next subject personal development some of the things Mr shelf taught me starting at age 25 some things came quickly some things came easily setting goals that was easy we're going to talk about that later on but this one I had to struggle with personal development it was hard for me to give up my old blame list it was so comfortable blaming the government and blaming my negative relatives and the company company policy unions wage scale economy interest rates prices and circumstances and all that that was difficult for me to give up that was quite a transition for me to make and blaming myself but Mr show started out with something very very important let me give that to you he said it's not what happens that determines the major part of your future it's not what happens what happens happens to us all he said the key is what you do about it it's not what happens it's what you do about it and he said if you will start that process of change do something different the next 90 days than you did the last 90 days like picking up the books to read do something different like the new health disciplines relationship with your family whatever it is doesn't matter how small it is if you'll start doing different things with the same circumstances since we cannot change the circumstances but we can change ourselves we can change what we do and then he gave me another secret to success when he said what you have at the moment Mr Owen you've attracted by the person you've become what you have at the moment you've attracted by the person you've become few little simple principles here once you understand these it starts to explain so much now sometimes it's a little tough to take blaming yourself instead of the marketplace taking responsibility instead of putting it off on someone else those that transition sometimes is a challenging mission and this one was a little tough for me he said Mr you've got pennies in your pocket you've got nothing in the bank the creditors are calling you're behind on your promises he says here's how that occurs you've attracted up until now you've attracted the things to you because of the person you've become now I said well how can I change all that he said very simple if you will change Everything Will Change for You you don't have to change what's outside all you've got to change is what's inside to have more you simply have to become more and then he said don't wish it was easier wish you were better don't wish for Less Problems wish for more skills start working on yourself making these personal changes and he said it'll all change for you so let's talk a little bit about personal development that extraordinary Adventure I undertook starting at age 25 and I've never ceased that Adventure I'm still going for it in the 90s I want to get better and better I want my craft to get better my business operations to get better the things I do to get better because once I picked up the simple formula it's only it's easy to figure out where the problem is if you go to work on it now let's talk about personal development and in helping kids understand personal development I always start with money now money's not the only place to start money certainly isn't the only value but we've all got to start somewhere and money's something you can count right kids are interested in money okay a lot of things are a little tougher to measure but economics is pretty easy right because you can count okay somebody says how are you doing so I don't know let's count now this is not the only count I understand that there's a lot of other things to count but to see if there may be some errors in your judgment and lack of disciplines in your life we might as well start with money because it's so easy to count so let's just start there and see whether or not maybe we have messed up okay so here's how I explain it to kids we get paid for bringing value to the marketplace key to understanding economics we get paid for bringing value to the marketplace marketplaces also described as reality reality the marketplace now it takes time it takes time to bring value to the marketplace but we don't get paid for time it's very important for kids to understand as well as adults we don't get paid for time mistakenly the man says well I'm making about twenty dollars for an hour not true not true if that was true you could just stay home have them send your money no it's not true you don't get paid for the hour you get paid for the value you put in the time so we don't get paid for time we get paid for value now since that's true here's one of the key questions of the afternoon is it possible to become twice as valuable and make twice as much money in the same time is it possible to become three times as valuable as you now are and make three times as much money in the same time is that possible of course if you want to really emphasize something that's a good phrase to it of course of course okay now all you have to do to earn more money in the same time is simply become more valuable America is unique it's a ladder to climb it starts down here what about four dollars an hour big argument last year in Congress about the starting place should be five should be five should be five well no it doesn't need to be five Why not start with four it's a ladder right this is not a bid this is a ladder it's a ladder decline it starts at four dollars now somebody said well should be five should be five well maybe if you're going to stay at the bottom for the rest of your life it probably should be fine but that's kind of a pitiful way to Live start and not grow start and not change start and not become more valuable hey the whole scenario of life is to start number one in what become more valuable number two so America's latter decline starts at four dollars an hour and the more valuable you become you just keep moving up the ladder top income last year what 52 