Gather Greatness

Helping you Achieve your Greatest Self

My All-Time Favorite Quote

On President’s Day, I am again reminded of my all-time favorite quote.

From one of the Great Presidents,

John F Kennedy,

the words resound in my head,

“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

What a bold statement! 

What a man of character and value!

He was a man of action…………. and acted with the best interest of the people he served.

I have recently changed some of his words, to suite my own goals.

 ”Ask not how you can benefit from your customers,  but how they can benefit from you.”  Are you truely providing

 value to them?

I have always been more gratified  by “turning the table,”  looking at the world though other peoples’ eyes. 

  1. What do they want?
  2. How are they feeling?
  3. How can I help them?

Will they be able to call me…….. a person of value?…….and someday a friend?

I will only achieve my Greatness……….by helping others to achieve theirs.

So I challenge myself and I challenge you,

to live by this motto,

“Ask not what others can do to serve you, and your needs…………… but what you can do to serve others, and help them achieve their dreams.”

Gather Greatness!

If you would like more greatness in your life, visit my website and sign-up with myself and like-minded people to be part of a **Greatness Newsletter.**

www.gathergreatness.com

Bill

February 18, 2008 Posted by billbaumgartner | Uncategorized | , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

Act Now !

Act Now! 

Sometimes it takes some discomfort in our life, before we realize that it’s time to act.

I have a story from my younger days, much younger days, that may lead you to think.

 I was 10 years old and beginning my 5’Th grade in elementary school. Up to this point, my educational journey was fairly relaxed. I showed up for school everyday and put forth a minimal amount of effort to learn the rudiments of reading, writing and arithmetic.

 Things were about to change, and change in a big way!   She was only about 5 foot tall, dressed in a black robe, a black veil, and a white facial garb. A little stocky and with her sharp nose she kind of resembled a penguin. Sister Philip Marie, she wrote on the blackboard. She was my new homeroom teacher, specializing in American History.

There was a big problem.

 I couldn’t remember dates and had no desire to learn history.

I knew I was in for trouble.

If teachers singled out a student to make an example of…it was me!  I couldn’t seem to do anything to please her. It couldn’t be my fault. She just didn’t like me. How did she always find out when I hadn’t completed my homework? In consequence, I spent several afternoons after school pounding the chalk out of the blackboard erasers and doing mundane cleaning tasks.

A couple of months into the school year, we all received our quarterly report cards. Two F’s surrounded by a swarm of D’s.

My parents were not impressed, and my life, as I had envisioned it, was about to take a drastic nosedive.

How it got back to me, I can’t remember, but if I didn’t buckle down and start getting better grades, I was looking at a repeat performance with my favorite teacher.

If that wasn’t bad enough, my brother Bob, a year my younger, by default, would now be in the 5’Th grade with me. Ugh… As I was the oldest of 8, I couldn’t bear the embarrassment of this happening. I was expected to be the role model for my younger siblings.

Looking back, I have to thank Sister for holding me accountable. It was either do or die! She cut me no slack, but I learned a ton of important lessons that year.

I got myself organized, developed my power of concentration and started taking responsibility for my actions. Until I changed, until I started to do the things necessary to succeed, I would not receive what I wanted. 

For the first time in my life I clearly understood the concept of being result driven.

This was my first actual lesson in the real world.

I am also pleased to report that one of the sweetest sentences I have ever read, was shared with me that year, “Promoted to the sixth grade.” 

Act Now !  

Gather Greatness !!

Become someone Great !!!  www.gathergreatness.com

February 15, 2008 Posted by billbaumgartner | Uncategorized | , , , , , , , | No Comments Yet

The road less traveled

I have found myself traveling the same road for quite some time.  I have gotten comfortable doing the same things, day after day, without too much thought.  Even if the consequences were somewhat painful, I chose comfort over change.  Maybe comfort is the wrong word; it may be familiarity.  Most people don’t like change and continue to stay with something they are familiar with, versus trying to improve.

I realize the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence,   but should this stop us from even dreaming of becoming something more? 

I believe the road less traveled will sometimes lead you in the right direction. 

  1. Are you tired of being just average?
  2. Have you forgotten you goals and desires?
  3. Are you making a difference in your life or someone elses?
  4. Isn’t it time to make a change?
  5. Don’t you have more greatness within you?

The answer to all these questions for me is YES!  

If you feel that you are ready to make a change, follow me on the journey of a lifetime. 

 I am in the initial stage of creating a newsletter for like-minded people.  Join me at www.gathergreatness.com

January 16, 2008 Posted by billbaumgartner | Original Material | , , , , , , | No Comments Yet