediately think of our ability to clearly present our ideas and intentions.  To communicate effectively, however, we need to first understand the other’s point of view and situation.  Stephen Covey in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People suggests:

“Seek first to understand….”

Seeking first to understand is in theory easy; in practice, much more difficult.  Studies have shown our minds can think at a rate which exceeds 500 words per minute while normal conversation moves at about 100 to 150 words per minute. This difference can be distracting while we listen to others speak.

As we “listen,” our minds are inundated with many thoughts such as:

How we are going to respond

What the noise in the background is

What we have to accomplish later in the day

What we should have done and haven’t completed

To find the calm in the eye of the hurricane of ideas which our mind generates isn’t easy.  It is natural for our minds to generate thousands of thoughts while we listen.  How then can we focus and calm the mind in order to become better communicators?  An analogy may be helpful.

When we want to listen to a particular type of music on the radio, we tune into a specific station.  If we tune into the wrong station, the message may or may not be what we desire.  If we fail to clearly select the station, we will hear only static.

To communicate more effectively, we should act as if we were an antenna and direct 100% of our attention to the person with whom we are talking.  Our sight, hearing and touch are all elements we can utilize to “tune in” our antenna and focus our attention.

When we “tune in” to others and “tune out” distractions, we can more effectively capture the essence and content of the message and enhance our ability to communicate.

∞ Rob McBride ∞
LL I 25

We each offer a product or a service daily. Often the product we offer is our capacity to be a better spouse, parent, employer or employee. “A Feast Fit for a King” is particularly relevant for people in sales though each of us “sells” constantly in some way, shape or form.

When is the best time to ask someone to make a decision about our offer?

The most obvious answer is when the recipient has all the information and is predisposed to accept our suggestions.

Suppose we are preparing a Feast Fit for a King for someone special. We go to the supermarket, buy the ingredients for the meal, a nice bottle of wine and candles to create the perfect atmosphere.

While we prepare the meal, we think of all the details. The precise moment to put each course into the oven, the table setting and the music we want to hear. When everything is ready, we sit down at the table with our loved one to enjoy a Feast Fit for a King.

When is the best time to enjoy each succulent bite?

It is in that instant, of course!

Something similar happens when we talk to a client.  We diligently do the following:

Contact the person

Qualify their capacity to buy

Investigate necessities and desires

Present our offering in terms of benefits

Respond to concerns with confidence and conviction

After we have expertly followed each step, we can ask for a decision without fear and without fumbling. While the words are not nearly as important as the intent, we can say, for example, “Let’s get things going; I just need your approval.”

Amazing as it may seem, studies have shown the majority of sales calls end without the salesperson ever asking for the order! At the end of the presentation, the salesperson typically mumbles something like, “What do you think?” to which the person eloquently replies, “Let me think about it, and I’ll call you…”

We know from experience, the promise of “I’ll call you…” is typically an empty promise designed to get rid of salespeople.

What can we do?

Just as the best time to eat a Feast Fit for a King is in this instant, the best time to highlight the benefits of our offer and to ask someone to make a decision is at the same time we have given them all the information they need.

If we put our Feast Fit for a King in the refrigerator and take it out the next day, it may still taste great, although it may never be as good as the moment it was first prepared. Similarly, a person is most likely to make a favorable decision immediately after we have “served” our proposal.

Rather than packing our bags and heading for the nearest exit in defeat, we should do everything possible to urge people to make a decision now and not later. Often, the worst thing we can do is to do nothing at all.

While there are no magic words or secret formulas to achieve our objectives 100% of the time, we can enter into every situation prepared to give our very best with confidence we will achieve our purpose. When we take action and ask people to make a decision, we determine our direction and drive our destiny.

In April, 2005 Lunar Letter, we conducted a survey regarding the following question:

“How do you overcome Fears, Uncertainties and Doubts to be more productive?”

The most frequent response from our readers was to, “Take Action!”

Take action today to empower excellence tomorrow.

@RobMcBride
May 2005

Our lives are a collection of emotions and events which mold us with power and satisfaction or with weakness and discontent. In his book Thinkertoys, Michael Michalko mentions three elements which kill creative energy and control many of our thoughts and actions.

F ears

U ncertainties

D oubts

There are times when Fears, Uncertainties and Doubts play a critical role in our lives. If we are in a situation where a very hungry animal is chasing us in hopes of an easy meal, Fear better kick in to create the adrenaline we need to survive. Today, the animals most likely and capable of “eating us” are other human beings!

