Catney Commentary

Come Away with Me!

2011-03-31T16:42:00.003-04:00

I've updated my website and I'm blogging there so please come visit me at
http://catneycoaching.com/ and click on the BE INSPIRED BLOG tab.

See you there!
Ruth

Be Impeccable...to yourself!

2011-02-08T18:27:00.005-05:00

Today I was impeccable with my word to myself. I promised myself earlier today I would work out for minimum 30 minutes, and even though I did NOT feel like it, I did it, and I did it really hard! Had a good sweat and felt energized!

Be impeccable with the promises you make to yourself. You're worth it!

With continued curiosity,

Catney

More Magazine Photo Shoot

2011-02-01T18:10:00.003-05:00

Got a call a couple weeks ago from More Magazine to participate in their "3 Readers 1 Trend" feature and it was a blast! The team made everything so easy and FUN!

It will be featured in their May issue - once I get more pictures I'll share them with you!

Stay tuned!
Ruth

2011-02-01T18:02:00.003-05:00

A dear friend of mine is going through a tough time. Through her example I can see with great clarity how much more efficiently we can get through these life challenges if we just accept and surrender to what IS and then course correct and do what we have to do to recover.

With continued curiosity,

Ruth

2010-11-23T20:07:00.003-05:00

Johann Von Goethe said, “Knowing is not enough; we must apply.”

Self-awareness put into ACTION is really what sets top performers apart.

Know thyself and then act on that knowledge!

With continued curiosity,
Ruth

2010-10-07T18:22:00.004-04:00

“I respect the person who knows distinctly what he wishes.

The greater part of all mischief in the world arises from the fact that men do not sufficiently understand their own aims.

They have undertaken to build a tower, and spend no more labour on the foundation than would be necessary to erect a hut.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Are you dedicating yourself to meeting your goals? Are you doing the work it takes to reach those goals? Just asking...
Ruth

2010-10-07T18:19:00.003-04:00

Be aware of your feelings for they become thoughts.
Watch your thoughts for they become words.
Choose your words for they become actions.
Understand your actions for they become habits.
Study your habits for they will become your character.
Develop your character for it becomes your destiny.

Find yourself in this quote and leverage.
Ruth

My Quest is the Same as Yours

2010-10-03T18:02:00.012-04:00

“I have grown tired of where I am,

I am tired of my small-mindedness.

I am tired of my excuses.

I am tired of who I am.

I am tired of pretending that I have it all figured out.

I want to become something more than who I am today.

Who I am today, is not who I am meant to become.

My quest is the same as yours.

The question we all face is: What are you willing to shed to become who you were meant to become?”

~ Rev. Peter Gomes, Renowned theologian at Harvard University, Awarded 36 honorary degrees.

With continued curiosity,

Ruth

Delicious Ambiguity

2010-10-03T17:46:00.004-04:00

“I wanted the perfect ending. Now I've learned the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end.

Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.

Delicious Ambiguity.”
~ Gilda Radner

Intimacy = The Long & Happy!

2010-10-02T10:48:00.005-04:00

"Nothing guarantees a long happy marriage except two people willing to throw themselves, headlong, into the uncertainty, the inevitable pain and disappointment, the absolutely guaranteed failures and essential bravery, of INTIMACY.

It does take two - and that's a shame, because so many not-too-bad marriages have one person who is willing to make that leap and one who is, at heart, not - but if you have two people who are willing to make themselves better, more vulnerable, more honest than they were the year before, you, you lucky few, have a shot at the long and happy."

- Amy Bloom, author

Speak with Intention

2010-10-02T10:40:00.004-04:00

Before opening your mouth, ask yourself two questions: what do I really want? Is what I'm about to say right now going to get me closer to what I want?
Terrence Real, Relationship Coach

Laugh, Would Ya?

2010-09-30T19:42:00.003-04:00

I recently sent this to my clients and I know you can leverage the message.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

Are you having FUN at work OR are you taking yourself way too seriously? When was the last time you laughed uproariously with your coworkers and just let down your guard?

Don’t get me wrong – your work at XXXX's is very important. You’re helping people create and sustain their dream of driving a luxury car. But you’re not dealing with dying babies or terminal patients so what made you think you couldn’t have fun while selling your time doing what you love?

Today, take a minute and share a laugh with someone. Laugh at yourself and lose the heaviness, the unbearable burden of ruminating about what-if’s that you can’t even control. Just know that everything will always be OK, no matter what.

