Archive for July, 2008
I just wrote the first chapter of our latest book that’s going to be publsihed by McGraw-Hill. And the amazing thing about writing is this: it’s solitary, there’s no direct feed-back and no praise. It was the same in the writing workshop that I attend each week; the teacher is great, a wonderful man who knows the craft inside and out, and I said to him, “How do I know if I’m a really good writer?”
“You’re not getting enough praise?” he smiled at me as he said it. He knows what it’s like. Then I thought about it today. We don’t ever get enough praise for the numerous things we do! I mean who praises you for changing a diaper, picking up after people, cooking the dinner, washing the pots, making the bed?
So I asked Jeff to say a few words about getting praise–see if he can shed some light on it. Here’s what he says, “If we’re looking for praise, the best way to get praise, is to give praise. To be open to looking at other people, and looking for their attributes, not their problems. Look for the good points and come from a genuine place in giving praise.
The Law of Attraction says, ‘that which you give out, you will get back.’ So today, give praise to at least two people.” I love it. So I’m giving you praise right now for reading this blog. I never know who reads it, but if you at least are reading it, then it’s all worthwhile. Thank you so much. Val & Jeff
July 31st, 2008
We just picked our nephew up from O’Hare. He’s seventeen and is here for a two-week work experience before his last year at high-school. He wants to get into media, production, film ect., so he’s going to do some work with us on the media side of our business. In fact his plan is to follow Jeff around and tape him in Chicago, at his home, office and doing a keynote.
The great thing about having young people around is their amazingly different point of view. It’s almost like having a visitor from a different planet. Take music for example…my music experience pretty much stopped with the Beatles, Stones and Jerry and the Pacemakers, but Kristian is talking about groups with wierd names like: Story of the Year, Paramore, and All Time Low, then there is his hair! He’s just straightened it and put some gel on so its all sticking up. It’s wonderful. It’s like being with a fashionista!
So anyhow, because he just arrived last night, we had a family gathering and they were talking about facebook and as we are talking a couple of the younger family members are busy texting and talking at the same time. Another is trying to hook up some kind of new ipod to the TV to download a u-tube film that was apparantely hilarious. So there’s my world today. I’ve been shot to a different planet where communication has gone way beyond face to face talking….and I’m really enjoying it. All the best for a great day. Val & Jeff
July 30th, 2008
Yes, you will recieve a free gift if you email your answer to val@mjlearning.com:
1. What I really want as a customer is….
I promise we will only use your email address to send you your free gift. The reason I’m asking this question is because McGraw-Hill has asked us to write another Customer Service book and we want it to be the best it can be. I need to know what customers really want. And as we are all customers, your input is very important. I also need your name, but it doesn’t have to be your whole name, it can be V. Gee, or simply Val, and also your job title for example: Director of Customer Service, CEO, entreprenuer.
That being said, I think customer service is the key to a great world. We are all customers, each and every one of us. Our customers include our spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, children, co-workers, boss, and people we meet on the street or at the store. And being of service to them means having eye-contact, smiling and being accepting.
Can you image how the world would be if we all accepted one another? I remember hearing this story once about a robbery. This person was approached by a robber, and instead of being scared and going into fear mode, this person greeted them like an old friend. The thief was so surprised he turned and ran away. Okay, I understand, in this world that seems like sheer madness and I am not saying you should embrace all thieves, robbers and terrorists.
Maybe we can have some understanding though. Why? Because terrorists, thieves, liars and cheats have a certain energy. Their energy is attached to fear, lack and anger. If we get ‘plugged in’ to that energy then we are on the same wave length. It’s impossible not to be. You can see it on the news, something horrible happens, and all the people involved are moving and acting in the same energy; they are angry, upset and scared.
Is it possible then, if something horrible happens, to be objective? To move outside of the horror and not be involved in it? It is possible, however it takes a person to be awake, and to want to stay apart from the ‘terror energy.’ Smiles, laughter, acceptance are a way of keeping yourself separate and apart from the negative energy that circulates round the planet. Smile and the world smiles with you is a truism. So, accept yourself, accept other people, and when you hear bad news, stay objective.
Now, if the bad news is about someone dying, or you learning that you have some horrible disease, it’s very difficult or even impossible to stay detached. Plus, I don’t think that is helpful. We have to be real about this folks. But what you can do after you have cried and struggled and gotten angry, is to say to yourself, “How do I want to be now?” “What do I want to create in this moment?” “How do I want to create my future?”
If you want to be happy, then look for something to be happy about. Start small. Think of one small thing to be happy about, then look around for other things. Right now, I am very happy that I have a nice glass of water to sip. Not everyone in the world is so lucky! All the very best to you. Val & Jeff
July 29th, 2008
Jeff was driving to the office this morning and I looked over at him and thought he looks really weird sitting like that. He was sitting straight up and had both hands on the wheel at about quarter to three. So I said to him, “you look kinda different, you normally have the seat further back and just one hand on the wheel. Then he told me it was because of the thing that happened yesterday.
Yesterday, Jeff went to a race track and had lessons on how to drive a sports car really fast. He had the helmet, fire protection the whole thing. And he did this exercise with cones. He had to drive at top speed along this straight piece of track and when he got to the cone, he had to brake hard and turn the wheel to the right and drive through the gap which was made by two other cones to the right.
The first time he did it, he smashed into the cone. The instructor told him it was because he was driving into the devil, that’s what he called it when you look at what you are trying to avoid, in this case the cone. He said it’s why traffic accidents happen, the driver sees the car in front brake and watches it, and drives into it….which is why he calls it the devil.
And that’s how it is in life. We ‘drive’ into the things we are focusing on. So if we focus on negative stuff, that’s what we hit! If we focus on positive things, ‘like the gap between the cones’, we end up missing the devil and arriving safely at the positive place. It makes sense doesn’t it? I mean we know this stuff. We know that what we think about is what we attract into our lives. It’s just that when we are looking at the bad stuff, we forget to turn our attention to the better place.
So today, just for today, focus on what you want. Look at the good things in your life. See the positive. If you can, walk outside and look at the sky. Notice the trees. See the beauty in your life. If you are married, focus on the things you love about your spouse. If you have kids or friends or co-workers, see the positive things in them. Consciously look for them and I promise you will see them. And you will arrive at a great place! Have an amazing day! Val & Jeff
July 25th, 2008