Journalism World: September 2010

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Too Little Time to Enjoy Life

By Gary Gzik

It's hard. Our lives are filled with work, family, appointments, things we hate to do, things we wish we could do and of course, things we don't even see coming our way. With all the chaos set before us, enjoying life can sometimes be a little hard.

Unless you work from home, each day likely starts off with commuting into work - traffic that barely moves at a crawl or waiting for a bus or train that either doesn't come or is packed when it finally arrives - years of your life you'll never get back. The stress of road rage gets your blood boiling, blackberries push your workday well into the night, bills are on your mind, commitments are left behind at home, and you just don't have enough time. Not a way we should be living day to day.

So, how are you supposed to go about enjoying the life you have worked so hard to build for yourself? Try relaxing for a few moments and enjoying it with what you have. Here are five ways to get your started:

   1. Take time to breathe. I mean REALLY breathe, deeply and slowly. Take in the smells around you, good and bad. For something different, put a blindfold on and you will be amazed at what you will notice.
   2. Stand still and enjoy the sounds of nature. A babbling brook, a woodpecker, a blue jay or a dove, the crack of a twig indicating an animal is near.
   3. Take along a camera or some binoculars and appreciate the gift of sight that so many people don't have. Notice the colours, the number of rings in a tree stump, the different species of flowers.
   4. Feel things around you. You don't want poison ivy, but why not take your shoes off and feel the grass between your toes? If there is a stream, dip your feet in the water. Walk through some soft moss.
   5. Enjoying the taste of food. Why not take along a picnic lunch. It forces you to slow down, relax and observe your surroundings. When you eat, don't just chew and swallow. Eat slowly and savour the tastes. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to know you are full. Try new foods, new textures and new spices.

Taking time out of the rat race isn't easy, but life is too short and as Simon and Garfunkel say "Slow Down, You Move Too Fast."

JOB, JOBS, EMPLOYMENT

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Unemployed! Increase Your Employment Quotient

By Rashmi Priya

Every day new jobs are created and still we are facing the heat of unemployment. Have we ever thought of why? Why are candidates not getting employed even after having a long list of degrees in their resume. Is there problem with the educational system? Candidate? or the company which is demanding too much? Have we ever tried to answer these questions. Lets think about the problem and look at it from a different angle. Is the unemployed mass really employable? If not what are the drawbacks? We need to answer these questions or else the problem will keep on aggravating.

Now a days students go for professional degree to increase their employment quotient. They go for Engineering, MBA, MCA etc to get better jobs. They have got a specific mindset that once I complete my studies I will get a good job with a high paying salary. What they forget in the meanwhile is that "They have to work hard and show their qualities to the interviewer to get the job". Except a few handful of candidates rest of them don't perform up to the mark. Left over candidates blame their teachers, then placement department and at last the companies for being partial. They never look for fault within themselves. Why don't they genuinely ask themselves why they are left out? And start working towards their weaknesses.

We have to start working towards our goal with full dedication and lots of hard work. Keep in mind "There is no short cut to success, Success comes only to those who persevere for it". When a candidate is inducted in to a professional degree they need to keep in mind that they have to do full justice with the educational program. For example take MBA. The mindset of a candidate is that while doing MBA they need to have more practical knowledge than theoretical knowledge and thus many skip classes. Colleges arrange for guest lectures after the completion of the regular classes but then very few attend because they get tired. These guest lectures are very important because the guest is a person with full practical knowledge. This will help in the long run. There are few things which should be thought when getting tired. Are we tired of eating? Sleeping? Or having fun? Then Why tired of studying. A student has to address these things seriously when he has bunked classes and not participated in guest lectures and is out of several programs, how fit he is to get hired? There are lots and lots of business magazines available in the college campus. Student should read them to have an idea of products, markets and the recent happenings in the business scenario. Inculcate the habit of reading and analyzing business situations and solving case studies because in the long run that will help them in solving their own business problems.

Study the whole syllabus rather than concentrating on guess questions just to pass the exam and get good marks. In the long run a good subject knowledge will be appreciated and not just good marks.

