Secret to Success: The Surprising Truth

 By Nancy Harnell | Submitted On August 07, 2015

Most people believe that the secret to success if just chance... crossing the right bridge at the right time... But what if there were some "magic pill" to make you hugely successful... something that the "1%ers" never tell you about? Contrary to popular belief, the secret to success is actually much easier than you'd think... Did you ever notice how some millionaires will lose everything they have, but then get right back to their millionaire status within just a few short years? Most of us are baffled by this; we think just getting there ONCE is magnificent enough... but twice? The thing is, these people have the "millionaire mindset", or to put it in plain terms, they have a millionaire "money blueprint". We all have a money blueprint... some very high, and some very low. For example, how do you think Donald Trump would feel if his net worth was "only" one million dollars? Well, he'd feel BROKE, right? And someone else who wins a million dollars on the lottery feels like they have all the money in the world! That's because their "money blueprint" is really stuck on having on a few hundred bucks in savings - or even nothing at all. Now, let's take both of the above scenarios and see how they handle it. While Donald would immediately start investing and multiplying his money, the lucky poor guy would spend wildly until he had nothing left. Ask yourself, "What is my money blueprint?" 

It's easy to get the answer to this question - just check your bank account. So does this mean that your secret to success is totally out of reach if your money blueprint is broke? This could well be the case, if you don't get to the bottom of WHY your money blueprint sucks. For example, what attitudes towards money were you raised with? If you're a woman, perhaps you were told time and time again to go to Daddy for your allowance, because Mommy gets all her money from Daddy. So your mind is now engrained with "good women aren't supposed to make money". Conversely, if you were encouraged to get into business for yourself by mowing lawns or delivering newspapers, then you might have learned early on that leveraging your business by depending on others to help you can work to your advantage. But rest assured, you're not really doomed altogether if your money blueprint is too low. It is possible to change your attitude towards money.secret to success 1/31/2021 Secret to Success: The Surprising Truth https://ezinearticles.com/?Secret-to-Success:-The-Surprising-Truth&id=9127632 2/3 Ask yourself, "If someone dropped a million dollars in my lap tomorrow, what would I do?" If you can't answer that question, don't worry. Most people can't. And that's because we have a hard time wrapping our brain around the possibility in the first place. And herein lays the problem. 

Many of us were brought up with the idea that money is the root of all evil. And, granted, there are some evil people with money. But there are also some really generous people with money whose mission is to change the world. For example, Bill & Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet not only give away heaps of money to charitable causes, but they're forming the biggest billionaire club in history. They've created a giving pledge website, encouraging other billionaires to contribute to needy causes. Instead of thinking that money is the root of all evil, try focusing on what you could do that's good with the money you have. It's also important to note here that having all the money you need in life is really only a small portion of the pursuit of happiness. This is why it's essential to not focus so much on getting money, but instead focus on what you can do with it once you have it. And, while changing your money blueprint isn't literally a "magic pill", it does seem to work like magic when you use the force behind the law of attraction to get what you want. If you don't have everything you want out of life yet, let's dive into three important aspects to help you achieve that successful mindset, through the use of the law of attraction... First, you need to have a clear intention of what you want. secret to success"Don't ever let someone tell you that you can't do something.

 Not even me. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. When people can't do something themselves, they're gonna tell you that you can't do it. You want something, go get it. Period."... Will Smith If you don't know what you want, then you'll never get there. This is the first thing and the most important aspect of creating the mindset that heads you for success. It is the first secret of success. Second, you need to "do things in a certain way"... Did you ever notice that some people are poor as skunks and others rich and successful beyond belief - and they both work in the same field? I've known some insurance agents, for example, who never could make a living at what they do, while others go on to possess their own agency with several people working for them! What's the difference? They "do things in a certain way". Ask yourself, "Why do I want to make this sale?" If your answer is to get the money you need for rent, that's not the direction for success. While paying the rent is important, we need to learn to put our focus on others. "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." John Quincy Adams The more you put your focus on what you can do to help others, the more of what you really need will be headed your way. And, since having enough money is only a fraction of success, the real secret of success happens when you can feel truly fulfilled for your accomplishments.

 Helping others get what they want is a big piece of the puzzle here. It's your attitude towards what you're working for that makes the difference between those who succeed and those who don't. And last, remain in constant gratitude for every good thing... "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you are called in one body; and be you thankful"... Colossians 3:15 Everyone loves those who fill their hearts and minds with gratitude. It's not only recommended in the good book to continually feel grateful for what we have, it's put there to help YOU. How do you react when someone thanks you for your service? You want to do more, right? And so it is for every living thing. The more gratefully we fix our minds on the Supreme when good things come to us, the more good things we will receive. The thing that nobody tells you about the real secret to success... and if they did you might not even believe it... 1/31/2021 Secret to Success: The Surprising Truth https://ezinearticles.com/?Secret-to-Success:-The-Surprising-Truth&id=9127632 3/3 It's actually the growth towards your goal that becomes the "magic pill". It's not becoming "hugely successful" that's so rewarding. If a magic genie were to pop you into stardom in the blink of an eye, you wouldn't be able to handle it. You'd be lost, confused, fearful, right? And, regardless of the money, those fearful thoughts would drain all that success away, leaving you with nothing. It's in knowing that WE CAUSED our own success that is the real reward. And that's why successful people never stop growing and learning, because the true "magic pill" is in the journey itself. Your "magic pill" awaits you... Visit our page [http://nancyharnell.com/?p=8501] and learn more about how we can help you achieve true success in your endeavors... discover the secret of success! Discover more secrets of success by listening to inspiring audios [http://nancyharnell.com/?p=8244] on a daily basis. 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Nancy_Harnell/807851 

101 Famous Quotes from Complete Interactive Edition Alice in Wonderland

 

Jim Rohn 10 Things You Must Improve Daily [Best Motivation]

How to Improve Self Esteem and Live a Better Life

 By Kassie Lyne  |   Submitted On March 03, 2012

One of the questions psychologists and counselors of all kinds find themselves having to deal with rather frequently nowadays is the question on how to improve self esteem. Majority of the people who pose this question tend to be those who have come to the conclusion that most of the unhappiness in their lives is attributable to low self esteem. They therefore seek to know how they can improve their self-esteem, and hence overcome the unhappiness in their lives brought about by low self esteem -- conversely increasing the happiness in their lives. The relationship between low self esteem and unhappiness The presumption that at least some unhappiness is brought about by low self esteem is one we have to deal with, before proceeding with this discussion on how to improve self esteem and increase one's happiness. 

We first of all need to deal with the question as to whether, indeed, it is true that some unhappiness is brought about by low self esteem. Whilst most people have already accepted it (that some unhappiness is brought about by low self esteem) as a statement of fact, there are those who opt to contest it. But given the fact that this is not really a discussion on the relationship between low self esteem and unhappiness, we won't dwell too much on that question. Suffice it to say that, indeed (and incontestably), a great deal of unhappiness in our lives is caused by our worry as to 'what others will think of us.' Suffice it also to say that this worry (about others' perceptions of us) tends to be inversely related to our self esteem. That is to say, the lower our self esteem, the greater this worry about others' perceptions of us tends to be. 

Conversely, the higher our levels of self esteem, the lower/less our worry about others' perceptions of us. How higher self esteem leads to more happiness Now, just think about it: how greater would your happiness be (than it is currently) if you didn't worry too much about others' perception of you - like what others will think about you, what others will say about you... and so on? If you answer that question honestly, you'll see how working to improve self esteem can result in enhanced happiness. Of course, there are many other mechanisms through which improved self esteem results in enhanced happiness (not just the one where high self esteem helps you stop worrying too much about what others think of you). It is also worth remembering that people with high self esteem tend to have more friends, and to have better relationships with their friends -- which results in more happiness. Further, people with high self esteem tend to have better relationships with themselves. They are less prone to unfair/intense self-criticism when they fail. 

They are generally kinder to themselves. And that translates into higher levels of happiness. Self esteem and success In fact, attempts have also been made to correlate high self esteem to success in various endeavors - and it would seem as if high self esteem doesn't just result in higher levels of happiness, but also in greater levels of success. That is especially the case in things like business, where success depends on networking: an undertaking in which people with high self esteem tend to be very good at. The ultimate key to improved self esteem So, if having high self esteem can be so beneficial, many people ask, how can they go about improving their self esteem levels? And that is where we come to learn that there is one (ultimate) way in which you can change your thinking patterns - and hence increase your happiness. 1/25/2021 How to Improve Self Esteem and Live a Better Life https://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Improve-Self-Esteem-and-Live-a-Better-Life&id=6918088 2/2 The ultimate way in which you can improve self esteem and increase your happiness is by simply by starting to treat yourself as a 'dear friend.' Self esteem is basically a question of the relationship you have with yourself. If you don't respect yourself, if you are perpetually criticizing yourself (mentally), if you don't take proper care of yourself, it is hard to have high self esteem. Start treating yourself as a dear friend in every way, in every moment.

