Category: Motivation

The Power of Change

Young people can’t wait to get older.  Middle age people think they finally arrived but realizes that something is missing.  Older people wish they were smarter when they were younger.  The same person can and usually will go through each of these stages of self-evaluation.  In most cases our evaluation is a judgment on how we handled the decisions we made or the way we should have handled problems in our lives.  Our decision-making process changes as we age and with the change, we normally do a better job of solving problems.  That is why it is said that “With age comes wisdom.” 

But what causes us to change how we view the decisions that we will make in the future?

It is just three simple things; Time, Regrets and Successes.  Once more the Power of the Wisdom of Three comes to our aid.

Time brings with it many things; opportunity for more education, definitely the expansion of experience and the ability to personally examine the consequences of the good and bad choices in our life. 

Regrets brings pain and avoiding pain, even the possibility of pain is a great deterrent when it comes to making bad decisions.

Successes brings pleasure; an experience we will all go out of our way to repeat.  

With age, we create habits.  If we live long enough, we do a better job of creating more good habits than bad.  Putting these three change enhancers together in a string of historic life events, we become wiser with years.                       

Anthony “Tony” Boquet, the author of “The Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary”

If this is my last post, I want all to know there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others.

Trust Is More Than The Facts

In recent years there has been a tremendous amount of controversy about the American media and something called “Fake News”. When I was young; fake news existed but it was called lies, not news. We were raised, not to put much stock in things we read, heard on the radio or saw on the television. Instead, we depended on something more important; something called trust and it was not given, it was earned.

Fast forward a few generations and along comes this little thing called the Internet. Over time it has grown exponentially from a couple of hundred searchable sites into a massive repository of information. Gone are the old paper books of encyclopedias along with their searchable indexes. Here to stay is the with-you-always, ever present, all-knowing entity of Google, Bing or Siri; just to name a few.

I cannot tell you how often someone has told me that they learned something on the Internet. As someone who places a high value on education, I am always happy to hear that we, as a people, are still interested in learning. It does however, bring into question the quality of the content being relied upon without two of the three sources of knowledge, experience and ethical values. The level of unwarranted trust placed on this education alone could present more problems. It may be decades before we truly know the ultimate price society paid for this massive shift away from the reliance of an experienced, value based trustworthy source of knowledge.

Are we trading the importance of trust for convenience, the unlimited and unimaginable abundance of quantity?

Without trust, what good does this vast information really serve?

Without a doubt, the Internet has broadened the scope of our knowledge. At the touch of a finger, from anywhere and at anytime of the day or night, we can scour the endless resources of information like never before. However, we should never forget, that this information or education is comprised of all levels of accuracy. Some reliable, truthful and factual with an equal amount being conniving, manipulative and deceiving. Furthermore, the sheer volume of the material along with the speed new data is added makes sorting, classifying and justifying the truths from the lies almost impossible. Education is just one of the three sources of knowledge we need to make the best decisions.

To emphasize this point. let’s consider a widely used feature of technology, the Global Positioning System. Today, everyone who drives a car or a bike or walks in a strange city; uses the GPS feature on their phone to get from point A to point B. By simply entering the locations into the program, it calculates the turn by turn directions for the trip. No longer do we need to decide the course of travel, the system does it for you and at fifty five miles per hour we blindly trust this computer. Even though there may be multiple routes to get you where you are going, the system can be allowed to make the choices for us.

Why do we explicitly trust this technology without a second thought?

Should we trust the facts of any decision that effects our safety without also referencing past experience or the ethical and moral sources of knowledge?

I know, from personal experience, a GPS location is not always “correct”. In other words, this trusted source of guidance is not always true and even when it is true, it might not always be safe. I have been brought to the wrong location many times and in some cases the program selected roads that were unsafe to travel. As a motorcycle enthusiast, I have been placed on gravel roads that presented serious hazards to an unsuspecting motorist. Still, we trust this information as we would a loyal experienced friend. Further, when traveling in large cities, the selected route can bring you down dark deserted alleyways or through unsavory neighborhoods. Streets you would not select if you knew the area nor would you ever suggest this path to someone asking you for directions.

