Something that we all seem to have in common is problems. Some see problems and give up immediately. Others thrash about or throw money at their problems with the predictable results that they continue without resolution, often getting worse. I have watched people carp, duck and hide, pull their hair, cry, lash out, etc. None of these produces the desired effect of solving the problem. Certainly, it never solves the problem in ways that are good for all parties involved.

People who aim to truly solve problems seem to have several traits in common. Here’s my top 10 list of these traits.

#10 - Problem-solvers get a good fix on reality. They do not spend a lot of time in dreamland, wondering about what coulda been or woulda been if things were different. Things are NOT different - problem-solvers know this and act accordingly.

#9 - Problem-solvers do not gripe and do not make trouble for others.

#8 - Problem-solvers are self-starters. They do not wait for someone else to point out that there is something wrong. And they don’t wait for someone else to tell them how to fix it.

#7 - Problem-solvers do not keep lists of grievances. Problem-solvers may keep a few objective examples of a problem to use as evidence when problem-solving discussions arise.

#6 - Problem-solvers engage their imaginations to come up with new solutions that they can try out, and they have the guts to go forward as they test their solutions.

#5 - Problem-solvers do not look to others for assurances that cannot be delivered. They know who does and does not make decisions, and try to work with those who do.

#4 - Problem-solvers are nimble-minded, tough-love optimists who work tenaciously to solve the problems facing them.

#3 - Problem-solvers are capable of allying themselves with others so that if a problem goes beyond their personal abilities, they can make use of the talents of others.

#2 - Problem-solvers effectively juggle their entire load of problems so that they all get resolved. They don’t let any one problem so dominate their attention (except in emergencies), that they can’t multitask. Here they attend to one problem. A few minutes later they’re busy solving another. They don’t make everything else wait until something is solved completely. They work on multiple fronts as best they can.

And the number one attribute of Problem-solvers:

#1 - Problem-solvers go the extra mile to solve problems and to help others solve their problems. They value win-win solutions whenever they are possible.

Are you a problem-solver?

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Napoleon Hill, one of the first great self help gurus, thought that persistence was so important that he devoted a chapter to it in his landmark book “Think And Grow Rich.” Chapter IX refers to persistence as “The sustained effort necessary to induce faith.” He called persistence the eighth step toward riches. However, another sentence on page one of this chapter really defines how important persistence is. That sentence is: “There may be no heroic connotation to the word “persistence,” but the quality is to the character of man what carbon is to steel.” Persistence strengthens the character of a person so much that he can do whatever it takes to reach his goal or complete the task he has undertaken.

Throughout history, there have been many examples of this. Dr. Jonas Salk, who found the vaccine for polio, persisted with his research even though he failed 200 times before he found a vaccine that worked. Thomas Edison kept working at creating a light bulb even though he failed more than 10,000 times. His persistence paid off and we use his invention every night to light our homes after the sun goes down.

If you read autobiographies, you will learn that most famous and wealthy individuals failed numerous times before they were successful. Each time their persistence allowed them to gain what they were striving for. The power of persistence is that all individuals who persist long enough will eventually reach their goal. No other characteristic has that power. A persistent trickle of water running slowly over the same place on a rock for a long period of time will wear away the rock. Even though water is not as hard as stone, through persistence, water will always win. That is the power of persistence. Persistence at something will always win.

So, how can you make persistence a habit that you always use? These four little steps will create this valuable habit:

1. Have a specific goal and support it with a burning desire for fulfillment.

2. Have a definite plan you follow and take continual action on that plan.

3. Do not listen to any negative or discouraging suggestions. Also, do not let any negative occurrences dissuade you from continuing your action.

4. Find a mentor who will encourage you in your endeavors and who will push you when you slow down.

It doesn’t matter what it is you are trying to do, if you follow these four steps you will be successful in everything you do. These steps are what you can use to improve your wealth and obtain power, fame, recognition and freedom of thought. These steps will change your dreams into reality.

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Think back to when you were a child and you watched a friend or an older sibling ride a bicycle. You felt a desire start to build in you to be able to do that too. The more you saw them having fun riding their bicycle, the more desire you had to have one also. Finally you were able to persuade your parents to get you a bicycle.

With the help of a parent or older sibling, you learned to ride it. As your proficiency at riding a bicycle grew, your belief in your ability to do so became stronger. When your belief became very strong, you developed faith that you could do it any time you wanted to.

Once you had faith that you could ride a bicycle, you did so without much conscious thought. The same thing happens with everything that you believe you can do. When your belief in your abilities to do it becomes strong, you develop faith that you can do it whenever you want to.

The power of faith is greater than the power of knowledge, just as the CEO of an organization has more power than a junior manager. The power of faith is so superior to any technology that we presently have, that it is an injustice to equate faith with technology. When the power of faith is placed into action, the amount of work that we can accomplish becomes greater and greater, and whatever our purpose may be, we will positively scale the heights.

The power of our faith changes how we perceive the value of our abilities. If our belief in our capabilities is strong, we know that our ability will allow us to accomplish whatever we decide to undertake.

The power of faith is like the mystery of love. You know it is there, but you cannot see it. You feel it working and guiding you, but like the air that you breathe to sustain your life, it is not visible. Only the results of its presence prove its existence.

We think of faith as having the ability to move mountains (which it can), but the power of faith is as subtle as it is dynamic. The power of faith is relative to how much one truly believes something is possible. If you truly believe with every fiber of your being that you can do something, your mind will find a way to accomplish it.

A good example of this was Terry Fox, the one legged Canadian Hero who ran a marathon a day to raise money for the Cancer Society. Even professional marathon runners cannot run a marathon a day. However, this young man had faith that he could do it, and in all kinds of weather he ran a marathon a day for weeks, running from the east coast of Canada nearly to Thunder Bay where cancer over took him.

The power of faith is what miracles are made of. The power of faith is not seen in spectacular healing miracles or in getting people to laugh or make animal noises. It is seen in the everyday accomplishments of people who do things that no one expects them to be able to accomplish. However, they have so much faith in their capabilities that they confound their critics and accomplish something that seems to be impossible, like the blind man who climbed Mount Everest and the young university lad who was allowed to play the last few minutes of a basketball game and scored 27 points.

You too can do anything that you want to do if you develop faith in yourself. Do not let anyone tell you that you cannot and do not doubt yourself for a minute.

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I have learn in the past few years that it is good to set a little time for yourself. In this life of hurry we seldom stop to settle down and relax. I retire a few years ago, and one week after I retired I was doing more than I did when I was working. So one year later I found myself back at work. I work for another 10 years and retired once more. This time I stay busy but not as much as I did the first time. My children look at me and said daddy why don’t you rest. You have work hard all of your life, now don’t you think that it is time you look out for yourself. I though about it and I did slow down a little. As I started to play around on the internet, there seem to be something out there for me. I could enjoy myself at home while doing what I wanted to do. For some reason I am starting to like being around the computer. I don’t know that much about it but for a 66 year old guy I think that I can learn some more. I have even decided that I will start a business online. I am not interest in become rich, I just want to make a nice living in my old age. I have learned to not worry about everything, and not to stress out about everything. I have come to understand the old saying of (Don’t worry about things that you have no control over). I’ve learn to take life as it is. You know what, life is very sweet now. Well it’s time to go and get ready for my grandson’s baseball game and enjoy him for a while.

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