CHANGE IS GOOD.....IT'S ABOUT CHOICES

Life Potential - Don't Settle For Second Best

By Gillian Tyldesley


What stops you from trying something new, something that may be a bit difficult or doesn't fit in with your family or friends?

Many of us settle for the mediocre, the achievable without fuss, or just what is expected of us by others. On the surface we can all offer a brave face of a bad lot - some people may be very successful in certain areas of life but still they feel something is missing! In a world of abundance of choice we can get confused about what we really want and lose track of what we really feel.
We can develop many fears which hold us back from achievement. These fears may be out dated assumptions we have about ourselves, and as such need to be rooted out of our subconscious. Some of the beliefs we have about ourselves have been many years in the making and will not give up without a fight. Many beliefs are formed in childhood and come from other people's opinions about us - school friends, bullies, teachers, and siblings. And the process carries on into adolescence and is re-enforced into adulthood.

The subconscious mind can not distinguish between the true article and the falsehood. It simply wants to follow the same old well worn track that it is used to. Your mind will filter out information that does not fit in with your picture of life. Therefore if you don't change your picture of life the chances are you may never become aware of opportunities that are all around you. Just like a self-fulfilling prophecy what you expect to happen to you often does. Your potential is laid to rest.

In order to reach your true potential you can start by examining your beliefs. You must ask yourself "what is this belief costing me". If the belief is holding you back you can start on the road to challenge and overturn that belief. Without knowledge the status quo continues. Remember that travelling the same road over and over will never take you to a new destination. Sometimes you need to stop, look around and choose a different road.

Gillian Tyldesley helps people reach their true potential and achieve good life balance through coaching. To find out how visit http://www.lifecoachsouthwest.co.uk Check out my seven journey steps on the 'whats new' page
I am a life coach working in the area of personal and professional development. I help people address such issues as low self esteem or confidence, relationships, and all round wellness. I have found that with introspection comes awareness of personal potential. Ignorance is not bliss if you want to make changes in your life. You can find out more about me on my website http://www.lifecoachsouthwest.co.uk
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CHANGE IS GOOD.....BUT NOT FOR THE LONE RANGER

Someone Believes in You!

By Mike Marino, Jr.

Do you know who believes in you? Every time someone invites you to an event or an activity, they are telling you that they believe in you. Maybe someone introduced you to a significant other person, or a job. They were telling you they thought you had the right stuff to make it work.

Who pushed you into the profession you now have. They are still pulling for you to make it. They know you have the right stuff. Now you must decide if you have the right stuff. Do you?

If someone pushes you into a pool filled with 14 foot hungry alligators, they believe you have the right stuff to make it to the other side and come out alive.

You have no idea, how many people are praying for you right now.

The worst thing that could happen to you is for someone to believe in you more than you believe in yourself. It does not mean you will not want help to do the task.

You will have to push others to help you, because you believe in them also. Never be the lone ranger. You know the story. The lone ranger tells Tonto; "Tonto, we are surrounded by Indians!" Tonto replies; "I am an Indian!"

Surround yourself with people you believe in also. After all someone believed in you. If no one cares who gets the credit, as long as everyone gets the cash. Two heads are always better than one. Unless they are arguing. How may I serve humanity with humility? What can I do?

Mike Marino, Jr. aka "In Person," is the co-author of two books and a Distinguished Toastmaster who helps people fall in love with learning. He speaks and writes on the love of Knowledge is the root of all good!. To book Mike for your next association meeting, conference or corporate event, contact Mike Marino, Jr. In person 504 833 4405 or email marinojr@bellsouth.net
Proud member of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau. All presentations are available in PowerPoint or Keynote.
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CHANGE IS GOOD......IT STARTS FROM THE INSIDE

Opening Up to the Big Change Within

By Lynn M. Scheurell

"Change, when it comes, cracks everything open." ~ Dorothy Allison

If you stop and think about it, life moves in cycles. There are seasons to pretty much everything. Sometimes they are predictable in their shifts, like the seasons or waves coming to shore or the migration of geese but usually the biggest shifts happen when we least expect it, even - or maybe especially - when we know they are going to happen.

