Leave a Positive Legacy

Do everything you can including moving heaven and earth to ensure that your legacy is something positive and not something that would be best kept swept under a rug.

Personal or Professional, it does not matter because in the end your legacy will be clumped into one. Who hasn’t heard this before: “He was a great philanthropist but a lousy husband”?

It was not too long ago, that I was listening to a fellow author speak of her work and how it affected her family. She said that in one of her works she included a story about a family member that had a not-so pleasant truth. When her family read it, they were not too pleased about the content. They rather it be kept swept under the rug.

That’s OK; after all, it was the truth. Good or bad, the truth is the truth.

The family felt that the legacy of a family elder would be tarnished because of what the author wrote.

The author wrote what the author felt was the truth. She was not about to create a falsehood that would completely change the family member’s legacy. Then what would be worthy of sweeping under the rug?

Remember, we are all dead longer than we are alive. Future generations will want to know about the members of their family tree. Everyone is curious about those that came before us. I know that when I look up my family tree, I hope to find some great explorer, a world-renowned doctor, or at least, a wonderful teacher. I did find several members of the Greatest Generation.

However, that has all changed now.

Readers, I ask that you do something now before it is too late. Challenge your family (both at home and work) to do what they can now to change their legacy and ultimately their family tree.

Thank you,
David Guerra

I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra • visit my website: www.daveguerra.com

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Let People In!

There will come a time when you are doing something and doing it so well that people will notice.

They will not only notice but they will become genuinely interested in what you are doing. That interest will serve as a call to action for them and they will want to help.

Let them help. Let them in!

Folks, if you really want people to have something to believe in, something you have created then let them in.

Let them in and make them INSIDERS.

Everyone likes to be an insider. Everyone wants to be in the know.

Everyone likes to be invited to the VIP section.

OK, I might be going a little overboard but why not?

Why not let those that truly want in become insiders?

Think about it? What will it cost you or your organization to let a few more people behind the velvet ropes?

What will your organization gain?

Does the cost outweigh the gain or does the gain outweigh the cost? I bet the gain will definitely outweigh the cost.

Go for it. Let them help and Let them in!


Thank you,
David Guerra

I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra • visit my website: www.daveguerra.com

To order your copy of The Walking Leader:  Amazon Paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble

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Five Lessons for Future Leaders

Five Lessons for Future Leaders

The age old question: Are Leaders Born or Are Leaders Made?

Personally, I go back and forth with the answer. There are times when I have seen a natural born leader take charge and give credit to that answer of "Yes, they are born."

Then again, there have been times that I have seen someone rise up from the organization's shadows and lead others to accomplish great things. Things that their own managers would never think about doing.

Thus, the question lives and it will live on for a very long time.

However, one thing is certain: To become a Great Leader you have to be an even better follower. In my upcoming sequel to "The Walking Leader" I have put together another 20 rules/guides/lessons to help Future Leaders become better followers.

Does this mean that I am answering the question? NO! It means that no matter who you are once you start on the path to becoming a leader you have to keep on that path. Along the way there are a few things to remember. Here are just five of them.

1. You Know Nothing

Sure you went to high school, college, vocational school,  grad school, and you have your education, congratulations but that is it. Unless you have worked at the organization before getting your education you walk into that company NOT knowing thing one about how that organization works. The company website, Facebook, twitter, and Instagram page tell you NOTHING about that company's culture, they may scratch the surface but it will never tell you the true nitty-gritty details. Others within the company can tell you but until you are knee deep in it, you know nothing.

2. Keep Your Mouth Shut

While you are learning how to fit into the corporate culture and how to do your job the company way my next lesson is for you to keep your mouth shut. Nothing sounds like nails scratching across a chalkboard more than hearing someone saying "back in school" or "back in basic training." Basic training or school is just that: school. You are there to learn the basics and that's it. You are there to learn the bare minimum. However, once you get to your first job or duty station (for those of you in the military) then it is the time to shut up and become a sponge. Soak up everything that your leaders, tenured staff, peers, and co-workers will to teach you. 

WORD OF ADVICE: If your new organization welcomes you aboard and then says get to work without so much as an orientation briefing, it is time to run to the hills.

3. Ask Questions 

Always ask questions! Ask questions, especially, when someone is teaching you something. Asking questions serves two purposes. First, asking questions ensures that you know and fully understand what is going on and what you will be held accountable for. Lastly, asking questions lets those that are teaching you know just how well you are grasping the training and just how well you will fit in within the organization.

