If I asked you to tell me your “net worth,” you might simply add up all of the monetary worth of the assets you own, and then subtract what you owe. You could sum up your worth in a single, tidy number.
But what does that number mean? Does it really define what you are worth?
Some people treat it that way, but I say you are worth so much more.
How do you value the love or the time you share with other people? What about your creativity? Your potential?
Net worth, as described above, does nothing to demonstrate your worth as a person. You have value above measure! There is no single number or formula that can define what you are really worth.
Recently, while sitting on a plane in Nashville, I was having a conversation with an engineer specializing in jet engines. He works for a company that does a lot of contract work for the military. I thanked him for his service, and remarked that what he does plays a very important role in the success of our military.
All of a sudden, a big smile spread across his face. He said, “I never thought about it like that. My name is on a lot of military jet engines. I do contribute to the success of our military.”
Immediately he saw himself in a different light. His job wasn’t just a job anymore. The value he saw in what he does for a living skyrocketed.
The funny thing is that nothing had changed in his circumstances. He woke up with the same job, he had the same amount of knowledge, and he probably had the same financial net worth. The difference was how he perceived his own value.
So what are you worth?
Better yet, how are you using the value of your worth?
Posted By: Irrefutable Success
July 31st, 2011 by Joe New
Posted in Championship Living
I absolutely believe the Biblical truth that it is more blessed to give than to receive. And I think it is true for all of us!
The problem is that many have lost perspective. It is easy for this to happen when we have lost things such as love, friends, income, jobs, family norms…and the list goes on. We can easily fall into the trap of thinking about how to protect ourselves rather than how we can help others.
So ask yourselves these questions daily if you want to increase your levels of passion, purpose and overall fulfillment:
• Not what can I get, but what can I give?
• Not who can serve me, but who can I serve?
• Not what can I take, but what can I add?
• Not what can I learn, but what can I teach?
The best leaders bring this mindset to their teams.
The best teams bring this mindset to their customers.
The best sales professionals bring this mindset to their clients and partners.
And the most successful people in life bring this mindset to the world.
In trying times or during a long season of struggle or loss, it is common for us to lose our perspective and to find ourselves most concerned about ourselves, looking out for No. 1.
If that is you, take a day to reflect on your Life Plan and Vision. If you are not seeing enough giving in what you read, revise it. If it’s already there but you just haven’t been doing it, come up with one action you can implement in the week ahead. Maybe starting your day off with the above questions will be help enough.
We believe so strongly in this philosophy that we made it our theme at this year’s Experience. If you are looking to find more ways you can make a greater contribution in your business and life, considerjoining us this September.
It is more blessed to give than to receive, and it is a much better way to live and lead.
Share this post with others!
Posted By: Daniel Harkavy
July 31st, 2011 by Joe New
Posted in Productivity
An Interview with John C. Maxwell from Michael Hyatt on Vimeo.
Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of hosting the Chick-fil-A Leadercast Backstage program. I interviewed several notable authors as they came off the stage, including Seth Godin, Sir Ken Robinson, Dan Cathy, Suzy Welch, Frans Johansson, and John Maxwell. I am continuing to share these on a weekly basis.
In this interview, I talk to John Maxwell, New York Times bestselling author and uber-popular leadership speaker. I first met John in 1998, when I came to Thomas Nelson as the Senior Vice President of Marketing for the Nelson Books division. John’s breakout book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, was one of my first projects. He has since become a good friend and mentor.As I interviewed him backstage, we talked about several topics, including:
The growth of the Leadercast conference, which John actually started.
Why John could never teach a goal-setting seminar with integrity.
The joy of seeing someone else taking your dream and making it better.
The importance of surrounding yourself with great people.
What John is excited about in this stage of his life. (I can tell you this: he is not slowing down one bit!)
His new coaching company and how people can become trained and certified as a coach. (They already have 800 trained coaches.)
The fifth level of leadership, what it is, how many leaders make it to that level, and some real-life examples.
His new book, The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential, and why it should be the first book every new leader reads.
How the greatest leaders take people with them.
If you are interested in learning more about John, read his blog and follow him on Twitter.
Posted By: Michael Hyatt
July 31st, 2011 by Joe New
Posted in Leadership
We hope that headline grabbed you. The reason we used it was to bring some perspective to the debate as to whether or not homeownership is a wise investment in today’s troubled market. A family should never look at the purchase of a home simply as a financial investment. It is so much more than that. But, even if we look at it as only an investment, we must look at it in the long term. Let’s use gold as an example.
