Your Date with Destiny by Chris Widener

Destiny. What a powerful word. And the great thing about it? Everyone has one! You have a destiny! Another great thing about destiny? We have a significant role in shaping our own destiny! In essence, you can choose your date with destiny - powerful!

Your destiny is the dream that lies within you of your desired and preferred future. And the things that we choose each day are what lead us to that destiny: Our actions, our words, our attitudes, and our relationships. They all add up to develop and shape that date on which we will reach our destiny.

Here are some thoughts to think about as you work on shaping your Date with Destiny:

The Mental Question: Do you believe that you can achieve a life of abundance? The frank truth is that many people simply do not believe that they can achieve what lies in their heart. Success is for someone else, a better person, or a smarter person. This is not true and is perhaps the greatest obstacle we face on the journey to our destiny. If we are to achieve the abundance in life we must first believe we can, or face our own continual self-sabotage of what a college professor of mine called "stinkin'-thinkin.'"

Here is the truth:
It doesn't matter what your intelligence is.
It doesn't matter what your current resources are.
It doesn't matter what you currently earn.
It doesn't matter what family you came from.

Nothing in your current circumstances matters in whether or not you can achieve your destiny! Nothing! Now, your current state may make it a longer or harder journey than someone else, but the possibility is always there no matter what your current circumstances are.

And that is the message we need to continually tell ourselves. "I can do it." Not "I can't do it."

Clear vision. Do you have one of your destiny? Here are some questions to determine whether or not your vision is clear.

Can you describe it in intricate detail?
Can you "see" it?
Can you "feel" it?
Can you "hear" it?

Here are a couple of illustrations.

Perhaps you came from a dysfunctional family and your dream is to have great moments with your family. Let's start with a Thanksgiving meal. Can you see each person there? What are they wearing? Are they smiling? What is the conversation? Can you hear the laughter? Can you experience the joy? Can you smell the turkey? Can you see people hugging each other and saying "This was wonderful," as they leave?

Another scenario: Your company. Can you see the large building you are in? Can you see the workers? Can you feel the positive attitude they have as they carry out their work? Can you experience the excitement as you get the quarterly results? Can you see yourself handing out healthy bonuses that bring pleasant surprises to your employees?

This is where it begins. A clear vision of your destiny.

Consider your resources. Are you aware of the resources you will need in order to set your date with destiny? Do you know how you will go about getting them? What are your natural gifts and talents that you have? How can you best utilize them in achieving your destiny?

What is your current level of resources?
Money?
Time?
Emotional health?
Help from others such as friends, family, employees or volunteers?

What will be your needed future level of resources? And have you developed a plan to achieve this level?

The last thing I would encourage you to do is fix a date in the future that you believe you could be living your destiny by. A real date. What this enables you to do is then begin to work backwards in setting goals to move you along the way, providing you with future points to strive for and an evaluation point to reflect upon.

Here are the points again:

Answer the mental question: Do I really believe?

Develop a clear vision.

Consider the resources needed.

Set a date with destiny.

Develop a plan to get there.

-- Chris Widener

父母子女的緣份

二十年前, 我的三個孩子長大了, 一個一個相繼離家, 本來就聚少離多的我們 , 整個家空洞的....連呼吸都聽到 .

我無意中看到一個外國婦女寫的文章 , 把其中片段摘錄護貝後 , 放在玻璃板下, 當我寂寞或孤獨時就再看一遍... 你的孩子並不屬於你 , 他們是生命延續的代表 , 他們經你而來,但非為你而生,你可以給他們愛卻不能給予思想,因為他們有自己的心, 你可以給孩子一個家,但這不是他心靈的住所,因為他們的心早已飛到他明天的家,你可以盡力去愛他們, 卻不能要求他們愛你.......

龍應台最近出了一本新書 "目送" 算是一本 "感人大作" 文字優美洗練，內容深刻感人， 真誠推荐，感動心靈！

有些路啊，只能一個人走，我慢慢地、慢慢地瞭解到，所謂父女母子一場，只不過意味著，你和他的緣分就是今生今世不斷地在目送他的背影漸行漸遠。

華安上小學第一天，我和他手牽著手，穿過好幾條街，到維多利亞小學。九月初，家家戶戶院子裡的蘋果和梨樹都綴滿了拳頭大小的果子，枝枒因為負重而沉沉下垂，越出了樹籬，勾到過路行人的頭髮。很多很多的孩子，在操場上等候上課的第一聲鈴響。小小的手，圈在爸爸的、媽媽的手心裡，怯怯的眼神，打量著周遭。他們是幼稚園的畢業生，但是他們還不知道一個定律：一件事情的畢業，永遠是另一件事情的開啟。鈴聲一響，頓時人影錯雜，奔往不同方向，但是在那麼多穿梭紛亂的人群裡，我無比清楚地看著自己孩子的背影──就好像在一百個嬰兒同時哭聲大作時，母親仍舊能夠準確聽出自己孩子哭聲的位置。

華安背著一個五顏六色的書包往前走，但是他不斷地回頭；好像穿越一條無邊無際的時空長河，他的視線和我凝望的眼光隔空交會。我看著他瘦小的背影消失在門裡。十六歲，他到美國作交換生一年。我送他到機場，告別時，照例擁抱，我的頭只能貼到他的胸口，好像抱住了長頸鹿的腳。他很明顯地在勉強忍受母親的深情。他在長長的行列裡，等候護照檢驗；我就站在外面，用眼睛跟著他的背影一寸一寸往前挪。終於輪到他，在海關窗口停留片刻，然後拿回護照，閃入一扇門，倏忽不見。我一直在等候，等候他消失前的回頭一瞥。但是他沒有，一次都沒有。 現在他二十一歲，上的大學，正好是我教課的大學。即使同路，他不搭我的車。即使同車，他戴上耳機....一個人聽音樂，有時他在對街等候公車，我從高樓的窗口往下看：一個高高瘦瘦的青年，眼睛望向灰色的海；我只能想像，他的內在世界和我的一樣波濤深邃，但是，我進不去。一會兒公車來了，擋住了他的身影。車子開走，一條空蕩蕩的街，只立著一只郵筒。 我慢慢、慢慢地瞭解到，所謂父女母子一場，只不過意味著，你和他的緣分就是今生今世不斷地在目送他的背影漸行漸遠。你站立在小路的這一端， 看著他逐漸消失在小路轉彎的地方， 而且，他用背影默默告訴你：不必追。