 That's the key point, the rest are details! We venture to look at those 'details' now. Self affirmation as a way to improve self esteem One of the ways in which you can treat yourself as a dear friend, and hence improve your self esteem would be by affirming yourself. Friends affirm each other (not necessarily through the use of the so-called 'affirmations' but also through their moment to moment dialogs). Thus, if your moment to moment dialog with yourself is self-affirming, rather than selfdepreciating, you are likely to ultimately end up with high self esteem. Of course, to change yourself in this way, you'd have to change your long-held thinking habits - which can be a challenging piece of work -- but the benefits are worth the effort. Keeping promises to oneself as a way to improve self esteem Another way in which you can treat yourself as a dear friend and hence improve your self esteem would be by keeping promises you make to yourself. Friends keep the promises they make to each other. In this context, this mostly means acting on your plans (rather than chronically messing up with your plans). If you plan to do something, and you don't do it, your self-esteem actually takes a beating. 

Re-read that statement. Of course, this assertion that to improve self esteem you need to respect your plans and make an effort towards implementing them also means, by extension, that to improve yourself, you need to develop discipline. No, not the harsh discipline of perpetually beating yourself up, but rather, the nice variety of self-discipline: where you make an effort at implementing your plans, knowing that doing so will result in improved self respect (which, by another name, is 'improved self esteem'). There are some authorities who argue that you can improve your self esteem significantly by simply making reasonable plans and implementing them (and not chronically breaking your promises to yourself). Kindness to oneself as a way to improve self esteem Being kind to yourself is yet another way in which you can change your thinking habits and increase your happiness. This is about learning how to forgive yourself when you blunder. 

It can be integrated with the point we have just discussed about not breaking your promises. So when, unfortunately, you break your promises to yourself, you forgive yourself fast. Self acceptance as a way to improve self esteem Accepting yourself just as you are is another way in which you can improve self esteem and increase your happiness. Remember, there is a school of thought which holds the view that 'the body is the self.' Thus, when you accept your body fully (just as it is - which you can do through the use of the appropriate affirming statements) and carry it with pride, your self esteem receives a huge boost. Conclusion All said and done, it boils down to treating yourself as a dear friend on a moment to moment basis (in thought, word and deed). That is the only way in which you can ultimately and genuinely improve self esteem, thus also increasing your happiness. If you want to learn more on how to improve your self esteem click HERE [http://onlinehypnosishelp.com] to learn how to change the way your mind works using self hypnosis.

 Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Kassie_Lyne/316182 

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff: Simple ways to Keep the Little Things from Overtaking Your Life: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things from Taking Over Your Life Paperback – 5 Feb. 1998

 Must read for anyone sweating the small stuff. Puts life into perspective and has given us a new found positive outlook on situations that previously would get to us in one way or another. Bought a copy for all of my family.

Get it now!

The 4-Hour Work Week EXPLAINED in DEPTH! | Tim Ferriss

How I Journal and Take Notes | Brainstorming + Focusing + Reducing Anxie...

Live Your Life With Purpose Today

 By Jaylyn Bergner  |   Submitted On February 01, 2011

When I was in first grade, my mom signed up to receive a collection of children's books. From the day they arrived at our front door in their canvas bag, I lugged the tote around the house and was never an arm's length from a favorite story. It wasn't uncommon to see me tripping, quite literally as the bag was very heavy for a 7-year old, over stories about Little Bear and Frog and Toad. As time progressed, I hid under the covers and burned through several flashlights and late-night hours, desperately searching the pages for answers and adventure. 

Homework became an afterthought to Jane Eyre and Uncle Tom. Reading, and English at large, took center stage when I wasn't playing sports. As a natural runoff to my lifelong, literary binge, writing became my prime focus. And it came easily-like meeting a best friend you haven't seen a while. The conversation, or in this case, scribbling, flowed effortlessly, and I actually sought out constructive criticism, feeding on the process of developing my craft. Granted, not everything I wrote, be they journal entries, stories, poems, letters, newspaper articles, were even worthy of reading. But the action of my pen drafting along the paper subdued my hypergraphia for the moment. 

When I began my relationship with reading and writing, I found answers not readily available during my everyday interactions with others. Countries opened their doors. Characters opened their minds. Theories and philosophies, current and those of antiquity, became interchangeable thoughts of mine. However, what I really found was myself and my drive...my purpose, if you will. From the age of seven I knew what I wanted to do. Oh, sure, winning the Women's World Cup alongside Mia Hamm was on the list. And there were are other things-a myriad that augmented pretty much every time I saw a movie or read a book. From being a bobsledder to a figure skater to a news reporter, I've run the gamut with lofty ideals.

 Ultimately, though, I came back to my true passion of manipulating words and studying those of others. Now, I've created a life that requires me to use my talent and creativity to fulfill one of my other goals, which is to help others live more meaningful lives. And, as an added bonus, at the same time, I'm afforded the time to write fiction. 1/25/2021 Live Your Life With Purpose Today https://ezinearticles.com/?Live-Your-Life-With-Purpose-Today&id=5839648 2/2 To be successful in your own life, and enjoy most every second, you have to go with the grain of who you are. It does you no good to sit in an office typing out data when you long to be working as a full-time photographer, capturing giraffes on the African plains.

 For what do you have a passion? Figure this out and run to it. Jaylyn Bergner is the president of Ardore (www.myardore.com [http://www.myardore.com/]), a company that provides women socializing and educational opportunities and tools. She regularly writes at blog.myardore.com [http://blog.myardore.com/], covering topics from building one's confidence to coping with military deployments. 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jaylyn_Bergner/387179 

LES BROWN -Turning Fear into Faith (Life Changing Advice)

Why Goal Setting Is Important - A Powerful Method To Achieve Your Goals

 Why Goal Setting Is Important - A Powerful Method To Achieve Your Goals

By Thibaut Meurisse | Submitted On December 05, 2014

So why goal setting is so important? Why do people set goals? One of the main reason why setting goals is important is that it is human nature to strive when in pursuit of a goal. Having great goals makes us feel alive, gives meaning to our life. That's the reason why many people feel empty after they retire from their job if they don't take the time to set new goals to achieve. In our professional life, we generally have goals set but we usually don't really take the time to set clear goals for our personal life. Many people spend a considerable amount of time to plan their next vacation in details, looking for the best location, comparing prices, buying the necessary equipment but how many people really take the time to plan their future? If you start planning everything in advance and constantly setting goals I guarantee you that you will achieve way more that you would normally achieve. However, there is no point setting goals you cannot achieve. That's why you need to have a clear strategy to ensure you will achieve your goals. With the right strategy, most of your goals are achievable. Most of the time the reason people fail to achieve their goals is not because their goal is to hard, but because they don't have the right strategy.

 How to Set Personal Goals You Will Achieve The biggest mistake is to set goals that are vague. For instance, "I'm gonna lose weight" or "I want to become rich." Your goal should be very clear. Clarity is the key! I will lose 10 kilos by March 31st I will earn $10,000 per month by December 31st of next year Decide how much and when. Decide on the day or even on the hour by which you will achieve your goal. The clearer the better. It is very important! You should constantly try to find a way to measure any of your goals, because otherwise you cannot be held accountable and cannot track your results. When you find a way to measure your goals it will become suddenly more real, more tangible. Choose a goal that you know you can achieve but that will be quite challenging You want a goal that will push you out of your comfort and make you feel better once you achieve it. If the goal is out of reach you will have no motivation or you will feel desperate and your self-esteem will suffer. Don't compare yourself with 1/18/2021 Why Goal Setting Is Important - A Powerful Method To Achieve Your Goals https://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Goal-Setting-Is-Important---A-Powerful-Method-To-Achieve-Your-Goals&id=8836694 2/3 other people. No matter how small is your achievement, if you had to push yourself a little bit to achieve your goal it is a big success that you should celebrate. It might not be a big deal for others but it is for you. And you matter! Ambitious goals are good, but they should be followed by massive actions in order to be achievable. Write all the reasons why you want to achieve that goal Why is it so important for you? Make sure your goal truly matters to you and is not something you are doing just for your family, your friends or your colleagues. Intrinsic motivation is always better than extrinsic motivation. 

Make sure you don't spend years pursuing a goal that is not going to make you happy. Write down your goals. Writing down your goals makes them more real. A pen and a piece of paper can work wonder when you think about your life! Make sure you write your goals using positive words and read your goals everyday. Make the necessary preparations before starting your goal If you would like to be thinner, spend all your time with skinny people. Have all your meals with skinny people - Vasant Lad You have a limited willpower. Save it as much as possible. Don't try to become a vegetarian if your father is a butcher! (just an image) Try to create a friendly and supportive environment that will help you achieve your goal. If you want to become a vegetarian buy recipe books, fill you fridge with vegetables and fruits, join a vegetarian association before getting started. Share your goals with as many people as possible. For instance, if you want to lose 10 kilos, make a public announcement at work in front of your colleagues. Tell all your family members about your goals. Whenever possible, tell people you encounter that you are on a diet and you will lose 10 kilos by March 31st. You should commit yourself so that you have no way backwards. Make it your reality. If you don't feel confident enough to do that, it means that your goal might be too ambitious for you right now and or you don't really want it. In that case, you might want to check whether your goal is achievable or not and modify it if necessary. When talking about your goals, avoid using vocabulary such as "I will try", "I think", "Maybe", "If it goes well" but use "I will", "When I will achieve", "I know I will", "I definitely will." Anticipate all possible ways it can go wrong and elaborate a strategy. 

