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Repeat After Me: “I can only change ______ !”

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If Just ONE …

During this Dave Ramsey Show interview, Dave asked me, “If people only get one idea from QBQ! what do you want it to be?”

I responded, “Well, Dave, it’s this: I can only change … me.”

Some of you right now are thinking, That’s not new, John, not new at all!

Right. But remember what we teach in the QBQ! book:

Repetition is the motor of learning!

So, let’s repeat the truth that I can only change me—a cornerstone of PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY—using a story shared by QBQ! reader, Annetta:

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The #1 Problem With Entitlement Thinking

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If I say I’m against “entitlement thinking,” many would cheer. However, if I say I’m against “entitlements,” some would call me mean-spirited.

Most talk around “entitlements” is political, highly charged, and nasty. The minute lawmakers try to reduce any specific “entitlement program,” they are accused of being nothing short of evil.

But, this board member of the Denver Rescue Mission is not evil at all. I just think we need to be aware of “unintended consequences” …

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Outstanding Service: 7 Reasons This Customer Is Happy

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An email came to us that you should only read if you love outstanding customer service stories. Enjoy!

John,

I love the QBQ! book and its message. Whenever I experience a moment of pure personal accountability as a paying customer, I think, These people really understand their own role in this whole thing!

Well, it happened again.

Maui Jim is a maker of great products, namely sunglasses. I’m a big fan. My favorite pair had a little hiccup when a tiny nut broke off of a tiny screw, so I contacted them.

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7 Ways To “Let” the Holidays Be Better

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I don’t know about you, but when a blog advertises a list, I don’t want a preamble, I want to dive right in. So here we go! 

7 Ways To “Let” the Holidays Be Better

1. Let go

Got old hurts? Did Uncle Joe, brother Seth, or cousin Jamie say something that offended you in … 2005? If so …

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The #1 Reason People Quit Is …

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When we included Chapter 27 titled “Develop Managers” in Outstanding! I’d hoped it wouldn’t be needed. I mean, organizations always train people managers properly, right?

Well …

QBQ, Inc., has been following the story of Sabrina, a 39-year-old Physician’s Assistant, who began employment 90 days ago in a department deep within a large healthcare system.

It has not gone well. There have been problems—all resulting from poor people management. Here are a few …

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6 Powerful and Inspirational Quotes I Love

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I’ve been asked, “What are you currently reading and what do you recommend?”  

My answer?

Nothing and zip. (Well, I could recommend these books, but that might be a tad self-serving!)

But seriously, I’m not a big reader.

What has meant a great deal to me, though, are specific quotes. I’ll share them here and then ask you to give us a favorite quote. Here we go!

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Careful, Making Assumptions Is Costly!

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The Story

In 1984, while living in Great Falls, Montana with my wife, Karen, and our sweet one-year-old, Kristin (actual house and child pictured), I wrote a letter to the local paper. Much to my surprise, it was published.

The piece confronted, probably with a defensive and immature tone, how Montanans viewed the Miller’s home state of New York.

I was attempting to counter the myth held by westerners that New York is a “concrete jungle.” In reality, New York is millions of acres of rolling hills, mountains, streams, lakes, forests, farms, and dairy cows.

For Upstate New Yorkers like Karen and me, “The Big Apple” does not define our home state.

Once published, though, I wondered if my letter might make some Great Falls’ locals none-too-pleased with me.

The next morning, I found out—or so I assumed. Overnight, someone had placed on our porch a homemade wire cage containing one …

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Not Nearly As Thankful As I Should Be

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Overflowing Abundance

Cereal. We all love cereal. There are “kid” cereals and “adult” cereals—and the truth is adults don’t mind a bowl of Fruit Loops or Captain Crunch now and then, do we? Come on, admit it!

But seriously, when it comes to cereal, do we have amazing choices in America or what?!

You know, I’m not one of those guys who attempts to shame people into feeling thankful for all we have in this country—but I do need to be personally accountable in this area and work on me.

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Accountability and American Role Models

Grab the new QBQ! Workbook here. Personal, powerful, practical!

Note: I did not write this piece from a political view, so let’s not go there. This blog is about responsibility, integrity, leadership, and great parenting. Enjoy!

Politicians Aren’t Our Role Models

“What do we tell the children?” is a question some have asked since the U.S. presidential election. It’s a question that takes me back 18 years.

In 1998, the wall-to-wall news was about President Bill Clinton and a 22-year-old intern named Monica and their Oval Office activities. It was the story, day in, day out. The Miller children werole models-america-parenting-QBQ-personal-accountabilityre 15, 13, 10, and 8 years old.

Impressionable ages, would you agree?

But what I can tell you from the heart is this: The Clinton affair didn’t cause my wife, Karen, and me to wonder what we might tell the kids. Not even for a moment.

Because we’re perfect parents? No. Because of our political party association? No. Because we don’t follow what’s going on in the world or have opinions? Nope!

We didn’t think about it because we’d already come to a parental conclusion, possibly subconsciously since we don’t recall discussing it. Here it is:

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