Religion Reminds Us to Love

“In choosing your god, you choose your way of looking at the universe. There are plenty of Gods. Choose yours. The god you worship is the god you deserve."

Joseph Campbell


Of course, with a nod to my friend David and perhaps other readers, perhaps Mr. Campbell includes worshiping no God? I suppose that introducing anything about religion into this dialogue is high risk...but then I teach taking risks as a tool for living an extraordinary life so here goes!

Long-time friend, mentor and business partner Dr. Mark Albion recently shared that recent events in his life “shows me how lost we are right now as a people, and how much we need something to grab on to, to believe in, to help us get centered when we have lost our way. So, what's the role of religion?

“Religion helps us reconnect with the unseen order of things. Religion should help us feel better, for when we feel better, we do good. Any ‘good’ religion should speak across time to everyone, no matter your world view. The best religion? Kindness. Religion reminds us to love.”

Mark’s words caused me to reflect and reconsider some decisions I’d made about religion. How about you?

With love and respect,

Robert

What Are Your Priorities?

“...we continue to spend fortunes on an stupefying array of distractions supposedly designed to make us happier than Liz Taylor at a wedding: Cosmetics that contain everything from the placenta of unborn goats to a pound of pig fat mixed with volcanic ash and “19 secret ingredients from the rain forest”; diet products to remove mountains of blubber gained by stuffing ourselves because we are so damn miserable, and miserable because we are so horribly fat; cosmetic surgery in every place from facial to other cheeks; mind-numbing cruises to paradise; luxury boats that never leave their luxury marinas; hard drugs; soft drugs; alcohol; anti-depressants; uppers; downers; frenetic gambling to hit the big time; jewelry that is too expensive to wear; image marriages destined to last all of six months; mink-lined designer toilet seats; lottery tickets; tobacco products we know w! ill kill us; and billions of tons of electronic and plastic and toxic junk that add nothing to our lives and create only clutter, pollution and landfill.”

from “Living an Extraordinary Life” by Robert White

As always, I don’t comment on quotes from my book. While I’m capable of being self-indulgent, I don’t do so consciously!

With love and respect,

Robert

What Do YOU Have To Say?

“Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.”

Barbara Kingsolver


It could be argued that too many people are saying too many words given the proliferation of pundits and “experts” in the media, politicians at all levels and the guys on the barstool at your favorite watering hole.

I’ll argue the opposite. More of us average folks need to become more clear about what we need to communicate to be our authentic selves...and DO IT.

How’s that for a Wednesday challenge?

Robert

Extraordinary Performance

I was very moved by Susan Boyle's performance and thought you might enjoy it.

Robert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Connecting with Principle--A Great Decision Making Tool

“I am for a government rigorously frugal and simple. Were we directed from Washington when to sow, when to reap, we should soon want bread.”

Thomas Jefferson


I’ve shared previously that in selecting these quotes for “An Extraordinary Minute” I’m confronted with the reality that many of them are from “dead white guys.” Perhaps you’ve noticed that I’ve worked to broaden my offering to include more diversity of gender, age, ethnicity and faith.

Here in America we have embarked on changes in economic, social and governance policy that are truly massive in scope and impact. It truly boggles the mind.
My counsel when “boggled” ... reconnect with timeless principles, pay attention to your “common sense” and observe the lessons of history.

Jefferson might be on to something here.

With love and respect,

Robert

Trust or Be Wary: It's a Choice

"From a pragmatic point of view, the difference between living against a background of foreigness (an indifferent Universe) and one of intimacy (a benevolent Universe) means the difference between a general habit of wariness and one of trust."

William James, “Pluralistic Universe”

These words deserve careful examination and reflection. Wouldn’t you rather live a life of trust rather than one of wariness? When I speak with friends recently, there is an acknowledgement that we increasingly live in a world where we must be “on guard,” turning up and preparing our senses for the next relationship or business deal or investment to go wrong.

For me, all of this argues for consciously choosing our environment—work, friends, politics, even family—carefully. All too often we fall into an unconscious series of choices about who and what is in our personal environment that put a positive, trusting energetic state at risk; we make choices that serve to gradually erode our trust and increase our anxiety and stress.

Isn’t it time for Spring cleaning?

With love and respect,

Robert

Having and Being a Friend

“A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend, one human soul whom we can trust utterly, who knows the best and worst of us, and who loves us in spite of all our faults.”