million guy that runs Disney would a company pay somebody for one year's work 52 million dollars and the answer is of course this is one of those of course places of course if you help a company make a billion dollars would they pay you 52 million the answer is of course it's chicken feed I mean that's not much money now why that much money because he has become so valuable now why would we pay somebody only four dollars an hour they're not very valuable to the marketplace now we've got to make that distinction to the marketplace might be a valuable brother a valuable member of the community valuable member of the church valuable member in the sight of God to the Human family of course those kind of values but to the marketplace which is called what reality reality is if you're not very valuable you don't get much money those are called the facts foreign well then how do you get more money simple answer somebody says well I'll go on strike for more well here's a major problem with that here's a major problem with that you can't get rich by demand somebody says well I'm waiting for a raise I'm telling you it's easier to climb than to wait for a raise why not just become more valuable rather than wait I'm telling you that's the key to All Good Things becoming more valuable why would we pay somebody four hundred dollars an hour they've become more valuable to the marketplace see how this works I'm telling you this stuff is so easy this is America this is a ladder how far is it from four to five I'm telling you it's not far four to five dollars an hour if you work for McDonald's haul out the trash they'll pay you five dollars an hour if you Whistle While You Haul out the trash they'll pay you five dollars an hour I'm telling you you'll get an extra dollar just for a good attitude yay McDonald's wear the hat incredible five dollars and then you just keep becoming more valuable more valuable more valuable I got a telephone call five years ago the company said we're ready to expand internationally we need some help I was sort of semi-retired right looking for the next exotic Beach they said no no Mr Wrong we got a project for you right we're going to expand internationally we could use your help next little while we'll add some Millions to your fortune make it worth your while I said okay I thought later isn't that interesting that they called me my second thought was of course they'd call me who else would they call I mean you know I could get the job done now how come how come I got a telephone call worth millions I had become valuable now I'm a farm boy from Idaho I was raised in obscurity one year of college and I thought I was thoroughly educated made all kinds of mistakes Galore at age 25 the creditors are calling me saying hey you told us to check what's in the mail I got pennies in my pocket I got nothing in the bank I'm behind on my promises how come I get a telephone call five years ago and it's worth millions I changed I changed I turned my life around is it possible to become worth millions speaking economically now there's a lot of values to become but let's just talk economics is it possible to become that valuable and the answer is of course of course now let me give you the secret show said here's the secret Mr own learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job once I got that it turned my life around learned to work harder on yourself than you do on your job he said if you work hard on your job you'll make a living if you work hard on yourself you can make a fortune if you would have known me at age 25 you would have said Jim rohn's a hard worker if you'd have known me you'd have said that I'm the guy I don't mind coming a little bit early staying a little bit late I don't mind that you'd have said well Jim rohn's a hard worker you say well how come he's got pennies in his pocket nothing in the bank and behind on his promises well I was a hard worker but I was working hard on my job not on my cell I'm telling you if you'll learn that simple little principle and start the process today latest tomorrow I'll give you tonight to think it over and start this whole process of personal development work on yourself make yourself more valuable to the marketplace I'm telling you you can so dynamically change your income and economics is the least of the values that you can start earning in terms of equity if you'll start working harder on yourself than you do on your job work hard on yourself and develop the skills work hard on yourself and develop The Graces all of the stuff necessary to become more valuable to the marketplace I'm telling you your whole life can explode into change promotions no problem becoming more valuable to the company I'm telling you no problem money no problem economics no problem future no problem if you just go to work on the right thing not get things out there to change don't try to change the seed don't change the soil don't change the sunshine don't change the rain don't change the mix of Seasons let the miracle of everything that's available work for you and start working on the inside work on your philosophy work on your attitude work on your personality work on your language work on the gift of communication work on all of your abilities and if you'll start making those personal changes I'm telling you everything will change for you now let me give you another scenario on personal development it's called the four major lessons in life to learn before we get to the four major lessons in life to learn let me give you a key phrase for your notes here it is life and business is like the seasons life and business is like the seasons Frank Sinatra sings Life is Like the seasons now here's one of the key phrases that changed my life starting at age 25 you can see this whole scenario personal development for me began I've never been the same since here's the next key phrase you cannot