The Purpose of Life

The Purpose of Life
By Tina Montalto

I am sure we have all asked at one time or another, What is the purpose of life? Or perhaps this variation: Why am I here?

It seems like such a profound question: Great philosophers have been asked that question. Great thinkers and scientists have been asked. Great spiritual and religious leaders have been asked, too.

One would think that the answer is so profound and unknowable, even the greatest minds of all time could not provide the ultimate answer. But I humbly say to you, I have the answer. And it is quite knowable to all of us.

The purpose of life is (drum roll please) TO EXPRESS.

To express what? To express as much of God as you can. To express as much Life, Love, Light, Power, Peace, Beauty and Joy as you can.

If you are familiar with Judge Thomas Troward, a pioneer in the New Thought Movement, you will know that he describes the qualities of God as: Life, Love, Light, Power, Peace, Beauty and Joy. Since God is First Cause or Universal Creativity, It creates. What does It create? It creates Itself. What is Itself? Life, Love, Light, Power, Peace, Beauty and Joy.

We are expressions of God, which means we are all Life, Love, Light, Power, Peace, Beauty and Joy in various levels of expression. Our purpose is to express greater and ever greater levels of these qualities, all for the purpose of God's ever-increasing Enjoyment of Life.

From The Creative Process in the Individual by Thomas Troward: We found two principles as essential in our conception of the Originating Spirit, namely, its power of Selection and its power of Initiative; and we found a third principle as its only possible Motive, namely the Desire of the Living for ever increasing Enjoyment of Life.

Spirit creates for the sole purpose of expressing Itself. We are created in the image and likeness of Spirit; therefore our purpose is to express ourselves. Our highest selves. Our God-like selves. Which is Life, Love, Light Power, Peace, Beauty, and Joy.

We can think of the seven qualities of God listed above as they relate to us as individualized centers of Spirit this way: Life is the Energy of Good. Love is the Givingness of Good. Light is the Knowledge of Good. Power is the Movement of Good. Peace is the Acceptance of Good. Beauty is the Expression of Good. Joy is the Experience of Good. (-- courtesy of Rev. Harriet Smolka of the Oak Park (IL) Church of Religious Science.)

We can all express more of the givingness, the knowledge, the acceptance, and the experience of Good in our lives.

Again, from Troward: We have seen that the Spirit's Enjoyment of Life is necessarily a reciprocal -- it must have a corresponding fact in manifestation to answer to it; otherwise, by the inherent law of mind, no consciousness -- and consequently no enjoyment -- could accrue; and therefore by the law of continuous progression, the required Reciprocal should manifest as a being [my emphasis awakening to the consciousness of the principle by which he himself comes into existence.

WE are that BEING to which Troward refers. We have been created to be the reciprocal that Spirit needs to consciously recognize and know Itself as Itself, which, again, is Life, Love, Light, Power, Peace, Beauty and Joy.

So what does that mean in our day-to-day living? Couldn't we all express Peace a little more? Perhaps by saying a kind word to a stranger, perhaps by resisting an argument with a loved one, perhaps by letting some indiscretion by another driver on the highway, go without incident. Couldn't we all express a little more Love? By expressing your feelings for another person without expectation of a like-wise response. By giving of yourself by volunteering just because you can. Couldn't we all express a little more Wisdom and Understanding (Light)? Such as knowing when someone is lashing out not at you, but because of their own fears or sense of powerlessness.

This is how we express more of God. This is why you are here. You are here to express your unique spiritual self. Spirit would not be complete without you.

2006 Tina Montalto

Tina Montalto is the founder and president of Conscious Kernels, Inc., an ePublishing company specializing in New Thought spiritual eBooks and audio books. She is the author of You are What You Think available for free at the companys website: http://www.consciouskernels.com.

She has also created and serves as instructor for a 7-week eCourse on Spiritual Mind Treatment also available at the website. In addition to providing a selection of original eBooks, Conscious Kernels offers a free monthly eNewsletter, a community-building discussion board, spiritual retreats, and e-greeting cards.

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Time: How a Person Can Organize a Year in a Day

Time: How a Person Can Organize a Year in a Day
By Jack Wilson

The way to organize a year in a day: One thing at a time; a man or a woman in this fast-paced world wants to live life fully yet have enough time to savor every part of it. A child has an eye for everything it sees; every place is new and fresh; there is little organization. A man or a woman focuses on the moment, the day, the week, work, whatever the case in front of him or her might be. The government or the company, the group, the problem, the fact or a number of facts becomes the only matter. Time becomes jam-packed.

One of the most primal needs of a person is sleep. Science has probed this subject endlessly and still we don't quite know why we sleep. About as close as we have been able to come to answering the question is to say that it is a time when the body and brain recover from the demands made on them during the day. However, some people live hectic lives and sleep little, yet function well. Others have few challenges and sleep a lot and don't thrive.

The first consideration in planning your year is to determine the optimum sleep period for you every night and arrange your life to accommodate that need. If you don't do that, everything else will tumble down around you.

Next consider nutrition. Arrange your days so that you can eat well in a relaxed environment at more or less regular times.

In order to effectively achieve your short-term tasks and long-term goals, you need to build in lots of empty space. Take breaks often; plan on open zones in which you have no responsibilities and can do anything you want.

Ultimately you will be more successful in your endeavors and more whole as a person.

Arrange your day so that the more demanding jobs are scheduled when you are most alert and energetic. For some this is early in the day, for others late. You will have to determine which is best for you.

Be sure to do at least one thing each day which is deeply satisfying to you, regardless of how it seems to others. Go to bed at night knowing that you did something during that day that was rewarding to you.

Apply these principles which make up your day to your week, month, year, or longer span and your life will be smoother: proper sleep, proper nutrition, satisfying work and lots of free space.

Let's see, what have I left out? Oh, yes, love. If you don't make room for love, the rest doesn't matter all that much.

-----------------------------------

Jack Wilson is a writer and artist in Tempe, AZ

http://www.geocities.com/galimatio/jackwilson.html

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Where Has All the ENCHANTMENT Gone? Long Time Passing

Where Has All the ENCHANTMENT Gone? Long Time Passing
By Barbara Becker Holstein

I thought you might enjoy reading a professional article I prepared several years ago. It is just as current today and really speaks to a tragedy in our health care system that we must all try to combat. I am trying to explain some of the problems of managed care which penetrate much more deeply than out pocketbooks. These problems penetrate our minds, bodies and spirits! I am eager to hear from you, as always.

Those of us who became clinicians 15, 20, 25 and 30 years ago did so because we had a mission. Each in his or her own fashion had a reason for becoming a clinician that tapped into a need to be of service to humanity, dedicated to utilizing skills that stressed talking and listening as an art/science. We served internships, wrote dissertations and gladly entered what we saw as a 'healing' profession.

In fact, we achieved what I refer to as THE ENCHANTED SELF (i.e. Achieving Positive states of being that are a reflection of each person's uniqueness). Each was able to utilize the uniqueness of one's personal history, and talents, serving the public in a meaningful and skilled manner.

As private as the treatment room had been, most can look back on those early years, as years of collegial support and understanding. Whether one became an ego-psychologist, a behaviorist, or a family therapist, each of us knew the mentoring, and the success that went with each discipline. We were able to achieve some form of enchantment within the treatment room, offering our clients the best of ourselves, psychologically supported by our colleagues and society at large. We were confident to encourage our clients to stay for the appropriate length of treatment, comfortable making clinical judgments and enthused about learning new techniques and clinical skills. We offset our sleepless nights and anxieties around difficult clients, with elation and moments of pure joy, as we saw clients grow and heal.

Those days seem long gone. Now we are in an era of disenchantment. By that I mean we suffer the emotional and financial devastation of Managed Care. Whether a clinician chooses to practice within Managed Care or not, he or she is not protected from disenchantment. Disenchantment is all around.

The public does not respect or understand the art/science of psychotherapy as they used to. Nor are the younger clinicians trained and mentored professionally to the standards that we took for granted.

Clients come into psychotherapy, often with lowered expectations as to what therapy is, motivated primarily by their pocketbook or their Managed Care's pocketbook. They expect cures within 4, 6 or 8 sessions. After all, that is what their plan offers. They are led to believe that a few sessions are an adequate number of contact hours with a therapist. They expect miracles while no longer having a cursory understanding of what talking therapy is all about. They, like most of America , want a quick fix, and they want it now! Of course, this can not be! Nothing good happens overnight.

Giving ourselves a genuine dose of positive regard, beginning to acknowledge our talents, strengths, coping skills and lost potential; learning how to negotiate, react and act; and finally finding pleasure and replenishment in all the right places are universal necessities to living a life of meaning and purpose.

As we find ourselves as mental health providers in a state of disenchantment, how can we utilize what we know about human potential to offset our own emotional and spiritual malaise? We know from the study of human potential that optimism and hope are extremely important factors in staying well both physically and emotionally. How can we hold on to these capacities within ourselves? How can we at the same time fight Managed Care? In my book, THE ENCHANTED SELF, A Positive Therapy, I discuss how important our own histories are. Each of us has accumulated many memories. Our memory banks are unique to ourselves and hold within them, the potential for hope and optimism. Let me explain.

Only you can review your life's history. Rather than looking for dysfunctional aspects of your past, search out and discover moments when you displayed talents, strengths and/or wonderful coping skills. Only you can review your life, discovering and recognizing the moments when you were filled with the potential for growth and success even if you were stymied. Now is a golden opportunity to look through your past and recognize these wondrous moments.