Gold had dropped from over $400 an ounce to $250 an ounce (a 40% decline) from February 1996 to August 1999. People were so glad they hadn’t bought at $400 an ounce.
Lord William Rees-Mogg, the current Chairman of The Zurich Club, in 1997 said:
“No investment has been so thoroughly exploded as gold; most people think that there will no more be another gold boom than there will be another boom in tulip futures in The Netherlands.”
Everyone knows what happened next. The proclamation of gold’s death was rather premature. Gold rose from $250 an ounce to over $1,500 an ounce in the next twelve years.
If we look at real estate in the long term, we can see that it has been a great vehicle for building family wealth. The Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, conducted once every three years, provides a snapshot of family income and net worth. Their survey has shown every time that homeowners’ net worth far exceeds that of renters. Here is the breakdown of the last several surveys:
- 1998 – Homeowner net worth exceed renters by 31x
- 2001 – Homeowner net worth exceed renters by 36x
- 2004 – Homeowner net worth exceed renters by 41x
- 2007 – Homeowner net worth exceed renters by 46x
The 2010 survey is not out yet but the National Association of Realtors’ has estimated that number to be approximately 41x in 2010. You may be thinking this is no longer the case based on the current fall in home values which have dropped back to 2000 – 2002 prices.
Harvard University just completed a study that showed:
“Even if homeowner wealth fell back to 1995 levels, it would still be 27.5 times the median for renters.”
Bottom Line
We are not predicting that real estate will see the same levels of appreciation that gold did. However, we do believe that the real estate market will rebound strongly.
Posted By: KCMBlog.com
July 31st, 2011 by Joe New
Posted in Keeping Current Matters
Last week I wrote about the lessons we would share if we were given an opportunity to talk to our teenage selves. Some of you even commented about what advice you believe your future self would give to your present self.
On my walk with the pup today, something hit me pretty hard. Not a car, thank God, but a revelation. As important as it would be to take my own advice, I wondered what God would say to me if He were walking beside me this morning.
Now, I don’t need any of you to tell me that God does speak to me, if only I would open up and listen. I get that. What I mean is, what would He say if I was literally walking down the street with Him?
I think He would be sad that so many of us have made concessions that have limited our greatness.
Somebody, somewhere, at some time in the past made a comment to you that changed the way you thought about yourself. It could have been a comment about your physical appearance. It may have been a statement about your abilities as a business person. It could have been anything that – even for a moment – caused you to question the significance of the gifts you have been given.
When you made a choice to accept what this person said as truth, it impacted you instantly.
Whatever it was, I think God would want to take you in His arms, wrap them around you until you felt completely secure, and whisper in your ear, “You are magnificent! You are my child! You are completely enough!”
I don’t know about you, but I believe His opinion is the only one we should ever care about.
Today, consider what others have said about you, to you. Then ask yourself what God would say.
Then, throw away all the garbage from everyone but Him, and take comfort in knowing that His is the only true voice that matters
Posted By: Reflections of a Coach
July 17th, 2011 by Joe New
Posted in Championship Living
Backstage with Sir Ken Robinson from Michael Hyatt on Vimeo.
Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of hosting the Chick-fil-A Leadercast Backstage program. I interviewed several notable authors as they came off the stage, including John Maxwell, Seth Godin, Dan Cathy, Suzy Welch, Frans Johansson, and several others. I thought I would share these with you over the next several weeks.
Sir Ken Robinson, Ph.D. is an internationally-recognized leader in the development of creativity and innovation. I first encountered him when I heard his presentation at the 2006 TED Conference. He is also the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything.
As I interviewed him, we talked about several topics, including:
The nature of creativity
The difference between imagination and creativity
Whether or not it is possible to become more creative
The three big myths about creativity
The relationship between creativity and leadership
How leaders can generate more creativity with their teams
The future of creativity—and the necessity for it.
Whether we have cause to be optimistic about the future
Why our model of educational model is broken and what we must do to fix it
Posted By: Michael Hyatt
July 17th, 2011 by Joe New
Posted in Leadership
During a recent coaching session, I was asked, “How do we get the most out of ourselves?”
Several ideas came to mind, and I quickly rattled off a short list. Upon further reflection, I thought it was a list worth sharing, because we all have the potential to do more than we are doing today.
Here are eight ways that you can unleash the best from within yourself.
Plan in Detail
Spontaneity can be fun and exciting. Why spoil all the fun by planning?
Much of what we want to accomplish is not simple. It takes work. It requires a game plan. The more specifically we can think out the critical steps needed, the more likely we are to get what we want.