While it is important to have a certain degree of fear and precaution for protection, FUDs are most likely emotions which diminish power instead of adding value to our personal development.

For example, a salesperson goes to present a new product to the company’s most valuable customer. She has been chosen because of her capacity to consistently make difficult sales and this sale could be the difference between a successful product launch and complete failure. She is a professional and has a terrific knowledge of her product and the benefits the customer will derive from the purchase. Fears, Uncertainties and Doubts take control as she waits in the reception area for her appointment.

• What if they don’t like the product?
• What if I forget everything I am going to say?
• If I don’t close this sale, I may be fired on the spot!

These emotions create panic. Instead of concentrating on her knowledge and success, she is thrown into the paralysis of analysis. Her marvelous mind which should be focused on the preparation of the last several weeks is now consumed by possible failure.

Our minds are powerful machines which generally obey the instructions we give them thousands of times each day. We say, “Open the door!” and magically our arm and hand coordinate to open the door. All we achieve is directly connected with a thought, action or reaction.

FUDs are frequently the cause of our most trying times. I suggest we Fire the FUDs! Just get rid of them. When Fear, Uncertainty or Doubts enter our mind, we must have the power to replace them with Conviction, Certainty and Confidence.

What’s the alternative? The minutes, hours and days flow like a river on its ever changing course. We can create our direction and destiny with powerful thoughts or diminish desire with FUDs. Let’s firmly grasp the helm of life and enjoy this incredible journey we call life.

@RobMcBride
April 2005

Our ability to recall and retain information is influenced tremendously by the type of communication we utilize and the method we use to follow up on the ideas.  In a recent scientific study, psychologist William Glasser discovered that we retain:

10 % of what we read

20 % of what we hear

30 % of what we see

50 % of what we see & hear

70 % of what we DISCUSS

80 % of what we EXPERIENCE

95 % of what we TEACH

In addition, a Stanford University study established that when a person hears an idea once, 68% is forgotten within 48 hours and more than 90% is forgotten in 30 days.

The primary challenge in learning is to take action on the ideas in order to solidify the impact on our personal and professional development.  It is common to read a book, listen to somebody or participate in an event and then fail to instill the ideas by following up adequately.

I have created a training technique establishing concrete parameters to solidify learning.  I call it “Retensive Learning.”  The program starts by focusing on specific behavior which we want to modify or reinforce.  We then use periodic modules to stimulate and encourage participants to discuss, experiment with and teach each of the tools learned.

“Retensive Learning” intensifies the learning process by firmly establishing desired behaviors.  We thus successfully embed effective routines and habits in the daily lives of individuals.

There are books, conferences and workshops which introduce incredible ideas for a better way of life.  Without specific programmed follow up, the ideas fall by the wayside.  “Retensive Learning” institutes a plan of action which initiates a precise powerful way to create compelling behavioral change.

@RobMcBride
March 2005

Companies, like people, must Bounce back from challenging situations if they want to remain in business. It is imperative to rise and roar after falling or failing in order to soar with the eagles.

With his powerful, eloquent voice, Martin Luther King Jr. said:

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Similarly, the ultimate measure of a company is its capacity to Bounce back from difficult circumstances. Frequently, corporate cycles are very similar to those of a bouncing ball; they pass through periods of expansion, recession and recuperation.

While these stages are normally well defined and there are economic factors which exert influence, it is possible to positively influence these cycles to prolong those which are most favorable and Bounce back more rapidly from those which are negative. Diminishing the time when a company is at the bottom of a Bounce enhances profitability and increases employee satisfaction.

To achieve a more effective Corporate Bounce the following are fundamental:

• A plan with Vision, Mission and Objective and a method of measuring adherence to those principles.
• A plan which consists not only of words but also a definite course of action
• A system which rewards innovation and doesn’t inhibit creativity
• A compensation system which rewards outstanding employees
• A hierarchy which streamlines the decision making process
• A willingness to recognize weaknesses and limitations
• An atmosphere promoting action and innovation
• An organization which leverages its strengths
• An environment without fear of criticism

We can say, “Sounds good in theory, but what about putting it into practice?” Decisions which positively influence a company normally come from owners and managers. It is also true that an idea which can make a tremendous difference between remaining in the depths of doldrums or brilliant Bounce can come from any level in the organization and at any time.

For these ideas to flow freely, it is essential to create an environment where people have confidence to express their creativity. Companies successfully implementing these strategies create an atmosphere conducive to Bouncing back and are those which change, innovate and actualize today, to be champions tomorrow

∞ Rob McBride ∞

LL I 21