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April 2007

Creative Visualization

Do you know the single best way to "supercharge" any goal setting program you use is through visualization?

What is visualization? And how do you do it for maximum goal achievement?

Actually, it's quite simple and something you do all the time.

Simply create a mental picture of the end result of your goal. Completely visualizing your desired goal is also an extremely powerful way to change one's subconscous programming for the better.

For example, if your affirmation is "I easily make $1,000 or more each week"

then you simply create a mental picture of depositing $1,000 into your bank account; holding 10 $100 bills in your hand;seeing a check of $1,000 made out to you.

The list is endless and only limited by your imagination. So let your imagination go wild...

Here's a chance to daydream like you did as a kid.

Let's assume your affirmation is "I weigh 110 lbs" (or whatever weight you wish to weigh) Simply create a mental picture of you:

  • stepping on a scale and seeing the numbers go to your desired weight;
  • looking in the mirror and seeing yourself as you wish to look;
  • having friends and family members tell you how great you look, etc.

Again, allow your imagination to take over and have fun with your visualization.

Each time you visualize your desired goal, feel free to change the mental picture or use the same one repeatedly. If you like, make your visualization into a mini "mental movie." Add as many senses as possible to the movie.

  • Start off with the visual aspect of the picture.
  • Then add the sounds you hear in your movie.
  • Then add the scents you smell in the movie.
  • Then add the textures of the things you touch into the movie.

Finally, add the emotions you feel into the movie. Feel the excitement, satisfaction, and sense of well-being you are experiencing as you have reached your goal. This is often called "complete visualization" and gives your subconscious mind a very clear picture of what you want to accomplish.

Here's how a complete visualization, using the above example, would go:

  • You hold in your hands 10 fresh $100 dollar bills.
  • You can feel their crispness and notice their fresh 'money' smell.
  • You look around you and see your local bank.
  • As you wait in line to deposit your money, you begin to feel the excitement of knowing you now have $1,000 or more to deposit every week.
  • As you approach your favorite bank teller, you hear them say "Welcome to ABC National Bank. What can I help you with today?"..

Did you notice how you combined all 5 senses and the crucial element of positive emotions into your dream scenario?

You probably even felt a little excitement reading the above visualization.

That's the power of visualizations!

Again, let your imagination have fun and form your own unique "mental movies"

Did you know that if you spent 5-10 minutes every day doing this simple "daydreaming" you'd be on the effortless road to accomplishing any goal you wanted?

Once you practice this exercise, back it up with action.


What is your Passion?

by Amy Potavin

I bet that you do not know the name of the man who said, "The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions." That man was Alfred Lord Tennyson, and the statement is very true, for there has never, in the history of humanity, been any discovery, innovation, or creation that was not first a spark of passion, curiosity, or devotion. Truly, the manifestation and realization of such discoveries, creations, and innovations is nothing more than the mastery of the creators’ passions.

"Passion" from the Latin Passus literally means, "to suffer." This all-consuming desire to be and to do is vitally important to success, for it is the source from which the successful person must draw his or her inspiration. Remember that everyone who succeeds in life typically gets off to a bad start initially. They pass through many heartbreaking struggles before they "arrive" at "success." They literally SUFFER for not having achieved their passion. The turning point in the lives of those who succeed usually comes at the very moment of crisis, when they must choose to follow their passion or surrender to mediocrity. Would you rather live your life’s purpose and become the person you were meant to be or remain locked in a lifestyle of tolerance and indifference, merely existing from one day to the next?

Without passion, you will never be inspired to act. Without action, you will never manifest your vision; and therefore, you will NEVER be successful! To truly live in a paradigm of conscious choice, a paradigm where you know your beliefs, your purpose, your goals, and you CHOOSE to act on them, then you must know that which stirs YOUR heart. This is crucial if you are truly going to create the reality you desire; a lifestyle built on your preferences and your goals.

