Employees yearn for appreciation for their hard work. Good leaders understand this and always strive to prioritize, support, and thank their employees for going above and beyond. Thus, to urge all leaders to do the same, we have curated a list of the best employee recognition quotes.

We know that employee recognition doesn't come easy. But, with the right mix of rewards and recognition, you might be able to win half of the battle.

But the question is how? How can you express your gratitude and appreciate your employees, and increase engagement? Nothing, in our opinion, can be more meaningful than some good old words.

Even if you lack the funds for a conventional recognition program, the simple act of praising your coworkers may make a big difference in their happiness and boost their joy to work.

You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on life. ~ Zig Ziglar

It's very inexpensive to give a compliment. ~ Joyce Meyer

Keep your eyes open and try to catch people in your company doing something right, then praise them for it. ~ Tom Hopkins

Feedback is the breakfast of champions. ~ Ken Blanchard

Nothing is more effective than sincere, accurate praise, and nothing is more lame than a cookie-cutter compliment. ~ Bill Walsh

I have always believed that the way you treat your employees is the way will treat your customers and that people flourish when they are praised. ~ Richard Branson

Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius. ~ Arthur Conan Doyle

A brave man acknowledges the strength of others. ~ Veronica Roth

Employees who report receiving recognition and praise within the last seven days show increased productivity, get higher scores from customers, and have better safety records. They're just more engaged at work. ~ Tom Rath

I think you need to love giving compliments as much as you love receiving them. ~ Yami Gautam

What gets recognized gets reinforced, and what gets reinforced gets repeated. ~ Anonymous

Brains, like hearts, go where they are appreciated. ~ Robert McNamara

Recognize and affirm people when they contribute to the mission you share. Do this, and you will ignite their purpose and potential. ~ Mike Byam

Take time to appreciate employees, and they will reciprocate in a thousand ways. ~ Bob Nelson

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. ~ G.K. Chesteron

A culture of gratitude helps people realize how truly fortunate they are and instills a desire to pay that forward. ~ Karl Sun

If you don't create a great, rewarding place for people to work, they won't do great work. ~ Ari Weinzweig

Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person - not just an employee - are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability. ~ Anne M. Mulcahy

The way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement. ~ Charles Schwab

People work for money but go the extra mile for recognition, praise and rewards. ~ Dale Carnegie

Good work requires an appreciation of the value of routine, ordinary, mundane rhythms of doing what needs to be done, each day and each week, thoroughly and with care. ~ Gordon T. Smith

You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins. ~ Jim Stovall

You become strong by lifting others up, not pulling them down. ~ Matshona Dhliwayo

Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well. ~ Voltaire

Treat your employees like an investment, not a cost. ~ Dan Sullivan

Everyone wants to be appreciated, so if you appreciate someone, don't keep it a secret. ~ Mary Kay Ash

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~ Maya Angelou

A boss wants to pay for results, an employee wants recognition for effort. If a boss recognizes effort, they will get even better results. ~ Simon Sinek

When an employee truly understands the meaning of his work and gets recognition for his efforts, he performs the best. ~ Abhishek Ratna

A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better. ~ Jim Rohn

Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen. ~ Michael Jordan.

To win in the marketplace you must first win in the workplace. ~ Doug Conant

Recognition is not a scarce resource. You can't use it up or run out of it. ~ Susan M. Heathfield

If you do not treat people with the respect they deserve, do not expect any kind of commitment to your productivity goals and target. ~ Ian Fuhr

There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread. ~ Mother Teresa

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. ~ Aristotle

Mary Kay knew that when you put people first and then surround them with processes and disciplines that recognize their efforts, performance will soar. ~ David C. Novak

I have always believed that the way you treat your employees is the way they will treat your customers, and that people flourish when they are praised. ~ Sir Richard Branson

Youve got to get your team to not only understand your company brand, but also to understand their personal brand. ~ Amber Hurdle

Realize that employees and the customers both have to be engaged, at the same time, to move your business forward for sustainable success. ~ Robert G. Thompson

In behavioral economic terms, when we offer recognition we are acknowledging that the recipients have met a social ideal. They are behaving in a certain manner because they believe is the right thing to do. If we then recognize that behavior with praise or appreciation, we offer a confirmation that their behavior is desirable, and do so in a manner that recipients find meaningful. ~ Cindy Ventrice

When a manager recognizes an employees behavior, personally and sincerely, both feel proud, gratified, and happy. Theres a human connection that transcends the immediate culture to create a shared bond. The power of this bond is stronger than you might think; indeed, its the power that holds together great organizational cultures. ~ Erik Mosley and Derek Irvine

Correction does much, but encouragement does more. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

If people did not compliment one another there would be little society. ~ Luc de Clapiers

What every genuine philosopher (every genuine man, in fact) craves most is praise although the philosophers generally call it recognition! ~ William James

Praise does wonders for our sense of hearing. ~ Arnold H. Glasow

Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. Theyre absolutely free and worth a fortune. ~ Sam Walton

Note how good you feel after you have encouraged someone else. No other argument is necessary to suggest that never miss the opportunity to give encouragement. ~ George Adams

Being told something positive about yourself, whether from someone youre close to, or a passing acquaintance, should really lift the spirits. Just the fact that someone has taken the time to let you know, should have you feeling noticed and appreciated. ~ Paul Bailey

Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers. ~ Stephen R. Covey

Appreciation is the highest form of prayer, for it acknowledges the presence of good wherever you shine the light of your thankful thoughts. ~ Alan Cohen

Also read - 152 Greatest Motivational Quotes for Work We Hand-Picked For You

Feeling grateful or appreciative of someone or something in your life actually attracts more of the things that you appreciate and value into your life. ~ Northrup Christiane

Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy. ~ Jacques Maritain

It is a sign of mediocrity when you demonstrate gratitude with moderation. ~ Roberto Benigni

Feeling gratitude, and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it. ~ William Arthur Ward

Life isnt about getting and having; its about giving and being. ~ Kevin Kruse

Even a brief interaction can change the way people think about themselves, their leaders, and the future. Each of those many connections you make has the potential to become a high point or a low point in someones day. ~ Douglas Conant

Paychecks cant buy passion. ~ Brad Federman

People want to be appreciated, cared for, loved, trusted, and respected. But they also want to be understood, and if you master the skills to achieve that, you truly become exceptional. ~ Joe Navarro

Gratitude is a currency that we can mint for ourselves, and spend without fear of bankruptcy. ~ Fred De Witt Van Amburgh

At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. ~ Albert Schweitzer

Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other. ~ Randy Pausch

Develop an attitude of gratitude. Say thank you to everyone you meet for everything they do for you. ~ Brian Tracy

No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks. ~ James Allen

The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest. ~ William Blake

If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share. ~ W. Clement Stone

Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary. ~ Margaret Cousins

I was very pleased with your kind letter. Until now I never dreamed of being something like a hero. But since youve given me the nomination I feel that I am one. ~ Albert Einstein

Thanks will be a worthless word until a person tells it from heart. When a person thanks someone with full heart then the word will be big and worthy word and will have full meaning to the person. Or else it will remain small and valueless word if a person says it just for saying. ~ Salman Aziz

Dont forget, a persons greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated. ~ H. Jackson Brown Jr.

