We need to give

We can give in so many ways. I give my time and money to an organization that helps find children and older folk with dementia. A Child Is Missing it its name. A Child Is Missing helps the community in three ways.

One it assists law enforcement in finding children and older folks that are lost. How this program works is when someone calls 911 about a lost child the 911 folks call the local law enforcement agency. They in turn call A Child Is Missing with a physical description and the last location known of the missing child. Here is where technology really comes into play.When A Child Is missing gets the call with all the information needed they go to a GPS and see the exact location of where the child was last seen. Then through modern technology they can get all the phone numbers in that location of the last sighting of the child, both home and business numbers. Then it takes only one minute to call one thousand numbers with the vital information about the child. That still amazes me. Information such as boy or girl, description of the cloths they were wearing and what name they go by.
So far over four hundred and fifty children and older folks have been found using A Child Is Missing. Now A Child Is Missing is in all fifty states and can even help law enforcement locate more missing children.

Two A Child Is Missing has a summer program that teaches children what to do when approached by a stranger. An example of one of the things the children learns is to have security word that only they and their parents know. So when a stranger asks for them to get in a car or wants to take them some place they ask for the security word. If the stranger doesn’t know the word the child start running in the opposed direction of the person. Also, they learn to stay in groups. Dealing with bully’s is another thing they learn how to deal with. In the world we live in today all this training and education can only help protect our youngsters.

Third A Child Is Missing has produced and series of Docudramas on being aware of those that could want to do harm to our children. The people that want to do harm to our children could be right in our homes. Everyone should see these Docudramas so you can help protect your children. To learn how can get these Docudrama’s go to: www.achldismissing.org.

Whatever your interest is in bettering your communities, DO IT. The world be a better place and your will be a much better person for it. Remember that giving and receiving is the way of the universe, you have to do both to achieve the success you’re looking for.

Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

And www.ahchildismissing.org

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

I understand how you feel

I understand how you feel

Though few words are almost up to words “Thank You”. A thank you is a poem of caring, which is in my book “Happiness in Eight Steps”.

Why are such few words so impacting? Let’s start when you go to someone with a problem. If the person you are asking for help starts out with a lot of questions, like why did you do that or you should have done this. Will more than likely you will be turned off and the door to open communication is if not closed or will be close shortly. However, if the person you’re asking for help starts out with “I understand how you feel” it takes the pressure off you. Then the person my say to you can I help you and if so how. Now you are not feeling threatened.

If the person you are asking the question for help says “can you retell me your problem?” Things really start to feel a whole lot better. When you restate your issue many times the answer comes to you and you can thank the person you asked for help and move one.

If the answer doesn’t pop up then you and the other person can have a good conversation on the issue and in most cases solve the problem.

It is what someone says to you that can make all the difference. So remember when someone comes to you with an issue, start with “I understand how you feel”. You will find you and the other person will have a much more open discussion and have a better chance of solving the issue. The other person will feel much better, with this approach. So start out with “I understand how you fell”.

Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

Judge

Judges job is to judge because it is the law and they judge based on the law. That is their job. If you are a manager you have to evaluate the people that work for you. That is part of your job. It is my hope that when you do the evaluations you take a very open and honest view of the people you evaluate.

As a parent you have to make decision of how your children are doing. Yes that is a form of judgment. In my view that is where judging stops.

We shouldn’t be judging on how people look or even act. I’ll give you my big judging problem. When I drive people I am sure are out to annoy me. A good example of things the bother me is when I am driving and I am slowing down for a light and I give myself a couple of care lengths form the car in front of me and looking in the rear view mirror there is not a car within miles. Then out of nowhere this person cuts in front of me and makes a left turn. Now that did really frosts my pipes. Oh I can go on an on how driver can really get me upset. And I am sure you have your list of things other driver do that, to put it mildly, really annoy you.
Will my options’ of others diver change things? I don’t think so. So why should I waste my time. Won’t it be better if I just sat back and enjoyed the drive and finally arrived at my destination relaxed and ready to enjoy the world? Yes I think it would be.

So it is my option that judging others is a waste of our time and energy. If we put that time and energy in to achieving our goal look how much farther we would be at reaching them.

When you get up in the morning tell yourself “I am not going to judge anything today” If a day is to long, say a half a day. By not judging you will find your life will start to mellow out and you will be a much better person for not judging.
Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

Keep your head down

I am not referring to being humble, though this sport can do it to you. I am referring to a golf expression. It means exactly what is said; don’t lift your head up. Why might you ask, will when you lift your head up the center of you golf swing changes and you either hit the ball poorly or don’t it at all.

