Everyone has said it. Everyone has heard it. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome.” That’s what we are doing in addressing our jobs crisis… and this is true for BOTH political parties!

The world has changed. Driven by technology and globalization, the economic and workplace landscape has undergone a monumental and permanent shift. For the most part, Americans are oblivious to the shift; elected leaders have no clue how to address the shift; and all sectors of society, including Wall Street and the US education system, are ignoring the shift. The bottom line is this: If we fail to see that the shift is eliminating jobs; that the shift is not creating new, genuine jobs, America as we know it will fall apart.

No country can exist in harmony with itself (or other nations) when economic instability, suffering, chaos, and a sense of hopelessness becomes the new national psyche due to a lack of good jobs. Fact… there are no “NEW” job creation initiatives in America… because the ideas and solutions are antiquated and divisive. The old ways of creating jobs don’t work !

Job creation must be priority #1 because no society can exist without them. Job creation is more important than anything else, including environmental issues, global terrorism, political differences, or any other issues facing America.

THE GOOD NEWS: America can create new jobs. We are a resilient and intellectually strong nation whose foundation is rooted in freedom, entrepreneurialism, and a “united we stand; divided we fall” character.

THE TROUBLING NEWS: We seem to have forgotten that freedom is neither free nor guaranteed. Everyone must be engaged in defeating our enemies. It’s not just our military that must protect our freedoms because the greatest enemies to our way of life lie within each citizen: 1) indifference, 2) intolerance, 3) incompetence, 4) indecision, and 5) inaction. Each of us must play an active role in slaying these enemies. This alone will lay an important foundation for new job creation.

Individuals can no longer depend on employers or the government for their well-being and livelihood. An entrepreneurial spirit, self-reliance, a resourceful constitution, and self-responsibility must be reawakened. Everyone must become an entrepreneur or intrapreneur (using entrepreneurial skills working for employers). Everyone must give more value than ever. Mediocrity and slothfulness won’t work in the new transformational workplace.

A “united we stand; divided we fall” character must also be reignited. If you don’t believe America can self-destruct, go back in history to reacquaint yourself with America in 1860. During the Civil War, Americans killed more than 620,000 Americans. Can it happen again? The answer is, of course ! We must begin valuing differences, seeking collaboration over confrontation, and demanding that elected officials return to the days when they were true “public servants.” And the most important issue these public servants must address is job creation.

If we don’t create new, genuine jobs, our country will fall apart.

For statistical reference, read The Coming Jobs War, by Gallup Chairman and CEO Jim Clifton

There are so many articles and posts that suggest we write down all that we want, because the process of writing things down defeats procrastination, stagnation, and underachievement.

You can write anything down with the “intention” of taking action – that’s easy. But unfortunately, it usually doesn’t work. I would conservatively estimate that 99.76% of the people who write things down (give or take a hundredth of a percent) like New Year’s resolutions, goals, and even plans to achieve goals – such as losing weight, making more money, getting a better job, improving relationships, etc. never accomplished what they write down !

WHAT IS MISSING FROM WRITING THINGS DOWN ?

What is missing (about 99.76% of the time) is HIGH EMOTION and ENTHUSIASM that fuel the achievement process. When I write down anything, it’s exciting and I see myself already in pursuit and in possession of the goal, intention, or desire. I also, at the end of every year, review all that I wrote down and DID NOT achieve… and acknowledge that I had limited passion or an ongoing degree of “diminishing intent” to achieve it. In other words, my emotional engagement to achieving what I wrote down was impaired or was not strong enough in the first place.

So yes… write things down. But I would suggest that you don’t waste your time writing things down that don’t “turn you on” or that have low emotional intensity.

In the end, it is “emotional ambition” and a “burning desire” that drives success achievement (I MUST achieve this; I CAN NEVER allow this to happen again; I MUST be a hero to my family; There is NO WAY the past can continue in my future, etc.).

Without the burning desire and high emotion to support the thoughts and intentions you write down, the past will equal the future. However, with high enthusiasm, a high degree of confidence, and all-out excitement behind all that you write down… you can turn the impossible into most probable !

