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"Fear kills more people than death." ~ General George Patton

Master success coach, Steve Chandler said, "The world's best kept secret is that on the other side of your fear there is something safe and beneficial waiting for you. If you pass through even a thin curtain of fear you will increase the confidence you have in your ability to create your life."

Your ability to confront your fears is one of the most important keys to staying motivated. Because when you back away and do nothing, fear can quickly dominate your thinking and your emotions.

Everyone has fears and it takes courage to confront them.

Mark Twain said, "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not- absence of fear."

When you're afraid, you have two choices: to do nothing and let the fear fester like a cancer, or identify the person or situation that is causing your fear and deal with it immediately.

Can it be difficult?

Of course it can, but the alternative to constant worry and pain is much worse.

"You often hear, 'Be bold. Take a leap!' Sometimes you should. Other times, there's a better idea. Take a step."
~ Harry Beckwith

From his best-selling software to his blog, Persistence Unlimited, Brad Isaac lives goal setting. He describes how years ago when he was trying to learn the ropes as a comic, he met Jerry Seinfeld and asked him if he had any tips for a young comic. What Seinfeld told him he never forgot.

Seinfeld said that the way to be a better comic and create better jokes is to write every day. He said that he used a leverage technique to motivate himself even when he didn't feel like writing.

Here's how it worked...

Seindfeld told Brad to get a big wall calendar that has a whole year on one page and to hang it on a prominent wall. He said each day that you write, put a big red X over that day. "After a few days, Seindfeld said, "you'll have a chain. Just keep at it, and the chain will grow longer each day. You'll enjoy seeing the chain when you get a few weeks under your belt. Now your only job is to not break the chain. Don't break the chain," he said again for emphasis.

This is great advice, not only for comics, but for anyone with a goal they wish to achieve. Daily action builds habits. It gives you practice and will keep you moving towards your goals. If you don't break the chain, you'll spot opportunities you otherwise wouldn't. All of the small improvements accumulate into large improvements rapidly because daily action provides "compounding interest."

"We first make our habits, and then our habits make us."
~ John Dryden

"True silence is to the spirit what sleep is to the body...nourishment and refreshment."
~ William Penn

Solitude is a fundamental primordial need. In fact, I found it very interesting to read that all tribal cultures (including Native Americans) have an old ritual of going alone into the wilderness in search of clarity. They retreat from their daily lives to purify themselves and to renew their purpose and direction in life.

In today's world, whether we realize it or not, I think many of us are searching and longing for solitude. When it's been too long since I've had a break it begins to affect my moods, my energy levels, and my ability to think clearly and act decisively. My body, my mind and my soul are telling me to seek solitude.

To stay motivated, to keep your emotional battery charged, I highly recommend setting aside pockets of time during each day for solitude. You might have only five or ten minutes, but be alone and uninterrupted. And then sometime each week devote an extended time of one hour or more to reconnect with your soul. How and when you do it is a very personal thing, but plan it because solitude doesn't usually happen on its own. Make it a priority in your life.

"There is a remarkable difference between a commitment of 99% and 100%."
~ Vic Conant

If you're married, your primary relationship in life is with your spouse. And of course, the strength of that relationship will go a long way to determine your happiness in life.

Vic Conant, the president of Nightingale Conant, has been a good friend for over twenty years. Not long ago he wrote an article called The Keys to Successful Living that focused on things we can do to improve our marriages. It was terrific!

Vic ackowledged that a few years ago he had some problems with his marriage to the point where he was considering other alternatives. But he wanted it to work and decided to try what he called "the 100% commitment experiment" (not 99%, but 100%) He said in doing so something magical happened. He began to look for the positives and began to enjoy his wife more each day. She naturally responded by being much nicer to him. He said it began an amazing transformation and today, after 36 years of marriage they've never been happier.

As Vic discovered, there is a remarkable difference between a commitment of 99% and a commitment of 100%. At 100%, you are seeing your problems all the way through to their solutions. At 99% we can still find a way to take the path of least resistance...and usually do.

And guess what? The "100% commitment experiment" not only works for marriage, it also works for life.

A service culture doesn't happen by accident. The company is always a reflection of the person at the helm. Their attitude, their values, and their commitment to service excellence will drive the actions of the others in the organization. Always has...always will.

A woman who worked at Nordstrom in the 1980s told a story about Bruce Nordstrom walking through her department one day. Bruce spotted a can of pop on the counter. He picked it up, deposited it in the wastebasket and continued on his way. He didn't ask who was responsible for the can being on the counter, and he didn't order an employee to take it away. He just did it himself. The woman who told this story went on to run her own successful business. But she never forgot the day she saw the chairman of the company set an example for her-without uttering a word.

Despite their success, Nordstrom continues to project an image of small town modesty and humility. They say there is nothing magical about what they do and that the system is embarrassingy simple. "We out- service, not outsmart" is a typical Nordstromism. They rarely talk about themselves. "We can't afford to boast. If we did, we might start to believe our own stories and quit trying to get better." In fact, when Bruce Nordstrom was selected as Man of the Year by Footware News, he politely declined to be interviewed.

"It's not about us," said Bruce's son, Blayke, who described the role of his family members as "stewards of the business culture." " We are here to help everyone to achieve their goals. We just try to create an atmosphere where people feel valued, trusted, and respected. We want each person to have a proprietary feeling and an entrepreneurial spirit. The magic happens when all these things come together."

There is a rule of thumb in business that your people will only treat the customers as well as they are being treated. Therefore, it should be no surprise that Nordstrom has always been known for their exceptional customer service.

The Nordstrom employee handbook reflects the culture they have created. Here's what it says ( a total of 75 words):

Welcome to Nordstrom
We're glad you are with our company. Our number one goal is to provide outstanding customer service. Set both your personal and professional goals high. We have great confidence in your ability to achieve them.
We have only one rule...
Use good judgement in all situations. There will be no other rules. Please feel free to ask your Department Manager, Store Manager or Human Resource office any question at any time.

What can I say except...Less is almost always more!

Service Lesson Learned:
Simplify to succeed.