You're Right

Good morning,

Happy Friday! Golf anyone? Historically I haven’t been a very good putter but last weekend I delightfully sank the longest putt of my life. Then the crazy part was that a few holes later I did it again! Of course today’s sunny note isn’t about golf, it’s about what we believe we’re capable of and how that belief shapes our achievements. Quite simply, to achieve more:

Think bigger.

We’re each capable of so much more than we currently believe is possible, we just have to expand our thinking. This applies to every area of our lives, not just on the golf course where my recent improvement came about after playing with a friend earlier this spring who kept saying “you can make that,” as I faced lengthy putts that I used to assume were impossible.

In business, at home and on the golf course, let’s set our sights higher – and have a sunny day!

Clarity

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't – you're right." Henry Ford.

P.P.S. To receive Sunny Notes each Friday morning in your email, simply Visit This Link to sign up.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Upward Bound

Good morning,

Happy Friday! It looks like it's going to be a beautiful summer day here in Michigan. This morning I'm reflecting on a recent conversation with colleagues about what holds people back from achieving greater success. While there are lots of factors, the big one is fear. The solution?

Change perspective.

Here's an interesting example. Rather than fearing someone coming up through the ranks who might take our job, we can change our perspective on "being replaced" and intentionally teach them our role so we can advance to something even better.

Today are we facing challenges or opportunities? We get to decide - and have a sunny day!

Clarity

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Henry David Thoreau

P.P.S. To receive Sunny Notes each Friday morning in your email, simply Visit This Link to sign up.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Cheerleaders

Good morning,

It's Friday! Earlier this week I was talking with a friend of mine who is job hunting. He was telling me he'd found a posting for the perfect position for him. Then he added, but they probably won't think I'm qualified. Have you ever done this? Let self-doubt talk you out of something before you even start?

Believe in yourself!

Many of us are our own harshest critic when we need to be our own biggest cheerleader and encourager. Confidence is believing in yourself and then acting accordingly, without waiting around for someone else to say "you can do it."

The best part is that it's a self-fulfilling prophecy, the more you believe, the more you can achieve.

Let's go for it - and have a sunny day!

P.S. "The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear and get a record of successful experiences behind you. Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." William Jennings Bryan

P.P.S. To receive Sunny Notes each Friday morning in your email, simply Visit This Link to sign up.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Endurance

Good morning,

Happy Friday! There are many attributes that contribute to a person's success. But one that doesn't get talked about as much as more glamorous attributes like talent is endurance. In other words, the sheer tenacity to:

See it through.

In the words of James Arthur Baldwin, “Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck -- but, most of all, endurance." A little bit of talent can go a long way if it's backed by a sufficient amount of endurance.

Let's be strong - and have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas Alva Edison

P.P.S. Please help spread the sunshine. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Never Too Late

Good morning,

Happy Friday! Is there something you've wanted to do but now it seems too late? Don't let that get in your way! No matter what you have in mind...

It's not too late.

Sure, it might have been easier or wiser to start sooner, but that's no excuse for not starting now.

It also helps to remember that "never too late" applies to little things as well as big things. Phone calls that need to be returned? Tasks that need to be finished? Words that need to be said? I know I've been guilty of using the passage of time as an excuse not to do something, telling myself "I should have done that a long time ago."

So whether it's a lofty goal we have in mind or a simple task we should complete, let's start now - and have a sunny day.

Clarity

P.S. "It's never too late to be who you might have been." George Eliot

P.P.S. Please help spread the sunshine. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Good morning,

Happy Friday! Have you ever gotten a new car and then suddenly you see the same model everywhere? Last time I bought a car it seemed like everybody followed my example and got the same one in the same color no less. Of course what really happened is this.

We find what we’re looking for.

This is true in pretty much all areas of our lives and when it comes to managing employees, apparently it’s been scientifically proven, according to an article in yesterday’s Science Daily.

“How leaders view their employees tends to become a self-fulfilling prophecy,” according to Thomas Sy, assistant professor of psychology at UC Riverside and a longtime business leadership consultant. In what he describes as the first study to examine leaders' conceptions of followers, the psychologist found that "if managers view followers positively -- that they are good citizens, industrious, enthusiastic -- they will treat their employees positively. If they think of their employees negatively -- that they are conforming, insubordinate and incompetent -- they will treat them that way," he said. "Manager beliefs about employees impact organizational outcomes."