Charles Kingsley


Well said Mr. Kingsley!

I have friends and a former wife who meet that description so I am blessed!

It also occurs to me that we must water what we want to grow. This argues for some regular maintenance work on our friendships. That phone call for no reason, that greeting card with a personal note and, perhaps most importantly, carving out time to just be together in celebration, in furtherance of our friendship.

Having great friends begins with being one.

Robert

Go Big or Go Home!

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.
 

In these celebrity culture days, when so many people are celebrated and famous for being famous, it’s easy to forget that all of us make a difference, all of us contribute.

A toxic and insidious form of self-talk is when we, in any way, diminish our work and worth in the world.

My recommendation: go big or go home!

Brag a little! Through yourself a party! Give yourself an award!

Have I used enough exclamation points? Got it?

Be extraordinary! It’s a choice you can make.

Robert

Believe in Yourself

“Acquire the courage to believe in yourself. Many of the things that you have been taught were at one time the radical ideas of individuals who had the courage to believe what their own hearts and minds told them was true, rather than accept the common beliefs of their day.”

Chin Ning Chu 


This is another one of those quotes that “says it all” and leaves me mute.

That may be welcome news to some of my readers.

If you want to learn more about Chin-Ning Chu’s powerful philosophy of life you can do so from one my favorite books, “Thick Face, Black Heart.” It’s available on Amazon.com and from other outlets.

So......what does your heart and mind tell you that is true for you?

Be extraordinary!

Robert

Gratitide!

“True masters report that the key to success is an "attitude of gratitude." Being grateful for what we have, rather than focusing on what we lack, is the key to well being and abundant living.”

Paul Schnabel


While I’ve not done the research, I believe the most common theme in three years of these Extraordinary Minutes is “Gratitude.”

Amazing, wonderful...even EXTRAORDINARY things happen when we pause to be grateful. Plus it just plain feels so good to see what happens when you express appreciation to the people in your life.

A useful tool I’ve been using to remind me of the power of gratitude is the on-line SendOutCards service. I notice that because I’m paying a small monthly fee (whether I use the service or not!), I am sending more snail mail cards acknowledging people and thanking them for their many contributions to my life. I then “get my money’s worth” and positively impact the important people in my life: family, friends and clients. If you’d like more information, just hit reply and I’ll introduce you to Karen Saunders, my Send Out Cards person.

I’m grateful to you for the opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings on a regular basis...so thank you!

Be extraordinary!

Robert

"About the process of growing up......What follows is tragic. We stop risking for fear of making mistakes, fear of not fitting in, fear of being embarrassed or humiliated by saying the 'wrong' thing. Our instinctive joy and boundless enthusiasm are replaced by playing it safe and looking good. Our spontaneity deserts us, and with it much of our natural creativity. Predictability replaces passion. We learn to reveal very little of who we really are and what we really feel. We sell the richness of our passionate birthright for the security of this burdensome thing called our ‘image’. It weighs us down like a suit of medieval armor, restricting our every move, sapping our vitality and aliveness. We wander through life on automatic pilot, controlled by the need to live up to the false image that we invented."

From "Living an Extraordinary Life”
by Robert White


As is my custom, I don’t comment on my own quotes. It would be, at best redundant and at worst, self-indulgent.

We’ve added an excerpt from the book to its revised website. You can learn more and even purchase a signed copy for yourself or someone special at:

http://www.ExtraordinaryBook.com

Be extraordinary!

Robert

Being "Run by Approval" .... another Choice

“I should love to satisfy all, if I possibly can; but in trying to satisfy all, I may be able to satisfy none. I have, therefore, arrived at the conclusion that the best course is to satisfy one’s own conscience and leave the world to form its own judgment, favorable or otherwise.”

Mohandas K. Gandhi


Regular readers know that your faithful scribe has numerous faults. Some I’m aware of and share; some I’m aware of and keep secret; and some I’m mostly unconscious about. (those of you familiar with the Johari Window are chuckling now) My former wives, of course, are expert in my faults and would gladly educate you much more completely than I ever could.

One strength I will claim is that though I do enjoy approval from others, I’ve mostly lived my life consistent with my own conscience. Of course, this has often led to disapproval from family, friends and the greater population!

A quality I notice from some of our Extraordinary Living Seminar participants (learn more at http://www.ExtraordinarySeminar.com)

is that there is a direct correlation between those who structure their lives and especially their important decisions so as to please others......and those who are experiencing a much less than extraordinary life.

