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* Self Improvement and Personal Growth Weekly Newsletter *
Issue # 619, Week of July 19-20, 2010
Publisher: David Riklan - http://www.SelfGrowth.com
In this issue:
-- Quotes of the Week
-- Recommended Resource of the Week
-- Article: Lead Yourself Before You Lead Others - By Dave Osh
-- Article: Have You Looked in the Mirror Lately? - By Kris Cavanaugh
-- Book Review: Guest House - By Barbara K. Richardson
-- Brief News of the World
-- How to Subscribe and Unsubscribe from this Newsletter
Current Subscribers - 284,041 subscribers
Removal instructions are listed at the end of the newsletter.
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*** Quotes of the Week ***
------------------------------------------------------------ And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. - Anais Nin, 1903-1977 Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death. - James F. Byrnes, 1879-1972 Glory built on selfish principles is shame and guilt. - William Cowper, 1731-1800
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*** Recommended Resource of the Week ***
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* Stop Dieting and Start Losing Weight! *
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*** Article: Lead Yourself Before You Lead Others - By Dave Osh ***
------------------------------------------------------------ Do you remember the years after graduation? We were learning new skills, accumulating knowledge, becoming an expert in our field and earning higher salaries as we scaled the corporate ladder. Our career soared until it stalled. Why? Careers can ride on professional knowledge just for a certain distance. Sooner or later, gracefully or brutally, rapidly or slowly, we will discover that leadership is more about who we are than what we do. Goethe wrote "before you can do something you must be something". We cannot be the inspirational leaders we hope to be if we feel miserable and depressed. We cannot inspire people to excel if we are unmotivated. We cannot lead teams to victory if we do not feel victorious. There is an old story that brings home this point: A father was relaxing on a couch after a long day at the office reading a newspaper. His son playing around him disturbed his peaceful moments of the day. The father, fed up, ripped out a picture of the globe that was in the paper and tore it into as many tiny pieces as he could. 'Son, can you try to put this globe together?' asked the dad, hoping this would keep the little boy busy long enough to finish reading the paper. He was stunned when his son returned after a few minutes with the globe perfectly reassembled. 'How did you it son?' asked the astonished father. The kid smiled and replied 'Daddy, on the other side of the globe there was a picture of a person. Once I got the person together, the world was okay'. Success begins within. It all starts by getting ourselves together. Once we do, our own world will be okay. We see the world not as it is, but as we are. By improving, refining and defining who we are, we see the world from more enlightened perspectives. Leadership of others begins with our internal leadership. If we want to continue to grow we have to continue developing ourselves toward what we want to be as human beings. Self-awareness provides us the tools to achieve our goals in our working place, family, community and relationship. We need to stop running if not completely clear on the ultimate destination. We may run the wrong way. Taking time for reflection and introspection allows us to analyze what to do and how to make continual improvements. My personal growth starts with reading uplifting books for at least thirty minutes a day. Knowledge provides a great path to self awareness. You are probably thinking 'how can I find additional 30 minutes every day to read? Reading comes in many shapes and styles. Reading is a metaphor of gaining new knowledge continuously. Whether you read a book, listen to MP3 audio book, attend a seminar or read an ebook on your tablet, mobile or computer, you enrich your mind. Every problem you want to solve, the solution lies within you. New knowledge will help you identify and act on it. Every mistake in life has already been made by somebody who wrote about it. If we want to be better communicators, superior parents, lovers and friends, reading and knowledge can guide us. If you do not work from home, you probably have on average at least 30 minutes commuting to your workplace. Make it into your mobile university. Convert your toilet into a library. It just means making the commitment. The type of person we will become in 5 years from now depends on the knowledge that we gain and the decisions we make because of this knowledge. Would you appreciate spending a few hours with Barack Obama or Bill Clinton? Do you want Dale Carnegie or Napoleon Hill to be your personal coach? Would you mind to be mentored by Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Theresa? Or maybe learn creative thinking from Thomas Edison, Ben Franklin and Alexander Graham Bell? It's all in books. Leaders commit to a lifelong learning. Learning no longer ends when we finish our last exam. It must continue as long as we live. Before we lead others we should lead ourselves. Self-awareness, reflection and introspection are proven ways to know ourselves and, hence, become role models to the people around us whether they are our colleagues, friends, spouses and children. They expect us to be at our best. ** To comment on this article or to read comments about this article, go here.
