Capturing summer in a jar

Yesterday we talked about a man who revolutionized marketing.
Today we’ll take a break to talk about capturing summer in a jar.
When I was in Israel, I fell in love with their fig preserves.
When we moved to South Carolina, my sons and I planted a fig tree.
Over the years that tree has grown. It bears great fruit each summer.
The crop does not last long. But you can enjoy it all year — in a jar.
Here’s our fig preserves recipe. You can use any fruit you like.
The Bellunes’ Fig Preserves
6 pounds figs, washed and stemmed
6 pounds sweetener (sugar or Splenda)
1 cup water
3 thinly sliced lemons, seeds removed
6 pint jars with sealable lids
Pour sweetner over figs and leave covered overnight.
Cook figs in water over low heat until sweetner is dissolved.
Reduce heat, stirring to prevent sticking. Add sliced lemons.
Cover and cook at low heat 2-3 hours to thicken syrup.
Pour into hot, sterilized jars. Seal according to directions with jars.
Serve with hot buttered croissants or Texas toast. Yuuum.
Next week we’ll talk about a man who revolutionized our thinking.
For more about revolutionary thinking, click here.

The man who revolutionized marketing

Yesterday we talked about a geeky idea that became a big hit.
Today we’ll talk about a man who turned a liability into a success.
Josiah Wedgwood was born into a family of English potters.
As a child, he survived smallpox. It left his legs weakened.
Because he could not kick a potter’s wheel, he worked on designs.
He created the designs and his potters made them.
His lines of china caught the eyes of Queen Charlotte of England.
He convinced her to lend her name to his marketing campaigns.
All the aristocrats wanted china services like the queen’s.
Catherine the Great bought two different services from him.
This gave him an international reputation, which he exploited.
You can see one of Catherine’s services in the Hermitage in Russia.
He was big on quality and smashed any piece short of his standards.
"That will not do for Josiah Wedgwood," he would exclaim.
Wedgwood china is still considered among the world's best today.
His son-in-law Charles Darwin became even better known.
We will talk about Darwin’s exploits in a future blog.
But for smallpox, Wedgwood might have been just another potter.
But he turned a weakness into a strength. He used his creativity.
Here’s my challenge to you: Don’t obsess on your weaknesses.
Find your strengths, as Wedgwood did, and make the most of them.
Write that in your journal today: "My strengths are . . ."
Then think about how you can put them to their greatest use.
Tomorrow we’ll talk about capturing the fruits of the season.
For more about capturing your dreams, click here.

How a geeky idea became a smash success

Yesterday we talked about how generosity advances dreams.
Today we’ll talk about a really geeky idea that succeeded.
Why do sports teams have mascots and names for their teams?
It builds brand awareness and fan loyalty, doesn’t it?
You don’t pull for Green Bay. You pull for the Packers.
Robert Stevens ran a small high tech company.
He hired young computer nerds to do the work.
With the growth of technology, Stevens ran into lots of competition.
Enter a vision, a dream and a strategy.
He dressed his tekkies like "The Blues Brothers".
Black suits. Trousers three inches too short showing white socks.
White shirts with a brand name on the front: The Geek Squad.
They drove VW Beetles with the Geek Squad brand name.
The nurds loved being "Geeks". Suddenly it was cool to be a "geek".
Stevens built a thriving nationwide business with a geeky idea.
This differentiated his people and his business from the competition.
Here's a challenge: What lesson can we learn from his example?
What geeky idea might differentiate us from the competition?
Think about that. Write your ideas into your journal.
Tomorrow we’ll talk about the man who revolutionized marketing.
For more about making your dreams come true, click here.

Do things go better with Coke?

Yesterday we talked about daring your detractors and critics.
Today we’ll talk about a role model of generosity.
Patriotic Robert Woodruff led Coca Cola during World War II.
Woodruff wanted to make Coke available for a nickel to our military.
He decided the company would bear the cost, whatever it was.
He wanted military people anywhere in the world to enjoy Cokes.
Some thought he was nuts. The cost would be prohibitive, they said.
But Woodruff soldiered on. He would not be deterred.
What do you think happened to Coke’s worldwide sales?
How many loyal customers did his dream build for Coke?
All of those men and women in uniform remembered.
They became loyal Coke customers for life.
Some of my friends wonder if I’m nuts to give away my books.
My books are my way of helping people in their careers and lives.
If they like my books, they will tell others about them.
I am building a support group for my $200 million dream.
We are going to teach millions of people how to read.
What about you? How can generosity advance your goals?
Do all the good you can, John Wesley said, as long as ever you can.
In that, the father of Methodism gave us a great challenge.
Tomorrow we’ll talk about a geeky idea. Stay tuned.
For more about making your dreams come true, click here.

Did they laugh when you sat down to play?

Last week we talked about daring to dream big dreams.
Today we’re going to talk about daring your detractors and critics.
When Walt Disney proposed Disneyland, the experts said this:
It won't be profitable nor recover its enormous investment.
A study of amusement parks came to much the same conclusion.
Walt forged ahead with his dream and you know what happened.
When I dreamed of raising $20 million, I thought they might laugh.
Then I thought, what do I care? I’m going to do it.
$20 million can put a serious dent in illiteracy.
42 million Americans need to be able to enjoy reading.
I knew it would require selling 2 million of my books.
Then I heard Jack Canfield tell of selling 1 million books in a day.
My goal is too small, I realized. I raised the goal to 20 million books.
That would raise $200 million. That would help a lot of illiterates.
God was telling me through Jack’s voice to raise the bar.
Now I had a real challenge, a challenge straight from God.
What dream are you dreaming that will challenge you?
What goal do you have that the critics might say can’t be done?
Ignore them. What do they know? Did they stop Walt Disney?
They can’t stop you either. Go for your dream, whatever it is.
Think about what you will become by achieving your dream.
Caterpillars can’t become butterflies without leaving the cocoon.
Think of the far stronger person that achievement will make you.
Tomorrow, we’ll talk more about pursuing your dreams.
For specific strategies for your success, click here.