The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated. ~ William James

It does not matter who is in your team, what matters is who they will become because of you. ~ Sunday Adelaja

Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a mans growth without destroying his roots. ~ Frank A. Clark

Everybody is looking for validation, no matter who you are, and I think that's a need of the human condition - to look for affection or recognition or validation. ~ Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

People want to be understood and respected as individuals. Years ago, an executive editor of mine said, You should count the number of times you praise somebody and then double that. Even the toughest, steeliest writer or editor often really wants to be told, Hey, that was a great piece. Early in my career as a manager, it probably took me a while to realize that everyone wants that. Its just a human need. ~ Cindi Leive

Make sure everybody in the company has great opportunities, has meaningful impact and is contributing to the good of the society. ~ Larry Page

People are the most important thing. Business model and product will follow if you have the right people. ~ Adam Neumann

What we need to do is always lean into the future; when the world changes around you and when it changes against you- what used to be your tail wind is now your head wind. You have to lean into that and figure out what to do, because complaining isnt a strategy. ~ Jeff Bezos

Treat your employee right so they wont use your Internet to look for new jobs. ~ Mark Zuckerberg

The way your employees feel is the way your customers feel. And if your employees dont feel valued, neither will your customers. ~ Sybil F. Stershic

Productivity of work is not the responsibility of the worker but of the manager. ~ Peter F. Drucker

If I had to run a company on three measures, those measures would be customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and cash flow. ~ Jack Welch

Every employee can affect your companys brand, not just the frontline employees that are paid to talk to your customers. ~ Tony Hsieh

Motivating employees to work at their full potential is the main premise of successful management. ~ Eraldo Banovac

Good management consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people. ~ John D. Rockefeller

At the end of the day, you bet on people, not on strategies. ~ Lawrence Bossidy

In order to build a rewarding employee experience, you need to understand what matters to your people. ~ Julie Bevacqua

Human resources isnt a thing we do. Its a thing that runs our business. ~ Steve Wynn

Treating employees benevolently shouldnt be viewed as an added cost that cuts into profit, but as a powerful energizer that can grow the enterprise into something far greater than the leader could envision. ~ Howard Schultz

Continued here:
Top 102 Employee Recognition Quotes To Celebrate Their Endeavours - Vantage Circle

Who is Zig Ziglar? He was one of the all-time sales greats. Ziglar authored more than 29 sales and motivational books, including See You at the Top and Over the Top,over his 50-plus-year career.

Although Ziglar passed away a few years ago, his infectious spirit lives on through his work, and he's inspired thousands in the sales profession.

I've compiled a list of some of our favorite Zig Ziglar quotes that any salesperson, marketer, or businessperson can learn from. Bookmark this page so you can get a dose of inspiration when you're feeling low or frustrated.

1) "Remember that failure is an event, not a person. Yesterday ended last night." (Tweet This Quote)

2) "If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost." (Tweet This Quote)

3) Make failure your teacher, not your undertaker." (Tweet This Quote)

4) "Always remember that your present situation is not your final destination. The best is yet to come." (Tweet This Quote)

5) "People don't buy for logical reasons. They buy for emotional reasons." (Tweet This Quote)

6) "Your business is never really good or bad 'out there.' Your business is either good or bad right between your own two ears." (Tweet This Quote)

7) "Every sale has five basic obstacles: No need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust." (Tweet This Quote)

8) "Statistics suggest that when customers complain, business owners and managers ought to get excited about it. The complaining customer represents a huge opportunity for more business." (Tweet This Quote)

9) "Timid salesmen have skinny kids." (Tweet This Quote)

10) "For every sale you miss because youre too enthusiastic, you will miss a hundred because youre not enthusiastic enough." (Tweet This Quote)

11) "Stop selling. Start helping." (Tweet This Quote)

12) "A goal properly set is halfway reached." (Tweet This Quote)

13) "If you want to reach a goal, you must 'see the reaching' in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal." (Tweet This Quote)

14) "If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time." (Tweet This Quote)

15) "When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal; you do not change your decision to get there." (Tweet This Quote)

16) "What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." (Tweet This Quote)

17) "Motivation is the fuel necessary to keep the human engine running." (Tweet This Quote)

18) People often say motivation doesnt last. Neither does bathing -- thats why we recommend it daily. (Tweet This Quote)

19) "You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." (Tweet This Quote)

20) "Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude." (Tweet This Quote)

21) "You can make positive deposits in your own economy every day by reading and listening to powerful, positive, life-changing content and by associating with encouraging and hope-building people." (Tweet This Quote)

22) "Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful." (Tweet This Quote)

23) "Courage is on display every day, and only the courageous wring the most out of life." (Tweet This Quote)

24) "It's not what you've got, it's what you use that makes a difference." (Tweet This Quote)

25) "If you don't see yourself as a winner, then you cannot perform as a winner." (Tweet This Quote)

26) "Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have 24-hour days." (Tweet This Quote)

27) "Every choice you make has an end result." (Tweet This Quote)

28) "You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want." (Tweet This Quote)

29) "You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win." (Tweet This Quote)

30) "Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes." (Tweet This Quote)

Read more:
30 Inspiring Zig Ziglar Quotes You Need to Hear Today - HubSpot

Human resource management is the building block of any successful business. Any business whether it is small or large is incomplete without human resources management. It allows companies to have a better return on talent through assistance with HR outsourcing, recruiting, and strategic planning. Additionally, HR helps to improve a companys bottom line through expert knowledge of how human capital affects the organizations success and assisting decision-making that underlies current staffing assessments and projections for future workforce needs.

Human resource management is very important for any organization through assisting with mitigating compliance and employer liability issues. Through experience with employee relations, HR professionals help to minimize the organizations exposure and liability related to allegations of unfair employment practices through investigations and resolve issues to minimize federal and state discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, and other EEO-related lawsuits. HR also works diligently to ensure that organizations comply with federal state employment laws.

HR is essential to help organizations achieve their goals and reinforces the culture therein. A company maintains growth with the help and contribution of its employees, which makes HR management a crucial part of any organization. When HR management is done effectively and correctly, it helps to place new employees according to their skill set so that companys goals can be achieved, and their objectives can be met properly. As it is said in a famous quotation by Zig Ziglar You dont build a business. You build people, then people build the business.

If you are also looking for human resource management for your organization, then Corporate Ready is the perfect fit for you. They will help you manage your employees and provide you with integrated solutions that will help your business to accelerate in the marketplace.

About Corporate Ready

Corporate Ready is a human resource management consulting firm. Its main mission is to provide its clients with integrated human resource solutions that will be able to bridge the gap between job seekers and employers. They work by developing strategic partnerships with their clients that help them to find, hire, develop and retain talent for maximum benefit.

Services provided by Corporate Ready include recruitment, staffing, talent hunt, talent optimization, outplacement services, and workforce development. They also offer human resource consultation, policy drafting, training, and development. Other than that they also help job seekers to write effective resumes, and provide them with career coaching and one on one professional development training.

In short, they offer blended professional development and workforce development solutions through Corporate Ready Institute, eLearning by Corporate Ready (www.corporatereadyinstitute.com). So, if you are a business looking for the perfect human resource management team for your business growth, then give Corporate Ready a go.