So, even with all the facts, we can still make bad decisions without the experience and caring guidance from an ethical and moral person. We must realize that even in today’s education rich world, any source of knowledge should be verified before being earning the stamp of trust.

If this is my last post, I want all to know there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others.

Anthony “Tony” Boquet, Vice President, Education & Development at The American College of Financial Services and the author of “The Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary”

Two Sides of the Same Coin

The idiom “two sides of the same coin” is a very meaningful phase that hold multiple applications in our world. With that said, on the surface it also falls short in the understanding of the three dimensional world in which we live.

Look at any coin held off from a side angle. You will quickly notice that the coin has three sides, not two. The edge of the coin brings in the third dimension; one that holds the true meaning of the statement itself. The coin is much more than the sum of the two images on the two prominent sides. What lies in the middle is the reason the side images can even exist. Once more, The Power of the Wisdom of Three can be held in the palm of your hand.

This saying is usually “coined”, pun intended, as a reference to the opposites of any one’s true nature. Meaning that we cannot determine the coin’s value just by considering a single engraved image found on either one of the two opposite sides. The same can be said about people. Whether we show the world the good that we do or the mistakes that we make; our value is the sum of both sides and the often ignored middle.  After all it is the middle that allows the two side images to exist. This is why that I believe it is the important middle that should not be overlooked.

Consider how our whole is made up of all three sides, not just the two that we intentionally showcase to the world. The images we project through our actions will either be good, bad or neutral. We make choices every day that will either benefit, harm or have no effect on the three entities of every solution. Even though our true value to society comes through the good that we do, as with the example of a coin, our conceived value doesn’t vary immediately when we do bad. The intrinsic value of a coin is found in the metal in the middle and our intrinsic value rests in the whole of our being; mind, body and soul.

Cannot a coin be used to fund good as well as evil and at the same value?

The tri-images that we present to the world are created through the tri-nature of our body, mind and soul which in turn will be featured in the tri-personas of our personal, professional or spiritual lives. No one person can always be bad or good nor a success or a failure; we are all flawed just like every coin is less than pure and somewhat tarnished. As with the coin, it takes both imperfect impressions and the less than distinguishable middle to make us whole.   

Even though we are flawed, it should not hinder us from doing all that we can to increase our value by doing more good than bad. As I mentioned before, the coins value does not decline immediately when used to fund inappropriate endeavors but over time, when the society that produces the coin begin to collapse, the value of the coin will decline. This down turn always occurs because of the accumulation of an abundance of poor decisions made by the majority of its citizens. The same can be said about a prosperous society or business; it only rises in value when the majority of individuals contributes to the growth and well being of whole. It is this well-being, funded by the selfless giving of ourselves, that supports and enhances the value of the coin through positive actions of the many. When more members of the team does well by their fellow members, the stronger the whole will be and the higher the net worth of the greater good.  

Next time you hold a coin in your hand, toss it around, notice the three sides and think about your personal growth.  Your growth will effect that of your family, your work and your spiritual life. The worth of that coin is made up of three sides as is yours.

If this is my last post, I want all to know that there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others.

Anthony “Tony” Boquet, Vice President / Adjunct Instructor at The American College of Financial Services and author of “The Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary”

Equality or Fairness; Which Do You Prefer?

We are born male or female, healthy or ill and our race or culture doesn’t matter at all.  At that special moment of our birth we are all equal in the eyes of our Creator, the world and our parents.  However, from that point on our values toward equality begins to change in the eyes of all who pay attention.  As we age we each begin to develop different talents, pursue different goals and strive for different aspirations.  It is because of these changes that we can never again be viewed, treated or even perceived as equal.

So, should we be treated equally?

Why would anyone seek to be treated as equal?

Instead, should we not strive for fairness?