About the Author:
Dave Osh is a forward thinking leader who has steered his way to the corporate pinnacle. His Thought Leadership blog is a wealth of stories, ideas, experiences, values, traits and skills which every manager who seeks a breakthrough towards international enterprise leadership needs. * Stop Dieting and Start Losing Weight! * ------------------------------------------------------------
*** Article: Have You Looked in the Mirror Lately? - By Kris Cavanaugh ***
------------------------------------------------------------ How important is it for you to get a medical checkup? It may not be the most pleasant experience you can have done, but it is certainly necessary to help ensure proper health for your body. The more frequently we have our teeth assessed, our eyes assessed, and all areas of our physical form checked out - the better we can catch problems before they start (or get worse)! As a matter of fact, you had an assessment done from the moment you started breathing clean air after birth. What is the 1st thing the hospital staff does for a newborn baby? They give them an all-over assessment of vital signs, response tests, count all the fingers and toes, etc. You were an active participant of assessments before you were even 10 minutes old! So, why do some individuals believe the fruitful act of assessing themselves stop with the body? Isn't your mind an equally critical (some would say more so) component of your total being? You've probably heard the expression, "that person needs a checkup from the neck up."
We need to regularly evaluate our mind - and mindset - just as we do our bodies. If you have no gauge to determine what is critical, what is important, what is necessary, etc - then you're simply flowing with the current of life (and all rivers lead downhill). Every individual needs guides and barriers in life. You would agree that this similarly applies to navigation and road trips. Everyone loves a good road trip! If you set out in your vehicle to drive from Orlando, FL (for example) to Billings, MT - you'd be able to successfully navigate the trip with: * Road signs
* GPS device
* Roadmaps
* North, West, East, South navigation postings
* City and state signs It would be a long trip, but you'd successfully reach the destination goal you'd set for yourself (Billings, MT in this case). How easy would the trip be if someone removed all the road signs, navigation markings, highway signs, city and state signs - plus took away your road maps and GPS device. Let's say they were extra nice, and took away all guardrails and warning signs. This would leave you in quite a dangerous and problematic situation. Interesting thought isn't it...? In my many years of working with individuals to help them take control (and remain in control) of their personal and professional life, the beginning point to a solution begins with the assessment! You have to know where you are RIGHT NOW, before you can determine your next steps. As you can imagine, it's important to know: * Where you're doing well
* Where you need improvement
* Your strengths
* Your weaknesses
* Where you are now
* Where you want to be When you look in the mirror at the person you are now, and the exact situation you're currently in - are you happy and excited about the many possibilities around you? Are you lukewarm to your personal or professional situation and feeling that the circumstances around you are driving your future? Maybe you're totally dissatisfied with the present situation you are in now. It's a known fact that you are exactly where you are right now because of the hundreds of decisions you've made along the way throughout your life. This may be a very positive thought for you based on your current situation in life, or it may be a distressful thought. But you have the power within yourself to right the wrong, correct the course and move in the direction you desire for yourself. Not only for your benefit, but for those relationships close to you! This includes your family, friends, coworkers, staff, clients, etc. A popular assessment I've created as part of the "Stuck to C.E.O." book and journal, includes some insightful and valuable self-assessment statements you can use to gauge your current situation such as: 1. I have defined the type of life I want to experience, personally and professionally, and written it down so I can work on making it happen.
2. I schedule time regularly (at least once a quarter) to establish personal and professional goals.
3. I work on my leadership skills so I can live my life more effectively
4. I take 100% responsibility for my life and do not blame others or circumstances for my current life experience.
5. I have a deep level of confidence that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. So, just as the popular quote from Lao-tzu (Chinese philosopher) states - "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," I encourage you to download this 30 question assessment for your benefit, and be sure to let me know how you score. Whatever your results, know that you are able to take control of the reigns of your life, and live the life you've always imagined for yourself. Take action today, before another priceless day passes you by! Enjoy the article! Have a fabulous day, and don't forget to keep your eyes open for all the amazing possibilities within and around you! ** To comment on this article or to read comments about this article, go here.