Go Gandhi ji !!!

Robert

Are You a Doorstop or Making Music?

“Every single one of us can do things no one else can do—can love things no one else can love. We are like violins. We can be used for doorstops, or we can make music. You know what to do.”

Barbara Sher

Don’t you just love it when a communication is so complete there’s nothing else to say but “Thank You?”

Thank you Barbara Sher!

Robert

Possibly Unpopular and Timeless Principles

“You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.”

William J. H. Boetcker (1873 – 1962)


An Extraordinary Minute is apolitical – plus my commitment is that they be read in one minute or less – so my comment here is brief:

We face many choices in the days and months ahead, individually and collectively. My suggestion is to filter our decision making through proven principles of accomplishment and the lessons of history.

A foundation pillar of my work for the past 40 years is personal responsibility. I do my best to not fall prey to the “victim culture” all too common in modern society and to “own my life.” You might be well served to join me in this effort.

Robert

How Will You Choose to Live Your Life?

A video that was submitted in a contest by a 20 year old.

The contest was Titled "u @ 50".

This video won second place. When they showed it , everyone in the
room was awe-struck and broke into spontaneous applause.

So simple and yet so brilliant. Take a minute and watch it.

Where Do You Stand?

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”

Thomas Jefferson

Many years ago a mentor of mine gave a popular speech in which, when talking about the value of total commitment, he said “on this rock I stand and world, you will adjust to me.”

Pretty bold and somewhat catchy don’t you think?

As a young man learning some important life lessons I was impressed. Later I went to Japan on a consulting engagement for three months that turned into twelve years—thus I still do not offer seminars on planning—and the client organization was headed by a CEO who had been with me at that great speech and liberally quoted from it.

As I got to know the organization better, it became clear that while the speechmaking was grand, the execution was a lot less than 100%. When I questioned one of the Vice Presidents about this disparity and specifically the “on this rock I stand” line often quoted, he replied in describing his boss, “His rock has wheels.”

Our personal power and effectiveness is to a large degree determined by our awareness of our principles, our taking of personal responsibility for having them show up in our lives and our ability to fully communicate them to others.

Robert

Ahhhh .... The Mystery is Solved

If you are wondering where the post announcing my upcoming appearance on The Jean Chatzky Show on Oprah & Friends Radio on XM 156 has gone, here's the deal:

I've been in communication with a friend who pointed out that my prior communication had the unintended side effect of suggesting Oprah Winfrey has built her wealth on carefully crafted legal papers. This sloppy and inaccurate communication dismisses years of hard work by Ms. Winfrey, countless millions given to charity and a global platform that has at its base, empowering each of us to be our best.

I am an enthusiastic admirer of Oprah's work in the world and to suggest anything less was a misstep that I sincerely regret - that being said I do look forward to have you listen in to Jean's show on Jan 21st to hear about finding your best self when it comes to finances.

If you've got a comment or three about Robert's inappropriate communication and apology or want to share about your own experience in this domain, I'd love to hear from you. Just hit the comment link below!

Robert

Denial, Self-deception and Rationalization

“All human beings have an innate propensity for denial, self-deception and rationalization. Some of us are at war with this dangerous proclivity, and some of us are trying to get a PhD.”

Douglas Bell


My friend Doug Bell has been a successful entrepreneur and has lived a lifelong personal development commitment. Recently I’ve noticed that he has been slowly but surely moving from student to teacher and sharing his life lessons with others. Fortunately, I’m included as both a friend and as an eager learner.

I like this quote from Doug a lot, especially the distinction indicated that we have a choice. We have the opportunity, even the obligation, to examine our current reality with more rigor and insight. What is really true about our “Self” … note the capital “S” … what’s really true about our family, our work, our community and our institutions? Is our life journey leading toward more awareness, more compassion, more positive action? Or, as another friend colorfully says, are we “engaged in a headlong dash toward Hell?”

Personal growth guru Byron Katie’s famous “Four Questions” (useful when looking at an issue in our lives) begins with “Is it true?” As we confront and move through the increasing changes in our lives, we’ll have the opportunity to ask “what’s true” and, when that discovery process is complete, make infinitely better choices.

Robert

Peace

“May you live, eat, work, sleep in peace;
Walk, run, garden in peace;
Speak, listen, breathe in peace.
Decide: ‘I choose peace from now on.’