In 2011, I announced that the Industrial Age workplace is over, and has been replaced with the new Protean workplace. This shift is both indisputable and immutable.

Job seekers – pay attention to these 12 principles !
Managers and executives – pay attention to these 12 principles !
All employees – pay attention to these 12 principles !
Business owners and entrepreneurs – pay attention to these 12 principles !
Everyone – pay attention to these 12 principles !

This is a longer-than-usual blog; however, it is a HIGHLY VALUABLE resource. For a FREE PDF file with these 12 Protean Principles, simply send your EMAIL address to Jay Block at: jayblock@jayblock.com. We will email a copy to you.

12 Protean Success Principles – For Unlimited Achievement

1. Establish high standards of personal responsibility

o Recognize the significant role of your own personal ambition
o Remember: “If it’s going to be… it’s entirely up to me”
o Increase your awareness on a continual basis; awareness is power
o Make good decisions based on an ever-evolving level of awareness
o Eliminate excuses and blame; control and focus on that which you can control
o Identify, clarify and adhere to your core values; pursue your passions (self actualization)
o Accept defeat and failure with the same dignity you accept victory and success

2. Anticipate change and consistently look for opportunities

o Pay attention; remain observant and alert at all times; “what you don’t see won’t help”
o Ask high quality questions as they will lead to high quality answers / breakthroughs
o Be a life-long learner; think, assess, research, and analyze on a regular basis
o Create a long-term vision to guide your short-term decision-making
o Anticipate and prepare for unexpected change that will constantly take place
o Respect and “learn from the past” in preparing for the future (don’t judge the past)
o If you could see the future, what would it look like, and what would you do differently today?

3. Embrace curiosity and lifelong learning

o Be inquisitive; ideas and imagination “turn nothing into something”
o Wonder; think differently and become self-inspired; value the power of dreams and ambition
o Consistently explore opportunities to gather information and gain new experiences
o Listen to both your head and heart; for when you do, unlimited opportunities are within reach
o Wonder; think differently and become self-inspired; value dreams
o Be curious; but don’t miss the obvious

4. Be adaptable and diversify

o Understand that change is constant, so you must constantly adapt and adjust to change
o Continuously broaden and develop your skills and abilities to remain relevant and valuable
o Embrace and master technology that will enhance your skills and abilities
o Challenge your preconceptions about what is and isn’t possible; become a possibilitarian
o Seek to understand other people’s opinions and points of view in crafting and defining your own
o Stay grounded even in the midst of change and diversification

5. Build and maintain a positive circle of influence

o Surround yourself with positive and beneficial advisors, mentors and friends.
o Define and inhabit work, home and leisure environments to thrive personally and professionally.
o Seek advice from quality “voices of influence;” and avoid pessimistic and negative ones
o Nurture a positive relationship with yourself; work harder on yourself than anything else
o Include “silent” mentors in your personal and professional development (books, audiobooks, seminars, on-line courses /programs, thought leaders, etc.)
o Learn how to collaborate across disciplines; be open to new, even uncomfortable viewpoints
o Remember 4 key words for success achievement: “Let’s do it together”

6. Forge beneficial and reciprocal relationships

o Be a person of influence; seek first to understand, and then to be understood
o Offer to help as you ask for the assistance of others; givers do gain
o Create mutually beneficial relationships in your community, industry, and profession
o Broaden the scope of your impact by establishing relationships outside your current sphere
o Stretch, and forge relationships that seem “out-of-reach”
o Recognize when relationships are no longer mutually beneficial and take appropriate and dignified measures to disassociate or partially disassociate

7. Assess, manage, and increase your market value

o Benchmark your value to your target marketplace; value = compensation
o Identify the results you can produce and the contributions you can make
o Identify and leverage the skills, abilities and qualities that make you uniquely valuable as an employee, associate or business partner
o Identify your “differential factor(s)” that distinguishes you from others and makes you unique
o Consistently demonstrate the “WOW” factor to deliver more value than expected
o Continuously enhance your marketability by preparing for perpetual improvement and self-re-invention (formal / informal education)

