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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CHANGE IS GOOD......FEEL IT !!!

The Art of Processing Emotions

By Bart Sharp

Many of us spend hours regularly processing emotions that we experience in our lives. It is in the belief that if we come to a place of resolve with them that we would be happier and/or be more present in our lives. Processing emotions is a skill that many have difficulty doing especially if they were not taught as children to identify what they were feeling. Millions have difficulty processing their emotions so if you perceive that you fit in this category do not feel alone.

Processing emotions is both an intellectual skill as well as a body experience. We may be able to express the emotion, recall the memory related to the feeling but have no real connection to it in our body. Which may make us feel disconnected to the experience itself as well as our own body.

Being able to perceive emotions includes feeling the whole experience in our physical body. It is feeling where our body feels uncomfortable when we are upset and all of our bodily reactions included. When we do this we teach ourselves to be more present in our body. The more we live with this kind of awareness anger does feel more intense but so does joy and happiness. We begin the process of leaving the life of muddled emotions where we feel little and remain in a mundane expression of our feelings to a fuller range of ourselves.

One of the keys to breaking out of the mundane life is learning to feel the emotions of our past. What we have suppressed emotionally is often one of the blocks that are holding us back from feeling ourselves. If we can tap into those energetic memories on a body level we can begin the process of releasing them for good. Our cognitive recall of these experiences only gives us the information from our mind we have to address what our body has stored away for them to really go.

What I have discovered is that so much of our daily anxieties, worries, angers, etc always have a source from our past. So when I experience the emotion I stop, sit down and feel it. The first step is to locate where you feel the distress in your body. If you cannot identify it in your body ask the consciousness of your body to turn up so that you can feel it. Or just ask your body, "Where is the sensation of this emotion located?"

Our bodies can do this. They are complex sensory organs that can give us massive amounts of information if we ask. It is important to know that the body wants us to uncover this stuff because it will be so much easier on it not carrying these stuffed emotions.

When we are able to identify the location of the sensation of the emotion sit and be present with it. Place your awareness to perceive the full intensity of the experience of it. Observe only, if we judge it we re-traumatize us to the experience, for example do not go into how bad it was. Even if a memory comes up just be present with it.
Once you perceive that you are in touch with the full energetic memory of the experience ask your body, "Is there a deeper source to where this emotion originated from?" Observe if another sensation shows up in your body, it may be in another location or even underneath where you have been working. Begin the process again of perceiving the full intensity of the energetic memory. Your presence with it will be the catalyst for its release.

When we release these experiences we will begin to feel a lightness in our body. It feels like energetic rocks are removed out of us giving way for a greater body awareness to begin that generally is perceived as feeling lighter. It is a part of the process of knowing yourself wholly.

As I go deeper in this process I find that sometimes I do need to cry to assist in grieving or hit or scream into pillows to release my rage more completely. When I do this I remain focused on the intensity of the energy in my body, I do not put my attention on the person that I am mad at such as imagining their face on the pillow. This is about identifying and releasing your own rage not projecting it out to someone. An important distinction.

What I have found is by using the tools of Access Energy Transformation I am able to release these repressed emotions more effectively. Access releases thoughts, beliefs and emotions on a cellular level. When it is used directly with the identification of the energetic emotional experience the release is very dynamic and permanent. I have seen my life change and witness huge transformational shifts in others by using these awesome tools.

When we begin to live in a place was we are not influenced by our repressed emotions we begin to live with a fuller presence in ourselves. We are no longer triggered by our past in our daily interactions. It is a wonderful freedom. We experience anger, sadness and happiness fuller from a more realistic perception.

Bart Sharp is an Access Learning Facilitator from Austin Texas. Through the years Bart has worked on variety of issues with individuals and groups. Bart likes the Access tools as they release people's limitations quickly and permanently. Explore our free audio and video library at http://www.bartsharp.com To learn more about access go to http://www.accessaustinenergy.com
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CHANGE IS GOOD.......YOU HAVE TO LET GO !!!