Media ContactCompany Name: Corporate Ready Contact Person: Cierrina Rice Email: Send EmailPhone: 256-479-0635Country: United StatesWebsite: https://www.corporateready.net/

Read this article:
Corporate Ready Advantages of hiring an outside HR consultant (for small/medium businesses) - Digital Journal

Editors Note: John Branston has been thinking about Mississippi for a long while. What follows is his meditative exploration through what he calls, mostly fondly, the best worst state ever. You are encountering his musings in the form of a cover story, but these could just as easily fill a book. (The best stories defy categorization.) The moments that he shares here take place on the road, but you wouldnt call this a travel story. John allows the unprettier parts to take up space, but neither is this another think-piece about the ills of Mississippi. Its more like sitting in Johns passenger seat and listening as one of our best storytellers meanders through a state hes been in conversation with for more than half his life. This is part three of a four-part series. Enjoy the ride.

You would think Highway 61 is the only road in Mississippi, the way people write and sing and carry on about it. Highway 49 dont get no respect. Mile for mile, 49 can hold its own against any road in the South for famous people and places: from Helena (Mark Twains Life on the Mississippi) to Clarksdale (Morgan Freeman) to Drew (Archie Manning) to Parchman Prison (O Brother Where Art Thou?) to Indianola (B.B. King) to Yazoo City (man of letters Willie Morris, man of clean jokes Jerry Clower, alliterative man of motivation Zig Ziglar) to Jackson (Eudora Welty) to Hattiesburg (University of Southern Mississippi) to Wiggins (pitcher Dizzy Dean) to Gulfport.

En route to Memphis from a news assignment in the Delta, my photographer partner and I passed a sign for Alligator, and I insisted we turn off to have a look. There was a general store, a vacant building with a giant alligator painted on its side, and a vast expanse of flat nothingness behind it. As we slowed down, a little girl crossed in front of us and stopped, right in the mouth of the gator. In only a little more time than it takes to say Ghost Town, we turned and headed back to Memphis.

Cleveland is the Oxford of the Delta. College town (Delta State), arts and crafts, coffee shops, gift shops, tea shops, no casinos. A hearty serving of comfort food with a scented candle and a spiced muffin on the side. In a word, cute. An easy and mildly adventurous day trip from Memphis, Jackson, Oxford, or Greenville (its unfortunate neighbor 36 miles southwest). It is just far enough from Interstate 55 to be in the Delta and not be overrun by chain restaurants and fuel plazas, but not so far as to be too far for the day tourist. And nearby McCartys Pottery and Peters Pottery make it the peer of Shearwater Pottery in Ocean Springs, which is also catnip for magazines such as Southern Living in search of perky feature stories about secret getaways.

Unsurprisingly, the notorious Parchman Prison, aka the Mississippi State Penitentiary, is generally not visitor-friendly, which makes it even more fascinating to curious folk. This is how the WPA Guide cheerfully described Parchman in 1937:

The farm is a typical Delta plantation consisting of 15,497 acres planted in cotton, corn, and truck, with cotton the leading crop. The prisoners, separated into small groups, live in camps. The present number of prisoners is 1,989. The prison is self-supporting and operates at a profit when the price of cotton is good.

High cotton and free labor (convict leasing) by campers in stripes and chains made the profits very good indeed, as I learned from Delta lawmakers when I covered the Mississippi legislature for UPI in 1980-82. On a tour for state legislators and media, we were as closely guarded as inmates. I do not recall seeing a single prisoner but do remember Delta lawmaker Ed Jackson casually bench-pressing 300 pounds in the gym, so I stayed near him just in case.

Visitors day was the fifth Sunday of months with more than four Sundays, and kin came to Parchman on a train called the Midnight Special (Let the Midnight Special shine its light on me), made famous by blues singer Huddie Ledbetter (Lead Belly) who was imprisoned at Angola prison in Louisiana.

Angola is about ten miles south of the Mississippi line and worth a trip. The annual prison rodeo in April and October is a first-rate show, combining real cowboys and cowgirls and prisoners playing convict poker and gutsy games of chicken with angry bulls and bucking broncos. Years before Jackass, Johnny Knoxville, and YouTube, Angola warden Burl Cain realized the entertainment value of a maximum-security prison, and the 10,000-seat rodeo arena is often packed. By no means is it a slice of actual prison life. The arena is set apart from the lock-ups and has the atmosphere of a state fair. Cain is now Mississippi Department of Corrections commissioner and is trying to reform Parchman.

A one-way ticket from Memphis to Jackson on the southbound City of New Orleans costs $43. There are no security checkpoints, no pat-downs, no take-off-your-shoes. You can bring booze and food on board plus all the baggage you want, hole up in a comfy seat, and get pleasantly buzzed. Granted, the trip takes five or six hours. The Amtrak marketing team does the best it can to highlight Southern specialties along the way, but truthfully there is not much to look at besides green trees, brown fields where cotton and soybeans sprout, and muddy streams. In Greenwood, a sign on one of the many abandoned buildings maybe a warning, maybe advice reads, Dont Bother. Yazoo City and Flora are not much better.

My wife is from Mississippi. In the museum memorabilia, I had the uneasy feeling we might come across the name of some old family acquaintance. We lived in Jackson from 1979 to 1982 while she was a nurse and I was working for UPI. Some of the old heroes and villains were still around then, and I had a cup of coffee with James Merediths nemesis, former Governor Ross Barnett, and watched Ronald Reagan speak at the Neshoba County Fair in 1980 with the notorious deputy Cecil Price. The years, I wrote then, had softened them. They werent so bad. How little I knew.

The Civil Rights Museum is next to the Museum of Mississippi History. There is a notable lack of signs, iconic symbols, or banners outside. The most iconic thing is the word Mississippi. One building is black, the other white. Together they are billed simply as Two Mississippi Museums which connotes segregation and separate-but-equal, rather than assimilation and progress. (If you count the nearby Old Capitol Museum, which preceded the other two, there are actually three museums.)

The museum opened in 2017. The enshrinement and monetizing of civil rights history in Mississippi took off some 40 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. Montgomery, Alabama, has five civil rights shrines. Selma has two. Memphis has the National Civil Rights Museum. Atlanta has the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and The King Center, founded in 1968.

Civil rights history sells. Mississippi violence, which is a subset of Bad Old Days in the South violence, sells. Authors, reporters, pundits, documentarians, and movie producers know this and churn out fresh takes on the Fifties, Sixties, lynching, and segregation every year if not every month. Some of it rehashes old work or marks an anniversary so much easier than diving into the complexities of resegregation, school choice, and violence going on today. Some of it adds details, characters, and dialogue based on actual events in other words, made up.

Well, it draws an audience, draws clicks and views, and maybe even draws readers and it serves the first mandate of column writing: Fill the space. One of the main journalistic practitioners is the estimable New York Times. Some years ago, I had breakfast with one of my heroes, David Halberstam. He praised some local work I had done and suggested I write a book about how Southern newspapers covered civil rights back in the day. The moral compass, he suggested, would be the Nashville Tennessean. The bad kid, stuck in the proverbial corner, was my employer from 1982 to 1990, The Commercial Appeal of Memphis, which treated me fairly and well. I declined. Someone else wrote the book and won a prize.

The best friends are different from you unless you buy into the line that people are more alike than different and they like you even though they are not like you. Betty Jane Long, a state representative from Meridian for nearly three decades, was like that. She was a trailblazing legislator and lawyer, an opponent of the Equal Rights Amendment who earned equal rights, and the working owner of Longs Bake Shop in Meridian.

In 1981 I was a newcomer to Mississippi and covering the state legislature for UPI. The legislature was meeting in the auditorium of Central High School that year because the Capitol was undergoing renovation, so there was a lot of newness in every sense of the word. The Meridian Star was a UPI client. The Lady from Lauderdale County took pity on the earnest but naive Yankee in press row. We became friends, and I would stop at her bakery for slices of apple pie and caramel cake that she would not let me pay for whenever I passed through town.