Further, you must recognize that designing and creating the life that you choose requires that you first discover the purposes for behaving the way that you do. If you act without purpose, then you are likely to create a lifestyle that is hit or miss, a lifestyle that wanders about, and is based on old habits and reactions to circumstances, rather than creation. Inevitably, this eliminates the potential for success, as the truly successful consistently work toward the achievement of their vision.

Therefore, to genuinely create the lifestyle that you choose, you must face each challenge, each encounter, with purposeful choices. You must reprogram your thinking to "act" rather than "re-act" and to choose solutions and actions that are directed toward the realistic goals of your vision that are workable in your everyday world. Find your purpose, and you will find your passion! Find your passion, and you will HAVE your vision!

So, what can you do, today, that will point you toward your passion, your purpose? You can begin by defining you vision and creating your own personal mission statement.

1. Allocate some time alone. You need to allow yourself space and time to think, reflect, and evaluate.

2. Select an important question from the list below, or use a powerful question of your own. Be sure that the question you choose has deep, personal meaning for you and causes your heart to stir.

  • What motivates me?
  • If money were not the object, what would I do?
  • What energizes me?
  • If I had no responsibilities other than myself, what would my future look like?
  • What brings me the most joy, pleasure or satisfaction?
  • If I had only three months to live, what would I do during that time?
  • What is it that I REALLY want in life?

3. Once you have chosen your question, isolate yourself. Quiet you mind. Take several deep, cleansing breaths and ask the question of yourself. Allow the answers to bubble up through your intuition. Do not force them or search them out. Wait… Be patient… Ask the question again after a few minutes. Know that the answers will come! The answers are yours; they have always been yours; and they have always been within you!

4. Over time, ask all of these questions; but ask the questions one at a time. Record your answers in a journal or notebook. Give yourself permission to take a break between these sessions. Self-reflection can be hard work, and any progress is good progress! Congratulate yourself for work well done!

5. Once you have responded to the questions, consolidate your responses. Look for patterns or themes. These patterns and themes will become your personal mission statement. Share your responses with a coach or mentor so that you can merge his or her perceptions with your own. This is vitally important, as this will serve to establish your vision and affirm your purpose.

Having a mission statement will center your actions on the goals that YOU choose and on the lifestyle that YOU select. It will lead to your ability to direct your effort toward these goals, rather than wasting effort on things that do not meet your needs and your vision and that do lead to success. This is your first step toward creating success and toward purposeful living.

Only one question remains. Are you ready to begin?


Quotes on Action

“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it -- but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

“What we think or what we know or what we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do.”

~ John Ruskin

“I would rather regret the things I have done than the things I have not.”

~ Lucille Ball

“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit.”

~ Conrad Hilton

“Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be a perpetrator. Above all, thou shalt not be a bystander.”

~ Holocaust Museum, Washington, D.C.


What You Need to Know About People

by Dr. John C Maxwell

Successful leadership is about 90% people knowledge and 10% product knowledge.  Henry Ford once said, "You can take my factories, burn up my buildings, but give me my people and I'll build the business right back again."

You can have strong people skills and not be a good leader, but you cannot be a good leader without people skills.  In my thirty plus years of leadership, I've discovered that many people in leadership positions fail to ever gain a proper understanding of the people they lead.  As a result, neither they nor their people ever reach their potential.

But successful leaders are able to discern the needs of their people instinctively, then take action to meet them.  The following is a list of the most common needs of people and how to meet them effectively.  Though every item may not be true of the people you lead, take the time to determine what items do describe them.  Then commit to take the proper action to put you and your people on the road to success.

1.  PEOPLE LIKE TO FEEL SPECIAL... COMPLIMENT THEM.

The highest compliment a person can receive is one given by his or her leader.  Mark Twain said, "One compliment can keep me going for a whole month."  Take the time to notice your people's work and don't hesitate to tell them when they've done a good job.  Make a habit of being generous and sincere with your
compliments.

