Declaration of Windependence:
The SUCCESS Sales Challenge Begins!

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After is a self-defeating word. It robs you of the present, and resigns you to wait without taking any action.

You convince yourself that life will be better after something: After you get a new job, after you get a better job, after you get more money, after you get out of debt, after the economy rebounds, after your stocks go back up, after you get that big order.

You convince yourself that life will be better after an event: After you get married, after you have a baby, after you get a new house, after you take a vacation, after you come back from vacation, after summer is over, or some other action-procrastinating “after.”

Are you frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough, and believe you’ll be more content after they’re in high school or out of high school? Are you frustrated that you have teenagers to deal with? You will certainly be happy after they’re out of that stage. Certainly you’ll be happier after they’re in college, or is it out of college?

You tell yourself that your life will be more complete when your spouse gets his or her act together, when you get a nicer car, a new house, a raise in pay, a new boss, or worse, after you retire.

Can You Handle the Truth?

The truth is, the fact is, the reality is, there’s no better time to be happy than right now.

If not now, when? After the economy gets better?
You may not be able to wait that long.

Your life will always be filled with challenges, barriers, and disappointments. It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Alfred Souza said, “For a long, long time it had seemed to me that I was about to begin real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.”

There is no way to happiness.
Happiness is the way.
There is no after to happiness
Happiness is now.

Here’s the answer: It’s inside your head FIRST and everyplace else second. Happiness is a treasure. Your (missed) opportunity is to treasure every moment that you have.

Stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until after you quit smoking, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get your new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until the first or the fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you’ve had a drink, until you’ve sobered up, until you win the lottery, or until the cows come home to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.

And treasure the happiness of now more because you share it with someone special enough to invest your time in…

Happiness is:
Not a sale or a commission.
Not an economy or a budget.
Not a yes or a no.
Not a game winning hit or a last second touchdown.
Happiness is a way of life that is inside you at all times. It helps you get over the tough times, and helps you celebrate the special times.

Seems pretty simple to define on paper, but real difficult to manifest when the chips are down. My experience has taught me the difference between resign and resolve. You can resign yourself to what is, and hope or wait for a better day. Or you can resolve that you are a positive person who finds the good, the positive, the happiness, the smile, and especially the opportunity in everything.

Happiness is now, not a goal or a destination.
It’s not an after, it’s a before.
It’s an attitude, your attitude, about what was, what is, and what could be
And it’s up to you. All you have to do is: decide.
Decide that happiness is better than being unhappy
And decide that positive is better than negative.

Have You Got It?

Pretty simple so far?
So here’s the 21st century question: Got attitude?

Most everyone thinks they have a positive attitude, but they don’t. Usually not even close. They don’t understand that the essence of “attitude” is not a feeling - it’s a state of mind that is self induced. You are in complete control of it. You determine what your attitude is. It has nothing to do with what happens to you. It’s not about money or success. It is pure and simple the way you dedicate yourself to the way you think. Simple yes, easy no. If you’re looking to get over this economy, and these challenging times, FIRST get out from under your negative attitude.

Want one? How do you attain a positive attitude? Begin to surround yourself with positive things and positive people. Read and listen to positive things. Believe you can achieve it. Don’t listen to others who tell you you’re nuts - they’re just jealous. Start now and work at it every day.

I have 271 books in my library on the subject of positive mental attitude and personal development. All of them address the importance and the benefits derived from positive thinking. NONE of them have a game plan that anyone can embrace and implement to achieve their own positive attitude. That’s why I’m wrote “YES! Attitude.” The book was originally to be titled, “YES, a wonderful alternative to NO,”

As with all opportunities, Positive attitude is a choice. I will give you some of the thoughts and tools you need to achieve your own personal positive attitude forever. BUT, it’s not up to me to do your work. My biggest hope is that you will seize this opportunity to wake up every morning as the happiest person on the face of this planet, even if your roof caved in on you while you were asleep.

What’s the Difference Between a Positive Attitude and a Yes Attitude? (Yes! There really is a difference)

Life is all about achieving a YES! Attitude. There’s a subtle difference between a “positive” attitude and a “yes” attitude.

Both are GREAT, but “yes” is a bit more powerful because it assumes that everything will start with “yes” even when it’s “no”. When something great happens to you, you don’t scream “POSITIVE!” No, when something great happens to you, you scream YES! Get it?

• A “yes” attitude helps you formulate the response in positive form

• A “yes” attitude is more declarative. It tells people in a word that their expectation will be met, and somehow your answer to whatever they want or need will be yes or in a positive format.

Everyone wants to hear “yes,” and if you think of yourself as a “yes” person, not only will you be in a positive frame of mind but you will also have positive expectation

This lesson is about BOTH “yes” and “positive” attitude. And not just what they are - it also defines games plans and actions for attitude achievement.