4. Seek Out Mentors

Everyone needs a mentor or mentors. No matter where you go and what you do having a mentor to help and guide you in and outside the organization is always a great thing. One thing to remember, a mentor does NOT have to be your immediate supervisor. It does have to be someone you trust, you believe will be good for you, and will steer you in the right direction. 

WORD OF ADVICE: Do not select a mentor solely on the belief that their position or tenure with the company will skyrocket your career. If that's why you are doing this, STOP right now and move along nothing more for you to see or do here.

5. Have Fun

From the moment you set foot in the door filling that entry-level position to the moment you collect that gold watch and retire from the organization remember to do one thing: HAVE FUN!  If you are not having fun then why bother? Having fun as a follower will most certainly ensure that you will have fun as a leader. All the great leaders that I have known certainly liked to have their fun.

There they are, five simple lessons to take with you for your entire career. Don't forget to master them and then teach them to others (hint, that's the fun part).

Thank you,
David Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you think about this post and all the others here on my blog.

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5 Productivity Tips from a Master Procrastinator

5 Productivity Tips from a Master Procrastinator

For a long time I was a Complete Procrastinator. Look up procrastination in the dictionary and there was my picture.

However, after years of struggle and plenty of unfinished projects I realized the only way things were going to be done was to get up and do them. One day, I got off my ass and started to get stuff done. Next thing I knew, my life was in some kind of order and the first three books that I had longed to finish writing were written and published.

I am NOT claiming that I am productivity guru. I will NEVER claim that I am a guru of anything. I will claim the opposite but I can honestly say that I have done a few things without fail since that fateful day. 

I am still not the best at getting things done but these 5 tips sure do make my life simpler.

1. Make a list
Personally, I try to make my list at the end of the day. I do it at the end of the workday that way it is waiting for me when I arrive in the morning. At home, I make a list just before I go to bed that way I do not forget, in the morning, especially after a restful night's sleep. Whatever works for you is all right by me. Just as long as you make that list!

2. Do what is on that list
Do not prioritize the list after you have made it. I never do. I just throw everything onto paper, an index card, a post-it, or whatever. Then once it is all there, I get to work. Typically, the most important stuff will find its way to the top of the list. Top to bottom, bottom to top, every other, or whatever your preference just get to work on the list.

3. What cannot be done today automatically moves to tomorrow's list
There will be times that you just cannot do everything on your list. That is acceptable. On those days, you have to roll with the punches. There is nothing more frustrating than busting your hump all day only to find out that you cannot complete all the items on your list. Do not let it get you down. Just move those items to tomorrow's list. Now, there will be times when you have completed part of the item and now you are waiting for someone to respond (via email or phone) or results are not yet available, you completed the item on your list. Mark it as done.

Once you get your answer then add it to your list. Remember, once it is done, it is done. What I am trying to say is, there is absolutely no reason to drag this out over three or more days on your daily list. If it is on your list move heaven and earth if you have to but get it done.

4. Use Your Calendar 
You have access to countless electronic calendars. USE THEM! Use them to remind you of important events, due dates, and to remind you to create your daily list. You can use the one on your smart phone. I use my Gmail calendar and have it synchronized with my phone.

Those around me might think I use the synchronized calendar a little too much as it is constantly beeping at me. Try it. Heck, try them all. Keep trying them until you find the one (or two) that work for you and use it or them.

5.  Repeat
Like the directions on a bottle of shampoo. To get the most effective return on these tips you must WASH, RINSE, and REPEAT. You have to use them, once or twice a day, then repeat the process tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and so on.

Of course, there are countless other tips on the Internet and what may work for someone else might not work for you. By the same token, what works for me might not work for you. Remember, all that I am offering here is what works for me.

This works after a lot of trial and error. Do not get discouraged if whatever you try does not work for you. On the contrary, it should motivate you to find what does work for you. I wrote it before and I will write it again: Try it.

Also, I would like to hear from you and share with everyone what works for you? I also want to hear about what did NOT work for you? Tell me on Twitter (@daveguerra) or right here in the comment section.


