Self-Improvement - How to Make "The Secret" Work For You

Self-Improvement is big business. It is amazing how many articles are written promising people quick answers to their life issues. Just yesterday I received an email saying that in 2 simple steps you can implement what "The Secret" did not tell you. Do you wonder, as I do, if it really is that simple. There is the saying that if it is too good to be true you have to be skeptical. The same goes also for self-help books and come-ons. Why would there be so many books out there if there truly is a simple answer?

These books however do serve an important purpose. They reinforce the idea that people have the potential to take charge of their lives and make their lives better. It puts the responsibility back on the individual to "grow" and look for solutions by offering some solutions. The message generally is that by taking charge of life all kinds of things which seem impossible become possible.

In a "My Turn" article in Newsweek Magazine (12/1/08) Kim Lute, a young woman with many serious and chronic medical problems, speaks out for redefining what it means to be healthy. By all counts medically speaking she is unhealthy however she sees herself as healthy. She is able to say "I am not even sure how best to redefine the concept of what is and what isn't healthy, but I hope that such definition will underscore that the presence of illness isn't nearly as important as one's ability to overcome it." Her illness is something she lives with constantly but it is not what defines her. She has understood that the answer on how she dealt with her illness was within her. She exemplifies someone who has developed strong emotional fitness.

All of us who turn to self-help books yearn for some inspiration that will help us somehow grow beyond where we are now. It is our faith within us that we can be more that leads us to look for answers. Ultimately we learn that we have our answers within us. We do have to take action to create the life we want for ourselves.

For more tips on creating emotional fitness and tools on enhancing your relationship please visit: http://www.GrowWithKristina.com by self-mastery and relationship expert Kristina von Rosenvinge.

Beyond Motivation - Passion

It seems that just as we shifted paradigms in the eighties, we worked synergistically in the nineties; now we are passionate in the naughties. Even my local petrol station has passion brochures at the pump! So what are we passionate for ?

Last October I got some unasked for, but expert, advice from an extreme extrovert to be more passionate. After I had calmed down, I took a long hard look at what I was doing and seriously questioned my passion level. This was after all, expert advice.

My research took me through a motley assortment of superficial pop psychology and self help books, all with Passion in the title and each more inane than the last. Finally I stumbled across a book by Sydney author Peter Wallman, The Wisdom of Passion. He appeared to get to the real core of what Passion is, and after meeting with him I was convinced that he had identified a simple but powerful process for identifying and capturing our core passions. I loved the simplicity of the process and the clarity it brought to me and my business. Now I assist others to identify what it is that gets their juices flowing.

Along the way through research, self analysis and questioning of my clients and others who have Passion Mapped I have identified some keys to passion.

Passion is very personal and unique to the individual.

Most of our strongest passions are kept internalised and rarely expressed outwardly.

The most powerful passions are not material (or sport).

Connecting strongly with our passions creates a magnetic effect We attract people and opportunities.

Eliciting deep passions requires skill, we have learned well from the school of hard knocks to keep this side of ourselves hidden.

When we express our passion, our voices change, our eyes sparkle, and our physical demeanor shifts.

Passion is contagious be very careful.

Passion comes before motivation and way before action.

Passion makes a difference.

I share my story of being told to be more passionate with colleagues and clients and generally get snorts of bemusement. As an introvert, I am not given to bounding into a room, leaping in the air, giving great shouts, or jumping up and down on a sofa Oprahs or anyone elses. So how do I express Passion? Tell me after you talk to me!!!

Passion is not something you have more (or less) of. Passion is inherent and intrinsic.

Last week I had the opportunity to coach 10 leaders and staff members of a niche organisation during three intense days.
Each of these individuals has a determination and a spark in their eyes, a tone of voice and a body posture which unmistakably conveys the depth of their passion about the work they do. Unsurprisingly, the organisations Director is passionately leading from the front - a true visionary leader. I felt honoured and very humbled to be coaching this particular team. Their common focus and harnessed energy, steered by their Director, is making a huge difference to their client base. Truly a high impact and passion based organisation.

One of our tasks as leaders is to uncover and unleash the hidden power of Passion in our employees, to harness and direct this passion towards a common shared goal. Just imagine, if you will, for a moment what your team could achieve this year if they were as passionately involved and focused as the organisation I mentioned earlier.

Kofi Annan said To live is to choose. But to choose, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go, and why you want to get there.
In business our Mission and Values statements spell out who we are and what we stand for, Our Vision statement gives where we want to go, and our Strategy gives us the how. But the why is missing.

Passion is the why!!

Liz Cassidy, founder of Third Sigma International is an author, Speaker, Trainer and Executive Coach and is passionate about facilitating results in the businesses, professional and personal lives of her clients. For more information http://www.thirdsigma.com.au

Personal Development Products

I was thinking of making a list of the top 10 books have helped me in the past with my personal development and I have had some requests from different people asking what books are great reads. I will also include a short description of why I found it useful and also make some audio tape suggestions.

