Benjamin Franklin is regarded as one of the wisest and most practical men in history. The following list describes the most important standards he ever subscribed to. In his autobiography, Franklin dedicated fifteen pages to this short list of principles – the most he had ever dedicated to one subject. He felt that he owed all of his success and happiness to this plan and concluded that he hoped “therefore, that some of my descendants may follow the example and reap the benefit.” Although Franklin was revered as wise, he did not always come across this way. So if you are wondering if you are feeling up to the task, consider this: Benjamin Franklin had only two years of schooling; and now, 150 years after his death, the world’s greatest universities are still showering him with honors! If a man with TWO years of education could make this work, we would be considered foolish not to try it.

THE PLAN: Apply, in order, these principles, one at a time, for an entire week. When you have finished, begin again with number one and repeat the cycle. After one year you will have completed the 13 principles a total of 4 times. In doing so, these principles become habits, your productivity, confidence and the way you are perceived will advance greatly.

TIP: Each week carry your assignment on a 3×5 index card and review it throughout your day as a reminder.

1. Temperance – Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

2. Silence – Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. In other words, learn and apply the art of listening, you have two ears and one mouth for a reason.

3. Order – Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have it’s time. Apply order to all parts of your life: your daily routine, your desk at work, your schedule and appointments

4. Resolution – Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. Even if in the past you have not completed your resolutions, make a small one to work on this week and stick to it. It can be as simple as resolving to hit the gym twice this week, actually look people in the eye and great them good morning before you slide into your office, or making one new friend.

5. Frugality – Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e. waste nothing. This does not necessarily mean pinch every penny, nor does it only apply to finances. Our gifts and talents are things we often forget to share. Search for ways in which you can bless others as well as yourself with your abilities, do not let them go to waste.

6. Industry – Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

7. Sincerity – Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. Practicing sincerity is a quick way to gain confidence as a loyal person. This trait will earn you respect as well.

8. Justice – Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

9. Moderation – Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

10. Cleanliness – Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes or habitation. Being presentable in appearance as well as in habitat speak volumes for the type of person that you are. If you take the time to keep these in top shape, you will be viewed as a well established, put together individual who handles that they have with care.

11. Tranquility – Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. The greatest leaders are those who can handle a pressure situation by remaining calm and collected.

12. Chastitiy – Never misuse venery to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

13. Humility – Imitate Jesus of Nazareth and Socrates. The humble are not the shy and meek, they are the bravest warriors of them all for they possess both confidence and selflessness.

Live The Dream,
Blake & Chelsea Kuhn

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In order to enforce high standards you must learn how to inform others when they do not meet those standards. One of the signs of a strong leader is the ability to tell people when they have erred. Here are some simple suggestions for mastering the art of the reprimand:

1. Do it immediately. Do not waste time, do not procrastinate and allow the situation to “work itself out”. Confronting the individual immediately signifies to them that you take the situation seriously and will not tolerate such actions.

2. Do it in private. Some managers and people of authority like to reprimand their employees in front of others, causing more embarrassment for the one who erred. Chances are they will respond better when counseled in private and you will gain their respect for doing so.

3. Confirm the facts. Before you go any further, make sure your information is correct.

4. Be very specific in telling them what is wrong. Reprimand their behavior, not their motives.

5. Show your feelings: anger, annoyance, and frustration. Emotions in conjunction with words strongly convey that you will not tolerate incompetence.

“The dream begins, with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads yo on to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth.” -Dan Rather

Live The Dream,
Chelsea Kuhn

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In John Maxwells book Failing Forward, he poses the question: “If risk has such great potential rewards, then why don’t people embrace it as a friend?” His conclusion is that as humans we tend to fall into one or more of the following 6 traps:

1. Embarrassment.
Face it, nobody wants to look bad, embarrassment never has been and never will be something we like to do. The fact of the matter is that we just have to get over it! The only way to improve, to move on, to progress, is to take forward steps. Yes, you will fall down, but a little progress is better than no progress at all. Anyone who has achieved a significant level of success had to stumble a few times along the way. One way to avoid this trap is to stop taking yourself so seriously all the time. Learn to laugh at yourself from time to time, nobody is perfect.