2.  PEOPLE LOOK FOR A BETTER TOMORROW... GIVE THEM HOPE.

Jean Kerr said, "Hope is the feeling we have that the feeling we have isn't permanent."  In other words, when your people are having trouble seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, remind them of the purpose of their work and help them envision what their work will accomplish.  With hope your people will work
harder and longer to see a task through to completion.

3.  PEOPLE NEED TO BE UNDERSTOOD... LISTEN TO THEM.

Every leader would be wise to heed the Cherokee saying: "Listen to the whispers and you won't have to hear the screams."  Don't judge what your people want to tell you before they've told you. Take time to understand their point of view and listen to their suggestions.  It's the best way to ensure that they've been
listening to you and it opens the door to innovative ideas for improvement.

4.  PEOPLE LACK DIRECTION... NAVIGATE FOR THEM.

Don Herald said, "Unhappiness is not knowing what we want and killing ourselves to get it."  Part of your job as a leader is to help your people figure out what they're most passionate about, then help them pursue it.  Sometimes that may involve a position change within your organization or even allowing a person to pursue another opportunity.  But when you understand that effectiveness comes as a result of surrounding yourself with people who love what they do, it's not difficult to let a person go who doesn't enjoy their work.  Spend your best time developing and giving direction to those who are passionate about the work your organization is accomplishing.

Tom Peters said, "Techniques don't produce quality products or pick up the garbage on time; people do, people who care, people who are treated as creatively contributing adults."  Before you ask anything of your people, make sure you've taken the time to understand and meet their needs.  In doing so, you will give yourself a decided edge in maintaining their continued support.


The Journey's as Good as The End

- Robin Sharma

Just read a quote from a Cadillac ad in the latest issue of GQ. Quotes actor Andy Garcia as saying: "It's important, when going after a goal, to never lose sight of the integrity of the journey." He's right. The journey to any result - whether that result is being ridiculously good at what you do for a living or breathtakingly great in the way you conduct your life - is just as (if not more important) than the end.

I guess what I'm inviting you to reflect on is that the climb offers you far more value than getting to the mountaintop. Why? Because the climb toward your goals shapes your character and offers you opportunities to grow and tests you to see how much you want to win. It's the climb that serves to teach you and evoke the greatness that inhabits you. You get to develop The Qualities of Greatness like perseverance and courage and resilience and patience.

Sure, getting to your dream feels wonderful. I'll agree with you on that. But it doesn't bring you the same gifts as the journey to the dream does. We learn more from the times that test us than we do from times of success.

So the next time you feel impatient or frustrated or hopeless en route to the professional and personal life that you’re committed to creating, remember that precisely where you are might just be the best place you could possibly be. And just maybe-the journey is a richer place to be than the destination.


Persistence

Hi team,
I started the week incredibly excited after a wonderful kate conference with our mentors Bijon and TD. What TD told was, "Stay consistent and Persistent both during sad & happy times, you'll succeed no matter what".. Man, he couln't have put it any better!! With regards to persistence I received a mail which says,

"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins - not through strength but by perseverance."

H. Jackson Brown, Author of "Life's Little Instruction Book"


What does your epitaph read?

-Karthik Gurumurthy

We all know that we need to be clear with what we want but what we always lack is that desire and emotion that is very much needed to drive us to our goals. Just think about this:

What would you want people to say about you when you move on and leave this Earth?

There are so many things that I hope to do but I cannot do right now due to time and money constraints. In our daily busy schedule, we often forget that in a blink of an eye, anything can happen and what you plan for the future may not happen. We often live or fill up our time with activities that does nothing for us except rob us of the time to do something more valuable and significant for others. Therefore, it is important to do what you want to do, live for today and do as much as you can today, because you might not be able to do so tomorrow. Just think about this the next time you feel like procrastinating.

So if you do not like something in your life right now, change. It is not that scary. Not all change is improvement but without change there can be no improvement. At the end of the day, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.

However, you can make a choice today to change. And when that change is successful, you will look back at it and call it growth.

Reference: Developing The Leader Within You (John C.Maxwell)


Don't get into the rut of life

Everyday we wake up and do all the things that we routinely do like go to work, have lunch, come back, eat food etc..etc. We sometimes go through life no different than a robot which is tied up with situations with no choice.

