Warrior Dad

Debt Reduction 2008

Steven Patrick — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 02:25:36 +0000

Make debt reduction and elimination the number one priority for your family this year. You life and the life of your family will benefit greatly by having no debt.

Do you really need to spend up to $5.00 a day for some fancy coffee?

Can’t you bring your lunch to work and save almost $175.00 monthly?

This simple savings above going toward your credit cards and other debts will significantly reduce the stress of your family.

Most families argue about money, and what this website is about is being a true man and leader of your family.

Investing in their present and future instead of always buying things that satisfy in the moment and not the long term. We will continue to explore this in future articles and bring you to excellent resources on the internet that will continue to help you reduce your debt and improve your life dramatically.

Development of Physical Power

Steven Patrick — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 23:05:17 +0000

Here is an article from the
past that I think you will really like if you are into strength training which
is a great characteristic in being a Warrior Dad.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSICAL POWER -

Chapter 14 – The Bent Press

By Arthur Saxon

Constant practice is the only way in which one may succeed in raising a heavy

weight in this position. It will, no doubt be useful to read below how the
lift is performed, but it will be no use to expect an immediate increase in
your present lift simply by reading my instructions as to this position.
PRACTICE is the great thing, all the time endeavoring to find a position which
will
suit yourself. I will describe the bar-bell lift, as in a bar-bell more may be

raised than in any other way. The bell may be raised with two hands to the
shoulder, as described in the preceding chapter, or it may be raised to the
shoulder with a clean pull in, although, of course, when one reaches a very
heavy
weight, it is impossible to get it to the shoulder except by raising two
hands, and this is allowed in all professional contests, unless otherwise
stipulated.

Never Say Die

Steven Patrick — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 02:06:02 +0000

MANY YEARS AGO, A YOUNG FELLOW came into my office and wanted a job selling insurance. He had been driving a bread truck selling bakery goods house-to-house. He had no money and was living with his wife and little baby boy in the home of his wife’s folks. His shiny blue suit showed signs of wear, but it was clean and well pressed.

He was a stranger in the city and most of his experience had been in mechanical work. He had attended high school, but didn’t finish. So, I was in a dilemma. I knew the odds were against him.

But I was struck by his “look of courage.” He didn’t have much to offer, but this didn’t daunt him. He looked me in the eye and said he’d just like a chance. He wasn’t cocky or chesty -just poised and determined. How could I turn such a fellow down? Fortunately I didn’t.

It was a long hard struggle. From time to time he had to get part-time work with a transfer company hauling barrels. He and his young wife bought a cheap lot in the outskirts of the city and built a little two-room home with their own hands during the week ends and evenings. Another baby boy came along. Meantime he was getting a foothold in selling. He overcame discouragements that would have stopped most men cold. Why was this? It was because he had iron in his blood and had made up his mind that he would not quit. He gained year by year, and is now a leader in his city of about a million people. He is chairman of his church board, an officer in his service club, and trade association. He has a lovely lake waterfront home, two automobiles, and a cruiser. One son is a salesman in his own organization and the other is an honor student in the university.

All this has come about because he just wouldn’t say die!

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY

Courage is the number one quality! Every salesman knows the heart-breaking days that come periodically. The “sure sale” that peters out; the poor credit risk that eats up the profits for a month; the buyer who deserts his old salesman for no apparent reason; the long succession of turn-downs; the days when his spirit is at a low ebb and it takes all the willpower in the world to keep going-all these and more are familiar to every salesman.

Why does he keep at it? Most salesmen have wondered about that themselves. Isn’t there an easier way to make a living? It’s really quite a mystery why some men hang on as long as they do. Probably it is due to their spirit of adventure and love of independence. They like the ever-changing picture each day. They’d wither up and die if they had to sit in an office behind a desk eight hours a day. They rebel at the thought of working under a “boss.” Every now and then a successful sale gives them a thrill that more than compensates for the days and weeks of frustration and despair. WINSTON CHURCHILL

We are all thrilled by the fierce courage of Winston Churchill-a man who will go down in history with Caesar, Napoleon, and other men of destiny. In England’s darkest days he literally saved his beloved island from the Germans. His famous speeches are classics. Listen-

We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing-grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender. Again-

I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. . . . You ask: ‘What is our aim?’ I can answer in one word: ‘Victory!’ Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.

Winston Churchill, with his bulldog tenacity, set jaw, and determined attitude is the very personification of courage.