It is through fairness that we show an individual respect earned for those differences that make each of us unique.  If gold was not an unique metal it would not be valued as precious.  This is why not all people will choose to limit themselves to the standards of those who wish to go through life doing just enough to skate by.  It is my belief that the majority are not satisfied with equality but rather demands, expects and wishes to receive fairness.

Speaking as a leader of various teams, I always strived to surround myself with people who wished to be better than all the rest.   Just think, if we applied the rules of equality to games, businesses or organizations then there would be no reason for competition.  If we were to treat every person as an equal to one another we would be working diligently at being mediocre.  The difference in being mediocre verses being outstanding is exactly what makes each of us unequal.

Picture the most spectacular painting you have ever saw; then ask yourself if you could have painted it.  If the answer is no, then you are not alone and you are definitely not an equal to the artist whose work you are admiring; nor should you be.  That difference is exactly what makes the work you’re admiring spectacular and I, for one, do not want to ever give up the spectacular for the mediocre.

So next time you hear of a school, business or organization’s leadership crying that we should not keep score, whining that everyone should be a winner or that everyone must be treated the same; think of that spectacular work of art, the gold medal athlete or the hardworking successful business owner who started their business with one hundred dollars and a dream. These remarkable people would not exist in the world of equality.  Instead, the world of art would be full of ugly painting because everyone would paint like the rest of us.  We would lose way more than we win because everyone would stop practicing too soon but worst of all we would all stop dreaming.

 It is for these reasons that I believe we were created equal to give us all a fair start but we are destined to be unequal and to accomplish extraordinary things through the use of our unique talents, skills and abilities.  By definition, nothing can be considered greater than without first surpassing equal and to make that leap all we need is a fair chance and the belief that we are special and unequal.

If this is my last post, I want all to know that there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others.

Building a Strong Leader

A master carpenter who worked for the same builder for nearly 50 years announced he wanted to retire. The builder told him how much he appreciated his work. He gave the carpenter a $5,000 bonus and asked him if he would build just one more house. The builder owned a magnificent lot with a spectacular view, and said he wanted to build a dream home there.

The carpenter was bitterly disappointed at the small bonus, but his last building fee would help him buy a small cottage, so he agreed to build the dream house.

The carpenter had always prided himself on his uncompromising commitment to quality, but resentment over this last job caused him to cut corners, ignore details, and accept shoddy workmanship from other workers. He even looked the other way when some of them substituted cheaper materials and pocketed the difference.

When the house was finished, the builder shook the carpenter’s hand and, with a huge smile, gave him an envelope with a thank-you card and a folded piece of paper. The carpenter was disdainful until he unfolded the paper and found the deed to the house he had just built.

The carpenter was ashamed to have misjudged his old friend and betrayed his own values, and he was remorseful that the house he would live in for the rest of his life had been made so carelessly.

Our character is the house we live in and it’s built piece by piece by our daily choices. Deceit, irresponsibility, and disrespect are like shoddy workmanship. Whenever we put in less than our best and ignore our potential for excellence, we create a future full of creaky floors, leaky roofs, and crumbling foundations.

“The Parable of the Carpenter” by Michael Josephson

This parable emphasizes the power we each possess over the construction of our lives. We are each leaders of our self, our family and / or our work.  As the leader we determine the quality of workmanship based on our level of personal development, the quality of materials we choose to work with by the people we choose to bring into our lives and the quality of environment which we choose build our structure on through the places we live, work and pray.  Thus begins our daily construction of the ultimate work of art that is destined to be our life.

A master leader will pride them self on the work that goes into every project they are involved in. They will take the time to develop personally so that they are the best they can be.  The materials they will use will be of the highest quality.  The leader understands that once they start using subpar materials, the reflection will come to rest squarely on the leader’s shoulder.  When the valued leader gives the very best talents, skills and abilities using the very best resources, the structure must be positioned in the very best environment.  One would never build a mansion on a weak or unstable foundation so why would a master leader choose to operate in an environment destined to sink or collapse.