Companies are looking for fried chicken not raw chicken which needs to be cooked, roasted and the flavored to suit their need. A candidate has to understand this and become prepared to meet the current needs. Learn how to face interview questions and answer them without hesitation. Have an idea of company profile before going for interview. Have command over English language when seeking high paying jobs in multinationals. A candidate has to understand that their employability and pay package solely depends on them. We don't need to complain but rather look at the problem and address the solutions. Improve subject knowledge, Communication skills, public speaking skills and leadership skills to get that desired job.

Who Do You Really Want to Be When You Grow Up?

By Roxana Nunez

When you were a child, how many times were you asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" As you went to school, on to college and then to real life, people stopped asking. More importantly, you stopped wondering yourself. Did you stop dreaming? Are you really who you want to be? Who do you want to be when you grow up?

We are always told to never stop learning. I think we should all take a page from Peter Pan and aspire to never grow up. Think about the question for a moment. Let's divide this question in its most important components.

The first component is who do you want to be. I hope that you want to be you. This might sound really simple and yet many of us want to be like someone else. We do not study ourselves enough to know who we are as people, what our values are and what we want for our lives. This should be our first step. Stop looking at what the neighbors have and what celebrities do and pick a life that is true to your feelings, tastes and principles. You also need to keep in mind that you are not your job, your college degree or a spot on your family tree. There is so much more to you and this is really important to figure out. Stop procrastinating on living your life by your own terms. There are so many things you can do in this world that are legal, sane and right for you. Spend some time to discover what they are and then enjoy the journey.

The second part of the question refers to you being a grown up. Do we ever really grow up? If you look at yourself in the mirror and still feel like a teenager, even though you are rounding middle age, you are not alone. I know a lot of 60 and 70 years young folks who still feel like they did in their twenties. Some people judge and think they have Peter Pan complex. I believe that is the beauty of life, never loosing that wonder we had when we were children. Somewhere along the way, as we start taking on more responsibilities, we loose a little part of ourselves. Don't let this happen to you. Keep that sense of amazement and hope that keeps us alive. Enjoy your life to the fullest and don't be embarrassed by feeling young.

Make some time for yourself this weekend and ask yourself who do you want to be when you grow up. Whatever the answer is, make sure it stays true to your soul.

How Do You Gain Self Confidence?

By Andrew M. Miller

Being confident is very important. It helps you get to your goals.If you do not believe in yourself, then you would not achieve much in life. Self-confidence drives us and motivates us.

Variations in found amongst different people, when we talk about confidence. This difference remains largely unexplained. There are two theories presented that describe as to why people differ in such an important trait.

It is the age-old nature versus nurture debate. Some people think that the variation is related to our genetic make up. They signal towards the presence or absence of "Confidence gene". Scientists have not come across any supporting information.

Theory that puts the blame on nurture sounds more appropriate. It purports that self confidence development largely hinge upon on our upbringing.

We have no control over our childhoods. We cannot change how we are bought up. However, once we grow up, we can improve our conditions as we are in charge. We have the power to shape our futures and ourselves. You can become more confident following the techniques described below.

Stop negative self-talk. You might not have noticed this but you might be constantly discouraging yourself subconsciously. You must put an end to this. Instead of saying, "I can't", say, "I can". This will make you more confident. You will find yourself taking up new challenges. Constantly affirm yourself. You will have to do that regularly for positive outcomes.

Another way of going about this is hypnosis. Use hypnotic recorded tapes. Put them on before you go to sleep.

Listening to these hypnotic suggestions while you go to sleep will make you more confident. Your mind will process and cultivate the idea. This technique is lot simpler than the first one as for the former ones requires conscious effort.

Learn Mind Control And Unleash The Full Potential Of Your Subconscious

By Greg Frost

The human mind is a very complex matter and it takes many years for one to comprehend its intricacies and scientists are still in pursuit of it. This is due to the fact that the mind has the capability to travel to far off places, in a fraction of a second and is very difficult for any person to keep it under control. Thus, we see that mind controlling needs a lot of expertise, patience, practice and skill to bring it under the influence of the concerned person. Therefore, there is a constant chase for effective mind control techniques.

Today, many mind control techniques and devices have evolved and designed and every one has its own merits and demerits. Mind control is a relatively neutral concept that involves an attempt to communicate with one's own mind. Studies reveal that this is a very effective technique to know about the potentials and abilities. This, in effect, helps to find out the ways and means of dealing with and use the abilities to the maximum level.