Like other Southern capitals, Jackson has tried to make its history more inclusive by renaming some roads and landmarks while leaving others alone. Medgar Evers Boulevard, for instance, was formerly Delta Drive. In the heart of the city, it intersects Woodrow Wilson Ave., named for the Southern president who segregated the federal government and enabled the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s. A statue of the notorious race-baiting white supremacist governor Theodore Bilbo was moved from the Capitol rotunda to a less conspicuous conference room.

The lessons of talking to strangers on their own turf stuck, and I also got to know shrewd politicians and orators. William Winter, of course, was the most famous. As a humble scribe in Jackson in 1980-1982, I thought he got great publicity for a governor who had no Black people and no women in prominent positions in his inner circle. It was as if the Sixties and affirmative action had not happened.

He was nothing if not forthright. Yes, he told me in an interview, he had made $85,000 a year off the bootleg whiskey tax when he was state tax collector in the Fifties (Mickey Mantle made $60,000 in 1957, the year after he won the triple crown) before he abolished it. Yes, he did run for governor as a segregationist in 1967. Yes, he ran as a sharp-shooting, tough-talking Army veteran and defeated a woman named Evelyn for the Democratic nomination in 1979 and, yes, he followed the clownish Cliff Finch as governor in 1980. I included all this background in a profile for UPI and my editor snorted that it was old news. It was time to leave UPI.

Winters practical liberalism was not the youthful idealism of Ann Arbor or Madison. It was more complicated, more dangerous, and he was a leader, not a follower. The adoring writers in the Mississippi and national press could not get enough of him. The passage of a statewide kindergarten bill during his tenure helped the Jackson Clarion Ledger win a Pulitzer. But a generation later Mississippi still ranked last in Education Weeks state rankings.

Like other Southern capitals, Jackson has tried to make its history more inclusive by renaming some roads and landmarks while leaving others alone. Medgar Evers Boulevard, for instance, was formerly Delta Drive. In the heart of the city, it intersects Woodrow Wilson Ave., named for the Southern president who segregated the federal government and enabled the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s. A statue of the notorious race-baiting white supremacist governor Theodore Bilbo was moved from the Capitol rotunda to a less conspicuous conference room.

In Madison County, north of Jackson, the Ross Barnett Reservoir honors another segregationist governor who kicked off the riots at Ole Miss in 1962. The Rez as it is often called was built mainly for the benefit of Jackson in the event its population reaches 500,000 (the population in 2020 was 166,000). It was approved by referendum. The honorary name was added at a time when Roll with Ross was a segregationist war cry and Black people in Mississippi were struggling for the right to vote.

In some official documents the name has been shortened to the Barnett Reservoir. So be it. Jackson and Mississippi have bigger things to worry about.

On an oddball freelance job, I was assigned to visit folk artists in Mississippi. At her home in Kosciusko, L.V. Hull dug into the clutter and came up with a colorful dinner plate inscribed, Do Not Try To Understand Me in broken letters to show her visitor from Memphis. It cost me $10 and was almost thrown away but I held on to it instead. I got a bargain. Many years later I was in the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson and saw the L.V. Hull painted television set at the center of the display room for the permanent collection.

In a passage that reveals more about the writer than the subject, this is how the WPA Guide of 1937 described Negro Folkways: The Mississippi folk Negro neither lays up monetary treasure nor invests in things of tangible value. He spends money for medical and legal advice, a virtue that undoubtedly would bring him praise but for the fact that he has never been known to take anyones advice about anything.

Comin in over the barn! My father-in-law, Bubba Huntington, hollered to alert me and my 11-year-old son Jack on the opening day of dove season in 1995. There were plenty of doves back then and we got a limit in a couple of hours. Bubbas rainbow barn on the east side of Interstate 55 near Hazlehurst was a landmark until it was destroyed by storms in 2009, the year he died. A piece of everyone in our family, pictured here on the day we buried him, died with him.

He had a tennis court gouged out of the red clay with a bulldozer and rolled with a Buick Electra. At the end of the day, tired from tennis and drinking beer, we would sit on the rocking chairs on the porch underneath the whirling ceiling fans and the metal signs and old plow parts mounted on the wall and replay it. The sun would go down behind the pond and the rainbow barn west of the court, and a cooling breeze would come up from the south and blow through the pecan trees before dinnertime. Life was pretty damn good. Bubba knew most all there was to know about trees, and he could build you a house, a gazebo, a church, or a courthouse. His work is all over Copiah County. We buried him down there, under a tree.

Jesse Brown, a sharecroppers son from Lux (now nothing but a sign off Highway 49) was the first Black naval aviator. He and other Mississippi airmen are honored at delightful out-of-the-way museums in Hattiesburg and the Stennis Airport in Kiln. Brown died a hero during the Korean War trying to save Marines trapped at Chosin Reservoir. Author Adam Makos tells his story in the book Devotion, which is being made into a movie scheduled for release this year. One of the producers told me it will attempt to change the narrative by focusing on his achievements and heroism.

People look at you funny when you take pictures in a truck-stop bathroom. It doesnt help if you tell them you are working on a book. Public bathrooms are a vital but rarely written about part of road trips a serious omission considering a good one can make your day and a bad one, without going into great detail, can ruin it. The best option is one of the state welcome stations, among the most palatial in the country although Mississippi is the nations poorest state. Super-sized truck stops like Pilot and Loves dont always have the cheapest gas like they used to. They seem to have followed Jeff Bezos strategy of rounding up customers first, then raising prices. But they have reliably clean bathrooms that are well worth a few extra bucks. Having seen the filthy, fetid, slippery floor, out-of-order competition during hundreds of drives from Memphis to south Mississippi, I would say they are worth several extra bucks. The $2 coffee is better, too. Pilots supremacy is being challenged by even bigger Buc-ees, coming to Mississippi in 2022.

Bears are part of Mississippi legend and lore, but its a little complicated. William Faulkner wrote the famous story The Bear about a bear hunt. Teddy Roosevelt came to the Delta for a bear hunt but supposedly declined to shoot one on account of its being tethered, hence the Teddy bear. The University of Mississippi banished its football mascot, Colonel Rebel, in 2003 and replaced him with an anthropomorphic bear in snappy garb fit for The Grove. The image was so goofy it was ditched after seven years and replaced by the perfectly logical Mississippi landshark. (For more about Ole Miss also a controversial antebellum name and local sensitivity to history and monuments, read Jim Dees book The Statue and the Fury.) The Louisiana black bear is found in south Mississippi, but the chainsaw-carved wooden bears at the entrance to Paul B. Johnson State Park near Hattiesburg are there because they look cute and outdoorsy and are not freighted with any controversial politics. Well, Johnson did beat a newspaper editor in a hotel lobby with his walking cane. You wouldnt think an editor would get out of line like that.

Editors Note: Part four, The Coast, will be published tomorrow.

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The Best Worst State Ever Part Three - Memphis Magazine

I once heard the late Zig Ziglar, an author, salesman and one of the best motivational speakers of all time, say: I am offended when somebody says to me, Man you could sell anybody anything. What theyre talking about is a con man. A salesperson is a trained career professional who is going to be there for the long term and who will sell only a product that he or she fervently believes has real value for the customer.

