Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Leaving a Legacy - Principles to Live By by Jim Rohn

Leaving a Legacy - Principles to Live By by Jim Rohn


(excerpted from Jim Rohn's Twelfth Pillar of Success: Legacy, Part Two of the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan)

You know me, I am a philosopher. I love principles. Yes, actions are great and I talk about them regularly, but the important stuff is what lies underneath--the principles.

Here are what I consider to be the principles that we must commit to if we are to leave the legacy we desire:

1. Life is best lived in service to others.

This doesn't mean that we do not strive for the best for ourselves. It does mean that in all things we serve other people, including our family, co-workers and friends.

2. Consider others' interests as important as your own.

Much of the world suffers simply because people consider only their own interests. People are looking out for number one, but the way to leave a legacy is to also look out for others.

3. Love your neighbor even if you don't like him.

It is interesting that Jesus told us to love others. But he never tells us to like them. Liking people has to do with emotions. Loving people has to do with actions. And what you will find is that when you love them and do good by them, you will more often than not begin to like them.

4. Maintain integrity at all costs.

There are very few things you take to the grave with you. The number one thing is your reputation and good name. When people remember you, you want them to think, "She was the most honest person I knew. What integrity." There are always going to be temptations to cut corners and break your integrity. Do not do it. Do what is right all of the time, no matter what the cost.

5. You must risk in order to gain.

In just about every area of life you must risk in order to gain the reward. In love, you must risk rejection in order to ask that person out for the first time. In investing you must place your capital at risk in the market in order to receive the prize of a growing bank account. When we risk, we gain. And when we gain, we have more to leave for others.

6. You reap what you sow.

In fact, you always reap more than you sow--you plant a seed and reap a bushel. What you give you get. What you put into the ground then grows out of the ground. If you give love you will receive love. If you give time, you will gain time. It is one of the truest laws of the universe. Decide what you want out of life and then begin to sow it.

7. Hard work is never a waste.

No one will say, "It is too bad he was such a good, hard worker." But if you aren't they will surely say, "It's too bad he was so lazy - he could have been so much more!" Hard work will leave a grand legacy. Give it your all on your trip around the earth. You will do a lot of good and leave a terrific legacy.

8. Don't give up when you fail.

Imagine what legacies would have never existed if someone had given up. How many thriving businesses would have been shut down if they quit at their first failure? Everyone fails. It is a fact of life. But those who succeed are those who do not give up when they fail. They keep going and build a successful life - and a legacy.

9. Don't ever stop in your pursuit of a legacy.

Many people have accomplished tremendous things later on in life. There is never a time to stop in your pursuit of a legacy. Sometimes older people will say, "I am 65. I'll never change." That won't build a great life! No, there is always time to do more and achieve more, to help more and serve more, to teach more and to learn more. Keep going and growing that legacy!

These are core principles to live by if you want to become the kind of person who leaves a lasting legacy.

Until next week, let's do something remarkable!
Jim Rohn

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Success is Easy, But So is Neglect by Jim Rohn

Success is Easy, But So is Neglect by Jim Rohn


excerpted from The Challenge to Succeed audio series)

People often ask me how I became successful in that six-year period of time while many of the people I knew did not. The answer is simple: The things I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. I found it easy to set the goals that could change my life. They found it easy not to. I found it easy to read the books that could affect my thinking and my ideas. They found that easy not to. I found it easy to attend the classes and the seminars, and to get around other successful people. They said it probably really wouldn't matter. If I had to sum it up, I would say what I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. Six years later, I'm a millionaire and they are all still blaming the economy, the government, and company policies, yet they neglected to do the basic, easy things.

In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing as well as they could and should, can be summed up in a single word: neglect.

It is not the lack of money - banks are full of money. It is not the lack of opportunity - America, and much of the free World, continues to offer the most unprecedented and abundant opportunities in the last six thousand years of recorded history. It is not the lack of books – libraries are full of books - and they are free! It is not the schools - the classrooms are full of good teachers. We have plenty of ministers, leaders, counselors and advisors.

