Personal Development

How important is your attitude to your success in life?

This is what Charles R Swindoll (American writer & clergyman) wrote on the subject of attitude:

“The longer I live, the more I realise the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge or our Attitudes.”

To answer the above question, I would agree with Charles that life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how how I react to it. We are in charge of our attitudes.

How did you answer the question?

Every presenter and trainer knows that they only have 3 minutes from the time they step onto the platform to build rapport with each participant. The following 5 Essential Tips will give you the edge over your competition.

Read on…

Project your voice
Ever sat in a training session where you couldn’t hear the trainer? You have. So have I and we both know that the secret to becoming an excellent trainer is to learn to project your voice.

Projecting your voice doesn’t mean speaking loudly or shouting. It means standing up straight, breathing deeply to allow your voice to develop in your upper diaphragm which in turn produces a stronger modulation in your voice, carrying your voice further.

One tip I learn’t from an auctioneer friend was to project your voice a meter past the last row of participants in the room. This gives everyone in the room the opportunity to hear you. Give it a try!

Gestures
Gestures need to be an extension of yourself and any emotions that your message conveys. Planned gestures can look false because they don’t match your non-verbal cues. The clue is to be authentic.

From time to time it may be a good idea to have a colleague sit in on one of your training sessions in order to critique your delivery style. You will be surprised at what you will learn about yourself.

Never apologise
Don’t apologise for your lack of preparation, time or knowledge and especially not for your nerves.

The participants will know without you telling them if you have prepared your session and indeed if you know the subject. On the other hand your audience won’t notice your lack of confidence unless you draw attention to it. So don’t.

Training for transfer
Involve your participants in activities to keep them interested and involved. Asking questions to suit the level of experience in the room is one way to check the level of knowledge transfer. A well-written assessment is another.

Pause often
Pausing at regular intervals in your training session gives your students the opportunity to assimilate the information before you move on to onto the next topic. It also gives you time to check where you are in the session.

Now that you are putting these tips into daily practice, are you noticing a greater skill level and confidence in your work?

Practise the following 5 tips and you will be presenting or training like a professional in no time. Even if you consider yourself to be a professional, take the time to read through them anyway. There are several evergreen tips that when put into practice each time you stand and deliver, will set you apart from the rest.

Failing to prepare
Some trainers take the risk with a training session thinking they can “wing it”.Your participants deserve the very best you can be. After all they are paying for the service. So take the time to research and rehearse your subject matter before you agree to run the session.

Have a session plan
How many times have you heard the presenter go completely off the subject? Chances are they don’t have their run sheet or session plan open. Worse still they don’t even have one.

Make sure you have a run sheet or session plan where you can see it and if you lose track of your delivery, pause your conversation, return to your notes and pick up where you left off. Simple!

Maintain eye contact
Some presenters and trainers develop the habit of talking to the overhead slide or projector screen with their back to the audience (yes, some presenter and trainers actually do this!) Maintaining eye contact with the audience helps you establish and build rapport with each participant.

When introducing a new sentence of topic, the secret is to connect with each person in the room for several seconds at a time before you move onto the next person.

Don’t read from the slide or overhead
How many times have you been in the audience and watched the trainer or presenter read word for word from the slide. It sends the message that you don’t know the subject matter and kills any confidence the participants may have in you. The message here is to know your subject well before you deliver.

Having trouble with nerves?
Most inexperienced trainers talk too fast. My tip here is to become aware of your breath. Listening to yourself slowly inhaling and exhaling will help you balance and centre yourself.

Remembering to pause regularly not only allows the participant to focus on what you are saying, it also assists you to develop a natural flow and timing with your particular training style.

Let me know how if these tips worked for you……

In all life there is purpose

Everything that happens to us happens for a reason. And as one door shuts another opens. Instead of locking yourself up in your cage of fears and crying over past heartaches, embarrassment and failures, treat them as your teachers in life and they will become your tools in both personal growth and self improvement and to your success.

