Monday Morning MOJO: April 2008

Monday, April 28, 2008

Monday Mornign MOJO 4/28/2008

Good Morning MOJO,

Two Great Stories - BOTH TRUE - and worth reading! Please read all the way to the end to get the REAL message!

STORY NUMBER ONE
Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but also, Eddie got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him. Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object.

And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read:
”The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour.

Now is the only time you own.
Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time.
For the clock may soon be still".

STORY NUMBER TWO
World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold: a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now-broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His hometown would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son.

Make it a GREAT week and remember it’s never too late to make some changes for the better.

All the best,

"Time = Life. Therefore waste your time and waste your life...or master your time and master your life" Allen Lakein

Tom Tognoli
COO, Founder

Intero Real Estate Services
Direct: 408.863.3000
Email: TTognoli@InteroRealEstate.com
Website: www.InteroRealEstate.com

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Monday, April 21, 2008

Monday Morning MOJO 4/21/2008

Good Morning MOJO,

If you where the President and CEO of your own company, would YOU pay YOU the kind of money YOU want to make for what YOU did last week? Would YOU pay YOU what YOU want to make for what YOU are going to do this week?

Everyone wants more…everyone wants a better life…everyone wants to get it faster. So, what is the difference between those who get what they want…better…faster versus those who don’t? They are in alignment. Their actions each and every day are in alignment with what they want. And those who don’t get what they want, better, faster are typically all talk…they are not in alignment. They say one thing, but do something completely different.

They want to make a lot of money, but work and act like someone who makes minimum wage.
They want to be fit and healthy, but don’t exercise and eat healthy. Not only do they not exercise much, but they don’t exercise at all…and not only do they not eat healthy, but they eat like crap. Fast food…grease…fat…no fruits and vegetables…smoke…drink… Talk about a train wreck waiting to happen.
They want to have a great relationship with their kids, but don’t ever spend quality time with them. When they are with them they are on the cell phone, computer, watching T.V., etc. Not talking and playing with them…not listening…not going for a bike ride. They tell them “we will do it tomorrow…next week…next month…next year”. Then, you wake up one day and they are gone…out of the house and…
They want to have a great relationship with their spouse, but never spend quality time with him or her. Sure they talk about their bills, the “stuff” they need to do, watch TV in the same room, etc. But they never actually go on a date and enjoy each other like they once did before the got married…before they had kids. Then before you know it, you don’t know each other anymore and…

It all starts at a very early age. If we wanted to get A’s in school and not C’s, we had to do the types of things people who get A’s do. Study our ass off…not wait until the last minute…be discipline and accountable in our study habits….we had to attend all of your classes and be fully engaged. If we wanted to start on the football team, drill team, chess team…we needed to do and act like a starter. Well, it does not stop once we graduate high school or college…if we want X, we need to start acting and doing the kinds of things someone who gets X does.

Do you want to know the trick to getting what you want…better…faster. Build a map, then write out detailed right/left directions on how to get where you want to go and then FOLLOW YOUR DIRECTIONS….that map is your plan and the directions is your schedule. Figure out what it is you need to do (specifically) to get what you want…better…faster. This is your map. Then take that list of stuff and plug it all into your schedule. Don’t just do it for a week or a month, but plug that “stuff” in your schedule for an entire year right up front. Then when you wake up, open your schedule and DO EXACTLY what it says…follow the directions. Don’t try a shortcut…remember you spent the time to figure out the detailed directions. The last thing you want to do is get lost trying to take a short cut. If you make your plan, write out directions, and then follow them NO MATTER WHAT…it will be like magic. Before you know it you will start getting what you want…better…faster.

So, to get more of what you want…better…faster. Start acting and doing the things of people who are getting what you want…better…faster.

Make it a GREAT week!!!

"Time = Life. Therefore waste your time and waste your life...or master your time and master your life" Allen Lakein

Tom Tognoli
COO, Founder

Intero Real Estate Services
Direct: 408.863.3000
Email: TTognoli@InteroRealEstate.com
Website: www.InteroRealEstate.com

Intero Story Video: Intero Story

Intero Foundation Video: Intero Foundation

Intero Resorts Video: Intero Resorts

Intero Boot Camp Video: Boot Camp

Intero Locations: Intero Offices

Monday Morning MOJO Blog:Monday Morning MOJO

Monday, April 14, 2008

Monday Morning MOJO - 4/14/08

Good Morning MOJO,

Do you want to discover the keys to being a Champion? What if the best of the best in their field would share with you what it takes to be a SUPERSTAR…A CHAMPION? Would you be interested in hearing their advice? Here is a short clip I taped a few years ago. It was part of a Super Bowl pregame show. Learn from Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, Lance Armstrong, Derek Jeter and Marion Jones (oops) what it takes to have the Mindset of a Champion.

Check out this link to learn what it takes to have the Mindset of a Champion.

Let’s all have the mindset of a champion. Champions make the impossible chip shot in the biggest tournaments, nail the perfect 10, sink the winning shot…CHAMPIONS are each and every one of you…if you believe it!!

Have the Mindset of a Champion and make it a GREAT week!!!!!

"Time = Life. Therefore waste your time and waste your life...or master your time and master your life" Allen Lakein

Tom Tognoli
COO, Founder

Intero Real Estate Services
Direct: 408.863.3000
Email: TTognoli@InteroRealEstate.com
Website: www.InteroRealEstate.com

Intero Story Video: Intero Story

Intero Foundation Video: Intero Foundation

Intero Resorts Video: Intero Resorts

Intero Boot Camp Video: Boot Camp

Intero Locations: Intero Offices

Monday Morning MOJO Blog:Monday Morning MOJO

Monday, April 7, 2008

Monday Morning MOJO 4/7/08

Good Morning MOJO,

“What should I do?”…”what do you think?”…”let me give that some thought?”…”I will get back to you on that”…”lets have a meeting so we can get everyone to agree”…blah blah blah So nothing ever happens.

Being decisive is one of the biggest keys to success…while procrastinating is one of the biggest success killers. However, being decisive is something we have to train ourselves to do because it is not natural for most people while procrastination comes naturally. Unfortunately, most of us are conditioned not to be decisive because we don’t want offend anyone, we are afraid of making mistakes or we just don’t want to take risks. It’s so much easier to just not make a decision…go along to get along. I see people everyday that just sit there and think, procrastinate, and ponder what to do but never actually do anything. Unfortunately, they never get any closer to the things they want. The reality of it is not making a decision gets you farther away from what you want because in life if you are not changing and improving everyday, you are slipping back. Remember what JFK said “Change is the law of life...and those who look only to the past or the present...are certain to miss the future."

What all of us need to do is figure out our goals and then write down specifically what we need to do to accomplish them. Put those specifics into our schedule, and then make a commitment to JUST DO IT!!!!! No more waffling…no more waiting…no more putting off what you need to do to get what you want. At the beginning each day, review your goals and specifically what you need to do, then simply just do it. Then at the end of each day, review your goals and specifically what you need to do and compare that to what you did today. Is it in alignment? If not, why? Once your day is over, recommit yourself and then start again the next day. Do this day in and day out…before you know it your goals will become a reality. Just don’t give up…remember it is the accumulation effect of doing it over and over again that will get you what you want. It will typically come out of no where just about the time you are ready to give up and throw in the towel. Don’t!!!! Push through the pain and the doubt at all cost…success is just on the other side. It requires breakdowns for breakthroughs. Just remember that is part of the process of getting better.