Also consider the Power of the Wisdom of Three using the features that make up every construction; the foundation, the walls and the roof. Every building must have these three building blocks.  The foundation must be solid, stable and strong so as to bear the weight of the entire structure.  The permanent and eternal part of every person, the soul.  The house is only as good as the foundation and so it is with a leaders soul.  The walls must be ridged, binding and durable to survive the elements.  They must be ridged enough to not bend under stress, be capable of binding the roof to the foundation and the walls to one another; keeping the structure together and they must be durable enough to endure outside forces powerful enough to topple the building.  We too have walls known as our body.  Of course, every resident must have a roof.  The roof must be constructed to allow for runoff so it does not take on additional weight from debris.  It must be centered so as to keep the walls straight. Most importantly, the roof must act as the covering protecting the valuables residing directly below it.  Our roof is our mind.

If this is my last post, I want all to know that there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others.

The Wisdom of a Positive Self-Image

Have you ever gone somewhere with someone you did not particularly care for? They were not a bad person; they just were not a good fit to your personality. You may not have even realized why you felt the way you did about them.  Possibly the person was just not a lot of fun to be around, you might not have had much in common with them, or they just rubbed you the wrong way in general.

That kind of personal chemistry can make a one hour event feel like a week-long visit to a sadistic dentist.

It is sad but you just could not wait to be out of their presence for whatever the reason.

What if that person is you?

Have you ever considered that there is only one person that we have to be with every hour of every day and that person is our “self”? If our vision of that person is not good, life can be extremely rough and uncomfortable.  On the other hand, once we possess a positive self-image of our self we can reach heights that other can only dream of.  Those people have a healthy, honest and positive self-image.  This image also creates the mind set we use to form the basis of all of our decisions. Continue reading “The Wisdom of a Positive Self-Image”

Polarized or Fractured vs. Unified

“People are all fruit from the same tree.  Not all are appreciated; especially if they are tried before they have had the chance to ripen, others turn bad because of the experiences they endure and the rest bring joy to all who value what they have to offer.”

Anthony “Tony” Boquet, Modern Solutionary

We are each born of the one human race; innocent, pure and good.  As we mature or ripen, flaws begin to appear as dark blemishes on our soul; invisible to the world until we act.  It is these acts that pull us apart and fracture our society.  This darkness is a byproduct of our acting out against the truth through the selfishness of our free will and the negative influences of a harmful environment.  Through the passage of time we will either allow this darkness to rot our decisions or we can take steps to scrub away the damaging thoughts, words and deeds that spoil the original fruit we were created to be.

This cleansing work need not be a solo job.  We are provided help in the form of various people whom we meet along the pathway of life; a co-worker, a friend or possibly the mailman who we speak with every now and then.  The role that others play depends on our predisposition at the time of the encounter.  It can also fluctuate as our being evolves daily through the people that you meet in person or by video, the books that we read and our moral and ethical values.

I find that with each good person who comes into one’s life and with each final farewell made to them; we strive harder to be a better version of our self as selflessness grows from the experience they provided us.

For years, university polls have reported that we are a polarized world; a people who cannot agree on the solutions needed to solve our communal problems.  Consider the term itself, “polarized” means two opposite extremes.  We are constantly trying to identify if people are right or left, black or white, gay verses straight, Republican or Democrat and the list goes on.  I personally believe the only polarization that should be of any importance is whether we are right verses wrong but in today’s relativistic world that is the one polarization that is not popular on either side.  As a matter of fact, it begs the question “Is it society’s factorization that causes blindness toward multiple wrong leaning views?”  It is like looking at the world through broken glasses; nothing looks like what it truly is.