ATHLETES AND SALESMEN

A courageous attitude seems to be natural to great athletes and great salesmen. But-those who don’t possess this blood-red quality can acquire it. How do I know this? I know because I did it myself. As a young man just out of college it would have been absolutely impossible for me to strike out as a salesman in a strange city. But ten years later I did it. How did I develop such a frame of mind? It is a simple story-I finally realized that the men who were getting ahead in the world were no smarter than I was; they didn’t have any better education; they didn’t have a more pleasing personality; they didn’t have any more friends either. They had just one big thing I didn’t have-they had the guts to get out on their own and fight for business. They weren’t hampered by thoughts of whether it was “nice” for them to urge me or anyone else to buy. They just simply went about their business, putting one foot ahead of the other, day in and day out, asking people to buy. Meantime I was growing older, in a salary job where I could be fired any day.

I finally screwed up my nerve, resigned a good job, sold our house, and I jumped in my car with my wife and drove from Iowa to Los Angeles to become a salesman. Did this take grit? It sure did. How did I muster up the courage to do it? It was simply that I knew that it was now or never. I was 34 years old and the fork in the road was right there-either I’d be a slave all my life to some one who could fire me any morning, or I’d fight for the right to call my soul my own. Was it easy? I should say not! Was I scared? Yes, indeed! So, from first hand experience I know that a man who is naturally timid and fearful, can talk himself into an attitude of fortitude and determination. You can do it too-if you really want to do it.

The best thing you can do when you are not really brave, is to act that way anyway. This reflects in your consciousness and you’ll soon really feel that way.

GREAT PHILOSOPHERS LAUD COURAGE

Plutarch said, “Courage consists not in hazarding without fear, but being resolutely minded in a just cause.” So don’t think that you can turn on your “Courage Button” and banish all your fears. It doesn’t work like that at all. But you can promise yourself that you’ll act courageous. Then first thing you know, your fears will vanish.

One large sales organization has recruited many college men. The manager says he soon discovered that there was little if any correlation between physical and moral courage. Some of the greatest football stars who were veritable tigers on the football field were shrinking violets when asked to approach new prospects. On the other hand, some apparently bashful and timid men made their calls without hesitation. This has been my own experience, too. One of our very best salesmen is a man who emphatically declares that he is a physical coward. (I’m sure that in a real emergency he would not be.) Nevertheless he has exhibited a brand of moral courage I have never seen Excelled. He has overcome practically every foe a salesman can meet. I’ll tell you more about him later in this book, but he is a perfect example of mental and emotional courage -the kind every really top salesman must possess.

FEED YOUR MIND

As boys we all liked to read about Robin Hood, Daniel Boone, Buffalo Bill, King Arthur, Cortez, and other bold men. As men we like to read and hear about champion salesmen, captains of industry, and national leaders. This is as it should be too. Most of us are hero-worshippers at heart, and we get a lot of inspiration from it.

Every month good book
s on selling, mental attitude, and inspiration come off the presses. By reading them, we will be reminded of good techniques we have used, but discarded. In them we read of methods that will make us better salesmen. Some of these books are written by men well known as leaders in their fields. A five dollar bill invested in a good book may revolutionize a salesman’s life. If necessary we may economize somewhere else, but not in feeding our mind.

It’s a queer thing, but most of us will spend hundreds of dollars for vitamins, special diets, and aids to digestion and the building of our bodies, but we seem to be reluctant to invest money in our most precious asset-our minds. So we should watch for these books and magazine articles that will help us keep our fires burning brightly. DON’T GET DISCOURAGED

Selling is like fishing. We never know when the next cast may land a good fish. And we never know when the next call may land a good order. One day about four o’clock, I was standing on the corner of 7th and Hill in Los Angeles. It seemed a little late to make another call, and yet it was a little early to go back to the office. I decided to go across the street and make a cold-canvas call “just for fun.” Making cold calls was not fun-but I was determined to do it.

I went to the top floor of the building and walked into the office of a glove importer. I frankly told him I was a salesman and had time for “just one more call” and he was elected. He said he had some salesmen out and he wished they would make “just one more call” every day. We visited a few minutes and I asked to see the gloves that he sold. They were beautiful French gloves for ladies and were quite expensive. I admired them, as I could certainly most sincerely do.

On his desk he had a picture of a fine looking little boy about three years old. I asked him if this was his son, and he replied that it was.

Then I asked if he had any plan set up for his son’s educational trust fund. He asked me what that was, and after I explained it, he was enthusiastically in favor of my proposition and wrote me a check.

This incident has made thousands of dollars for me. Many, many times remembering this has bolstered up my courage to go ahead when it would have been far easier to skip the whole thing. Every salesman has had adventures like this. Think about them; dwell on them; and then forge ahead; don’t quit.