Miles Kierson

Perhaps like you I am blessed with wonderful friends and family who communicate during the holiday season with positive wishes for the New Year. I received this one from friend and management consulting guru Miles Kierson and since it resonated so strongly with my deepest aspirations, I thought I’d share it with you.

Peace is an elusive state for many of us. It is hoped for, strived for and challenging to create on a consistent basis. My little joke – and not a joke – is that if you want to find the biggest population density of angry people, join a peace organization in Boulder, Colorado.

Peace, it seem to me, must begin with each of us. It comes from eliminating those attitudes, beliefs and actions that lead us away from peace and toward celebrating those events, people, thoughts and environments that help bring out of us our best, our most peaceful state.

With sincere wishes for peace in your life and for our world in 2009,

Robert

Happy New Year !!!

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man."

Benjamin Franklin


While I’m not too sure about Ben’s advice about vice...I do support, endorse and amplify his wise counsel for peace and a personal commitment to continued self development for men and women.

I sincerely hope that my “Extraordinary Minutes” have been useful to you in 2008 and promise more missives designed to educate, inspire and perhaps even irritate you in 2009. As always, your comments are welcome and appreciated:

May the New Year bring you abundant opportunities to create joy, success and fulfillment—an EXTRAORDINARY life!

Robert

Do You Want Comfort or Truth?

“If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort, you will get neither comfort nor truth, only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair.”

C. S. Lewis


For years I’ve been sharing in our Extraordinary Living Seminar that one of the keystone choices we all face in life is...drum roll please...

‘Temporary pleasure and permanent pain OR temporary pain and permanent pleasure.’

C. S. Lewis says it much more poetically though.

Everyone wants to be comfortable—an essential fact about human beings is that we always go toward pleasure and away from pain. Reality demands that sometimes we need to dive into the pain, especially when dealing with repetitive and dysfunctional patterns that are in the way of us getting what we really want.

Buy a book (mine comes to mind!), see a coach or therapist, do a seminar (ours!), in other words, do something. Don’t let your desire for comfort get in the way of living an extraordinary life!
With love and respect,

Robert

Validation

This is a long (16 minute) "watch" .... and worth it!

Robert

When You Fall .......

“The real ‘it is well’ is something I say from the ground, having fallen.”

Antonio Porchia

I had to read this one twice before I “got it.” Perhaps that says something about my state of consciousness?

When everything is coming up roses (if you’re old enough you can hear that song in your mind right now!) we don’t need Robert White or anyone to motivate and inspire us. It’s when we have “fallen” that our inner and outer resources need to be called on so that we can re-frame those stumbles along the way as learning opportunities, as a chance to speak a positive future.

While I don’t recommend you go looking for a fall, I do recommend Antonio Porchia’s wise counsel if one should happen.

With love and respect,

Robert

Never Give Up

I am so inspired by this video and thought you might be also.

Robert

The Language of Feelings

“One of my problems is that I internalize everything. I can’t express anger. I grow a tumor instead.”
Woody Allen

Well....Should we laugh or cry about this one?

Given my male gender status, I can only speak with any authority as a man and even then, really only for this man. One of my coaches in life is Tom Lutes who has taught me that in addition to our first or even second language, we also have an emotional language. For most men (that’s a sneaky way of saying ‘for me’) one or more of our emotional languages are, let us say, less developed.

I’m kind of fluent in expressing joy, sadness and fear. Anger is where I am somewhat or mostly illiterate. I haven’t grown a tumor but I have experienced some needless stress and some “incomplete” relationships as a result.

As a society it seems to me that we are moving in a positive direction in regard to further developing and responsibly expressing our feelings. The benefits are enormous and, if you’re interested in joining me in accelerating the journey toward greater “feelings fluency,” come and do our Extraordinary Living Seminar January 9-11in Denver, Colorado. For details go to www.ExtraordinarySeminar.com.

With love and respect,

Robert

Confidence!

“Confidence is contagious; so is lack of confidence.”

Vince Lombardi


It’s football season in America so the above quote from a famous Green Bay Packer coach seems appropriate. (I grew up in Green Bay and my youth includes selling hot dogs in the old Packer stadium!)

Another connection is that we’re going through one of our periodic cycles of doom and gloom. As always there will be winners and losers. My experience tells me that the main differentiation between those two opposites is simply confidence.