Perhaps as a child you excelled at playing chess or tennis. Perhaps you were the child that brought home and nurtured abandoned birds and animals. Perhaps you longed to study the piano but there was no money and you could not take lessons. Yet even now you may remember the longing you had to play, or, perhaps to fend off feelings of anxiety in a quarreling fancily, you developed marvelous organizational skills. Were you the adolescent that displayed leadership skills, becoming president of the junior high school student council? Or were you the child that loved to dance or write poetry or just sit and daydream? You, who have guided so many others in finding their paths, can take the time to review your own history to find what is most positive about yourself.

Once you have begun to review and itemize your talents, strengths, coping skills and potential you are well on your way to bringing enchantment back into your life. Even during these dark days of Managed Care you can utilize your own enchantment in several fashions. You may discover in reviewing your past that you have much more potential to help in the fight for Managed Care then you thought was possible. Directing yourself to be a clearer and stronger warrior in the battle will in and of itself decrease anxiety and lessen the likelihood of depression. We all know that from what we advise our clients.

If a review of your past makes clear that you are not cleared to be a warrior in this battle, you can still access long forgotten talents and pleasures which can make your life more fulfilling. Perhaps it is time to take up tennis again. After all, you may have a few more open hours. Perhaps it is time to join a writer's group or offer volunteer services on the local first aid squad. Perhaps it is time to finally make those plans for a walking or biking tour next summer and use extra hours to strengthen those old leg muscles. In reviewing your talents you may discover new avenues to provide mental health services to your local community.

Remember, whatever way you go, you will find yourself most successful if you are utilizing your own specific talents, and coping skills. You will soon find that you are able to expand your horizons and have a more positive sense of yourself. You will be back on the road to enchantment.

About The Author

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein , originator of THE ENCHANTED SELF, a method of bringing delight and meaning into everyday living, invites you to view her new line of ENCHANTED WOMAN products, downloadable e-books, and free gifts at http://www.enchantedself.com. Chat with others in Dr. Holstein's e-group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/encself/join, and sign up for her fre e e-group at www.enchantedself.com. Order her book, THE ENCHANTED SELF: A Positive Therapy, or the CD-rom or tape version and her book RECIPES FOR ENCHANTMENT: The Secret Ingredient is YOU!, or the ED-rom version, at http://www.enchantedself.com/ordering/ordering.htm.

encself@aol.com

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ToDo List For Success Time Management: Theory And Practice

To-Do List For Success -- Time Management: Theory And Practice
By Yola Eve

Time Management is getting more and more popular day by day. People want to be more successful, proactive and wealthy. It is not new to everyone that there are common time wasters in our lives. Watching TV all evening long, spending too much time on the Internet, having a very long conversation over the phone, and, my favorite one, doing trifles instead of going bed and loosing your precious sleep these are common time wasters that you already know of. If you eliminate all these things, you will start to practice Time Management. But for me, it is rather time managing. I would like to put more sense into the words Time Management. For me Time Management equals LIFE Management. Why try to save minutes if we are loosing years? Am I born to save minutes to schedule more deeds into my already full 24-hour day? And yet loose a whole year on doing something that is not going to help me achieve success in my life.

IT IS ALL ABOUT INSPIRATION.
Find out more about your inner talents, discover your resources, apply yourself in work you love and believe in what you do that is how you become successful. In our days, we are encouraged to make our best choices to create opportunities for ourselves: get the education and work on the experience we need to move forward.

After you have set up your Major LIFE Goals, envisioned precisely what you need for yourself (car, apartment, house, business, motorbike and water scooter), now, it is time to create conditions and opportunities for yourself to reach all of that.

I am not an expert on your life. YOU ARE! And I dont know how you should be managing and achieving your personal, most desired goals. BUT YOU DO! I only would like to share with you what has helped me on my way to success.

First of all, define what is success for you? Everybody has a personal definition and vision of success. The only amendment I would make here is that Your Life Success is embraced in your Body, Mind, Soul, Spirit (also add your captivating Sub-consciousness).

When you plan your Live Success, you ought to include:

Taking a good care of your Body. A good appearance is a reflection of your internal success, and the first step for you to attract other people.

Feed your Mind with new information and positive mood. Let your thoughts grow and develop. That is how you will be able to find ways to create more opportunities of your talent implementation, open new prospects to your personal success. Let your Mind be like Water. Dont overload it, otherwise, the Water might boil. Work decent hours a day.

Embrace your Soul. Listen to your inner desires, dont ignore your inner voice. Communicate with the most intelligent person You. Speak to other people, share your ideas and tools that you use to achieve your personal success. That is how you will be able to create your team and organize everybody around you as well as yourself.

Listen to your Spirit. Develop a close relationship with your inner intuition. Increase Confidence in yourself. Overcome any procrastination and let yourself move forward in search of new ideas and revelation of your inner resources. Say STOP to any unbelieving in your potentials. Support and comfort yourself in your every effort to change things in your life. Embrace everything worthy and beautiful that life has to offer. Love yourself.

MOVE FORWARD.
Organize yourself; implement new habits into your daily routine. (Take a close look how millionaires do it.) Develop million dollar habits in yourself.

Start planning your every single day. Use the most powerful and easy technique a To-Do List.

Set up your long-term goals, and then think how they can be divided into short-term goals. Remember, all major things in this life can be divided into small ones and fulfilled one after another. For example, music consists of 7 separate notes; all the greatest masterpieces consist of 6 basic colors; even a car consists of separate parts. Consider your goals, break them into smaller ones, and then create a To-Do List of what you can do on everyday basis, step by step, in order to achieve your major goal.

Implement relaxation into your daily schedule. I am sure you are already working hard to achieve what you want. The Road itself will show you the Best Route. If you are fixed on your goal and focused only on it, you miss the journey of getting there. That is why the best solution is to move to your goals while you are still having relaxation and rest. Pay a close attention to where you are, at what stage, be calm and gain interest in the process of life. That is how you will be able to see new chances on your road to successful achieving of your goals in less time with minimum efforts.

Set up a scheduled To-Do List of what you can do to relax every day. Add variety to it, it will give you more inspiration in what you do. It can be a short pleasure, and it will give you a lot of new energy to do more and move forward.

Find the best ways for yourself to make your To-Do List mostly productive for you. Use all possible electronic tools and devices to maintain, monitor and constantly support your Goal progress. Set up your clock, watch, organizer, iPod, Palm, cell phone, computer, laptop everything to work on achieving your Goals. These are your silent devoted partners that will do most of organizing and keeping track job for you.

Explore the market, and deposit your money and time in creation of your Success.
Dont be shy of your truly desired dreams.
Fulfill and implement them into your life.
Make yourself happy, inspired, and complete. That is when you will be able to make others happy too.

Yola Eve
Business Trainer
VIP Quality Software LTD

P.S. This article is inspired with Time and Goal Management implementation and practice with the help of my electronic friend VIP Organizer.

If you have questions, let me know. I will be happy to assist you on your way to Success.

A successful Business Trainer, experienced Business Coach, qualified Psychotherapist. Member of European Psychotherapy Association.

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Managing Time Getting Priorities Right

Managing Time - Getting Priorities Right
By Martin Haworth

In Steven Covey's excellent book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People he tells a well-worn story about the use of time.

In the story, some professor guy (I think) stands at the front of a class, with a big jar. In the jar, first of all he puts some big rocks, and asks the class, Is it full now.

Mostly they say, Yes.

Then he gets some smaller rocks and these fit in quite nicely too, just between the big rocks. Again, he asks the same question, Is it full now?

The group, a little more suspicious say, Yes, because it seems to be.

He then gets out a bag of sand and surprise, surprise, those tiny grains of sand squeeze down beside the smaller rocks, filling up the tinier spaces. Full?, he asks.

Sure, say the increasingly dubious bunch of students in the audience.

Finally, trump card is the water, smaller than sand, of course and finally, as we aren't getting too sub-molecular about it, the jar is full.

Impressive huh?

The professor then asks,

What's the moral of the story?

Of course the class, thinking they've spotted the trick here, say,

You can always squeeze a bit more in

A standard and pretty smart reply. The professor, however, is a step a head (all that professorism does it, of course!).

The moral of the story is that you need to get your big rocks in first, or all that other 'stuff' gets in, way too soon and takes up all the space.

Cool story?

The point of course, relates to managing your time.

What are your 'big rock' things?

Well, for sure it isn't all the little jobs you do. All the fire-fighting (or it may be in the short-term, but that is another day).

The trick is to create spaces, ring-fenced, as they say, to do the good stuff.

In business, this is a list something like this:-

1. Planning for the future

2. Time with your people - good, focused one-on-one time preferably

3. Coaching your people in their work

4. Developing others around you

5. Delegating constructively

6. Creating Succession Plans

7. Building relationships

8. Developing new business opportunities

9. Fixing problems once and for all

10. Making time for a life outside the business

There are more!

Covey and his big rocks eh?

He calls them Quadrant Two activities. If you don't spend time putting these first into your schedule, truth is, you will never fit them in and things will never evolve and grow.

2005-6 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com.

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Zen Goal Setting and Life Success

Zen Goal Setting and Life Success
By Nathan F. Shaw

Spending time in Thailand which is 97% Bhudhist and getting used to walking at a slower pace due to the heat, I am reflecting on the ideas of goal setting.

When you are feeling pressured, stop that feeling of wanting to rip yours or someone elses hair out with these 5 tips for peaceful goal setting and life success.