Today, be deliberate about creating some levity at work. Smile. Laugh. Play. Laugh out loud and watch how much more energized and productive you can be.

Thinking of you and smiling,
Ruth
Picture courtesy NBC's The Office

Cell Phone Karma - It's Real

2010-09-30T19:30:00.002-04:00

WHEN YOU KNOW BETTER, YOU DO BETTER

Ever feel like people don’t listen to you?

Well, if you really want to be heard, start by actively listening.

Put your cell phone down and be 100% present with whoever is in front of you.

If you don’t heed this advice, you run the risk of looking as asinine as the buffoons in these ads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GzmMebIIKA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCXZS2DoyZY&feature=related

Make a difference with your actions today. Show them you care by giving people your UNDIVIDED ATTENTION and watch the impact you can have.

Make it remarkable. Make it count!
Ruth

2010-09-05T10:52:00.003-04:00

“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong.

Because someday you will have been all of these.”

George Washington Carver

How the Rich Are Different

2010-08-26T19:18:00.005-04:00

Interesting findings…

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/home-cents/how-the-rich-are-different-from-you-and-me/article1684734/

And more on the same topic:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/investor-education/book-excerpts/how-to-think-like-the-rich/article1684725/

Find yourself in Steve Siebold's How Rich People Think. Are you stuck in a scarcity model or one of abundance?

Enjoy,

Ruth

Ruth Catney Coaching Professional Pics

2010-08-23T17:33:00.005-04:00

Had some new professional pictures taken. Contact Helen if you need her services. She is exceptional.

Sundari Photography Inc.
123 Jefferson Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
CANADA
M6K 3E4
http://www.sundariphotography.com/

helen@sundariphotography.com

Listening to Yourself vs. Talking to Yourself

2010-08-23T14:50:00.006-04:00

A dear friend sent me today's Monday Morning Motivator tip by John Maxwell and it resonated.

"Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones, at one time the greatest heart surgeon in England, states,

"Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself rather than talking to yourself."

Think about it. When you're discouraged, you wake up in the morning and right away, there are streams of thought coming into your mind. You haven't invited them; you didn't ask for them; you are not consciously doing anything to produce them; they just come! They start talking to you."

Find yourself in this observation and do something about it NOW! Be deliberate about increasing your awareness of what your internal dialogue is saying to you and then talk back to it with messages that are aligned to meeting goals that are important to you.

Make it remarkable. Make it count!

Ruth

2010-07-31T20:49:00.004-04:00

Thought this was funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmLA5TqbIY

Enjoy!

Ruth

PATIENT LEADERSHIP

2010-07-24T10:57:00.014-04:00

Robin Sharma shares the story of a tree in his backyard that did not appear to be flourishing; it had no leaves, it looked frail and wasn’t getting taller. Sharma assumed it was dead but then something spectacular happened.

One day he noticed it starting to yield stunningly beautiful little flowers on its almost instantly firm branches. It grew higher than every other tree around it. And it offered Sharma the most coverage of any tree on his expansive property.

The leadership message? Strong roots eventually yield great success.

The bottom line: while the naked eye suggested the tree wasn’t growing, in truth, it was REALLY growing beneath the soil where the root system was becoming extensive to anchor the tree and allow it to absorb water and nutrients from the soil. The growth was below ground, establishing its foundation, ensuring its roots were strong and its base was secure. And once it was done, it outperformed every tree around it. Sharma reminds us that he needed to measure the tree’s roots when he was doubting the tree’s growth, not the tree’s height.

This is a perfect metaphor for what the growth and development process can look like in our own lives. Slow. Steady. Beneath the surface.

This is what our coaching program does for your organization. Some of the changes you will see in your associates will be obvious and immediate. Yet some of the other deeper, foundational changes will be more gradual.

We work with you to build that foundation and give each high quality employee a stronger base and anchoring for better performance; the underpinnings of an evolving culture. But we need to be clear. This doesn't happen overnight - growing the root system takes time...creating the foundation is a deliberate process.

Breathing life into a leader’s vision is also a deliberate process that takes time. Leadership experts warn us that it will be all too easy for some leaders to lose sight of their vision and instead focus on circumstances (budget cuts, details of what is going wrong, the “WHAT” and the “HOW” of running their business.)