change the seasons but you can change yourself you can't change the season but you can change yourself my best hope right when I'm 25 years old my best Hope was to go through the day with my fingers crossed saying I sure hope things will change I sure hope things will change it seemed to be my only way for my life to get better if things would change here's what I discovered it isn't going to change it isn't going to change I did a seminar one time for Standard Oil Executives and management in Honolulu now known as Chevron and we're talking economics one day around the conference table and one of them said to me Mr Owen you know some fairly important people around the world you have a chance to travel internationally can you tell us what you think the 80s are going to be like you can tell how far back this goes said what do you think the 80s are going to be like and I thought for a moment and I said gentlemen I do know the right people and I do have some experience I think I can tell you so they all leaned in a little closer and I said gentlemen based on the people I know and based on the best of my own experience I think in the 80s it's going to be about like it's always been aren't you glad you came today I mean that's inside stuff I don't just spread that around everywhere it's going to be about like it's always been it isn't going to change to hope that it'll change it's called whistling in the wind being so naive hoping for something that isn't going to occur I can give you the shortest history lesson that you can imagine in one sentence what describes human history on the spinning Planet the last six and a half thousand years let me describe it for you in one sentence here's human history in one sentence opportunity mixed with difficulty about as simple as you can put it an opportunity mixed with difficulty isn't going to change the man says well if it isn't going to change for the future if it isn't going to change in the 90s how will my life ever change answer when you change and if you will change everything will change for you your bank account will change your income will change your future will change the ability to acquire your dreams will change it'll all change if you will change and now let's go through the scenario of the seasons life in business is like the seasons let's cover them here's number one major lesson in life to learn learn how to handle the winters you say Well Mr own a lot of this stuff is fairly obvious that's true just need somebody like me just to come along and remind us this is what this is called today a reminding session I got no new Truth for you to discover this is all old stuff we just need to hear it again somebody get on our case a little bit right we all need that here's number one lesson learn how to handle the winters that's obvious the winters come right after Falls and pray tell how often every year according to written history for the last six and a half thousand to cross your fingers and say I hope I hope I hope it doesn't come I'm telling you we call that naive now there's all kinds of winters not just the winter of the season but there's all kinds of winters winter time the down time the discouraging time one writer called it the winter of discontent the winter when you can't figure it out the winter when it all goes wrong economic winter social Winters political Winters and personal Winters when your heart is smashed in a thousand pieces the nights are unusually long it's called winter time Barbra Streisand sings it used to be so natural to talk about forever but used to bees don't count anymore they just lay on the floor till we sweep them away you don't sing me love songs you don't say you need me and you don't bring me flowers anymore a song of winter but hey we're acquainted with all those winter scenarios we've been through them all now the question is what do you do about the winters well you can't get rid of January by tearing it off the calendar but here's what you can do with the upcoming winters of your life the long ones the short ones the easy ones the more difficult ones here's what you can do get wiser and stronger and better just make a list of that Trio of good words wiser stronger and better to challenge for yourself the upcoming winters of your life don't you think you could read more pick up the scenario pick up the books pick up the cassettes so I would put some stuff on cassette so you can listen to it put it in books you can read it now putting it on video so you can see it I'm telling you anybody that wants to can get wiser next is stronger anybody can get stronger if you're willing to do the push-ups you can get stronger if you're willing to put yourself through the paces you can get stronger can you develop stronger skills and the answer is yes start practicing practicing practicing and you can get stronger can you get stronger in handling life situations of course but you've got to go to work on yourself you can't blame out there wishing it was easier wish you were stronger and here's the last one get better anybody can get better language we can all get better I've been lecturing now for 33 years and I'm telling you today verses 33 years ago I'm bad or first time I gave a talk I stood up my mind sat back down I mean you know I've been through that whole deal opened my mouth nothing came out for a while my knees are banging together and a sweat's pouring off my face I'm shaking like a leaf it's called Terror in case you haven't tried it those first attempts but I'm telling you I got through it and I did it again and I got through it and I did it again and I got through it and now of course I can lecture for a few hours in one day anybody can get better develop the skills okay handle the upcoming Winters don't wish away the winters that's called naive wish for the skills wish for the strength wish for the wisdom here's the second major lesson in