我慢慢、慢慢地意識到，我的落寞，彷彿和另一個背影有關。博士學位讀完之後，我回台灣教書。到大學報到第一天，父親用他那輛運送飼料的廉價小貨車長途送我。到了我才發覺，他沒開到大學正門口，而是停在側門的窄巷邊。卸下行李之後，他爬回車內，準備回去，明明啟動了引擎，卻又搖下車窗，頭伸出來說：「女兒，爸爸覺得很對不起你，這種車子實在不是送大學教授的車子。」我看著他的小貨車小心地倒車，然後噗噗駛出巷口，留下一團黑煙。直到車子轉彎看不見了，我還站在那裡，一口皮箱旁。

每個禮拜到醫院去看他，是十幾年後的時光了。推著他的輪椅散步，他的頭低垂到胸口。有一次，發現排泄物淋滿了他的褲腿，我蹲下來用自己的手帕幫他擦拭，裙子也沾上了糞便，但是我必須就這樣趕回台北上班。護士接過他的輪椅，我拎起皮包，看著輪椅的背影，在自動玻璃門前稍停，然後沒入門後。我總是在暮色沉沉中奔向機場。

火葬場的爐門前，棺木是一只巨大而沉重的抽屜，緩緩往前滑行。沒有想到可以站得那麼近，距離爐門也不過五公尺。雨絲被風吹斜，飄進長廊內。我掠開雨濕了前額的頭髮，深深、深深地凝望，希望記得這最後一次的目送。我慢慢地、慢慢地瞭解到，所謂父女母子一場，只不過意味著，你和他的緣分就是今生今世不斷地在目送他的背影漸行漸遠。你站立在小路的這一端， 看著他逐漸消失在小路轉彎的地方， 而且， 他用背影默默告訴你：不必追。

Top 10 Powerful Secrets to Empower Your Life by Cecilia Nannini

Living a successful prosperous life filled with happiness and inner peace is available to everyone. All YOU need to do is know the secrets to creating the life you want to experience. Here is a summary of the ten secrets from the up coming series of tele-seminars – Top 10 Powerful Secrets for Empowering Your Life (for more information visit http://www.PowerfulSecreS.com.) Make them an integral part of your life.

1. Clarity - Know clearly what you want.
Before any journey can start you need to know where you want to go, even if you don’t know exactly how to get there. This is true for your life as well. You need to know what you want in your life before you can start to create it in your life. This step is SO important. Put aside some quiet time, with no noise or interruptions, close your eyes and day-dream about the most wonderful life you can imaging for yourself. What job or career would you love to do? What would your home environment be like? How would your relationships be, with your partner, your children, your parents your friends, your co-workers? What about your finances, your health, your fitness? In every area of your life, stretch your imagination to where you feel a surge of excitement or joy run through your body. Stretch your imagination to the point of exhilaration but still within a believable range of possibility for you. Write down a description of this picture with as much detail as you can, note especially, how you feel when you imagine living this life. Now you have your destination, keep it in focus. Watch for opportunities that come your way that line up with this image.

2. Understand The Law of Attraction and Ask for What You Want.
You may know it as the power of positive thinking, Karma, co-incidence etc. What is actually happening is that everything in the universe is made up of energy vibrating at different frequencies. Energy of a particular frequency will attract more energy of that same frequency, in other words, in the case of energy ‘like’ attracts ‘like’. Your thoughts are energy and by imagining some wonderful wish, for yourself, the joyous feeling the thought generates in you, gives out vibrational energy that attracts to you more of what gives you joy. You can think of it as putting an order to the Universe and the universe delivers what you have FELT about. It is the feeling that the thought generates in you that is the vibration. But a word of caution, this will work in the positive or the negative i.e. you can also attract things you don’t want when you focus on the things you don’t want that make you feel bad, so make sure you only focus on and put your energy into, positive and joyous things and watch your life become more and more joyous.

3–Segment Intent - Set yourself intentions for smaller sections of your life’s journey
It is important to know where you want to get to when setting off on a long journey i.e. your life, however the journey is made up entirely of small section we live day to day, all strung together. Therefore although you have the idea and feeling of the overall life you have set as your desire, live each day with an intention you set for that part of the journey. A joyous and successful life is one that is filled with joyous and successful moments. Set your intention to make each part of your day the best you can imagine. What outcome would you like from the work meeting you are going to have this morning? How would you like the visit to your in-laws to turn out? What would you like the mood to be as you prepare the children for school? Take a minute before starting each part of the day and make a wish on how you would like the moment to be. You will be amazed at the difference this can make.


4. Live The Power of Now.
Be aware of the power of ‘now’. The concept of time is a man-made one. The past does not exist except in your mind. Neither does the future. The only moment that exists is the NOW. It is the only moment in which you can live. By dwelling in what has happened in the past or by putting off living for some time in the future you will be wasting all your ‘now’ moments, which is where your life is happening. When your mind is pre-occupied by either the past or future thoughts, it is taking your awareness away from your life in the now. This way you live an unconscious or semi-unconscious life, missing all the wonder that surrounds you and is there for your immediate enjoyment. When you become fully present to what you are doing in the moment, you will feel the power of the universe behind everything you do, your task will be done with much more ease and satisfaction.

