QUOTABLE QUOTES
***Truth 
 “"Truth is stranger than fiction, but that may well be because we have made fiction to suit ourselves."
--G. K. Chesterton, British author

***The Power of Incrementalism 
“Nations, like men, do not have wings; they make their journeys on foot step by step.” 
--Juan Bautists Alberdi, Argentine political theorist whose ideas were incorporated into their Constitution of 1853

***Action
“A thought which does not result in an action is nothing much, and an action which does not proceed from a thought is nothing at all.”   --Georges Bernanos, French novelist and polemicist

***Action
“Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” 
--Benjamin Disraeli, British politician who served twice as prime minister

***Work Worth Doing
“Being busy does not always mean real work.   The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration.   Seeming to do is not doing.”   --Thomas Alva Edison, American inventor.

***Persuasion
“Great leaders persuade people to see, to feel, and to act.”   Gene Griessman

***Procrastination
“The road called By and By leads to a place called Never.”    --traditional saying

***Diplomacy
“Make your words soft and sweet.  You never know when you’ll have to eat them.”  --traditional saying

LINCOLN’S LOG: LINCOLN ON FORGIVENESS AND AMNESTY

At Lincoln’s last cabinet meeting, on the morning of the Friday that he was assassinated, he responded to demands to hang Southern leaders by stating:  “I hope there will be no persecution, no bloody work after the war is over.  No one need expect me to take any part in hanging or killing these men....Enough lives have been sacrificed.  We must extinguish our resentments if we expect harmony and union.”

Lincoln’s spirit lives on in a recent review of a biography of the German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun.  The review was written by Freeman Dyson, Professor of Physics Emeritus at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. The biography is entitled Von Braun: Dreamer of Space, Engineer of War by Michael J Neufeld.

I was attracted to this review, not just because it demonstrates Lincoln’s principles, but because years ago I had wanted to do an interview with Von Braun for my “Up Close” celebrity interview series for TBS.  Unfortunately Von Braun died before the interview could be arranged.

In his book, Neufeld condemns US government officials for covering up Von Braun’s collaboration with the Nazis.  The US government wanted Von Braun to help beat the Russians in the space race, and the former Nazi collaborator was put in charge of the Saturn rocket program in Huntsville, Alabama, which created satellite technology and put men on the moon. 

 “I beg to differ with the author (Neufeld),” Dyson has written.  “War is an inherently immoral activity.  Even the best of wars involves crimes and atrocities, and every citizen who takes part in war is to some extent collaborating with criminals.  I should here declare my own interest in this debate.  In my work for the RAF Bomber Command, I was collaborating with people who planned the destruction of Dresden in February 1945, a notorious calamity in which many thousands of innocent civilians were burned to death.  If we had lost the war, those responsible might have been condemned as war criminals, and I might have been found guilty of collaborating with them.”

After Dyson’s acknowledgement of his own personal bias—which is necessary if one is to be intellectually honest—he then makes a statement that I am sure Lincoln would approve of: 

“In my opinion, the moral imperative at the end of every war is reconciliation.  Without reconciliation there can be no real peace.  Reconciliation means amnesty.”

Dyson does not believe in the ongoing activity of “hunting for criminals and collaborators.”  He writes:  “In order to make a lasting peace, we must learn to live with our enemies and forgive their crimes….Amnesty is not easy and not fair, but is a moral necessity, because the alternative is an unending cycle of hatred and revenge.”

Dyson concludes: “In the end, I admire von Braun for using his God-given talents to achieve his visions, even when this required him to make a pact with the devil….And I admire the United States Army for giving him a second chance to pursue his dreams.  In the end, the amnesty given to him by the United States did far more than a strict accounting of his misdeeds could have done to redeem his soul and to fulfill his destiny.”