That wisdom has stayed with me since I heard those words nearly 30 years ago. He said we were all living in a stressful world, so stress relief would be what every prospective boat customer needed. Further, he declared dealers were not in the boat-sales business, but in the rejuvenation business. So salespeople could say: A weekend on this boat, actually even just a few hours on board, will change your outlook and lift a lot of stress. Youre going to see it as your place of renewal, your great escape.

If Ziglars observation about the value of boating was true three decades ago, its surely overriding today. He emphasized that the key to sales success is, first, the salespersons positive feelings about the products benefits, not the hardware, and second, his or her ability to believably transfer those feelings to the prospect or customer in order to make a sale.

Theres no question were living in a time when experiences rule. If the boat doesnt represent a positive experience in the prospects mind, we lose. Look at the auto industry. We dont see commercials for the latest Chevy lineup of SUVs. Rather, the focus is usually on one model and the experiences it brings. In many ways, its the fantasy, the dream, meeting the expectations.

Time is also critical today. If we want prospects to buy, we must make it easy. They want it now. Theyre used to getting instant information. We buy prepared foods in a grocery store. We can get a 10-minute oil change. We like easy. So every dealer must make buying a boat as easy as possible by handling virtually every detail.

Here are some other points for increasing sales.

Make the phone ring No, its not how many calls a salesperson makes that result in more sales. Its how many customers and prospects call them that makes the difference. Remember, the goal in todays selling is the get the customer to want you, not just what you sell.

Calculated follow-ups Its a fact that most sales are lost because of inconsistent follow-up. It seems that buyers are taking longer than ever to make a decision. Most salespeople drop prospects too soon, and an eventual deal goes to someone else. Moreover, following up isnt just about making phone calls; it should include emails, forwarding them boating and fishing information, hand-written thank you cards, invitations to a dealership event, tickets to a boat show, texting photos of boats that just came in, and other connections.

The buying cycle It seems the time between thinking and buying is getting longer. Its partially because people dont want to make a mistake. Consumers are doing far more research. Many sales are lost because salespeople quit too soon. Keeping contact with the prospect or customer is pivotal but always in the context of were here for you when you are ready.

The right workshop Its not in the showroom; its in the customers head. The prospects priorities are whats important, not the salespersons. At the same time, when a salespersons direct experience and knowledge reflects the customers priorities it, should be shared such as fishing success, a great family cruise and so on. In other words, salespeople should strive to be known for personal experience and knowledge.

No clever selling techniques These days, selling is not about being a better closer or memorizing the right buzzwords. Thats old-school training. Selling now has to do with recognizing whats happening with customers and prospects, and finding ways to help them realize their vision of the boating experience. In effect, selling is no longer about getting a sale. Sales come from winning customers who are eager to do business with someone who understands them and what they want to achieve.

Customer service redefined Knowledge and expertise are what prospects and customers want. They can buy a boat anywhere, but they want to buy boating knowledge from someone. Service is about sharing your knowledge and making yourself a resource.

One of Ziglars most memorable pieces of advice was, Get an education in your car. He admonished us to stop wasting time listening to drivel on the car radio. Instead, listen a segment about selling or business management streamed, on CD, on tape and youll learn something useful every day.

More:
Think Beyond the Boat - Trade Only Today

We live in an era where businesses evolve and innovate at lightning speed.

The pillar of business success remains constant, the power of trust. With the advent of online shopping, pop-up ads, texts, emails and an era of instant gratification and instant purchases, integrity is more important than ever before.

One of my favorite quotes from Zig Ziglar is, "Every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust."

In a market saturated with companies competing for customers, trust gives consumers confidence that they're dealing with an ethical business.

Customers are more likely to do business with people they trust and recommend the companies to others.

The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer reported a surprising finding. Respondents felt that corporations were the most trusted when comparing the institutions of business, government, media, and nonprofits. Americans believe that companies can be ethical and competent. Perhaps, because more and more companies have put earning customer trust at the forefront.

The internet can be an empowering game-changer for the many consumers willing to invest a little time and do their due diligence before buying.

At the Better Business Bureau, we know how important it is for consumers and businesses to trust us. We are honored that generations of consumers recognize the BBB Seal is the sign of a better business, helping to keep BBB.org among the top .001% of most trafficked websites globally.

An old expression, "There is nothing more expensive than a cheap haircut," refers to saving a few dollars but not looking your best. As an empowered customer, look for the best prices from the best companies. Paying a little more for a product and working with a good company with a solid reputation to make things right if anything goes wrong is always wise.

That importance of trust resonates even more with over 31 million small businesses in the United States that often face many competitors. Research shows that trust is a savvy tool to stand out from competitors in so many ways.

Your customers are your livelihood. You might have the best product or service in the world, but without trust, you can't maintain a customer base for very long.

Customer churn is costly, and, as the numbers show, it's about five times less expensive to sell to your existing customers versus continually looking for new customers. Building trust with your clients helps to keep them coming back.

Additionally, increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can increase your profit by 25%-95%, according to research by Fred Reichheld, author of 'Loyalty Rules! How Today's Leaders Build Long-Lasting Relations,' published by the Harvard Business School.

After all, virtually every business has an easy-to-find competitor, and 99.9% of all U.S. businesses are small businesses. If you aren't keeping your customers happy, they'll find someone else who will.

Dissatisfied customers can damage your reputation. Recent studies show that 30% of customers who negatively experience a business will share the story online. Additionally, Inc. reports that 84% of people trust an online review from a respected source as much as a review from a friend. Negative online reviews can hurt your business.

Even if you avoid online scrutiny, your customers don't have to give you a free pass for repeated mistakes. About two-thirds of customers will try a product from a company with a good reputation -- but if they don't come to trust the company itself, they'll stop being a customer.

The good news is trust establishes a real relationship between your customers and your business. Loyal customers will stand by you, promote excellent service and be more likely to stay with you if you have price increases to match inflation. Think of your customers as your brand champions.

I'll wrap with one more Zig Ziglar classic quote: "If people like you, they'll listen to you, but they'll do business with you if they trust you."

Steve J. Bernas is President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau and can be reached at sbernas@chicago.bbb.org

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Innovation evolution and trust ride the fast lane of business growth - Daily Herald

We all know these situations in which were simply unable to pay attention. We give our very best, but its simply not possible to stop the mind from wandering off. Some of us start having vivid daydreams, while others diligently think about all the things they need to do. We engage in all kinds of exciting thoughts, but we dont do what were actually supposed to do: Paying attention. We cannot help but lose focus, often without even realizing it. It prevents us from ever paying attention, which makes it incredibly difficult to focus on the task at hand. No one likes to admit it, but we all lose focus more often than we actually like to. Even the most ambitious among us know how incredibly difficult it is to maintain a high level of concentration, especially when tired or bored. A lack of focus can be quite a problem, which is why the following presents the most inspiring focus quotes to aid you in reestablishing a high level of focus.

The ability to focus can make or break your success in life. In fact, scientists consider the ability to establish mental focus as an important predictor of a persons future success. It is perhaps one of the most important indicators, along with intelligence and GPA. We may be unable to increase intelligence, but we still can greatly increase our ability to focus.

Improving ones mental focus, however, takes time and patience. There will be times when its quite a struggle to train ones concentration. In these situations it can be tremendously helpful to have a couple of inspiring focus quotes at hand that help you to maintain your motivation. Similarly, whenever we lack the right mental focus it can be greatly beneficial to read the wise words of inspiring people who have managed to maintain a high level of concentration throughout the course of their lives.