5. Be Grateful.
Our feeling and emotions are how we communicate with the unlimited potentiality of the universe or source energy. It is therefore of utmost importance that your vibration or emotions are always at the frequency of what you desire to attract into your life. The best way to start is to feel grateful for what you already have in your life. No matter what your situation is, find something to be grateful for. Keep a ‘gratitude diary’. List everything you are grateful for and FEEL the gratitude. This will lift your emotional vibration and it will in turn attract to you more of what you will feel grateful for and so on. Your vibrational frequency will be raised spiralling upwards, attracting more and more of the life that you desire.

6. Believing, Allowing and Patient detachment.
Once you have placed your order with the universe and you have felt the joy of having what you have asked for, then in order to keep your energy frequency, your vibration at the level needed, you must continue to believe that what you have ordered will manifest. It is when you let the slightest doubt creep in to your thinking that your vibration level will drop and you will stop attracting what you wanted. You need to believe beyond doubt. This allows the universe to deliver to you. Practicing patient detachment is one way of not doubting. If you want something so badly and you are very attached to the outcome it is more likely that you well let yourself for even a moment think, “Oh its no use this isn’t going to happen”, and by thinking that thought you stop what you want from coming through.

7. Track Your nine-year cycle.
This is often include in numerology books but is helpful to include this here. This helps in practising patient detachment when you can accept that there is a time for everything. All you want to attract into your life comes just at the right time when you are ready to receive it. This is sometimes a factor of what year you are at in your nine-year cycle. If you think of the cycle as having seasons, there is a new beginning in the 1st year. It is a creative year, a time for sow the seeds of something new. Year 5 of the cycle is when you start to get fruit from what you put in place in the first four years. The sixth year is the year of abundance when you can share the harvest with others. Years 7 & 8 are years of abundance and gratitude and the 9th year is a year of completion and getting ready to start a new cycle. For a FREE copy of “Your Nine-Year Cycle Workbook” please go to www.PowerfulSecrets.com

8. Listen to Your Emotional Guidance System
It is your full-proof way of knowing what is right for you. When you quieten both the outside noise coming into you and the inside noise going on in your head through meditation, you can connect to your true self and your emotional guidance system. If something is right for you, you will feel a surge of joy or excitement coming from somewhere in the middle of your chest area or gut. If you don’t get a good feeling and in fact get a bad feeling then it is not for you. Trust your emotional guidance system and always refer to it before making important decision.

9. Practice Meditation, Creative Visualization and Affirmations.
Meditation and Creative Visualization are two techniques vital in communicating with the universe or source energy. When you quieten both the outside noise coming into you, and the inside noise going on in your head through meditation, you can connect to your true-self. Affirmations are a way of shifting your thinking and beliefs to accommodate new insights you have as you experience self-development and growth. They will are vital to all the above points you need to live an empowered life and to fulfil your destiny. These are all very powerful tools and techniques and are important in tapping into your own inner wisdom. Make them a part of you daily life.

10.Take the Appropriate Action.
The last step in attracting or manifesting what you want through the law of attraction is taking the appropriate action. Step one: you have asked for what you want; step two: you believe you are in the process of receiving it; now, step 3: you need to be alert when opportunities present them-selves. Seize those opportunities and take the appropriate action. This is the way you receive your order. Don’t doubt, use your emotional guidance system and take appropriate action with confidence.

To receive further information on the upcoming series of tele-seminars as well as a FREE copy of “Your Personal Nine-Year Cycle Workbook” visit www.powerfulsecrets.com



Author's Bio
Cecilia Nannini has a degree in Management and has developed her expertise as an empowerment mentor, speaker and internationally published author in the area of self-growth, personal development. She has written books like “Tracking and Interpreting Your Nine-Year Cycles”, has co-authored books like “Empowered” and “The Path To Success”, and with co-authors including Dr Wayne Dyer, Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, Mark Victor Hansen, and is currently working on her next book Powerful Secrets for Success.

After a personal crisis where Cecilia lost everything, her partner, her home, all her assets, and all hope, she experienced a dark night of the soul that changed her life. Cecilia started on her journey of discovery. She now lives the “powerful secrets” she has studied for years, and devotes her time passing on everything that has helped her along the way.

Cecilia now lives the life she loves. Through her website, and her writing, she is passionate about empowering others to find their true self, their connection to source energy, and creating the life they were meant to live. She teaches ancient wisdom : Personal Nine-Year Cycles, Law of Attraction, Present Moment Awareness, Emotional Guidance System, Creative Visualization, and Meditation. Visit PowerfulSecrets.com for FREE Report to empower your life.

快樂的祕訣 -魏悌香牧師

瑞典古騰堡大學的一群研究人員，針對「人該怎麼樣才會感到快樂」進行大規模研究，結果發現「朝工作目標努力」比起「完成目標」更能讓人感到快樂。研究顯示，中了樂透大獎固然會讓人興奮，但這種快樂的感覺並不能持續太久，就像完成目標一樣，只是一時的快樂。而朝著工作目標努力，才更能使人感到滿足，天天精力充沛。

這項研究報告顛覆很多人對快樂的想法。我們常以為唯有達成目標才能獲得快樂及滿足，很多人拚命追求結果，來不及享受發展的過程，以致於讓自己落入疲累不堪的光景中。何不調整一下步伐，以品嘗咖啡的心態，欣賞自己的努力及付出，並且懷著感恩的心往前走，你會在努力的每一個階段中，為自己找到快樂的元素。

繞圈子

唐憎玄奘前往西天取經時所騎的白馬只是長安城中一家磨坊裡的一匹普通白馬。這匹馬並沒有什麼出眾之處，只不過一生下來就在磨坊裡工作，身強體健，吃苦耐勞，從不搗亂。玄奘大師心想：西方路途遙遠，去時要做坐騎，回來時要負馱經書。況且自己的騎術又不是很好，還是挑選忠實可靠的馬吧。選來選去，就選中了磨坊的這匹馬。