These tips help with laid back peaceful yet efficient and mature goal setting.

1. Become mindful of your emotional experiences of frustration and overwhelm and pause to recognize, acknowledge, and accept that at present it is a part of you, and that it is ok.

It is not wimpish to acknowledge our pains. It is in fact a much more mature way to live. If something is troubling you. It can be emotionally released by pausing and acknowledging that it exists at this time. Breathe into it, and when you feel ready, carry on with your day.

Might you be able to apply this to any hurdles to goal setting and life success right now, or will you do it when something comes up later?

2. See if you can mentally identify the top one or two major things that are causing you 80% of the current negative feelings that may be hindering your goal setting and life success.

If you cant think of them, then spend some time alone writing down whatever problems you can think of until you hit on the ahas of greater concern.

Do you know what are the biggest emotional dramas revolving around your life at present?

3. Write down all of the little and medium and large responsibilities, tasks, projects, time-stealers, etc that you possibly can think of that are relevant to your goal setting and life success for your life in the short term.

By capturing it all on paper you might be surprised at just how much more satisfied and under control you feel. Even if there is an absolute ton of items to note down, it is much less taxing on the brain to be able to see it clearly rather than constantly be wondering if you have missed or forgotten anything.

How complete is your life of things to do. Does it scrape you through the day with minimal abrasions, or is it a rock solid comprehensive status of your affairs?

4. Reward yourself in some way for your efforts and small successs in goal setting and life success.

I used to have a problem with doing this as I felt it was an indulgence given that there really REALLY was so so SO much to be getting on with.

However I have learned that the mind actually needs to be tricked into efficient performance and stamina, and giving yourself rewards actually programs your deeper mind to stay on top of things more.

You might dedicate 30 minutes to a relaxing bath. Or a few pages of that novel that has been collecting dust on your bed side table until now. Self-rewards can sometimes seem childish, but it is the deeper part of our mind that functions in that way, so accept and utilize it for your benefit.

5. Prioritize goal setting and life success in a way that accepts the facts of finite time.

That is, you have 24 hours in a day. Better it is to do a good job on one major project dedicating 2 hours to it, than to attempt work on multiple projects which dilutes your effectiveness for any one.

Stay mindful that good learning, good writing, good work of any kind, requires a certain amount of time. Where do you need to invest a good quality block of time on one of your projects over the next day or two?

Currently exploring and enjoying the culture of Thailand, Nathan Shaw has a 12 page Goal Setting and Life Success Report available FREE.

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Zen Masters Beat Pack Rats At Time Management!

Zen Masters Beat Pack Rats At Time Management!
By Dr. Gary S. Goodman

What is the difference between a Zen master and a pack rat?

A pack rat is someone who holds on to everything and uses nothing.

A Zen master is someone who uses everything and holds on to nothing.

Big difference!

One of the best time management insights is that this moment passes, as does the next, and the next.

If you can do the most with each one, thats ideal. But this means youre constantly embracing and letting go, embracing and letting go, and its not easy to do.

We get caught up in the past, dwelling on unsatisfactory experiences, and untidy conclusions. We worry about the future.

Either way, we sacrifice the present.

The key is to use everything around us, in us, and every present moment.

For example, earlier this morning, I awoke because I was thinking about a client who is late in paying his bill.

Catching myself, I realized my sleep time was over! By trying to get BACK to sleep, I was trying to go backwards in time, which is impossible.

Because it was 4:45 in the morning, it was too early to call him, and ask him whats going on. But I knew also, that it would be an utter waste to worry about whether hell stiff me on the payment.

So, I asked, what can I do, now, to address this issue in the most constructive, satisfying way?

Immediately, I turned on the computer and wrote an article: The Deal Is Not Made Until The Money Is Paid!

Doing this made me feel good, and I also felt that I addressed my problem, which is not the unpaid account. The problem is the worry about it, and the potential for wasting the present by chasing money from the past, which may or may not be paid in the future!

No moment has to be considered a waste, if we are fully in the here and now to embrace it and let it go, and keep doing whats situationally appropriate.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable, published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

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Got Goals?

Got Goals?
By Gary Ryan Blair

There is no purer form of success; no more exact and demanding test of what you are capable of, than to achieve a desirable outcome. A quality life is an example of what can be accomplished when thoughtful attention, goal setting and purposeful action come together without compromise.

The thing that makes goal setting both exciting and important is the results achieved because of it. But the ultimate reason for setting goals is to entice you to become the person it takes to achieve them, for what you become, youll soon find, is so much more important than the goal itself.

Although the definition of success is quite different for each individual, the fundamentals for achieving a goal will forever remain the same. That process begins with decisiveness, proceeds to focus, advances to action, then carries on with persistence and follow-through before ending in victory. There is no other way.

Goal setting takes your life and gives it direction as it helps you to determine:

What you specifically want to achieve
Why this achievement is so important
Who will help you achieve to this goal
Where you stand in relation to this goal
How you plan on accomplishing this goal
When, on what date will you achieve your goal

These are questions that only one person can answer. You!

If time is money, then goal setting is invaluable, for goals keep you focused, on time, and on schedule. You are responsible for your own success. You either work hard for what you want or you dont. If you want to be successful in any endeavor take complete ownership of the process, which begins with goal setting.

It is out of vogue to speak of goal setting, but there is nothing more fashionable than success, which owes its very life to goals. Success requires that you pass the test before the learning the lesson. It requires patience to create anything of lasting value; it requires hard choices, complete commitment and total focus. Success wants you to pursue your goals with great devotion and passion and says no to you when you are unprepared to appreciate it.

Success demands dedication, discipline, hard work, and courage. It requires your utmost attention and will not allow itself to be taken for granted. Success must be earned, deserved, respected and appreciated. Success plays by specific, non-negotiable rules; it will always require that goals be clearly identified, plans in place and action consistently enforced.

The basics of goal setting and results orientation are simple. If you want to get better outcomes, you must prioritize every action and activity you undertake. You must compartmentalize everything you do in order to remain focused on the goal at hand. You must maximize your time and energy to capture the goal.

No one has the market cornered on success its unlimited as to what you can be, do and have. But to enjoy success, you must learn the fundamentals of goal setting and be willing to invest a lifetime of discipline to continually enforce those fundamentals. Like any other good habit, you must do a few things and repeat them consistently to ensure that it will stay with you for life.

Most people have no training on how to successfully set and achieve a goal. They may try various strategies, finally acquiring some knowledge through the bitter pill of experience. This is like learning to drive by having a series of accidents. Keep this in mind: if you do not profit from your mistakes, someone else will!

Your mind, while blessed with permanent memory, is cursed with lousy recall. Written goals are catalysts; transforming agents for success and achievement. They must be written, as those kept only in your mind have an uncanny way of remaining figments of your imagination.

From eureka to achievement, the evolution of a goal begins in the mind and immediately takes shape when pen is put to paper. The goal progresses from thought to sketch; from sketch to action; and finally from action to achievement, in real time. The achievement of a goal is an exemplary tale of power, purpose, and potential.

Embrace a small, select list of goals that gratify your passion and which beg for your attention. The ones that say come and get me. But remember that no goal is complete until its entirely finished. Halfway doesnt count, nor do good intentions or high hopes. For a goal to be achieved, it must be saturated with personal integrity and ample doses of follow through.

Success begets success, as it begets a strong desire to continually seek new adventures. A goal achieved is a mark of personal growth and mastery. It means that you have accomplished what you set out to do; that you have grown in ability and ambition and that you are now prepared to take on new challenges.

Will goal-setting ever become non-essential? If history is any judge, the answer is a resounding no. Goal setting is a responsibility for those who seek success and for everyone who wants to continue to develop personally and professionally. Goal setting is a responsibility that counts!

Gary Ryan Blair is the inspirational soul behind the Got Goals? phenomenon - http://www.GotGoals.com

Got Goals? is an exciting, lifestyle brand that champions the human spirit. Our mission and reason for existence is to inspire people of ALL ages to live into their full potential through learning resources, training programs, and apparel that make the heart sing, mind expand and the spirit soar. We offer world-class resources for Kids, Teens, Educators and Business. To get a free recording of The Anatomy of a Goal, click here now http://www.GotGoals.com

Gary can be reached for speaking, coaching and media requests at 877-462-5748 or by sending an email to Gary@GotGoals.com

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10 Reasons To Be Thankful To Be In Business Today

10 Reasons To Be Thankful To Be In Business Today
By Maria Andreu

1.Customers are enlightened and smart and are looking for the best, so it keeps you striving to be the best you can be.

2.The internet! Need I say more? Spam and popups notwithstanding, the internet is the greatest miracle thats happened for business since electricity.

3.Your colleagues. There is something so heart-warming and great about being able to connect with other people who are passionate about the same thing you are.

4.Your customers! Knowing that what you do provides value in the world helps give life meaning.

5.Building wealth. Whether its slow in coming or pouring in like a river, we are SO blessed with opportunity sometimes we dont even see the enormity of it. Imagine what your life would have been like 434 years ago (in 1621, the year of the first American Thanksgiving) and compare it to now. Helps put it all in perspective, doesnt it?

6.Giving back. We are so blessed we continually give back with all we do. Whether you give to great charities like www.Seva.org or www.heifer.org or donate your old coats, it is a blessing that we are in a position to give things back. As service professionals we are also blessed in that our work feels like giving back all the time.

7.Great information. Whether its through this newsletter or in the hundreds of other places you get what youre looking for, it has never been easier to find the support you need to build your business.