They warn leaders to keep their FOCUS on the “WHY” of their business and vision. They warn leaders to never forget that their people are their greatest asset and leaders that know this invest in their high-quality people.

Talent without practice yields no results. But practice takes time and enormous commitment.
Catney!

Foremost expert by Ralph Marston

2010-07-20T08:38:00.007-04:00

Every morning when I have my coffee I visit http://greatday.com/.

This one resonated.

There is no other person who is smart enough, or experienced enough, or informed enough or insightful enough to tell you how to live. That's up to you.
Certainly the advice and guidance of others can be extremely valuable. Yet when it comes to expressing and fulfilling the best of who you are, you are the world's foremost expert.

It feels good to be praised and it hurts to be criticized. Always keep in mind, though, that those who offer their opinions of you cannot possibly see the whole picture.

Your life is your responsibility. That is simultaneously a sobering obligation and a fantastic opportunity.

Successful living is difficult work and yet you are absolutely qualified to do it. You are worthy and capable of creating and enjoying whatever it is that truly fulfills you.

Make the commitment, do the work, accept the responsibility that is necessary for that fulfillment. Live the outstanding life that is yours to experience.

-- Ralph Marston

Make it good. Make it count!
Ruth

2010-06-29T21:27:00.003-04:00

Got my recent Success Magazine and Sam Duncan, CEO of Office Max was interviewed. He shares 10 lessons on leadership. Number 6 is a good reminder:

"You pay for a training program, whether you have one or not. Training harnesses the built-in motivation most people already have to do good work. Investing the time and money for training results in lower turnover and lower shrink."

Make it good. Make it count!

2010-06-25T14:06:00.002-04:00

Arlie Russell Hochschild, author and sociologist writes,

"Perhaps we don't want to believe that our staying too busy might be a cushion that protects us from the two things that scare us: silence and ourselves. But what would happen if we stopped and became a little less fearful of what we're feeling?"

Love it!

2010-06-22T21:15:00.003-04:00

Saw Roger Ebert say these words to Oprah a few months ago and thought they were poignant.

“I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn't always know this, and I am happy that I lived long enough to find it out."

~Roger Ebert

The Power of Your Thoughts

2010-06-18T20:24:00.007-04:00

Was feeling stressed about work the other day and opened my Tolle book to this message:

"The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it.

Be aware of the thoughts you are thinking. Separate them from the situation, which is always neutral, which always is as it is. There is the situation of the fact, and here are my thoughts about it. Instead of making up stories, stay with the facts. For example, "I am ruined" is a story. It limits you and prevents you from taking effective action. "I have fifty cents left in my bank account" is a fact. Facing facts is always empowering. Be aware that what you think, to a large extent, creates the emotions that you feel. See the link between your thinking and your emotions. Rather than being your thoughts and emotions, be the awareness behind them."
Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth

I read this, took a deep breath and went right to sleep. How perfect...

Make it good. Make it count!
Ruth

One Thing

2010-06-12T12:27:00.003-04:00

Was sent this recently and felt empowered by it.

One thing better

Don't despair that you can't immediately make EVERYTHING better. You can always make ONE thing better.

Then, you can continue that momentum, making another improvement, and another, and another. You can start right now.

Even one little success is empowering. It points you in a decidedly positive direction.

What if you could see each little nagging problem as the opportunity for improvement that it is? You would realize that there's no shortage of ways to be successful.

You already have everything necessary to start right now and create a continuous stream of value. One positive, effective, meaningful effort will get you going.

Feel how right it feels to make your world better. Delight in making a difference, over and over again.

-- Ralph Marston

Make your one thing GOOD. Make it count.
Ruth

2010-06-06T19:38:00.003-04:00

What's the name of the song playing in the background in the intro to the Sir Ken Robinson website?

http://www.sirkenrobinson.com/

Recognize it??

Found out...it's Sia, Breathe Me...
Beautiful.

What You Believe

2010-06-06T11:53:00.005-04:00

"You become what you believe - not what you wish or want, but what you truly believe." - Oprah

Make it good. Make it count.
Ruth

Promises, promises

2010-06-05T10:34:00.004-04:00

A core value for me is integrity and keeping my word so if I say I'm going to do something, it gets done. This was an interesting week for me. I felt depleted and a couple times I chose to say NO to friends and YES to myself. I like to keep the promises I make to others but I'm not always good about keeping promises I make to myself and that needs to change. If I'm depleted I show up differently. I'm not as present and whoever I'm with is not getting the same QUALITY of interaction so we're both losing out.