The fastest way to succeed is to double your failure rate - Thomas Watson We tend to be overoptimistic regarding our ability to achieve a goal and more than often we underestimate the amount of work and the time necessary to perform a task. Ask yourself what things can happen that will prevent you from achieving your goals? If your goals are long-term goals, chances are that you will face multiple setbacks before you succeed. In the past I had many goals but I didn't achieve most of them. One of the reason was obviously my lack of confidence. Other major reasons were that I was overly optimistic and was not prepared mentally to face major setbacks. I would try to create a blog about Japan but would give up due to the many technical difficulties I encountered. I would wait for everything to be perfect before launching the blog. This blog was never created. I planned to make videos of my trips abroad and publish them; it never happened. Once I understood that failure was actually part of the process and not an anomaly It helped me significantly to achieve my goals. Here is how I see setbacks or failures: setbacks are here to test you, to see how bad you want it. When you set a goal, you have to be clear not only about your goal but about what you are ready to go through to achieve that goal. If you already made your mind that huge setbacks are likely to occur, you will be prepared to face them and be able to keep pushing and move forward. 

You should already know how you're going to react to potential setbacks before they occur. Avoid to put yourself in difficult situations If your objective is to lose weight or to stop smoking for instance, you should avoid temptation. Identify all those situations where you are at risk, think of what makes you fail in your previous attempt and see how you can avoid those situations. Maybe you like to have a cigarette when you are drinking coffee, when you eat outside or when you are under stress. Identify those kind of situation and come up with an effective strategy. Sharing goals with other people is a great way to push ourselves to take action. Do you have any goals you are working on currently? Please leave me a comment below and let me know how it is going. Did you find this article useful? You might want to visit my website which have many more great quality articles. My sincere hope is to help people improve their life and make full use of their potential by providing them with powerful tools or tips to change their life.

The Little Book of Meditation: 10 minutes a day to more relaxation, energy and creativity

 This is an excellent book for meditation. I also have the kindle version, but like to have a real book.

Get it now!

IT'S NOT OVER UNTIL YOU WIN - Georgia Dome (Les Brown's Greatest Hits)

DISCIPLINE YOUR THOUGHTS | Tony Robbins, Jim Rohn, Les Brown

A Culture of Discipline

 By William Frank Diedrich | Submitted On February 14, 2007

A "culture of discipline" is a phrase used by Jim Collins (Good to Great) in his study of great companies. All of the great companies, those that far outperform others, have a culture of discipline. This does not mean that they spend their time disciplining people. When you have a culture of discipline you rarely need to discipline people. A culture of discipline is not about punishing people, but it is about control. It is about self control. Disciplined thinking leads to disciplined action. All greatness, whether it be in athletics, music, art, business, leadership, healing arts and sciences, teaching, or sales, is a result of discipline. Whether we are talking about an individual or an organization, it all starts with the question: "Who are you and what is your purpose?" Your purpose is found at the crossroads of that which you are passionate about and that which you are good at. Once we are clear about our purpose and the kind of person and/or organization we are, then we need to discipline our thinking in order to achieve it. Thoughts and behaviors that contribute to the purpose are then nourished and expanded. 

Most people, and most organizations are undisciplined. We entertain thoughts in our minds that contradict our purpose. We allow behaviors in ourselves and others that should be unacceptable. In a culture of discipline we are clear about who we are and where we are going. We address contradictions honestly, first in ourselves, and then in others, and resolve them. A year ago I wrote in this newsletter about two very different businesses, one who has a culture of discipline and one who has not. Schulers Books and Music, a local bookstore and cafe is my example of a culture of discipline. At one of the stores I often see the manager out on the floor. Whenever a customer approaches him, he drops everything and serves the customer. I always receive cheerful and helpful service whenever I go there. A chain restaurant I visited, called Steak and Shake, does not have a culture of discipline. I walked in to get a take out order and could not get served, or even acknowledged. I wrote to the corporate office of Steak and Shake and received a cursory reply. The difference between these two businesses is that at Schulers, people think a certain way, and act in alignment with those key thoughts. These are thoughts about valuing customers and offering excellent service. At Steak and Shake, people are on their own. They have not been taught how to think, and thus behave, in alignment with the organization's purpose. You may or may not get lucky and get good service. At Schuler it is not luck; it is consistent great service rooted in a culture of discipline.

 Embedded in this culture is a deep love for reading and for community that is evident in their consistently great service. I worked with an organization where the senior leaders loved their work and worked very hard. They saw themselves as disciplined. Yet, they were very undisciplined. Leaders in this organization each went in their own direction. Some of them 1/18/2021 A Culture of Discipline https://ezinearticles.com/?A-Culture-of-Discipline&id=455166 2/2 were noted for being unapproachable and cranky. Others avoided all conflict and said "yes" to everything. Another was known for flying off the handle whenever he felt threatened. All of these managers were talented people. Discipline is about practicing the thoughts and behaviors consistent with your purpose and your goals. It is about holding yourself accountable when you are inconsistent. Much of the talent and hard work of these managers was dissipated because thinking and behavior were not in alignment with purpose and values. In a culture of discipline we live in alignment with our purpose and in accordance with our values regardless of what is happening in the world. A culture of discipline is responsive to whatever happens. A non disciplined culture has knee jerk reactions to both crisis and opportunity. This is because the motivator in these non disciplined cultures is fear. In a culture of discipline you are motivated by love--love for your purpose; love for those whom you serve; and love for your values. You live from the inside out. This makes you more stable, yet responsive to what is happening around you. When opportunity presents itself, you don't grab for it. You think about it. You ask: "Does this fit with my/our purpose? Is this something I/we are willing to do well? Can I/we be passionate about this?" 

Also, you want to know if it will contribute to your long term viability. When crisis hits, you respond in ways that are consistent with your purpose and values. No short cuts! Collins wrote in Good to Great, that companies who stuck by their values tended to be more successful. The key, he found, was not in what values they chose, but that they stuck by their values, whatever they were. In a culture of discipline we make a commitment to our mutual purpose and values. We refuse to allow behavior that is outside that framework. People who violate the purpose and values are given a chance to learn and to change. If they choose not to, they leave. A culture of discipline is not an authoritarian regime where one person is the enforcer. Those organizations tend to fall apart when the dictator leaves. The disciplined culture requires people to adhere to a consistent system, within which they have freedom and responsibility. In a culture of discipline we all help each other to stay on track by reminding each other through ongoing feedback and being a role model. If you want to see if your organization has a culture of discipline, listen to the stories that are told. Are they stories of accomplishment and appreciation of the efforts of people? Or, are they stories tinged with negativity and criticism? Do people tend to be generous with credit for work well done, or do they mostly talk about what "I" did? Fear based and egocentric stories are ultimately demoralizing and feed negativity. 

Stories about people going out of their way to help people, and stories where credit is given to others consistently reinforce the purpose, the values, and the way of thinking that identifies the organization at its best. We discipline our minds away from negative and victim thoughts and toward thoughts of appreciation, understanding, problem resolution, and the possibilities to be found in any situation. I must admit that I have often rebelled against discipline. I thought it would cramp my style or limit my freedom. What I have learned is that discipline enforced by a dictatorial person does cramp everyone's style and limit freedom. Discipline agreed to by each individual does the opposite. Self discipline allows us to achieve excellence. Discipline that grows out of a commitment to a common purpose creates a structure, a consistency that helps people to make wise choices. The unwillingness to accept poor behavior is reassuring. Employees see leaders behaving consistently and they are inspired to think and behave in alignment with purpose and values. Extensive work rules are not needed when people are already motivated. Whether you lead an organization or just yourself, discipline will determine much of your success. Each day examine your thinking, your behavior, and your decisions. Ask: "Does this fit with my purpose? Is this a true reflection of who I am? Does this fit with my organization's purpose and values?" Learn to say "No" to thoughts and behaviors that do not align with purpose and values. Say "Yes" to thoughts and behaviors that affirm your purpose. 

Thinking, and then doing the right things consistently will keep you on purpose and lead you toward greatness. Connect the dots. Apply this information to your workplace, your church or spiritual community. your family, your neighborhood, your athletic team. Is there a common purpose that inspires your passion and commitment? Are there values you live by? Do you value and serve each other in order to achieve your common purpose? How can you create a culture of discipline without becoming a disciplinarian? How can you work with others to create an environment where people are clear and self motivated? William Frank Diedrich is a speaker, executive coach, and the author of four books including Beyond Blaming: Unleashing Power and Passion in People and Organizations., and Adults at Work. Learn more about his books and services at http://noblaming.com 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/William_Frank_Diedrich/54913 

3-Minute Meditations

 

Creative Leadership Skills that Drive Change - Dale Carnegie Training

How To Focus With Skill

 By JD Meier  |   Submitted On March 18, 2012

Your ability to focus is your ability to direct your attention. To improve your focus, you need to get your mind, body, and emotions on your side. Your mind can be distracted by wandering thoughts or by spreading your attention across too many things. Your body can be distracted because it's uncomfortable or you haven't taken care of your basic needs. Your emotions can distract you because your heart is not in it, or you have a conflict in what you want to spend time on, or you have emotional issues that are distracting your mind. To improve your focus, it helps to decide on what you want to accomplish, set a time limit, eliminate any distractions, and focus on what you want to accomplish during that time frame. Additionally, it helps to create a comfortable workspace, and to anticipate your body's needs, whether that means dealing with thirst, dealing with hunger, or going to the bathroom. Step 1. Identify Your Objective. Get clear on what you want to focus on and why. This is the most important step. This is where you choose what to focus on. This is where you ask yourself, "What do I want to achieve?" This helps you form a clear picture in your mind of what you want to accomplish. This picture will remind you of your focus. The key is to identify both "what" you want to accomplish and "why" it matters. Keep it simple. Keep it clear. The key to keeping it simple and clear is to state the goal in one line, and see a simple picture of success that you can hold in your mind. 