Everything we would ever need to become rich and powerful and sophisticated is within our reach. The major reason that so few take advantage of all that we have is simply, neglect.

Neglect is like an infection. Left unchecked it will spread throughout our entire system of disciplines and eventually lead to a complete breakdown of a potentially joy-filled and prosperous human life.

Not doing the things we know we should do causes us to feel guilty and guilt leads to an erosion of self-confidence. As our self-confidence diminishes, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity diminishes, our results inevitably decline. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins the slow shift from positive to negative, our self-confidence diminishes even more... and on and on it goes.

So my suggestion is that when giving the choice of "easy to" and "easy not to" that you do not neglect to do the simple, basic, "easy"; but potentially life-changing activities and disciplines.


To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

Reproduced with permission from the Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine. Subscribe at: www.jimrohn.com or send an email with JOIN in the subject to: subscribe@jimrohn.com

Friday, September 02, 2005

Hurricane Relief - What Can I Do About it?

I spent 2 hrs online in the middle of the night instead of doing some work to look at the situation down in the New Orleans area from the wake of Hurriance Katrina. It is what it is. My faith in God has left me to still say God is God and God is in control. At the same time I look into myself ask how I am accountable for what is happening. I have spent time on foxnews.com and cnn.com informing myself. I have prayed and now see that the rescue operations current needs are cash. In that light I have donated. If you are inspired to be accountable with me you can donate or find more information at:

http://www.fema.gov/press/2005/katrinadonations.shtm

Thursday, September 01, 2005

1st Deal in Philadelphia

In Fall of 2004, I went to the Tax Deed Sheriff Sale in Philadelphia and bidded on a property in University City in Philadelphia.

How did I find it?
One of my friend's brother works in UPENN and just rode a bike and told me that he would live in the area as it was close to DREXEL UNIVERSITY. It was a shell that was completely boarded up or so I thought.

I went to the sale with a MAB or Maximum Allowable Bid of $27K as my initial comps were about $80K ARV or After Repair Value and thought that with sight unseen it was only about $15K to $20K of work. I did one drive by and it was an interesting area as around the corner was student rentals and even further was a school for the blind and various churches around. After the auction someone told me properties are going for 40K around the area - fixed up! I nearly choked when I heard that.

At the auction, I went head to head with a student who pushed the #s from 18K all the way to about 25K and .. I WON! It was the first bid out of 2 other bids that I made that I won! It was a great feeling and I was shaking after I went to the front to pay it off.

Excitingly we went there and opened the house and to my horror saw that the back extension was torn down with a wide gapping hole. Asking for a quick idea of how much it would be repaired for, a investor told me he can get a crew to do it for $36K.

In the meantime, I had an architect go through to draw plans on rehabbing the property. I have shopped the plans to over several contractors with prices from 45K to 120K !!!! Right now I plan to start rehab with my partner in the next 3 months as summer of 2005 is over but I believe I want to get ready for the spring time.

8/30/2005 - went to Philly with my friend and they are pricing the work out as they are contractors from NYC. I asked a realtor about how much is the value of this property and they said about 110K after fixed up with minimal "wow" factor. Just something clean. This is a big contrast to supposed comps around 40K last year! Talk about bad information.

9/29/2005 - I have taken over several construction bids on this. The range is from 35K to 120K! Suffice to say that one of my friends said it can be done for $50K without landscaping in the back. Another contractor told me if that they can do it they love to see the work done that low! Right now the shell is sitting and appreciating slowly but surely. In the future, I would be able to sell it as a shell but the creative part of me wants to do something for the community so I am still accepting bids. The insurance carrier hasn't gotten back to me on covering this shell.

1/5/2006 - I have been calling various lenders for a acquistion and rehab loan. I visited the house and a few people have taken off the wood and went inside without closing the property up. I am going to get it boarded in a week.