8. Generate financial sustainability

o Clearly understand what you need to make to make ends meet and what you need to make to achieve your desired standard of living
o Learn to live within your means and do so with discipline
o Realize that your desired standard of living is inseparable from your career choices
o Consider multiple streams of income and reignite the spirit of entrepreneurialism
o Save aggressively and invest wisely; put more money in your bank account
o Create a long-term, financial plan to arrive where you want to arrive; because the future will arrive before you know it

9. Safeguard your physical and emotional health

o Manage and channel your emotions (energy creates like energy)
o Exercise and remain active to increase energy and fitness
o Defend and cultivate your “self” and your spirit
o Conduct your own research and develop your own health philosophy
o Develop a sense of adventure; get FROM the day not just through it
o Protect your health and vibrancy, and don’t leave it up to doctors or fate

10. Leverage your time advantageously
o Know that time management is the most effective strategy to success
o Safeguard your time for time is more valuable than money
o Realize that the primary skill is to manage what you do in the time you have
o Appreciate the difference between time and energy; and don’t waste either
o Don’t major in minor things; work hard on the few things that make the most difference.
o Embrace the power of discipline and know that discipline is the bridge to success achievement

11. Compose and execute strategic achievement plans

o Construct and execute action plans that are strategic, achievable and meaningful
o Put your strategic achievement plans in writing to hold yourself accountable
o Establish worthy goals and set aggressive but realistic timetables for completion
o Be flexible to make “course corrections” along the way
o Work diligently to optimize your resources of time, energy, and finances
o Keep the end in mind and enjoy the journey to make the planning process fun and exciting

12. Act deliberately; react appropriately; adapt as necessary

o Implement your strategic achievement plans with precision, confidence, and mastery
o Actively avoid procrastination, stagnation, and indecision; if you don’t move, nothing moves
o Do not rest on your laurels and successes; complacency is the killer of future potential
o Take calculated and intelligent risks while mitigating potential liabilities
o Learn from failures and turn adversity into opportunity’ all success derives from adversity
o Measure and evaluate your results; readjust when necessary; celebrate your successes

To Join the LinkedIn Protean Careers group, go to: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=3533493&trk=anet_ug_grppro

“I’m taking the holiday season off from getting a new job because no one hires between Thanksgiving and New Years,” says the majority of job seekers.

“Don’t believe this myth.”

When you lose this limiting belief and replace and embrace it with a new belief that there are unlimited opportunities at any given time, especially during the holiday season, you will have an excellent chance of securing employment during the holiday season.

8 Reasons Why You Can Land a Job During the Holiday Season:

1) You will stand out and get noticed because your competition has bought into the myth.

2) More managers / decision-makers are in the office and are not travelling or away from their offices.

3) Most hiring managers / decision-makers are in the “holiday spirit” and will more readily meet and speak with you.

4) 2012 is right around the corner and many companies are planning their 2012 budgets and personnel needs.

5) There are more holiday events and opportunities for networking and new contact development.

6) You will receive respect from hiring managers / decision-makers because of your efforts during the holidays.

7) Seasonal work, often times, leads to full time employment; and there are many seasonal jobs available.

8) The economy is definitely improving and employers are hiring and gearing up to start 2012 with a bang.

“There are hundreds of thousands of jobs created during the holiday season,” says National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay in a release in October.

This is true – and this does NOT include jobs that are not advertised or those that are not directly or indirectly related to retail. In all probability, there are millions of jobs created during the holiday season; especially this holiday season with an improved economy and stock market.

Those who believe in the myth, will be unemployed come January 2012. But those who work diligently and intelligently to land a job during the holiday season, will have a good chance of beginning 2012 gainfully employed!