When It's Time to Let Go

By Yeo Teck Wei


"Man is free the moment he chooses to be" - Anonymous
Alfred was walking along the side of a cliff, when he suddenly slipped and fell. Desperately hanging on to the cliff with only one hand, he waited for help until a stranger came.
The man agreed to pull him up, but Alfred had to agree to one simple task. After Alfred promised him, the man put out his hand and said, "For me to pull you up, you have to let go of your hand first."
If it was you, will you trust him and let go ?
Letting go is tough. When you are weathering a rough patch, self-doubt and mistrust can cloud your heart and judgement. You don't know who to believe, and what to do next. You don't even know who you can count on during difficult times. In short, you feel helpless and insecure.
For people who have little self-confidence, it's time to let go of your inner fears. It's not easy, but necessary. Even if the entire world does not look down on you, so long as you don't believe in yourself, you will never have self-confidence. This is because people's perception of you can't change the way you think; only you have the power to change the way you think. To truly live life, first you have to have faith in yourself. This is a simple truth that few people know.
In our hearts there exists a prison, and it feeds on self-guilt, shame, and over-expectations. Some people choose to escape reality by imprisoning themselves there to numb their pain. They don't know it just makes their experience so much more painful... and they find themselves unable to escape from this prison. Eventually, they get trapped by their own past.
As a result, some people suffer for life because they can't forgive themselves for their past mistakes. Don't be like them! We can't change the past, and continual self reproach is not going to make a difference. If you really want to make amends, let go of your past. Stop thinking and start doing what really matters.
Redemption starts when you finally let go, and get on with life. Release the heavy burden chained to your soul, and let your spirit fly! When it's time to let go, it's time to let go.
Next time when you have doubts about yourself, just think: If you were Alfred, will you let go of your only hand on the cliff?


Article by Yeo Teck Wei, who is a freelance writer based in Singapore, whose forte includes motivational, current affairs, economics and health issues. If you like what you read, get weekly reads delivered to your email address when you sign up for my newsletter, The Paper Model.
To sign up for TPM - http://the-paper-model.blogspot.com
To visit my home site - http://www.freelancefusion.com/asia/yeoteckwei/
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CHANGE IS GOOD......DON'T EVER QUIT !!!

When adversity comes, and it will; Be encouraged. Without challenging trials, we will not develop the "thick-skin" and skills necessary to persevere.

Consider the following poem by C.W. Longenecker:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low, and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you ever quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about, when you might have won had you stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
You never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,
It's when things seem worse, that...
You Must NEVER Quit.

CHANGE IS GOOD......GET IN SYNC

Explosive Results Using This Key to Success!

By T Ryan

One of the keys to success which is very simple yet devastatingly effective when applied, is to simply make the same decisions everyday. If you take a look at any successful person they nearly always take this approach. If you make a decision to do something and state that thing as your goal you cannot expect for it to come to fruition overnight, it usually takes a period of time. During this time in order to reach that goal you will need to take action to achieve it. This is where your daily actions need to correspond with the decision you made in your mind.

As we are all three part beings operating in thought, word and deed, we need to have all of these consistently aligned in order to achieve results. If you think you have made a decision it still has no real power until it is acted upon, similarly it is no good simply talking a good game and not following through with action or with it not actually reflecting what your mind is thinking. When your thoughts, words and deeds are not aligned you will lack progress, motivation and may feel at conflict with yourself.

A very simple illustration of this would be someone who decides they want to become more healthy in their mind and even speaks about this to their friends but their actions do not reflect this. One day they will choose the banana and not the Mars bar, the next day they will chose the Mars bar, their actions are not aligned with their thoughts and words. To become healthy they need to everyday make the same decision on all three levels, thought, word and deed.

Because there are three levels to our beings which can be unaligned it is important to select a goal that is meaningful and that you really want to achieve on all levels. For some people a goal of being rich would fit nicely as a spoken decision but deep down they are not really motivated greatly by money but more so by helping people. Therefore inside of them they will suffer conflict, they can still be successful but they aren't as likely to be as motivated or persistent in pursuing it, there day to day actions may therefore suffer as a result.

The decisions you make today are creating your tomorrow, keep making the decisions on all three levels that correspond to your highest ideal until they come to pass.