Experimenting with saying yes to myself this week was a positive experience. I was reinforced for honouring myself because I felt restored and found that my friends wanted that for me so they understood.

Are you honouring yourself? Are you keeping the promises you make to yourself? A dear friend told me that Robin Sharma asks, "Tell me what is important to you and then show me your calendar." Be deliberate about taking time for yourself - book time in your calendar for the gym, for rest, for reading quietly, for whatever restores you.

Make it good. Make it count.
Catney

There are no words

2010-06-04T20:19:00.007-04:00

Here’s what reaching the pinnacle of a lifelong dream can look like. There really are no words.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlHgRl2iHaA

Own today! Make it good. Make it count!

Catney

Satisfaction Guaranteed?

2010-06-03T20:12:00.007-04:00

Eight Steps Toward a More Satisfying Life – Robin Sharma

Want to lift your level of happiness? Here are some practical suggestions from University of California psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, based on research findings by her and others. Satisfaction (at least a temporary boost) guaranteed.

1. Count your blessings.
One way to do this is with a “gratitude journal” in which you write down three to five things for which you are currently thankful—from the mundane (your car is sparking clean) to the magnificent (a child’s first steps). Do this once a week, say, on Sunday night. Keep it fresh by varying your entries as much as possible.

2. Practice acts of kindness.
These should be both random (let that harried mom go ahead of you in the checkout line) and systematic
(bring Sunday supper to an elderly neighbor). Being kind to others, whether friends or strangers, triggers a cascade of positive effects—it makes you feel generous and capable, gives you a greater sense of
connection with others and wins you smiles, approval and
reciprocated kindness—all happiness boosters.

3. Savour life’s joys.
Pay close attention to momentary pleasures and wonders. Focus on the sweetness of a ripe strawberry or the warmth of the sun when you step out from the shade. Some psychologists suggest taking “mental photographs” of pleasurable moments to review in less happy times.

4. Thank a mentor.
If there’s someone whom you owe a debt of gratitude for guiding
you at one of life’s crossroads, don’t wait to express your
appreciation—in detail and, if possible, in person.

5. Learn to forgive.
Let go of anger and resentment by writing a letter of forgiveness
to a person who has hurt or wronged you. Inability to forgive is associated with persistent rumination or dwelling on revenge, while forgiving allows you to move on.

6. Invest time and energy in friends and family.

Where you live, how much money you make, your job title and even
your health have surprisingly small effects on your satisfaction
with life. The biggest factor appears to be strong personal relationships.

7. Take care of your body.
Getting plenty of sleep, exercising, stretching, smiling and laughing can all enhance your mood in the short term. Practiced regularly, they can
help make your daily life more satisfying.

8. Develop strategies for coping with stress and hardships.
There is no avoiding hard times. Religious faith has been shown to help
people cope, but so do the secular beliefs enshrined in axioms like “This too shall pass” and “That which doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.” The trick is that you have to believe them.

Make it good. Make it count!
Catney

Hope

2010-06-03T12:37:00.013-04:00

I liked this quote.

"Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work. You don't give up."

Anne Lamott, writer

Make it good. Make it count.
Ruth
http://catneycoaching.com/

2010-05-30T17:42:00.005-04:00

Sir Ken Robinson shared a great quote in his 2009 Rhode Island School of Design Commencement speech that speaks to diversity.

“Being British these days means you drive home in your German car, stopping to pick up some Irish beer or Danish lager, picking up some Indian curry or Greek kabob, and spending an evening sitting on Swedish furniture watching American programs on a Japanese TV. The most British thing of all – suspicion of anything foreign.”

Watch his most recent Ted Talk - http://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution.html

www.catneycoaching.com

Just Like You Expect

2010-05-26T06:56:00.007-04:00

Again, my friend sent me this one and I wanted to share it with you!

ENJOY!

THE DAILY MOTIVATOR
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Just like you expect
+++++++++++++++++++

When you are prepared to find fault, you will. When you are
prepared to find goodness and value, you will.

What you are looking for determines what you find. What you
are expecting determines what you experience.

Expectations don't magically change reality. Expectations do
something even more powerful -- they change the way you deal
with reality.