“People are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” – Abraham Lincoln

Character

Character is determined in the midst of adversity and setbacks. It takes no special skills or disciplines to enjoy life when everything is going well. One of my 16 books is an audiobook called “Any Idiot Can Make it Through a Good Day.” The point of this book is that when we consciously make an effort to focus on what makes us happy and use the power of focus as a platform to meet and overcome our adversities and challenges; we will be successful in doing just that.

Yes, we can empower others and ourselves to find happiness in the midst of some of life’s most devastating challenges; from long-term unemployment to a life-threatening diagnosis. And below, I suggest just eight, out of the millions of ways, to empower people and ourselves to be happy no matter what we face or troubled waters we must navigate through.

1. Remember where you live

America is still the greatest country on the planet. You don’t have to like our elected officials, but the United States of America is still the land of freedom, opportunity, and the American dream.

2. Hang out with upbeat and fun-loving people

You’re not a goose! Geese must fly south in the winter and north in the summer. They have no choice. You, on the other hand, are not a goose and can fly in any direction you want and spend time with happy people. No matter what you face, when you spend time with quality people, you’ll have a quality life.

3. Slow down and turn off the technology

Most people are NOT human beings; they are human “doings.” Compared to yesterday, you have one less day to live. So slow down, meditate, or do something where you’re not doing anything. Relax and enjoy some time each day and don’t be in such a rush to get to the finish line.

4. Join a group of like-minded people meet face-to-face… and play!

Do you play cards, swim, do yoga or palates, bike ride, read, play chess, garden, cook, play golf, shuffle board, or tennis, walk, or do ceramics? If you don’t know how to play, you just might be wasting away!

5. Do something nice for a stranger

You can’t believe the power of giving a compliment to a stranger. When you tell someone you don’t know they look nice, not only will they feel great, you’ll feel greater. When you do this daily, this becomes an addictive habit and is a powerful way to remain genuinely happy. Remember what “authentically” goes around, comes around.

6. Set one exciting goal every day

Excitement is not an emotion most people consciously aspire to. Perhaps one day your goal is to enjoy an ice cream cone, and maybe the next day the goal is to walk 15 minutes around the block to get reacquainted with your neighborhood. Wake up every morning and have one small (or monumental) goal that will excite you and make you happy.

7. Don’t go to bed as stupid as you woke up

Why do you think children are the happiest people in the world? It’s because they are always learning. When you stop learning, you stop growing. And when you stop growing happiness in the purest sense is unattainable.

8. Don’t judge anything

Possibly this is the most difficult tip of all. Evaluate, yes. Observe, yes. Judge – no! Set expectations and goals for yourself – and live up to your own standards and values. When you judge others, negatively, resentment, anger, and destructive emotions run rampant – and happiness is impossible.

So there you have it, eight easy ways to be happy. And if you choose 8 entirely different methods to be happy, that’s perfectly fine.

But the take home message is find ways to be happy… and pay it forward !

Is Ignorance the New Corporate Culture ?

The University of Common Sense:

I am considering launching a new educational institution called “The American University of Common Sense.” My primary target audience is corporate America, corporate executives, and IHR Executives (Inhuman Resource Executives). I figure I’ll have no problem raising investment capital for this venture unless today’s investors are as dumb, insensitive, and shortsighted as many corporate executives.

15 Million Jobs Would Help:

Yahoo! News reports, “Hundreds of job opening listings posted on Monster.com and other jobs sites explicitly state that people who are unemployed would be less attractive applicants, with some telling the long-term unemployed to not even bother with applying.”

The New York Times’ Catherine Rampell said, “She found preferences for the already employed or only recently laid off in listings for ‘hotel concierges, restaurant managers, teachers, I.T. specialists, business analysts, sales directors, account executives, orthopedics device salesmen, auditors and air-conditioning technicians.’ Even the massive University of Phoenix stated that preference, but removed the listings when the Times started asking questions.”