For example, you know that endings, which might be the death of a situation, circumstance, or relationship, are essential for a number of reasons. The reasons you give those endings might range from "it's run its course" to "it's time for change" to "there is a bigger picture here", or a myriad of other substantiations for the ending that is occurring. And while all are some sort of rationale for the experience, each of them gives a sense that there is something new coming in...a new beginning of some sort. It is only through the ending of what was that the new can come into being; however, knowing that doesn't always make the transition any easier.

What may people may not realize is that the change that is occurring through the endings and beginnings in the physical world is actually a reflection of their own inner state. That is, change that occurs within has no other consequence than to express in an outer form, in a physical representation of what occurred inside that person.

Consider how that has shown up for you in your life...maybe you were waiting to hear from someone who owed you money but it was only when you stopped thinking about that with anger that the check showed up in the mail. Maybe you had a misunderstanding with a family member and it was when you felt the forgiveness in your heart that the phone rang with their call. Maybe things didn't flow in your world how you wanted them to and you channeled the frustration energy into cleaning your office and suddenly the world started working with you for a change...

All of these examples represent that your inner experience impacts your outer world. You didn't do anything different on the outside to create a new result - it was your inner relationship with awareness that made the new situation possible in the outer world. And for a soul-driven entrepreneur, knowing that can make all the difference in the degree of success you enjoy with and through your business.

Three Things You Can Do Today:

1. Everything counts. And nothing is the same when you understand that concept. Another way I've heard it is "how do you do anything is how you do everything" - wow. Talk about being accountable...the universe is noticing who you're being when nobody is looking and THAT is the foundation that you are creating from in your business. We soul-driven types have taken on the higher vibration path of distilling who we are and the innate gifts we have in service to the world - no small charge - and that gives everything we do a little extra "ka-pow" factor in every way. There is just no escaping that...(hmmm...some "ka-pow karma" anyone???) :+)

2. You are responsible for your creations. You are the only one inside you, as an expression of universal energy on the physical level; you are the only one who CAN be responsible for what you're creating. In The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, there is a memorable passage: 'Men have forgotten this truth,' said the fox. 'But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.' And it is only by 'owning' what you have already created that you give yourself the power to create something new going forward.
3. Bigger physical results require even bigger inner changes. By asking for or wanting bigger results in the physical world, you are asking your spirit to bring you the inner experiences necessary to achieve that. The old adage 'be careful what you ask for' is something to consider, because you are setting yourself up to clear out whatever is in the way energetically to have what you want.

Remember that the biggest changes can only occur from the inside out...so when it's time to create something new, go to where it really matters to make it happen.

© 2008 Lynn M. Scheurell, All Rights Reserved.
Lynn Scheurell, Creative Catalyst, works with soul-driven entrepreneurs to create a livelihood from their true purpose. This type of business development requires extreme personal clarity in combination with innovation and active implementation of proven business practices. Download a free report to learn "The Seven Deadly Mistakes That Keep Soul-Driven Business Owners from Making Money" at http://www.mycreativecatalyst.com
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CHANGE IS GOOD ........YOU MUST KEEP IT POSITIVE

You Must Have a Positive Attitude & Atmosphere in Your Business to Insure Success