The power of mind control is such that it creates a big revolution in the inner self and those around. It helps to tap the resources of mind and synchronize with the thoughts. Controlling the mind has benefits like building good and solid relationship and prospers in life. When the mind is controlled properly, in the right way, the conscious and subconscious brain will get enhanced.

In fact, the power of mind is so great that we do not sense its existence unless and until it gives out any negative effect. Then, it becomes essential to learn to control the mind. But if sensed earlier, it would be very helpful to lead a better life. There are many techniques to learn mind control such as hypnosis, subliminal techniques, silent treatment and the latest called brain wave entrainment.

Certain qualities that are helpful in controlling mind are observation, concentration, leadership, positive attitude, and exercise. To control the mind, it is essential to observe things that are happening around. Those who have mastered the art of mind control will emerge as successful leaders and hence the converse is also true. When a person learns to concentrate and focus on one thing at a time, then it is a very effective mind controlling tool. That is why it seems that brain wave entrainment techniques help to improve the mental dysfunction disabilities like attention deficiency hyperactivity disease (ADHD) and other mental disorders.

In addition, improving a positive attitude towards everything helps to learn controlling mind in a better way. Doing regular exercise, yoga and meditation are also other useful techniques. The first step towards learning to control the mind is to realize that the thoughts are the most motivating factor and affect the mind and thus, controlling the mind primarily involves controlling the thoughts. Secondly, it is necessary to learn how the mind operates in order to learn to control the mind and techniques like brain wave entrainment help a long way in achieving learning to control the mind.

5 Easy Ways to Listen Up

By Marge Mercurio

Have you ever walked away from a conversation and couldn't remember what was shared? Can you remember the person's name or what they were wearing? It's embarrassing, isn't it?

This type of mindlessness is often the case because we hold too many things in our head at once. If our conversation focuses on work, our thoughts may drift to a project due soon. If the topic goes to an illness, our thoughts wander again. If the topic is about something we don't understand, we may stop listening and start planning our exit.

Listening is communicating. You are letting the other person know they matter.

Active listening means being present in the moment and focusing your attention on the speaker. When the topic is about work, acknowledge in your head that you have a project due, then return your attention to the speaker

In order to stay engaged, offer feedback and encouragement to keep the conversation going. Your body language can send a signal that you're listening when you face the person, nod your head, smile and look thoughtful as a way to encourage the speaker.

Now, if you want to get rid of the person (for whatever reason) be sure to do the opposite. Look away, frown, refuse to make eye contact, cross your arms and turn your body away. Your body speaks volumes and you just have to decide what message you want to convey.

Active listening is when you are focused on the other person and

   1. You're listening
   2. You're commenting
   3. You're asking questions
   4. You're detecting emotions
   5. You're reflecting back what you heard

When you are truly listening, you're creating a safe environment where there an equal measure of shared information. You share something about yourself and the other person does too.

An imbalance occurs when one person does all the talking and shares too much information. In some cases, when it's a friendship for instance, this may be a healthy thing. However, in a casual conversation, too much information can make you feel uncomfortable.

Be sure to offer a summary of what you're hearing. This 'reflecting back' lets the other person know you're really listening to their story. "Sorry to hear you lost your job! But I am so happy to hear that you're going back to college! What does your family think about your decision?"

By reflecting back, you're able to capture their content (what is going on) and their feelings. When you listen carefully, you may find times when the content and feelings don't match up. If that happens, ask them to 'tell you more' and maybe you'll get more of an understanding of what's going on.

Listening is an important communication tool that is often underused. The next time you have the opportunity to speak -- stop yourself and choose the role as active listener. Then let me know what you learned...

Soul Wear

By Aruna Ladva

Traditional attire bears such individuality that it not only tells us something about the wearer but it also reveals a lot about where they live, their environment and their social status. Whether distinguished by colors, fabrics or feathers. From time immemorial, the quality, style and richness of clothes have reflected the social strata of a culture.

By contrast, organisations and institutions such as schools, the military, a public service, or even a fast food outlet, all signal to us their roles and position in society by the 'uniforms' they wear.