This study is an interesting reinforcement of an important piece of common sense, that having positive expectations increases the likelihood of positive results.

Let’s stay positive – and have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. "Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being." Goethe

P.P.S. I always enjoy hearing from you and I thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

Believe It

Good morning,

It was great hearing news reports this week about Michigan organizations planning to expand their workforces. This raises the question, what traits are employers looking for when hiring?

When asked this question, a business owner conducting a recent seminar replied, “Confidence, above anything else.” So today's sunny note is a reminder to...

Believe in yourself.

When you have confidence that you can accomplish anything, anything can be accomplished. The world needs what you have to offer.

Believe it - and have a sunny day.

Clarity

P.S. "As is our confidence, so is our capacity." William Hazlitt

P.P.S. I always enjoy hearing from you and I thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Sunny Media Group, Inc.
313-268-6810
SunnyMediaGroup.com

No More Excuses

Good morning,

It’s Friday and today’s motto is No More Excuses! That’s the kick-in-the-pants Sam Silverstein gave all of us who attended the recent Yes Network seminar in Novi. Eliminating excuses is essential to being accountable and…

Being accountable is essential to being successful.

Sam pointed out that it’s easier to be accountable to others than to be accountable to ourselves. Why? Because the easiest person to make excuses to is one’s self. And until we stop making excuses to ourselves, we can’t truly be accountable to anyone else.

Ready to laugh…or gag? Here are some (surprisingly) common late-to-work excuses Sam shared:
1. I dropped my car keys in the snow and I’m waiting for the temperature to warm up
2. I’m sorry I was late but it was foggy and I missed the building
3. My house is on fire and fire engine is blocking the driveway
4. My wife is going to get pregnant and I want to be there

Of course we would never say anything that stupid, right? But perhaps we have our own excuses we give ourselves for why we can’t do things, and our excuses are keeping us from living up to our potential.

Here’s a sobering thought, “The difference between what we know and what we don’t know, isn’t nearly as great as the difference between what we KNOW and what we DO.”

Right now, each of us can think of something we know we need to do, so let’s jump into action – and have a sunny day!

Clarity

“When we eliminate excuses, we’re taking the first step into the Accountability Zone, and when we’re in the Zone, amazing things happen.” Sam Silverstein SamSilverstein.com

P.P.S. Thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly from me by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
MetroMichigan.com

I Think I can

Good morning,

It's Friday – and a beautiful sunny one to look forward to here in Michigan. Looking back, when I was a child one of my favorite books was "The Little Engine That Could" by Watty Piper. What a great story to inspire young children about the power of positive thinking, with The Little Engine encouraging himself…"I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…" all the way up the hill.

Whether we learned positive thinking skills as children or need to develop them now, being able to encourage ourselves is essential to success. We can't rely on others to cheer "you can do it." Each of us most say:

I know I can.

Yes – you really can! Just because it hasn’t been done before, doesn’t mean you can't do it. Even if your objective sounds impossible and other people say it can't be done, you still can do it. In fact, much of what human beings have accomplished was once called impossible. Achieving the "impossible" just takes a little longer…and usually a little more effort.

Whatever your goal, start by thinking like The Little Engine that "could" who soon became The Little Engine that "did."

Happy Friday – and have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. "A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes." Mahatma Gandhi

P.P.S. By the way, the reason children’s books are on my mind right now is because a friend of mine, Larry Coleman, and I co-authored a book called "The Flying Reindeer Mystery" that just came out last week. No, there’s no wonderful lesson in it like "The Little Engine That Could," but it's a fun Christmas story for children of all ages. Our website is http://www.reindeermystery.com/ in case you’d like to see what I’m up to : )

P.P.S. Thank you for sharing Sunny Notes with others. New readers can Visit This Link to add an email address to receive Sunny Notes directly by email each Friday.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
MetroMichigan.com

Batter Up!

Good morning,

Happy Friday! I’ve been thinking a lot this week about how important it is to be willing to try and risk failure, if we ultimately want to succeed at anything great. Years ago someone pointed out a baseball analogy that stuck with me ever since.