Have it ever crossed you mind, what will happen if the unexpected happens?

What are you going to do, if something bad happens to your family tomorrow?
What are you going to do, if you lose your sight tomorrow?
What are you going to do, if you lose your will tomorrow?
What are you going to do, if you lose your health tomorrow?

Would following your routine be as important?

Sometimes we tend to be so caught up with our life that we think we are busy doing the things that we should be doing. Have you ever asked yourself, what do you really have to do in this life? When I was a kid, I often wonder why adults seem to go to work in the zombie state manner that they do and I often wonder if I will be just like that when I go to work. Totally unaware of what is going on and not having a care in the world. Sometimes we tend to forget that the world does not revolve around ourselves. We also forget that someday things will change but we are so afraid of change that we often choose to ignore it.

Instead of being part of 80% population who tend to watch things happen, make a decision to be a player  be in the 20 % group who finds opportunities to make it happen or else time will fly and you will be in a same position and added few years to your life...Just have the sense of urgency and lead a life with passion, discipline and keeping the attitude straight..


Take responsibility of your life

If you don't run your own life, somebody else will. If you want to see a change for the better, you have to take things in your own hands.

To affect the outcome of anything, you must control the action at the point of decision making.You're in control of your life to the degree that you make the decisions.

If you let others make decisions for you, you have no control. When you control your decisions, you control the actions.


Time to Change and Grow

Where you are in your life today, you made an appointment to be there five years ago. Where you'll be five years from now will be determined by your actions today and in the future.

The first step toward getting somewhere is to decide that you're not going to stay where you are.

Analyze your life in terms of your environment. Are the things around you helping you toward your success or are they holding you back?

You're a product of your environment. So choose an environment that will best develop you toward your goals. Your world today is a living expression of how you're using and have used your mind. It's something you can change at any time.Don't remain a captive to your environment. Don't say "If I could, I would,"say, "If I can, I will."

You can make changes any time. Why not start today?


Power to choose

We can.............

Choose to love--rather than hate.
Choose to smile--rather than frown.
Choose to build--rather than destroy.
Choose to persevere--rather than quit.
Choose to praise--rather than gossip.
Choose to heal--rather than wound.
Choose to give--rather than grasp.
Choose to act--rather than delay.
Choose to pray--rather than despair.
Choose to forgive--rather than curse.

Each day brings a new opportunity to choose.
I choose to remain positive. God shall give me the strength.


Don't fight for your excuses

by Robin Sharma

It's so very human to fight for your excuses. "I can't be better than I am at work." "I don't have the time to exercise." "I can't do this dream or that dream because it's too hard/scary/impractical." The more you fight for your excuses, the more they'll own you. Let them go. And step into your power.

Leaders don't make excuses. They create results. And no great life was ever built on a foundation of excuses. So stop making them. Most of them are self-created delusions. Designed to help you avoid doing the things you are afraid to do. Yes, beneath every excuse lives a fear. A fear of changing. A fear of the unknown. A fear of failure. A fear of success.

Today can be the day you burn the bridges that lead to your excuses. Today can be the day you step up to the possibilities that lay just off the beaten path of your life. Today can be the day you Lead Without Title. And access your greatness.


Lifetime Personal Growth

Laws of Lifetime Personal Growth

By Dr. John C. Maxwell

At what age did you stop growing taller?

The average age when the human body stops getting taller is debatable, but it’s generally between the ages of 16 and 21. I often wonder at what age most leaders stop growing. Unfortunately, in my experience, most people settle into average by the end of their 20’s. Rarely will you find a person committed to a comprehensive personal growth plan into their 30’s, 40’s, or beyond. As children we grew year after year, sometimes in spurts, sometimes imperceptibly, but our bodies were always growing. The growth of a leader can be similar. At times, it may feel like the wheels are spinning and no headway is being made. In other seasons, new breakthroughs and victories are clear indicators of a growth spurt. To grow consistently, the key is to manage your daily agenda. I wish I could pass along an easier solution or secret formula for leadership growth, but daily discipline makes all the difference between growth and stagnation. In this edition of Leadership Wired, I would like to pass along a few growth principles to guide you in your daily journey of leadership growth. This lesson draws heavily upon a brilliant resource, The Laws of Lifetime Growth, authored by Dan Sullivan and Catherine Nomura. You may visit their website at http://www.lifetimegrowth.com.