2. Rationalization.
Symptoms of rationalization: second guessing everything you do; thinking things through to the point of exhaustion. If you find yourself in this trap, asking yourself “Maybe it’s really not that important,” the truth is, if you wait long enough NOTHING is important. Sydney J. Harris puts it this way, “Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.” Taking risks and failing, will leave you with fewer regrets than if you do nothing at all.

3. Unrealistic Expectation.
Success takes hard work. It just does, so stop thinking that it’s going to be a piece of cake. Too many people wish for dreams they give up on solely because of the amount of work it takes to get there. Don’t let this be you. Consider this Latin Proverb: If there is no wind, row. Prepare to take a risk and don’t expect the wind to be favorable, engage in the mind-set that you have to row; then, when you receive help, you will be pleasantly surprised.

4. Fairness.
Life isn’t fair. Unfortunately, many people do not learn this fact. It is the responsibility of the ambitious to learn this and move on. You have to go out and make it happen for you. Wishing that a risk wasn’t yours to take will not get you anywhere, but choosing to have an attitude of pursuit.

5. Timing.
Do not use timing as an excuse to procrastinate. Don’t wait for the lights to turn green before you leave the house because they won’t. If you wait for the perfect timing, you will end up waiting forever and there is nothing more exhausting than the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.

6. Inspiration.
You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. Much like timing, waiting on inspiration can quickly turn into procrastination as well. Bill Glass advices: “when you get an insight or inspiration, do something about it in a twenty-four hours, or the odds are against your ever acting on it.” It has been said that the difference between a talented artist and a professional artist is that the professional produces regardless of having a supply of inspiration or not.

Live The Dream!
Chelsea Kuhn

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According to multiple studies these may be the 6 most common fears among working people. Most working people anonymously admit that these are the fears that are standing in the way of their professional and personal growth.

1. Public Speaking or Giving Presentations.

2. Hearing the word “NO” or having their ideas rejected.

3. Changing Jobs or Starting their own business.

4. Telling Managers or Executives “Negative News” (what the managers or executives don’t want to hear).

5. Talking to People in Upper Management.

6. Fear of Failure.

Here is the good news, you are not born with any of these fears. In fact, all of these fears you have learned at some point in your life, and most people have at least one of these fears. The best part is that you can actually unlearn them, but how?

Most of the time when people are confronted with an anxiety-producing event, they will retreat to avoid the fear and anxiety. That is the easy thing to do, it gives you a temporary feeling of relief and relaxation. Unfortunately there are no other benefits to avoiding your fears, and because it is only a temporary relief the anxiety will come back to you at some point. In fact, you pay a price that most people don’t realize. Every time you choose to avoid professional or personal growth by avoiding your fears this is what happens:

Your self-esteem is lowered.
You feel powerless and frustrated.
You sabotage your success.
You lead an uneventful, boring life.

You must first know that you are bigger and stronger than any of these fears. And consider this, that those prices you pay aren’t worth the temporary relief from anxiety and fear. In the long run, you will never be successful or truly develop your talents in life unless you are able to boldly and confidently stand up and confront your fears!

Live The Dream,
Blake Kuhn

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If used correctly, these 2 words can have a fascinating effect to those you wish to share gratitude with. Remember these 6 rules because they have been documented, tested and verified to work indefinitely.

1. “Thanks” should be sincere.
Always make sure that your authenticity is there, if it isn’t most often people will sniff you out. When you express thanks with life it will feel very special to the recipient.

2. Say it —don’t mumble it.
If you are going to say something, you might as well say it boldly for them to hear you clearly. When you mumble any phrase (especially this one), then you are showing them that you are merely halfway ashamed to speak your words.

3. Thank people by name.
People love customizing the things around them, so don’t give them thanks without making it personal. Even if you find yourself in a group setting, don’t say “thanks everybody”, rather name each one.