Of course, true confidence only comes with the actual “doing of the thing.” The recommendation therefore is clear: act !!! Especially act when you’re most afraid of failing. Prepare well? Of course! Be measured in your strategy and tactics? Absolutely!

Then act! Surely, swiftly and with the expectation that your outcome will be a win for all involved.

With love and respect,

Robert

Empty Heads

“An empty head is not really empty; it is stuffed with rubbish. Hence the difficulty of forcing anything into an empty head.”

Eric Hoffer

I just finished re-reading Eric Hoffer’s “The True Believer” which I first read over thirty years ago. If you want to better understand cults it’s a great source of wisdom.

Eric Hoffer was known as the “longshoreman philosopher,” a high school graduate who unloaded ships at night and got his advanced education by reading his way through the San Francisco library by day. He was also known to not suffer fools gladly, so I wasn’t surprised to come upon the above quote—perhaps a bit prickly and mostly true.

The election season here in America is a vivid reminder of how much “rubbish” is available should we allow it to populate that space between our ears. It seems that a necessary twenty-first century awareness and skill set is the need to filter this torrent of communication for truth, for context and for utility.

It’s my hope that “An Extraordinary Minute” always meets a higher standard for you.

With love and respect,

Robert

Life is Simple, Not Easy

“Choosing to live an extraordinary life is simple. This does not, however, mean that it is easy.”

from “Living an Extraordinary Life”
by Robert White

Radio interviewers I’ve spoken with who have actually read my book often choose this quote to focus on in their interviews. It gives me the opportunity to remind the listeners that “Living an Extraordinary Life” is definitely not the first to address the science of human achievement. Giants in the field like Napoleon Hill and Brian Tracy have, while using different approaches and examples, revealed straight-forward advice on how to create success.

The question is whether the student of success is willing to “do the work” of completing their past, learning to tell the truth about current reality and then truly creating a future of their own choosing.

With love and respect,

Robert

What's the Quality of Your Relationships? Communications? Promises?

"We talk about the quality of product and service. What about the quality of our relationships and the quality of our communications and the quality of our promises to each other?"
Max Depree

I’m a big fan of the books by Max Depree, former CEO of Herman Miller Inc, and especially of “The Art of Leadership.”

He has that rare ability to capture and communicate eternal truths in a simple, powerful way.

In our seminars and in my own life I repeatedly see demonstrations of the vital importance of the quality of our relationships. Long time readers also know that our promises to each other, our agreements, are a major determinate of quality relationships. My article on “Agreements” is in the Archive. Check it out!

Robert

Great Fun (for any age)

“You can only be young once, but you can be immature forever.”
Dave Barry

We’ve been fairly serious for weeks with these messages so it’s time for a break.

If you want to impart some serious meaning to this...have at it.

With love and respect,

Robert

Our (Almost) Sacred Identity

So here’s the story as I heard it:

A “guy” is walking down the street in Sag Harbor, New York with his thirteen year old daughter. They’ve just spent a wonderful day together and, as had been their custom for many years, were on their way to get ice cream as completion for the ideal father—daughter experience.

The “guy” is very happy to have had this special time with his daughter and he absent-mindedly begins singing aloud. She promptly grabs his arm and in an urgent whisper says “Daddy be quiet! You’re embarrassing me!” (remember, she’s thirteen)

So far, the story sounds typical and could have happened to any parent, right? It has certainly happened to me. My daughters even bought me a bumper sticker that read “I embarrass my children.” And no, I did not put it on my car.

But “the guy” in this story was multi-platinum album selling singer Billy Joel.

We all understand the teenager’s response. But, what about her Father’s? Did he understand with a smile and become quiet? Did he sing louder “just for fun?” Or did he react badly given his fame and pride in his ability to sing?

We all carefully construct an identity that serves our needs – especially our need for social approval. One value of doing this is that we don’t need to repeatedly ask ourselves who we are. We have our identity. Events and circumstances in my life a few years ago combined to give the identity I had carefully constructed some serious shocks. It was not fun … and it turned out to be an incredibly valuable learning experience for me. You already know the drill: I discovered that essentially I was not the identity I had adopted and that it had been limiting my full self-expression and full participation in my own life.

Transformational leader Werner Erhard once said to me that “the only purpose of the mind is to insure the survival of the ego, the identity.” My observation is that whenever we step outside that identity, no matter how pleasurable it might temporarily be, the mind begins to work full time to return us to safety, to the identity it is comfortable being. Absent a transformational shift our tendency is to stay within a narrow range of human experience. Yet, it seems to me that the “bonus years” are those lived outside that niche, outside of “normal,” out in, dare I say it, extraordinary territory.