Law #1 –

Always Make Your Future Bigger Than Your Past.

“The past is useful because it is rich with experiences that are worth thinking about in new ways-and all of these valuable experiences can become raw material for creating an even bigger future. Approach your past with this attitude, and you will have an insatiable desire for even better, more enjoyable experiences. Use your past to continually create a bigger future, and you will separate yourself from situations, relationships, and activities that can trap you there.” - Sullivan & Nomura Thoughts about the Future: Abraham Lincoln said, “The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda. We spend each day either repairing the past or preparing for the future. We can try to fix our past, but we can’t rewrite it; we can only author our future. The future is that time when you’ll wish you had done what you aren’t doing now. Don’t fear failure so much that you refuse new things. The saddest summary of a life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have.

Law #2 –

Always Make Your Contribution Bigger Than Your Reward. “As you become more successful, numerous rewards will come your way: greater income, praise, recognition, reputation, status, capabilities, resources, and opportunities. These are all desirable things, but they can be growth stoppers. They may tempt you to become fixated on just the rewards, rather than focus on making still greater contributions. The way to guarantee that rewards will continually increase is to not think too much about them. Instead, continue making an even more significant contribution.” - Sullivan & Nomura Thoughts on Contribution To make your contribution bigger than your reward, adopt an anti-entitlement attitude. Believe you must give before you receive. Expect to serve before feeling like you deserve a reward. Determine success by the seeds you sow rather than the harvest you reap. Each morning, I ask myself, “Who can I add value to and how can I do it?” It’s amazing how much I’ve been able to contribute by answering this simple question each day and following through to help a friend or colleague.

Law #3

Always Make Your Performance Greater Than Your Applause. “

The greatest performers in all fields are those who always strive to get better. No matter how much acclaim they receive, they keep working to improve their performance. Continually work to surpass everything you’ve done so far, and your performance will always be greater than your applause.” - Sullivan & Nomura Thoughts on Performance To make sure your performance stays a step ahead or your applause, be growth-driven instead of goal-driven. I’m not criticizing goals, but if we aren’t careful, they can limit our growth. If we set them too high, they de-motivate us. If we set them too low, we are tempted to relax when we hit them rather than pushing for our best performance. Growth is a long and consistent process. No substitutions can be made or shortcuts taken which avoid the day-to-day process of growth.

Law #4 –

Always Make Your Gratitude Greater Than Your Success.

“Only a small percentage of people are continually successful over the long run. These outstanding few recognize that every success comes through the assistance of many other people – and they are continually grateful for this support.” –Sullivan & Nomura Thoughts on Gratitude: We see the value in people and things through proactive gratitude. Once we see this value, we naturally treat these people and things with greater respect. People and resources are drawn to where they are valued most. The world responds to gratitude by making more of everything we appreciate available to us. To adopt an attitude of thankfulness, Oprah Winfrey keeps a gratitude journal. She recommends her habit to others: “Every night, list five things that happened this day that you are grateful for. What it will begin to do is change your perspective of your day and your life. If you can learn to focus on what you have, you will always see that the universe is abundant; you will have more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never have enough.” Review: Laws of Lifetime Growth Always Make the Future Bigger Than Your Past. Always Make Your Contribution Bigger Than Your Reward. Always Make Your Performance Greater Than Your Applause. Always Make Gratitude Greater Than Your Success. "

This article is used by permission from Dr. John C. Maxwell's free monthly e-newsletter 'Leadership Wired' available at www.Maximumimpact.com. "