8.Your family. Being in business can be tough on relationships, but its also made richer when you focus on why youre doing it all. Building a great life for yourself and the ones you love is a great part of that.

9.Finding your voice. Learning how to market your services is all about finding your voice and figuring out how you uniquely bring value to the world. Imagine getting paid while youre figuring that out too!

10.Growing as a person. I always say: being in business for yourself is the most confronting and best thing you can do to grow as a person. What a gift!

2005 Maria E. Andreu. Service business owners, get the AMS Letter and receive 10 great tips for marketing, as well as free audio of the popular Building Mktg Confidence. Get instant access, e-mail to subscribe-956611763@ezinedirector.net or http://www.andreumarketingsolutions.com/newsletter.htm

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'B Is For Blinders' Time Management AZ Guide

'B Is For Blinders' - Time Management A-Z Guide
By Jason Anderson

I've got a confession to make - when it comes to time management, for a long time I wasn't able to see the forest for the trees. I slowly came to realize that I was wearing blinders. What on earth am I talking about, and what do 'blinders' have to do with time management?

As you probably know, blinders are the goggles that horses wear that stop them from seeing to the side. It forces them to only see straight ahead, and ignore anything that may attract or startle them. Unfortunately, many people have blinders of their own (although they may not realize it). Often called he way we've always done things, these personal blinders can make us overlook or ignore the bigger picture, and miss opportunities for success or efficiency.

How does this relate to time management? One of the most basic things in time management is to make a list of tasks you need to do, and to prioritize them in some way. It's probably the most common part of time management that people know, and it is extremely powerful. But often we get so caught up in figuring out what we have to do (especially if we are pressed for time) that we don't step back and look at the big picture. We forget to ask ourselves two key questions about each task we write down:

• Do I really need to do this?
• Is there a better way I can do this?

Take a simple example of running some errands in the city - perhaps taking something in to a dry cleaner, meeting a friend for lunch, and buying a gift for someone. If you have a preferred shop for each of these tasks, you may find they are spread out all over the city. You will have to waste a lot of time travelling (whether driving, taking a cab or using public transport) just to get things done,

A better solution would be to try and group things together. This may mean that you have to use one or more new stores, but you will save yourself a huge amount of time and hassle (and you may just find a new favorite store to frequent!)

When doing tasks for work, you should be on the lookout for ways you can make the tasks more efficient. Perhaps a task that requires six different steps can be streamlined to only three steps if it is done a different way. Often things are done a certain way simply because that was how they were done the first time. If the business has grown or changed since, there may now be a more efficient way to get the task done.

Not only will you save yourself time if you find a more efficient way to do a task, but most bosses look favorably on an employee who improves how they work!

If you have a lot of tasks on your list of things to do, rather than diving straight in and working like mad, pause for just a few moments and ask yourself two questions for every item on the list; Do I need to do this? Is there a better way I can do this? Those few minutes of thought may save you hours or even days of work!

You will get more done today than you ever thought possible by discovering simple time management skills you can use in a few minutes. It's easier than it sounds!

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Kindness Is A Strategy For A Happy Life

Kindness Is A Strategy For A Happy Life
By Saleem Rana

All our thoughts and feelings as we go through our day are recorded for us by the universe and then played back to us as an experience on the screen of time-space.

Because we have long since forgotten what we thought or felt about anything, when the playback unrolls it takes us by surprise, and since we are more prone to negative views on things, as our urge to fix things is usually stronger than our urge to heal them, the playback usually sets us off on another cycle of gloom and doom.

Of course in our more sunny moods and times of awareness, we determine to set things up right the next time, but as our mind speeds up with the roll of urgent events, we fall back into unawareness and create more mishap.

In general, then, the better strategy is to assume an attitude of helpfulness, both to ourselves and others, a kindness and tolerance in our view, a forgiving and giving in our actions, and a sense of poise and ease in our delivery of any dialogue.

When Albert Schweitzer wanted people to understand this value of cooperation and harmony he would tell this story:

A flock of wild geese had settled to rest on a pond. One of the flock had been captured by a gardener, who had clipped its wings before releasing it. When the geese started to resume their flight, this one tried frantically, but vainly, to lift itself into the air.

The others, observing his struggles, flew about in obvious efforts to encourage him; but it was no use. Thereupon, the entire flock settled back on the pond and waited, even though the urge to go on was strong within them. For several days they waited until the damaged feathers had grown sufficiently to permit the goose to fly.

Meanwhile, the unethical gardener, having been converted by the ethical geese, gladly watched them as they finally rose together and all resumed their long flight.

We can learn much from this story, for it is not only about the ethics of kindness amongst the geese, but also how they were in relationship with the universe itself even when misfortune struck. The lesson was not for the geese but for the gardener.

Through our conduct, we can establish the same rapport with the universe that the geese enjoyed and that made them whole despite an unexpected adversity.

Our most important relationship, then, is with the universe for it gives us our reality, the unfolding movie of our lives. But this relationship is an indirect one for we are dealing with an invisible current that shapes our destiny from day to day by how we think and feel.

While at certain peak states of awareness we may be able to control our thoughts and feelings about things, the general tone of life is not conducive to such heightened perception, and a better general strategy for staying on good terms with the universe is by exercising the view held by the geese, a sense of love and tolerance, acceptance and patience.

Life is short but it is also a long flight and we enjoy it most when we are in the company of a universe that buoys our every effort with benediction, heals our wounds when we should fall, and leads us to higher and higher comprehension of the mystery of sentience; but to get to this place, we need to be the embodiment of benediction ourselves.

The purpose of all virtue is not to win accolades or fulfill some creed taught in some groupit is, more than anything else, a way for us to find rhythm, harmony, and peace as we walk towards the twilight of our days, preparing for journeys beyond the body; for everything, even life itself, is always a preparation for something greater.

Saleem Rana would love to share his inspiring ideas with you. Hunting everywhere for a life worth living? Discover the life of your dreams. His book Never Ever Give Up tells you how. It is offered at no cost as a way to help YOU succeed. http://www.theempoweredsoul.com/enter.htmlCopyright 2004 Saleem Rana. Please feel free to pass thisarticle on to your friends, or use it in your ezine ornewsletter. It's a shareware article.

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10 Principles of Success

10 Principles of Success
By Christian Csatari

How do we define success? Websters dictionary defines success as the attainment of wealth, favor , or eminence. I think we would agree that Websters definition is quite accurate in terms of how we look at people that we perceive to be successful.

I would like to expand on this thinking with the following 10 Principles of Success

1) Have a Dream- Create a vision for your future, no matter how big or outrageous your dream is.

2) Develop your Action Plan- Goal setting: Organize your thoughts and feelings on paper, when you do that they become more real. Tape these goals to bathroom mirror, or the refrigerator, somewhere you will see them on a daily basis.

3) Control your Focus- In this day and age of multi-tasking you may find this principle hard to follow. However, you must remain focused on your goals if you hope to attain success. Dont let yourself get distracted.

4) Seek Guidance- Finding a mentor is of the utmost importance! Find someone you respect and would like to learn from.

5) Practice Self-Discipline- There will be times when you will be tested, you need to stay on target, and re-focus on your goals.

6) Be Aggressive- I dont know of any successful people that sat around and waited for things to just happen! You need to make things happen, take the initiative and Go For it.

7) Believe in Yourself- If you dont who else will? Be confident in your abilities to turn things around when things dont look so good. Your attitude is a little thing that can make a big difference.

8) Be a Pioneer- You will undoubtedly run into people who will tell you it cant be done ignore them, if you have an idea that has not been tried before work to make it a reality. Every great achievement was once considered impossible.

9) Learn to Budget- Put your time, energy and money behind your plan, but do not forget to budget time for you family! They are the reason for your success.

10) Love what you Do- No matter what, you must love what you do in order to live a rich, healthy and successful life.

About The Author

Christian Csatari is an internet marketer and owner of http://www.inetriches.com a website specializing in multiple streams of income, affiliate programs, ebooks, income opportunities and the home business tips newsletter for the work at home professional.

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$12 And 90 Minutes To Change Your Life

$12 And 90 Minutes To Change Your Life
By Kate Hufstetler

Have you ever listened to self hypnosis tapes? Or listened repeatedly to certain music that carried a specific message? Or what about, have you attended weekly services within a specific religious venue?

What do all of these have in common? They influence and change your thinking and paradigm over time to whatever it is they espouse.

James Allen wrote as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. What we continually dwell onconsciously and unconsciously is what will shape our thoughts and the world in which we operate. That is why optimism allows some in poverty to believe they have a wonderful life. And another person in the same home, living the same conditions - yet suffering from a pessimistic attitude, will hate and struggle within their circumstances.

Self-hypnosis tapes work on our subconscious when we are relaxed so that we do not fight the message, nor answer it in our minds with refuting negativity as we overcome obstacles that we need help with. Music, repeatedly heard, eventually floats through our minds almost unnoticed. Its messagebeyond just lyrics, begins to be woven within our ideology and outlook. There are enough news reports of teens over the years acting out in alignment with what artists call just music. And there are as many within religious organizations that call upon inspirational music as what carried them over through rough times. Also, between scriptures, sermons, classes and books those within any religious setting begin to shape their lives according to the basic tenants and premises of that line of thought.

But what about you?? You have goals, dreams, ideas too. You have things you wish to accomplish, things you wish to strive to. You have ideas about the way you want to feel when living on target. So how can we take a clue from programming in the three situations above to allow YOU yourself, to begin to program your own destiny?