Today, many of us have fully embraced Western brand names and the designer label has now become the statement of 'where we are at'. In an attempt to assert our individuality, we have unwittingly created a new uniform, this time based on our purchasing power, whether real or credit. Around us there is increasing evidence that our attire is often no longer based on cultural, or even moral values. Traditions are being eroded away, and the sparkle and the glamour once reserved for kings and queens is evident in abundance in any shopping mall. Whereas there is nothing intrinsically wrong with owning or wearing a designer outfit, the question we need to ask ourselves is: "Am I simply wearing the suit?", or "Is the suit who I think I am?"

In this world of first impressions, the desire to 'make our mark' is often irresistible. We are conditioned and encouraged by society's current day values to judge by appearances, and sometimes we look no further. However if we only 'judge the book by its cover' then imagine what we are missing! If we fail to see beyond the outer, embellished layer, then we cannot avail ourselves of the treasures that are contained within.

A spiritual journey is one where the seeker, with a desire to know the deepest truths, begins to peel away the layers to uncover the real essence. The special pilgrimage to Mecca advocates that men must give up their noble dress and wear a garment consisting of two sheets of white un-hemmed cloth; that is, to be simple in front of God. No ornaments, no pretense, no ego. The same is true for a pilgrim of any religion. We realise, as we remove our outer layers - the outer 'self' that we present to the world- that deeper layers exist. The body is a dress, a costume that envelopes the soul; the essence of who we are, wherein lies our greatest treasures, is what we need to yet discover.

Any pilgrimage also requires purity of mind. We can only focus on God when our attention is not pulled to the 'costumes' of others. To go beyond the influence of the flesh is to elevate ourselves above the 'mud'.

The wisdom embedded in the call to clothe the body in simple attire comes to beckon us to elevate ourselves to go beyond matter and awaken the spiritual light. It reminds us that before God we are all essentially equal and that what will distinguish us from one another in the final reckoning is not artificial beauty, fame or glory, but how pure our heart is. It is what we did for others, not how much we did in selfishness. It is in how much we lived a life of real value.

It's time... to reassess how we define ourselves and how much we live by our deepest values of love and truth. As we begin to recognise our own real essence, and to see the true depth and worth of the people around us, we can begin to create our own 'haute couture' of High Thinking, and Simple Living.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

3 Easy Steps To Unlock The Passion That Is Missing In Your Work

By Mikel Erdman

Being a professional in any industry starts with your passion for your work. If you love what you do, that energy shines through to all of the people that surround you. Most importantly, your clients automatically pick up on the positive aura that surrounds you like a glowing ring of goodness. Believe me, that is half the battle in establishing trust and rapport which lead to greater sales success.

I remember one of the greatest experiences that I had with a professional who lived by this paradigm. My geology professor at Southwestern Oregon Community College was the great Don Stensland. Don's claim to fame was that he was the single scientist who most closely predicted the eruption of Mount St. Helens just north of the Columbia River in Washington. He would tell us again and again how he had the only key given to a civilian to access the blast zone after the eruption.

This guy oozed excitement. He LOVED rocks! It was a pleasure to go to class every day just to watch him get lost in his work. There was nothing that he enjoyed more than bringing the power of geology and what that science meant to his young college students. He was a treasure and is missed by students who have spread all over the globe. In fact, you could say that he left a legacy of enthusiasm with anyone who came into his realm. He even has a hall at the college named in his honor.

Please understand this very important point. Don Stensland did not go without ridicule. He was so focused within the geologic world, and became so immersed in what he loved, that other people sometimes snickered and sometimes pointed fingers at him as he didn't "fit in" in various ways with the daily culture of college life. Being passionate about something doesn't always mean life is easy. Sometimes you have to deal with the detractors while you are sharing your passion with the world. If more people were like Don Stensland the world would be a more joyful place.

I saw this video as I was doing some research for a logo and it was awesome. It shows the idea of passion perfectly. Believe me....this guy is in his own world and doesn't care what anyone thinks of him. My wish for you is that you find that one thing that you can get lost in and enjoy every minute of it!

Here are three ways that you can engage the passion for what you do and display it to the world:

1. Think about the times when you are most focused and excited about your profession. What are the elements of your work that you most look forward to? Take a few uninterrupted minutes and really concentrate on what those things are and write them down. Let your mind connect the things that you enjoy through the activity of writing. This helps to cement the positive feelings into your subconscious.