About the Author:
Kris Cavanaugh is a speaker, author and coach who specializes in helping others cultivate a C.E.O. mindset in every area of their life so their businesses, careers, and personal lives thrive. She is an expert strategist with an amazing ability to pull her clients through difficult challenges to obtain the life they truly want. If you have a desire to live your life "on purpose", so you wake up every day excited about the possibilities and maintain an unwavering belief that you will overcome any obstacles to achieve your personal and professional goals more easily - call Kris at 404-551-3601 or go to http://begintoshift.com/landpage/MakeTheSHIFT.htm to schedule your complimentary meeting today. Kris is author of "Stuck to C.E.O." now available from Amazon.
* Stop Dieting and Start Losing Weight! * ------------------------------------------------------------
*** Book Review: Guest House - By Barbara K. Richardson ***
------------------------------------------------------------ Barbara K. Richardson's book Guest House will change the way you define love. The story centers on Melba, a woman who takes life only as it comes, usually not venturing out for her own enjoyment. A companion story is told of a young man, Matt, and his parents Gene and JoLee. It is easy to forget that Matt is only in 6th grade, since he is basically left to pick up the pieces when his parents lose their way and take turns raising him to adulthood. Guest House explores the relationship that Matt has with his friends, and that his parents have with each other and the other significant loves of their lives. JoLee and Gene try to get divorced, but each realizes almost too late that they both need each other to survive. Melba needs them too, but mostly she needs Matt. Having witnessed a horrific car accident, Melba is traumatized and decides that she will never drive her car again. Her life with Matt and JoLee takes on several twists and turns as Melba conquers all to do what is best for everyone, including herself. Guest House is a story of needs met, and those unmet, of love lost, found, forfeited and forever gone. The story is a good read for any age, and equally as appealing to men as women, boys as well as girls. Matt's story is one of self-acceptance, and Melba's is one of shedding loneliness for something greater than herself. I'd read this book again - it was that good. Reviewed by Poppy Johnson
Posted on Luxury Reading
*****
The list price of this book is $14.00. To purchase it from Amazon.com at a price of $10.78, a 23% discount, go here.
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*** Brief News of the World ***
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Positive:
* Give Kids Social Skills to Get Ahead * The college students who showed up with bare midriffs and never contributed to discussions during Faye Rogaski's communication classes were surprised when they weren't picked for coveted internships and jobs. They would also e-mail the public relations executive without so much as a greeting but with demands such as "I need a reference," or "I need a letter of recommendation." No "please," no "thank you," no face-to-face handshakes, introductions or follow-ups after classes. That's when it clicked for her: Teach basic social skills to children because if they want to get far in life, manners are a requirement, not an option. Go here for the complete news story. * Charities Mimic Wall Street to Woo Wealthy Donors * Charities are learning to mimic for-profit companies as a way to woo wealthy donors who see philanthropy as more than just a tax break and demand social returns on their investments, experts say. Just speaking the language of Wall Street can make all the difference, said Cheryl Dorsey, president of non-profit Echoing Green, which awards start-up capital to social entrepreneurs. Go here for the complete news story. * College Grad Skating 4,200 Miles to Help Haiti * Chris Lomen is looking down so Haiti can look up. The recent college graduate has his eyes on the 4,200 miles of road and sidewalk between Stillwater, Minn., and Key West, Fla. Go here for the complete news story.
** For more positive news, please visit http://www.selfgrowth.com/news.html
Other:
* Money Buys Satisfaction - Happy Not So Much, Says Survey * Money can't buy you love, but how about happiness? Sorry, but a new survey of more than 136,000 people in 132 countries around the world - the first such survey ever conducted - suggests that it can't buy that either. Go here for the complete news story. * Pups Offer Hope for Wolf Breed Near Extinction * They looked just like five well-behaved puppies, barely squirming, when a veterinarian gave them their eight-week inoculations. In reality, experts believe the tiny animals offer hope for a nearly extinct breed of wolf. Go here for the complete news story. * Flying Car En Route to American Roads and Skies * Why drive a hybrid when you can soar over traffic in a flybrid?
A flying car called the Terrafugia Transition could be on its way to American roads and skies. Equipped with a rear propeller engine, front-wheel drive, airbags and crumple zones, the Transition is as at home in the air as it is on asphalt, according to its makers. Go here for the complete news story.
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