IN THIS ISSUE
Welcome
Feature Article - Hide and Seek
Words to Inspire
Guest Column - Oh the THINKS You Can Think
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WELCOME

Greetings and welcome to all of you. We are delighted to send you another issue of KEYS TO SUCCESS. Thank you for joining us.

Happy New Year to each and every one of you! I hope you had a wonderful holiday. We were surrounded with our families and friends. The only one missing was my son who is currently in Kuwait. He's in the Air Force (on loan to the Army)directing military airlifts into Iraq and humanitarian airlifts into Iran. Needless to say, I will be very happy when he returns to the U.S. in March.

The feature article this month compares the arrival of the New Year with the game Hide and Seek. Are you ready to play? You will find four questions to help you stay on track with the choices you make throughout the year.

Our commitment is to give you practical information and inspirational ideas to benefit your business and personal life. We are committed to "bringing out your best"! We welcome feedback so we can improve and offer real value to you.

Keys to Success is written and published by Carol Gegner. Are you ready to excel? Check out http://www.coachexecs.com. We are ready to help you.

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Hide and Seek

Did you ever play "hide and seek" as a kid? The game rules were (1) there was a boundary for the playing field, (2) there was a home base, (3) there was an "it" and (4) the rest of the gang were hiders.

As a hider, you tried to outsmart the "it" so you could run back to home base without being caught. You would listen for foot steps, peek out to see if the coast was clear and then run as fast as you could to home base.

As the "it" or seeker, you stood at home base with your eyes closed, counted to ten and then yelled loudly, "ready or not here I come!" Then you started looking in all the best hiding places within the boundaries to find and tag a hider before he/she ran back to home base.

The New Year reminds me of playing hide and seek. It arrives and silently says to us "ready or not here I come." The difference is we can create our own boundaries and we can determine whether to hide or seek. The truth is we probably do some of both throughout the year. Sometimes is it easier to hang out in your favorite places hoping opportunities will come your way. We like those comfort zones.

Other times we take the offense as a seeker. It does take more energy, time and effort. As a seeker, we are ready and able to take a risk and create what we want. Are you more of a hider or seeker?

We have choices to make every day that determine how we succeed. To help you stay on track here are four questions (excerpted from Debbie Ford's book "The Right Questions") to ask yourself in your quest for success.

1. Will this choice propel me toward an inspiring future or will it keep me stuck in the past? Seekers eventually open their eyes and take risks sometimes outside the usual boundaries. They search until they find. Hiders remain in their comfort zone often out of fear.

2. Am I looking for what's right or am I looking for what's wrong? Seekers keep a positive, optimistic view. Hiders tend towards the more negative, pessimistic thoughts.

3. Will this choice bring me long-term fulfillment or will it bring me short-term gratification? Seekers know success takes time and they are willing to stay in the game for the long haul. Hiders want immediate results and give up when the game gets a little rough.

4. Will I use this situation as a catalyst to grow or will I use it beat myself up? Seekers ask what can I learn from this and then integrate that information into their lives. Hiders feel they are failures when their attempts fail. They pull back into that famous comfort zone.

Success comes from the daily choices we make. A New Year has arrived and we have the chance to create what we want. Ready or not it is here! Are you ready to play hide or seek? The choice is yours.
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WORDS TO INSPIRE

"I do. Therefore I am."
Nextel Billboard

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it
with a club."
Jack London, author

"If you do not do the thing you fear, the fear controls your life."
Brian Tracy
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GUEST ARTICLE - Oh, the THINKS You Can Think!

"Think! Think and wonder.
Wonder and think.
How much water can fifty-five elephants drink?

You can wonder...
How long is the tail of a ZONG?

There are so many THINKS that a THINKER can think!
Would you dare yank a tooth of the RINK-RINKER-FINK?

THINK! You can Think any THINK that you wish...
Think a race on a horse on a ball with a fish!

Think left and think right and think low and think high.
Oh, the THINKS you can think up if only you try (Suess, 1975, pp. 19, 21-22, 28-30).!

Reference: Seuss, Dr., (1975). Oh, the thinks you can think! New York:
Random House.

What are some new THINKS you can think up if you try?