Thank you and now get back to work,
David Guerra

I invite you to
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A Story About 2 Tree Trimmers Who Got 3 Job Offers in 2 hours

Greetings,
I want to share the following video with you. In it I talk about two tree trimmers that the building owner hired to trim a 20-30 year old tree that is just outside the front door. Over the course of the two hours they were out there the Tree Trimmer received three job offers. Not bad for a couple of hours work. When was the last time you received 3 job offers in two hours?

What do you think? Are you doing what it takes to get noticed? Are you hustling so fast and so good that people will come to you while you are doing a job for someone else only to offer you more work? Are you?

I will step up my "A" game. Will you?

Thanks for watching,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

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ABCs of 2014: Day 12: Always Be LEADING

Today's ABCs of 2014 is: ALWAYS BE LEADING. A for Always, B for Be, and C for Leading (the C is silent).

Are you LEADING? Are you taking the LEAD in what you do? Are you stepping up to the plate each and every time someone calls for a leader to do so?

-or-

Are you just going through the motions? Just faking it? All of us would like to think we are stepping up and taking the leadership bull by the horns. That is a good thing to think and believe.

However, LEADING is an action. You have to be doing it and not just thinking it or believing it. YOU HAVE TO BE LEADING, ALWAYS!

There is no half in or half out with this one. Sure, there are plenty of people that will scam others to believe that they are leaders. If you need a hint as to who those scammers are, think POLITICIANS! OK, maybe 99.999% of all POLITICIANS.

Unless, they have proven themselves as True Leaders in their chosen profession first (Think President Dwight D. Eisenhower, President Theodore Roosevelt, President George Washington) otherwise they are nothing bags of hot air that spew forth nothing but bunkum!

If all the others do is nothing but going around making insincere speeches intended to please local constituents they are NOT leaders. You know, they PROMISE A LOT but deliver VERY LITTLE. Those my friends are NOT LEADERS! They are the opposite of leaders and I do not mean followers.

You are only a True Leader when you step up and PROMISE VERY LITTLE and DELIVER A LOT!!!

Now, get out there and start LEADING! Everyone that matters (and everyone matters) is eagerly awaiting for you to arrive.


Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

I invite you to
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visit my website: www.daveguerra.com

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ABCs of 2014: Day 10: Always Be Joyful

Today's ABCs of 2014 is: ALWAYS BE JOYFUL. A for Always, B for Be, and C for Joyful (the C is silent).

Always Be Joyful. 

Think about it, there is very seldom a time to be anything less than joyful. When you are less than joyful, it is typically of your own doing. Of course, there are times and events that are beyond your control (i.e. POLAR VORTEX XVLIII) then others join in your misery. However, you can be less than joyful for no more than five minutes. Why only five minutes? It’s real simple, after five minutes you will still be in that same situation. Besides anything longer than five minutes, you are just whining and for anyone older than six-years old to whine is pure nonsense.

Turn those situations that start leaving you feel less than joyful into something to be joyful about. If you are in a snowstorm, get out there, make the best snowman you have ever made and post it online for everyone to see. If someone has done something that has left you feeling less than joyful, then forget their nonsense and go find or do something that brings joy into your life.

Don’t let the misery of others dictate your decision to be anything less than being full of joy. Keep working on Always Being Joyful and before you know it, you will Always Be Joyful.

Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

I invite you to
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ABCs of 2014: Day 7: Always Be Giving

Today's ABCs of 2014 is: ALWAYS BE GIVING. A for Always, B for Be, and C for Giving (the C is silent).

With the holiday season freshly behind us, reminder what was all around during that wonderful time of the year: "it's better to give than to receive."

GIVING does not only apply from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve then tossed aside a little after the Tournament of Roses Parade comes to an end.

Try doing this "Giving is Better Than Receiving" -thing all year long. Seriously, why not turn the Twitter based "30 days of Giving" into a LIFE based 365 DAYS OF GIVING?

GIVE EVERYDAY! It is that simple




If you are short on ideas of what to give, how about just giving some LOVE! After all, Love is All You Need, at least that's what the song says. When it comes to songs, I give John, Paul, George, and Ringo top priority.

Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

I invite you to
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ABCs of 2014: Day 6: Always Be Foraging

Today's ABCs of 2014 is: ALWAYS BE FORAGING. A for Always, B for Be, and C for Foraging (the C is silent).

Never stop having the hunger. Never stop the hunger, the longing, the yearning. No matter what that hunger or yearning is, you cannot stop. Keep searching for the next meal, keep your stockpile of provisions or supplies overflowing. Keep your well full at all times.