How can you make this into something that can help you succeed in life. One is stay focused on what you want to be in life. Don’t worry about others. Take care of yourself. If you do your job and you do it will, you will be noticed. Taking time to worry about how others are doing and not staying focused on what you need to is wasted time. You only have twenty four hours in a day and if you use them wisely you have time to prosper.

Focus on what is important to you and remember that you need to take the time every day to keep raising your level of competency in your chosen field. What is your chosen field? It should be something that you have a passion for and the natural talent. This mixture plus desire for continued improvement will certain be formula for success.

If you’re a golfer keep you head down when you swing at the ball and for all of us stay focused on our goal and don’t waver. With that kind of focus and desire we can be anything you want to be.

Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

Talent

Yes we all have talent in one way or another. Michael Jordan was able to play basket ball better than anyone in his era and may better than anyone ever. ( Do you ever wonder why he wasn’t called Mike Jordan?) We see all types of people with extraordinary talents. From writers to musicians, so where does the average person fit in?

Let’s start with the premise that there are no ordinary people. You’re not ordinary and I am not ordinary. We all have a talent that is better than anyone else in the world. Now it is our job to find it if we haven’t already. Now comes the interesting part. What does it take us to raise this god given talent to the highest level and become a true expert or gifted person with this talent. You have to keep honing your talent.

Honing is another word for practice. Even the world’s greatest piano players practice hours a day. So just because you have the special gift it doesn’t mean you don’t have to work at improving it.

If you take the time to improve your talent people will begin to notice and you then can start to reach to whatever you consider success.

The thing is to do is find your talent and constantly work at improving it. That is one of the important things that can help you find happiness and wealth in your life.
Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

What wrong with making people happy

Nothing! So why don’t we do it more. Now there are those that just don’t want to be happy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try. For those that don’t want to be happy is like taking a horse to water I if it wants to drink it will if not it won’t. That doesn’t mean you can’t give it a shoot.

You have so much to gain by making people happy and nothing so lose so go for it. Here is one that most basic way on giving another person a lift, smile. It take almost no time and it can have such good lasting impressions on the person receiving the smile.. Think of when you in crowded store with you mind all tied up in what you are looking for and than out of the blue you look at this person come towards you and they give you a big smile, like saying Its OK you ‘l get through this. Somehow that makes all the rushing around much easier.

When you get a smile from your child it goes right to your heart. In many cases it can make you day. Smile make other peoples day to, so make sure as you go through you busy day take time to smile. Smiles have a very positive impact on others and it also has a positive impact on you.

Take the time to smile it is the right thing to do.

Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

Cool

When I refer to cool I not talking about the neat and groovy things, I am going to talking about the weather. For those of you that in the north you should get a good laugh from this, so stay tuned. By the way there is going to be a very good point in this message, but let’s have some fun first.

Living in Ft. Lauderdale area for over thirty eight years I have gotten use to wa
rm weather, so my body does not take kindly to the cold. That is not to say I dislike cool weather.

The weather this fall and winters has been so pleasant, so my morning walk has been real refreshing. In fact I can’t remember the weather here being this cool for so long. Yes we have cold weather from time to time but not the often. I have seen what the native said was snow, but coming from Michigan I didn’t think it look much snow, so I humored them and said it must be snow. I did have ice on our patio once, for about ten minutes.

The last couple of days it has been in the low 42’s and for us that is real cold. Now you northern folks can start laughing now. For us this is real cold. Now for the point. I walk almost every morning, even when it is real cold. So when it is in the low 40’s I dress real warm. Two sweat shirts and a lined mid length jacket that I wore at my sons football games in Minnesota. At the end of thirty five minutes I still got a little cold, but I will continue to walk because I know it is good for me. I am no hero, but I do know that to get where you want in life you have to be discipline.

Discipline if important for our development. I walk to stay healthy. I read to gain knowledge that I can use for my own success and to help to improve the society I live in.

Take the time for you own development and do it on regular bases and that takes discipline, but you will be a much better person for it.

Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

Leadership

We have just changed leaders in our country without any bloodshed. We have been doing this for over two hundred years. I not saying that there haven’t been people that were happy about the change in leadership, but the country has kept going all these years and that is great.