Have you ever consider that the greatest enemy of the United States of America is the United States of America? What is wrong with us? United we stand; divided we fall – and we, as a nation, are free-falling faster than a sumo wrestler falling off the Sears Tower. We need massive new revenue, and 15 million newly employed Americans would provide that revenue – increased payroll taxes, decreased unemployment-related expenses and associated costs, and increased consumer spending (including homes). I am not an economist, but it seems “common sensical” to me to that by making a concerted effort to hire qualified unemployed Americans, we can start to rebuild our imploding economy.

Job Requirement…”Must Be Currently Employed:”

The New York Times Business Day Section (July 25, 2011) stated, “Unemployed workers have long suspected that the gaping holes on their résumés left them less attractive to employers. But with the country in the worst jobs crisis since the Great Depression, many had hoped employers would be more forgiving.” They are not.

And if you think this kind of activity is only a rare occurrence, think again. The practice is common enough that New Jersey recently passed a law outlawing job ads that bar unemployed workers from applying. New York and Michigan are considering the idea, and similar legislation has been introduced in Congress.

A Question for ALL Americans:

Fox News (October, 7, 2011) called it “discrimination against the unemployed.” Regardless of the spin one might want to put on it, common sense would dictate that if the unemployed remains unemployed, Americans stop caring about Americans, and corporate practices and cultures remain greedy, ignorant and shortsighted, this will certainly represent the proverbial nail in the American Empire’s coffin.

* Seeking Investors for The American University of Common Sense. Unemployed investors preferred.

How to Survive in the NEW Workplace

▬ How many people does it take to turn a windmill?
▬ How many new manufacturing / labor intensive industries are knocking on US doors?
▬ Does Wall Street care if unemployment goes down so long as shareholder earnings go up?
▬ How many countries are outsourcing their jobs to the US to produce good paying jobs here?

In the 40th edition of “What Color is Your Parachute?” author Richard N. Bolles calls the future workplace “troublesome” and that the job search process will be “job hunting survival.”

Negativity versus truth

The reason no one in Washington (or anywhere else, for that matter) is addressing the employment problem is there are no solutions readily available. The truth is that the job market will not improve significantly (in terms of creating real jobs paying real wages) in our lifetime. In fact, it will get worse. This is NOT being negative… it’s simply stating the truth.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, 1.8 BILLION people entered the free market system after years of communist rule. Competition is not just coming from India and China, it’s coming from former Soviet-dominated countries like Romania, The Czech Republic, East Germany, Kazakhstan, and Lithuania. And the people in these “developing nations” are lean, mean, and prepared to work hard for their fair share of the capitalist way of life.

America is under siege

For the first time in our country’s history, we are under siege economically, from real competition that is not only here to stay, but that will become more competitive in the years and decades to come. While America becomes an apathetic, ambivalent, and lazy nation, billions of people in developing countries around the globe are enjoying their new-found freedom and are prepared to work as hard as it takes to overthrow us economically.

In the heyday of the Industrial Revolution, one-third of all working Americans were in manufacturing. Today it’s less than 9%. Technology and globalization are eliminating jobs in America. Just think of all the jobs that have been eliminated because of technology and outsourcing.

And US companies are using labor-eliminating technology to eradicate jobs. We have planes that can fly without pilots; forklifts that can operate without human operators, robots replacing assembly workers, and ATM’s and self-service everything replacing almost everybody.

How to Survive in the NEW Workplace

1) Take personal responsibility and put your future in your own hands. Do not depend on employers or the government for your career or livelihood.
2) Become an opportunity seeker; not a job seeker. There are limited jobs, but there are UNLIMITED opportunities. Today you can reach out and touch 7 billion people around the globe (for free)… for jobs, new market opportunities, and new business ventures.
3) Turn off the TV, stop listening to all the negative and confrontational voices, and put down your Dumbphone and plan your future. Focus on your expectations; not those of others.
4) We all need to readjust our values. We must place more value on teachers than athletes. We must get back in good physical and mental condition (stop popping all the pills that are advertised everywhere), and we must take a stand and demand more from our elected officials – and ourselves.
5) Let’s utilize our God-given gifts of creativity, resourcefulness, and the ability to think – more importantly, the ability to RE-THINK. I do NOT believe the US must become a nation full of entrepreneurs… though the percentage needs to rise substantially. What we WILL have to do is learn how to “quickly” DOWNSIZE our lives without compromising quality of life – and start to manufacture and produce things again with lower overhead and earning less money. Smaller homes, one-car families, and seeking happiness from within – not at the mall!

