Patrick Henry Hughes: A Musician That Inspires Me
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Jan 2010 0 comments
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Dec 2009 A Tribute to Jim Rohn
The Passing of a Legend
With great sadness we share that Jim Rohn, our mentor and friend, left us December 5, 2009 for a better place.
Over the past 18 months, in his battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis, Jim assured us with a smile that all is good, that he would fight until the last breath, yet he had no fear as to what would be next. Jim’s faith was as much a part of his life as his desire to inspire and challenge us all to be the best we could be and to live our dreams.
Jim’s courage in his final months and days were a testament to his message that we should all fight the good fight. He never gave up and never gave in.
Jim Rohn touched millions of lives over the past 46 years through his seminars, books, articles and CDs. He always stayed long after an event to shake hands, take pictures and sign autographs. He loved making a difference in people’s lives, that was his passion and inspiration. Yet he was also a private man who kept a small, loyal and caring inner circle. He was a tremendous friend to those who knew him.
Harold Dyke, long time close friend of Jim’s for over 55 years said it best, “As Jim is ending one life he is simultaneously being birthed into a new life. One that he has talked about over the years and anticipated with great joy in his last remaining days.”
Kyle Wilson, long time colleague and friend of Jim had this to say about his mentor, “Jim Rohn was a great human being. Jim had the rare ability to take any concept or idea and then frame it in such a way that the rest of us could see it more clearly. His wisdom and insights positively affected everyone he touched on some level and to so many of us it was in an extraordinary way. But even more impressive was Jim Rohn the man. He possessed style and charisma, yet was humble, kind and understated to all who knew him. I find myself every day reflecting, benefiting and passing on the wisdom and ideas that are rooted in Jim’s message and wisdom. Jim is irreplaceable on every level. I will miss him beyond words, but am comforted as I know he was, that his message and legacy will live on and positively change millions of lives over the years to come!”
Someone once said “when you are born you enter the world crying while everyone else is rejoicing and when you die hopefully you have lived such a life that everyone will be crying while you are rejoicing”. Jim Rohn lived such a life.
Jim’s family asked us to thank all of you for your concern, prayers and love toward their father and grandfather, which has been so evident during the past 18 months.
Darren Hardy, dedicated student and Jim Rohn protégé for more than 15 years, said of Jim, “He was the most influential man in my life, second only to my father. Jim cemented my philosophical foundation and nourished my mind with ideas and ambitions never before imagined. He chiseled my character seminar by seminar, tape by tape, book by book, then CD by CD, hour by hour. Jim emboldened my belief, in me and in my most daring dreams. When I fell and was bloodied, he was there with encouraging words to help me get back up. When I didn’t think I could go on, Jim convinced me I was stronger than I imagined. When I wanted a shortcut, he reminded me there aren’t any. Even when I got too caught up in trying to achieve and succeed, Jim compelled me to leave room to live, to laugh and to love.”
Stuart Johnson, business associate and long-time admirer, said, “I was first introduced to the philosophies and teachings of Jim Rohn almost 25 years ago. And he made an immediate impression on me. I was amazed by how this modest and unassuming man could communicate such an extraordinarily powerful message in simple and straightforward terms. In person, one-on-one, he was as humble and down-to-earth as he was in front of an audience of thousands. I will treasure my personal memories of Jim and know that I will forever benefit from the wisdom of this remarkable man.”
Jim Rohn was laid to rest Saturday, December 12 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. The private service was attended by family and close friends. Plans are being arranged for a Public Memorial Service to be held in the Los Angeles area in the coming weeks. Details will be announced here upon final completion.
We know Mr. Rohn is looking down on us at this very moment with a smile saying I did it, I gave it my all, I went for it, now it’s your turn. Go for it. Make your life a life worth living well!
View a special tribute to Jim below produced earlier this year and debuted at the March 2009 SUCCESS Symposium. You are also encouraged to post your thoughts and remembrances of Jim on the Memorial Wall below.
Jim fondly closed his programs with the following sentiments: “I go with you in all the experience that we’ve had. But I promise you this as we leave here: I will not leave you behind. I’ll take you with me in my thoughts and in my heart.”
I truly need to catch up on my email. Jim Rohn died December 5.
