Putting First Things First

Hello my friends and thank you for visiting my new blog, DeanLForbes.com. I’m so glad to finally have it up and running. The journey so far has been a wonderful experience and I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly… even when it got down right frustrating and I felt like quitting. I still have the scars of it all which I wear proudly.

This brings me to the title of my first post, Putting First Things First. I want to take the time to give you an in-depth preview of how this idea came to be and what you can expect from me and this website for as long as you keep visiting.

Why Did I Start This Blog?

There’s a question that begs to be answered and I’m going to do just that.

I’ve been working in Corporate America for over 15 years in the fields of Finance, Sales, Consultation, Promotional Planning, Branding and Marketing. I have had so many wonderful experiences learning from the best at what they do and have had more than my fair share of opportunities to sit at the table with some of the finest minds of the last half century. I have also devoured and continue to vigorously seek out and consume more and more information on personal growth and effective self-leadership.

Armed with not only the knowledge I’ve gained from my many brilliant mentors but also with the information I’ve learned and embodied about personal growth and effective self-leadership, I’ve been able to consistently open doors where seemingly, there were none. I have been able to make profound and positive changes in my self-growth and have been able to build and cultivate long-lasting and fruitful personal and professional relationships. I have overcome the odds time and time again, especially when all the “naysayers” said it couldn’t be done – I did it!

That being said, at the end of 2008 I was offered an honorary membership to the Cambridge Who’s Who professional network. The company is very well-known for bringing together smart professionals who wish to interact in an exchange of ideas and network-building.

During the interview process, the interviewer asked me, “What do you consider to be the greatest asset to your success?” I was both surprised and temporarily stumped. I hadn’t been asked that question before and for a moment I didn’t know how to reply. Pondering the question for a few more moments, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

To the question then, I simply replied, “The greatest asset to my success is the people I have been fortunate enough to meet, know and connect with.” Now he was surprised and stumped. He curiously followed up my reply with “Could you elaborate on that answer a bit?” I said, “Sure, I’m glad to do it.”

You see, during that moment of truth and new level of self-awareness, something became blazingly apparent. My success, both personally and professionally, is unequivocally linked to the people who have helped me achieve my goals. Either directly or indirectly, my family, friends and mentors have taught me a great deal about personal growth and effective self-leadership. Some of the lessons were quite painful but nonetheless well worth the temporary discomfort. Whether it was on the job, from a book, from the web or directly from one of my mentors, I am able to succeed against all odds because I am open to continuously learning, growing and changing in all areas of my life.

To add to this, my greatest passion has always been to help other people grow – to share all the wonderful things that I’ve learned and that have changed my life so positively. As I improve upon my personal growth, I emphatically and passionately seek to pass on what I have learned to others who are also ready and willing to work on themselves. I am a firm believer in the simple truth that if you help others succeed, you will also succeed. I believe that this world would be a far better place and we would be a far more productive and effective society if we each did our part to help our fellow men and women achieve their dreams and goals.

As I’ve clearly stated throughout this post, I would not have achieved the success that I have in my life had it not been for the people who helped me. As cliché as it might sound, people really do make the world go ‘round. Can you imagine the significance of the change that would happen if we each committed to helping just one person achieve his/her dreams and goals? Wow… this is a world in which I want to live, how about you?

So, to come full circle with the question, I started this blog to help other people achieve their dreams and goals through the Powerful Principles of Personal Growth and effective self-leadership. I am passionate about your success because I believe deeply in the human potential, especially in the untapped human potential. I believe it would be a disservice to you if I do not impart what I have learned so that you might improve yourself and maximize your potential. My aim is to “pay it forward” as so eloquently illustrated in the movie of the same title.

Why Now?

Again, a question that begs to be answered and again, I’m going to do just that.

For me, the question is, if not now… when? I decided to start this blog now because there will never be a more perfect time than now to start giving back in a way that truly fulfills me. I will never stop learning and growing and improving myself. Personal growth is a passion that goes to my core… I live it and breathe it daily. Effective self-leadership is what it takes to put the powerful principles of personal growth into practice that eventually become the habits of success.