ADVICE FROM SHAKESPEARE

Read this from Shakespeare’s Macbeth:

Macbeth: If we should fail? Lady Macbeth: We fail! But screw your courage to the sticking place, And we’ll not fail.

It is said that 37 percent of all salesmen who fail lose because of discouragement. The very word “discouragement” tells the story-lack of courage. So if this is true, as it certainly seems to be, it is paramount that we who sell, should continually think about it and “screw up our courage.” The very best cure is to compel yourself to do what you fear. Every man reading this book knows how true this is. The thing we fear the most is usually formidable because it is unfamiliar. The more we put off tackling it, the worse it becomes.

So the next time you have this fear-dragon attack you, grit your teeth and go ahead. You will be agreeably surprised, and you won’t be so fearful next time either. Never say die!

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS CHAPTER 1. Courage is the greatest asset a salesman can have. With it, he pushes ahead to victory. Without it, he is defeated before he starts.

2. Courage can be cultivated by any man who is determined to do it. The “taking the bull by the horns” attitude will win the battle. Acting courageous will produce the real thing. Try it!

3. Fear is natural and really an ally. It points out dangers that might be overlooked. But a salesman must not let it stop him. He must forge ahead.

4. Literature is full of inspiration for the man who will read. Feed your mind-it’s more important than your stomach!

5. Force yourself to do the thing you know you should do. Don’t be a quitter. Face the issue-it’s a victory to you as a man if you go ahead, regardless of the outcome. But if you give up to fear and don’t even try, you’re a coward for sure-and doomed to failure.

Technorati Tags: glove, Excel, strength, success, fishing, money, number

The Power of Spirit

Steven Patrick — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 01:56:13 +0000

The brilliant band of blood-red is at the top of the rainbow. This typifies the spiritual qualities of the salesman who wins-Courage, Conviction, Enthusiasm, and Persistence. Battles aren’t won by brains and cunning alone-it takes “blood, sweat, and tears,” to quote the immortal words of Winston Churchill. This applies to selling, too.

So in the first section of this book we will consider these emotional and spiritual attributes that a man must develop if he aspires to leadership.

Master Salesmen Are Men of Spirit

IF FIFTY LEADING ARTISTS WERE TO paint a picture of the Grand Canyon every one would be different. Some would be dark and grim. Others would depict the lighter hues. No doubt a few would be realistic and beautiful. Others would be impressionistic and hard to understand. But they would all reflect the personalities and ideas of their creators.

So it is with master salesmen. Each has his own way of persuading men to buy. One may be suave and adroit. Another will be direct to the point of being overbearing. Most successful salesmen are polite and courteous, and yet others are almost insulting. How can such different types all be successful? What’s the answer? It’s probably that each one gravitates to his own kind. His “wave length” synchronizes with the prospects he selects. At any sales convention it is interesting to observe the various personalities and characters of the leaders. No doubt if their customers were assembled, they would be of the same types as the men who sold them.

SOME CHARACTERISTICS ARE COMMON TO THE LEADERS

Although so different, yet supersalesmen have certain traits in common. The most apparent is this-they are all men of spirit. They intensely want to make sales. They can get hot -literally. They are alive. When they talk to a prospective buyer he feels their enthusiasm and responds to it. They never give up as long as there’s the ghost of a show to make a sale.

They aren’t afraid to ask for the order. They aren’t intimidated by the tough prospects who try to discourage them.

One of the best salesmen in the candy industry has raised his company from a little local enterprise to one of national standing. True, he has a good product to sell, and plenty of good help. But he is the spark-plug and mainspring. He is a perfect example of the supersalesman just described. He’s confident without being chesty. He’s poised and sure without being overbearing. He’s a lot of fun, but always is driving for the order. He isn’t afraid to call on new prospects-in fact that might well be the greatest single secret of his success. The lifeblood of a business is the NEW blood in the form of new customers.

CHRYSLER SAID SALESMEN MUST GET EXCITED

Many think of Walter Chrysler as the miracle man of the automobile business. His story reads like a novel and most of us are familiar with it. One of his greatest assets was his ability to fire up his dealers and salesmen. He often made the statement that being enthusiastic wasn’t enough-his men had to get excited.

http://www.warriordad.com/personalpower.html

A salesman came into my office with a gadget to attach to a phone so that it could be rested on one’s shoulder while talking. He explained that in this way a man’s hands would be free so that he could figure and look up data. He pointed out that a salesman like myself might lose a sale because of the delay occasioned by laying the instrument down while looking up some figures or information. This all sounded reasonable enough but the clincher was this-he got so excited while he was telling his story. He was actually worried about my possibly losing orders.