Remember the movie Patch Adams

I remember watching Patch Adams – its my favorite movie, actually. Its one great film that will help you improve yourself. Hunter “patch” Adams is a medical student who failed to make it through the board exams. After months of suffering in melancholy, depression and suicidal attempts – he decided to seek for medical attention and voluntarily admitted himself in a psychiatric ward. His months of stay in the hospital led him to meeting different kinds of people. Sick people in that matter. He met a catatonic, a mentally retarded, a schizophrenic and so on. Patch found ways of treating his own ailment and finally realized he has to get back on track. He woke up one morning realizing that after all the failure and pains he has gone through, he still want to become the a doctor. He carries with himself a positive attitude that brought him self improvement and success. He didn’t only improved himself, but also the life of the people around him and the quality of life. Did he succeed? Needless to say, he became the best damn doctor his country has ever known.

So, when does personal growth and self improvement become synonymous with success? Where do we start?

Give thought and take action on the following points:

• Stop thinking and feeling as if you’re a failure, because you’re not. How can others accept you if YOU can’t accept YOU?
• When you see hunks and models on TV, think more on self improvement, not self pitying. Self acceptance is not just about having nice slender legs, or great abs. Concentrate on inner beauty.
• When people feel so down and low about themselves, help them move up. Don’t go down with them. They’ll pull you down further and both of you will end up feeling inferior.
• The world is a large room for lessons, not mistakes. Don’t feel stupid and doomed forever just because you failed on a science quiz. There’s always a next time. Make rooms for self improvement.
• Take things one at a time. You don’t expect black sheep’s to be goody-two-shoes in just a snap of a finger. Self improvement is a one day at a time process.
• Self improvement results to inner stability, personality development and dig this …. SUCCESS. It comes from self confidence, self appreciation and self esteem.
• Set meaningful and achievable goals. Self improvement doesn’t turn you to be the exact replica of Cameron Diaz or Ralph Fiennes. It hopes and aims to result to an improved and better YOU.
• Little things mean BIG to other people. Sometimes, we don’t realize that the little things that we do like a pat on the back, saying “hi” or “hello”, greeting someone “good day” or telling Mr. Smith something like “hey, I love your tie!” are simple things that mean so much to other people. When we’re being appreciative about beautiful things around us and other people, we also become beautiful to them.
• When you’re willing to accept change and go through the process of self improvement, it doesn’t mean that everyone else is. The world is a place where people of different values and attitude hang out. Sometimes, even if you think you and your best friend always like to do the same thing together at the same time, she would most likely decline an invitation for self improvement.

In closing

We should always remember that there’s no such thing as ‘over night success’. Its always a wonderful feeling to hold on to the things that you already have now, realizing that those are just one of the things you once wished for. A very nice quote says that “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” We are all here to learn our lessons. Our parents, school teachers, friends, colleagues, officemates, neighbours… they are our teachers. When we open our doors for personal growth and self improvement, we increase our chances on the road to success.

The step to becoming an ideal leader

Do you get frustrated at work because things don’t seem to be happening the way they’re supposed to be? You see people milling around but nothing gets accomplished. And in the daily hustle and bustle, do you feel that your goals remain just that – goals. Then maybe its time for you to stand up and do something about it.

Some people are content to be told what to do

Most people are content just to stand around listening for orders. And it isn’t unusual to adopt a follow-the-leader mentality. But maybe, somewhere inside of you, you feel the desire to make things happen – to be the head, not the tail. Then maybe leadership just suits you fine.

Leaders are made not born

Some people believe that great leaders are made, not born. Yes, it may be true that some people are born with natural leadership talents. However, without practice, without drive, without enthusiasm, and without experience, there can be no true development in leadership.

You must also remember that good leaders are continually working and studying to improve their natural skills. This takes a commitment to constantly improve in whatever endeavor a person chooses.

Leadership is not about power

First of all, let’s define leadership. To be a leader, one must be able to influence others to accomplish a goal, or an objective. He contributes to the organization and cohesion of a group.

