The Art of Exceptional Living

In the process of living, the winds of circumstances blow on us all in an unending flow that touches each of our lives. We have all experienced the blowing winds of disappointment, despair and heartbreak. Why, then, would each of us, in our own individual ship of life, all beginning at the same point, with the same intended destination in mind, arrive at such different places at the end of the journey? Have we not all been blown by the winds of circumstances and buffeted by the turbulent storms of discontent? What guides us to different destinations in life is determined by the way we have chosen to set our sail. The way that each of us thinks makes the major difference in where each of us arrives. The major difference is the set of the sail. The same circumstances happen to us all. We have disappointments and challenges. We all have reversals and those moments when, in spite of our best plans and efforts, things just seem to fall apart. Challenging circumstances are not event...

The key to making life really unique and worthwhile is to share. Sharing has a certain unique magic of its own. Here’s what I learned in sharing ideas. If you share an idea with ten different people, they get to hear it once, and you get to hear it ten times. So here’s part of self-interest for yourself, getting you even better prepared for the future. Share ideas. Share with your family, share with the people around you, share with other employees, share with your colleagues. Because, by sharing, two things happen. Here’s what we call it. I don’t know how to explain it, but I do know it happens. And I don’t know all about how it happens or why it happens, it just happens. When one person shares with another, two things happen. The audience could be transformed, and so could the speaker. If you share with someone else, they could be transformed. You may have dropped in at the right time. This may be their moment. They’ve got three numbers dialed into the lock already, a...

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons. All disciplines affect each other. Mistakenly the man says, "This is the only area where I let down." Not true. Every let down affects the rest. Not to think so is naive. Discipline is the foundation upon which all success is built. Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure. Discipline has within it the potential for creating future miracles. The best time to set up a new discipline is when the idea is strong. One discipline always leads to another discipline. Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion. You don't have to change that much for it to make a great deal of difference. A few simple disciplines can have a major impact on how your life works out in the next 90 days, let alone in the next 12 months or the next 3...

Miss a meal if you have to, but don't miss a book. Some people claim that it is okay to read trashy novels because sometimes you can find something valuable in them. You can also find a crust of bread in a garbage can, if you search long enough, but there is a better way. Most homes valued at over $250,000 have a library. That should tell us something. Everything you need for your better future and success has already been written. And guess what? It's all available. All you have to do is go to the library. But would you believe that only three percent of the people in America have a library card. Wow, they must be expensive! No, they're free. And there's probably a library in every neighborhood. Only three percent! Some people read so little they have rickets of the mind. I now have one of the better libraries. I admit that I haven't read everything in my library, but I feel smarter just walking in it. Don't just read the easy stuff. You may ent...

The best advice I ever came across on the subject of concentration is: Wherever you are, be there. When you work, work. When you play, play. Don't mix the two. Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of attention. On the way to work, concentrate on the way - not the work. Pay attention. Don't just stagger through the day. Please include the following Credit Statement when reprinting in any form: Quotes by Jim Rohn, America's Foremost Business Philosopher, reprinted with permission from Jim Rohn International ©2011. As a world-renowned author and success expert, Jim Rohn touched millions of lives during his 46-year career as a motivational speaker and messenger of positive life change. For more information on Jim and his popular personal achievement resources or to subscribe to the weekly Jim Rohn Newsletter, visit  www.JimRohn.com .

Take time to gather up the past so that you will be able to draw from your experiences and invest them in the future. Don't let the learning from your own experiences take too long. If you have been doing it wrong for the last ten years, I would suggest that's long enough! Life is not just the passing of time. Life is the collection of experiences and their intensity. It's easy to carry the past as a burden instead of a school. It's easy to let it overwhelm you instead of educate you. Be like a sponge when it comes to each new experience. If you want to be able to express it well, you must first be able to absorb it well. Please include the following Credit Statement when reprinting in any form: Quotes by Jim Rohn, America's Foremost Business Philosopher, reprinted with permission from Jim Rohn International ©2011. As a world-renowned author and success expert, Jim Rohn touched millions of lives during his 46-year career as a motivational speaker and...

Truth Very few of us are authorities on the truth. About the closest that any of us can get is what we hope is the truth or what we think is the truth. That's why the best approach to truth is probably to say, "It seems to me..." There is nothing wrong with affirmations, provided what you are affirming is the truth. If you are broke, for example, the best thing to affirm is, "I'm broke!" Sincerity is not a test of truth. We must not make this mistake: He must be right; he's so sincere. Because, it is possible to be sincerely wrong. We can only judge truth by truth and sincerity by sincerity. Find someone who is willing to share the truth with you. Here's the major problem with going on strike for more money: You cannot get rich by demand. “Vitamins for the Mind” is a weekly sampling of original quotes on a specific topic taken from The Treasury of Quotes by Jim Rohn. The burgundy hardbound book with gold-foil lettering is a collec...

One of the first  things successful people realize is the old adage, "if it is to be, it is  up to me." That is, for you, the fact that your success and your course is  up to you. This doesn't mean that you do it all alone. It simply means that you  take responsibility for your life and your career. Too many people today  look at opportunity and figure it is up to someone else to make sure they get  it. They look at financial security and hope that the government will make sure  they live safely in retirement or in case of disability. They wait and wait,  figuring that it is up to someone else. And then the wait is over, and it is  too late to do anything. Their life is over and they are filled with regret. This isn't true for  you however. You know that you must take responsibility for your life. It is up  to you. The fact is that  nobody else is going to do it for you “you must do it yourself. Now, some people ma...

Labor That Works Miracles by Jim Rohn Two thousand years ago on April 15, one of Jesus' disciples came to him and said it was time to pay taxes (that's how I know it was around April 15), but they had no money. In response to his disciple's statement, Jesus said "no problem." Now why could he say "no problem"? Well, word had it that Jesus was a miracle worker. If you hand a problem to a miracle worker, what they are inclined to say is "no problem." You've got to hang out with people like that. I belong to a small group and we do business around the world. These guys are all miracle workers. What an incredible group. If you hand any of them a problem, guess what they say, "no problem." How many books will they read to solve a problem? As many as it takes. If they need to consult, how much consulting will they do? As much as it takes. How early will they get up? As early as it takes. "No problem"... you got to hang ou...