Is this going to be a positive, productive day or a
disappointing, frustrating one? What do you expect?

The great thing is that you can expect whatever you choose
to expect. And though the specific details won't always
match your expectations, the overall tone of the day will be
just like you most sincerely expect.

Expect the best. Proceed under the assumption that you'll
get the best, from yourself and others, and you're well on
your way to getting it.

Ralph Marston

............................................................................
This is the Daily Motivator email edition.
Copyright (C) 2010 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All rights reserved.
Visit The Daily Motivator web site at http://greatday.com for an archive
of more than 3,000 daily messages, inspirational photos and more.

Did you know?...

2010-05-17T16:38:00.005-04:00

Gretchen Rubin tells us in The Happiness Project that one of the most reliable indicators of not feeling lonely is the amount of contact you have with women (this is for both men and women).

Time spent with men does not make much difference. Studies show that both men and women find relationships with women to be more intimate and enjoyable.

Interesting...

Enjoy!
Ruth
http://catneycoaching.com/

Choose What you Focus on

2010-05-11T09:37:00.005-04:00

A dear friend sends these to me on occasion. I liked this one. Reminded me of my power to choose what I focus on and the outcome I can create. Enjoy!

THE DAILY MOTIVATOR
Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Worry and confidence
+++++++++++++++++++

If you're able to worry, you're also able to be confident.
Because from a functional standpoint, worry and confidence
are pretty much the same thing.

Worry is the expectation that something negative will
happen. Confidence is the expectation that something
positive will happen.

How do you create confidence about something that hasn't
happened yet? You use the exact same process you would use
to create worry.

The big difference between worry and confidence is the
expected outcome. And the powerful fact is, you can expect
whatever outcome you choose.

There's another way that worry and confidence are quite
similar. They both tend to be self-fulfilling prophesies.

So instead of destroying your effectiveness with worry, you
can vastly enhance your effectiveness with confidence. It
takes nothing more than a simple yet powerful change in your
expectations.

Ralph Marston

Work-Life Balance & Working From Home

2010-04-28T14:49:00.005-04:00

Here’s what I know for sure about how to create a sense of work/life balance when you have a home office.

1) Define what work/life balance is for you.

“Work-Life Balance” is such a subjective thing. What might feel like great balance for one person could be a total yawn-fest or stress-bomb for another. The key to defining what balance is for you is to aim to live by your core values. My top 3 values are Family, Meaningful Work, and Integrity (Play is in there too!!!). Choose yours from a sample list below.

Authenticity, Excellence, Happiness,
Balance, Fairness, Harmony,
Commitment, Faith, Health,
Compassion, Family, Honesty,
Concern for others, Freedom, Humour,
Courage, Friendship, Integrity,
Creativity, Generosity, Kindness,
Empathy, Genuineness, Knowledge,
Loyalty, Openness, Perseverance,
Play, Meaningful, Work, Competence,
Respect for others, Responsibility, Security,
Serenity, Service to others, Wealth.

Do a quick gut check. If you’re feeling out of balance in your life ask yourself what core value(s) you’re not meeting and once you figure it out, make a few adjustments to get them back on track.

2) Create a Work/Life Schedule that honours your values.

I have been very deliberate about creating a schedule for family, work, and PLAY.

Once you create this schedule “test drive” it for a couple weeks to work out the kinks and then make a couple adjustments as needed.

You must be very deliberate about adhering to this schedule. Honour yourself and be sure to leave your office based on this schedule. Don’t set yourself up for feelings of failure and conflict. Shut things down for the day and return to them in the morning.

A few things to practice here:
 Learn to say NO; stick with a “W.I.N.” (What’s Important Now) approach.
 Manage expectations with everyone you deal with; always under-promise and over-deliver.
 Divide the family workload with your partner fairly. Take the time to negotiate responsibilities.
 Constant communication with family is key. Make sure you let your family know what each week will look like so you can all support one another.

3) Have a separate office space from your living space.

Easier said than done, but if you can, create a work space that is separate and distinct from your living space. Having a door that offers you privacy AND keeps you OUT when your day is done is ideal but work with what you have in your home.

4) Ask for what you need.

Successful businesses and families aren’t built on mind reading – at least not yet! Many people have trouble asking for help or articulating what they need to succeed. I’m very good about asking for what I need. My husband & I divide our home workload fairly and we also bring in help for housekeeping and tutoring. We also have family help with child-care which really goes a long way.