Get a Good Mental Picture To create a simple mental picture to focus on: 1. Say what you want as a one-line goal - "I want to finish this book," "I want to get in the best shape of my life," "I want to create a clutter-free workspace," "I want to finish my presentation," etc. 2. Visualize what success will look like. See it as a simple picture. This is the picture you'll hold in your mind and use to remind you of your focus. 3. Imagine how you'll feel when you achieve your results. Will you simply feel good or will you feel great? 4. Identify why you want to achieve this. Keep it simple, but keep it compelling. It can be for you, or it can be for someone else. 1/12/2021 How To Focus With Skill https://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Focus-With-Skill&id=6947276 2/5 5. Connect it to your values. One way to make your focus is meaningful is to connect what you're doing to your values. For example, you might value excellence, or learning, or growth, or fun. If you value fun, make it a game. If you value learning, find a way to learn something new while you go. If you value excellence, find a way to improve your approach. By having a simple way to state your goal, you can remind yourself of your focus. By having a simple picture, you can work backwards from the goal. You can use this picture to inspire yourself to action. You can also use this picture to guide you on your path, and this picture also gives you a simple way to refocus when you fall off track. Note -- One way to empower yourself with more focus and inspiration is to focus on something bigger than yourself - for the greater good. This is especially powerful if you value contribution or helping lift others up or giving back. Write it Down Write down your objective and the action steps to get there is a simple way to focus. It's a quick reminder, and it helps free up your mind to improve your focus. Use simple lists and bullets both as a way to map out your path, and as reminders. 

You can use lists and writing things down to help you focus, whether it's for a simple task, or to plan your day, week,month or year. To use writing to improve your focus: 1. Write down your goals. List them as simple bullet points. Having a simple list will remind you of what you want to accomplish. 2. Write down action steps or tasks for your goals. This will make it easy for you to always know your next action or task, without having to work too hard trying to remember what comes next. This will help you stay focused, especially when you are overloaded or overwhelmed. Step 2. Identify Your Reward System Identify a reward system that that makes it satisfying to retain your focus. People that are best at focusing have an internal reward system. It is the reward or satisfaction that makes focus work. Here are ways to develop an internal reward system: 1. Focus on personal effectiveness. Gain satisfaction from the focusing itself, build a mental model of yourself as a focused person and act that out. 2. Focus on a job well done. In this case, the result is the reward. Focus on something that you know will be very satisfying to complete. Once you are done, that result is your reward. 3. Link it to good feelings. Find a way to feel good as you are focusing. If you feel good while you focus, you will naturally do so more often. This might mean reminding yourself why you are doing it. This might mean simply acknowledging yourself for making the effort. This might mean changing "how" you are doing it. Remind yourself little wins can go a long way for full engagement. You can also use external rewards. Give yourself a reward once you are successful, something external that will be satisfying to you. Make sure it is something you control. The benefit of the internal reward is that you control it, and it's with you wherever you go. Additionally, focusing on internal rewards helps you avoid negative patterns. Some negative patterns include: 1. Negative thinking about yourself, such as thinking of yourself as scatterbrained, or unable to focus. Instead, you focus on the opportunity to improve your ability. You can simply focus on the practice, or the performance of the task. 2. Negative thinking about the activity, such as thinking about how much you don't enjoy the activity. Instead, you focus on the why that makes it meaningful, or the how that makes it enjoyable. Step 3. Set a Time Limit Set a time limit to stay focused. Setting a time limit will help you stay focused. For example spend 20 minutes working on your goal. It's easier to stay focused when you know it's not forever. Also, having a time frame will help you pace yourself. Most importantly, you can use different strategies for staying focused for different time frames. 1/12/2021 How To Focus With Skill https://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Focus-With-Skill&id=6947276 3/5 There are a variety of different time frames and you have to choose the most appropriate one for what you want to accomplish for your goal. Your time frame may not complete the goal, but it will get you further along. Then you can choose another time frame. Here are some example time frames for focus: You can focus for 5 minutes. 

You can focus for 20 minute intervals You can focus for the day. You can focus for the week. You can focus on something for the month. You can focus on something for the year. The more focused the time frame, the greater power you have to truly dedicate your focus to that one task. If you have a hard time focusing, the trick is to start with a small time frame and gradually increase your attention span. Focus is like a muscle - the more you work at it, the stronger it gets. By practicing in intervals, you can learn to focus for 5 minute, 10 minute, 20 minute intervals. If you can focus without distractions for 20 minutes at a clip, you can dramatically improve your productivity, while reducing your task switching. In fact, a common success pattern is to focus for 20 minutes, then take a five minute break, especially when studying or doing knowledge-intensive work. Taking breaks will help you recharge and refocus. Note - Using a metaphor can help you stay focused. For example, if you have a challenge and it feels like you're hitting a wall, use a metaphor like "blasting through the wall" or "scaling the wall." This will help you pace yourself as well as stay in the right mindset. If your mindset is working for you, then change the metaphor you are using to represent the challenge. Step 4. Identify Your Approach Identify your approach or strategy for focus. Having a strategy that works for you will help you improve over time. If your current approach is not working, then you can explore and test other approaches. One of the simplest approaches to test is to see how much you can do within your time limit. This makes it a game and frees you from analysis paralysis and perfectionism. Here are some examples of common approaches: Focus on just getting something done within the time limit. Stay focused until your time limit is up. Focus on spending the time on it until your time runs out. Focus on quantity. Do as many or as much as you can until the time runs out. Focus on quality. Focus on doing a great job within the time limit. Make a fast pass through and then go back and drill down in more detail. This is a focus on speed, but not necessarily quantity. It's more about going across before diving down. Make a game of it. Find a way to have fun. Test yourself. Challenge yourself to beat your record. Improve your skill. Use the time you are already spending to get better at what you do. You can combine strategies. The trick is to pick a strategy and run with it. If it's not working, then change your approach. Step 5. Dump Your Distractions. Make a time and place for things Clear away internal and external distractions. If you have a time and place for things, this will help you quickly eliminate common distractions. Clear Away Internal Distractions 1. Address your body. Deal with any thirst, hunger, or bathroom needs. 2. Clear your mind. Dump what's on your mind down on paper. Create a simple parking lot for thoughts, ideas, and distractions. This will free up your mind to focus on the task at hand. Simply write everything that is on your mind down on paper so that you can go back to it later. If something else pops up on your mind, simply add it to this list. 1/12/2021 How To Focus With Skill https://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Focus-With-Skill&id=6947276 4/5 3. Respond to your self-talk. If your self-talk or mental chatter or internal questions are distracting you, then simply write them down. Remind yourself that now is not the time. Write it down and deal with it later. Remind yourself that you carved out this time to focus on the task at hand. When you have a time and place for things, it's easier to focus and to refocus. Clear Away External Distractions You know what distracts you. Structure yourself for success. Here are some reminders of things that can be distractions: 1. Clear your workspace. If you declutter your workspace, you'll have less things in your way to tug at your attention. 2. Shut down any communication distractions. This includes phones, email, social media, etc. 3. Address any people distractions. Let others know you don't want to be disturbed. One simple way to make this easier is to let people know when you are available and when it's a better time to interrupt you. What's not effective is when people have to keep guessing at when they can interact with you. 4. Address any site, smell, or sound distractions. For example, if there is noise you can't eliminate, then find your favorite music or find a way to add white noise. If there are shiny objects that keep calling your name, then get them out of your site. 5. Address any comfort distractions. This includes making sure that temperate is not an issue. Makes sure you can find a comfortable position, so that your body is not distracting you. 3 Ways to Refocus To keep yourself on track, you need a few simple ways to refocus: 1. Change the Question. You can change your focus by changing your question. If you find yourself focusing on the wrong things, then try changing your question. For example, instead of asking yourself, "Why am I so slow?", you might ask yourself, "How can I speed up?" You might ask yourself, "What are three things I want out of this exercise?" Whenever you get distracted or lose focus, rather than "tell" yourself to focus, simply refocus by changing the question. 2. Remind yourself of the goal. If you lose focus, simply remind yourself of what you want to accomplish. Don't beat yourself up over getting off track. Instead, use that same energy to focus and make progress on your goal. 3. Find a way to chart your progress. It doesn't have to be sophisticated. It could be crossing off items on a list, or writing marks down on a board. By charting your progress, you'll remind yourself to refocus on the goal. Common Scenarios and Solutions Here are some common scenarios and how to address them: How To Focus Now. Ask yourself, what do you want out of this moment? Ask yourself, how can you get more XYZ out of this moment? How To Focus for 20 Minute Intervals. Set a goal. Use a timer. How To Focus for a Day. Identify three outcomes or wins that you want for the day. Set a mid-day checkpoint, and a checkpoint at the end of the day, to check your results. 

