The Progression of Becoming a Leader

The Progression of Becoming a Leader

February 21, 2014

The past month since the event in Miami has been transformational to my life. I look back over the past four months and I can recognize that in many ways, I’m a different person. Even though I’ve always been determined to stay active physically and mentally, and I’ve worked hard at it, I feel that I could have done much better.

 About six months ago, my daughter called me and invited me to log into a daily mastermind session. I always thought of myself as being a big thinker and interested in positioning myself above the fray, not being satisfied with the status quo. I couldn’t see that I should spend that much time required, (1 hour) each day. After much persuasion, I consented to listen a time or two. The first morning my focus was on the overboard enthusiasm, just about more than I could handle, a total indication and sign of the negative mind that I possessed. After forced endurance for a couple weeks, my resistance began to melt away.

This morning my new outlook and mindset have changed my entire attitude. Every moment I live is a gift and I seek more and more knowledge. My attitude has shifted from can’t do to can do I feel a new found freedom that I haven’t experienced for a long time.

Through the magic of email, my mentor stepped to my side and offered his assistance in helping me obtain my financial goals. He is such an example of a great caring leader. His selfless interest in my success has inspired me to reach down and help someone with their struggles.

Later on my attention was summoned by my pre-set alarm, letting me know that the time had arrived to check in on my mindset call. The topic of the day was to become a leader and to help others to become leaders in their circle of influence.

Still later, my reading material for the day just happened to be, “how to think like a leader”. Good positive structure is being implemented into my things to do list, and I’m experiencing progression that I couldn’t imagine happening this late in my life. I’m happy with the new horizons that I’m seeing, and the good reasons for getting up early each morning.

I’m sure my horse must have had thoughts that the summer of 2013 would be the last summer that he would have to carry me over the countryside. He is now getting a somewhat nervous look on his face as he sees the youth being revived in my old body. I guess I’ll have to give him an extra bucket of oats to make him feel better about things.

I hope you are experiencing renewed energy in your life as well.

Love,

Taylor Thayne

A Man Without Guile

A Man Without Guile

February 14, 2014

All men have both good and bad in them. There is bad in the best of us and there is good in the worst of us. The blessing is to find the good in everyone you meet and like them for who they are. I cherish the relationship of friends that have become such a part of me and I hold them in great regard.

One particular friend, I refer to him as the man without guile. As far as I know, he has no enemies. Looking through my eyes, his life mission is to be a servant to everyone. His motto seems to be, “what- ever I have, I will share.”

Several years back my company had been contracted to build an irrigation pipeline to carry water to the farms down the valley. The pipeline originated on my friend’s property. I arrived on the project to find that a pond was to be excavated on the top end of the pipeline. The stakes indicated the perimeter of the pond made it necessary to destroy a beautiful hay field.

I become concerned for the loss that my friend would experience. I asked, “ how can you let them destroy your hay field”?  I pointed out that the pipeline would be of no value to him. In his kind manner he explained to me that sometimes we need to share our resources for the benefit of our neighbors. My past experiences had taught me that you don’t leave as much as a track on some one’s property. Here was a man consenting to let his neighbors dig a big open hole in his hay field and digging a pipeline across it.

He taught me a valuable lesson on charity and living the golden rule. Do unto other as you would have others do unto you. Gary Nelson become my hero that day. We don’t see one another often, but when we do, we don’t spend any time getting reacquainted. He’s my man without guile, no deception, no fraud, or guile. Always candid, honest, direct and straightforwardness. Thanks my man!!

Just think if all the world had his attitude, what a great world it would be. However there is a lot of good going on and we have the opportunity to help spread it by treating every one we meet with respect by being ready to give someone a hand up and being their friend.

I can tell a story about all of my friends and maybe if I live long enough I will. For you that I may not finish with, know that I love you and I’ll tell your story in person on the other side.

Love You.

Taylor

PS I’m enjoying new exciting friendships. I would like to get to know you. Writing these stories of some of my favorite memories and at the same time I’m creating new memories.

Good Morning

Goooood Morning

February 12,2014

This morning seems to be one of the greatest days this week. The thought made me wonder  “why”?

Why is today better than yesterday, and I pause to wonder why?

Yesterday I woke up tired. I had gone to bed the night before with a family problem on my mind.

No sooner had my head come to rest upon my pillow, than my mind lurched into high gear. Any feeling of my body needing sleep and the heaviness of my eyes as I had climbed the stairs to my bed room had vanished into the night. My mind said, “that little nap that you allowed in the easy chair, curtailed my need for sleep.”

So here I lay, so much for the notion of getting some bed rest, but arriving in bed with a mind rested and clear, ready to solve my child’s problems. For two hours I lay there. Eventually, totally frustrated I got out of bed, found my warm PJs and retreated to my comfortable chair to read a book. Within one minute I was fast asleep. Not a restful sleep, but a twisting, turning, and stretching, attempting to sleep, until the crack of dawn.