Oh ….. to complete the story …... unfortunately, Billy Joel chose the react and do damage to the relationship choice. It took him some reflection and coaching plus a year of his life to make it right with this most important person in his life.

What identity are you protecting? What are the prices and rewards of holding on to it?

Just thought I’d ask.

Are You "Lights On?"

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

This is another one of those “WOW” quotes from Ms. Kubler-Ross.

I am blessed to have directly and indirectly participated with over one million people who have chosen to search for, reveal and amplify the power of that “light from within.” I’ve often said that for me, one of my greatest work related pleasures is to be in a seminar room when that light gets ignited.

Are your lights on?

(and if they are not or if they’re even just dimmed a bit, let’s talk about you and the benefits of attending our seminars!)

With love and respect,

Robert

What Are You Singing?

"Sing your world into being. If you don't, no one else will."

Australian aboriginal expression

Don’t you just love this saying?

Everything you want to be and do begins with thought. Then it must take form in language in order to be actionable.

What are you “singing into being?”

With love and respect,

Robert

A Great New Book

My friend and mentor Mark Albion’s latest book was released today and I thought you might have some interest. “More Than Money” is targeted to MBA students and alumni … though I think it would be valuable for any young person thinking about their career choices. I bought copies for my children and a couple of others I coach.

Mark’s a somewhat famous “drop out” …. formerly a tenured full professor at Harvard Business School. He quit one of the most cushy jobs on the planet to follow his heart. His book, “Making a Life, Making a Living” was a NY Times best-seller and frankly, he’s a really good non-fiction writer.

I’ve reprinted his announcement to friends below; or to order (2 or more books gets you free shipping!) you can just go directly to

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1576756564

Warmest regards,

Robert

P. S. I also highly suggest you go to http://www.bkconnection.com/proddetails.asp?ID=9781576756560 and watch the brief videos. If you’re only going to watch one, choose the second one done with an illustrator—it’s a really wonderful fable about life and our choices.



"If you are coming to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you are coming
because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."

-- Lila Watson, Australian Aborigine


It is my 50th year of trying to prove my parents wrong,
when they told 7-year old Mark, who was selling his two-page
stories door-to-door for 5¢ a copy, "You can't be a writer.
Writers don't make any money." Well, help me prove them wrong
about something!

We do have 54,500 MBAs downloading the book currently at 9 of
the top 10 and 17 of the top U.S. business schools, with a total of
75 schools including many abroad. Nice start. But all downloads are free!

This is the first book where I get the royalties, not Net Impact (the non-profit
organization of MBA students I co-founded) or Social Ventures Network.
So, a good book for "gifting" and if you buy two or more, no shipping
charge. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1576756564

You can see some endorsements to date at
http://www.bkconnection.com/morethanmoney and click on endorsements
(the page also has links to online sellers and my videos).

Thanks for all your support.

in gratitude, mark


MTM offers four questions and twelve principles to help you develop a "destiny plan"
for a fulfilling life and successful career. The key insight is that what you thought
were your safest career decisions may actually be the riskiest, when you acknowledge
that your fulfillment and success will be determined as much by what you give to
others as you get for yourself. The key takeaway:

You Find Yourself by Losing Yourself in Something Bigger Than Your Self

Learning Life's Lessons

“Paradoxically, perhaps, there seems nothing enduring to be gained in terms of meaningful life change purely from leisure, from having a great time. If you or I could redesign the world we'd certainly do it very differently, so that every time we took a magic vacation at some tropical paradise we would return full of more wisdom than the World Encyclopedia of Philosophical Quotations. Until then, we are well advised to accept the reality that the great lessons in life come to us through some form of extreme hardship.”

from “Living an Extraordinary Life” by Robert White

As is my custom, I don’t comment on my own writing. Plus, this quote takes up too much of my “one minute read” commitment.

Here’s some news and an offer you might find interesting. My book’s Fourth Printing was just completed and, due to raw material (mostly paper and transportation) price inflation, the price has increased to $19.95 plus shipping and handling.

For those who order the book from our website by October 5th, you’ll receive a refund of $5.00 with every book ordered. And, of course, I’m happy to inscribe the book to you or to someone you specify—the utility for doing that is right on the book order form at:

http://www.ExtraordinaryBook.com

With love and respect,

Robert

Are You "Superior to Circumstance?"

“Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside of them was superior to circumstance.”

Bruce Barton

Regular readers know this is a repeating theme of these offerings—our human ability to triumph over circumstance.

We’ve just experienced the 29th running (and swimming and jumping and rowing and diving and...) of the modern Olympic Games. Beyond that here in the USA we’ve had credible female and black American candidates for our highest political office.

Examples abound: an extraordinary life can be launched by simply believing that we are “superior to circumstance.”

With love and respect,

Robert

Being Human ..... Together

“I no longer expect things to make sense. I know there is no safety. But that does not mean there is no magic. It does not mean there is no hope. It simply means that each of us has reason to be wishful and frightened, aspiring and flawed. And it means that, to the degree we are lost, it is on the same ocean, in the same night.

Elizabeth Kaye

Beautifully said Ms. Kaye. Rather than embarrassing myself by attempting to write with such power and grace, I’ll simply say thank you.

With love and respect,

Robert

Learning to Trust ..... YOU!

“Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else's.”

Billy Wilder

I am often privileged to work with individuals and groups who want to further develop their consciousness and skills to increase trust with others; and, in so doing, increase the depth, power and effectiveness of their personal and business relationships.

This quote speaks to another important aspect of trust—that of learning to further trust yourself, especially your “gut,” your intuition. My friend and mentor in this domain is Karen Storsteen, a talented management consultant who uses her own intuitive abilities and teaching skills to assist executives in generating higher personal and organizational performance.

I’m encouraged that so many leaders are increasingly turning to experts like Karen to access more of their natural abilities and to trust themselves. I’ll close with a question that we’ve used in our seminars for years...

What are you pretending not to know?

With love and respect,

Robert

Are Your Friendships Aligned to Your Purpose and Vision?

"Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing."

Benjamin Franklin

There’s a certain abruptness in this quote from Wise Ben … and a lot of wisdom.

My friend and mentor Bob Wright has been a great teacher in this regard. He has carefully sought out, chosen and compassionately maintained a group of friends who support his purpose and vision in life. I’m blessed to be included and though I’m perhaps less rigorous than he, have made some progress in being more conscious about my friendships.

In Napoleon Hill’s classic book “Think and Grow Rich” he counsels us that we can determine our income and status in life by examining and averaging the five people with whom we spend the most time. It’s one of those “hard truths” that could motivate a personal review and some new choices for each of us.

With love and respect,

Robert

A Thought Provoking Video

Friend Roger Armstrong sent me a link that I've avoided viewing until ..... my vacation in Vail. Hello from a truly beautiful Colorado mountain morning. It's made even more special by the presence of my son Gary, grandchildren Hallie and Lake plus Hallie's friend Shelby. We're hiking, biking, talking a lot and going to concerts ... plus eating too much.

I love this video and would enjoy seeing your reaction to it.

In Service

People sometime ask me why I've launched Extraordinary People and this video captures part of the answer. The seminars I've led and the people I've interacted with over the past five years have driven home to me the state of essential disconnection in our fast moving society.

With love and respect,

Robert

Inspired Visual

Dear Friend Sherryl Stalinski was inspired by one of the Extraordinary Minutes to create this visual. I thought you'd enjoy it also!

Robert

Become a True Human Being

"Go forward with steps that never leave any trace. Accept everything that confronts you with a positive attitude......Just make sure you aren't trying to avoid the things that are coming, and don't try to cling to the things that are leaving. Become a brave person who is never stained by anything or attached to anything. Become a true human being, a person who is both the most normal and the most extraordinary."

from “No River to Cross”
by Zen Master Dae Haeng

Since I’ve never met Master Dae Haeng,I am especially appreciative of his unsolicited endorsement of our Extraordinary Living Seminar!

(Next scheduled for September 26-28 in Denver, Colorado. Go here for details: http://www.ExtraordinarySeminar.com)

With love and respect,

Robert

Happy Endings and God

“If life teaches anything at all, it teaches that there are so many happy endings that the man who believes there is no God needs his rationality called into serious question.”
From “It” by Stephen King

It’s rare for me to make no comment … you can make up your own thoughts about me just because I chose this quote.

Of course, I do enjoy tweaking my reader’s sense of “what’s right” occasionally and comments can be inserted below.

I promise to read every one of them. He He

With love and respect,

Robert

Are You Ready to Step Out?