2. As you read through these positive and exciting areas of your work, think of ways that you can begin to focus more of your time on these specific areas of your business and hand off or delegate the other areas which don't fall into your passion. As an example, if you are small business owner and really enjoy the consultations that you have with potential customers, but you don't enjoy creating billing statements or balancing your business checkbook, pass those tasks on to a bookkeeper or a virtual assistant. Even though there is a cost to hiring these items out, if you focus on your passion you will create much greater cash flow and success in your business.

3. Make a list of the top three areas of your High Passion Activities and post it in an area that you can review multiple times every day. Ask yourself "Am I operating in my area of passion?", and if not, then look for ways to team up with other staff members, employees, or contractors to pass tasks to people who are passionate about that type of work. The more you focus your energy on the things that feed you, the more productivity you will experience in you work and personal life.

Achieving Total Freedom

By Steve Wickham

Freedom is the thing that stands for time in memoriam. It stakes its claim over our hearts, imploring our hearts to take it and to move on in life.

What is holding you back?

Taking this time and this opportunity that God is providing - yes, right now - is but merely a matter of choice. Most times it's about simply choosing to see... to undertake that great program of vision that God's called us to... to hear God's still, silent and Spiritual voice as it is speaking through our lives.

Breaking Past Those Mind Limits

Our minds either liberate us or bond us - and it's a spiritual means to both of those ends. Either method or destination is ours simply at our choosing. It almost sounds too simple, doesn't it? But it's amazingly true.

Choosing a mind that will serve us instead of a mind that will lord it over us is easier than we think. It takes courage, persistence and resilience. Courage to make the move, be its master, and keep going; persistence to not give up altogether when we get tired; and, resilience to not get despondent when we fall into our old habits, which we're destined to do from time to time.

It's Your Life - Take It!

I recall a vision for my own life... Jesus standing there perplexed at how I was then living my life - saved but bonded at the same time - and just as if to say, "Just take this freedom I'm giving you - it's yours to take!"

At any moment of our choosing - and despite any of our colluding circumstances - we can take this freedom to the very limits of our imaginations.

This must surely cause us to be thankful to God for the ever-abundant riches of grace.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.

The Keys to Finding and Maintaining Motivation

By CB Michaels

The word "motivation" is one that was repeated over and over again while I was engaged in basic training for the military. Like the rigorous training we were going through, motivation is required for any task that is either mentally or physically demanding (or sometimes both.) It has long been known that motivation is one of the biggest keys to success on any level, yet many people find that they consistently struggle to motivate themselves no matter what they're doing. I believe motivation can be broken down into four simple ideas, and its important to understand each of these ideas in order to develop lasting motivation.

Believe in What You're Doing

Let's face it: when it comes to things like write a twelve page essay for school or cleaning out your garage, motivation can be pretty difficult to come by. It might be hard to "believe" in sitting still and writing for hours and hours, or spending hours emptying and sweeping and cleaning the garage. This is where most people fail -- when there's work to be done, they anticipate all they can think about is how long it'll take and how uncomfortable it'll be. Instead, you have to focus on the RESULT you want to achieve: passing the course, or a pristine and well-organized garage. If you can get behind whatever the outcome of your goal is, then the motivation will come.

Believe in the Path You're On

Second-guessing is one of the biggest motivation killers there is. People in general suffer from way too much thinking and over-analysis that interferes with simply taking action and learning as you go. You'll never account for every eventuality, so it's best to map out a preliminary plan of action and stick with. If things need to be changed, then you'll figure that out as you go. For now, it's more important to just get started.

Believe in Yourself

Self-doubt is a notorious killer of motivation. It ties in intimately with the point listed above, and thoughts like, "What if I'm wrong? What if it doesn't work? What if I can't do it?" The reality is that not only will these thoughts sap your motivation, they'll also make you MORE likely to fail if you do manage to get started. So instead, think positively. "I can do this. It'll work out. Everything's going great!"

Understanding Success

We all know about the subjectivity of success; it may mean something to one person and something completely different to another. Incidentally, it may also mean something to you before you begin a project and something else entirely once you reach the end. The most important thing is to remain flexible, and to view situations in terms of the positive. What has been gained? If it didn't turn out the way you wanted, what did you learn from the experience?

There's always a positive side, and constantly remaining on the lookout for it will help you benefit from everything you do and set you up for increased motivation in all your subsequent undertakings.