4. Look at the person you are thanking.
Eye contact is one of the keys to effective communication. It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul, this way they can see you mean what you say. If they are valued enough to thank, then they are valued enough to be looked at and considered.

5. Work at thanking people.
Actively seek out ways to thank people for, avoid waiting until something happens to you. Do this daily until you develop a habit, it should take a little less than a month to create a habit. We are naturally wired to not show gratitude, you are no different so make the effort to develop this virtue.

6. Thank people when they least expect it.
Most often the most powerful “Thank You” is when the recipient doesn’t expect it or thinks they don’t deserve it. Think back, the most memorable thanks are the ones you’ve received when you didn’t expect or think you deserved the thanks.

LIVE THE DREAM,
Blake Kuhn

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You cannot look inside a man and measure his level of confidence, but confidence has a way of showing itself to the world around you in a number of subtle ways. We subconsciously judge others based on these “signs” and in turn we are judged by the same standards. Here are 3 little things that give us away.

1. Your Walk.
Our physical actions express our mental attitudes. If you choose to walk with your shoulders drooped, as if carrying the weight of the world, it will be presumed that you are. In the same regard, walking with your head down and eyes downcast tells passersby that you are in a state of pessimism. Finally, if you walk with timid, hesitant steps you will appear to be a person who is unsure of themselves. To avoid being presumed as discouraged, hopeless and scared, step with authority and boldness, shoulders back, head up, eyes focused ahead and you will be perceived as a confident individual with goals on the horizon.

2. Your Handshake.
Your handshake tells the world far more about how you feel about yourself than you can imagine. Here are 3 popular forms of handshakes:

a.) The “Dish-Rag”: a limp shake which is usually counteracted with a arrogant persona; this shake actually exudes low self-confidence.

b.) The “Bone-Crusher”: self explanatory in action, the bone-crusher is apt to be compensating for a lack of self-confidence.

c.) The “Firm”: a firm shake, not crushing, with a little squeeze in it denotes self-confidence and tells the person on the other end, “I’m alive. I’ve got a firm grasp of things.”

3. Your Tone.
Your voice is the most highly developed means of communication between people. Your tone of voice conveys many things to people, your likes and dislikes, your ideas and your feelings about yourself and others. A word of advice from Les Giblin, author of How To Have Confidence And Power in Dealing With People: Listen to your own voice. Is it confident or do you mumble? What does it express, hopelessness or courage? Speak with boldness, flavor and sincerity, smile genuinely and you will be regarded as a individual with an excellent self-image.

LIVE THE DREAM,
Chelsea Kuhn

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It is 3,200 miles from San Francisco, CA to New York City, a distance the average person wouldn’t care to drive, let alone run. But Ashley Kumlien is not your average 25 year old and to demonstrate that, she is taking on the journey to raise awareness for a disease close to her heart…

Either Click on her picture or here to see our latest Profile of Success featuring Ashley!

LIVE THE DREAM,
Blake Kuhn

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Photo from here.

1. Difficulties give us perspective:
When you recover from a life-threatening accident or illness, a car with a dead battery or a busted pipe in your house seem not so irritating anymore. You’re able to effortlessly overcome those minor annoyances of everyday life and focus on more critical things.

2. Difficulties teach us to be grateful:
When we are sick, we become deeply grateful for our good health. When we don’t have power, we become very aware of how much we don’t appreciate the power when it is on. It seems funny, but in reality, we tend not to appreciate things until they are taken away from us. Those who are wise will count their blessings long after their temporary loss. We tend to lean towards our dominant thoughts; thus focusing on those thoughts will continue to introduce more great things into our lives.

3. Difficulties bring out our hidden potential:
Life has a way of making us emotionally stronger after overcoming major difficulties. In this, we discover abilities we didn’t know we possessed. That is what helps us prepare for another challenging event. These abilities may have gone undiscovered without traveling over rough ground. Next time you go through something hard, embrace your new strengths and capacities that will be revealed during those trials.