Unfortunately, many people largely underestimate the great power of a selection of wisely chosen quotes from some of the wisest men and women. However, you will quickly notice that the following focus quotes can greatly help you in overcoming mental sluggishness. Reading these quotes and reflecting on their meaning can help you to quickly reestablish the necessary willpower and perseverance to remain focused.

The following presents a hand-picked selection of the most inspiring focus quotes. Use these sayings to pursue your dreams with a razor-sharp focus.

Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days. Zig Ziglar

The key to living a focused life is direction. When you have a clear goal, you can steer all your actions in one direction. But if you are unsure where to go, you will mindlessly wander around. At the same time, it is often not so important how long we work, but how effectively we use our working hours. If we pay the closest attention to maintaining a high level of focus, we can use the available hours of the day more effectively. However, if we allow distractions to draw away our attention, we are less likely to accomplish much in the time available.

Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed. Paulo Coelho

Whatever you do in life, make sure you have a clear goal. Otherwise, you might be wasting valuable time by spending your time in an undirected and unfocused manner. Knowing precisely what you want to achieve will help you to maintain a higher level of focus and motivation. It will also encourage you to do whatever it takes until your goal is accomplished. But if theres no dream or vision that fuels all your actions, you are more likely to simply give up when the going gets tough.

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. Aristotle Onassis

We all suffer and we all experience misery from time to time. During these challenging situations, its incredibly difficult to maintain a positive attitude. When confronted with pain and suffering, we often see nothing but the negative aspects of whats happened to us. We struggle greatly and wish that it had never happened. Especially during our darkest hours, its incredibly difficult to see the light. It is therefore all the more important to trust in our ability that we will one day be able to draw important lessons from what happened. At the same time, it is important not to lose faith and to give up during these challenging times. Instead, its important that we use all the power we have left to endure the suffering.

Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The suns rays do not burn until brought to a focus. Alexander Graham Bell

True greatness can only be accomplished when we are able to focus all our attention on what were doing at the moment. If we allow distractions to interrupt the workflow, it is likely that the output of our work will suffer from it. However, if youre able to focus intensively on the work at hand, youll be able to unlock greater parts of your potential. Just as the suns rays ignite paper when focused, so will the results of your work improve dramatically if performed with the greatest level of concentration.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. Will Durant

If you focus long enough on mastering a certain skill, you will one day be able to excel in this particular area. However, if youre not focused and switch from one random activity to another, its unlikely that youll ever master what youre doing. Instead, Will Durant encourages us to persist with whatever were doing until we excel in it.

The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus. Bruce Lee

According to Bruce Lee, mental focus can make the difference between being average and extraordinary. He highlights the tremendous benefits of being able to reach the highest level of focus and concentration. But he also points out that if we are able to perfect our concentration skills, we can be so much more than just average.

Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them. Jack Canfield

With every single moment of our existence, we get to choose if we want to focus on the positive or negative aspects of our lives. The human mind is not able to entertain a positive and negative thought at the same time. This is why it is of the greatest importance to be able to maintain a positive outlook on life. Focus not on your mistakes or failures, but concentrate on your past successes and draw strength from these experiences.

I dont care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you dont harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there youre never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants. Zig Ziglar

If you want to burn something with the suns rays, you need a burning glass to focus the rays of light. But you also have to direct the rays on a specific target. If you dont, nothing will ever start catching fire. The same holds true for accomplishing goals in life. If your approach is undirected and not focused, its unlikely that your actions will provide the results you desire.

Thats been one of my mantras focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But its worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains. Steve Jobs

Attaining a high level of focus can be a challenging goal. It takes time and perseverance to strengthen your ability to focus, but once youve reached a certain level, you will see powerful results.

Instead of focusing on that circumstances that you cannot change focus strongly and powerfully on the circumstances that you can. Joy Page

Theres no use bothering yourself with things you cannot change. It will only waste time and decrease your optimism. Instead, focus on the aspects of your life that you can influence. You will see that there is much more you can do than you think.

It is wise to direct your anger towards problems not people; to focus your energies on answers not excuses. William Arthur Ward

Its always easier to blame someone else for your own mistakes and shortcomings. There will always be someone else to blame for whatever happens to you in life. But playing the blame game may not necessarily lead you very far. Instead, give your very best to find solutions to the problems youre confronted with. Anything else will simply waste your time.

Dont dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer. Denis Waitley

When confronted with problems, we can either obsessively analyze the problem and complain about it or focus our attention on finding a solution to the problem. Many of lifes greatest challenges were solved by people who were unwilling to complain about the problem, which assisted them in finding a solution to it.

Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives. Tony Robbins

Usually, distractions prevent us from focusing all our attention on one specific aspect of our lives. But once we are able to overcome these distractions, we can accomplish a great deal. All we need to do is to focus intensively on mastering a single aspect, without allowing distractions to draw away our attention.

Concentration can be cultivated. One can learn to exercise willpower, discipline ones body and train ones mind. Anil Ambani

No matter how difficult it may seem in the beginning, we must never forget that it is possible to increase ones willpower and concentration. It takes time and patience to cultivate these skills, but if you are not discouraged by difficulties and challenges, you will affect beneficial changes in your entire life.

You dont get results by focusing on results. You get results by focusing on the actions that produce results. Mike Hawkins

It is never enough to simply focus on the things we wish to accomplish. When we only focus on our dreams and goals without thinking about the necessary actions, nothing will be accomplished. Therefore, if we want to accomplish a certain goal in life, we always need to focus our attention on the specific actions that will lead us to this goal.

A clear vision, backed by definite plans, gives you a tremendous feeling of confidence and personal power. Brian Tracy

Having a clear vision for your life will help you to maintain a higher level of focus. The vision will help you to steer all your actions in the right direction, without losing focus of the intended outcome.

One look at an email can rob you of 15 minutes of focus. One call on your cell phone, one tweet, one instant message can destroy your schedule, forcing you to move meetings, or blow off really important things, like love, and friendship. Jacqueline Leo

Especially in times of information overload, its important to be able to maintain your focus. If you concentrate all your attention on your goals, unimportant distractions will no longer decrease your productivity significantly.

My success, part of it certainly, is that I have focused in on a few things. Bill Gates

Set yourself priorities in life and focus all your attention on the accomplishment of your high priority goals. Dont try to pursue a wide variety of goals simultaneously. Instead, focus on the few things that are really important and give all you can to accomplish these.

You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you dont do too many things wrong. Warren Buffett

Many people make incredibly stupid mistakes. Even more so, they keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. They continue to let their passions or greed influence most of their decisions, when they should clearly know better. As a result, they have to spend large parts of their time to make these mistakes undone. The wasted time could be used in much better and more productive ways. By focusing on avoiding stupid mistakes, you can greatly stay out of life-changing trouble. It helps you to spend less time on making amendments and enables you to spend more time pursuing your goals instead.

Your destiny is to fulfill those things upon which you focus most intently. So choose to keep your focus on that which is truly magnificent, beautiful, uplifting and joyful. Your life is always moving toward something. Ralph Marston

If youre not careful what you focus on, you might move towards something that you dont even want. Similarly, if you focus heavily on the negative and challenging aspects of your life, you might attract even more of these into your life. As Ralph Marston says, were destined to fulfill that upon which we focus the most.