Improve Your Motivation

By Christopher Ryan Webb

We all have times in our lives when we feel like we are in a slump and are completely stagnant in our growth. It seems like there is no way to move forward and we get stuck in doing the same thing day after day after day. If you feel like you have lost your motivation either in your career, school, or even in your relationships with those around you, than try out these suggestions to improve your motivation and achieve your goals.

-Discover your passion. Do you know what your passions are? Do you take the time to follow your passions or do you push them aside? Discover what you are passionate about and take time each day to follow your passions. Are you passionate about your job? Switching to a job that you are passionate about can greatly improve your motivation in your career.

-Set and achieve personal goals. Take some time to sit down and write down what you want to accomplish in the next five or ten years of your life. Then decide which steps you need to take to achieve those goals. Be realistic, but also push yourself. Identify what obstacles are keeping you from reaching your goals and set a plan for overcoming those obstacles.

-Step out of your comfort zone. One of the greatest obstacles you can overcome is stepping out of your comfort zone and realizing that you can reach your true potential. Be willing to take that risk and you will find an inner strength inside of you that you didn't even know you had. As you take the step out of your comfort zone and see yourself growing, you will have increased motivation to keep on moving forward towards becoming your best self.

Motivation is what drives you to achieve your goals and find joy and success in your life. If you are stuck or a bit too comfortable with where you are right now do one of the suggestions above. Your motivation will increase and you will have greater self-worth and a stronger determination to achieve your goals and dreams. If you feel like you cannot do it alone, there are amazing life coaches out there that can help you find the inner strength to become your best in every aspect of your life.

How to Change Your Life With the Right Mindset

By Bebhinn O'Loingsigh

If you want to change your life, whether it's your job, your relationship, where you live or how you live, it's important to look inwards first. Sometimes it's the attitude we have towards change that is our main obstacle.

Here are some tips to help with the mindshift:

What is your Motivation for Change?

It's very important to be clear about what your motivation is for change. Are you just responding to what goes on around you, or are you truly centred and in touch with what you want?

Shift your focus towards what you DO want, not what you don't

As the saying goes, 'what you focus on expands', so don't focus on what you don't want, focus on what you do. What this does is keep you positive, focused on goals, and not in a position where you are just 'running away' from a situation you don't like. Change is much more likely to be sustained if you work this way.

Do you feel the need to Defend your Decisions?

If you have made the decision to make some changes in your life, but feel defensive about your choices, this is an alarm bell that something is not aligned. If you truly make decisions based on what you honestly feel is best for you, you won't feel the need to defend them. It will feel quite comfortable. So if you do feel defensive, ask yourself, why am I really doing this? Perhaps your motivation isn't right, or perhaps you are in a reactive state? Stop and think it over.

Good luck with your journey. Whilst it's always exciting to make big life changes, sometimes it can be hard too. If you feel like you need some help, a life coach could assist you to ensure that you are making the right choices for you.

Bebhinn O'Loingsigh is a Life Coach at Hightail Coaching Solutions. She works with professionals who feel unfulfilled, stuck in a rut, or burnt out and want to make some big life changes.

Whether you want to take a career break to get a fresh perspective, change your career, start your own business or completely overhaul your life, Bebhinn can coach you through the process and out the other side.

Two Sides to Every Coin Translates Into Choice for Your Life

By Tambre Leighn

No matter what the details of a situation you are facing, it comes down to seeing that there are two sides to every coin. Looking at things from this viewpoint recently has allowed me to get very clear in... very short order. It reminds me I have a choice and that there is always another side to consider. In the end, I get to choose which view to take ~ and my goal is to choose the one that empowers me, educates me or inspires me.

We can look at rituals as an example. When you consciously choose an action as a way that helps you relax, reconnect, refresh and ground yourself it is a ritual. This is an anabolic, creative approach. If a ritual becomes an unconscious habit, you've gone into a destructive way of coping. A red flag that a ritual has become a habit is the difference between actively choosing it or experiencing it a HAVE to do or HAVE to have. One side of the coin is an event or action you create to help you center, relax or reconnect. The other side of the coin is when ritual becomes an unconscious habit. Something that is a 'have to' is an experience that will drain your energy.

You can either be "pounding the pavement" or "tripping the light, fantastic." The weather can be cloudy with some sun or sunny with a few clouds. There is no question on some days it takes more energy to choose the up side. And it's not about being pollyana. It is just the matter of choosing your response. Let's be real and recognize some situations like a chronic illness diagnosis, the loss of a job and other major life changing moments have times and days that are simply and honestly tough.