One day later.

This morning everything is just wonderful. After a good night’s rest in my bed, feeling well rested by
5:00 AM, I arose to a totally different experience. I’ve been able to get many of my major morning goals checked off. My daily mind set is in place and I have nothing but blue sky and sunshine ahead.

I guess it’s obvious of what made the difference in the two different mornings. Now it’s up to me to adjust my environment to insure a proper outcome of my future mornings ahead.

I feel that I’m better prepared to fulfill my great desire to make someone happy today. When you get my age many of my muscles have been repossessed, and it doesn’t require a lot of muscles to set a large contagious smile in motion and just maybe, cause a multitude of smiles. Do you think maybe they could spread across the whole country? I would like that!!

May God bless you,  that your day will go well. I can see you now. Get that smile on your face. Ha Ha.

My Personal Battle with Depression

My Personal Battle with Depression

…. And the vitamin that gave me relief

February 12, 2014

My story begins, as nearly as I can recall, when I was 17 years old. I remember feeling a strange, sad feeling in my chest area, for no reason that I knew of. My mom and dad seemed to not understand my situation as far as I could tell. When those sad moods came upon me, my parents and I didn’t get along.

My mood swings seemed to cycle. For a few days, everything went great, but then for no reason, I seemed to hit a wall. The mood cycling became something that happened regularly. I would have a few days that I felt good, but without fail, 4 or 5 bad, sad, and angry days would follow. Quite often, I spent the good days, dreading the bad days, that I knew for sure were coming.It wasn’t until after I was married and had children that the bad days seemed to intensify and become more numerous. I found the only relief I could get was to work hard,long hours everyday. Sundays became the day I dreaded, being a day of rest. I remember a few times, even work couldn’t camouflage my feelings. One particular day, I had to leave work, feeling that I was having a breakdown. I drove 30 miles home, crying all the way. The pain was so intense that I would imagine that if I put a knife into my chest, it would make it feel better.

My parents and my wife took me to a specialist to see if I could get help. The doctor prescribed a drug that just kept me numb. I felt that I had lost total control of my feelings.I came to the conclusion that I needed to fight my depression rather than to drug it. I will always feel bad that I caused my family so much grief having to deal with my situation.

A sad story happened along the way that helped me realize the seriousness of my illness. My friend who was also plagued with depression, was hauling a large bulldozer on a truck and I happened to be following him. As we approached an intersection, he just drove straight across the main highway and ended up out in a field. I quickly ran to him to see if he was alright. When he exited the truck, he had no apparent physical injuries, but as I talked with him and helped him unload the dozer, I could see in his eyes that he was having a very difficult time with his depression. I arranged for my truck to come and haul the dozer away, and I invited him to come ride with me. He insisted on riding with my truck driver to where he had left his pickup. That was the last time I saw my friend alive. When he arrived at his pickup, he got in and drove straight to the mountains. After a long search by his family and friends,  he was found in the mountains by two deer hunters. He had given up on life.

I was asked to speak at my friend’s funeral and I had decided that it was time that people needed to understand the horrors of depression. Much of my life, I had felt ashamed and had never spoken of my illness. Often I had listened to people state their opinions about suicide victims and I hurt deep inside as they said the most hurtful things. If you haven’t experienced depression, you can’t understand how someone could do that to themselves. In my talk that day, I revealed my experience with depression. I let them know how dark it is, how despair is beyond belief, and how the feeling of love is totally lost to disabling anger and pain. Since that time, I have never allowed myself to stand by and let public opinion demean someone who is suffering from depression.

I received many calls after that talk and I found that this illness actually was running rampant. It just wasn’t being talked about.

I’ve been able to live through the bad times. I’m sure that because of the patience and understanding of my family, I’ve always been able to maneuver past the unspeakable even though thoughts of destruction would still, at times, flash  through my mind. Thanks to God and my family, I’ve survived.

A few months ago, my wife called me and told me to look at a certain presentation on the computer. The video story of Tony Stephan and his family was given on YouTube. The story was a tragic one presenting the difficulties that his family had gone through with bipolar depression…but then the joy and hope that was found when Tony and his friend were able to find an amazing remedy that would reverse the cause and effects of different mental illnesses.

You should know that my dear wife was not coming home without an order of Q96.I was ready to try this product because I was convinced after hearing Tony’s story. From that time till now, I faithfully take this product daily. Within a couple weeks, I noticed that the annoying pain in my chest had disappeared and a sense of well-being has taken over. I still get the blues now and then, but it’s more of a natural, normal feeling and is manageable. How blessed we are when we have peace of mind. 

If you would like more information about this amazing product, I share this with you because it has truly blessed my life. If you or someone you love suffers with this disease, please don’t delay another moment. Get in touch with me for more information.