4. Difficulties encourage us to make changes and take action:
Most people are creatures of habit and hang onto them even though their lives have become boring and painful. It’s the crisis or back to back difficulties that inspire them to make a real change. Our difficulties may be hints that tell us it’s time to get back on the right track in life.

5. Difficulties teach us valuable lessons:
Experience can be the best teacher. Try something and if you fail, then adjust and try again. Repeat this process and turn your adversities into victories.

6. Difficulties open new doors:
Challenges can come as opportunities in disguise, for example: You lose your job and get a better one, or your favorite babysitter moves away and you find a better one. When a door closes, there may be a better one waiting for you to open it.

7. Difficulties build confidence and self-esteem:
A badge of honor is when you’ve summoned all the courage you have and strengthen your resolve to get through a difficult circumstance. That is when you gain a greater confidence and feel equipped for a greater mountain to conquer. It is when you earn your self-respect, realize your self-worth, and carry those confident feelings into future contests.

LIVE THE DREAM,
Blake Kuhn

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Photo from here.

1. Hand out commendations in public.
It doesn’t cost much to pay someone a compliment, but delivering a compliment to someone in front of their peers or teammates is priceless. Always look for a creative way to publicly compliment or boast about those with whom you’d care about. You will find that the most memorable compliments you’ve ever received have been publicly given.

2. Use every success as an excuse for celebration.
Taking little accomplishments and turning them into reasons to celebrate will enrich and place a deeper significance on our lives. Celebrating many smaller victories may be more productive than always waiting for the bigger ones. Doing this will effectively make one feel very special and cared for. In the next week, try celebrating something that your child, loved one, co-worker or friend did that may normally seem small to them, but can be turned into a reason to celebrate.

3. Employ some gesture to give weight to your commendation.
The most exciting and rewarding gesture to give to someone after accomplishing a task is a tangible gift. Studies have shown that in the office when a team accomplishes a big task they are more excited to receive a gift rather than a plaque or being taken out to lunch.

4. Put your compliment in writing.
If you want to add a sincere and powerful touch to a compliment put it in a note. If you want to really go over the top, put the compliment in the form of a hand-written letter. For example, if an employee at a store does an excellent job helping you it means more for you to write a hand written compliment to their supervisor than to verbally express your thanks to them. You will add value to their efforts in an extraordinary way.

5. Be very specific in your praise.
To get the most milage out of a well placed compliment, use the art of being specific. This will allow you to reinforce specific behavior and help one understand specifically why you are choosing to compliment them. For example, if a young girl draws a picture it will mean more for you to say “I like how you used colors for the princess’s dress” rather than, “That’s a pretty picture.” This works exactly the same for your business team after landing a huge account. Tell them exactly why you are so excited that they landed the big account.

LIVE THE DREAM,
Blake Kuhn

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Photo from here.

1. Switch minds with the people that you look to influence. It’s easier to lead people in the right direction if you are willing to see things through their eyes. It’s very important to always ask yourself this question before you act, “What would I think of this if I exchanged places with the other person?”

2. Don’t forget to be human when dealing with others. Ask yourself, “what is the most human way to handle this?” In everything you do, display to others that you are willing to put them first. Treat others exactly how you would like to be treated, it always will produce a reward for you.

3. Have an improvement mentality in everything you are working to accomplish. In everything you do always have a high standard of excellence. Over time, the people you lead tend to become carbon copies of you. Be sure that whatever they are copying is worth duplicating. Be progress oriented, always looking to develop and improve in every area in life.

4. Maximize your productivity and creativity by planning time to reflect alone everyday. Planned and managed solitude always pays off, use it to unleash your creative and supreme thinking power. Use it as a time to ask yourself, “what did I learn today, what am I trying to accomplish, and how can I solve any unresolved issues?” All great leaders confer with themselves, so make it a habit and watch yourself grow.

Live The Dream,
Blake Kuhn

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