In those cases, there is still the option to succumb or choose to find a way to overcome it. Keeping your core values and your goals front and center can help you inspire yourself to deal with the tough stuff. Asking for support or help is another tool that can fuel you to make the most out of whatever you are facing.

So the next time a situation threatens to take you off course or deplete your energy, remember the visual of the two sided coin and ask yourself how you can choose the side that will serve you most.

What Can a Life Coach Do For You?

By Karin E. Fried

There are so many things that we juggle every day. Work, family, kids, friends, school, extracurricular activities.... How do we manage to fit it all in? How do we manage to keep it all together?

How do we manage not to get lost in our lives?

Everyone is so busy today and we are all being pulled in so many directions. How do we know if what we are doing is right or wrong?

Sometimes we doubt ourselves. And our life choices.

So how do we get back on track?

One way is to use a "life coach." Why not? You have a coach for other things in your life.. like your workouts / health, business consultants, career coaches. Why not have a "life coach" that can help with balancing "all" the areas of your life. Balance between work and family. Balance between what you are doing with your life and what you "want" to do.

A life coach will help you figure out your priorities. They can help you figure out what's stopping you from achieving your goals. They can help you figure out what you want to achieve and how to achieve it.

If your life is in transition they can help you find your direction in life. What's important in your life. They can help you with a "plan."

Most people know what they want their life to be like. They just need someone to push them in the right direction. Coaching is a partnership. A life coach will ask you "where you are now", "where do you want to be" and "what's stopping you".

They point you in the right direction. They help you find it inside of yourself.

Life coaching can cover many aspects of your life. From stress management, career planning, business coaching, family and life balance, time management and so much more.

A life coach looks at things from a different perspective than you do. They are an outsider who can see things that you can't. They help you get and stay on track.

But before you can utilize a life coach you must be ready to change. You must be ready to achieve your goals. To find your direction in life. To listen.

Once you have made up your mind that you want a better life, happier life or more balanced life you will be open to the guidance that a "life coach" can give you.

Life Coaching As the Pathway to Change

By Tambre Leighn

Two things changed my life forever...salsa dancing and coaching.

As a lifelong athlete, I began working with coaches at a very young age. In my early 30's, I had my first experience with coaching outside of sports when I hired a career coach. My goal was to break into the executive ranks at the film studios in Hollywood. I was doing a great job at getting interviews on cold calls but I was not getting the job offers. After only three sessions with my career coach, I got the offer at the first interview I did. It would take the loss of my husband and the destruction of my life as I knew it before I would find my way back to working with a coach again.

I have finally created a life I love again and I know from my own experience that coaching works. Take a moment and think of one thing you are currently struggling with. How would your life be different if this struggle was resolved? How much more energy might you have for other parts of your life? Imagine the possibilities!

The first step is to assess what's working and what isn't. Make a list of the key areas in your life and rate your level of satisfaction on a scale of one to ten with ten being the most satisfied. This gives you a quick photo snapshot of where you may first want to choose to do some work.

The next step is to envision how you want that aspect of your life to look three months from now. From there, break it down into steps. To achieve that goal three months from now, what must you have accomplished two months from now? One month? Two weeks? This week? Backing into your plan for now is the most effective way to create a plan for real change.

Change takes time and effort. Sometimes it takes getting support from others. In the film, Pay It Forward, Haley Joel Osmond's character says,

I guess it's hard for people who are so used to things they way are - even if they're bad - to change. 'Cause they kind of give up. And when they do, everybody kind of loses.

Find a coaching buddy you can work with or consider investing in yourself and your future and hire a coach. Having support will help you to move past any fears or blocks around change ~ no giving up ~ no one loses.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Leadership Success - Building Your Support Team

By Duncan Brodie

As a leader, you want to achieve success. After all, when you are successful new opportunities arise and new challenges come your way.

Being successful as a leader takes much more than being just a lone ranger. To achieve the results you want, you need to build your support team. These are the people who work alongside you to deliver extraordinary results.

So how can you build a support team that helps you deliver great results?

Get clear about your role

This was not what you expected to find at the top of the list. Yet in truth being crystal clear about your role facilitates so many decisions. Decisions about what you do, don't do, where you invest your time and energies to name just a few.