這一去，就是十七年。待唐憎返回東土大唐，已是名滿天夏的傳奇英雄，這匹馬也成了取經的功臣，被譽為「大唐第一名馬」。白馬衣錦還鄉，來到昔日的磨坊看望老朋友。一大群驢子和老馬圍著白馬，聽白馬講西天途中的見聞以及今日的榮耀，大家稱羨不已。

白馬很平靜地說：「各位，我也沒有什麼了不起，只不過有幸被玄奘大師選中，一步一步西去東回而已。這十七年間，大家也沒閒著，只不過你們是在家門口來回打轉。其實，我走一步，你也在走一步，咱們走過的路還是一般長，也一樣的辛苦。」眾驢子和馬都靜了下來。是啊，自己也沒閒著啊，怎麼人家就「功成名就」，自己還是老樣子呢？

這話真的很發人深省。如果你在房間裡一圈又一圈地走，你可以走上幾百公里的路，但不管你走多少年，還是無法從房間走出去。但是如果你知道門在哪裡，那麼，很快就可以走出去。我們一生一直都在繞圈子......一圈又一圈，我們就像那些驢子和馬，每天也沒閒著；並不是我們不努力，而是不知道「為了什麼」而努力；我們一生也都在受苦，但「除了痛苦」之外，並沒有從中得到什麼？似乎所有人都繞不出那個圈子。

我非常認同杜斯妥也夫斯基（Dostoevsky）所說的一句話：「我只害怕一件事情，我怕我不值得自己所受的苦。」他說得對，如果你已經承受了痛苦，欠缺的是去領悟痛苦以外的感受。千萬別白白受苦了，否則那輪迴的圈子一定會再繞回來。記得心理學家法蘭克爾寫過：「活著就是要受苦，受苦是要找到受苦的意義。」成長的過程是苦的，但是當你越堅持這種內在轉化的過程，你越發現喜悅、平靜和智慧穿透到你的內在，你就能離苦得樂。

人生最大的痛苦是自我成長，最大的快樂也是自我成長──只要你找得到那個意義。

忽略和忘記的智慧-張禮文

在美國加州的島上，有一種鳥叫美洲鷹。由於市場上有人高價收購，當地人對美洲鷹進行瘋狂的捕獵，導致美洲鷹在島上絕跡，人們再也看不到牠的蹤影，認為這個物種已經從世界上消失了。

美洲鷹究竟是一種什麼樣的鳥呢？一隻成年的美洲鷹，是體重達到二十公斤，兩翼自然展開達到三公尺的巨鳥。牠在海面上飛行時，一個俯衝下來，就能抓起一隻小海豹飛上天空。這種鳥絕跡了，人們很後悔當時衝動的行為。

在大家認為世界上不可能再出現美洲鷹的時候，美國一名專門研究美洲鷹的科學家，卻在南美安第斯山脈的一個岩洞裏，發現了絕跡多年的美洲鷹。讓人感到不可思議的是，這種體形龐大、習慣在海上飛翔的美洲鷹，竟然能在擁擠狹小的岩洞中生活。洞中到處都是奇形怪狀的岩石，岩石與岩石之間最大的距離是零點五英尺；最狹窄的地方，兩塊岩石幾乎緊貼在一起。有的岩石薄得像刀片，有的岩石尖得像釘子。在這樣的情況下，別說身體龐大的美洲鷹無法生活，連麻雀恐怕都很難棲身。美洲鷹究竟是以什麼樣的方式生活？所有專家都難以想像。

科學家利用高科技的方法，在洞中捕捉到一隻美洲鷹，然後用許多樹枝把牠圍在中間，再用鐵蒺藜做成直徑為零點五英尺的小洞，試著讓牠從洞裏往外飛。美洲鷹一下子便從零點五英尺的小洞裏飛出去了，速度快得誰也沒有看清楚是怎麼一回事。科學家只能透過錄影的慢動作觀察。錄影的慢動作顯示，美洲鷹在穿過小洞的一剎那，翅膀緊緊地貼在肚子上，雙腳直直伸到尾部，與伸直的脖子和頭保持在一條直線上，巨大的軀體在瞬間變成一條又柔又軟的麵條，進而輕鬆做到人們無法想像的事情。

在對美洲鷹研究中還發現，美洲鷹身上布滿了大小不一的老繭子，老繭子的堅硬程度可以與岩石相抗衡。可見，當時美洲鷹為了躲避人類的追捕，來到這樣的岩洞裏，為了適應環境，為了讓自己龐大的身軀能穿過岩石之間狹小的縫隙，在一次次地受傷中調整自己、改變自己，終於讓自己的身上有了老繭子以抵禦岩石的摩擦，讓自己龐大的身軀柔軟到可以瞬間成為一條直線。美洲鷹無法躲避人類的捕殺，無法改變岩洞的狹小，但是牠卻改變自己，進而獲得新生，讓瀕臨絕跡的物種得以延續。

作為人類，很多原因會把我們逼到連翻身都不能的狹小空間。想要活下去，我們就得像美洲鷹一樣，不斷地縮小自己，以騰出更大的生存空間。縮小自己是很困難的，可能會流淚，可能要受傷，但是只有勇於並且甘願縮小自己的人，才可以穿過狹小的縫隙，獲得更廣闊的天空。我們無法選擇自己的出身、父母和家庭，無法選擇決定我們前半生命運的平台。無論這個平台如何，對我們的影響有多大，我們都無法改變，所以不必抱怨，只需要承認和接受。但是，我們絕對有辦法選擇自己後半生的道路、生活環境或是生活方式，也就是說，我們可以設計自己的第二次出生，也同樣能賦與自己的第二次生命。

