The main content of today’s Ezine is a tribute to the recently deceased Jim Rohn. Sometime, do yourself a favor. Use Jim’s web site to listen to Jim for a bit or read something of his. I know the topics are different from politics and current events. Nevertheless, note the difference in tone and content you see there with what passes for political dialogue today. Ask yourself why Jim’s approach isn’t more predominant and how you can help make it so.

Saturday, Dec 5, 2009, witnessed the passing of a voice of reason and wisdom.

Jim Rohn, America’s foremost business philosopher, passed away. The voice of the Idaho farm boy who made it to Beverly Hills and beyond has been stilled, but will endure forever to inspire even more millions through his seminars, books and audio visual materials. He will live on, as well, through the efforts of others inspired to be like him.

Unlike an entertainer or politician well known to the public at large, Rohn’s following came from his efforts to show people how to find success in their personal and business lives by getting out of their own way. Millions of people did just that by learning a new philosophy. As Rohn himself said many times, "When I was age 25, broke and behind on my big mouth promises to my wife and kids, it would never have occurred to me to blame my personal philosophy. But I found that when I changed my philosophy, everything changed for me."

What was that new philosophy? In sum, it was a philosophy that realized the world is as it is and focused on ways to adapt to let the individual prosper within those circumstances, rather than blaming anything and everything else around them for their lack of achievement. Rohn himself was known to comment regarding some inane aspect of how the world works, "Don’t ask me why it’s that way. I wasn’t in on the early decisions." He also said, "If you blame the seed, the soil and the sun, then you’re blaming everything you have." Which, by the way, is everything you need to make things work.

Part of my own inspiration for what I do springs from Rohn’s teachings. I see too many people trying to participate in the political process without a well thought out philosophy and relying on emotion and the motivation supplied by self serving demagogues instead.

As a tribute and (I hope) a way of inspiring you to look further at the wisdom of this man, I want to share some my favorites among Jim Rohn’s quotations.