Dyson’s review, which is an example of Lincoln’s relevance for the issues of today, can be read in its entirety in the January 17, 2008 issue of The New York Review of Books)

In my live portrayal of Lincoln, the last day includes Lincoln’s remembering his last cabinet meeting and his words to the cabinet:  “We must extinguish our resentments if we expect harmony and union.”

LEADERSHIP:  CRITICISM

Q. How should you handle criticism?  

A. Very carefully. 

Criticism can help you correct mistakes, improve, and grow stronger.  Criticism also can cause you to make mistakes, miss opportunities, and destroy you.  Criticism is like ammonium nitrate.  It can be a rich fertilizer or a deadly explosive. 

Here are five mental techniques to use the next time you are criticized:

One.  Look at the criticism as potentially valuable information. 

Two.  Evaluate the criticism.  Sometimes criticism is like a volcanic eruption.  It may contain several complaints, some important, some trivial.   Ask yourself: “What is in this criticism that I can use?” 

Three.  Evaluate the complainer.  Does the person really understand?  Is she going off half-cocked?  Is he emotionally overwrought? All complaints or complainers are not created equal.

Four.  Create psychological distance between yourself and the criticism.  This takes discipline if someone is letting you have it with both barrels.  One big differentiating characteristic between achievers and non-achievers is how they handle failure and criticism.  Non-achievers say, “I’m a failure.”  Achievers say, “I did something that didn’t work out.  I’ll do better next time.”

Five.  If there’s nothing do-able in the criticism, shrug it off.  Thank the person for letting you know and get on with your life.

(Adapted from Time Tactics of Very Successful People.  This book contains an entire section on the subject—pp. 122-126.  To order your copy, go to www.achievementdigest.com/timetacticsofverysuccessfulpeople.html

 “LINCOLN’S WISDOM”   
Would you like to sample some of the tracks of “Lincoln’s Wisdom,” or would you like to do an MP3 download?  You can do both at CD Baby.   The samples are free.  Here’s the link: http://cdbaby.com/found?allsearch=griessman&submit=search

“LINCOLN ON COMMUNICATION”

How would you feel if Abraham Lincoln could speak to your leadership team, your class or seminar, your course on business communication, or interpersonal communication?  You'd be thrilled, of course.  Now you can do the next best thing.  By showing "Lincoln on Communication," you will enable those you lead to learn Lincoln's communication secrets, the tactics and strategies that made him effective at interpersonal communication as well as a great writer and speechmaker.

Business leaders, communication experts, and educators alike have acclaimed it.  To order: www.achievementdigest.com/lincoln%20on%20communication.html   
This item is one of our most expensive products but you can order with confidence.  Your purchase is protected with a lifetime return guarantee.

FEEDBACK
From the feedback forms:  
*** “ ‘Learn to Learn’ was thought provoking; really made me think about what I have done or not done lately.” 
--William LaPois, VP Operations  L-3 Communications

“Really liked the discussion differentiating between an argument versus a quarrel, reminding me to stay positive and out of the personal aspect of a difference in opinion.”  --Nancy Graeter, national account manager, Medicaid

“Your accent, look, and demeanor were so lifelike and similar to Abraham Lincoln, I felt like Abe Lincoln was in the room.” 
--Becky Catino, President. Security National Automotive Acceptance Corp.

“This is the first time I ever heard anyone publicly address the consequences of frustration and dealing with depression.  I cannot explain in words how helpful this speaker’s message was to me at this time.  He helped me put into perspective the challenges I feel and face on a day to day basis.”   --Rebecca Brooks, Executive Director,  FSRGB

TRAVEL NOTES FROM A ROAD WARRIOR
Don’t Let Those Miles/Points Expire 
You may not be able to take that vacation you’ve been saving up for if you let your miles and points vanish. That almost happened to me recently.  When I called Air Tran to check on the number of miles in my account I was told that I had absolutely no miles left.  Zero.  Out of curiosity I asked how many miles had expired.  The answer: “Enough for one round-trip ticket.” 