I am not just talking about food. I am talking about everything you are working for and doing. By this I mean, if you are in school then keep learning because you can never learn enough. The moment, you stop is the moment you show not only everyone that you know nothing but you show yourself.

Seriously, you can have a Ph.D. and still be the dumbest guy in the room. However, I am hard pressed to find anyone with a Ph.D. who has stopped learning. Why is this? The Ph.D.s that I do know know that to stay at the top of their game they have to keep learning. So why not you? You should always be learning so you can be at the top of your game.

So what, if you don't have a Ph.D.? Just keep learning. Keep having the hunger.

So long as you have the hunger never settle for just getting by and NEVER for one second think you made it. There are so many examples out there of people that thought they made it only to find themselves foraging for food in real life. Do not become one of those people.

Keep Foraging!!!

Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra or visit my website: www.daveguerra.com

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ABCs of 2014: Day 1: Always Be Asking

Today, I am starting something new.

Once a day, for the next 26 days, I will post what I call the ABCs of 2014. The purpose of them is provide a little motivation on how to succeed in 2014 and be better than last year.

The first ABCs of 2014 is: ALWAYS BE ASKING. A for Always, B for Be, and C for Asking (the C is silent).

Always ask for something! Ask for an answer! Ask for Help! Ask for someone else! This means that you have to always keep asking otherwise how will you learn something? How will you learn anything? If you are asking for someone else then do so only with the intent to empower them to start asking for themselves. Remember, you won't always be around and who will ask for them? They will have to learn to step up and ask for themselves.

Now, as for you, well you will just have to just continue asking for yourself.

Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

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Blah, Blah, Blah + Static = Lack of Urgency

There comes a time in our lives when we see that not everything that others want us to see or wish for us to see is substantive but just a smoke screen.

It happens. 

In my opinion, this has been happening quite a bit lately. What I have seen is the continuing saga and drama of individuals that would rather deliver the same old song and dance instead of evolving to the next level, their next level of professionalism.

What I mean is they create the sense of urgency the same way they always have and fail to recognize that at some point there " urgency" becomes routine. It is that same sense of routine that others eventually stop giving any credibility to the individual. Think "The Boy Who Cried Wolf".

Then anything in the future becomes nothing but "blah, blah, blah" and that turns into STATIC.

It is that static that people eventually begin to ignore.  Then just like the boy, the person creating the "sense of urgency" no longer has any credibility nor is urgency applied when something real happens.

What then?

This is when those individuals that deliver that same "song and dance" must evolve and get away from that way of behaving.  Unfortunately, this will only happen when they have their back up against a wall and wolf is nipping at their heels. Is it too late?

Yes, when that time comes it is way too late! However, all is NOT lost.

Those individuals have to see the light before it becomes TOO LATE again.

If you are one of those individuals, please take this as a warning and not as static that you ignore now and later say to yourself, "If only I listened, then?"

Only you can save yourself.

Until Next Time,
David Guerra


 

About Giving 110%

Obviously, the Internet has become the great equalizer in that not only can small businesses now compete against the big conglomerates but you are competing with the world for the same business.

This most certainly means you have to be on top of your game 100%.

Notice I didn't write 110% because there is NO 110%.

Kid yourself all you want there is just no giving it your all plus 10% more. If you have 10% more to give then originally you were only giving 90% and NOT 100%.

Aren't they cheating the people or the organizations that they say they are giving 110% to? Worst of all they are really just cheating themselves.

Don't Cheat Yourself and Others!




Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra

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There Is No Longer Such A Thing As "Too Early"

In today's 24/7/365, always on, I want it now, instant world there is no longer such a thing as "too early"

Really, you can NEVER be too early for anything. Teenage girls line up for a week to get a glimpse of their favorite boy band du'jour. Heck, even the Tuesday before Thanksgiving is the new Black Friday.  Being too early is no longer an exception. Being Early is EXPECTED!

As for not being early, well now all you can be is LATE, TOO LATE, or WAY TOO LATE!


No longer can anyone get away with being late for anything. Whether it be for work, school, a date, a dinner, or a party.

Think about this: Would you approve of anyone arriving late? Short of a car accident or their clothes completely catching on fires, is there really any valid excuse any more?

NO! There is absolutely no valid excuse. A line from the 1994 song "Come Out and Play (Keep'm Separated)" by the Offspring gives the most appropriate warning: "...By the time you hear the siren, It's already too late..."


Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

I invite you to follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra

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Ambition and Success!

Ambition and Success go hand in hand. They do so, so well that I made this really cool chart illustrating the correlating and exponential relationship of the two.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The more ambition you have and the more you apply the more success you will have throughout your life.

If you don’t believe me, try one of the following:

Do nothing for a month and see how much success you have.
-or-
Do a lot for a month and see how much success you have.



Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

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Today is a Brand New Day!

Whatever happened yesterday, and the day before that and the day before that day and so on in no way mean that is what should happen today or tomorrow. Today is NOT yesterday nor is it tomorrow. Today is NOW and right now is yours to make better, that is unless you choose to make it bad or worse than yesterday.

Sure you can sit and dwell on how someone screwed you over or how someone broke your heart or whatever but guess what? You cannot change what happened. You can only move forward from yesterday and make it better today!

Leave yesterday and the past where it belongs; in the past! They make monuments to commemorate the past which people visit all the time. Take the Washington Memorial for instance. There stands a tall spire to remember a great man that led a fledgling nation to become the greatest on the planet. However, no one stops to dwell on Washington's internal struggles, his personal setbacks, who broke his heart, or who spilled wassail on him during that Christmas at Valley Forge. Some two hundred plus years later all we see is the positive. That gives us a chance to make a better future.

So you can sit there and dwell on how someone did something wrong to you or you can decide that you will do what it takes to ensure that you are never in that situation again, even if means you are the one that did something wrong.

Now get out there and demand from yourself a better future!

Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

You can follow me on twitter at @daveguerra

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Be Money Smart, Always!

BELIEVE IT OR NOT but SPENDING does NOT equal INVESTING!

• SPENDING is defined as  the act of paying out (money) in buying or hiring goods or services.

• INVESTING is defined as the act of committing (money) in order to earn a financial return.



Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

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120. About Being Proactive

Here's a little something about being Proactive.

When I wrote my mini-series about Planning, in a nutshell, what I was saying is that Planning is ALL about being Proactive!

Being Proactive is plain and simple all about thinking ahead! Thinking ahead at what needs to be done, what has to get done, how it will get done, and covering as many of the outcomes as possible. Knowing fully well you cannot cover them all but as part of being proactive you have to try to cover as many as you can.

When you are developing a plan (for business, for a special event or for personal reasons) you are in essence taking the initiative and declaring your intentions loud and clear. The more detail your plan contains the more deliberate and audacious you can be. Being Audacious and Being Deliberate are what I consider two foundation pieces to being Proactive.

Now take this one step further: Take this beyond the planning phase of life. Take being Proactive and make it part of your EVERY DAY life. Look at things and think (and plan) two to three moves ahead. Consider the possibilities and then execute. Thus effectively taking the initiative.

Take the initiative in life by realizing that your decisions (and how they align with your life's principles) are the primary determining factor for how effective you are in your life.

Take responsibility for your choices and the consequences (both good and bad) that follow. No matter what they consequences are you are prepared because you were Proactive.

Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

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119. Life's Required Reading: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Folks, thanks for following me. I really do appreciate you taking the time out of your life to read my words. I am forever grateful to you. It is something that I have wanted to do for quite a while and I am glad I did it. I want to share something with you. Right now it is Spring Break week and my kids are at home enjoying the break before the final push to the end of the school year. While this week was not about staying up late and goofing off, it was about getting plenty of rest and staying busy so as not to lose the momentum to make that final push.

Well long story short, my daughter was tasked to read a book for school. However, prior to this I told her that I really wanted her to read one book that I felt would help in changing her perspective on life. Mind you she is about to become a teenager and I wish my parents had known about this book and the foresight to encourage my brothers and I to read it. That's OK because I eventually did read this book It rocked my world when I read it and I certainly hope it rocked her world. When she finished it she thanked me for giving her the book to read. She said she understands some things differently now and she said that she will revisit this book from time to time, much like I still do.

I highly recommend this book. Do not let the title fool you it is NOT about making money. It is about becoming Rich as an individual, as a human being. It is about understanding that with consistency, perseverance, commitment and dedication (among other things) you can get exactly what you want to include financial riches. It is about overcoming your fears (and not letting them consume you). Most of all, it tells you in no uncertain terms that you can become what and who you want to become no questions asked.

The book is "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. Give it a try.


Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

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