Contrary to what most people believe, leadership is not about power. It is not about harassing people or driving them using fear. It is about encouraging others towards the goal of the organization. It is putting everyone on the same page and helping them see the big picture of the organization. You must be a leader not a boss.

You have to get people to follow you

People follow others when they see a clear sense of purpose. People will only follow you if they see that you know where you are going. Remember that bumper sticker? The one that says, don’t follow me, I’m lost too? The same holds true for leadership. If you yourself do not know where you’re headed to, chances are people will not follow you at all.

You yourself must know the vision of the organization. Having a clear sense of hierarchy, knowing who the bosses are, who to talk to, the organization’s goals and objectives, and how the organization works is the only way to show others you know what you are doing.

Being a leader is about who you are

Being a leader is not about what you make others do. It’s about who you are, what you know, and what you do. You are a reflection of what you’re subordinates must be.

Studies have shown that one other bases of good leadership is the trust and confidence your subordinates have of you. If they trust you they will go through hell and high water for you and for the organization.

Trust and confidence is built on good relationships, trustworthiness, and high ethics.

Relationships and communication are the keys

The way you deal with your people, and the relationships you build will lay the foundation for the strength of your group. The stronger your relationship, the stronger their trust and confidence is in your capabilities.

Once you have their trust and confidence, you may now proceed to communicate the goals and objectives you are to undertake.

Communication is a very important key to good leadership. Without this you can not be a good leader. The knowledge and technical expertise you have must be clearly imparted to other people.

Lets not forget judgement

Also, you can not be a good leader and unless you have good judgment. You must be able to assess situations, weigh the pros and cons of any decision, and actively seek out a solution.

It is this judgment that your subordinates will come to rely upon. Therefore, good decision-making is vital to the success of your organization.

Leaders are not do-it-all heroes. You should not claim to know everything, and you should not rely upon your skills alone.

A good leader quickly identifies the skills and talent in the team

You should recognize and take advantage of the skills and talents your subordinates have. Only when you come to this realization will you be able to work as one cohesive unit.

Remember being a leader takes a good deal of work and time. It is not learned overnight. Remember, also, that it is not about just you. It is about you and the people around you.

So, do you have the drive and the desire to serve? Do you have the desire to work cooperatively with other people? Then start now. Take your stand and be leader thats inside you now!

Think of life like a road

There are long and short roads; smooth and rocky roads; crooked and straight paths. In our life many roads would come our way as we journey through life. There are roads that lead to a life of single blessedness, marriage, and religious vocation. There are also roads that lead to fame and fortune on one hand, or isolation and poverty on the other. There are roads to happiness as there are roads to sadness, roads towards victory and jubilation, and roads leading to defeat and disappointment.

Just like any road, there are corners, detours, and crossroads in life. Perhaps the most perplexing road that you would encounter is a crossroad. With four roads to choose from and with limited knowledge on where they would go, which road will you take? What is the guarantee that we would choose the right one along the way? Would you take any road, or just stay where you are: in front of a crossroad?

There are no shortcuts

You do not really know where a road will lead you until you take it. There are no guarantees. This is one of the most important things you need to realize about life. Nobody said that choosing to do the right thing all the time would always lead you to happiness. Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it would be returned. Gaining fame and fortune does not guarantee happiness. Accepting a good word from an influential superior to cut your trip short up the career ladder is not always bad, especially if you are highly qualified and competent. There are too many possible outcomes, which your really cannot control. The only thing you have power over is the decisions that you will make, and how you would act and react to different situations.

Hindsight has 20/20 vision

Had you known that you were making a wrong decision, would you have gone along with it? Perhaps not, why would you choose a certain path when you know it would get you lost? Why make a certain decision if you knew from the very beginning that it is not the right one. It is only after you have made a decision and reflected on it that you realize its soundness. If the consequences or outcomes are good for you, then you have decided correctly. Otherwise, your decision was wrong.