Perhaps you have heard of the technique of writing down your goals daily in order to bring them into reality. Well that works well if you are one of society that learns through writing and visualization. We all learn in different ways. I have tried this method without much success mostly because I am not a visual or written only learner. And partly because I forget to keep at it day after day.

Good news!! I have found something that will work for those of us who learn audiblythrough our hearing. Assuming that you are totally technology free in your home (which would be rare) all this will cost you is $12 and 90 minutes of your time. For $12 you can go to Walmart and pick up a small tape recorder with the capacity to record tapes. And also buy at least 1 low quality tape holding 90 minutes of possible record time on it. This will be fantastic to start. That is really all it takes to move you into a GREAT life that you design.

What you will do is make a list off all you goalsin EVERY area of your life. Then I want you to load up the tape recorder and read your goals into that recorder. Read them as if your goals have been accomplished I own a beach house on the east coast , all my debt is paid off, I guest lecture twice a year , I have 42 motorcycles in my new display show room etc. Whatever it is you want for work, leisure, love, retirement, etc! List them and read them. Then go back to the top of your list and keep re-reading them until you have finished a whole side. Then do it again for the other side.

A few suggestionsdo this when you are having a great day! You want your voice to be happy, not down. Also, record on both sides of the tape so that when one side is done you do not have to rewind. This way, the next time you are ready to play it you simply turn it over and hit play.

Does it work? Well, I myself did a tape this past summer. I used to just play it as background noise while I would work on the computer, or while doing dishes or folding laundry. I lost it about a month ago when my son shuffled a bunch or our tapes and such around. I found it this past weekend and played it.

Guess what???

Several of the things I speak about on the tape are WELL on their way to becoming current reality!! From the types of people I wanted to begin getting more involved with, to specific speaking engagements, to simple things like the opportunity for a specific extra curricular activity for my son which ironically became available at his after school care program. That one is amazing because they havent offered it before and not only will it be offered.. but it will be twice a week like I said on the tape. Those are just a few of the examples. But there isnt anything on there that has not begun. I will be honest and tell you there were a few things that did come into my reality and I have changed my mind now after having the opportunity to try them out. But every item has at least begun for me in less than 4 months.

We bring into our reality that which we focus on! So if you are a very busy person, as most of us are, this is a GREAT way to program your mind towards the achievement of your goals. The cost is minor- from scratch it is only $12 and 90 minutes to begin living a life by design and not by default.

Until next timeall the best,

Kate

About The Author

Kate Hufstetler is a well established Personal Life Coach. Her clients come from both the United States and overseas. She offers coaching services via email and phone consultations. For more information and current highlights please visit: http://www.comedreamwithme.com/

kate@comedreamwithme.com

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10 More Success Tips from Wimbledon 2006 Keep Challenging Your Fear Of Failure

10 More Success Tips from Wimbledon 2006 - Keep Challenging Your Fear Of Failure
By John Watson

Any sport is a mirror of life and tennis is no exception. This article looks at ten success tips which can be found in the games and commentaries of Wimbledon 2006. Many of them are worth remembering and applying.

Even great Wimbledon champions like Roger Federer have some fear of failure in their minds. Former champion Arthur Ashe wrote:

Every time you win, it diminishes the fear a little bit. You never really cancel the fear of losing; you keep challenging it.

Fear of losing or failing is probably the greatest destroyer of dreams there is. Any achiever needs to keep challenging their fear of failure by taking action anyway. At least, they will have tried.

People need to stick out their racquet (take action) and find out what good things can happen.

Rafael Nadal, the king of the clay courts and the world number two had a close match with Robert Kendrick. The commentator asked:

Was doubt creeping in to Kendrick's mind. Was he saying to himself: 'I can't really win.'

Even, if we are succeeding, doubt can creep in and destroy our success. Too often, we equate our reality with failure instead of believing in our own ability to succeed.

Nadal took full advantage of Kendrick's doubt and survived to progress into the second week of Wimbledon.

Even victorious people can fail when they forget who they are. Past success is no guarantee of future success but it helps to remember past victories.

Venus Williams was nearly defeated by Lisa Raymond in the first week. However, Venus upped her game in time and turned the match around. Virginia Wade observed that Venus must have remembered who she was:

I am Venus Williams, the Wimbledon Champion. I have come back from this kind of situation before.

A group of commentators discussed the fact that Andrew Murray, the new British hope, had no coach. Andrew Castle remarked that it was better to have no coach than the wrong coach.

However, he felt that Andrew still needed a coach to bully him for the next few years and to give him a clear strategy for winning. Many achievers credit their coaches with the speed, at least, of their achievements. Many of us need someone to guide us when we are slacking or being short-sighted.

Miss Chakvetadze of Russia played Justine Henine-Hardenne and started to lose. Part of her strategy for dealing with this was to hit the grass court violently with the edge of her racket

This did neither the court nor herself any good but showed how high her expectations of herself were.

Meanwhile, Roger Federer had won three matches in the first week of Wimbledon. But Federer, the world number one, is not somebody who stops practising when he is winning.

He realises the importance of momentum and not taking it easy too soon. As the weekend approached, he revealed his plan for balanced living over the two weeks of Wimbledon.

I will play on both days off just to keep the rhythm but I will just lead a normal life over the weekend.

Jimmy Connors, another great Wimbledon Champion, used to chase every ball as if his life depended on it. Pat Cash, the great Australian player loved the way Jimmy played: Jimmy was my hero. He played like every point is the last point.

Jimmy could see a man after his own heart in Rafael Nadal:

Rafael, at twenty, is number two in the world. He has the desire to go after every ball. I love to see that. He has the desire to be the best player in the world on all surfaces. He is a leader because of his excitement and passion for the game.

Most self-help gurus stress the importance of excitement and passion in achieving success of any kind. Most humans will not stick with something if they are not excited about it for some of the time at least. They need to keep visualizing the achievement of their goals in order to maintain their enthusiasm.

Jimmy often talks about being willing to pay the price. In tennis you pay the price in hard practice and by being willing to fight for every point.

Nadal is willing to pay the price to become a complete player (on grass as well as clay). Nadal also goes to the gym to become strong as well as skilled.

Even older players like Agassi at 36 can still carry on if they are willing to pay the price of hard work and travel and absences from home and family.

Nadal and Agassi met in a clash of Titans in the second week of Wimbledon. Chris Bailey commented:

Agassi has had back trouble but he can't hold back against Nadal. He will have to suffer some pain.

Jimmy Connors heard the word 'pain' and was straight in there with his comment:

Isn't that what it is all about? Nadal is willing to do whatever it takes to be the best player in the world. These are the kinds of matches I used to like because they test your guts.

Both Agassi and Nadal, like Jimmy, have a do or die attitude. But they have their own style. Andre has a quick pace and wants to keep things going. Nadal likes to take his time and has enough experience not to be rushed by Andre.

The commentators at Wimbledon seemed to me to talk more about mental attitude than they did about technique although, at times, it is impossible to separate the two.

For example, Jimmy Connors remarked: You can be aggressive by playing serve and volley or by staying on the base line.

Jimmy continued: Foot work gets you in position for a powerful stroke. If Andre's footwork is a little slow it will hurt him.

Good footwork is the basis for success in many sports or activities. In the martial arts, you need to end up in a powerful stance before you can punch hard. Learning effective footwork is equivalent to learning the basics in any non sporting activity.

I was at one of Derek Gehl's London seminars before Christmas. I asked the man next to me what was the secret of his success in internet marketing. He replied that he started to succeed after attending an intensive course on html.

Some great internet successes achieve wealth and guru status without any knowledge of html but I still feel it is well worth putting some time at least into the study of this basic internet language.

Nadal has the confidence to know from his last match that he can come back from the brink of defeat and win. Nadal can also play serve and volley tennis.

Pat Cash at this point revealed some of the 'black hat' methods that can be found in tennis and elsewhere. Pat, himself, was a great serve and volley player.

He confessed that this kind of game where you serve and then rush up to the net to volley the ball involved a lot of bluff:

Get in there and bluff. Jump around looking ugly. Scream and grunt to try to put the other guy off.

Some of the women players seem already to have taken this advice to heart.

Agassi lost the first set by a tie break. What can he do?

Jimmy, as usual, had the answer:

It is a matter of will and thinking that every point is the main point. He needs to get rid of the frustration of losing the first set and begin the second as if it is a new match. He has to face up to the grind of 3 more sets at least and be willing to pay the price.

In the end, Nadal won but Agassi had put up a gritty fight and the audience gave him a great send off.

Ten more success tips, then, emerge from Wimbledon 2006:

Keep challenging your fear of failure. Keep sticking out your racquet.

Expel doubt from your mind. You really can succeed.

Remember your past successes rather than your failures.

Hire a coach or mentor if you want to accelerate your success.

Keep up the momentum of success but lead a normal life as well.

Chase every ball. Don't give up easily.

Visualize the excitement of success when your desire to continue flags.

Be willing to do whatever it takes even if this involves pain. Pay the price and be willing to face up to the grind that may be necessary.

Learn the basics whether they are footwork or html.

Be aware of possible intimidation tactics and don't be influenced by them.

I was hoping this would be my last article on Wimbledon 2006 but there is so much great material that there may be one more to come!

About the author

John Watson is an award winning teacher and fifth degree black belt martial arts instructor. He has recently written several books about achieving your goals and dreams.