As I age, I am prone to turn to the Power of the Wisdom of Three for answers.  These lessons can help us Learn, Understand and Apply the solutions against the forces that cause us to pull away from one another.  I am learning daily that, just like the tree in the quote above, we are “planted” securely in our own environment. As a society our environment does not allow us to quickly change our view of the world in which we live.  In our environment, each “fruit” starts as a bud struggling for Survival, if it can draw enough nourishment from the tree it will reach a state of Adequacy and with care, nourishment and strength it can eventually arrive at a place of Prosperity.  Unlike the fruit of a tree, we individually have the ability to make decisions that will impact our future environments.  These choices will differ based on our unique perspective but, just as the real fruit has to deal with outside influencers like heat, wind and insects so are we challenged to not succumb to the destructive effects of selfish perceptions, emotionally charged lies or inscrutable people but instead to base any decision on the truth.  We are assured that the truth does not change, regardless of which environment we find ourselves in.

Think back to when you were young; we depended on others.  This dependency, through the lessons of experience, should have drastically reduced as we matured.  As we become self-reliant we learn that there are only three attributes of a self-sufficient adult who strives for a state of prosperity; we first become Dependable, then are held Accountable and once accountable we must become Responsible. These attributes are viewed as noble statuses to hold but are not without cost.  People who possess these attributes must abide by the truth or be ridiculed when they are stripped of them.  A few good and wise decisions could earn you the respect of these attributes but in order to secure these traits long term one must live a selfless and truth filled existence. This cost is high and the reason why too many people choose to be dependent instead of dependable, unaccountable instead of accountable and irresponsible instead of responsible.  It will always be those who choose to be dependent, unaccountable and the irresponsible people who draw the focus away from the truth.

The last three proofs of the “ripening of the fruit” rest in the character of the person.  To finally reach prosperity one must be viewed as Honest.  When someone lives an honest life they will be said to have Integrity. Living a life of integrity will naturally foster the Trust of all whom you deal with.  These three character traits will always be present in those people who follow the truth.  For anyone who leads others to the truth will be said to be trustworthy.

So, even though we all are fruit from the same tree, the only way for us to become a unified society is to follow the truth and the truth will not and cannot be different for everybody, it never changes, and it requires a selfless nature.  Until we understand and live these facts there will never be unity.

If this is my last post, I want all to know there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others. 

Anthony “Tony” Boquet, the author of “The Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary”

Our Motives Create Three Types of Actions

“Karma, akarma and vikarma are distinct actions in Buddhist and Hindi cultures.  Actions that are performed in terms of one’s prescribed duties are called karma. Actions that free one from the cycle of birth and death (Good) are called akarma. And actions that are performed through the misuse of one’s freedom and that direct one to the lower life forms (Bad) are called vikarma. Of these three types of actions, that which frees one from the bondage to karma is preferred by intelligent men.”

The above explanation of the types of actions dates back millenniums.  In modern western culture we still see these same three types of actions though they are not presented in the same manner nor do they use the Hindi titles.

First is the No Consequence Action; an action which seem to offer no evident consequences.  An example of the first type of action would be someone going for a walk around their neighborhood.  If they have no contact with any other living creature it could be viewed as the action having neither a positive nor negative impact, spinning off no future consequences. It is just an action; something which was done by someone effecting no one. In other words, “Do Nothing”.

The second described action, a Positive Consequence Action, would result in direct and indirect positive outcomes.  The person going for the walk stopped to help a neighbor load their car with groceries destined for a local soup kitchen.  Obviously this action was positive for the two loading the car as well as to those who will keep this act going once the food arrives at the kitchen.  “Do Good”

Finally, in the case of the Negative Consequence Action, the person walking through the neighborhood decided to steal the groceries; an act which would begin an ever expanding stream of negative ripples which would impact many people in a negative manner. Even the one person who stole the groceries, though self-perceived as reaping a positive outcome personally, will ultimately be impacted in a negative manner because of the self-incrimination they will carry in their mind.  “Do Harm”

Many people go through their lives experiencing consequences from an unidentifiable action or actions that cause positive or negative events in their lives.  We are all like boats floating on an ocean; effected by the waves created somewhere out at sea.  The only actions that we can affect are the ones we take ourselves; whether they are instigated by us or as a response to someone’s action.