The secret here is to make a decision

Since life offers no guarantee and you would never know that your decision would be wrong until you have made it, then you might as well take the risk and decide. It is definitely better than keeping yourself in limbo. Although it is true that one wrong turn could get you lost, it could also be that such a turn could be an opportunity for an adventure, moreover open more roads. It is all a matter of perspective. You have the choice between being a lost traveller or an accidental tourist of life. But take caution that you do not make decisions haphazardly. Taking risks is not about being careless and stupid. Here are some pointers that could help you choose the best option in the face of life’s crossroads:
· Get as many information as you can about your situation.

You cannot find the confidence to decide when you know so little about what you are faced with. Just like any news reporter, ask the 5 W’s: what, who, when, where, and why. What is the situation? Who are the people involved? When did this happen? Where is this leading? Why are you in this situation? These are just some of the possible questions to ask to know more about your situation. This is important. Oftentimes, the reason for indecision is the lack of information about a situation.

Identify your options

What options do the situation give you? Sometimes the options are few, but sometimes they are numerous. But what do you do when you think that the situation offers no options? This is the time that you create your own. Make your creative mind work. From the most simplistic to the most complicated, entertain all ideas. Do not shoot anything down when an idea comes to your head. Sometimes the most outrageous idea could prove to be the right one in the end. You can ask a friend to help you identify options and even make more options if you encounter some difficulty, but make sure that you make the decision yourself in the end.

Assess every option and trust yourself and make that decision

Assess each option by looking at the advantages and disadvantages it offers you. In this way, you get more insights about the consequences of such an option.

Now that you have assessed your options, it is now time to trust yourself. Remember that there are no guarantees and wrong decisions are always at hindsight. So choose… decide… believe that you are choosing the best option at this point in time.

Now that you have made a decision, be ready to face its consequences: good and bad. It may take you to a place of promise or to a land of problems. But the important thing is that you have chosen to live your life instead of remaining a bystander or a passive audience to your own life. Whether it is the right decision or not, only time can tell. But do not regret it whatever the outcome. Instead, learn from it and remember that you always have the chance to make better decisions in the future.

What is intuition?

Ever wonder how animals know when a storm is coming? They sense that danger is present. You have that sense also and it is called intuition. Some people call it instinct.

Intuition is essentially instinct. It comes from past experiences. If you learned that a stove is hot as a child, then you will instinctively stay away from stoves when you notice they are hot. That is a simplified explanation that we all can relate to.

Another aspect of intuition is learned behavior

Here’s another simple explanation. Have you ever visited family or a friend on the land and found your senses are heighten as they point out the various aspects of farm life? Those lessons teach you to hear sounds and look for signs that you never knew existed before. It’s actually quite amazing.

With each new experience and learned behavior you acquire new skills. Every time you have choice in your life you don’t consciously run through everything that you know before you make a decision. However, what you do know, that information pertaining to the choice you are making gets processed unconsciously and generates a feeling of being right.

Intuition is seated in your feelings

Some say that they don’t use their intuition because it is based on feelings. Intuition may come across as a feeling but it is backed up by a lifetime of experience and learning. So, you really don’t just trust a feeling or a hunch you trust your experiences.

Always check in with your feelings. Your unconscious mind will always point you in the right direction. Your intuition can save your life in certain situations as well as enhance your life.

Goal setting is best when using your intuition

Use that same process to set your goals. When you identify a goal you want to achieve, use your instinct to decide how best to achieve it. Truly your intuition will show you the best way to proceed. When one path doesn’t pan out, your intuition will help you decide the next course of action.

One reason we don’t always achieve our goals is because we go with someone else’s intuition without checking in on our own thoughts and feelings first.

Intuition requires ongoing practice

Intuition has to be practiced just like anything else. The greatest challenge we have is recognizing that it is really intuition. Think about what goes through you mind if you have to walk down the street at night. You wouldn’t go into a dimly lit street without some trepidation. Why? You have learned that there is inherent danger in these places.