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out..." -Robert, Collier

If this is starting to sound like to much effort, stop and have a think for a while. If you don't make an effort to set a goal and pursue it, well that's fine, time will pass anyway and your future will be created by your lack of decisions. Indeed lack of action is also a form of action so you are still creating your tomorrow. The question is do you want to be a conscious or unconscious creator of your world. Do you want a say in what happens in your future or not?

"It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed." - Theodore Roosevelt

Successful people make decisions and stick to them. It is said that the famous inventor Thomas Edison said it would take two weeks to invent the light bulb, however it actually took him around two years. Even through all the failed attempts he still stuck to his decision that he would invent a light bulb he continued rigorously and habitually each and everyday to achieve this goal. Lets look at how he did it on all levels:

1) Thought he decided mentally that it was a worthy goal that he wanted to achieve.

2) He expressed this desire by stating what he would create a light-bulb openly.

3) He took action daily towards his goal and didn't stop until he had achieved his aim.

Indeed this very process is what saw him create over one thousand American patents. Not a bad example of someone operating well aligned on all three levels. He is also quoted as saying:

"Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration." -Thomas Edison

So, now you know the one of the simplest most easily applicable positive thinking and personal development tools around. Take a few moments to reflect upon if you are making the most of yourself. Do you have a goal? Are you pursuing it on all three levels? Are you making the same decisions on a daily basis to achieve it? Are you prepared to stick to it and persevere no matter what? If you can honestly answer yes to these questions then keep going! If not maybe it is time to make use of this very easy yet devastatingly effective technique. Noone can do it for you!


Author Tim Ryan provides FREE guidance and training on the power of positive thinking and personal development. View positive thinking articles, profiles tips and more by simply clicking: Personal Development or Positive Thinking now.
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This article has been viewed 27 time(s).Article Submitted On: August 10, 2008
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CHANGE IS GOOD.....DON'T GO IT ALONE

5 Keys to Recognize Friendship

By Carla McNeil

What is a friend? I believe a friend gives advantage, not takes advantage.
A friend can be many things: a partner, because two people together, focused on the same goal/direction, are better than one; someone who helps you, not beats you when you are down; someone who is there in hard times to help you get through your challenging situations; someone who protects you.

A friend doesn't harp or gossip on things! Who wants to be reminded again and again of something one did wrong. We are all human, we all err. Friends assist us with the situation, assist us to grow and then move on. And then there is no gossiping about it to others!
In my journey of personal development the biggest challenge has been "friends". I never realized there could be so many different levels of friendship, I figured if you were my friend, then you were my friend in everything. I was wrong and learned many lessons the hard way.
A few years ago I took a 6 month contract away from my home base. While I was away I found out that two of my "best" friends had gotten together and had a bash-Carla fest. Then they both had to tell on each other to me!! I was devastated - that, however, was my most effective "training" event about friendship.

From that experience, I learned about different levels of friendship and that not everyone is going to be my best friend. The price for that lesson was pretty high. It cost me two friends, one that had been my friend for over 10 years. It was a huge part of my lesson on "Letting Go"!!

I have found there are 5 ways to recognize True Friendship.
1) Friends will comfort and support you when trouble or disaster shows up in your life
2) Friends are devoted to you, are loyal and willing to change their plans just for you.
3) Friends love you no matter the situation or what you have done. Through thick and thin they are still there. We have all done something "stupid" in our life but we do not want to be judged on that one action for the rest of our lives.
"A friend is a person who knows all about you, and still likes you." Elbert Hubbard
4) Friends will speak constructively - even when it hurts. We all know that we have behaviors, habits or actions that could use a little improvement. After all we are human beings and to "err is human". It is the true friend who will let you know about those challenges in a constructive way because they want what is best for you. Remember friends give advantage. If done in a constructive way without malice or cruel intent, it will provide us the opportunity to become better people and improve our own life.
5) Friends will help you. Have you ever asked for something and had everyone run away? People who you thought were your friends? Helping is giving advantage. I know when I help my friends that it will be returned in kind. Maybe not from the same friend I assisted but I know it will come from somewhere in my life.
Last week I had a friend tell me that something I had assisted them with months ago is currently having a positive impact in her life. She thanked me on a day where that positive feedback was just what I needed! I have found that it is always best to be the first to offer that assistance. No sitting around waiting for our friends to help us!! Who wants to have that kind of friend?