How important is positive attitude to success?

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING! Everyone on the planet, even you, has heard that expression a hundred times. The question is: What are you doing about it every day?

REALITY: How many Positive Attitude lessons and courses have you had? Grade school? High school? College? Anywhere? (none or not enough?)

If 100% of your success is tied to your attitude when listening, communicating, serving customers and doing your job, then how come you’ve never taken a course in it? OUCH!

Today you may be receiving your first lesson, I will give you the entire formula and everything you need to start on the positive path and stay there regardless of outside circumstances.

I’m not going to say anything hokey like, “Welcome to the first day of your new life.” But I am going to say that your old life hasn’t been a bed of positive attitude roses. And dare to say that when you run your hand up and down those beautiful, fragrant roses, occasionally you’ve run into a prick.

That’s NOT where attitude starts, that’s where attitude kicks in.

Everyone is born happy, but it takes years to figure
that out - some never figure it out

Positive attitude is attractive AND contagious.
Positive attitude is the foundation for EVERYTHING you do and say.
• It’s the mood you’re in when you wake up in the morning.
• It’s the mood you’re in when you walk into the bathroom in the morning and look in the mirror.
• It’s the mood you’re in when you talk to your spouse.
• It’s the mood you’re in when you talk to your kids.
• It’s the mood you’re in when you drive to work.
• It’s the mood you’re in when you get to work.
• It’s the mood you’re in when you talk to your co-workers.
• It’s the mood you’re in when to talk with your boss.
• It’s the mood you’re in when you talk to your customers.

Think you have a positive attitude? Do you…
• watch news for an hour a day?
• complain about the weather of the traffic?
• read the newspaper every day?
• have a bad day, all day?
• get angry at your spouse and don’t talk for more than eight hours?
• bring and discuss problems from home to work?

The Formula–With No Bitter Aftertaste

Want the YES! Attitude formula? It’s all hokey - and it seems obvious - but it works - I promise it works. What you have to do to “get it” is make a conscious thought, action, and people conversion. Here’s the 6.5 step formula that I have been using for 35 years: - I’m going to do it another 35 years and then that’s it - I quit.

Here goes:

1. Listen to the CDs and read positive books.
2. Surround yourself in the environments of positive – places where positive things can happen, and where you make positive things happen.
3. Create new positive associations. People who are happy, and will encourage you.
4. Develop the language of YES! Tell me what you can do, not what you can’t.
5. Avoid the negatives - negative people, negative language, negative news, and negative things.
6. Avoid the violence - on TV and movies. Just turn it off.
6.5 Start the thought process of “can do” thinking right now.

The Path–It’s Not All Uphill

Wanna start on YOUR path to positive attitude?
Yes! you do!

Take these two immediate actions:

1. Focus in. Concentrate on yourself. Resign your position as general manager of the universe. You can’t be involved in other peoples problems until your own are gone. And when you’re building your own attitude, you MUST take the time (even though it seems selfish) to be the BEST you can be for yourself FIRST. This single step will also pave the way for you to be the best you can be for others.

2. Work at it a small amount EVERY DAY. The daily dose in “attitude adjustment” is the most important part of the positive attitude achievement process. An apple a day. Not seven apples on Sunday, or 31 apples at the end of the month.

But, here’s the SECRET - you gotta do them EVERY DAY FOR THE NEXT TWENTY-FIVE YEARS!

If you think that “I’m nuts” - you may be right - but I’m a nut with a positive attitude, baby!

Attitude is something you give yourself over time. Day by day. And others can catch it from you. Or not. There is no “Instant Positive Attitude” – only “Instant negative attitude.”

Positive attitude is the opportunity – negative attitude is blaming or dwelling on the obstacle.

Your attitude is the basis of your success. Until you have a positive attitude, you will never be able to learn, speak, respond, and execute to the best of your ability. Your attitude will always hold you back.

Positive attitude is a self-imposed blessing. And it is my greatest hope that you discover that truth and bless yourself - forever.

My name is Jeffrey Gitomer…. I give value first, I help other people, I strive to be my BEST at what I love to do, I establish long term relationships with everyone, I have fun, and I do that every day. And I found out a secret: when you love what you do, and your attitude is GREAT – all of your days are the same – they’re holidays baby – and I wish the same for you.

So your first challenge is to change your attitude. CHANGE it. Don’t decide to do it. Just do it (no copyright infringement intended). This is what will distinguish you in the eyes of your clients, your customers and those closest to you. And let me know how it goes.

This week of the challenge was about attitude and changing your outlook–and even your motives. Next week is about understanding theirs–and why they love to buy.

Stay tuned…

Learn more about Jeffrey Gitomer here >>>
© 2009 All Rights Reserved - Don’t even think about reproducing this document without written
permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer, Inc. • 704/333-1112

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