5) Be sure to inject some FUN in your life and PLAY!

Working all the time and fulfilling your home obligations doesn’t need to be beleaguering. Be deliberate about doing what’s fun for you and don’t take yourself too seriously! Life really is too short!

Enjoy,
Ruth

http://www.catneycoaching.com/

Make it So!

2010-04-27T11:04:00.005-04:00

"Life, is not what you see, but what you've projected.

It's not what you've felt, but what you've decided.

It's not what you've experienced, but how you've remembered it.

It's not what you've forged, but what you've allowed.

And it's not who's appeared, but who you've summoned."

What will you create today that will feed your ultimate dream for tomorrow?

Ruth

2010-04-22T22:00:00.002-04:00

“Come to the edge,” he said.

They said, “We are afraid.”

“Come to the edge,” he said.

They came.

He pushed them.

And they flew

— Guillaume Apollinaire

Take a calculated risk today. Push yourself outside your comfort zone.

Be your best beyond measure!

Ruth

2010-04-12T22:23:00.003-04:00

These E*Trade commercials are funny for soooooo many reasons. They're clever – the writing, the technology, the delivery!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZetD7cdj7w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDm6iKH38C0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCs8gIMKBSo&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFK30CspfJM&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEXZ2hfD3bU&feature=channel

ENJOY!

Ruth

2010-04-09T09:04:00.004-04:00

I went to see Robin Sharma this week at his book signing for The Leader who had no Title. The message in the book is that no matter what your title or role within your organization, you have the opportunity – THE RESPONSIBILITY - to lead in your work and within your life.

Many of you are already doing this - taking full ownership and accountability for how your performance at work feeds into the ultimate customer experience for your organization. Some of you even go so far as to practice treating coworkers as well as you treat your customers.

I hope this 2 minute clip inspires you to continue doing what you are doing well AND triggers a gentle reminder in you for how you could do a little more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA9Qu4-b-M0

PRACTICING PRESENCE

2010-04-01T10:08:00.007-04:00

If you're fortunate enough to have time with your family this holiday weekend, practice being present and aim to be the awareness of all your thoughts and feelings. Here's an excerpt from Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now to help you practice.

“Be present as the watcher of your mind -- of your thoughts and emotions as well as your reactions in various situations.

Be at least as interested in your reactions as in the situation or person that causes you to react.

Notice also how often your attention is in the past or future.

Don't judge or analyze what you observe. Watch the thought, feel the emotion, observe the reaction.

Don't make a personal problem out of them. You will then feel something more powerful than any of those things that you observe: the still, observing presence itself behind the content of your mind, the silent watcher.”

In 2004 Time Magazine published an article "The New Science of Happiness" and one of the most fundamental findings from the research on Positivity was that “Almost every person feels happier when they’re with other people,” observes Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced “cheeks sent me high!). “It’s paradoxical because many of us think we can hardly wait to get home and be alone with nothing to do, but that’s a worst-case scenario. If you’re alone with nothing to do, the quality of your experience really plummets.”

Read the article yourself to see some of the other findings the researchers cite from the science of positivity.

http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/images/TimeMagazine/Time-Happiness.pdf

So this weekend, aim to create meaningful connections with those that mean the most to you - and even those that don't!

With continued curiosity,

Ruth

UFC

2010-03-31T19:26:00.010-04:00

Watched the UFC fights this past weekend & I have to say, I was surprised by how much technique and form is involved. I thought it would be much more barbaric - don't get me wrong, the poor bugger in the first fight had his head split open by an elbow and his blood stained the cage floor which was distracting for someone like me!

The big fight was with the Canadian George St-Pierre vs. Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy. I was VERY, very impressed by St-Pierre. I know very little about this "sport" but he really seemed to dominate the evil Brit. I feel ridiculous but I was truly rivetted! Truly.

With continued curiosity,

Ruth

Visit me at my website - http://www.catneycoaching.com/

Hero

2010-03-26T04:46:00.002-04:00

A very dear friend sent this to me this week. Take the time to customize this and send it to someone you feel is really making a difference.

http://en.tackfilm.se/?id=1269524561861RA76

Ruth

2010-03-18T08:48:00.003-04:00

A reminder that elite performance doesn't always just happen. It takes hard work, discipline and determination. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woOu_4l3lio

You also have to LOVE what you're doing. Martin Seligman, author of Authentic Happiness tells us that PLEASURE, ENGAGEMENT, AND MEANING inform how happy you are. Ask yourself if you have those 3 things in your work and personal life. Think of ways you could increase your pleasure, engagement, and meaning and then watch the impact.