The greatest hitters fail more often than they succeed.

Babe Ruth had a batting average of .342, so he only got a hit about a third of the times he went up to bat. Imagine if he’d been afraid to swing because he might miss; we wouldn’t be talking about him right now because he’d never have hit his 714 homeruns.

I was reminded of this recently when I came across an article in Smart Business Magazine by Michael Feuer, the guy who co-founded OfficeMax in 1988 and then sold it for $1.5 billion in 2003. Feuer’s article points out that, “It’s hard to get on base and ultimately score if an executive is unwilling to take appropriate and measured risks.”

If we limit ourselves to attempting only things at which we know we cannot fail, then our achievements will be limited – at best. Because, as Feuer puts it, “If you bat 1.000 in business, you’ll eventually strike out.”

Taking appropriate and measured risks requires confidence. “The confidence portion of the equation is not being afraid to be wrong, to admit it and to try again another day,” says Feuer. His complete article is available online here at Smart Business Magazine, along with numerous other insightful articles by the same author, in case you’re interested.

Let’s swing for the fences – and have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” Babe Ruth

P.P.S. Thank you for visiting www.MySunnyNotes.com. If you’re new to Sunny Notes and would like to receive my sunny email each Friday, visit www.JoinSunnyNotes.com.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
www.metromichigan.com

The Key Ingredient

Good morning,

Hurray for Friday! Today’s food for thought involves one of the most important ingredients in life. Without it, lives are less joyful and careers are less successful.

The key ingredient is trust.

To get anywhere in business or in life, we have to be trusted and trustworthy. How? By keeping our word. Trust comes from saying we’re going to do something and then doing it. Rinse and repeat. And repeat and repeat...It’s that simple.

It’s simple but not necessarily easy. Trustworthiness is built on all the “little things,” like calling when we say we’re going to call, which over time form the foundation for being trusted (or not) with the “big things,” like receiving the promotion.

I’m fortunate to work with and have in my life some amazingly trustworthy people. And I try to be equally trustworthy. Since good habits help, I’ve been trying to avoid using misleading catch phrases like “just a minute,” which usually means more like five minutes, or telling my husband I’m “about to leave” the office, when really I need an hour.

The point? We must watch our words, because trust is hard to establish and easy to destroy. That’s why “under promise and over deliver” is good advice, not to impress the boss, but because trustworthiness depends on keeping our promises.

I promise to write to you next Friday – and I hope you have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. More food for thought…author unknown:

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

P.P.S. Thank you for visiting MySunnyNotes.com. If you’re new to Sunny Notes and would like to receive my sunny email each Friday, visit JoinSunnyNotes.com.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
313-670-7505
MetroMichigan.com

Chasing Perfection

Good morning,

It’s Friday! Today’s success tip is simple but challenging. I live by it and yet it’s difficult to put into words.

Vince Lombardi put it this way: “Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”

It’s true that chasing perfection can be dangerous. But only if we’re unable to recognize and appreciate excellence when we catch it.

We could brainstorm lots of analogies, like:
- to get an A on a test (90% or higher) we’d better study for 100%. If we only study for 90% then we’re likely to end up with 80% when we crack under pressure…
- to close 10 new deals, we’d better attempt at least 12 in case some fall through…
- to break an Olympic record, train to go even faster or even further because “race day” may not bring out your personal best (I heard a great story about this years ago at a seminar; wish I still remembered who the athlete was)
- Here’s one! Goal: 0 typos. Result: fewer typos than if I had a more lenient goal…

The simple truth is that we often fall short of our potential. But that doesn’t mean we should lower our goals. Instead, try aiming even higher. If you want to win any Olympic medal, go for the Gold!

Or to paraphrase Vince Lombardi - To achieve excellence, strive for perfection.

And have a Sunny Day!

Clarity

P.S. Imagine if we all had the following work ethic. "There's only two things I had to do to win the Olympic gold,” said Olympic Gold Medalist Peter Vidmar, “Train when I wanted to, and train when I didn't."

More about athlete Peter Vidmar is located here: http://www.petervidmarinvite.org/. More about coach Vince Lombardi is located here: http://www.vincelombardi.com/.

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135