Remember all five of these keys apply both ways. Are you being all of these to your friends as well? We all need to evaluate our friendships; some that we may have thought were good friends could turn out to be acquaintances.
I used to think I had some real friends in my "job". Turns out in many cases I was wrong. When I answered these five questions about some of my friends I was surprised that they were not as close as I had originally thought.
The real deciding factor for me was "am I that kind of friend for them?" When I was honest with myself and answered "No" it was a very eye-opening experience. We must always remember what we expect from our friends they have the right to expect from us in return.

"A real friend is one who walks in, when the rest of the world walks out. Never above you. Never below you. Always beside you " Walter Winchell

Treat your friends as you do your pictures, and place them in their best light." Winston Churchill's mother, Jennie.


Send me an email at Carla@RetireWithCarla.com - let me know what you liked best about this article. Is there a way that I can assist you in your personal development? It would be my pleasure to assist where I can!
Hear me live on the Terrific Tuesday Teleclass1-218-486-7200 Bridge 549706Every Tuesday at 5:30 Pacific
http://www.RetireWithCarla.com
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This article has been viewed 114 time(s).Article Submitted On: August 19, 2008
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CHANGE IS GOOD.....MAKE IT HAPPEN

Go Hard in Pursuit of Your Life's Vision!

By Dr. Mario Barrett

The other day I was having a conversation with a friend of mine. In our conversation, I realized that she lived her life without any sense of urgency or passion, leading her to an unfulfilled life. She has been simply going through the motions when it came to major areas in her life such as managing her career, maintaining relationships with people, and maintaining her health. In our conversation, I asked her why she chose to live her life in this manner. Her response was simple, "I don't know. "
Now, we often use the phrase "I don't know" when we don't want to take the time out to analyze or discuss the issue at hand. However, she like many of us should ask ourselves the following questions-How is my life showing up for me? Do I love my life, or simply tolerate it? Am I actively acquiring what I want out of it, or simply accepting whatever I can get? I would argue that many of us are simply accepting whatever we can get. Take a look around you, do you believe that your neighbors, friends, or co-workers are actively engaged in a life they love? Are you?
I am a firm believer in the notion that the life that we live on earth is a one time deal. You don't have a second chance to do it again. If you agree with this line of thinking and are living an unfilled life, then you need to change your thinking and begin behaving in a manner that is consistent with the fact that you do not have eternity on earth to achieve a life that you love. Therefore, you must take on a sense of urgency, passion, and vigor in how you pursue this ideal life. The mindset that you must incorporate is based on the belief that the actions necessary for accomplishing your ideal life must begin now. This mindset followed by action will enable you to get out of whatever rut you are presently living in and begin taking the necessary steps to create a life that you love. However, unlike my friend, it is important that you go hard!
Use your sense of urgency and passion to support your efforts with vigor. Instead of allowing one day to simply carryover into the next, make every day count. Make your actions count, which will make your life meaningful and your time on this earth a true experience. I challenge you today to go hard in pursuit of your life's vision.


Dr. Barrett has an earned PhD in applied management and decision sciences, with a specialization in leadership and organizational change. He also holds a MS in organizational leadership and a BS in organizational management. In addition to these degrees, Dr. Barrett has completed several executive certificates focusing on various areas of management and leadership development.
Dr. Barrett is proud of his academic accomplishments, as they are the product of his long and sometimes difficult journey out of poverty. Along his journey, Dr. Barrett served honorably in the U.S. Air Force, participating in several vital overseas operations in the Middle East and Europe. He has also taught organizational leadership courses at the graduate degree level at Mercy College. This desire to develop leadership whether it be in myself or others is what drives Dr. Barrett. Dr. Barrett currently lives in NYC, where he runs The Barrett Center for Leadership Development, LLC http://www.TheBarrettCenter.com and produces The Barrett Leadership Blog http://www.TheBarrettCenter.blogspot.com
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This article has been viewed 54 time(s).Article Submitted On: August 02, 2008
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