有人說，自己有想法沒辦法，但是翻身的辦法很簡單，朝著正確的方向走，以正確的方法解決遇到的問題。至於什麼是正確的辦法？就是能使自己翻過身站起來，而不會摔倒的辦法。在這個過程中，有兩種心態是我們生活在社會最底層的人最應該學會並且運用的，就是忘記和忽略。

二十歲之前，我們應該學會忽略，而且必須學會忽略。忽略不是一種懦弱，而是一種生存技能，特別是一個人處於弱勢的時候。如果你一無所有，你就應該忽略別人說你是一個窮人；如果你出身低微，你就應該忽略別人對你鄙視的眼神；如果你沒有背景和關係，你就必須忽略別人如魚得水、一帆風順；如果一個人與你沒有直接的利益關係，你就有必要忽略他的道德觀、價值觀和人生觀。忽略是對別人的一種寬容，是對自己的一種解脫。忽略是對自己的一種減壓，也是一種使自己活得更輕鬆、更簡單的方法。它能使自己專心地做自己應該做的，或喜歡做的事。忽略困難，就等於給自己力量。

學會「忽略」，忽略一個本不屬於你的強加，就卸下一個本不屬於你的重負；忽略一個本屬於自己的公平，就能爭取一個本不屬於自己的機會；忽略自己無法專注的事情，對人生就是一種最直接的跨越。

然後「忘記」，忘記自己無法承載的東西，對自己就是一種最簡單的釋放；忘記一個錯誤的開始，就可能得到一個正確的結束；忘記曾經盲目的選擇，就可以爭取一個清醒的擁有。

其實在人的一生當中，忽略和忘記是醫治心靈創傷、甩掉包袱的最好辦法。學會忽略，心態就能平和；學會忘記，精神就能輕鬆。忽略和忘記，不是一種懦弱，而是一種力量，只要你還走在奔向目標的路上。

Leadership Tip - Managing the Unimaginable by Theresa-Maria Napa, CPCC, LOACC

“It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.” Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008) New Zealand mountaineer and explorer.

If you are someone who is overworked, stressed out, burned out, under-paid, and underappreciated, then read on to see what successful people do to be winners in their lives.

In today’s environment you are being pulled in umpteen different directions at once. Each direction wants a part of you. The parts are getting exhausted and worn out, but you keep plugging along believing there is no other way. And you sincerely want to be your best, do your best, and be the fixer, problem solver all-in-one.

Maybe you are a business owner trying to keep from drowning in the cascade of responsibilities with limited funds preventing you from getting additional help; or an executive expected to reach goals with limited resources; or maybe your company has downsized putting additional leadership responsibilities on your plate.

A typical day might be this: getting up is a chore, since you may not have gotten enough sleep to rest and rejuvenate your tired body. You hurry to get dressed, perhaps skip breakfast, check text and voicemail messages as you rush to get to work. Stacked onto a lack of sleep and a harried morning you are now faced with additional stress getting to an important meeting, while answering emails and social networking - and the day has only just begun.

By the end of the day you may even feel guilty that you didn’t get enough done and you didn’t call a friend to wish him/her a happy birthday. It is what I call “condensed living,” because it is creating a future within a framework of what you are accustomed to doing, rather than “Managing from the Unimaginable.”

The unimaginable is that which is available to all of us, but without managing your schedule to access the unimaginable, you continue to live repetitively from the container of the past. Going to the unimaginable is accessing your imagination to design new strategies. By exploring the unimaginable you will be greatly surprised at your brilliance and solutions.


Questions to Tap into the Unimaginable:

1. What if I were to be an Observer of my situation wherein I could be objective?
2. What would I see as an Observer?
3. What is working that would be useful toward winning my goals.
4. What do I need to let go of?
5. Where am I deceiving myself?


Tips:

• Become the Observer of your life. Looking in from the outside watching yourself doing what you are doing throughout the day. An Observer is non-judgmental and unemotional. Objectively notice what is it you see that is working toward your best interest.

• Working on overdrive deprives you body, mind and spirit from actually performing at your best. Your mind is the powerhouse from where you can gain amazing answers. Tired minds bring about diluted results. If you want to be an influential leader, improve your bottom line, or have a better way to do things, then rest your mind and do something creative that you enjoy. Answers will come to you.

• Learn to balance your career and personal life. Look at simplifying tasks and letting go of tasks that don’t serve your bigger picture objectives.

• It is easy to get hypnotized by daily routines that cause unconsciousness in our relationships to those in our life and especially the relationship with oneself. There are numerous reasons why and why not to do something, but what is the cost when you are depriving yourself with limited thinking from the past?

• Managing the unimaginable is connecting to answers that are unimaginable to anyone living in the past. Unlimited possibilities are available from the right side of the brain. Get involved in creative activities that are enjoyable. It can be as simple as doodling or mind-mapping.

• There is only so much stress your body, mind and spirit can endure. Your body’s immune ystem suffers from stress, your peace of mind suffers and your passion for life diminishes when you keep asking these parts to consistently put in overtime. You are meant to expand and live life joyously. The key is to give yourself permission that it is okay to invest in your self-awareness.

• Say “yes” to what deepens learning and moves you forward. It is way more powerful than being seduced by the past way of doing things which no longer work.

• Say “no” to what doesn’t serve you in living life fully.

• Remember to manage your imagination to reach your unimaginable brilliance and Anything is Possible!