We each focus on what were going to buy, but thats an incorrect focus. Focus instead on why you want to spend the money on this or that. What feeling in you does it satisfy? Suze Orman

In many cases, we spend our money without reflecting the underlying reasons for our purchases. We do not question what desires or feelings we want to satisfy when buying a specific product. Focusing on the reasons why you want to buy a product can greatly change that. It will help you to become more aware of your buying choices and the underlying motives. In many cases, doing so will help you to see that there is no real need for the product you intended to buy. Instead, you will realize that clever marketers created an artificial need inside you. At the same time, knowing what desire you wish to fulfill with the purchase of a specific product may help you to find better and non-material alternatives.

When walking, walk. When eating, eat. Zen proverb

This excellent proverb is not only about walking and eating. It describes a general approach to life. The proverb encourages us to focus all our attention on the present activity. It tells us not to do a great number of activities simultaneously, but to do one activity with the greatest attention instead.

Discovering what you really want saves you endless confusion and wasted energy. Stuart Wilde

If you know precisely what you want in life, you can steer all your actions into this direction. However, if you dont know where your journey leads you, you might end up hopelessly confused. Not knowing where youre going will also waste your energy. It is therefore crucial to take the time it takes to discover what you really want in life. Doing so will help you to get a better understanding about your dreams and the actions you need to take to realize them.

Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how youre going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus. Oprah Winfrey

Each day you get to decide whether you take the necessary action that helps you to get one step closer to your goal or if you just waste your time. If you know where you want to be, it will be much easier for you to maintain a high level of focus. You will precisely understand why you have to confront challenging difficulties that stand in-between you and success. However, if you have no clear understanding of your goals, youll eventually lose focus and give up.

Focus 90% of your time on solutions and only 10% of your time on problems. Anthony J. DAngelo

While its important to analyze the reason why youre confronted with a specific problem, its just as much important to find solutions to it. Most people neglect the second step. They see a problem and complain about it, but do nothing to solve it.

Focus is a matter of deciding what things youre not going to do. John Carmack

Most of us understand the importance of focusing on what we want to accomplish in life. At the same time, it is also important to know precisely what were not going to do. We need to develop a clear understanding of the activities that do not align with our goals. It is tremendously beneficial to know what distracts you from accomplishing your goals. At the same time, it is also helpful to identify the actions that do not bring you any further.

I believe that as much as you take, you have to give back. Its important not to focus on yourself too much. Nicole Kidman

Each of us experiences life through our own eyes. It is therefore only natural that we have a highly self-centered perspective on life. When something negative happens to us, it might feel incredibly painful. However, by taking a step back and focusing less on ourselves, we might realize that things are not as worse as we thought they were. Focusing less on ourselves will help us to realize that things could be much worse than they actually are. Doing so will give us the necessary confidence and strength to endure difficult times.

I do what I do, and I do it well, and focus and take it one moment at a time. James Caviezel

Whatever you do, do it with the greatest focus and attention. Concentrate on one task at a time and do it as well as you can. If you follow these steps, the output of your work will be so much better than the results from doing multiple things simultaneously.

I only want to do better work. Thats the focus of my life. Ajay Devgan

The key to attaining greatness lies in continuously striving for improvement. It lies in becoming a little bit better with each day, until finally greatness and excellence is accomplished.

It is those who concentrate on but one thing at a time who advance in this world. The great man or woman is the one who never steps outside his or her specialty or foolishly dissipates his or her individuality. Og Mandino

This quote illustrates once more the great importance of concentrating on only one thing at a time. Its not advisable to multitask. Doing so will only decrease your productivity and may result in less excellent outcomes. Instead, focus all your attention on one task at a time.

Be sure to also have a look at the 100 Most Motivational Quotes of All Times. You will love it!

I hope you enjoyed reading this article about the best focus quotes.

Stay victorious!

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The 30 Most Inspiring Focus Quotes - Planet of Success

Tommy Williams | Shreveport Times

Welcome, once again to the holiday season. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have much around you for which to be thankful. Im reminded of the old Zig Ziglar quote about having an attitude of gratitude. Seems that outlook is step one to a joyful experience in life. And is it just me, or does it seem like Christmas decorations are coming out earlier each year?

As I sat in on a luncheon conversation this week I was stricken by an observation. I havent heard anyone complain about their investment advisor in a while! It is true that most individual investors think about the next correction in terms of when, not if well experience a significant downturn. However, as long as accounts move at some pace in a positive direction investor unhappiness will be at a low ebb.

But, as youll recall, it hasnt always been that way. Market corrections are a natural and even healthy part of the economic system. We actually had a doozy last year (bottoming in March), but it happened so fast and before we could gather our wits and try to react it bounced back just as quickly. Being locked down in our houses fearing the outcome of the virus was also top of mind, so our anxiety meter was a little out of whack.

My most memorable experience of investor dissatisfaction happened in early 2009. The subprime mortgage housing bubble was in full force and the news was all about the potential collapse of our entire financial system. A client called me to tell me about his close friend who was concerned about his life savings. I assured him that I knew how he felt and would be glad to help his colleague if I could. We made an appointment to meet the following day.

I was waiting in the conference room to meet this disgruntled investor when he stormed in red faced and agitated. With great animation he slammed an inch thick stack of statements on the table and bellowed (Im leaving out a series of expletives for a family friendly reading) My broker is downtown under his desk not taking calls! I glanced down and caught a glimpse of the logo of a well-known brokerage firm. A firm that was navigating the exact same recession with which I was dealing. We were all in the same boat. Thankfully I was able to retain my composure and simply asked How do you think I can help you? We then settled into a discussion that included his belief that hed lost about half of his savings and it was just a matter of time before the other half was gone. As our conversation me listening as he unloaded months of frustration - progressed one glaring thing emerged. He had called his broker numerous times and got no response. No communication at all, except occasional form letters from New York. When the going gets tough, thats when communication is the most important. This particular individual knew everyones account was down in value, but his friends seemed to be getting a steady stream of communication. Some had even claimed to have moved to cash anticipating the downturn (Well spend more time on that issue at a later date).

I tell that story for a reason. One, Ill never forget that experience. But unto each life some rain must fall. Back to today. There will be a downturn, though our memories can be short and these great returns since March 23, 2020, cannot continue forever. As you head toward the new year make sure you are on the same page with your advisor. Take stock of whats changed (your appetite for risk, need for income, whatever) and be sure you are communicating. If your advisor is under his desk not taking calls or better yet not in touch with you find someone who does communicate effectively and can minimize the anxiety of managing your savings. A lot has changed in the last 18 months. I bet you have changed. In the meantime, my wish for you is that you will enjoy a wonderful holiday season.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which investment(s) may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor prior to investing. The economic forecasts set forth in the presentation may not develop as predicted and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful. Performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly. Investing involves risk including loss of principal.

RFG Advisory and its Investment Advisor Representatives do not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for tax, legal, or accounting advice. Please consult your own tax, legal, and accounting professional for guidance on such matters.

Visit us at http://www.williamsfa.com. Tommy Williams is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER Professional with Williams Financial Advisors, LLC. Securities offered by Registered Representatives through Private Client Services, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory products and services offered by Investment Advisory Representatives through RFG Advisory, a Registered Investment Advisor. RFG Advisory, Williams Financial Advisors, LLC and Private Client Services are unaffiliated entities. Branch office is located at 6425 Youree Drive, Suite 180, Shreveport, LA 71105.