life to learn learn how to take advantage of the spring uniquely enough spring follows winter and pray tell how often six and a half thousand times I mean those are good odds I'd gamble on it one more time I mean those are good odds every time you can't beat those odds spring is called opportunity another day is called opportunity days follow nights how about that and how often every day but now here's what museum has learned to do with opportunity underline two strategic words in that sentence take advantage just just because spring comes it's no sign you're going to look good in the fall you've got to take advantage of it you got to do something with it read every book you can on what to do with your Springs what to do with your opportunities what to do with your days what to do with your chances don't miss the educational process don't miss the process of learning to understand opportunity keeps coming but the key is taking advantage taking advantage everybody in this room's got to learn to do one of two things plant in the spring or beg in the fall and it doesn't mean you can't become a sophisticated Baker but you don't need the reputation learn to plant in the spring take advantage and there's an urgency here on Springtime because there's just a few Springs handful of Springs offered to each of us so take advantage swiftly and quickly don't just let the time pass The Beatles wrote life is very short and for John Lennon that was extra short for Michael Landon it was extra short but life is short at the longest it's short so don't just let the Springs pass pass take advantage Seize the Day seize the moment seize the opportunity that's the key springtime life is fragile life is brief Elton John saying she lived her life like a Candle in the Wind it's fragile it's brief whatever you're going to do you got to get at it don't just let it pass away here's major lesson number three in the summer learn how to nourish and protect we've got two challenges in the summer in the personal development part of our life and that is become capable and powerful enough in the summer and wise enough in the summer to nourish what's good and defend yourself against what's bad nourish and defend the summer time is an interesting time it holds the possibility of the promise of harvest time but it also has the possibility of the threat sure enough as soon as you planted your garden the busy bugs and the noxious weeds are out to take it and let me give you another word of advice they will take it unless you prevent it summertime is an interesting time best as I can describe summertime you've got to nourish your values like a mother nourish like a mother go after the threat to the values you've got like a father deal with the weeds kill the weeds nourish the garden and kill the weeds that's called summertime what a challenging time give life like a mother take life like a father summertime you got to deal with the negative as well as the positive summertime is a unique complex mix of positive and negative opportunity and threat what a scenario of life itself opportunity and threat to the opportunity and you got to deal with both you got to think positive and you got to think negative you got to handle what's ever out to threaten you you've got to learn to threaten it back summertime interesting time nourish like a mother defend like a father you've got to be like your bloodstream in the summer red corpuscles to what nourish white corpuscles to what fight you've got to both nourish and fight you've got to nourish and be vigilant quite corpuscles make negative you can't just think positive we call you naive somebody says well I've been taught to be all positive you'll be some kind of freak can't be all positive thank God for white corpuscles that think negative all day guess what white corpuscles are looking for all day problems infection white corpuscle say just show me some infection I'll kill it why it's out to kill the body it's out to kill our chances it's out to kill our future whatever threatens us we threaten I'm asking you to take sword to your enemies whatever is out to threaten you threaten your health you've got to threaten it back like white corpuscles kill what's evil nourish what's good love like a mother hate like a father father says to whatever threatens his family take two or three more steps toward this family and threaten my family you'll cease to exist I'm father I kill Ed don't let the weeds take your garden wreck your chances for a good harvest deal with your enemies in the summer called Good and Evil the great struggle in life is called Good and Evil tyranny and Liberty sickness and health it's the way life is tyranny threatens Liberty takes over Kuwait can't have that if tyranny takes Kuwait it'll take Saudi Arabia if it takes Saudi Arabia it'll take something else where are we going to stop tyranny soon lest it take the whole world value so George Bush draws a Line in the Sand consults with its allies sends a half a million troops to Saudi Arabia finally desert sword Desert Storm takes on Saddam Hussein drives him out of Kuwait why because it has to be done the great struggle between Liberty and tyranny the great struggle between evil and good and you've got to treat your own life the same Saddam Hussein you can't have Kuwait can't have Saudi Arabia furthermore we're going to kick you out hires chief White corpuscle General Schwarzkopf yeah takes care of the man I'm asking you in the summer nourish like a mother threaten whatever threatens you like a father now you can also turn around the scenario that's true love like a father hate like a mother give life like a father take life like a mother you can turn the scenario around the key is both love and hate single parents have got the greatest challenge love like a mother hate like a father love like a father hate like a mother nothing more dangerous than an angry mother okay