This poem is by an anonymous writer, and I hope that it will inspire you as it did me.

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will. When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill. When the funds are low and the debts are high, and you want to smile, but you have to sigh. When care is pressing you down a bit, rest  if you must, but do not quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns, as everyone of us sometimes learns. And many a failure turns about , when you might have won had you stuck it out.  Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow, you might succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man.  Often the struggler has given up, when he might have captured the victor’s cup.  And he learned too late when the night slipped down, how close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out,  the silver tint of the clouds of doubt.  And you never can tell how close you are, it may be near when it seems afar.  So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit, it’s when things seem worst, that you must not quit.

There is no denying that we are living through very troubled economic times.  Everywhere that we turn we hear bad news – the economy, the wars, the high number of foreclosures and the high unemployment rate.  We ask ourselves, what are we to do and the answer is to stay positive.  This too shall pass and our economy and businesses will rebound.  In the meantime, I encourage you to do the following:

1. Stay focused on your businesses and become creative.  Try new ways to market your businesses and reach new clients.
2. Become creative in your jobs.  Work harder and become a more integral part of your company.  Let your boss know how important your presence and experience is to the organization.
3. Stay away from negative persons.  When someone wants to focus on how awful things are, you can do the following:  change the subject, enumerate your blessings or point out positive aspects of their lives.  This can apply to clients, family members and friends.  Do not allow yourself to become involved in the negativity trap.
4. Do not spend your energy fearing what may happen in the future, because it may not come to pass.  Concentrate on the present and work harder to achieve your goals.
5. While part of being positive entails having a smile on your face, it is so much more than that.  It means that you must put your positive thoughts into positive action and choose to find a solution rather than complain about the problem.  This may be the difference between those who survive this economic climate and those who do not.
6. Lastly, be grateful for all that you have and reach out to those that are going through very difficult moments in their lives and would appreciate your helping hand.

I am a firm beleiver that when one is positive about life and people, one attracts positive people into one’s life.  In order to have a positive, productive and successful relationship, you have to be honest, forthcoming, sincere and respectful of the other person.

How can we do this?  You must have open and continuous communication.  The communication must flow freely, honestly and respectfully.  You must be a good listener, and let the other person know that you respect their opinions.  Both parties have to give each other time to get to know one another, and must give the relationship time to flourish and grow.  Never take the relationship or the other party for granted.

Remember, that a successful relationship is one that survives through the good and the bad times.  It is one where joys, sadness, triumphs and failures are shared.  You must work at sustaining this relationship that nourishes and replenishes both parts on an emotional, intellectual and spiritual level.  Commit to making it a long and successful one.

Today, I would like to discuss accountability.  What is accountability?   To me, it means being responsible, following up on tasks and plans, completing what we set out to do, keeping our word and honoring our promises, and most importantly respecting ourselves and others.

We have to be accountable in all areas of our lives, as children, students, professionals, business persons and even as spouses and parents.  However, I want to focus on how we, as business persons, insure that we are accountable to our clients.  We can do this by providing the best possible service, by being honest with our clients, insuring that the paremeters of our business relationship are clear and in writing, by being on time to our meetings, by listening to our clients’ needs and trying our utmost to fulfill them, and most importantly, by respecting our clients’ points of view.

We also have to hold ourselves accountable for our actions.  We must learn that, as business persons, our actions will directly affect our business’ success.  In order to be successful, we must have a plan.  We must set goals and objectives and make sure that we take steps each day to fulfill them.  We must set up tasks, follow up on them and complete them.  We must be organized and not allow ourselves to fall into the procrastination mode.  In taking these measures, we will not only be successful, but we will be fulfilling our responsibilities to ourselves and our business.  Do not forget that you must stay focused on the path that you have chosen.

Welcome to my site!  I hope that the ideas that I am sharing with you will help in your personal, business and professional life.  Always  look at the positive side of the events in your life, and stay focused in whatever endeavor you choose to pursue.

Coach Anita