THE REAL-SILK SALESMAN

One of the finest salesmen I ever met sold Real-Silk products. We became well acquainted and often talked about salesmanship. He taught me many things, but the main one was this – He said, “I really love the things I sell. I wear them myself. When I tell a man about them, I let myself go and enthuse about the marvelous quality, beauty, and economy of my Real-Silk sox, shirts, and other items. When I talk to a woman, I do the same thing and tell her how wonderful she’ll look if she wears Real-Silk brand clothes.”

I asked him how he could stand being turned down as often as he must be every day.

He replied, “That doesn’t worry me a bit. I know I’m just that much closer to my next sale. Part of my job is getting the turn-downs over with as soon as possible, since they are unavoidable. I’m almost glad when I have one, since that one’s out of the way. I do my best to make a sale every time I unpack my case, and so I have no fear. My percentage of sales to calls is practically constant, month in and month out. So why should I fret if I have a long string of turn-downs. I know that sooner or later I’ll have a long string of sales to make up for it.”

WHAT ABOUT APTITUDE?

Many a salesman has read books like this, heard speeches about selling, and wondered if he was really cut out for salesmanship in the first place. That’s a sensible question to ask, too. Selling takes natural aptitudes just the same as any other great art, because selling is really an art. Nevertheless many of the greatest salesmen we know weren’t so promising at first.

THE YOUNG PREACHER’S VISION

One day a famous minister was driving through the country on a Sunday morning. At church time he was in a little country town and decided to stop and attend church services. The young preacher was so obviously unfitted for the ministry that the older man was embarrassed for him. At the conclusion of the services he tried to slip away without meeting the young man. But he had recognized the eminent minister and rushed out to greet him.

He asked the older man what he thought of the sermon.

The famous church leader asked, “Just why did you decide to go into the ministry?” The young man replied, “I was working on my father’s farm one day in the field and suddenly in the sky I saw two great letters, “P” and “C,” in bright light appear in the sky. I knew what they meant too. They meant ‘Preach Christ.’ “

The old man thought a minute and then said, “No son, you didn’t interpret your vision correctly. They meant ‘Plow Corn.’” So the moral to this story is obvious. It’s important that we work in a field for which we are fitted.

ADVICE FOR ANOTHER YOUNG PREACHER

A young minister went to see an eminent clergyman who had a national reputation for filling his church every Sunday and for being one of the most inspiring speakers in the country.

http://www.warriordad.com/powerfullife.html

He asked the older man, “What can I do when I notice some of my congregation getting drowsy and sleepy? Every Sunday I see many people about to go to sleep.”

The famous churchman laughed and said, “That reminds me of my early days when I was just getting started in the ministry. I had the same trouble you’re having, my boy. But I found a wonderful solution.

“I instructed my head usher to keep a sharp eye on the members of my audience to watch for anyone getting sleepy or inattentive. If he saw someone in that condition, he was to slip up the aisle and give the preacher a good poke and wake him up!” Here again the moral is obvious. If we fail to put life and enthusiasm in our sales stories, we might as well quit. But it is quite possible to energize ourselves and “keep our audience awake.”

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

Enthusiasm, persistence, imagination, drive, and ambition can be cultivated-we’ve seen it done many times. All of us are born with cert
ain strengths and weaknesses. An old adage says we should capitalize on our strengths and not worry too much about our weaknesses. This doesn’t mean that a man shouldn’t protect himself from his vulnerable points, but it does mean that he should make the most of his assets. So here are some suggestions that may help-

1. By self-analysis and with the help of friends determine just what your best points are. If they include the spiritual qualities we have listed as so important to success in selling, take heart and don’t worry too much about the weaknesses.

2. Now decide just what your serious weaknesses are, too. If you know in your heart that you can’t hold yourself to a course of action and overcome discouragement, don’t let this demoralize you. But you’d better not enter the career of a salesman.

3. If you conclude you are about average, then set your jaw and determine to raise yourself from mediocrity to success. Many a man has done just that, and you can too.

4. Don’t try to make yourself over all at once. Do as Benjamin Franklin advised-tackle just one little thing at a time and get it under control before going on to the next step. It’s fun if you do it that way. 5. Keep your promises to yourself. Don’t resolve to do any thing at all unless you are determined to stick to your resolutions. This is the most important decision of all.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS CHAPTER

1. Artists and salesmen are alike in that each has his own particular techniques and methods. Yet they have some qualities in common too.