Summary

In 1900, the greatest power on earth was Great Britain. And if we don’t begin to RE-THINK and change what needs to be changed throughout all segments of our society… our empire, like Great Britain’s in 1900, will be over – as we “knew” it.

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write;
but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
~Alvin Toffler

By Ellen Block, Esq. Employment Law Attorney

The scene is a common one these days: a jobseeker, fighting the wake of unemployment, sits nervously outside a human resources office preparing to answer an unforeseen list of interview questions.

While formulating answers for anticipated questions, the interviewee should also be aware that there are certain questions that employers cannot ask. Questions that go beyond the scope of the abilities needed to perform the job are off-limits during a job interview. A question is unlawful when it is directed to find out about race, religion, national origin, sex, age, ancestry. Also, beware of questions regarding personal info like pregnancy, children, weight, height or other questions that seem irrelevant to the job.

For instance, it is unlawful for employers to inquire into a candidate’s plans to have a family, or if the candidate is married or has children. It is unlawful to ask if a candidate prefers to work with male or female coworkers. While an employer may ask if a candidate can perform the specific duties the job requires, asking if the candidate has a disability or a medical condition is not allowed.

Memorizing a tedious list of discriminatory questions, however, can be overwhelming and cause unnecessary stress. If you have doubts about the legality of a question simply apply the phrase “Job-related” as your measuring tool.
Questions must focus on capabilities, (job-related) experiences, knowledge and skills required to perform the job.

10 Examples of unlawful interview questions:
1. How tall are you?
2. Are you a US Citizen?
3. How old are you?
4. Are you really a man?
5. Are you Chinese or Japanese?
6. What religion are you?
7. Have you ever filed for bankruptcy?
8. Have you ever been arrested?
9. Are you married?
10. How many children do you have?

If an interviewee feels a question goes beyond the job-related threshold, Florida Southern College Director of Human Resources Roberta Anderson-Barnes said she encourages the candidate to address the question immediately.
“Ask the interviewer to restate the question as it relates to the position or position requirements,” she advises.

Tips On How To Respond To Illegal Interview Questions.First and foremost, avoid reacting in a hostile fashion remember that you can always decide later to decline the job offer. Your goal during the interview is to try and get the job offer.

Response 1: Go ahead and answer the question. If you don’t feel uncomfortable and you think your answer is in your favor, why worry? Go ahead and answer the question and make no mention that you think it’s improper or illegal. Just remember that you run the risk of harming your candidacy if you give an answer not favorable to what the interviewer has in mind.

Response 2: Refuse to answer the question. You are within your rights but in a delicate and sensitive area with regards to the potential job offer. You can say politely that you don’t feel comfortable answering the question and ask to move on. You may even want to mention to the interviewer that the question is illegal and doesn’t pertain to the job. The key here is to be as tactful as possible. But keep in mind, you may come across as confrontational or not a “team player” in the eyes of the interviewer.

Career coaches encourage you to create résumés that are powerful self-marketing profiles!

▬ With some 25-30 MILLION people looking for jobs in the US, career coaches know your résumé must STAND OUT from the millions of assembly line, look-alike documents also referred to as chronological obituaries.

▬ Can you name one successful product or service that packages itself to look like its competition? Successful marketing coaches understand that successful marketing is about standing out, being unique, and creating favorable excitement. Successful career coaches also know that to land jobs today, résumés must also stand out, be unique, and create favorable excitement.

Communicate value and out-communicate your competition

Career coaches will tell you that your résumé must communicate your value and shout out “I am the best candidate for the job because I can produce significant results!” Career coaches challenge you to blow your own horn because your résumé must

1) Communicate your value to hiring managers, recruiters, and HR professionals and…
2) Do so better than other qualified candidates – so you beat your competition!