Know what's needed

The chances are you have some sort of vision about what you want to achieve. You probably have a set of goals and strategies to achieve the vision. I wonder however if you have identified the whole range of skills and attributes that will be needed to deliver the vision? Getting clear on this will help to identify where you have strengths and where you have gaps.

Think about others' needs

Good leaders are not just interested in themselves; they go out of their way to help others to succeed. Make a point of finding out about others' aspirations and then think about how you can help them achieve these. The time and effort that you invest will come back in spade loads because you will have shown others that you care.

Who Says I Need a Makeover?

By Glenn Petry

How to begin to reveal one's inner struggle without totally turning off readers before some of them can perhaps see themselves mirrored in some aspects of my story... with the result, perhaps, that they and I can collaborate to help each other find the best suited path (of probably many) out of the darkness. Joseph Conrad wrote a memorable novel entitled "The Heart of Darkness, " which I read when I was in high school. It affected me deeply then, and then many years later when Apocalypse Now appeared as a searing movie about the Viet Nam War, using the same basic theme of human hubris as appeared in The Heart of Darkness, I knew that this theme resonated with something very disturbing in myself.

To convolute my story even more, in addition to the pitfalls of human hubris, I was cursed with an almost non existent level of self acceptance and acceptance of what I perceived as the negative aspects of "reality,".......whatever reality is. This nearly lethal (on several occasions almost literally lethal) combination left me one lost soul in a very confusing universe.

I came to view the world as a very dangerous and negative place, almost totally disregarding the beautiful and majestic aspects of the very same world. I could not or would not accept the idea that the world of existence is really two sides of the same coin...........there are negative and pessimistic aspects AND there are positive and optimistic aspects. This flaw in my perception of reality has caused me and, unfortunately, many around me a tremendous amount of unnecessary suffering.

I don't feel comfortable with all aspects of Buddhist philosophy. But what does resonate with me are the basic concepts of annata ( the fact of constant change in every aspect of life), the root causes of dukkha (the discontent or to use a Western phrase, "existential angst" of human life) being the desperate grasping after pleasant aspects of life, ignoring much of the "mundane" aspects of life, and the active, desperate aversion and avoidance of the painful and disappointing aspects of life.

Acceptance, another concept, which has puzzled and perplexed me seems to be a huge piece of the puzzle for improving my life. It has taken me a lifetime to begin to understand what acceptance is and what it is not.

I have NOT figured it all out yet, nor will I ever. But, what I have learned over a lifetime of trying to understand what ultimately can never be totally understood are that there are several essential pieces of the puzzle of life for me (and probably at least some others) to live a reasonably happy, productive life. A brief but eloquent statement of some of these essential pieces is in the so called Serenity Prayer: "Grant me acceptance of the things I can't change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

And I must add that in applying these admonitions from the Serenity Prayer, I believe that a pragmatic optimism must replace the pessimism, cynicism, and sarcasm of my former modus operandi. I believe a new Phoenix can indeed rise from these old ashes.

The Power of Being Open

By Victoria Verrall

Being open can open up a lot of channels we had not anticipated to come in our lives. Closed people are always set in their own ways that daily opportunities will pass them by. When you are open, you open the doors of analysing opportunities that suite your goals, values and abilities at the time of they are coming. Remember an opportunity comes by every day and only those open enough will see it. Do you ever wonder why some people see the deals every day and others see non in decades. Well it is the power of openness that guides their instincts.

So how can we learn to be open?

Know that we are all different. One mans meat is another's poison; therefore do not expect every one to agree to what you view as a deal. Know your goals in and out and set out to achieve them using specific strategies that have been tested before. That way you will not try to force your idea of right or wrong to others. Our uniqueness is an empowerment we should enhance as that gives us excellence in different abilities.

Be willing to learn new ways of doing things.

There is a wealth of knowledge out there but you will have to be willing to search for it and do the work. I have always been a knowledge seeker but not a work doer. Take an example of the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill; it calls for a lot of involvement from the reader including affirmations and goal targets. The first time I read it was not productive as I just it through like a novel. It is not a novel but a manual, until you use it like one. You will not gain from it. Being open to instruction will enable you to learn and take one of the quickest routes to personal growth and development.

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