One of them can be found at http://www.motivationtoday.com/36laws.php along with motivational articles and books by other authors

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Top Ten Reasons People Fail To Attain Goals

Top Ten Reasons People Fail To Attain Goals
By Terry Wisner

With the plenary of philosophers and self-improvement gurus in all forms of media, it is amazing how many times a day are we informed that all we need to do is, have a dream and go after it. Many of the clients of PARTNERING TO SUCCESS have told me that Partnering is the secret to success. Well I hate to rain on your parade, but there is no secret. Partnering simply addresses one of the Top Ten reasons for failure to reach your goals.

Although the accountability that Partners enjoy is a major key success factor, any one of the ten will lead to falling short in goal attainment.The goals can be personal; IE, Lose weight, remodel the kitchen, get our finances in order, clean up my credit. Or, your goals may be work related; IE, improve customer service skills, make more cold calls, close more sales, listen better, improve my leadership skills, et cetera. Review the listing and rate yourself on each of the items. Be honest with yourself and identify the areas in your personal planning which need improvement.

10) ILL DO IT TOMORROW: Procrastination! Too many people just keep putting of until tomorrow, that which they know they need to do today. Why? Because its easy! Short term, its always easier to do nothing. If you know you need to improve in some area, make it a priority, develop a plan, and Partner with someone to make it happen.

9) TOO MANY BALLS IN THE AIR: At times, we all feel like we are juggling too many things in our day to day lives. Many folks enjoy having things on their To Do list, simply to check them off. Select two, maybe three things that you want to work on this year. Make those your Priority.

8) DONT REALLY WANT TO: Its important to note that nobody can motivate you. Each of us can motivate ourselves, and only ourselves. If someone else tells you to go after this goal, it is not likely to give you the passion and drive you need to achieve it. The goal must be important to you and your success.

7) NOT SURE ITS IMPORTANT: Once you have established a goal, it sometimes can become secondary to other objectives in life. If the goal is not important to you, it will not be achieved. By the way, just because it is important to the boss, it may not be important to the employee.

6) DONT KNOW HOW TO DO IT! All too often people set goals for themselves, create a plan, and go after their objective. However, without the knowledge of how to do it, they ultimately fail. An essential element of your plan should be to test your knowledge and educate yourself. WARNING: Dont overeducate yourself. Some people never get things done because they try to make it perfect. As the old saying goes, dont let perfect get in the way of good.

5) CANT DO IT: Certainly every one of us has fallen into this category. We want to accomplish something specific, we make it a priority, we develop our plan, and we Partner to hold each other accountable. Unfortunately, we plainly dont possess the ability to carry it out. One can plan to hike to the top of Pikes Peak; however, without the ability to cope with the altitude, the plan will just not come together.

4) SOMETHING IS MISSING: If the right tools arent in the tool box, the job will be difficult or perhaps even impossible. No matter what the task, if the proper resources are not available, the job wont get done. Attitude and aptitude are vitally important, but without a computer, a PowerPoint presentation would be very difficult deliver.

3) CANT STICK TO IT: Every one of us gets distracted. The phone rings, a visitor stops by, something of interest enters our mind, new objectives are given to us or identified by ourselves, and the list goes on. According to a recently completed survey by NFI Research, two of the top sources of stress for managers are interruptions (47%) and conflicting responsibilities (37%). Focus, focus, focus! Post your major objectives in plain sight, put little reminders around your office or home, and remember that your Partner will help you maintain focus. If your goals are most important, then maintaining focus should not be a problem.

2) NO WRITTEN PLAN: Have a purpose. Too many folks go through life and never understand their purpose. Things take up the hours of our lives, but in the end, many individuals look back a simply regret many things they didnt do. Once you have identified your major priorities, its time to develop a plan to achieve them. Make sure the plan is written and includes the following:

Specific objectives and milestones. The steps to reach your goal
Measures that will indicate how you are progressing
Attainable elementsthings you can do
Results oriented statements and actions
Timing of each objective so you know when you are finished

If you fail to planyou plan to fail.

1) NO ACCOUNTABILITY: The number one reason people fail to accomplish their goals is lack of accountability. Any effective seminar, class, or workshop will include an action planning segment in the program. Participants write their action plan, often share it with others at their table, sometimes read it aloud to the entire group, and fully intend to implement the planned changes in their work and/ or personal life. Come Monday, they fall right back into the same old behaviors and fail to execute the plan. Be honest, youve done it, Ive done it, everybody does it. Thats where Partnering comes into play. This process offers a simple and unique approach to accountability. Question, if we could hold ourselves accountable, wouldnt we already be doing it? Are there things in your life you know must change, but never do? You need a Partner, and by the way, they need one too.

Dont let any of these ten things keep you from achieving the success you expect. Prioritize, Plan, and Partner.

Terry Wisner, the Partnering Pro, International Speaker, Consultant, and author, shares his experience and knowledge through energetic, entertaining, and enlghtening presentations and seminars. Do you,or your company want to experience improvement in; Customer Service, Teamwork, Leadership Skills, Communication Skills, or simply Self-Improvement? Then, visit Terry at http://www.terrywisner.com or http://www.p2s.us and learn more about Partnering and how it can help you and your organization eliminate the top ten reasons for failure.

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10 Critical Success Clues

10 Critical Success Clues
By Leslie Fieger

I don't need to be a gypsy fortune teller to tell your fortune. I can tell with a 95% certainty whether or not a person is (or is going to be) successful.

All I need is 20 minutes of conversation or a few email interactions and I know. It is easy to do. You can do it too. Yes! You can actually predict whether or not someone will have the success they say they want. Better yet, you can tell if you are going to be a success OR not.

The best part about checking to see if you will be a success is that you don't have to 'beat around the bush' in a conversation to discover the clues, as you would normally have to do with another person. The worst part about checking in with yourself is that you will run up against an outright liar. Yes, you will attempt to deceive yourself. Now that you are forewarned about that, you can watch out for your attempts to obscure (or divert yourself from) the truth about yourself.

So, if you want to predict the future of anyone, including yourself, here are the ten most critical clues that you will need to uncover and clarify:

1- Attitude

2- Intention

3- Purpose

4- Passion

5- Plan

6- Resolve

7- Responsibility

8- Words

9- Actions

10-Peers.

Let's take a closer look at each.

Attitude: There is a winner's attitude and there is a loser's attitude. Most people have a mix of the two.

A winner's attitude is characterized by high self-esteem, a positive outlook on life, a general feeling of gratitude, a sense of great personal destiny, a willingness to learn and the will to do what is necessary.

Losers have poor self-esteem, a negative (they say realistic) outlook on life, a general feeling of resentment about the trials and tribulations of life, a sense of impending negative fate, a stubbornness about what they 'know', and lousy will-power or self-discipline.

Intention: As a general rule, things done with intent, produce intended results and things done without specific intent produce unintended results.

It is my experience that most people think, say and do most things in life without any conscious and specific intent. I like to ask people (and especially myself) the following clarifying questions:

What is your intent in holding that belief? What is your intent in thinking that way? What is your intent in doing what you do? Most can't answer. Winners can. More importantly, winners are always asking themselves, what is my intended result for this chosen action, thought or way of being?.

Purpose: This is so simple it is almost ludicrous... a life without a defined and stated purpose is a life of no purpose and no meaning.

Winners have a purpose. Losers do not. Winners live a life of purpose and 'on purpose'. Losers live accidentally; victims of circumstance instead of creators of circumstance. The sooner you write down the succinct and true purpose of your life, the sooner you will discover success, happiness and personal fulfillment.

Important caveat: your purpose does not have to be altruistic or measure up to anyone's standards except your own. It can be entirely selfish.

Passion: Passion is that fuel that drives you. Passion is also what attracts to you the people and resources that you need to achieve your success.

Passion is magnetic. Desire is the metaphysical equivalent of gravity. It draws to you the elements that you need to succeed. Passionate people attract followers and supporters. Winners are passionate! ! ! ! !

Plan: You've heard before. You've read it many times. Every personal empowerment teacher says it... You must have specific and written goals and a step-by-step plan to enact those goals.

Every business needs a business plan. Your life needs a plan. You must create it. As Ben Franklin pointed out, Failing to plan is planning to fail. Winners have a game plan. Losers are spectators and armchair quarterbacks. Do you have written goals?

Do you have a specific game plan?

Resolve: It is persistence that creates winners. It takes resolve to reach the top.

There will be obstacles in your path and impediments to your success. Losers allow themselves to be defeated by these barriers. Winners use them to build up strength and/or to learn a better way to do something. I see it all the time... people quit just before the finish line. They lose focus and direction.

Winners persist. Losers desist.

Responsibility: Ask yourself this question, Why don't I have all the prosperity, happiness, success and fulfillment that I desire?

If you blame any condition, circumstance, event, person or external thing, then you are a loser. Winners accept responsibility. Losers assess blame.

Step up to the plate and accept responsibility for your life and you will become the winner that you desire to be in your secret heartfelt moments. The wonderful part about accepting responsibility for your failures is that you also get to accept responsibility for your successes. You don't have to say that you were lucky or blessed or had the right breaks... you can say, I did this.

Words: The words you speak and the way you speak them tell a lot about you. They tell the world what you believe, what you think, where you have been, who you hang around with and where you are likely to end up.

Below average people talk about other people; average people talk about events and circumstances. above average people (winners) talk about ideas and ideals (especially their own).

Winners say what they mean and mean what they say. Losers say what they think will please others or repeat what they have been told.

Actions: And yes, actions speak louder than words. The things you do are a reflection of your character.