When I expressed my disappointment and asked if anything could be done, I was told, “As a one-time courtesy, I can restore enough miles for one round-trip ticket.” 

The point of the story.  One.  Keep up with your account.  Some airlines and some hotels have very narrow rules about miles and points.  In the case of Air Tran, all miles expire after one year.  Their customers receive no notice and no email postings.  It’s entirely the customer’s responsibility to keep track of the miles on the Internet.  Many hotel chains require a minimum of one stay per year to keep points.

Two.  Don’t be afraid to complain, but do it tactfully, and make your complaint to someone with discretionary authority to do something about it. 

CHILE
Chile is one of the few remaining tourist destinations in the world where the American dollar goes a long way.  It’s prosperous, safe, and easy to get around.  Also, because it’s below the equator, the seasons are reversed, so that in December you can enjoy spring-like weather.  A number of major airlines fly to Santiago, the nation’s capital.  (Delta has direct flights from Atlanta, for example, and fares are reasonable.)

Chile has become famous for its wine country and its ski resorts, all within easy reach of Santiago. The city’s architecture is amazing.  Scores of striking skyscrapers have been built within the past few years or are now under construction.  Snow-capped mountains look down on the city.

I cashed in some points to stay at the Santiago Marriott, a five-star, beautiful and beautifully run hotel.  Its only drawback is that it’s a bit removed from the historic part of the city and the delightful upper-class neighborhoods with their great restaurants.  Speaking of restaurants, I liked the Restaurant Mare Nostrum (www.mare-nostrum.cl).  For part of my stay, I moved to the Eurotel, which is located in the charming Providencia neighborhood.  (www.eurotel.cl)  

Chile’s far north, the site of one of the world’s driest deserts, is spectacular.  While there I took a swim in a remote thermal pool in a crater 14,200 feet above sea level at the Geysers of Tatio al Amanecer.    Nearby, geysers sprayed steam hundreds of feet into the air, and I spotted a herd of vicuna grazing in the distance.  The jumping-off point to explore this region is the tiny village of San Pedro de Atacama.  The village itself is full of visitors from all over the world, many of whom love to party into the wee hours.  The village contains several comfortable lodges and small hotels, many bars and clubs, and one pricey resort.

IF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN PLANNING AN UPCOMING MEETING, SALES CONFERENCE, CUSTOMER-APPRECIATION EVENT OR SEMINAR, PLEASE TYPE "YES" BESIDE THE ITEM/S BELOW AND RETURN THIS EMAIL IN ORDER TO RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS:
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VALUABLE RESOURCES 
***THE WORDS LINCOLN LIVED BY www.achievementdigest.com/thewordslincolnlivedby.html
 
***TIME TACTICS OF VERY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE www.achievementdigest.com/timetacticsofverysuccessfulpeople.html
  
***99 WAYS TO GET MORE OUT OF EVERY DAY: www.achievementdigest.com/99waystogetmorecd.html
 
***"AN EVENING WITH ABRAHAM LINCOLN" VIDEO www.achievementdigest.com/aneveningwithabraham.html
 
***"LESSONS FROM LEGENDS" CD AUDIOBOOK www.achievementdigest.com/ProductOrderForm.html
 
***"LINCOLN ON COMMUNICATION" DVD-CD  www.achievementdigest.com/lincoln%20on%20communication.html

 “Lessons From Legends”  recently was name “Best Educational Album” in the 2006 JPF Music Awards.   It is a recording before a live audience of several thousand people in which I tell stories from my exclusive interviews with celebrities.  If you’d like to obtain multiple copies of this CD, contact us directly for a quantity price.  The best way to obtain a single copy of the CD is from CD Baby.  You can hear an excerpt on-line before ordering. http://cdbaby.com/found?artist=griessman&soundlike=&album=lessons+from+legends&style=

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THE ACHIEVEMENT DIGEST--TAD, March 2005--A Unique Newsletter For Leaders