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Has the pandemic changed your outlook? - Shreveport Times

We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 2 Corinthians 10:12 (NIV)

Having just celebrated Thanksgiving here in the US, we are now officially in the Christmas Season, and you know what that means for many folks: tis the Season for comparisons, consumerism, dissatisfaction, and envy! Some snarky cultural commentators have pointed out, America is the only country where we have a national holiday set aside for Thanksgiving and counting our blessings, followed a few hours later by a coast-to-coast shopping spree that sometimes includes people tragically getting shot over parking spaces or trampled outside mall doors. Is this how God wants us to live?

Speaking of the devil and Himself in John 10:10, Jesus said, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. According to Pauls Second Letter to the Corinthians, he warns us not to compare ourselves with others. Over 100 years ago Mark Twain quipped Comparison is the death of joy.

Even today, modern psychology points out that the human trait to compare ourselves with others is highly toxic and corrosive. Observers see this as a special pitfall of todays social media: countless users post carefully-curated images of the perfect vacation, the perfect Christmas tree, the perfectly-dressed and -behaved children, etc. designed to present a false aura of perfection. The result? We scroll through page after page and come away with the impression, Everyone else is happy and has a perfect life, except me. My life stinks. Poor me. Social scientists have discovered that greater exposure to social media correlates to higher incidences of loneliness, isolation, envy and depression.

Is there a better way? The Bible gives us a way out! Someone once wrote, I used to believe things were true because they were in the Bible. Now, I believe things are in the Bible because they are true. If comparing ourselves to others brings feelings of emptiness, then the Bibles command to stop playing the comparison game can help us open the doorway to joy.

Rather than put pressure on yourself to try to live up to some unattainable Hallmark Christmas level of perfection, instead today decide to stop comparing yourself to others and instead live and enjoy the life, relationships, gifts and possessions God has already given you. As motivational speaker Zig Ziglar used to say, The more you thank God for the things you have, the more things youll have to thank God for.

Try it! The new mindset might surprise you!

S.D.

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DEVOTIONAL: Comparison is the Thief of Joy - The Roanoke Star

Failure. No one likes it, yet we all experience it sometime in our lives. We may think we are doing all of the right things as leaders and that every employee agrees, but typically that is not the case. We may also believe that as leaders we should have all of the answers, but that is unlikely to happen. If we are pushing ourselves, it is more likely that we will experience some stumbling blocks.

In fact, dealing with setbacks, obstacles, and failures is such a common human condition that we have courses on building resilience and on learning from our mistakes. There are many quotes from famous athletes, business people, writers, and other professionals about how they experienced numerous rejections yet learned from these disappointments, and eventually became successful. For example, Henry Ford said failure is simply the opportunity to begin again; this time more intelligently. One of my favorite quotes is by the basketball legend, Michael Jordan who said Ive missed more than 9000 shots in my career. Ive lost almost 300 games, and 26 times Ive been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. Ive failed over and over and over again. That is why I succeed.

Leaders treat failure as a learning opportunity

As leaders, we have all experienced letdowns. How we respond to them, especially as leaders, tells a lot about our character and resilience. Its not easy and certainly the higher you are in a leadership position the harder it may be to deal with face loss where we fear losing the respect of others when we fail. It can be especially challenging if it wasnt expected. You thought you were doing a great job but received feedback that it wasnt going as well as you thought. Or, you believed you were a shoo-in for that next promotion, but it went to someone else. As leaders, others watch how we respond to setbacks or failures. Do we deny them or blame others? Or do we own them and figure out how we will move forward?

Interestingly, we teach children from an early age that they will experience setbacks and failures and that they need to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and move on. We may not give them the training or skills to know how to do this, but we encourage them to look at the positive side of things and move on. Yet this can be challenging for all of us, especially those who have not previously had to deal with failures or those higher up in the organization that are uncomfortable admitting failure in front of others.

So, as leaders, what can we do to gracefully move on from our failures or setbacks?

Know it will happen.

It is important to recognize that professional disappointments will occur at some point, especially if you have pushed yourself to tackle new jobs or increasing responsibilities and challenges. No one is prepared for every part of that next job. There are many stories of writers, like J.K. Rowling and Stephen King who received numerous rejections and then went on to become world-renowned. If you havent experienced failure it may be that you havent pushed yourself far enough. Albert Einstein might agree given his quote stating A person who never made a mistake, never tried anything new. To grow you have to take on new opportunities and yet those come with new challenges and new potential obstacles. Recognize that pushing yourself to succeed comes with the possibilities of new problems. As Arianna Huffington said failure is not the opposite of success; it is part of success. You need to view success and failure as two sides of the same coin, and know that everything we do will have some elements of success and some elements of failure in it.

Hear it. Listen to what happened and try to understand it.

Self-awareness is critical in this process knowing that we will face difficult times, listening to the perceptions or feedback from others even if its not what we want to hear. These perceptions are important whether we like them or not. In the moment offailure, it's most important to stop and take stock. Experience or try to feel what you're feeling. Initially, stay calm and try to simply absorb it. Later, you can go back to analyze it to try to figure out what happened.

Accept it.

Once you hear it, you have to accept it, whether you want to or not. You wont be able to learn from it if you dont accept it. Basketball star, LeBron James said, You have to be able to accept failure to get better. This can be especially hard for leaders who have moved up the organizational hierarchy because of their successes. It is difficult for them to accept that something did not go right or that they ran into a stumbling block of some sort. Yet, when leaders acknowledge their failures they are also permitting their staff to feel comfortable taking risks instead of being afraid of failing.

Learn from it.

Use failure as feedback. Thomas Edison said, I have not failed. Ive just found 10,000 ways that wont work. What did you get feedback on? Take apart the feedback to understand the areas you are strong in and the areas you still need to work on. As Oprah Winfrey noted failure is a great teacher. And, if you are open to it, every mistake has a lesson to offer. Of course, this is the hard part. Some people are not open to learning from their mistakes and instead blame others rather than seeing what they need to do to change. In organizations, having after-action reviews are a great way to examine what you and your team learned from a project. Some experts even encourage organizations to fail fast so that they can learn from their innovations. Can individuals do the same?

Stay positive. Use failure as a learning opportunity.

It is easy to get discouraged with obstacles along your path or setbacks that you werent counting on. But you have to stay positive. Leaders especially have to be positive to show a path of hope amidst difficulties or problems. Their followers are watching them and counting on them. As one of the great motivational speakers, Zig Ziglar said, Stay positive. If you learn from defeat, you arent really lost. Great leaders take accountability and own the mistakes, enabling everyone to learn from them.

Let the learning define you, not the failure.

Some people cant handle failure and let it take them down. Thus, they are defining themselves by the failure and not by what they have learned from the failure. Richard Branson, Head of Virgin Group, Ltd said dont let failure define you. Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again. If you accept that you will experience failures in your life especially as you challenge yourself, then you will also know that you can move on past the disappointments. Use the failure to take the time to reevaluate your goals and priorities to see if you are on the right path.

We will all experience setbacks and failures in our lives. It is inevitable, especially the more we take on new jobs and assignments and push ourselves to get out of our comfort zones and drive our firms to be open to new processes, people, and goals. As leaders, we need to serve as role models to demonstrate how to be graceful with losses and to show resilience in picking ourselves up to push forward or to take on new projects. After all, isnt that what we teach our children?

Continued here:
Just Move On: The Best Leaders Own Their Failures And Learn From Them - Forbes