By Melissa Vokoun

The difference between success and failure is a very fine line. It was Henry Ford who said: "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." In my many years' experience of running companies, departments and working with clients, I have always found that Henry Ford hit the nail on the head. With the attitude of "I can't" or "we can't" or "that won't work" success is very elusive and harder to achieve.
When working with clients now, I coach the owner or entrepreneur into always approaching the success of their business as a fait accompli and even during the bad times, not letting the negatively defeat them. Only with time reflecting back on the times that I stopped believing in success or fell into a deep feeling of negativity, did I realize what happened was part of my own "self-fulfilling" prophesy - it just wasn't going to work out, and alas, it did not.
This critical breakthrough of having the business owner believe in their success without boundaries has allowed many of them to take a leap of faith that makes success more tangible and accessible. I am not going to tell you this is always easy - faced with a pile of Accounts Payable, stagnant or falling sales, poor customer retention, etc., can be a huge obstacle to blind faith in success - but it has to be there or the road is so long and so hard to travel.
Negatively will suck all the energy out of a business - like a vacuum, you will find it is hard to be energetic when negatively is the prevailing atmosphere. In order to have energy, you must remain positive - for energy is a by-product of positive attitude. You can't feel positive and lethargic and drawn out at the same time. Yes, you can experience fatigue for working long hours, frustration for not getting enough done on a certain day, fearfulness of making that presentation or calling that prospect, but you cannot lose your energy when you have the power of positive thinking at your back!
The next important step is removing negative people from your organization. This is by far the most critical step for most business owners. When negatively and lack of energy enter an organization, it is like a creeping mist throughout the office - I don't mean to be ghoulish here, but it is like a hypnotic trance that is hard to break.
When I walk into an organization that I am coaching - and I sense that negativity by a few well-placed questions to those I encounter, I usually find myself taking the next two hours discussing with the owner where the source of the negativity is and how to eliminate the cause. This is where the discussion gets tough. You would be surprised the number of "key employees" that turn out to be the ones who are the most negative and unable to change their attitudes. As part of coaching, we have a questionnaire that we give to all the employees, and when we identify these "energy drainers" as I like to call them, it is very difficult to get them out of the business.
Honestly, they are masters of their trades. They make themselves indispensable (so they think) and find a way to dominate most of the workers who would never complain about their tactics - and so it goes on and on until the "energy drainers" have instilled fear in most of the rank and file - and the "boss" never really understands what that nagging feeling is that something isn't quite right.
Well, through analysis and evaluation, the culprits of negativity, biting sarcasm (usually aimed at the boss behind his/his back), veiled threats, and other well-used tactics can be exposed easily enough. Now the trick is to get them out of the organization.
This is the most difficult step. The business owner thinks that the business will suffer from loss of the "competence, business knowledge, and officiousness" this person or group of employees have. They usually appear very loyal to "the business" but that is their mask and how they are so successful in hiding out for long periods of time. It is a hard decision to break ties when you know that filling those positions and getting the right employees hired, trained, and profitable will take time and money. But in the end, the business is already losing time and money - not always apparent to the business owner. How many employees spend time complaining about "that one" or work not getting done because the "energy drainer" has his/her own agenda and timelines. This is a very difficult change to make, but I have worked with business owners and seen through my own experiences, that making these changes can make all the difference in the world between success and failure.
When I ran a company of over 100 employees and a change in the economy forced a lay-off, I had identified the "energy drainers" in my staffs and in all departments, and they were the first to be shown the door. Afterwards, there was a collective sigh of relief and many remaining workers stuck their heads in the door with a "thumbs up" or a whispered "thanks" - and although it might have been due to the fact that they retained their job, there was the underlying sense that they were relieved that the bad apples had been culled from the harvest!
These are very tough times that we all face - and as a business owner you need all the positive, high-performing employees on the team. Please take my advice -- if the time comes to do a little housecleaning - make you choice to exclude the negativity and the energy-draining employees from the rebuilding that will eventually occur. Your remaining employees will thank you - silently or more verbally if you have that type of feedback allowed in your organization. And as you rebuild the team, if someone seems to be a bit negative in talking about their ex-employer or their lot in life - give them a pass. You really can't afford them!


Melissa Vokoun is a successful Business Advisor, Coach and Trainer. From 1983 to 2005 she was COO and VP of Sales and Marketing for a national telecom equipment distributor. Her passion for business, working with clients in solving critical issues in the strategic, tactical and operational areas of growth continues. She is now President and Founder of NuVo Partners and Successful Business Advisors and The Coaching Queen. To learn more about the services available, please visit the website at: http://www.coachingqueen.com or call 847-392-6886.
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This article has been viewed 26 time(s).Article Submitted On: September 30, 2008
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