About Lake Arrowhead's Hamiltair

Persuading yourself that you can do something is a strong beginning. Next develop a sound plan and get into action. The longer you delay, the harder it will be to begin. Seldom is a plan perfect. If you have a clear vision of your goal and a plan that is flexible enough to allow you to deal with unexpected obstacles or take advantage of unforeseen opportunities, don’t delay another minute. Just getting into action -- even if you do have to make adjustments later -- will help focus your mind and channel your energies in the direction of your objective.

Pat Ryan, the chairman and CEO of Aon Corporation, the giant multinational insurance company, is fond of saying, "You can't conceive how high 'up' is, except for the limitations of your own mind." It's not very good English, he admits, but it emphatically makes the point that the only limits that can be placed on the power of your mind will be those you impose on it yourself. When you brainstorm, don't allow limits to be placed on any idea. Sometimes the ideas that seem the craziest at the time will later prove to be the most inspired. If you're working with your Master Mind group, encourage the free flow of ideas from every individual present. Don't be critical or analytical during the brainstorming process; at this point, every idea is a good one. Cluster the ideas into groups of related thoughts so that the best of them can later be shaped for practical application.

Theoretical knowledge without practical experience might be compared to a large mass of undirected energy. Until it is focused, it is difficult to direct the energy to a useful end. Practical experience is the lens through which the energy of knowledge may be focused and directed toward activities that will provide the greatest benefit. When you learn new concepts or have an idea that has not yet been tested, make it a practice to think through its application carefully before implementation. When you have considered the possibilities, and it still seems to be a good idea -- get into action. The only way to get practical experience is to get to work executing your idea.

Before you can build anything worthwhile, you must first create it in your mind. Your mind is not constrained by physical limitations or boundaries. In the workshop of your mind, you can visualize things that have never been. It is said that Albert Einstein visualized how the universe might look if he were riding astride a beam of light through infinity. Then he worked out the mathematics to support his theory of relativity. You can use the power of your imagination to visualize solutions to difficult problems, to develop new ideas, and to see yourself achieving the goals you have set for yourself.

Successful people are busy people. They despise idleness and constantly search for new challenges and better ways to do things. When others discover that you are a thoughtful, helpful, enthusiastic worker, you will soon have more business than you can manage, and you will greatly increase the number of people who have a stake in your success. The most mundane tasks become much more bearable when you compete with yourself to improve at doing them. When you find faster and better ways to do your job, you also free up time that can be spent in more creative pursuits.