christev
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 Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 6:12 am Post subject: 2 articles from The Certain Way |
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Favorite articles from The Certain Way
Flinging Fish for Fun and Profit
By Rebecca Fine
The situation looked grim for Johnny Yokoyama. The seafood market where he had once been an employee but was now the owner was more than $300,000 in debt and sinking deeper fast. In fact, employee morale was at an all-time low, and the business was almost as dead as the fish no one was buying.
Now fast-forward to today and imagine yourself in Seattle's lively landmark, the Pike Place Market, overlooking Puget Sound and the snow-capped Olympic Mountains beyond. As you walk closer to the crowd gathered near the open-air center of this sprawling bazaar you can't help wondering what all that laughter and shrieking are about ...
... until you see a hefty two-foot long salmon flying over the gathering and into the waiting arms of the young man behind the counter — and the crowd goes wild!
Someone asks another rubber-aproned fellow for two pounds of halibut. "TWO POUNDS OF HALIBUT!" the order-taker calls out. "TWO POUNDS OF HALIBUT!" comes the reply, in unison, from EVERYONE else on the fish market crew.
Tourists are snapping photos like crazy, even handing their giggling toddlers up to pose with fish bigger than they are. And every so often, someone leans in for a closer look at that giant monkfish — the one there on the lower shelf, that prehistoric-looking fish with a mouth as big as a saucer. But that someone doesn't stay there long because one little tug on the string that's tied to the fish's tail and hidden under the ice makes that fish MOVE — and makes the curiosity-seeker straighten up fast!
This is certainly like no fish market you've ever seen before. Then you notice that in addition to all the silliness and good-natured clowning, something else is happening here.
People aren't just laughing, they're buying fish.
A LOT of fish!
Now, in his life-changing 1910 forgotten classic, The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace Wattles has laid out for us the basic principles by which the Pike Place Fish Market crew has turned what appeared to be failure into a stunning "World Famous" success. No, they didn't have the book to guide them; they just happened onto some of these principles in an instinctive way. Their backs were against the wall and they clearly saw that SOMETHING had to change.
Amazingly, they didn't focus on the obvious question, how can we sell more fish? Instead, they imagined a thriving market filled with happy customers and happy employees. And then they realized that if visitors were to enjoy the experience, first THEY had to change their own thinking and their own behavior. Sound familiar?
Oh, you see those two dozen executive-looking types over there, giggling like little kids? The ones wearing the matching jackets emblazoned with their famous corporate logo? They're here as part of a seminar on how to revitalize their customer service teams.
Turns out the fish flingers have stumbled upon some "secrets" that big corporations spend millions looking for. In fact, there are now several seminars, a couple of training videos, and even a best-selling book endorsed by some of the world's top business and motivational speakers and authors — all aimed at spreading this "fish philosophy" to other businesses.
So what exactly happened to turn a dark, dingy, dying seafood store into the star attraction of a famous city's famous landmark?
Well, listen up to the four main principles as outlined by Charthouse Learning Corporation's CEO John Christensen. Not too long ago Mr. Christensen wandered into the Pike Place Fish Market craziness just as I did (although I don't know if they hooked him with that monkfish gag the way they "caught" me!).
Mr. Christensen is the man who immediately realized that there was something special going on here that needed to be "world famous." Here's what it boils down to:
1. "Play: We put more energy into what we enjoy, and finding ways to "play" can lead to greater productivity and creativity. Play is NOT about acting irresponsibly. In the livable workplace, it is about finding ways to have more fun accomplishing serious goals."
Now Mr. Wattles doesn't say anything about "play" at all — and it's a little difficult to imagine it being taken seriously back at the turn of the last century when the "efficiency movement" was the darling of the industrial world. But today we can easily see that a light-hearted sense of "play" can be a major component of achieving consistent "efficient action."
2. "Be There: The glue in our humanity is in being fully present for one another. Being there also is a great way to practice wholeheartedness and fight burnout, for it is those halfhearted tasks you perform while juggling other things that wear you out."
"Put your whole mind into present action," Mr. Wattles says. And when one of the fish market guys stops goofing and turns to help a customer, that customer becomes the only other person in the place. Don't you wish EVERYONE you deal with in the course of a normal day had that kind of focus? (Don't they wish YOU did, too?)
3. "Choose Your Attitude: When you look for the worst you will find it everywhere. When you look for the best you will find opportunities you never imagined possible. You have the power to choose your attitude. If you find yourself with an attitude you don't want, you can choose another."
Mr. Wattles says, "You must learn to see the underlying truth in all things," and we know that our prevailing attitudes make this either possible or impossible. If your attitude is negative, you're expressing faith that what you do NOT want is on its way to you. But as Mr. Christensen notes, if the attitude you have at the moment isn't serving you — or anyone else — you can always choose again!
4. "Make Their Day: When you 'make someone’s day' (or even moment) through a small kindness or unforgettable engagement, you can turn even routine encounters into special memories. Few things are as rewarding and infectious as lifting another person's spirits, and the act of serving others quickly returns a feeling of satisfaction."