Frankly, I’ve had this “itch” for a very long time and if I don’t “scratch” it, I’m going to go crazy. Maybe the trigger was becoming a father for the second time, I don’t really know. What I do know is that every fiber of my being is compelling me to move in this direction – to focus on helping others achieve their dreams and goals. As I look at my children, I am repeatedly reminded that I want so much more for them than I am able to achieve in my lifetime. I want them to be surrounded, as I am, by awesome people who will help pave the way for them to reach for the stars. In essence, I want to leave my children a far better world than the one I was born into… better than the one they were born into.

What better way to do that than to help other people achieve their dreams and goals and reach their full potential. The world can only be better if the people in it are better… there is simply no other way. As the John Mayer song goes, “We keep waiting on the world to change” instead of changing the world. So in my own way and in my own small part, I doing my best to change the world for the better by helping you change for the better. I believe that in all situations, people come first. That’s why I begin each day deciding how I am going to make a difference in someone’s life today… how I am going to be in the world.

Furthermore, time waits for no one; so the longer I wait, the longer someone I could be helping has to wait and I don’t know about you but waiting has never been one of my strong suits. In fact, I still have a lot of personal growing to do in the area of patience – I struggle with that one every day. In this case though, I don’t mind telling you that the virtue of patience is not one I’m not going to exercise… so that’s why now.

I mean seriously, why not now? Who’s to tell me I can’t take the next step in my personal growth to help others? That’s right – no one!

I am the master of my fate; I am responsible for my personal growth and self-leadership. My happiness rests with my desires and actions; I am the author of my life. So, if I want to spend my time giving back to others through the same principles that have brought me so much success, who’s to stop me?

What Can You Expect From This Website?

First and foremost, this website is about you and your success. Taking responsibility for your own personal growth is a serious matter and I treat it as such – as you undoubtedly do. There are no shortcuts or quick fixes for this; it is a process that takes time. My aim is to arm you with the knowledge and insights you need to create your own success; to develop habits based on universal, unchanging and correct principles; natural laws.

I will tell you plainly that none of the information you will read or the insights you will discover on this website are new concepts. Yes, the value is delivered in my own unique way and is largely based on my personal and professional experiences; however, the underlying principles are universal, unchanging and irrefutable. They have been proven time and time again by many great individuals throughout history – no secret there.

This website will provide you with practical and real-world life examples where you can apply these powerful principles.  No matter what situation you are currently in, applying the principles that you will discover on this website will help you develop effective self-leadership habits that will undoubtedly lead to significant and quantum positive changes in your life. My goal is to provide the information in easily digestible chunks as well as practical examples of how you can take your personal growth journey to the next level and beyond.

Think of this website as the foundation of building a strong and sturdy house that can withstand any and all weather conditions. Remember, a house is only as strong as the foundation on which it is built. A farmer can only reap what he sows and nothing more so if the seeds are rotten to begin with, can you imagine what the harvest will be like?

This website is a practical tool that you can use as a reference to fuel your personal growth aspirations and goals. The more you use and apply what you discover, the more an improved and effective self-leader you will become. You will significantly improve your ability to influence others and situations around you. By focusing on developing habits based on correct principles, you will profoundly increase your success in your personal and professional relationships. DeanLForbes.com is a website that you can rely on to deliver the valuable tools and information you need to help you become a better, more effective and successful YOU.

Whether you are just embarking on your journey of personal growth or you are well-seasoned in your pursuit, you can benefit tremendously from what you discover on this website. Whether you want to change small things or BIG things in your life, the powerful lessons and insights you gain here, when internalized as habits, will result in significant and profound positive changes in your life. Even though you will become more diligent and disciplined over time, in most cases, results are immediate.

If you are ready to truly face your fears and conquer them, proactively seek to improve yourself and transform your life, I want, can and will help you achieve your dreams and goals if you are open. Come back and visit DeanLForbes.com often because the information will keep on coming and the discovery will never stop. The world id ready for the new you… are YOU?