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.” Pantanjali (c. 1st to 3rd Century B.C.) Indian master and founder of Yoga

Author's Bio
Theresa-Maria Napa, CPCC, LOACC is a certified personal and professional coach; founder of Right Track Coaching. Her talents have been strengthened through a variety of disciplines: Coaches Training Institute, Co-Active Leadership, Course in Miracles, Landmark, Coachpreneurs, CoachVille, Fashion Designer, Licensed Cosmetologist, VP of Marketing & Operations, Director of Marketing & Administration, Anthony Robbins, Stephen Covey, Now What authorized facilitator, Law of Attraction certified coach, Women in Film Chicago Board Member, NAWBO Membership Committee, small business owner, and more.

Theresa-Maria, takes her coaching to higher levels of impact with her understanding, compassion, and deliberate intention that each of her clients is distinctive in who they are and what they want to achieve. The testimonials at righttrackcoaching.com offer an insight to what her clients say about her style and what they accomplished during and after they were coached by T-M.

T-M loves to laugh, make a difference, as well as being the best she can be. She explores new possibilities and knows how to enjoy being in the now. Check out her programs at righttrackcoaching.com.

The Key to Charisma

By: Brian Tracy

There is a close association between personal charisma and success in life. Probably 85 percent of your success and happiness will come from your relationships and interactions with others. The more positively others respond to you, the easier it will be for you to get the things you want.

The Law of Attraction
In essence, when we discuss charisma, we are talking about the law of attraction. This law has been stated in many different ways down through the centuries, but it basically says that you inevitably attract into your life the people and circumstances that harmonize with your dominant thoughts.

You Are A Living Magnet
In a sense, you are a living magnet, and you are constantly radiating thought waves, like a radio station radiates sound waves, that are picked up by other people. Your thoughts, intensified by your emotions, as radio waves are intensified by electric impulses, go out from you and are picked up by anyone who is tuned in to a similar wavelength. You then attract into your life people, ideas, opportunities, resources, circumstances and anything else that is consistent with your dominant frame of mind.

The law of attraction also explains how you can build up your levels of charisma so that you can have a greater and more positive impact on the people whose cooperation, support and affection you desire.

Perception is Everything
The critical thing to remember about charisma is that it is largely based on perception. It is based on what people think about you. It is not so much reality as it is what people perceive you to be. For example, one person can create charisma in another person by speaking in glowing terms about that person to a third party. If you believe that you are about to meet an outstanding and important person, that person will tend to have charisma for you.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta
One of the most charismatic people in the world was Mother Teresa of Calcutta. In a physical sense, she was a quiet, elderly, frail woman in poor health, and she wore a modest nun's habit. She might have been ignored by a person passing her on the street, were it not for the tremendous charisma she developed and for the fact that her appearance was so well-known to so many people as a result.

How Would You Feel?
If someone told you that he was going to introduce you to a brilliant, self-made millionaire who was very quiet and unassuming about his success, you would almost naturally imbue that person with charisma, and in his presence, you would not act the same as you would if you had been told nothing at all. Charisma begins largely in the mind of the beholder.

Lasting charisma depends more upon the person you really are than upon just the things you do.

Continually look for ways to improve other's perceptions of you so that you can be more influential with them. Be a living magnet.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, be clear about the messages you are sending and the perceptions you are creating in others. Are these perceptions consistent with the impressions you want to make?

Second, see yourself and imagine yourself every day as an important powerful and charming person. Treat others as you would if you were already strong, famous and influential.

Fake it until you make it!

The Rules of Selling - By Kelley Robertson

We live in a quick-fix society so it's no wonder that many salespeople look for the magic cure or band-aid solution to increase their sales. However, I believe that success in sales follows a basic set of rules.

Fill the pipeline. Many people experience tremendous peaks and valleys in their sales because they do not consistently prospect for new business. This frequently occurs when a sales person is busy. They neglect to prospect because it is the least enjoyable aspect of their job but when the sales drop or business with their current clients ends, they scramble to generate new business. Invest time filling your pipeline on a regular basis and you will seldom have to worry about reaching your targets.

Ask high-quality questions. I have written about this before but the vast majority of sales people (even seasoned pros) fail to ask their prospects and customers high-quality questions. This can happen because they have never been taught to ask questions or because they think that they do it. Unfortunately, failing to ask high-quality questions early in the sales process means they often mis-pitch their product, service or solution which causes the prospect to voice more objections. And once you ask a question...be quiet, wait for an answer. Too many sales people give their prospects answers to the questions or continue talking after the question has been asked.

Listen. I believe that the best salespeople are the best listeners. If you invest time asking great questions it is critical to listen to what the other person tells you. Many things can get in your way and prevent you from accurately hearing what has been said. Try this; at the end of a sales meeting, summarize your understanding of the conversation in your own words and check the accuracy of this summary with your prospect.

Focus your presentation. Make your presentation all about the customer. It's not about you, your company or your product. Virtually every sales presentation I have been subjected started with the sales person talking about their company; reciting stats about how long they have been in business, who they have as clients, etc. Adapting the presentation to meet the specific needs of each individual customer is what the top sales people do. Regardless of what your marketing department thinks people seldom care about your company. They want to know what problem your solution will solve. Avoid using unnecessary jargon or terminology. The simpler your presentation, the easier it is to understand.

Trust is essential. If people don't trust you chances are they won't buy from you. This is more challenging than it sounds because your prospects are inundated with calls and emails from other people all trying to sell them something. And, because of the less-than-honest experiences decision-makers have encountered, they are more reluctant to trust someone they don't know. That means you need to demonstrate exactly why a prospect should trust you. You can't tell them; you must show them. You can do this by acting in a professional manner, treating the people at your prospect's company with respect and dignity, and respecting the time of your prospect.

Show value. The best way to demonstrate value is to show exactly how your solution will benefit your prospect. Contrary to popular belief this does not mean talking at great length about it or telling your prospect everything there is to know about your product or service. Showing value means discussing the aspects of your solution that are most relevant to each customer or prospect, in terms that are easy to understand.