I couldn’t say it any clearer – Don’t be afraid to trust your intuition

Everyone is born with a ‘Life Purpose’

From birth you possess natural instincts and and express them naturally, and as you grow older you become conditioned in the way of the adults in your world. As a child, you don’t recognize the value of these instincts in your life at the time. But, as you grow older, you recognize that there is more to life than eating and sleeping. You reconnect with your natural instincts and your life purpose.

What is your life purpose?

As a child, you go to school and learn to prepare you for adult life. Learning the important literacy and numeracy skill sets necessary to live successfully throughout your adult life. This period of your life is seen as preparing you for the future. However, there is no subject in the curriculum called ‘Life Purpose.’

How do you identify your Life Purpose?

As you learn you grow from within which creates a certain yearning that there is more to life than what you can see, hear, smell, taste and touch. Thoughts begin to fill your heart and mind of a world beyond the four walls of your home and your school. Every sphere of influence in your life feeds into those yearnings: parental care, friends, church, school and life in general. It is as much about self-preservation as it is about the unseen influences in your life.

Each person develops a life purpose. Beyond what is expected of you in the early years, what you make of your life is up to you. All influences in your life (internal and external) feed into your ideals and slowly shape who you become. That’s your belief system.

You are taught right from wrong (values), however, there are other traits like intuition, logic, perseverance and bravery that are learned through experience. That experience comes through goals, failures and achievements.

As you slowy shape your life purpose, you will recognise that you are actually turning your inner yearnings in your life into tangible goals. Perhaps you want to help people in the medical sense. That desire can change into a goal to become a psychiatrist or a surgeon. It could even lead you to do mission work in a foreign country. The possibilities are endless.

Your goals are the key to your life purpose

The goals that you choose to pursue are in direct relationship to your life purpose. Goals can be shaped by good and bad experiences in life. An abuse victim may set a goal to help other abuse victims by starting a program for recovery or sponsoring a child in a third world country. Positive experiences in your life can lead you to being whoever you desire to be. The sky is the limit.

Asking questions are the answer

If you are looking to take your life in a new direction, listen to your inner voice and consider your life’s purpose. What experiences and knowledge has shaped your life to date? What do you believe in strongly?

Use the answers to these questions to begin a life of your dreams so that you not only enhance your life but the life of others also.

Dont die with the music still inside you – Live your Life Purpose and make a difference in the world……

People have the misconception that only a select few are able to unleash a steady flow of creative genius. That is not true at all. The fact is, creativity is very much like a muscle that needs to be exercised in order to consistently deliver outstanding results in your life.

Practice is your key
Regular practice harnessing your creative thinking and your skill will develop in no time at all; and you will have mastered this important life skill.

How do you unleash your creative thinking I hear you ask? Well, the first thing is to become a human sponge and take in as much knowledge and learning you can uncover. Read everything available to you; and keep your mind open to the infinite possibilities of the universe. The more you know, the more you’ll want to know, and the more you will become aware of your potential. You will be amazed at the information that will come your way for you to take action on and use. This will, in a very short period of time add colour and richness into your life.

Focus on being creative each and every day
Focus on a creative activity everyday (even doodling is a creative activity), don’t let anything hinder you. Mindlessness may be a creative activity, but for people who are just starting out to unleash a little bit of creative thinking in their lives, it is helpful and encouraging to have concrete evidence, that what you are doing is achieving tangible results. Practice drawing for a couple of minutes each day, even take your camera out of its case and snap away. Its all develping your creativity gene.

Using your trusty journal
Keep a journal and make a point to write in it every day. Write by describing something with your five senses. Try to avoid vague adjectives like “marvelous,” “amazing,” and “delicious.” Before you know it, you’ll have built yourself a small portfolio, and you’ll be amazed at how you have advanced over the a short period of time. I can almost guarantee that you will like the new you. Pretty soon your new activities will become a part of you and you’ll be addicted to these creative exercises.