THINK BIG!

THINK BIG!

February 5, 2014

Recently I read of a recruitment specialist who had been interviewing high school senior students for a junior executive training program. He was saddened to find that these young senior graduates were more interested in the retirement program than the opportunity to excel in a great job.

This story reminds me of experiences that I’ve had at interviewing and hiring for my business.  We operated an excavation company. It was important that we found people that were skilled in operating heavy construction equipment. My evaluation was to make certain that applicants had the skills to safely and productively operate equipment. The first thing I found was that everyone claimed to be an operator and many questioned if we had good retirement and vacation plans.

My father taught me to make sure that I was prepared and was qualified for the job that I was applying for. I’ve always felt that if I had the opportunity to work for a company, I should do the job well. He instructed me to take care of my responsibilities so well that there would never be a discussion of whether I was pulling my weight or if my boss should find someone else to take my place.

Now that I was a boss, you may understand why I was so surprised when someone who was applying for a job has to know first and foremost if I would provide for a paid vacation and that if I kept him working for fifty years, would I provide him with retirement for the rest of his life.

It has surprised me, but I’m very interested in getting these young men aboard and educating them on a different way of thinking. I believe that everyone should be involved in a self-development program. When I say self, that means me improving myself.

When we improve ourselves, we become a valued commodity to ourselves and to our employers. We become leaders among men. When you have improved yourself in every way, your income goes up as well. Your vacations get longer, and the competition to keep you will be greater. If you have developed yourself in the proper way, you will be a gracious, humble person and you will find a way to give of your qualities to everyone around you. Your greatest treasures will be your friends and your associates, and you will be a successful person.

A few tips to remember as you go through life are ideas taken from the book, “Magic of Thinking Big” by David J. Schwartz, PHD.

1.       Don’t sell yourself short, conquer the crime of self- deprecation. Concentrate on your assets. You’re better than you think you are.

2.       Use the big thinker’s vocabulary. Use big, bright, cheerful words. Use words that promise victory, hope, happiness, and pleasure. Avoid words that create unpleasant images of failure, defeat, and grief.

3.       Stretch your vision. See what can be, not just what is. Practice adding value to things, to people and to yourself.

4.       Get the big view of your job. Think, really think your present job is important. That next promotion depends mostly on how you think towards your present job.

5.       Think above trivial things. Focus your attention on the big objectives. Before getting involved in petty matters, ask yourself, “Is it really important?”

As always, I wish you well in whatever you pursue.

Love you,

Taylor Thayne

Constructive Action Destroys Fear

Constructive Action Destroy Fear

February 1, 2014

I like to reflect back through the memories of my life, it helps me gauge my progress in dealing with my personal development. I feel strongly that this life is a test. We came in to this life much as a blank sheet. From the point of birth every thought, every experience, every interaction with our fellow traveler is transcribed on to our book of life. Our attitudes and our strengths and weakness are formed from these association. We may receive a positive or negative effect depending on what we bump into along the way.( It’s important that we take responsibility for where we travel, who we travel with and edit every word, dot every I, and cross every T,) that is written on our pages.

I was very shy in my youth and I spent many anxious moments worrying about everything. I always tried to be inconspicuous and because of the unhappiness that I experienced I worked hard at overcoming these insecurities.

The actions that I’ve taken to conquer my inabilities have turned these weaknesses into my greatest strengths. Constructive action is the antidote to overcome fear. I learned to do the things you fear to do and death of fear is certain. Someone much smarter than I made that statement. I found the statement to be true.

One by one I have managed to free myself from fear and inadequacies. Looking back I can see where I come from and feel the freedom and joy, the reward received from leaving that behind.

I’m able to see people in a different light and it helps me deal with their insecurities. I have had on several occasions, angry people approach me in an outrage of anger and I can have empathy for them. One man was ranting and raving, calling me names of profanity and I calmly put my arm around him and said “I can see you need a hug today, “ and he melted into a calm state of mind.

Everyone have their problems and it’s important that we work on them every day. Fear, negative thoughts feeling inferior, and guilt are destructive to the human mind and can cause physical problems. Anything that can hold back our progression needs to be focused on and action taken. Once we take action we are set upon the path to a happy successful life

I need to keep reminding myself that all men and women are more alike than they are different. We have no need to fear one another. Our opinion is as important as any other. We need to know that negative memories and thoughts should be buried and forgotten.

Guilt can be a major factor in keeping us from reaching our potential. Be wise in our conduct and always do the right thing, which is a very good rule of success. I remind myself to walk with my shoulders lifted and my head held high. You can recognize someone who is striving for success by the way they walk, and a quicker step shows the world that you have somewhere to go and people to see.

I hope as always that my long life experiences will help someone get their attitude of success.

Be seeing you down the road.

Love you

Taylor Thayne