You will not hear from me any political point view because I personally think that would be waste of yours and my time. Let’s face it we all have our opinions and that’s the way it should be, but trying to push them on others is not worth the effort. It is important that you know that I give my best to our new president and wish him all the success in the world.

With that said I would like to tell you what it takes to make a great organization. Number one having a leader with great charisma is OK but only to a point. There have been many great leaders that have been lacking in charisma, but were great leaders. Why might you ask? Will great leads have some qualities that are much deeper than being a great speaker with a lot of charisma? What is this quality? This quality is the ability to select great people to be part of the team. Those that don’t measure up to these quality standards are let off the bus, as you might say. The leader might have a vision but in the end he or she let the vision be developed by the highly competent team.

The development of this vision might not always be a neat and tidy discussion. With all these very competent people a real valued mission is developed. From the mission goals can be put in place with objective with time lines and short term action plans to move the organization forward.

As we watch our new president we should be looking at the quality of the people he is putting on his team. The higher the quality of the members of his team, the more success we can have as a county.

It is my hope and prayer that our president is getting great members as part of his team. These will be good for all of us.

Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

This could be the beginning

I told you I am the first to admit I don’t have any idea what is going to turn our economy around. Why would I be talking about the economy anyway? Will for all of us to succeed financially we should have some ideas how we fit into the world around us. To help you have a better understanding of the economy and what might happen to turn it around I am going to tell you about John Neff.

John is a legendary money manager, 77, who beat the S&P 500 by an average of more than three percentage points for 31 years when he ran a an large investment fund. Why would this be important to you, will it is the way he went about making the money. John a contrarian, meaning he doesn’t follow the crowd. Even though he has been retired for many years from the firm he managed the money for he still manages his own funds with great success.

This is how John thinks the economy will turn around in 2009. One the drastic interest rate cuts. Two the low gas prices. Third the massive discounts by retailers and the auto industry. So this is his reason for an economic turnaround in 2009. Is he right I don’t know, but he has been more right than wrong his whole career?

So what can we learn from John. There is always opportunity in the world if we look for it. If you go with the crowd you get where they get and in most cases that isn’t where you want to end up. One thing you might look for is the something that everyone else things is going to get worse. Now mind you to do your homework. I am sure as I am seeing the sun come up through my office window there are opportunities that most are over looking.

Go out and find your opportunity and start build wealth for now and in the future. It is there you just have to look for it. Remember this could be the beginning of some very good times.

Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

It is Time

There is time to relax, sleep and getting things done. Now is the time to make things happen. It seems know ones know what is going to get our economy turned around. But as sure as I am setting here at my computer it will turn around. More than likely it will be in some way that no one ever thought of.

Just look at the petroleum business a year ago. It looked like their profits were going to keep growing forever. A barrel of oil has fallen from $150 a barrel to the mid $30’s. All the experts where sure oil prices would keep rising will it didn’t happen.

If you think I have the answer you have another thing coming. As I said in the beginning of this article something will trigger the turnaround but at this time know one knows what it will be.

Could it be all the money the government is pumping into the economy or all the pinned up funds that are setting on sidelines waiting to do something. Maybe it will be something that none of can’t even see at this moment.

Let’s just say the unemployment number start to drop as some experts say they will. Some of the reason that they will improve is in the last economic upturn companies didn’t over hire so they have less people to let go. We will see how that plays out.
We live in the world’s most wonderful country and never forget that. Yes we have problems that need to be solved and they will be in time. However there will be new problems and a need for more solutions. In a free society people have the freedom to work and do what they want. That means they have the freedom to think of solution to problems.

The solution to our present situation will come from the minds of people and who know what the ideas and solutions will be, but I am sure they will be there and we can look forward to a better life for all.
Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

Thankfulness

If you read enough of y stuff you know I tell stories about myself to make a point. Basically I do a lot of funny thing, not because I try to I just do.

Here is a short story about why I am so thankful. Last May I had cramps in my chest and started sweating like I was in sauna. Micki didn’t think this was normal and called our doctor. The nurse asked to speak to me. She asked couple of questions and told me to give the phone back to Micki. She knows we lived a couple of block from the hospital, so she told Micki to take me to the emergency room. My Doctor was already there.

This really made me feel great. When I walked in was asked to fill out a form. Now I am soaking wet. A lady in the middle of the room said are you looking for the Doctor. I said yes and she told me come over to her. When she saw me close up she said” Your look a lot worse than I thought you would” Then she loaded me in a wheel chair and off we went.