What a wonderful way to embody Mr. Wattles' advice always to "give more in use value than you take in cash value." The fish guys add value to every transaction in many ways: By letting the customer know that s/he is important (whether s/he buys anything or not!), by providing a light moment of entertainment (simply by being themselves and not taking themselves too seriously), and in countless other ways, large and small.
See, making money selling fish isn't just about selling fish. And it's the same with ANY business. (And if you think you aren't "in business" just because you work for someone else or some big company, look at it this way: You ARE in business, even if it's a one-person business with you as CEO, employee, and perhaps even the product!)
You can learn a lot from a bunch of fishy guys in Seattle, and in a moment I'll send you off to do just that. But first, let's wrap this up with a brief excerpt from the book, Fish!, a modern "business parable" that teaches the valuable lessons at the heart of the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market's stunning turnaround:
"Let me tell you about my grandmother. She always brought love and a smile to her work. All of us grandkids wanted to help in the kitchen because Grandma was so much fun. In the process a great deal of kitchen wisdom was dispensed. Us kids were given something truly precious, a caring adult.
"I realize now that my grandmother didn't love dishwashing. She BROUGHT love to dishwashing, and her spirit was infectious.
"Likewise, my buddies and I realized that each day when we come to the fish market we bring an attitude. We can bring a moody attitude and have a depressing day. We can bring a grouchy attitude and irritate our coworkers and customers. Or we can bring a sunny, playful, cheerful attitude and have a great day. We can choose the kind of day we will have. We spent a lot of time talking about this choice, and we realized that as long as we are going to be at work, we might as well have the best day we can have. Make sense to you?"
Makes sense to me! And if you agree, my friend, take a closer look. See, what the Pike Place Fish gang intuitively discovered is that if their situation was to change, first THEY had to change. And so they did. They decided to turn their dreary and unprofitable work into fun. Fun for themselves and for everyone who steps into their world, whether they buy fish or not.
Ask Johnny Yokoyama what he's most proud of these days and he'll tell you: "My employees and I made Pike Place Fish 'World Famous!'"
Then ask him what "World Famous" means to him, and you get the real scoop: "It means that we never stop creating possibilities — every day gives us the opportunity to grow, to learn something new, to get better than we were yesterday. We are gonna make your day!"
Why not make it YOUR objective to become "World Famous?" To find ways to bring the same "sunny, playful, cheerful attitude" to YOUR job or business — and to begin to revel in the delight of seeing the very same kind of RESULTS, including the ones you can take to the bank?
If the fish guys can do it, so can you! Here's where to learn more:
Meet the guys and gals, see and hear the fun, and get some great seafood recipes, too!
http://www.pikeplacefish.com
Learn more about the seminars, videos, etc.:
http://www.fishphilosophy.com
Find out more about the book, Fish!, or get your own copy here:
http://tinyurl.com/kemdq
Have FUN — and remember to watch out for those low-flying fish!
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Rebecca Fine is the founder of The Science of Getting Rich Network where you can download your free copy of the amazing 1910 forgotten classic, The Science of Getting Rich. http://tinyurl.com/kemdq ©2000 Certain Way Productions.
You may use this article in your own publications or web sites as long as no changes are made to the text and the "Resource Box" above is included in its entirety.
Favorite articles from The Certain Way
An Unexpected $36,000 — Already!
By Rebecca Fine
Just a few short weeks ago, Mike began to put his big plans for the year into action. Like so many of us, he and his wife had decided that now that their daughter was grown, they wanted to work less and enjoy life more — to travel, spend time with friends and family, and just generally enjoy their home on the lovely east coast of New Zealand.
Now you only have to look around to see that WANTING that kind of freedom is where many people begin and END the process! (And — ouch — sometimes we only have to look in the mirror for a good example, right?)
But for Mike, this was just the beginning. He'd recently read a small forgotten classic from 1910 entitled, The Science of Getting Rich, and something in it just "clicked" for him. Sure, he'd also read plenty of "self-help" books before. But, as he put it, "without taking them onboard."
This time, though, something was different. This time Mike decided to go for it, to apply the principles he was learning from that little book as he set about changing his life.
Back in 1987 Mike had started an electrical company and it did very well. And he and his wife also own and operate another full-time business, too. To start this year, Mike closed down his business to concentrate on a new interest, property investing, while his wife retired from running the other business, opting to handle just a bit of the administrative work on a part-time basis.
As you might expect, they originally figured this would mean some belt-tightening while Mike got his new venture going — a perhaps substantial temporary loss of income. But rather than focus on that, Mike decided to follow the instructions in The Science of Getting Rich and focus on his clear mental image of the life he wanted and to begin to take action in that direction. He also opted to participate in a course called "The Science of Getting Rich for Practical Geniuses™."
Here's what Mike reported just a little halfway through the course:
$36,000 in unexpected income has arrived!
You see, over the years Mike has developed several products and not long ago he came up with one that seemed very promising — a quality management logging system for welding pipes, including the electronic device that runs the system.
