Seize the Day: 7 Steps to Achieving the Extraordinary in an Ordinary World

256 Pages·2002·1.46 MB·English

by  Danny Cox

Seize
tthhee
Day
Seven Steps to Achieving the
Extraordinary in an Ordinary World

Seize the Day
Seven Steps to Achieving the
Extraordinary in an Ordinary World
By
Danny Cox and John Hoover
Franklin Lakes, NJ
Copyright © 2002 by Danny Cox and John Hoover
All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright
Conventions. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or
by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by
any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented,
without written permission from the publisher, The Career Press.
SEIZE THE DAY
EDITED AND TYPESET BY KATE PRESTON
Cover design by Foster &Foster, Inc.
Printed in the U.S.A. by Book-mart Press
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cox, Danny, 1934-
Seize the day : seven steps to achieving the extraordinary in an ordinary
world / by Danny Cox and John Hoover.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 1-56414-607-3 (paper)
1. Vocational guidance. 2.Performance standards. 3. Achievmant motivation.
I. Hoover, John, 1952- II Title.
HF5381 .C699 2002
650.1--dc21
2001058248
Chapter Title Here Please 5
Dedication/Introduction
Of the many mentors who have helped me “seize the day,” I dedi-
cate this to three standouts.
The first is Virgil Cox, my coal-miner father. Out of his meager
earnings he figured out a way to obtain his private pilot’s license. On
one of those great Sunday afternoon flights out of the Marion, Illinois
airport, he let me fly an airplane for the first time. I was 12 years old.
With his unceasing encouragement I progressed from that 90 mph
airplane to flying supersonic fighters at 20 miles per minute (1,200
mph). It was quite an adventure.
The second mentor is Mike Vance, founder and former dean of
Disney University where he had also headed up the Idea and People
Development Department for Walt Disney. When I heard him speak
there in Anaheim I was at a low point in my life. I had just destroyed
my employer’s top office because I was so bad as a manager. That day
I learned people skills that really worked and this profound bit of
philosophy:
“We do what we are. We are what we think. What we think is deter-
mined by what we learn. What we learn is determined by what we expe-
rience and what we experience is determined by what we expose ourselves
to and what we do with that experience.”
That half-day seminar of Mike’s was the turning point in my re-
building that office into an industry leader.
The third mentor is easily the most interesting person I have ever
known. His name was Jim Newton and he was author of Uncommon
Friends, which chronicles his close friendships with Thomas Edison,
Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Charles Lindbergh, and Nobel Prize
winner, Dr. Alexis Carrel. He taught me that his great friends had
three things in common:
1. A sense of destiny.
2. A spirit of adventure.
3. A capacity for growth.
In 1999, at the age of 94, Jim left this realm. Even in that last year
he was still telling people, in his characteristically humorous way, “I
can’t say much for my past, but my future is spotless.”
As you can see from the loving encouragement of a blue-collar
father, to Mickey Mouse, to Thomas Edison, it’s been quite a ride—
and its not over yet.
“The best is yet to be.”
Contents
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Performance is Personal
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Your Moment of Truth: Selecting the Desired Rewards
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Developing Strengths
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Planning for Performance
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Launching the Plan
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Problem-solving: Expecting the Unexpected
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Keeping Morale High
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Your Personal Plan for Growth
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Foreword
I’ve spent a professional lifetime seeking out the potential in
people. To me, people represent endless possibilities. Within each
individual there is tremendous power waiting to be unleashed. I’ve
found nothing more gratifying in my career than to see a man or a
woman finally come into his or her own. People, possibilities, power:
These are among the topics that have inspired me to write scores of
books and preach thousands of sermons over the years.
Through those years, I’ve learned firsthand how it’s possible for
anyone with a big enough heart to accomplish unbelievable results.
The size of your pocketbook, your physical stature, and your formal
schooling mean very little when it comes to long-term success. It’s the
ability to place oneself in the future, plan, and execute faithfully that
makes all the difference. Where the power of human potential is con-
cerned, the sky’s the limit.
That’s why I’m proud of my good friend Danny Cox. I’ve watched
his career grow. I know what a rich blessing his speaking and writing
have been to so many people across this great country. Now, Danny
has topped himself once again. This time he’s carved out a seven-step,
high-performance process that will make the most of your natural abili-
ties, education and experience. Danny weaves an entertaining and in-
formative fabric out of his executive experiences, Air Force test pilot
escapades and Ozark country common sense. As usual, he communi-
cates it all in the warm, easygoing, amusing style that’s become his
trademark on the speaker’s platform. Tapping your reservoir of per-
sonal potential has never been explained more clearly. Following
Danny’s time-proven formula will truly enable you to Seize The Day.
—Dr. Robert H. Schuller