Ok so the first of the personal development products I found amazing was Napoleon Hill's Classic, Think and Grow Rich. This book is an amazing foundation to anyone who wishes to embark on the route of personal development and mental development. The second book is The magic of thinking BIG - By Dr. David Schwartz. This is one of the best books over all to teach you everything you need to know about being a big thinker. It teaches leadership, motivation, communication and overall success. A MUST BUY.

Another Excellent book in the personal development and mental development area is the prosperity books by Randy Gage. The 5 books are as follows:

• Accept your abundance
• Prosperity Mind
• 101 Keys to Prosperity
• 37 Secrets to Prosperity
• 7 Spiritual laws of prosperity

These all taught me how to be prosperous which is great because we all want to be.

The next book I learned a lot from was How to Win Friends and Influence people by Dale Carnegie. This book really teaches you how to communicate and become a leader. A very very good book to utilize because it will help you with everything you need to know about people.

The greatest salesman in the world - By Og Mandino. This book will make you committed and teach you all you MUST know about you to make you an overall success in your personal development, and mental development.

A great ebook that I will recommend that is very recent is a book called The funded Proposal - By Daegan Smith and James Grandstaff, this is an ebook that teaches people how to get a quick return on their money and how to do it properly.

Audio books I will always recommend is anything by Jim Rohn, Johnny Wimbrey, Les Brown and Zig Ziglar, these four teachers will guide you through your emotional, motivational and personal development because they have mastered each subject. You see from them I gained a higher understanding of not just myself but everyone around me. If it could help me it also help you. I hope this helps you.

My names Adil Amarsi and I help people become financially, mentally, emotionally and finally independent. For the books mentioned above follow me on twitter and sign up to http://www.dcateaches.com and get some of them.

Click here For your 14 day Trail

Self-Improvement - How to Make "The Secret" Work For You

Self-Improvement is big business. It is amazing how many articles are written promising people quick answers to their life issues. Just yesterday I received an email saying that in 2 simple steps you can implement what "The Secret" did not tell you. Do you wonder, as I do, if it really is that simple. There is the saying that if it is too good to be true you have to be skeptical. The same goes also for self-help books and come-ons. Why would there be so many books out there if there truly is a simple answer?

These books however do serve an important purpose. They reinforce the idea that people have the potential to take charge of their lives and make their lives better. It puts the responsibility back on the individual to "grow" and look for solutions by offering some solutions. The message generally is that by taking charge of life all kinds of things which seem impossible become possible.

In a "My Turn" article in Newsweek Magazine (12/1/08) Kim Lute, a young woman with many serious and chronic medical problems, speaks out for redefining what it means to be healthy. By all counts medically speaking she is unhealthy however she sees herself as healthy. She is able to say "I am not even sure how best to redefine the concept of what is and what isn't healthy, but I hope that such definition will underscore that the presence of illness isn't nearly as important as one's ability to overcome it." Her illness is something she lives with constantly but it is not what defines her. She has understood that the answer on how she dealt with her illness was within her. She exemplifies someone who has developed strong emotional fitness.

All of us who turn to self-help books yearn for some inspiration that will help us somehow grow beyond where we are now. It is our faith within us that we can be more that leads us to look for answers. Ultimately we learn that we have our answers within us. We do have to take action to create the life we want for ourselves.

For more tips on creating emotional fitness and tools on enhancing your relationship please visit: http://www.GrowWithKristina.com by self-mastery and relationship expert Kristina von Rosenvinge.

Leadership Comes With Risks My Friend

There is no such thing as a perfect leader and no leader is perfect. However, a leader who studies leadership skills, even if they are not the world's best leader can lead effectively if they understand the principles of leadership and execute them correctly.

One of the biggest mistakes that leaders make is they allow their integrity to lapse or they allow someone to attack their personal integrity and personal character without putting up a defense. Integrity is one of the most important things and leadership.

If you lose your integrity or you are perceived to have lost your integrity, then your competitors, as well as those who envy your status, will use it against you and immediately call you; "unfit to lead." There is nothing easy about leadership, but the principles are easy to understand.

If you are in a leadership position, I would sure like to recommend a very good book to you, one that you should read;

"The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make," by Hans Finzel; Cook Communications, Colorado Springs, CO; 2000.

This book discusses the attitude of leadership, how lack of people skills will cause your downfall and why ego-maniac mavericks are out and inspirational team builders are in. You will learn not to be a tyrant, dictator or incorrectly delegate.

You will learn about communication, grooming your successor and focusing on the future. So, I sure hope you read this book before you future history is written. Again, I highly recommend this book and I recommend that you read one chapter per day for two weeks and work on your leadership skills.