How To Focus for a Week. On Mondays, identify three outcomes or wins that you want for the week. Set a time on Fridays, to review your results. Set a checkpoint mid-week to evaluate your progress. Review your three goals for the week each day. How To Focus for Month. At the start of the month, identify three outcomes that you want for the month. On Mondays, review your three goals for the month. Each Friday, review your progress towards your three outcomes for the month. Set a checkpoint mid-month to re-evaluate your three outcomes for the month. Consider making your focus a 30 Day Improvement Sprint, where each day you invest a small amount of time or go for little wins that add up over the month. 1/12/2021 How To Focus With Skill https://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Focus-With-Skill&id=6947276 5/5 How To Focus for a Year. Identify three wins for the year. Assign deadlines for your wins for the year to specific months on the calendar. Review your progress towards your wins each month. If your focus requires significant investment, then consider making one of your items a theme for a given month, and add extra focus to your goal for 30 days. How To Focus for a Lifetime. Identify three wins that you want for your life. Periodically invest a month, such as a 30 Day Improvement Sprint, to focus on one of these achievements. Troubleshooting Your Focus We all have our days. Sometimes it will be easier to focus than others. Don't get discouraged. Instead, take action. Here are some things you can try to address your issues with focus: Change the questions you are using. If you are using questions to change your focus, but they aren't working, then try some new questions. This is the simplest way to really hone in on which questions help you achieve the best focus, and the best part is they should be highly reusable, every time you need them. You will get better over time. Change the time frame. If 20 minutes is too long, then try 5 minutes. If 30 minutes is too short, then try 40. Experiment to find your sweet spot. For example, for many people, their sweet spot is 20 minutes of intense focus, and then take a 5 or 10 minute break. Change your approach. If a time limit isn't working, then try a quantity limit, such as "identify five items." If a quantity limit isn't working, then try a quality limit, and see how good you can do. Find a way to connect it to your values. For example, if you like adventure, than make it an adventure. If you like to learn, then make it a learning exercise. If you like excellence, then make it about excellence. Change your pace. 

Try speeding up or slowing down. If you can create a sense of urgency, then you may find it easier to stay fully engaged. If you find that creating a sense of urgency stresses you out, then slow down you r pace and focus on skill and quality. Change the time or change the place. When all else fails, one of the best ways to change your results is to change the time or change the place. Maybe you can focus better at night or vice-versa. Maybe you need to try another room, or try another place entirely. The key is to find what works for you, and then to understand why it works for you. One thing to keep in mind is that stress can work against your focus. If you keep finding yourself in stressful scenarios, than remind yourself to focus on what you control and let the rest go. One of the best ways to deal with stress is to take action, and if you take focused action, using the steps above, then you can help cope with any stressful situations that you face. About the Author J.D. Meier shares skills to pay the bills and lead a better life at Sources of Insight.com and Getting Results.com. On Sources of Insight, you'll find insight and action for personal development to help you "stand on the shoulders of giants", and make the most of what you've got. J.D. is also the creator of Getting Results the Agile Away, a simple system for meaningful results. 

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/JD_Meier/1143227

A Leadership Model for the 21st Century

 By Roger L Parks | Submitted On July 03, 2015

COMMON PROBLEMS FACING TODAY'S LEADER In today's fast-paced and turbulent environment, as a leader you struggle with the demands and burdens of assuming the mantle of leadership. You truly want to be a dedicated and effective leader, but you feel on the verge of burn-out as you face ongoing challenges which never seem to end. Your employees don't seem as motivated, they've lost their commitment to the larger vision, and they're not as productive as you'd like them to be. You're also tired of putting out fires and wish people would stop complaining, and just do their work. And to make matters worse, you often feel isolated and believe that nobody really appreciates what you're going through. You ask yourself - who can I trust to share my burdens with? Where can I go for help to turn things around? If you can relate to these issues, then I have a provocative question for you: Have you ever considered that your basic assumptions about leadership may be contributing to your struggles? Let's examine some current leadership models and their limitations, and then propose a model that more effectively addresses the common problems confronting today's leader. 

CURRENT LEADERSHIP MODELS Our culture has no shortage of leadership theories and models. There is charismatic leadership, situational leadership, and transformational leadership to name only a few. Each theory has its own focus as to what makes for an effective leader, whether it be the sheer appeal of one's personality, the context in which leadership occurs, or the needs of the organization. In effect, they all attempt to answer the question: What leadership style must a leader adopt in order to maximize his or her effectiveness with followers? However, leadership style is really not the most fundamental issue to consider. Effective leadership has more to do with one's intentions or motives for leading. Put succinctly, the question is: Whose interests are you ultimately serving as a leader? How you answer this question determines not only your effectiveness as a leader but also the success of your organization. THREE TYPES OF LEADERSHIP: Autocratic If your honest answer to the above question is: "I'm really serving my own interests," then you've likely adopted our culture's prevalent value system in which power, status, and/or wealth are the primary motivators driving one's leadership. 1/13/2021 A Leadership Model for the 21st Century https://ezinearticles.com/?A-Leadership-Model-for-the-21st-Century&id=9090031 2/5 A leader who embraces this model of leadership is known as the autocratic leader (OLAGroup.com).

 This type of leader uses power to coerce followers into complying with his or her own needs. In effect, the autocratic leader is a dictator who treats followers as servants. Autocratic leaders de-value and even abuse their followers which results in devastating consequences for the organization such as loss of trust, low morale, decreased productivity, suspiciousness, and fear. We've all heard stories of leaders who abuse their power and whose organizations suffer tremendous hardship as a result. Enron, WorldCom, and Arthur Anderson are just three examples of blatant abuses of power. Autocratic-led organizations usually experience high turnover rates because workers do not feel valued or appreciated for their efforts, and they eventually burn out and leave. Paternalistic There is another type of leadership which is less toxic but more common in today's organizations. According to extensive research conducted by Dr. Jim Laub, Professor of Leadership Studies at Palm Beach Atlantic University, paternalistic leaders are those who view themselves as parents and their followers as children. They tend to place the needs of the organization above the needs of their employees. Paternalistic leaders can be either nurturing or critical but what they share in common is their belief that followers are not truly adult partners in the leader-follower relationship.

 This type of relationship results in mere compliance rather than true internal motivation. Although willing to delegate responsibility for some tasks, paternalistic leaders retain the right to make the most important decisions for the organization. Laub's research (OLAGroup.com) has revealed that most of today's organizations are paternalistic in their leadership practices. Servant The third type of leadership is known as servant leadership. The term, initially coined by Robert Greenleaf, refers to placing the legitimate needs of followers above one's own self-interest. Servant leaders treat their followers as adults and are willing to collaborate, share their power, and commit themselves to others' growth and development. They are also willing to grant decision-making authority to followers in order to foster a deep sense of commitment and investment in the organization. Furthermore, servant leaders value and seek to foster a strong sense of community among all stakeholders within the organization. Character development is also a priority for servant leaders as they seek to display honesty, integrity, humility, authenticity, and accountability in their personal and work relationships. They are willing to take risks to stand by their convictions and muster the needed courage to "do the right thing." WHY SERVANT LEADERSHIP? You may be wondering at this point how the servant leadership model is relevant to your struggles and challenges as a leader. You may be asking such questions as: • "If I become a servant leader, how will that reduce my burden?" • "How will servant leadership increase the morale, productivity, and commitment of my employees?" • "How can servant leadership really work in an extremely competitive and demanding business environment which focuses on short-term results?" These are valid questions and concerns which need to be addressed if you are to move forward in your decision to become a servant leader. We have already discussed some of the issues which contribute to a leader's burden at the outset of this paper, but there is another one that is especially burdensome - making decisions. Although they may be accountable to a board of directors, organizational leaders are the ones who typically make the major decisions which impact the well-being and performance of their employees and staff. Even if the leader truly believes that his or her decisions are what's best for the organization, there often arises the challenge of achieving buy-in from the employees. Most leaders would agree that buy-in is critical if the organization is to achieve results and successfully implement its vision. This begs the question: "What is the best way to enlist others' buy-in and foster a strong commitment to the vision?

 There is a common principle that operates in those organizations who are effective in achieving outstanding performance over the long-term. Simply stated, people are more committed to that which they've had a voice in creating. To test this principle, reflect on those experiences in your own life when you've demonstrated the most commitment. It is very likely they were ones which flowed from your own passion and initiative rather than simply because someone told you to comply with their requests or demands. When leaders value and elicit their employees' input, and then partner with them to create a shared purpose and vision, they harness the vast potential which exists among their people and unleash incredible amounts of motivation, passion, and commitment which cannot be generated merely by providing external incentives or simply telling them to "just do it." 1/13/2021 A Leadership Model for the 21st Century https://ezinearticles.com/?A-Leadership-Model-for-the-21st-Century&id=9090031 3/5 Servant leaders recognize the value of sharing decision-making authority with front-line employees if their organizations are to truly excel. However, you may ask: "How can I be sure that the employee will make the best decision for the organization and not just pursue his or her own agenda?" Very good question! By virtue of being human, we all have a tendency to promote our own self-serving interests. However, most people also yearn to be part of something that transcends their individual efforts and will gladly commit themselves to a vision that is aligned with their own values, passions, and interests. In effect, being committed to a shared vision can greatly override this self-serving tendency and thus lead to decisions that serve the organization rather than one's own agenda. On the other hand, lack of a shared vision often leads to competing interests, political maneuverings, and lower performance among employees. A final objection to servant leadership involves its practicality. In a business climate where beating the competition and short-term results are the primary focus, how can servant leadership really be effective? In order to answer this question, there is an underlying assumption about servant leadership which needs to be addressed.