Career coaches know it’s all about “what you can do for prospective employers”

Hiring managers don’t want to read your biography. They want to know what you can do for them! Career coaches entice you to understand prospective employers’ needs, problems, and issues. Then they assist you to create a résumé that communicates how you can meet those needs, solve those problems, and address issues to the benefit of prospective employers. In a short-attention-span world, you must communicate your value in 15-20 seconds – and not a second more!

Sizzle and substance = success

Boring doesn’t sell. Most résumés are unexciting presentations that blend in with millions of other unexciting résumés. Are you totally jazzed when you look at your résumé? Career coaches create résumés that are exciting masterpieces; exciting yet professional; unique yet engaging. Sizzle matters, and career coaches know the RULES HAVE CHANGED. You can use color, graphics, dividers, graphs, and pictures on résumés. If you combine sizzle with substance, your job campaign will be swift and enjoyable. You’ll land a job in no time!

Substance means communicating your value and benefit to prospective employers. It’s what they need to read that will get them to want to hire you! Career coaches ensure you know your value; the results and contributions you can deliver and produce – and help you communicate this precisely on your résumé. Finally, career coaches assure that you include past achievements and former performance results on your résumé. A résumé without achievements is like a report card without grades – useless. Past achievements determine future potential – and how quickly you’ll land a job!

Madison Avenue marketing guru

Create your résumé like a Madison Avenue marketing guru. Most people (and companies) are not good at this, so consider hiring qualified career coaches who know how to market you effectively. In the end, the best investment you can make… is in your future.

From Jay Block’s Career Coaches of Excellence Forum:

The greatest skill you have

It’s the law for all success, achievement, abundance, and personal and professional fulfillment.  The most valuable skill you can ever develop, to enhance every aspect of your life, including your career, your job, and your job search, is the skill of directing your thoughts toward what you want and how you want to feel. 

 The greatest myth

Knowledge is not power; and taking massive action is not power.  Yes knowledge is important and taking action is important.  But real power; life-changing power comes from “how you think and feel” about what you know, and then taking the right constructive action that is aligned with your “good-feeling thoughts.”

I see so many people with an abundance of knowledge who are struggling.  I see so many people taking massive action (working 16+ hours a day) and barely surviving.  So what is the SECRET that energizes ALL SUCCESS so you can achieve all that you want in the shortest time possible?

The secret to ALL success

My wife, Ellen, explained it to me in a way that I never read or heard before.  She told me (on the 4^th of July, 2011), that “the secret to ALL success is keeping yourself happy.” 

We live at a time where almost everything and everyone we come in contact with is negative.  Most people focus on “lack” (what they don’t have) rather than what they have to be grateful for.  In other words, most people have been conditioned (brainwashed?) to be unhappy.  And unhappiness cannot, in any way, shape, or form, attract success or high achievement.

You cannot focus on the negative and get a positive outcome

When career coaches ask, “what job would you love to have,” the answer is usually, “well, I know what I don’t want.” You see, when you focus on what you don’t want – you get what you don’t want.  Energy attracts like energy.  You cannot feel poor and expect to attract wealth.  Career coaches will tell you that you cannot focus on being unemployed and find a good job. 

You cannot feel miserable and attract joy !

 Below are 5 ways to be happy so you can attract an abundance of success:

 1)      Focus on the present and all that you have to be grateful for (for instance, your eyes work and you are able to see)

2)      Avoid negative people, negative media, negative television, and negative environments

3)      Allow yourself (your thoughts) to focus on and feel the excitement of all that you want; not where you are right now or what you don’t presently have

4)      Stop struggling with life.  Until you release the feeling of struggle, you will not be able to achieve what you want.  The more you struggle with life, the more life will continue to struggle with you

5)      As you live each day, get “from the day.”  Make a conscious effort to seek out reasons to laugh more and to have fun with everything you do – even your struggles.

 Remember: The secret to ALL success is keeping yourself happy !