"Lance Winslow" - Lance Winslow's Bio. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

Personal Development Products

I was thinking of making a list of the top 10 books have helped me in the past with my personal development and I have had some requests from different people asking what books are great reads. I will also include a short description of why I found it useful and also make some audio tape suggestions.

Ok so the first of the personal development products I found amazing was Napoleon Hill's Classic, Think and Grow Rich. This book is an amazing foundation to anyone who wishes to embark on the route of personal development and mental development. The second book is The magic of thinking BIG - By Dr. David Schwartz. This is one of the best books over all to teach you everything you need to know about being a big thinker. It teaches leadership, motivation, communication and overall success. A MUST BUY.

Another Excellent book in the personal development and mental development area is the prosperity books by Randy Gage. The 5 books are as follows:

• Accept your abundance
• Prosperity Mind
• 101 Keys to Prosperity
• 37 Secrets to Prosperity
• 7 Spiritual laws of prosperity

These all taught me how to be prosperous which is great because we all want to be.

The next book I learned a lot from was How to Win Friends and Influence people by Dale Carnegie. This book really teaches you how to communicate and become a leader. A very very good book to utilize because it will help you with everything you need to know about people.

The greatest salesman in the world - By Og Mandino. This book will make you committed and teach you all you MUST know about you to make you an overall success in your personal development, and mental development.

A great ebook that I will recommend that is very recent is a book called The funded Proposal - By Daegan Smith and James Grandstaff, this is an ebook that teaches people how to get a quick return on their money and how to do it properly.

Audio books I will always recommend is anything by Jim Rohn, Johnny Wimbrey, Les Brown and Zig Ziglar, these four teachers will guide you through your emotional, motivational and personal development because they have mastered each subject. You see from them I gained a higher understanding of not just myself but everyone around me. If it could help me it also help you. I hope this helps you.

My names Adil Amarsi and I help people become financially, mentally, emotionally and finally independent. For the books mentioned above follow me on twitter and sign up to http://www.dcateaches.com and get some of them.

Click here For your 14 day Trail

The Simple and Easy Way to Apply the "Slight Edge" For Success

A good friend gave me a copy of "The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olson. It's been one of the best gifts a person could give. I've read, re-read, made notes, folded pages, laid it open, spilled coffee on it and generally used it up because this is one of the books you should read at least once a year.

It's an easy read because the concept is very simple and Jeff Olson is a good storyteller. Applying the Slight Edge means taking small actions and applying them consistently over time to create big results. Simple, positive actions repeated over time.

That's it. Drink one less soda each day. Call one more prospect each day. Exercise for just 10 minutes each day. Save $1 each day. Small, easy things that consistently done will add up to pounds lost each year, sales made, health gained, wealth made. So easy.

So why don't we do them? Because they're just as easy to not do. There's no immediate negative feedback to not doing these things today. And there's no immediate positive feedback to keep us motivated and interested.

We vow to eat healthier so that we'll live longer and not get cancer. But if you have a donut today, it won't kill you or give you cancer right now. There is no immediate negative feedback. If you skip the donut today, there's no immediate positive feedback. You won't hear your cells get healthier. If a button popped off our pants every time we ate a donut, it would be very easy to reach for carrots instead.

Since we don't get feedback either way, it's hard to encourage yourself to keep going day after day when there's no reward right now. That's why it's so easy to not do those simple positive actions - there's no corrective response. You've got to go on for a while with nothing more than a belief that it will pay off.

How do we do that in today's instant coffee, microwave, book-download world? Despite what we see on TV, success doesn't come overnight. It seems to appear from nothing, but it's built on nearly invisible, consistent actions taking place long before the big breakthrough.

The life you have is created piece-by-piece through your actions that are based on your attitude. But unless you are a saint, your attitude changes day-by-day, not always for the best. If we rely on how we feel at the moment about doing the small things we should do, our results will be inconsistent at best. Fortunately, our attitude is a result of our philosophy. And your philosophy is a principal that doesn't change.

The Slight Edge philosophy absolutely believes in the power of small, simple steps that will compound over time. Have a rock-solid, absolute conviction that time will compound your efforts, and it will become a habit to eat well, exercise, and read good books.

Pick up a copy of the Slight Edge and read just a little every day until you're done. Then go back to the beginning with a highlighter and a pen. Take notes. Write your philosophy out and carry it with you. You won't notice any improvement in your life, not the first day or the second or the third. But apply the power of compounding to simple, positive actions repeated over time. Success will sneak up on you sooner than you expected and bigger than hoped-for.

Beth Bridges is the Membership Director of the Clovis Chamber of Commerce in California. She has helped thousands of people get connected through hundreds of networking events with the Chamber and other organizations. Learn more about the Clovis Chamber at http://www.clovischamber.com and read Beth's blog at http://bethbridges.blogspot.com which takes a look at networking from the perspective of someone who's observed many networkers - good and bad.