But this side of the business somehow didn't work out quite as he'd expected, so when his main client went out of business, Mike just put the product on the shelf in the garage and forgot about it. And there it sat, abandoned, for more than a year and a half.
Then, suddenly, a company which had bought several of his devices in the past showed up wanting that almost-forgotten product! Seems they'd been trying to develop a similar one on their own but had become bogged down in major difficulties. They offered Mike a good price for his brain-child and he was all set to agree.
But there was a hitch.
Two deal-killer clauses glared out of the contract — and the would-be buyer's lawyer wasn't budging.
"Never allow yourself to be disappointed," says Wallace Wattles, author of The Science of Getting Rich. So here's what Mike did.
"I tried to think of and see the deal with a positive outcome rather than see the problems in our way. I also knew the contract wouldn't work for me with those two clauses in it, so I let go of any attachment to the outcome and rang the person I'd been dealing with directly, instead of talking to the lawyer. I told him what I wanted, and I really was happy for the deal not to go ahead otherwise."
Result?
"We got our money last week. The amount will cover our basic living expenses while I start our new venture and it'll also take care of the cut in my wife's income."
And Mike did MORE. Understanding Mr. Wattles' admonition that "you must give every man more in use value than he gives you in cash value," Mike made the point of adding extra to what the buyer got.
"I spent days creating instruction manuals and also came across extra product when I did my final clean-out which I happily passed on to them at no extra cost. It ended up a good deal for all."
Good for you, Mike! And thanks for the excellent example of what Mr. Wattles writes about:
"It is not your part to guide or supervise the creative process. All you have to do with that is to retain your vision, stick to your purpose, and maintain your faith and gratitude.
"But you must act in a certain way, so that you can appropriate what is yours when it comes to you and so that you can meet the things you have in your picture and put them in their proper places as they arrive.
"You can really see the truth of this. When things reach you, they will be in the hands of others, who will ask an equivalent for them. And you can only get what is yours by giving the other person what is rightfully his ...
"Under the impelling power of the supreme spirit, people’s affairs will be so ordered that someone will be led to mine the gold for you. Other people’s business transactions will be so directed that the gold will be brought toward you. And you must so arrange your own business affairs that you may be able to receive it when it comes to you.
"Your thought makes all things, animate and inanimate, work to bring you what you want, but your personal activity must be such that you can rightly receive what you want when it reaches you."
Do you see, my friend, how all this is EXACTLY what Mike is and has been doing?
He is ...
Retaining his vision,
Sticking to his purpose,
Maintaining his faith and gratitude,
Acting in "the certain way" so that he is "able to receive."
Now lest you think that Mike has some kind of superhuman powers of concentration and focus, listen up to what he says here:
"I use the science of getting rich when I remember. Some days I work on it and others I get busy and forget. So I think results can come even when you start and only have 'average daily attendance.' I have, though, always been grateful ... It is great to have a system that gratitude is a part of."
None of us is yet perfect in thought and action, of course, and as Mr. Wattles tells us, it takes work and commitment to direct our attention and thinking. In short, like everything else worth doing, it takes practice to get good at it.
Most of us are just beginning to use these long-neglected "muscles" and what matters now is that we just start and continue to NOTICE our thinking when it goes off-track and to — without blame, shame, or guilt — direct our remarkable power of thought in the way we CHOOSE, rather than just flipping into an automatic, conditioned response — which is, when you get right down to it, the exact OPPOSITE of thinking in the certain way (or thinking at all!).
And I promise you that it does get easier and completely natural with time and practice!
So how might YOU follow Mike's lead with whatever it is you want to create, experience, or attract to yourself? Take the time to understand these principles and apply them to your own life. "Study this book. Make it your constant companion," as Mr. Wattles advises. Study it on your own. Study it with like-minded friends. And "take it onboard," as Mike is doing.
You, too, will feel the excitement as what you want begins to show up in gloriously expected and UNexpected ways!
Oh, yes — one more thing. You may have noted that Mike's forgotten product netted him $35,000 and the title of this story says "$36,000." Here's the rest (so far!):
"We have five mature avocado trees on our property that for the first time we got a commercial picker to pick." Mike had thought the fruit would be worth about $200 after picking costs. "A cheque arrived yesterday for $850."
"Also our Inland Revenue Department [the tax agency similar to the Internal Revenue Service here in the US] sent me a $200 refund last week for an error they made last year."
A few months ago, right before the course started, Mike said. "With The Science of Getting Rich, this year is going to be great." Now he grins and says, "Quite a couple of weeks, I think you would agree. I wonder what next week will hold!"
What indeed. You go, guy!
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Rebecca Fine is the founder of The Science of Getting Rich Network where you can download your free copy of the amazing 1910 forgotten classic, The Science of Getting Rich. http://tinyurl.com/kemdq ©2001 Certain Way Productions.
You may use this article in your own publications or web sites as long as no changes are made to the text and the "Resource Box" above is included in its entirety.
_________________
Chris Stevens You get what you expect, so expect success!
My Blogs
Positive Thoughts and more http://positive1000.blogspot.com/
Positive Thoughts Carnival http://positivethoughtscarnival.blogspot.com/
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