The betterment of the world has always depended on the individual actions of each person.  When our individual actions are each based of the right choices, we do good things and our neighbors will be more likely to ride the wave toward taking positive actions themselves.  The same is true when we do the wrong things.

If this is my last post, I want all to know there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others.

Anthony “Tony” Boquet, the author of “The Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary”

Success; Guided by the Three Laws of Motion

“Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.”

Solutionary, Sir Isaac Newton

I have always been driven to “climb the ladder of success”.  I enjoy that metaphor the most because one of my mentors, Zig Ziglar, when speaking on the topic of the goal of success was fond of saying; “I will see you at the top.”   He was not the only one who commonly envisioned success as a state of being higher than the rest of the pack; a journey that called for the traveler to pay an extra price for getting to a place of distinction.  Anyone who ever climbed a mountain or even a hill can attest that the higher you climb the greater the toll, the harder work and the sweeter the victory.  Continue reading “Success; Guided by the Three Laws of Motion”

Down Is Not a Permanent State of Being

“I have been up and I have been down; and I will surely be both again.” Anthony “Tony” Boquet, A Modern Solutionary

Much has been written about the ups and downs of business. Whenever this topic is discussed it is widely accepted that up is good and down is bad but what about in between?

For those of us in a sales role we are acutely aware of the importance of keeping our sale activity up because our income and very possibly even our job will depend on it.  If you have ever been elected to an office or position you will naturally hone in on whether or not your poll numbers are up or down.  In accounting offices worldwide they focus on having the revenue up and the expense field down.  Even the CEOs have to report to their board of directors on whether the corporate graphs are tracking up or down.  From these simple examples it is clear that businesses makes decisions based on what is either up or down; not so much on what is in the middle.  I wonder that since this seems so important, why we shouldn’t examine the truths or laws that have the power to drive these critical movements.

Let’s begin with the basic truth found in the laws of physics that states that in order for anything to move, energy is required.  Due to this fact we must understand the first Law of Thermodynamics.

That law says that energy and matter cannot be created or destroyed it can only change form. To anyone who has ever worked in a manual labor position, it is clear that energy is a must.  The more energy that we give to any project the more results or heat that will be generated from those efforts.  Thus, when we are going in the upward direction you can bet we are applying more energy to the work that we are doing.  As with all things energy ebbs and flows, resulting in less or more results. Being that it is a natural and true occurrence we shouldn’t expect anyone or any entity to be constantly in the up or down position. The middle seems like a good place to regroup in preparation for the next upward drive.

More so, this law demands by its very existence that since energy cannot be destroyed, we should be in a constant state of motion. With that said, motion alone will not determine which direction we will be moving or at what speed. To help us solve that problem we must turn to another natural law, the Law of Gestation.

This law speaks to the three states or location of any matter; the beginning or down, the middle or center and the end or up.  This truth also explains that you can only go up if you are first down and when you reach the bottom, there is only one definite way to go.  This law fortifies the truth that it is literally impossible to stay in the up position just as it is equally impossible to stay in the middle or down position.  Every journey upward must, by truth and law, start from a lower position so if you are ever down, rejoice, the future is bright.

By understanding these laws of nature we should never expect a constant upward or downward trend in anything that we do.  Instead, we should stay strong so our energy is high, stay positive so the energy is directed in the right direction and stay focused on the truths because the matter that is you is the only matter that matters.  We can only change our self and the truth is the only path that leads to positive change.

I have more good news.  We are given another natural law that helps us solve the problem of maintaining control.  As with every law it must be known, understood and accepted before it can be used successfully to solve our problems. The Law of Attraction says that whatever we think, we believe then we become.  If you want to be successful you must first think of yourself as successful, believe you are successful and soon you will become successful.

By learning, professing and living these irrefutable laws we can become the person we are destined to be, a Solutionary to the world.

If this is my last post, I want all to know there was only one purpose for all that I have written; to have made a positive difference in the lives of others.

Anthony “Tony” Boquet, Vice President, Education & Development at The American College and the author of “The Bloodline of Wisdom, The Awakening of a Modern Solutionary”