“All the concepts about stepping out of your comfort zone mean nothing until you decide that your essential purpose, vision and goals are more important than your self-imposed limitations.”

                            from “Living an Extraordinary Life”
                            by Robert White

It is beyond awkward to comment on my own quote so I’ll just let it speak for itself.

One challenge occurs:  what are your purpose, vision and goals?

Offered with love and respect,

Robert

Is There a "Secret" to Success?

"We will receive not what we idly wish for but what we justly earn. Our rewards will always be in exact proportion to our service."

                                                    Earl Nightingale

 

There a lot of conversation out there about some kind of “secret” to success.  While some of the content is valuable, the total idea seems to lack an action component, especially actions that are grounded in a contribution level of purpose.

My first personal growth experience was Earl Nightingale’s “Lead the Field” home study program. I listened to it repeatedly and can still quote from it.  Nightingale “walked his talk, got rich serving others and is one of my heroes.

With love and respect,

Robert

Your "Single Spark of Divinity"

"If you have anything really valuable to contribute to the world, it will come through the expression of your own personality, that single spark of divinity that sets you off and makes you different from every other living creature."

                                                 Bruce Barton

 

While I would have chosen a different word than “personality,” I really like the tone and content of advertising executive Bruce Barton’s thought.

My friend, former Harvard Business School professor and author Mark Albion has dedicated much of his life and work to helping people connect their life purpose with their career choices.  The result is a life filled with passion and accomplishment.

You can learn more in his books “Making a Life, Making a Living” and “True to Yourself-Leading a Values Based Business.” It might be the best ten bucks you’ll ever spend.

With love and respect,

Robert

Robert highly recommends Alan Parisse to Aspiring Public Speakers

The Speaking Intensive with Alan Parisse

August 8-9, 2008

Be prepared. Sharpen your skills.

Discover in yourself the single, most
important thing you don't share with
anyone -- AUTHENTICITY.

Only you can WOW your audience by
being YOU and claim the result.

1 or 1000? Makes no difference when
you present your ideas, products and
yourself authentically.

Leave your competitors behind.

SEND YOUR TEAM!

Register NOW.

Register on-line: http://parisse.com/index.shtml

Register over the phone: 303-444-8080

Email us: Nan@parisse.com
________________________________________

"When a dog barks, the WHOLE dog barks!"

Eighteen years of public speaking later, I realize it's not my Powerpoint, it's my personal power. Alan brought all of "me" into my presentations. It's the best training I've experienced in my career, without exception"

Jerome Merchant, Managing Dir., RSM EquiCo Capital Markets, LLC

Are You Acting or Reacting?

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space.  In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.”

Viktor Frankl

Former wife and teacher Dianna coaches me (and many others) to “develop an advanced state of noticing.”  Gaining the kind of awareness and commitment that allows us to interrupt our automatic reaction machine is a powerful personal growth tool.

My personal trigger is to notice when I’m reacting and hit “instant replay.”  Just like it is never too late to have a happy childhood, it is never too late to jerk yourself out of reaction and choose a response that suits your vision, your purpose and your values.

Let me know how this works for you.

With love and respect,

Robert

Are You Walking Your Talk?

“In order to live with integrity, we must stop fragmenting and compartmentalizing our lives.  Telling lies at work and then expecting great truths in meditation is nonsensical.”

                            Sharon Salzberg

 

I’ve been alternately amused and irritated recently by many people talking about gaining greater personal and even spiritual development through reading a book, talking about it and simultaneously living in direct opposition to what they’re professing to know.

I admire spiritual teacher and author Ms. Salzberg:  she’s enthusiastic about her approach through meditation and stays grounded in the ultimate value of integrity, of living consistent with what we profess to be true.

How about you?  Are you walking your talk?

With love and respect,

Robert

What Will You Say When It Is "Over?"

"When it's over, I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to amazement. I was a bridegroom, taking the world into my arms. When it's over, I don't want to wonder if I have made of my life something particular, and real. I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened or full of argument. I don't want to end up simply having visited this world."

Mary Oliver

Several great writers have expressed something similar to this “looking back from the end of life” quote. I think poet and Professor Mary Oliver says it beautifully.
My friends familiar with Neuro Linguistic Programming will probably react (as I did) to her repeated use of the negative—a definite no in the NLP effective communication world. That said, I still love the quote and hope it is of value to you also.

With love and respect,
Robert