Most people tend to do what most others do, in some sort of willful ignorance of the plain fact that most people live mediocre lives and never achieve the success they had idealized for themselves. Actions produces results.

If you want uncommon results, you must undertake to act uncommonly on purpose, with intent, with responsibility, with persistence, with resolve, with passion and according to your plan.

Do what you love. Do what you will.

Peers: Birds of a feather do flock together.

If you want to be a winner, hang out with winners. Create your own 'mastermind group'. Try to be involved with people who are smarter than you, more successful than you, have greater aspirations than you. If you can't do it in person, read their books or read their biographies or visit their websites.

Losers like to hang around with other losers, not just because misery loves company, but because their self-esteem is not threatened by comparison to their peers. If you can find the way to love yourself enough to always have a high level of self-esteem, then you won't need to compare yourself to others.

Winners believe in themselves. Losers believe in the world around them.

So now you know my secret to be able to predict the future. All I need to know about a person is:

1- Who they hang around with,

2- What they do day-to-day,

3- The way they speak and what they say,

4- Whether or not they assume responsibility or assess blame,

5- Whether or not they have the resolve (the stick-to-it-tive-ness) to overcome obstacles,

6- If they have a plan to live by,

7- A passion for life and their plans,

8- A self-designed purpose to live for,

9- If they act intentionally or in reaction, and,

10- What their overall attitude is to life and their part in it.

Now that you know, you don't need me, or some gypsy tea leaf reader, to predict your future.

The GREAT good news is that, if you discover, through this self-analysis, that you do not have these 10 necessary characteristics of winners, you can change the way you are and the things you do. So there it is... your destiny is yours, by design or by default. It is up to you.

Leslie Fieger. All rights reserved worldwide.

Leslie is the author of The DELFIN Knowledge System Trilogy: The Initiation, The Journey and The Quest plus many more success publications. He also the co-author of The End of the World with Hugh Jeffries and Alexandra's DragonFire with his daughter Ashley. Subscribe to his free and ad-free eZine at http://www.ProsperityParadigm.com or http://www.LeslieFieger.com.

Reprinting and republishing of this article is granted only with the above credit included. Permission to reprint or republish does not waive any copyright.

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1 and Only Tip You Need to Set Yourself Up for Success

1 and Only Tip You Need to Set Yourself Up for Success
By Erik Vossman

You could spend days reading all the Anthony Robbins self improvement books, listening to all his CDs and watching all his tapes. You could sift through Amazon reading the reviews of Dr. Phil and the like. This would no doubt motivate you to become better at whatever it is you are hoping to accomplish. You would then find more information and learn how to do whatever it is you want to do. This route is good but too often it shifts focus away from your goal to the point where you don't have the drive to complete it. Sure you are motivated but you might just forget what you're motivated for.

This is why you really only need one tip to start you on the path to success:

1. Become Accountable

That seems like a pretty simple task on a really simplified list. However, as you think about what becoming accountable means you begin to realize just how difficult it can be.

Becoming accountable for your goals and actions means that other people need to know what your doing and what you plan on doing. This means you can't sit back being a gonna doer only telling yourself and a few close friends, I'm going to be rich some day, or This year I'm going to get that promotion. No, instead of telling you significant other, your dog, or maybe, just maybe your best friend, you have to tell everyone especially those you admire most.

By telling all the people around you what your plans are, what your goals are, you are creating a fan base of sorts. When you have fans you have people to encourage you. Most of all when you have fans you have people following your progress that you don't want to disappoint. Not letting someone down can be one of the biggest motivators a human being needs to strive for success.

Looking at your favorite sports team you can see an example of this first hand. Most athletes have a crowd, be it their mothers at the local pee wee baseball game to fanatics that follow pro teams all over the world, these athletes have people who want them to succeed. Sure some get payed outrageous salaries to do what they do, but all that stems from having a fan base that wants them to succeed.

You need to get the word out. Here are several tips that can help you do just that without taking your energies away from accomplishing your goal and achieving the level of success you deserve for yourself.

1. Start a blog and tell the world
2. Bring it up in the next bar room conversation
3. Put it in your Holiday Cards
4. Put it in your email closing
5. Join a club and share your goals with its members

Just trying these five suggestions has the potential to explode your fan base. Getting fans you won't want to disappoint will force you into a situation to succeed, you'll have no choice but to succeed.

By Erik Vossman
Can You Become Good at Everything

Erik Vossman over at http://www.erikvossman.com is working towards becoming good at everything he tries and shares great tips for success in whatever you are trying to do. Join him on his quest and learn how to be successful.

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Finding Life's Candles for Dark Moments

Finding Life's Candles for Dark Moments
By Ana Tampanna

Tragedy doesnt make an appointment. It attacks! A terrifying surprise that explodes in the midst of a family. Tragedy brings with it multiple consequences as wellfinancial disaster, depression, guilt and blame. Devastating fallout! Marriages fall apart, family members commit suicide, personalities change. Yet tragedies occur daily. Tornadoes and earthquakes rip apart communities, car accidents claim thousands of lives, and children drink poisons or drown in swimming pools. People kill their friends and families, co-workers and peers. Here is what helped me make it through a horrendous time, so should it happens to you or to a close friend. You have some suggestions to fall back on.

Words are not necessary-- a loving presence conveys support. Initial shock and denial are numbing and intensely painful. When we received the dreadful news of our daughter-in-laws murder, we called our minister immediately. He and his wife came over and sat with us silently in the middle of the night. They made coffee, experienced our grief and comforted us with their presence.

Ask people you trust to handle immediate logistical problems. We had to cancel plane reservations, and make new ones. Airlines offer a reduced fare for situations when grieving families need to rush in an emergency. My brother, who travels a lot, made reservations for us. Caring friends wanted to keep our children and pets. Dont hesitate to ask or accept.

Keep inspirational reading with you. Ask your minister or a caring friend to loan you an inspirational book if necessary. I found the book of Psalms particularly helpful, as well as a book loaned to me from an Al-Anon friend. Our minister mailed a wonderful book he had written. Another minister had comforting words about the sweet relief experienced when dying.

Keep a journal. I purchased a thick, spiral notebook and kept it with me. In it put information as well as feelings, events, and questions. I taped business cards of police, investigators, and wrote down addresses of helpful strangers. My portable office became invaluable.

Buy thank you notes. Thank you notes help you to focus on the love and support you receive during this painful time rather than your helplessness or loneliness. Strangers brought us food and took us to dinner. Our church sent flowers to our hotel room. Friends held mass at home for our daughter-in-law. People who admired her came to see us, gave us religious pictures, and bought us sodas. I concentrated on building a new support system by writing immediate thank you notes. When we returned home, more thoughtfulness awaited us including food, vitamins, and an invitation to go cherry picking (a perfect thing to do when processing grief).

Stay connected to home. If the tragedy takes you away from home, arrange a time that you will talk with a calm, clear- headed family member daily. My brother called me at four every afternoon. I looked forward to his call and found comfort in his familiar voice. I took my laptop computer with me which enabled receiving caring messages via email. With my brothers phone calls and emails, our home community stayed informed of our trauma. They organized needed support as soon as we returned. The church casserole brigade had food ready, gift baskets, cards and prayers. A special service at our church and a prayer service with our Marriage Encounter Group provided us with loving friends who listened and cried with us as we worked through our emotional pain. One cant carry such a burden alone.

In the months that follow. Tragedies attract media, curious people, gossips, and people intrigued by dramatic life events. Sometimes people who had nothing to do with the tragedy become obsessed with the details. With our tragedy, information changed constantly upsetting our perspectives and tearing our shreds of hope. Phone calls and emails came from strange sources. Be careful not to answer media questions or give out information to the wrong people.

A year might not be enough. Grieving takes time. Any healing does. For us, ongoing legal trials fester the guilt, doubt, and confusion. Even though life has basically returned to normal, my energy level has not. I seem to accomplish far less than before. I remember having a long to do list and happily checking off task after task. Now, I check off two. (Three if I count my exercise.) My focus has become a wild animal, difficult to train. Yesterday, I had to write down take a shower. Initially, I asked friends to take me places as a distraction. Immediately after I asked, it seemed as if I lacked time to go anywhere. Time became unmanageable. I let go of my career goals, a difficult challenge for an achiever like me. Making sales and booking presentations did not seem relevant any more.

Even now, a year and a half later, I am still in the healing process only now I have a deep understanding of what other people are going through.

Let go of what you didnt do to prevent the tragedy. Focus on what you can to help others now. Both my husband and myself have felt called to serve people in new ways. A year after the tragedy occurred, my husband got laid off from his lucrative computer-consulting job. He wants to make a career change to teach high school. I took volunteer training to answer hotline phones for sexual abuse and family violence. The experience has been rewarding, Im sorry I waited until now to do this. Both of these activities stem from the helplessness we felt after our tragedy. Even our children respect us for taking them on. We know our values are changing.

It has been said that our tragedies make us who we are. We would agree with Corita Kent, Flowers grow out of dark moments.

Ana Tampanna, The Alligator Queen, is author or the The Womanly Art of Alligator Wrestling. To learn more about her books in addition to her speaking and coaching services, visit her site at http://www.alligatorcoach.com/index.html

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Success at Work : People Skills : Complaining

Success at Work : People Skills : Complaining
By Stephen Bucaro

Do you know an individual at work who is a chronic complainer? Are YOU a chronic complainer? People don't like complainers. Listening to a chronic complainer gets people depressed. They prefer to associate with people that make them feel good. If you are always complaining about something, people will start to ignore you.