If we create a step-by-step detailed plan that clearly maps out what we want to accomplish, our execution will improve. We will be less likely to miss important steps, and avoid wasting precious time. Planning helps us visualize how we can go about getting the results we expect — and nothing is more fun that achieving our desired results!
Set High Expectations
We can do far more than we realize. We need to keep pushing our personal performance bar higher.
The power within us is enormous. I saw a YouTube video recently about a Korean boy who lived on the streets since he was five. He sold gum in nightclubs, where he was captivated by the vocalists. He sang to himself, and dreamed of singing as an entertainer. He then competed on Korea’s Got Talent. He was amazing. There was not a dry eye as he sang in a magnificent tenor voice that no one could believe.
Yes, there is more locked within each of us than we realize. We need to push ourselves to unleash it and share it with the world.
Execute Flawlessly
The clearer our game plan, the more likely we are to strive for excellence. The old saying “it’s close enough for government work” is not close enough. We need to expect better and hold ourselves to a high standard. It’s true that if we aim high, we may fall short. But if we strive to improve every day, we have a much better chance of excelling.
Change When Necessary
The best plans can be waylaid by changing circumstances. When a mistake is realized or an outside force acts against us, it is time to make changes. Sometimes we believe that altering our plan is an admission of failure, when in reality, the unwillingness to make change is the greatest failure of all. When we begin to realize that our course is no longer the best one, we must make the needed change and move on.
Measure Progress
Measurement keeps us focused and encouraged. If we begin with a clear picture and understanding of the major milestones along the way to accomplishing our goals, we can easily measure our progress. Projects, especially big ones, need to be measured in small steps. Make the milestones and responsibilities clear, and more progress will be made.
Be Accountable
We need to hold ourselves accountable for accomplishing each step needed to stretch toward our goal or target. Clear and known accountability is a powerful self-motivator. Ask others around you to hold you accountable as well. The simple knowledge that someone else is going to ask you about your progress may be just the push you need to keep moving toward your goals.
Keep Learning
No matter how much we think we know today, there is still so much more to learn. Greater knowledge enables us to be the best we can be at what we are doing. Be inquisitive, read often, write down what you learn, and strive to know more. Learning should be a part of every day.
Celebrate
Take time to recognize and celebrate your progress. Accomplishing meaningful goals is not easy. We all need a little encouragement to stay motivated. Take time to step back and celebrate the major milestones accomplished along the way to reaching your goals.
We all have great things yet within us, waiting to be unleashed. I am confident that if we follow these points, it will make a difference.
Posted By: Leadership from the Trenches
July 17th, 2011 by Joe New
Posted in Productivity
One of the ways the federal government tried to “rescue” housing was to raise the Conforming Loan Limits – which is the maximum loan that can be sold to FannieMae, FreddieMac and GinnieMae (for FHA loans).
By raising loan limits, liquidity was provided to mortgage lenders enabling them to lend at competitive rates in most neighborhoods in America. That was a good thing.
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. The government intervention had an expiration date—September 30, 2011. Today, we see the government trying to back off their propping up of the real estate industry. Reducing loan limits appears imminent. And THAT is a bad thing.
Why?
1.) Home Prices will fall. Jumbo loans (those in excess of the Conforming Loan Limit) are more expensive. Remember that home buyers buy on monthly COST. Higher rates on the “new jumbo” loans will force a correction (i.e. lowering) of home prices to offset the higher interest rates. In my market, the loan limit for a single family home looks like it will be reduced from $729,750 to $625,500. Here are the repercussions: Home in the $650,000 to $750,000 will now come with higher interest rate mortgages ….maybe .5% higher. That hike in rates will require a 5% reduction in asking price for the home to have the same mortgage payment. So that $650,000 house will sell for $620,000. And homebuyers who were looking at $620,000 homes won’t want to pay $620,000 for what logically is a lesser home, so they will pay $595,000….and the downward spiral of home values will continue.
2.) Higher rates will mean less people will qualify for loans. This is based on how much their income will support in a mortgage payment. Less qualified buyers for any product further reduces prices.
Cross your fingers that rates stay low through this summer and fall because ANY rate increase will only multiply the problem. I think we need to try to pressure our elected officials to extend the current loan limits until the market is on more solid footing. As real estate professionals; as mortgage professionals; as Americans this is our duty.
For more on Conforming Loan Limits including a map of the regions that will be impacted, click here. - The KCM Crew
Posted by: KCMBlog.com
July 17th, 2011 by Joe New
Posted in Keeping Current Matters