What a truly inspiring man. I first heard him speak in the mid-90s. He provided me with insight that I needed to hear then and that has inspired me over and again since that time.
Rest well, Jim.
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Jul 2009 50 Reasons Not to Change
This morning I was doing my routine clean-up of my desk and files at work. I do this to remove the unread material, stale documents, and otherwise useless material that is cluttering my work space. I've found a pile of safety/promotional marketing catalogs (many of them duplicates) that themselves create a tower of inconvenience. Anything I've not read or acted upon over the past six months is discarded.
In the stack of papers I have found a photocopied sheet that resurfaces each time I do this task. I purposely place it on my desk to become buried over time because I know I will read it again when it finds its way into this mix. I've been recirculating this paper each six months for the past 15 or more years.
I do not know the original author or source of the material. The items on it have appeared in a variety of places that I've seen over the years. This particular list was printed by EDS and includes a few key statements worth repeating. The most bold text on the page states, "Stop. Look inward. Listen. To Yourself. To Others."
What a great line of text for a communicator to read. So often we find ourselves spewing information without listening. We are told that THIS is the most important thing we should be saying. THIS is the material that our readers, customers, viewers, community members need to know. We regurgitate facts, data, statistics, details, plans, and lessons that everyone MUST know. But are we only a conduit of messages? Do we not think, evaluate, consider, and design change when necessary?
I've been on the "job" a long time. Nineteen years in my current role, with several years before that devoted to working in mainstream media. It is so easy to become one of the "old-timers" when working a career this long. Yet... I find myself continuing to be the change agent that people want to avoid. My progress toward things new is often blocked by those that say "we can't do that here" or "that's not appropriate for OUR type of agency" or "if we did that, people might respond."
Innovation is an important part of my career. It MUST be realized for things to move forward. When we are "catching up" to those things that are becoming more mainstream we never will. Being a step behind or a cautious observer while others are trying new things, developing new skills, creating new principals that become standards is not acceptable to me. So I continue to push forward, regardless of the opinions of others. This does not make me popular in some circles. Often, my attempts at increasing efficiency, developing new techniques, or improving overall processes are blocked by policies and hierarchy of control. That's okay.
This leads me to the actual meat of this article. I titled this article 50 Reasons Not to Change because it is the headline of the paper that I bring to the top of the stack every time I reorganize my desk. It is the paper that stimulates me to continue to move forward and to think of new approaches and new attempts at being better at what I do. EDS added a narrative to the bulleted list. They said,
"How many times do we hear these excuses? There are at least 50 reasons not to change. But there is at least ONE (emphasis mine) good reason to change -- because it is the right thing to do! We (EDS) applaud the efforts to reinvent government. Embracing change is exciting. It can cut costs and improve efficiency. Nothing is more rewarding than empowering people to turn red tape into results."
Here is the list of 50 Reasons Not to Change in no particular order:
- I'm not sure my boss would like it.
- It's too ambitious.
- We don't have the equipment.
- It's too expensive.
- We'll catch flak for that.
- No one asked me.
- We didn't budget for it.
- I don't have the authority.
- ¡Es imposible!
- That's someone else's responsibility.
- It won't fly.
- No es mí problema.
- It will take too long.
- It's hopeless.
- We can't take the chance.
- We've always done it this way.
- It's too complicated.
- What's in it for me?
- They won't fund it.
- It's too political.
- We don't have consensus yet.
- It's contrary to policy.
- We have too many layers.
- We're doing OK as it is.
- It can't be done.
- It's not my job.
- There's too much red tape.
- We don't have the staff.
- We tried that before.
- It's against tradition.
- It needs more thought.
- Another department tried that.
- It's not our problem.
- This is just a fad.
- There's not enough time.
- They're too entrenched.
- We're waiting for guidance on that.
- It won't work in this department.
- No se puede.
- There's no clear mandate.
- It will never fly upstairs.
- ¡Nunea pasará!
- We've never done that before.
- It needs committee study.
- I'm all for it, but...
- Me falta ánimo.
- They really don't want to change.
- It's too visionary.
- It's too radical.
- People will talk.
Can you think of others reasons people don't want to change? Please comment.
Rich Palmer
I'm just a singer, songwriter, public information officer, new media enthusiast, dad, husband, and fan of many things online.
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