If you're a chronic complainer, you're sabotaging yourself and your success at work. In this article, I explain how you can improve your outlook at work and improve your prospects for success. The first thing you need to do is get in touch with reality.

People are not perfect and you shouldn't expect them to be. An organization is a group of people, so no company or organization can be perfect. If you expect your organization to be perfect, you need to change your expectations.

Instead of expecting things to be perfect, expect everything to be totally screwed up at all times. Then on the rare occasion when something does go right, you will be pleasantly surprised.

There are many problems that you can't do anything about. Learn to work around the things you can't change. Some things you can change. Instead of whining and complaining, take responsibility for a problem you can solve. Don't try to change the world, focus on improving your own little corner of the company.

You might realize that there are many problems you might be able to solve. Don't try to solve all the problems at once. Prioritize the things that you view as problems and choose your battles. Attack the most important problem first.

When you complain, limit your complaint to one problem and be specific. Along with your complaint, suggest a realistic solution. If you can't think of a realistic solution to the problem, then how do you expect someone else to solve the problem?

Sometimes it's best to put your complaint in writing. Put your written complaint aside for a day. Don't submit your complaint until your writing is clear, logical, and carefully thought out. By the time you finish, you may realize that you didn't completely understand the problem, or you may decide that the problem isn't worth complaining about after all.

If your complaint involves a person, avoid attacking that individual. Don't complain that the individual is stupid or inconsiderate. Complain that what the individual did was stupid or inconsiderate. If a person works really hard, they might be able to change how they act, but they can never change who they are.

Complaining about your boss or a higher manager is very dangerous. Don't complain about the boss to your coworkers. If your boss loses face, the only way to gain back their self respect may be to fire you. Ask your boss for a private meeting and discuss the problem in a calm and polite manner.

Whether the person you are complaining about is your boss or a coworker, try to make some compliments along with the complaint. Everybody has good and bad characteristics. Make sure the individual understands that you recognize and appreciate their good characteristics. That person may not realize that anyone thought they had good characteristics and you may gain a new friend.

Note: Similar to never complaining about your boss to coworkers, a consultant should never complain about his company to the firm that he is hired out to.

It may be difficult to recognize, but all problems have a good side. Many problems are opportunities in disguise. Look for the positive side in every problem. Approach all problems with a sense of humor. If you can find the positives or the humor in a problem and you make positive statements to your coworkers and your boss, you will greatly improve your prospects for success at work.

Copyright(C) 2004 Bucaro TecHelp.

Permission is granted for the below article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long as no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and the resource box below is included.

About The Author

Stephen Bucaro

To learn how to maintain your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web site and make money on the Web visit bucarotechelp.com. To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter visit http://bucarotechelp.com/search/000800.asp

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Money Talks How Your Listening Skills Make You Wealthy

Money Talks - How Your Listening Skills Make You Wealthy
By Tania Gabrielle French

Yesterday I spent some time with a friend and kept my mouth shut. Well, not the whole time, but most of the time.

What kind of friend was this?

A person whos expertise in health is one I admire and seek out whenever theres an opportunity.

So, here was a chance to ask a lot of questions and Listen. It made me realize why I dont like small talk. Never have. So, we didnt talk about the news, barely mentioned the weather, and there definitely was no gossiping about others just a joyful exchange of helpful information and laughs.

This friend is highly successful. Hes a great listener. Because of that, he connects on a deep level with those hes listening to. The result of this careful attention is that his answers to questions are intuitive, lightning bolts of reason.

When you hang around people who havent accomplished much with their gifts, you notice that they like to talk and have a hard time listening.

Makes you realize why theyre life is in a rut.

Theyre not asking the right people the right questions, because they arent open to change. They cant even concentrate on the predicament of their own life, let alone anyone elses.

Its much easier to talk than it is to listen. Listening is an art. And it must be cultivated every time an opportunity presents itself.

One of the best exercises you can do is to pay close attention when some one is talking. In addition to learning what they have to say, youll develop strong powers of mental and physical concentration.

You can practice this anywhere, anytime. Even on the phone. Thats just what I did a couple of days back. When I talked to one of my mentors, a master teacher who knows what it takes to go from rags to mega-riches. Hes done it. Needless to say, hes someone I listen to closely.

And when I do open my mouth I ask a lot of questions.

I know what its like to be at the receiving end of questions too. And, believe me, most questions only need short answers. Not much people ask requires a long detailed explanation. Thats saved for the serious students, the ones whose eagerness to learn spurs everyone else on too.

I am such a student. And you should be too. Because every person of greatness remains a student for life.

So if a life of wealth is your goal, read and listen to those you wish to emulate. Immerse yourself in the topic you want to succeed in. Listen closely and quietly.

And put all you learn into action immediately. Action is a critical part of listening. Implementing wisdom is hearing it all over again. That is the key to a prosperous, joyous life.

Tania Gabrielle French is a composer who has enjoyed performances and radio broadcasts of her music worldwide. She is the creator of Recharge and Rejuvenate CD packages combining powerful words with relaxing music for the ultimate listening experience.

Subscribe to her popular Art Abundance Newsletter

2006 Tania Gabrielle French. All Rights Reserved.

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Leadership Skill: What is Your LQ: Leadership Quotient?

Leadership Skill: What is Your LQ: Leadership Quotient?
By Sharif Khan

The unexamined life is not worth living. Plato

As the New Year approaches, Id like to recommend taking a brief moment of pause from your hectic holiday pace to examine your life and reflect on where you are and where youre headed.

Whether leading yourself toward a higher path, leading a family, community, congregation, or an entire organization, this is a good time to reexamine your leadership effectiveness. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, how would you rate yourself as a leader? Leadership effectiveness, what I like to call LQ or Leadership Quotient, is primarily determinedby a combination of Physical Intelligence, Mental Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, and Spiritual Intelligence. These four areas (Body, Mind, Heart, and Spirit) are essential toward the making of a whole leader. Lets explore the key leadership factors that bring wholeness:

1. Inspire with Integrity (Spirit or Conscience)
2. Initiative and Innovation (Body and Mind)
3. Impactful Influence (Heart)

An easy way to remember this is LQ = 6I (Inspiration, Integrity, Initiative, Innovation, Impact, and Influence). This exercise will only take about fifteen minutes in which you answer some questions and honestly rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 for each factor.

1. Inspire with Integrity (Spirit or Conscience)

Are you energized with a larger than life vision or transcendent goal that serves the greater good and inspires others, or is your focus limited to only your own immediate needs? Are you aware of your highest purpose?

Great leaders subordinate their ego to their spirit or conscience by putting the needs of others before their own and finding a cause or purpose thats greater than themselves. This gives a leader the moral authority to lead others.

On a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself for Inspiration

Do your actions reflect your vision, beliefs, and values? Do you do as you say and honor your word? Andrew Carnegie once said, As I grow older, I pay less attention to what [people say. I just watch what they do.

On a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself for Integrity

2. Initiative and Innovation (Body and Mind)

Once you know what your highest purpose and core genius is, how well do you execute on your vision and key priorities? Are you focused on doing the right things, whats important, or are you spending too much time on urgent but not important activities and doing things right?

Leadership is about doing, taking initiative, and getting things done. Do you usually wait for things to happen and wait for others to initiate, or do you make things happen and initiate things on your own?

Additionally, the body is the temple of the spirit. Are you taking care of your body by exercising regularly and eating healthy so you have enough energy to take lots of action, or are you often succumbing to whims of the day?

On a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself for Initiative

Are you continually growing and innovating as a leader in the never ending pursuit of excellence, or are you settling for mediocrity by being comfortable with the status quo?

Are you using your creative problem-solving skills and imagination to become a change-agent by experimenting with new ideas, solutions, and technology, or are you continually in fire-fighting mode by being frequently blindsided with change?

On a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself for Innovation

3. Impactful Influence (Heart)

Are you reaching out to people and making an emotional impact in their lives? Are you getting to intimately know people in your circle of influence and taking the time to find out their fears, desires, challenges, and goals? Are you touching peoples lives by serving? The old adage, people dont care about what you know, until they know you care, applies here.

The heros journey is about following your bliss and doing what you love doing in service to others. Interestingly, through the heart, by making an emotional impact in peoples lives and serving, the spiritual dimension is tapped. Rabrindranath Tagore once said, I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy. In other words, service is spirit.

On a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself for Impact

Finally, influence is a measure of your character that comes with time and experience. How wide and impactful is your influence? Are people seeking you out for your leadership, mentorship, and guidance? What is the quality of people you have attracted in your work and life?

We are in many ways the sum total reflection of the people in our circle of influence. Look around you. What type of people have you attracted in your sphere of influence? The majority of people you attract in your life, whether negative or positive, bright or ignorant, are mostly a reflection of your own character. If youre not happy with the quality of people in your circle of influence, its time to work on yourself.

On a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself for Influence

After youve rated yourself for all six factors (Inspiration, Integrity, Initiative, Innovation, Impact, and Influence), add all the scoresand divide by six. This indicator will give you a rough idea of your total LQ and where you need to make improvements. Make it a goalin the New Year to raise the bar in every category. But dont wait till the New Year. Start NOW!

Sharif Khan (http://www.herosoul.com; sharif@herosoul.com) is a professional speaker, coach, and author of, Psychology of the Hero Soul, an inspirational book on awakening the hero within and developing peoples leadership potential. To contact Sharif directly, call: (416) 417-1259

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