I am going on to long so I’ll shorten the story. They put in a large stent in a main artery, because it was 90% blocked. When it is blocked like that it can be referred to as the Widow Maker.

Everything came out fine but there were two smaller arteries that were 80 and 90% blocked. The doctor said there was no reason at this time to repair them, but we should talk about what to do in six months.

If you could have seen Micki’s face in the emergency room, it was full of terror. I would not want to see that face like that again. So when it was time to revisit the doctor we had both decided for me to have two smaller arteries repaired.

The time came and the repair job was taking place. The stints could not be put in, put both of the clogged arteries where ballooned open and as the doctor said “they look beautiful.

Being thankful is so important. People know when you are truly thankful and they respect you for it. But what is more important is makes you realize howimportant of all those around are to you . I fell liked a blessed person.

Do you think I feel thankful -YOU BET

Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http:/www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

Knowledge to Wealth

The world knowledge base is growing so fast know one can keep up with it. In fact I have read that the knowledge base is doubling every five years. Now that’s a lot of knowledge. How do we chose out of all this knowledge what we feel is important to grow our financial wealth.

Here are some ideas that might help you. Start with something that you really have an interest in. Now I know that none of you are at ground zero as far as knowledge is concern, so we have a lot of decisions to make. How can we take what we presently know that will be of help to others? When we find that then we should start to build our knowledge base on the subject.

If you just took thirty minutes a day and studied the subject that you felt could help others, within six months you would be an expert on the subject. This is not my ideas but on of Napoleon Hill’s steps to grow rich.

Just think you can be an expected on a subject. Now you can write about it, help others with the knowledge you process. Just because you are an expert on a subject and others are starting to come to you for this knowledge doesn’t mean you are done. You still have to put in your daily time to expand your knowledge base on you given subject.

You might find that you will have to move in other direction to have others continue to need you. When I say need you I mean that people are willing to pay you for your knowledge.

Change is the operative word in our world. Nothing stays static. So you will have to continually expand your knowledge base on your chosen subject. It could be soft ware development, being a plumber, or an anything that serves others.

If you haven’t already start building you knowledge base that can help others or if you have a good base of knowledge keep growing it, it will help you reach your goals.

Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

To Sell yourself or not

Let’s start out with what we like in others. Do you like someone who keeps telling you how great they are? Or if you read something they have written and all you see is I did this and I did that. Did that turn you on or off? I don’t think I am very different from most people and those things turn me off. Maybe they think by dazzling you with how good they are well turn you on.

Dazzling might impress you and I if the person was doing a high wire act with no net, but on a one on one and the person can only tell you how great they are doesn’t dazzle me or most other people.

So if that is the case how do you sell others or better yet how do you let them know that you have talents that can help them. First things is don’t do the above. It is best to first listen to people and find out their needs. I t is amazing how people will tell what they need. Now you have a starting point on helping people. The operative word is helping people. If you start by telling them what they need or what their problem is, you have all ready lost the other person in most cases.

When you can help the other person and they know they need help now it is time to start with your possible solutions to their problems. This cannot be a one way conversation; you have to make sure they can add their ideas. In the end you have the best results when the other person knows they have been part of finding the solution to their issue.

It sounds easy and it is and it is if you listen and involve the others person helping solve their problem.


Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

Not enough time

When you feel you’re out of time, stop and evaluate where you’re spending you time. Yes this will take some time, but in the long run you will save time. Why you might ask should I take time to save time.

Here come the guts of the solution. Put a list of everything you spend doing. The big things and the little things they all eat up your time so don’t miss anything you do. Now that you have your list, note how much time you spend doing everything on your list. Make sure you put down the time it takes for each item.
I’ll give you some examples.

My daily time list

1 hour doing my blog
1 hour doing my podcast
1 hour on my marketing program
2 hours working with clients
½ hour calling important people
½ hour planning next day and review my progress.
1 hour on research for my new book and podcasts
1 hour for creative time for ideas development

Rest of the day with friends and family

There can be variation but that would be my typical day.

Now you have to rank the items in your list by their importance for you to achieve your goals. Let’s say working with my clients is the number one most important thing I need to do, so I have to decide if 2 hour s is enough to not enough. That will be my call, then I keep going down the list and find the things that take time but really don’t help me achieve my goals. Not only do I need to drop the item from the list but I should stop putting any time to that items. Sounds easy but it is not.