Ruth

2010-03-13T13:37:00.003-05:00

Was sent this Tony Robbins clip and thought it was powerful.

Be your greatest today BEYOND MEASURE!

http://training.tonyrobbins.com/437/a-gift-from-tony/

With continued curiosity,

Ruth

The Power of Situation

2010-01-25T22:42:00.007-05:00

Every once in awhile I visit Ted.com to learn about some fascinating research. Philip Zimbardo was the researcher responsible for the Stanford Prison experiment of 1971. This is the classic psychology experiment that demonstrated what can happen when you put GOOD people in an evil place. This research provides insight into the power of situation. Zimbardo examines the atrocities of Abu Ghraib as a parallel.

Warning that some images are disturbing.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/philip_zimbardo_on_the_psychology_of_evil.html

Ruth

2009-12-04T16:19:00.003-05:00

Next time you're talking to a client remember this:

Words represent 7% of what influences human behaviour.

Voice qualities represent 38% of what influences another human being; HOW you use your voice will affect someone more than WHAT you say.

Physiology represents 55%. Your body language represents the majority of what influences people when you communicate.

Just sharing,

Ruth

Rules of Thumb - # 19

2009-08-25T08:07:00.007-04:00

Some great insights for leaders from Alan Webber's Rules of Thumb. His basic premise - More signal and less noise. According to Webber, your people need 3 things:

1. Clarity about Purpose
2. Honesty about values
3. Focus about metrics

1. Clarity about Purpose

- Your people need to see what you see.

- Your people need to understand how you connect-the-dots so they can see the pattern you see.

- They need to see and understand your template to guide their actions.

2. Honesty about values

- Your people want to know what you feel.

- Tell them what the company stands for.

- Make an uncompromising statement of the code of conduct that guides your organization.

- Then live by it yourself and hold them to it.

- They’ll rally to this kind of leadership.

3. Focus about metrics

- They want to track what YOU measure.

- Tell them the few things that really matter when it comes to measuring performance – as few as possible.

- Too many things to measure and you’re adding NOISE, not SIGNAL.

Successful Leaders are Very Creative

- They live by the mantra, “None of us is as smart as ALL of us.”

- They see life as an adventure and each new challenge as something to look forward to with eagerness.

- They are secure with themselves.

- Leaders get involved; they get involved with people and learn about them so they can leverage their successes and learn from their failures.

- Leaders are flexible, not only with accepting change but ANTICIPATING it.

Webber reminds us that in Good to Great, Collins explains that every company that made the leap from good to great had a leader who could express the company's purpose in a single short sentence. It’s not breadth of vision that defines good-to-great leaders but clarity of focus.

Happy leading!

Ruth

"Up"

2009-06-28T05:50:00.003-04:00

I recently had the pleasure of seeing the Disney-Pixar movie "Up" and I loved it. I have read a few reviews that had some minor criticisms but let's face it, even a not-so-great Disney-Pixar movie is superb!

I've always been a huge fan of their work and here's why:

§ The innovation that goes into this type of animation blows my mind. There are milliseconds where I can't tell that it's animated and that's trippy!

§ The imagination and writing skill involved in creating the story lines are in a league of their own – so impressive in fact that you can suspend what you KNOW to be true and buy into the magic of what’s unfolding before you (a rat that is a chef in Paris, a old bugger that uses balloons to lift his house to escape from a limiting situation).

§ The humour they capture delights me and it’s always insightful and some brilliant commentary about the foils that plague the human condition. We need to laugh at ourselves more and Disney-Pixar nails it.

§ The values they espouse always touch me – sticking together, being a team, doing what’s right even when it’s not easy, admitting you’re wrong and doing what it takes to make things right, lasting love and meaningful relationships.

I love that I can watch these movies with my family again and again and we can laugh together in real time and then draw on this material for belly laughs together afterwards. Well done Disney-Pixar. Thanks for another great 96 minutes!

Here’s a great clip. Enjoy!
Ruth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxoWHeoYU3g

Great quote

2009-06-27T21:17:00.002-04:00

"The open hands of gratitude are always filled."

Start believing this and watch what happens...