 There is often the misconception that servant leaders are too soft, too lenient, and just want to make their employees feel good about themselves. This could not be further from the truth! In fact, servant leaders set the performance bar high, expecting and requiring their employees to excel in their achievement of organizational goals. The difference is in the methods servant leaders employ to attain organizational success. Rather than adopting a "push or pull" attitude in an effort to motivate employees, servant leaders seek to encourage, inspire, and develop their employees in the service of a shared vision thus creating a win-win outcome for everyone. While the carrot-and-stick approach used by autocratic and paternalistic leaders may be effective in the short-term, it requires constant monitoring and oversight to produce results. However, even then the results are not as effective due to the lack of internal motivation and commitment by employees. Lest there be any doubt that servant leaders can be effective in a heavily competitive business climate, those organizations who embrace and implement servant leadership are some of the most successful. To cite just some examples, Southwest Airlines, Starbucks, Toro, The Container Store, Men's Wearhouse, Nordstroms, the Ritz Carlton, and TD Industries continually rank toward the top in their respective industries. Servant leadership is not a passing fad, a "touchy-feely" approach to leadership, or merely another leadership style to be used among several options, but is a dynamic, powerful, and effective leadership model that is fast becoming the preferred choice for those leaders who truly seek to propel their organizations to world-class levels of success in the 21st. century. We now turn to the challenges involved in becoming a servant leader. CHALLENGES OF BECOMING A SERVANT LEADER There is no question that the primary challenge for many who are interested in becoming a servant leader is the willingness to surrender his or her power and need to control others. Suggesting that one give up power can appear very unsettling to some and even foolhardy to others. However, the paradox is that surrendering one's power over others actually fosters greater personal power because you gain greater influence and respect through empowering them. When your employees perceive you as sincerely willing to listen to their input, encouraging them to succeed, and caring about their well-being and development, they trust you and become very committed to following you. In effect, you gain tremendous credibility which is the foundation of any genuine leadership. Notice that the words "sincerely" and "genuine" are used in the above discussion. It needs to be emphasized that the decision to become a servant leader has to originate from an inner desire to truly serve others, rather than any manipulation or ploy to motivate them to higher levels of performance. If you pursue the latter, your employees will eventually realize that your motives are not sincere and, as a result, their morale, commitment, and performance will wane, and even more tragically, your credibility as a leader will drastically suffer.

 This need for sincerity in one's motives points to the broader issue of character, an indispensable attribute of servant leaders. Although far from perfect, servant leaders seek to grow in their personal character, embracing and practicing greater levels of humility, honesty, integrity, caring, authenticity, and accountability. Moreover, their ability to live out these qualities on a consistent basis will have a profoundly positive impact on the organizational culture as employees become committed to a set of shared values which then provides a strong foundation for organizational success. It's now time to get more personal and practical in terms of assessing your leadership effectiveness. Are you ready? ASSESSING LEADERSHIP EFFECTIVENESS The most logical and easiest place to start in determining your current level of leadership effectiveness is to take our FREE leadership self-assessment. This 18-item assessment will give you some baseline data on how you rank on 6 key leadership dimensions as extensively researched by Laub (1998). These dimensions are: • Providing leadership • Sharing leadership • Valuing people 1/13/2021 A Leadership Model for the 21st Century https://ezinearticles.com/?A-Leadership-Model-for-the-21st-Century&id=9090031 4/5 • Developing people • Displaying authenticity • Building community You are strongly encouraged to be brutally honest with yourself in your responses. After taking the self-assessment, add up your total score and enter it in the designated location. This score will reflect your leadership effectiveness within a certain range (very effective, moderately effective, or very ineffective), and will indicate to what degree you are currently practicing servant leadership principles. Regardless of your score, it is very important to keep in mind that this score represents your own self-perception and is not necessarily indicative of how others view your leadership effectiveness. We each have our own individual blind spots, areas in which we possess little or no self-awareness due to our need to present ourselves in a favorable light and defend against unwelcomed personal truths.

 Therefore, in order to correct for this self-bias it is very beneficial to gather feedback from other sources who know us well in order to provide a more comprehensive and objective assessment of our leadership strengths and weaknesses. In order to provide this more comprehensive picture, we offer the OLA 360, which is a 57-item online questionnaire developed by Dr. Jim Laub, founder of the OLA Group (OLAGroup.com). This instrument involves eliciting feedback from peers, direct reports, and supervisors on the previously mentioned 6 dimensions of effective leadership. It also assesses the extent to which the person is facilitating the development of: (1) a healthy organization; (2) a learning organization; and (3) a growing organization. The data generated from the OLA 360 can then serve as a springboard for targeting specific areas needing improvement in these dimensions. How To Use the Results from the OLA 360 The targeting of specific areas for improvement leads to the development of what Laub (1998) calls an individual learning plan (ILP) which defines the process and time frames for measuring progress. This process is comprised of three separate but related components: • Training • On-the-job experiences • Coaching The training can be flexible and geared toward the leader's learning needs and style, including workshops, CDs, and webinars which target specific principles of servant leadership. The second component is on-the-job experiences. If the training is to be effective, it needs to be implemented on the job so that new learning can be integrated into real life experiences. In this regard, these on-the-job experiences need to be sufficiently challenging to afford you the opportunity to step outside your comfort zone, and begin developing new practices and habits that will foster progress as a servant leader. The third, and very critical component, of the ILP is coaching. Because change can be very difficult and challenging, you need a leadership coach who can support, encourage, and challenge you during the change process. Moreover, coaching provides the necessary accountability which provides that extra push and motivation to sustain your momentum when the going gets tough. In order to monitor the progress of the ILP, it is highly recommended that the OLA 360 be re-administered after a 6- to 9- month period of time. This second administration will provide you with an assessment of your improvement and determine what needs to be done as you move forward in your servant leadership journey. 

The option of continued coaching may also be considered in order to consolidate the gains which you've made so far. ASSESSING ORGANIZATIONAL HEALTH As you're experiencing progress in your own personal effort to become a servant leader, it is very likely that you will see the need to expand this change to your entire organization. However, there are obstacles! As we all know, change on a massive scale can be very daunting. Overcoming resistance to change is challenging since organizational cultures can become very entrenched and seemingly intractable. People often complain about the status quo, but then struggle with changing because it requires them to move outside their comfort zones. However, if top leadership takes the lead by confronting the cost of not changing in terms of continued turnover, stagnant productivity, low morale, or even total collapse, then the pain of maintaining the status quo can become a strong incentive for overcoming the complacency of doing nothing. If you are truly committed to fostering a servant-minded organization which seeks to develop the potential of all its members, then the undertaking is definitely worth the effort. 1/13/2021 A Leadership Model for the 21st Century https://ezinearticles.com/?A-Leadership-Model-for-the-21st-Century&id=9090031 5/5 The assessment process previously outlined can also be extended to the entire organization. Instead of using the OLA 360 to assess the individual's leadership effectiveness, the organizational version known as the OLA (OLAGroup.com) can be administered to every member of the total organization. In this case, every level of the organization - top leadership, middle management, and the employees - takes this 66-item online instrument to gather feedback about the organization's current level of organizational health and leadership effectiveness. Data from the OLA will invariably yield discrepancies between the perceptions provided by front line staff and those provided by top leadership and middle management. In other words, there will be gaps since everyone does not perceive the organization in the same way. As with the OLA 360, the data gathered from the OLA can then be utilized to target those areas of the six critical dimensions of organizational health needing improvement within the entire organization. 

Through customized training modules, on-the-job experiences, team building and other interventions, as well as individual and/or group coaching, these targeted areas can then be addressed and improved in order to move the organization further along in its quest of becoming an optimally healthy organization. It is recommended that the OLA be re-administered after 9 to 12 months in order to assess progress and determine which gaps still need to be closed in the organization's movement toward a servant-oriented culture. Although the process of transforming an entire organizational culture can be quite time consuming and require a great deal of perseverance and commitment, the potential outcomes will be staggering in terms of the impact on employee motivation and performance, customer service and satisfaction, as well as the bottom line. References Laub, J. (1998). http://www.OLAGroup.com. What Success Looks Like is a leadership and organizational coaching and consulting firm that helps small- to medium-sized businesses achieve greater levels of success through improving leadership effectiveness and organizational health We offer webinars and workshops on servant leadership, individual and group coaching, team building, large group interventions, strategic planning and visioning, We invite you to take our FREE leadership self-assessment on our website at [http://www.whatsuccesslookslike.com] to begin a journey of transformation and excellence.

 Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Roger_L_Parks/2149915 

Learn to Touch People with Words | Jim Rohn

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Tony Robbins Motivation 2021- Focus On Yourself EVERYDAY BEST MOTIVATION...

Courage

 By Arielle Sumner Consoli | Submitted On January 23, 2006

Courage is not the lack of fear. It is acting in spite of it. --Mark Twain In The Wizard of Oz, the Cowardly Lion sang of courage: Dorothy: Your Majesty, If you were King, you wouldn't be afraid of anything? Lion: Not nobody, not nohow! Tin Man: Not even a rhinocerous? Lion: Imposserous! Dorothy: How about a hippopotamus? Lion: Why, I'd trash him from top to bottomamus! Dorothy: Supposin' you met an elephant? Lion: I'd wrap him up in cellophant! Scarecrow: What if it were a brontosaurus? 1/5/2021 Courage https://ezinearticles.com/?Courage&id=133393 2/4 Lion: I'd show him who was King of the Forest! All Four: How? Lion: How? Courage! What makes a King out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk, in the misty mist or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got? All Four: Courage! Lion: Then you can say that again! Courage can mean so many things to so many people. Many people hear the word courage and it conjurs up visions of firefighters, soldiers, policemen...yet, courage is that and so much more.

 How many times in our everyday lives, do we show courage without ever realizing it? How many everyday people must have such courage just to get out of bed in the morning? Some people need courage to do things that others do without even thinking. This is just as courageous as a firefighter going into a burning building. The definitions of courage are endless, from someone battling cancer, to someone fleeing an abusive relationship, to having to ask for a raise to even just seeing your true self. It is all courage. Courage carries us through our everyday lives, why many times it takes courage just to drive to work in traffic each day. You don't think about it, but it is courage. Many people upon first thinking on the word courage will think of the big things, the heroic things, the things that make the six o'clock news. But what about the courage we show as humans in our everyday lives? The things we do because we must, for ourselves and for our families? The simple things. The acts of courage given in love, and compassion? The acts of courage given in kindness and service to another? The sharing of our hearts, our souls in relationships, is courage at it's deepest. Taking inventory of your life, and making changes, takes courage. Coming to any crossroads in your life and deciding which to continue on, putting faith in yourself and a higher power, trusting, stepping into the unknown, is so courageous. Trusting yourself, trusting another, being vulnerable, reaching out for help, asking a question, reaching out to help another, taking the road less traveled. These are all acts of courage, that people take every day. How many times have you thought that you couldn't go on? That you hadn't the strength? That you had reached the end of your rope? Only to look back and see that you had gone on, that you had found the strength? That you were able to pull yourself back up that rope? Human courage is an amazing gift that we all have, it is a bottomless well. It is what enables us to continue onward, when we truly believe that we cannot. And you don't need a big amount of courage, you need only a tiny glimmer, just enough that somewhere in your heart and soul you know its there, whether consciously or subconsciously. That tiny pin prick of courage is enough to sustain you whether you realize it is there or not. 1/5/2021 Courage https://ezinearticles.com/?Courage&id=133393 3/4 We are all amazing, courageous souls. Just look back in your life to those times that were so trying you thought they may never end, and see the courage that came from inside you and sustained you, and allowed you to help others through. It is always there, you always have courage, even if you don't feel brave. I am in awe of the courage I have seen in others, it inspires me and never ceases to amaze me. Like the cowardly lion, we will all discover that we have been courageous all along, that we are brave though we feel afraid, that we can trust ourselves, though we think we can't and that our courage will sustain us and give us strength throughout the entire travels of our lives. 

Now I would like to share some inspiring quotes with you regarding courage. Personal mastery teaches us to choose. Choosing is a courageous act: picking the results and actions which you will make into your destiny. --Peter Senge Courage is rarely reckless or foolish . . . courage usually involves a highly realistic estimate of the odds that must be faced. --Margaret Truman Definition of courage: 'Grace under pressure.' --Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them. --Ralph Waldo Emerson It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else --Erma Bombeck I am old enough to know that victory is often a thing deferred, and rarely at the summit of courage. What is at the summit of courage, I think, is freedom. The freedom that comes with the knowledge that no earthly thing can break you --Paula Giddings The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one moment to the next. --Mingnon McLaughlin What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? --Vincent Van Gogh Within each of us is a hidden store of energy. Energy we can release to compete in the marathon of life Within each of us is a hidden store of courage. Courage to give us the strength to face any challenge Within each of us is a hidden store of determination. Determination to keep us in the race when all seems lost --Roger Dawson The 13 Secrets of Power Performance by Roger Dawson Courage is like love, it must have hope for nourishment. --Napoleon Bonaparte Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius --- and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction. --Albert Einstein Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow that talent to dark place where it leads. --Erica Jong Courage consists of the power of self-recovery. 1/5/2021 Courage https://ezinearticles.com/?Courage&id=133393 4/4 --Ralph Waldo Emerson Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. 

That's what little girls are made of; the hell with sugar and spice. --Unknown Courage is sometimes frail as hope is frail: a fragile shoot between two stones that grows brave toward the sun though warmth and brightness fail, striving and faith the only strength it knows --Frances Rodman Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage. --Lao Tso The bravest thing you can do when you are not brave is to profess courage - and act accordingly --Corra May White Harris Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you. --Mary Tyler Moore Many of our fears are tissuepaper-thin, and a single courageous step would carry us through them. --Brendan Francis Strength and courage aren't always measured in medals and victories. They are measured in the struggles they overcome. The strongest people aren't always the people who win, but the people who don't give up when they lose. --Ashley Hodgeson Courage is not the towering oak That sees storms come and go, It is the fragile blossom That opens in the snow --Alice MacKenzie Swaim To have courage for whatever comes in life-everything lies in that --Mother Teresa You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do. --Eleanor Roosevelt Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others. --Sir Winston Churchill Courage is to feel the daily daggers of relentless steel and keep on living. --Douglas Malloch Arielle Sumner Consoli has been dubbed "Long Island's Favorite Life Coach". Aside from writing for such websites as The Long Island Guide (Ask the Coach!) and longisland.com (The Life Coach Expert) she has helped numerous people live their ideal lives by making lasting changes, removing blockages, achieving goals and by simply showing them how possible it is to truly live their dream. Arielle gives complimentary sesions, and hold numerous teleclasses throughout the year. Stop by her website at [http://indigoskiescoaching.com] for more information. Article Source: 

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IF People SAY THIS About You, Something is WRONG! | Maya Angelou | Top 1...

The Steps To A Positive Mental Attitude

 By Bob Edwards | Submitted On November 14, 2020

So What Exactly Is Positive Thinking? A lot of books have been written on the subject, seminars have been held and people pay a lot of money to attend these seminars and buy these books this only reflects on one thing; people want to achieve success and they are aware of the fact that the only way to achieve this success is through having a positive or optimistic attitude. The word positive itself means dealing with facts, viewing these facts in a positive manner. Others may say positive thinking is always looking at the bright side of every situation no matter how unfavorable it may be. Optimism and happiness are associated with positive thinkers. Positive thinking is a skill that can be taught and acquired by anyone; it is a tool that can help you reach your goals, deadlines and dreams. Remez Sasson later labeled positive thinking as the act of reviewing thought processes and personal actions for areas that need improvement and for areas with negative implications, and then using the appropriate tools to change those thoughts or actions in a positive, goal-oriented way. Basically positive thinking is identifying the negative thoughts in your mind, dealing with them by realizing that the negative implications may hinder success and eliminating them from our minds. With a positive attitude failure may slow you down but it will not stop you from arriving at your destination which is success. ConfidenceConfidence is 'the belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities.' This feeling can easily be mistaken for the feeling of knowing you are better than others or that you do not care about what others think which is incorrect confidence is not about other people it is about yourself how you view yourself, how you reflect yourself and knowing your capability and capacity. The first step to improving your confidence is cutting out that internal voice in our mind that keeps telling you that it is not possible, block it out and start asking yourself of what the worst case scenario is, it is usually not that bad as the voice in your head. 

After experiencing something you feared doing for the first time you realize that it was not as frightening as you thought. Moral support is a very important part of beefing up your confidence, always confide in someone that can help you feel better about yourself. Opening up about your fears and feelings will not only make you feel better but it will give you another view of how other people see you and hearing someone tell you that you can do something can give you that one extra nudge into doing something. Sometimes attempting something alone may be over whelming so you may try to find a partner that may motivate you, a good example is jogging, when you feel lazy to go jogging your partner will call you and expect t see you at your jogging spot this will help you in getting started in whatever project you want to indulge in. Always consider the fact that if it can be done by others you as a person can also do it, it only requires for you to take one single step to begin a journey and it only gets easier as you move along. Visualization- 1/5/2021 The Steps To A Positive Mental Attitude https://ezinearticles.com/?The-Steps-To-A-Positive-Mental-Attitude&id=10380446 2/4 Visualization refers to forecasting on the future by building up an imaginary picture or scenario in your mind and that picture of scenario reflects on an accomplishment of a goal or deadline. Visualizations are an important part of the journey when working towards something because they keep you motivated. Seeing a finished product or accomplishment in your mind gives you're the urge to want to work harder in reaching that goal. Without visualization, you may doubt that you are actually doing something you want in the end and you may lose focus of the true meaning of why you are working towards something. Apart from keeping you motivated visualizations may actually point out any future possible problems with whatever you are working towards. If a young female is working towards a career in modeling she may realize that she needs to keep her body in a certain size so that it does not interfere with her career so she already starts towards changing her eating habits and starts exercising more. Although it is just a dream at the moment she starts working towards making that dream a reality by eliminating any possible objects that may stand in her way to make that dream come true. Visualizing your dream come true makes it easier for you to work towards it; it keeps the need for achievement alive in you. It is very important part of the journey that may help you access how much you want that certain thing you are working towards or wishing for. 