2. The leaders are all men of spirit. They are alive and radiate heat and enthusiasm. They are eager to do business.

3. The best salesmen look on their job as a business. They are not demoralized by set-backs because they know that their winning days will be back, if they keep moving.

4. A man should analyze his strong and weak qualities to determine if he’s cut out to be a salesman. It’s no disgrace if a man can’t sell-it’s a disgrace though if he wastes too much time finding it out.

5. The way for a man to improve himself in his “spirit department” is to determine to do it, and make promises to himself that he will keep. He must also realize that he must proceed step by step in order to make any permanent progress.

Technorati Tags: leadership, strength, success, career, employment

Rainbow of Success

Steven Patrick — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 01:47:10 +0000

When we see a lovely sparkling rainbow in all its glory we usually don’t stop to consider that it is really only the white lifegiving light of the sun separated into its “rainbow colors.” http://www.warriordad.com/scienceofabundantlife.html Likewise when we observe a master salesman about his work we are unlikely to recognize that his success is due to many attitudes, qualities, and habits. In this book I propose to discuss some of these “rainbow colors” possessed by the successful salesmen I have known. As you read it, I hope that you will arrive at some conclusions of your own. It is quite likely that you will think of better ideas than mine! If so, that’s fine, and for you they will be better for sure. I plan to divide the book into seven divisions, just as the sun’s light is divided into its seven rainbow colors. I’ll pass my thoughts on to you with the hope that they will stimulate your thinking and help you make yourself into a better salesman.

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Reasons for Preparing for Marriage

Steven Patrick — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 03:47:42 +0000

Some individuals may wonder why it is necessary to concern themselves with the details of marriage when marriage for them seems so far away. Let’s take a look at the reasons:

1. People are marrying at an earlier age than ever before. In 1890, the average bride was 22 years old; the average groom, 26. Census Bureau figures show that in 1955 the average bride was about 20, the average groom 22^4. Today there are more than 1,000,000 husbands and wives in the United States still in their teens. Experts expect this trend to continue for some time.

2. Although some persons are able to take a marriage course in college, the majority must rely on a high school course or their own reading program. Some dioceses do offer Pre-Cana instruction, but circumstances oftentimes arise which prevent you from attending them.

3. Today, you are being bombarded with more mass media about dating, love and sex than ever before. Only a conscientious study of Christian marriage can hope to rectify the distorted viewpoints found among so many people.

4. You are interested in the subject. A brief glance at the number of question and answer columns on dating, love and marriage more than prove your inquisitiveness. But you need more than information. Proper attitudes to marriage is what is important! This can come about through a systemized course of instructions.

5. The Church has spoken on the need for marriage instructions. Pius XI in his encyclical letter on marriage warns those who approach the sacrament to be “well disposed and well prepared, so that they will be able, as far as they can, to help each other in sustaining the vicissitudes of life, and yet more in attending to their eternal salvation and informing the inner man unto the fullness of the age of Christ.”

Lack of Preparation for Matrimony

Steven Patrick — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 03:41:00 +0000

Every marriage failure discloses somewhat the same tragic picture. Young people are rushing into marriage without knowing what it is all about. They center their attention upon the wedding day and the honeymoon without trying to glimpse at the duties and responsibilities which lie hidden in the background. They are ignorant of the problems – physical, psychological, social, economic, as well as spiritual – which must be solved if the union is to endure and succeed. Preparation for marriage is essential if couples are to make a go of it! Judge Theodore B. Knutson of Minneapolis pointed this up recently. Sixty per cent of the divorces granted since his court’s family division was established affected those marriages contracted when one or both parties was less than 20 years old. “In almost every case,” testified the Judge, “the young people had no premarriage counseling whatsoever.”

Unfortunately, the amount of preparation available today appears to be far less than is needed. From his tour of 100 United States dioceses, Msgr. Irving A. DeBlanc, former director of the NCWC Family Life Bureau, found that 50 per cent of the Catholics who marry received no formal premarriage instruction and another 20 per cent got only one talk.2 Father Edward V. Stanford, O.S.A., author of Preparing for Marriage, in a recent Chicago address stated that in the 1957-1958 school year less than 5 per cent of the Catholic high schools in the United States were offering marriage preparation courses. In the 1958-1959 school year, the figure increased to an estimated 20 per cent.

Christian Marriage

Steven Patrick — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 03:35:24 +0000

Here I am starting a category that is from a book on Christian Marriage. I think there are many good lessons from this book and I want to share them here. I think you will enjoy some of the articles from this book.