Do what you say you will do when you said you would do it. Sounds simple, huh? Personal experience has taught me that sales people frequently say they will do something then fail to follow through on their commitment. This lack of attention to detail demonstrates a lack of respect and quickly leads to a loss of trust.

Know when to let go. I often talk to sales people who continue following a lead even when it is clear that a sale will not happen. This usually happens when their pipeline is not active with prospects. If you have done everything you can to move the sales process forward but it has ground to a halt you must consider whether it is the best use of your time to keep trying to make it happen. More often than not, it is not worth the time and effort. You have a finite amount of time in a day or week which means you need to focus your attention on leads and prospects who are interested in your product, service or solution.

Follow these rules of selling and you will notice an immediate improvement in your results.

About the Author:
Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling helps sales professionals close more deals so they can reach their sales quotas and targets. Receive a FREE copy of 100 Ways to Increase Your Sales by subscribing to his free newsletter at Fearless-Selling.ca. Kelley conducts workshops and speaks regularly at sales meetings and conferences. For information on his programs contact him at 905-633-7750 or Kelley@Fearless-Selling.ca.

The Seven C's of Success by Brian Tracy

After having studied top achievers and peak performers over the past 25 years, I´ve concluded that these unique men and women, have in most cases, mastered what I call the Seven C's of Success.

1. Clarity - Eighty percent of success comes from being clear on who you are, what you believe in and what you want.

2. Competence - You can't climb to the next rung on the ladder until you are excellent at what you do now.

3. Constraints - Eighty percent of all obstacles to success come from within. Find out what is constraining in you or your company and deal with it

4. Concentration - The ability to focus on one thing single-mindedly and see it through until it's done takes more character than anything else.

5. Creativity - Flood your life with ideas from many sources. Creativity needs to be exercised like a muscle, if you don't use it you'll lose it.

6. Courage - Most in demand and least in supply, courage is the willingness to do the things you know are right

7. Continuous learning - Read, at the very least, one book a week on business to keep you miles ahead of the competition. And just as you eat and bathe, organize your time so you spend 30 minutes a day exploring e-mail, sending messages, going through web sites, because like exercise, it's the only way you can keep on top of technology. If you get away from it, you'll lose your edge.

-- Brian Tracy

Seven Steps to Achieving Your Dream by Chris Widener

"Vision is the spectacular that inspires us to carry out the mundane." -- Chris Widener

Can achievement be broken down into steps? Well, it isn't always that clean and easy, but I do know that those who achieve great things usually go through much of the same process, with many of the items listed below as part of that process. So if you have been struggling with achievement, look through the following and internalize the thoughts presented. Then begin to apply them. You will be on the road to achieving your dream!

1. Dream it - Everything begins in the heart and mind. Every great achievement began in the mind of one person. They dared to dream, to believe that it was possible. Take some time to allow yourself to ask "What if?" Think big. Don't let negative thinking discourage you. You want to be a "dreamer." Dream of the possibilities for yourself, your family, and for others. If you had a dream that you let grow cold, re-ignite the dream! Fan the flames. Life is too short to let it go.

2. Believe it - Yes, your dream needs to be big. It needs to be something that is seemingly beyond your capabilities. But it also must be believable. You must be able to say that if certain things take place, if others help, if you work hard enough, though it is a big dream, it can still be done. Good example: A person with no college education can dream that he will build a 50 million-dollar a year company. That is big, but believable. Bad example: That a 90-year-old woman with arthritis will someday run a marathon in under 3 hours. It is big alright, but also impossible. She should instead focus on building a 50 million-dollar a year business! And she better get a move on!

3. See it - The great achievers have a habit. They "see" things. They picture themselves walking around their CEO office in their new 25 million-dollar corporate headquarters, even while they are sitting on a folding chair in their garage "headquarters." Great free-throw shooters in the NBA picture the ball going through the basket. PGA golfers picture the ball going straight down the fairway. World-class speakers picture themselves speaking with energy and emotion. All of this grooms the mind to control the body to carry out the dream.

4. Tell it - One reason many dreams never go anywhere is because the dreamer keeps it all to himself. It is a quiet dream that only lives inside of his mind. The one who wants to achieve their dream must tell that dream to many people. One reason: As we continually say it, we begin to believe it more and more. If we are talking about it, then it must be possible. Another reason: It holds us accountable. When we have told others, it spurs us on to actually do it so we don't look foolish.

5. Plan it - Every dream must take the form of a plan. The old saying that you "get what you plan for" is so true. Your dream won't just happen. You need to sit down, on a regular basis, and plan out your strategy for achieving the dream. Think through all of the details. Break the whole plan down into small, workable parts. Then set a time frame for accomplishing each task on your "dream plan."

6. Work it - Boy, wouldn't life be grand if we could quit before this one! Unfortunately, the successful are usually the hardest workers. While the rest of the world is sitting on their couch watching re-runs of Gilligan's Island, achievers are working on their goal - achieving their dream. I have an equation that I work with: Your short-term tasks, multiplied by time, equal your long-term accomplishments. If you work on it each day, eventually you will achieve your dream. War and Peace was written, in longhand, page by page.

7. Enjoy it - When you have reached your goal and you are living your dream, be sure to enjoy it. In fact, enjoy the trip too. Give yourself some rewards along the way. Give yourself a huge reward when you get there. Help others enjoy it. Be gracious and generous. Use your dream to better others. Then go back to number 1. And dream a little bigger this time!

Chris Widener

Chase Your Passion (Not Your Pension)! by Dr. Denis Waitley

Lisa, our youngest daughter, earned her master's degree before starting a career as a high school English teacher. At the time of her graduation, I doubt she was more excited than her parents were. As we entered the stadium for the commencement services, it dawned on me that after putting seven children through college and graduate studies, I'd finally be able to fund my retirement plan.