Sometimes after visualizing something you realize you actually do not want it and you would rather opt for something else and this will help you not to waste your time on something that will not bring you any level of satisfaction after all the effort put into it. Treat People The Way You Would Like To Be TreatedThe way that you treat other people around you shows the kind of person that you are. It reflects on your background upbringing and even your own personality. Most people refer to this as the golden rule. Apart from this being the human most basic thing to do it is also important because life is a wheel you are not always on top you may come down at a point in time and need someone to pull you up. Treating people with dignity and respect not only makes them feel good and appreciated but it also makes you the person feel better about yourself. When you treat people the same way you want to be treated you build this reputation for yourself and become known as the kind and nice person. It may not benefit you in a very big way to have a good reputation but it will help the people around you to know that they can trust and depend on you and be there for you the same way you would be them for them. This term is best explained in religious terms whereby the good divine thing to do is to be good and respect the feelings of others. This statement is often taught to young children as a way to make them understand that if you treat someone well they will also treat you well. As the children understand this also us adults should understand this and if everybody treated everyone else the way they want to be treated the world we live in would be a better place. Being Able Turn Negative To PositiveA human being has the capacity to control the way they think, you have total control of how you perceive every situation that you are in. It is either you accept it and make a decision to change it if you are not happy with it or you sit and feel sorry for yourself. And so many people do not realize that they have the ability to do this. Whenever something happens the way you did not intend it to you feel either disappointed or sad, the disappointment easily turns to anger or you feel defeated and helpless, however that is one's personal choice. When something does not work out or something does not happen it does not mean it will never happen, it may mean that you are not ready for it and that you still need to grow and mature as a person. It is better to always look at things differently, when you miss the bus from work or school always consider what if that bus is going to be involved in an accident, if your friends forget to invite you out for the evening do not sit and feel miserable think of all the things you wanted to do that you never had time for. 

Delay is never denial and defeat is not failure, failure is not getting up to try again. 1/5/2021 The Steps To A Positive Mental Attitude https://ezinearticles.com/?The-Steps-To-A-Positive-Mental-Attitude&id=10380446 3/4 When things always happen our way it will make us selfish and self-centered, always consider that there is tomorrow and that you can always try again. Always accept the things you cannot change that will help avoid disappointments, change the things you cannot accept by either working harder or turning to the alternative and always be careful in knowing the difference. Appreciate the little things in life before you crave for bigger and better that way you know life can be good before all the other big changes and always expect less or nothing to avoid disappointments. To have positive results you have to have a positive attitude, there is no way that a negative person will achieve positive results. Acting positive gives you hope for a better outcome, you cannot underestimate the power of positive thinking. Having a positive attitude eliminates all the feelings of self-pity that will cause you to stop trying in whatever thing you are trying to achieve. Acting positive whilst in competition with other people is an intimidation to your fellow competitors whether it is in school, in class or even just your local weight loss challenge in your neighborhood. When you always act in a certain way for a long period of time that action starts to embed in your personality, what needed a lot of effort in doing will turn out to become a reflex action that comes naturally. Always attempting to be positive may be difficult at first because that small internal voice will be telling you that you cannot do it but the more you stick to having a positive attitude and being positive even in negative circumstances it will get easier and it will eventually become part of your personality. Most people mostly feel negative early in the morning as soon as they wake up and realize they have a long hectic day ahead of them, they automatically feel challenged and helpless that is the perfect moment to incorporate your positive attitude. Each morning you wake and assure yourself that it will be a good day and that you have total control over your happiness. You might not have control over what happens throughout the day but you have control over your reaction to what will happen. Although your day may not turn out to be what you had wished for instead of becoming annoyed or even angry with yourself and feeling like you failed you just relax and know that there is another opportunity to try again tomorrow, incorporating these positive changes in your life every day and controlling the way you react to every situation around you may at first be just an act of being positive but after sometime you will realize that you are not acting anymore but you actually always keep a positive attitude. Be TolerantIt is very important to be tolerant of your own progress and that of others because comparing yourself to other people may pull you down and even distract you from what you initially were supposed to do. When doing something, it may be because you want to feel better about yourself when you achieve your goal and this may be totally be about you but when you start comparing yourself to colleagues you lose the sole purpose of what you intended to do. Apart from losing the purpose of why you were doing something you may also not do it to the best of your ability because you are not concentrating on what someone else is doing and to what level have they accomplished their project instead of concentrating on your own piece of work. 

This negative attitude driven by jealousy will slow you down further and your competitor will become way ahead of you. This will further increase the negative feelings you have. It is important to tolerate other people's progress and not be moved or affected by it because people are different we have different capabilities and that does not mean in any way that the other person is better than you. Concentrating on your own goals and achievements will help you work more accurately giving your work or whatever you are doing more concentration producing better results. Affirmations Can Be Very PowerfulEvery thought you think every word you say is an affirmation. All of our self-talk or inner dialogue is a stream of affirmations. We are continually affirming subconsciously with our words and thoughts and this flow of affirmations is creating our life experience in every moment. That voice you always hear inside and you think it is you talking those are all affirmations and they are very powerful. Now all of know that the internal voice within every one of use had both positive and negative sides. The positive side is the one we need to concentrate on and empower it to eliminate the negative one. It is kind of brainwashing the negative only to 1/5/2021 The Steps To A Positive Mental Attitude https://ezinearticles.com/?The-Steps-To-A-Positive-Mental-Attitude&id=10380446 4/4 leave the positive voice in your mind. Many people ask if these affirmations work and how they work and even how fast they impact our lives. Affirmations do work and especially the ones that you mostly like, there are certain statements that you say in your mind that make you feel good and empowered those are the ones that work the most. And these positive affirmations have been proven to work quickly. However, for some people it might feel as though they are lying to themselves and this is a sign of resistance and this shows that it might take a little longer than planned but consistency will help speed the process along. No matter what aspect of life you're dealing with or who you are, affirmations will not only make you feel better about yourself and your life. But if used correctly, they can manifest real change in your life. Changing the way you think, reprogramming your mind and removing the old negative beliefs that have been sabotaging you again and again throughout your life. So start chanting your positive affirmations today and move closer to getting the life you have wanted for years. Negative Thinking Can Have Dramatic Effects On A PersonNegative thoughts will hinder you from achieving that you want because you feel you are unable to achieve and are incapable of doing anything, they will also make you feel worthless and you will never want to try out or do anything again. Apart from that if you start feeling worthless you will start neglecting yourself as a person and will stop caring about how you look and that will even start affecting your health. Stress will be the order of the day in your life if you are always feeling negative and that may cause migraine headaches. If your negative attitude starts rubbing off on other people then you have great reason to worry because if you friends or colleagues all feel the same way that you do then you all will not be able to overcome the feelings. Being surrounded by negative people is very dangerous because they will not try and make you see the best in you. Instead of bringing your spirits up when you are down they will further agree with you that you are incapable of being better and that you cannot do anything positive. When we are in a negative state we do not attract those elements that would make our lives advance; rather we attract the circumstances that support us in thinking something is wrong, and we get stuck. Simply put, when we stay thinking negative, we attract negative emotions and events. Thus, when one is in a negative state everything seems to go wrong. 

This kind of situation will not help you in any way and you cannot be a better person among negative people. Negative thoughts are really dangerous and must be eliminated. Make a positive commitment to yourself, to acquiring knowledge, work, loved ones, acquaintances, nature, and additional worthwhile causes. Praise yourself and other people. Dream of success. Become enthusiastic. Keep your mind centered on significant things. Set goals and priorities for what you think and accomplish. Envision practicing your actions. Develop a scheme for dealing with issues. Learn to relax. Savor successes. Be truthful with yourself. Be fearless. Change and improve every day. Do your best and don't look backward. See learning and change as chances. Attempt new things. Consider a lot of options. Meet new individuals. Ask lots of questions. Keep track of your mental and physical health. Become affirmative. Studies demonstrate that individuals with these features are winners in good times and survivors in hard times. Research demonstrates that, individuals who set out consciously to modify their inner conversations and assumptions report a virtually immediate betterment in their performance. Their energy step-ups and things seem to go better. Dedication, control and challenge help build self-regard and promote positive thinking. Get started today. To your great success on your journey to creating a positive life style. Bob To Get Access To Some Of The Best Training Lessons On The Internet That Teach You Step By Step How To Set Up And Grow Your Very Own Profitable Online Business Around Your Hobby Or Passion Please Visit, https://lurnprofit.com/ We Can Teach Anyone How To Set Up An Online Business

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