The hard part of this to make sure your list is accurate. Both in items and time spent.

You might have some tuff decisions to make but you have to do it. By spending time on the important things you will find you can have enough time to achieve you goals.

Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://

www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast:http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

Time for reflection

It is a good time to reflect on where we have been, where we are now and where we want to go. Most of us had things that we wanted to accomplish last year and this is a good time to see how we have done. For me I look at relationships, personal and business results, and how I compared to what i wanted to accomplish.

In relationships the most important one to me is with Micki, my wife. She is and has always been the darling of my life. One thing I don’t want to do is take her for granted. What I mean by that is she is such a caring person and at times it could be so easy to not appreciate all the things she does for me, without me ever asking. After making sure I am doing the right things for Micki I look at how I am dealing with my good friends. I consider good friends ones that are there to help without asking. Give you a call for no reason other than to say hi and make sure everything is going OK.

Then I look at how I am treating the world in general. In these times it so easy to be pessimist, so I make sure I always see the silver lining in the bad news we are bombarded with daily.

Once I’ve checked out those items I check out my personal results. Let me tell you I have had a good personal year. I wrote a book and got it published. I do a blog five days a week and do a podcast also five days a week. The Blog is on Happiness in Eight Steps and the podcast is Happiness with Wealth. This coming year I want to get better at writing my blog and greatly improve my podcasts, then I want to write another book as well as speak more on the topic of happiness. If you are or some group you’re involved with is looking for speaker that is an author, please let me know.

Last year was a building year for my new business, which is writing, speaking, consulting and coaching. I have gone from working with corporate clients to working with individuals that want to be more than they are today. I love people like that.
Lastly I want ot help people become more than they are today and in some small way have a positive impact on the world we all live in.

Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

Steps to Wealth

So you want to be wealthy and there is nothing wrong with that. One of the first steps to wealth I my opinion is to be happy. Why would I say that? You just have to look at those that have wealth. You don’t see them working all time and those the work all the time in later years have said they missed so much in life.

So I don’t recommend that you spend all your time trying to be wealthy so when you old and have few friend you say “I wish I learned to be happy and enjoy life more”.
I have given you tips on being happiness in my book “Happiness in Eight Steps”. Here is one so easy you don’t even have to study to learn how to do it. Here it is so listen up.

All you have to do is want to be happy. Now that doesn’t seem too hard. Just wanting to be happy can make you happy. Think about happy things that you have done and want to do again. Think of all the wonderful things in nature, rivers, mountains, the Great Plains and all of the other natural beauty that abounds in this fantastic world we live in.

If you do this on regular bases you will be happy. Then follow my eight steps and you not only make you self happy but you will be making others happy.

Why does this help you to wealth? To be wealthy you will need the help of others and when you’re happy people want to be around you. Now you have to find, if you haven’t already, what you really good at and then turn the thing that you good at into what you like to do. With your many friends you can now search for thoughts that can help you. Remember as you gain in wealth you have to make sure thorough that have helped you are also gaining in wealth.

Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml

The plan

We all plan in one way or another. Plan a vacation, a party, a visit to the zoo or any family event. What I am saying you don’t have to be IBM to plan in the future. All organizations have some form of planning. Though I must say some do it better than others.

Even when the plan is worked out with great detail and thinking it might not always come out as planned. I think that happens is most of the cases.
Back to IBM they worked very hard at planning and many times the plan would change. Then why did the keep planning. Will the planning process helped the organization look at many different outcomes, so when things didn’t work as planned they were ready to adjust to the new environment.

What I am telling you that even the best laid plans don’t happened as was thought when first developed. That is OK. That is because we are in an ever changing world and what was thought to be the right thing to do yesterday is not the thing to do today.

How do we use this in our personal world? It is all right to have goals and plans to achieve the goal, but we should not get so caught up in the plan that we miss new opportunities. What I mean by this if we get too fixated on the plan we can be inflexible. When that happens we can’t see that we should rethink how we were going to achieve our goal. In the last few months the whole financial world turned upside down. If you didn’t rethink your plan you could have been swept away by the changing times.

Planning helps us to anticipate the future and that is good, but we have to remember that at times we will have to modify those plans so we can achieve our goal.
Happiness with Wealth to you

Visit; http://www.happinessin8steps.com

Podcast: http://lindemann.hipcast.com/rss/happinesswithwealth.xml