It was very hot in the concrete arena. A midday sun beat squarely in our faces. I suspected that the exercises would be long and merciless. As the graduates filed in, I was amused to see slogans taped to their tasseled caps. "Will work for food!" "Get my room ready, Mom!" Our daughter's read, "Thanks Mom and Pop." Some wore bathing suits beneath their gowns. Some blew bubbles with a pipe and soap. Most were ecstatic about finally leaving school, visibly impatient for that night's parties and for freedom and the opportunity to earn.

As the warm-up speakers droned on about politically correct issues, I wondered whether any time would remain for the main speaker. In fact, his address lasted barely ten minutes, which may have set a national record for brevity. (Winston Churchill holds the international record: thirty seconds to repeat "Never give up!" nine times.)

That main speaker was Edward James Olmos, the actor-activist who played Jaime Escalante in an inspiring movie about inner-city students called Stand and Deliver. Olmos stood up, removed his cap, and regarded the graduates. "So we're ready to party?" he asked. "Yeah, let's party!" they answered in unison. "I know, thank God it's Friday," he resumed. "But commencement means to begin, not finish. You've had a four-year sabbatical from life, and now you're ready to go out there and earn. You're only beginning Real World 101 in your education.

"One more thing before we leave," he continued. "Please never, ever work for money. Please don't just get a job. A job is something that many of you had while you worked your way through college. A job is something you do for money. But a career is something you do because you're inspired to do it. You want to do it, you love doing it, you're excited when you do it. And you'd do it even if you were paid nothing beyond food and the basics. You'd do it because it's your life."

What he was saying, which I have tried to recall and interpret in my own words is that many of you will go out and try to get the highest-paying job possible, regardless of the industry, regardless of the opportunity, regardless of the service or product the company may provide. If you chase money, it may catch you - and if it catches you, you'll forever be its slave.

By letting money pursue you but never catch you, you'll always be its master. By always doing what you love, loving what you do, delivering more than you promise, you'll always be underpaid - which is how it always should be.

For if you're paid more than you're worth, you may be restructured, reengineered, replaced, fired, declared obsolete, disposed of. Overpaid people are overdrawn in their knowledge bank account. People who are underpaid for the level and quality of the service they provide are always in demand and always ahead of the money in their knowledge and contribution. So money and opportunity are always chasing them. This is what I got out of the commencement speech that day.

Olmos concluded with a charged voice and moist eyes. "Chase your passion, not your pension! Be inspired to learn as much as you can, to find a cause that benefits humankind - and you'll be sought after for your quality of service and dedication to excellence. This passion will make you oblivious of quitting time and to the length of your workday. You'll awake every morning with the passion of pursuit, but not the pursuit of money.

"Those who do more than they're paid for are always sought for their services. Their name and work outlive them and always command the highest price. Chase your passion, not your pension!"

The graduates were stunned. Many cried with joy. I was speechless, which is rare indeed. Olmos was no actor speaking for an honorarium. He was all passion, pure and simple. "Maybe we should have taught that in a class," I heard a faculty member say.

-- Denis Waitley

A Case Study in Influence: Hyundai

Everyone wants to be the best. If you aren't the best, then chances are you're looking to see who is and trying to emulate them. Put simply, influencers attract imitators.

Lately, Hyundai has proved to be a leader in the auto industry. While sales of competitors have slowed to a crawl, Hyundai has been cruising in the fast lane and gobbling up market share along the way. Other automakers are taking notice, and copying Hyundai's strategies.

A decade ago, Hyundai introduced its eye-popping America's Best Warranty, providing 10-yr, 100,000-mile powertrain protection. Rivals scrambled to follow suit, upgrading their own warranty offerings. More recently, Hyundai unveiled its Assurance program to give car buyers security in light of economic instability. Within months, GM released its Total Confidence plan, and Ford responded with the Ford Advantage.

Despite a terrible market, Hyundai's influence has thrived. How has the Korean automaker been able to pioneer innovation within the American market?

Three Reasons for Hyundai's Influence

1) Building Trust

Hyundai entered the U.S. market with a splash in 1986, selling more than 126,000 cars. Unfortunately for Hyundai, the splash was followed by a thud as buyers were greeted with a host of quality defects. The abysmal quality of its cars made the South Korean automaker the laughingstock of the industry. "How do you double the value of a Hyundai?" asked one joke, "Fill the gas tank."

Reeling from quality concerns, Hyundai had to reestablish trust with wary consumers. In an attempt to do so, the company settled upon a marketing plan to offer over-the-top security to customers willing to buy Hyundai. Dangling the incentive of America's Best Warranty, Hyundai won back the business of skeptical buyers.

However, convincing customers to buy was only half the battle. Could Hyundai satisfy them and earn repeat business? Thankfully for Hyundai, it was able to deliver quality and fix its image. In stepping up its caliber of manufacturing, Hyundai equaled and, in some cases, surpassed the Japanese automakers in measures of quality. By doing so, the company won back the trust of customers.

2) Initiating the Relationship

In rough financial times, customers don't magically appear at your doorstep. The people and companies that go farther than others to connect with customers gain influence. While competitors withdrew high-profile advertisements to save money, Hyundai aggressively marketed itself during the Super Bowl and the Academy Awards.

3) Having a Timely Message

Not only did Hyundai invest to reach out to customers, it also crafted a compelling message that resonated with the concerns of American consumers. Unveiling the Assurance program, Hyundai assuaged potential buyers' fears of job instability. At a time when rivals begged the government for a bailout, Hyundai pledged to bailout its customers who fell upon hard times.

Summary

The qualities that have allowed Hyundai to accelerate forward can enable you to excel as well. If you're serious about growing in influence, trust is a must. Also, don't wait for circumstances to thrust you into the spotlight; take action to initiate relationships in which you can lead. Finally, be aware of the context in which you're leading, and communicate a message suited for the climate.