Discipline yourself
Sometimes, constraints are actually a good thing. Limitations discipline you to work within your means. It enables you to be more resourceful. Creative freedom is great, but the limitations of the real world enforce discipline.

Take a risk at something new
Try something new everyday and let your experiences broaden your perspective. Explore a new district in your neighbour hood. Spend an afternoon in a museum which you’ve never been before. Chat up someone on the bus. Open up to the people around you. As you take yourself out of your comfort zone more and more each day, your sense of adventure grows and so does your zest for life. Think about it. When was the last time you did something for the first time? If it’s been a while, I tell you, you’ve been missing out on a whole lot of experiences that could’ve added to your growth, emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Why don’t you try something new today? Not only will you learn, but you will also have plenty of stories to share, enabling you to practice your storytelling skills and making you an interesting person to be around.

If you follow these steps pretty soon you’ll be living a life full of interesting adventures. Unleashing your creative self will bring about a new zest for living life.

Self Improvement and Your Success

Everything that happens to us happens for a purpose. And sometimes, one thing leads to another. Instead of locking yourself up in your cage of fears and crying over past troubles, embarrassment and failures, treat them as your teachers and they will become your tools in both self improvement and your success in life.

A point in case is the movie Patch Adams – Its one great film on way you can improve yourself.

Hunter “patch” Adams is a medical student who failed to make it through the board exams. After months of suffering in melancholy, depression and suicidal attempts – he decided to seek for medical attention and voluntarily admitted himself in a psychiatric ward. His months of stay in the hospital led him to meeting different kinds of sick people. He met a catatonic, a mentally retarded, a schizophrenic and so on.

Patch found ways of treating his own ailment and finally realized he has to get back on track. He woke up one morning realizing that after all the failure and pains he has gone through, he still wanted to become a doctor. He carried with himself a positive attitude that brought him self improvement and personal success. He didn’t only improved himself, but also the life of the people around him and the quality of life.

Did he succeed? Yes he did.

When does self improvement become synonymous with success?

When you take action on the following tips:

• Stop thinking and feeling as if you’re a failure, because you’re not. How can others accept you if YOU can’t accept YOU?
• When you see hunks and models on TV, think more on self improvement, not self pitying. Self acceptance is not just about having nice slender legs, or great abs. Concentrate on inner beauty.
• When people feel so down and low about themselves, help them move up. Don’t go down with them. They’ll pull you down further and both of you will end up feeling inferior.
• The world is a large place for lessons, not mistakes. Don’t feel stupid and doomed forever just because you failed at some point in your life. There’s always a next time. Make room for self improvement in your life.
• Take things slowly. Don’t expect change over night. Self improvement is a one day at a time process.
• Self improvement comes from your inner stability, personality development and dig this …. SUCCESS. It comes from self confidence, and self esteem.
• Set meaningful and achievable goals. Self improvement is being who you are – not someone else. It is simply being an improved and better YOU.
• Little things mean BIG to other people. Sometimes, we don’t realize that the little things that we do like a pat on the back, saying “hi” or “hello”, greeting someone “good day” or telling Mr. Smith something like “hey, I love your tie!” are simple things that mean so much to other people. When we’re being appreciative about beautiful things around us and other people, we also become beautiful to them.

Be mindful of others and their path in life

When you’re willing to accept change and go through the process of self improvement, it doesn’t mean that everyone else has to do the same.

The world is a place where people with different values and attitudes to life do different things to you – and that is OK. Don’t expect your best friend to always like to do the same things as you at the same time. They have their own life to lead and experience.

There are no over night success stories.

We should always remember that there’s no such thing as an ‘over night success’. Its always a wonderful feeling to hold on to the things that you already have now, realizing that those are just one of the things you once wished for.

A very meaningful quote says that “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” We are all here to learn our lessons from life. Our teachers are our parents, siblings, school teachers, friends, colleagues,  neighbours, strangers and our own children.

When we open our door for self improvement, we increase our chances of achieving success.

Self Improvement is really the only way to your future success.