Ruth

10,000 hours!!!

2009-05-30T06:45:00.008-04:00

Have been working hard at getting the coaching company up and running and we recently secured a contract with BMW/MINI Oakville.

Our coaching company is always trying to set itself apart by reading, attending workshops, connecting with other successful coaches and entrepreneurs, and finding out what we can leverage to be preeminent in the industry. Well, according to Malcolm Gladwell, you just have to do the time; 10,000 hours or so!!!

In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell makes a compelling case and explains that it takes 10,000 hours of experience and practise before you can become exceptional at anything. Gladwell quotes neurologist Daniel Levitin: "The emerging picture from such studies is that ten thousand hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert -- in anything."

The list of people Gladwell cites as examples to support this claim is impressive: Wayne Gretzky, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Bill Joy...and there are more but you really should read the book for yourself.

The good news from what I can gather is that you don't have to be THE BEST in order to be successful; you only have to be good enough and it's up to you to know your industry, market and business well enough to know what "good enough" means.

So, I know what I've been doing in my formal training to become an exceptional professional coach but my hunch is that I've already spent thousands of hours preparing for this role - it's just that the hours have felt so natural and effortless that I wasn't even aware that I was doing it.

Reminds me of what Captain "Sully" Sullenberger said about making the emergency landing in the Hudson River. "Everything I had done as a pilot had prepared me for that moment."

Buy Outliers and read it this summer. Also, read the part about keeping your children's minds active through the summer months and what Gladwell has to say about that!

With continued curiosity,

Ruth

2009-05-26T15:48:00.003-04:00

I'm reading Alan Webber's Rules of Thumb: 52 Truths for Winning at Business Without Losing Yourself and so far, so good.

This really is a different kind of business book. Webber translates his 52 Rules through stories that yield a message.

Rule #1: WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH RELAX.

Webber writes, "Anytime you approach a task with fear you are at least a double loser. First, you colour the work with fear and increase the chances of failure. Second, you guarantee that you won't enjoy the experience."

So here's to making sure that I (and you, perhaps?) take a second and remember that I asked for all this. I'm smiling as I type this. I'm enjoying the trip!

Ruth

The good old hockey game

2009-05-23T21:51:00.005-04:00

I love play-off hockey. Even though there is no Canadian team this year, the calibre of play is better, faster, and the stakes are HUGE.

I find myself rooting for Pittsburgh so the Canadian boy-wonder from Eastern Passage can live the dream. What's not to love???

I'm watching them now decisively beat the 'Canes 6 -2.

Until Tuesday night when they meet again!

Ruth

Thank you BF

2009-05-09T19:22:00.004-04:00

Over the last while I have been extremely distracted and busy building my coaching practice and I just wanted to send out a big thank you to BF! You are the best thing that ever happened to me.

Lots of love and gratitude,

Catney

Happy Mother's Day again!!!

2009-05-09T16:47:00.004-04:00

Cusomize this video and send it to a great mother you know. It's very clever!

http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/taf.html?id=ID&nid=YqlUA4SZlvF_j4POxNlMozQ3MzEyOTA-&p=moveon

Annie sent it to me an I was so delighted. Share it...you'll be glad you did.

Once again, Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-08T19:02:00.010-04:00

Back in 2006 Salary.com,Inc., the compensation experts, announced their valuation of a Stay at Home Mom's job and for the first time addressed the question of what a Working Mom's job is worth.

Salary.com consulted with Stay at Home and Working Moms and determined the top 10 jobs that make up a mom's job description. If paid, Stay at Home Moms would earn $134,121 annually (up from 2005's salary of $131,471).

Working Moms would earn $85,876 annually for the "mom job" portion of their work, in addition to their actual "work job" salary.

Salary.com found the job titles that best matched a mom's definition of her work to be (in order of hours spent per week): housekeeper, day care center teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, CEO and psychologist. New job titles that made the list in 2006 include psychologist, laundry machine operator, computer operator, and facilities manager. The job title of nurse fell out of the top 10 this year.

"People recognize that both Stay at Home Moms and Working Moms carry a heavy load of responsibility and work long hours," said Bill Coleman, senior vice president of compensation at Salary.com. "It is an eye-opener for many people when they see the real market value of the work moms perform. This year, by adding information about the compensation for Working Moms, we hope to expand the recognition of just how hard all moms are working and of the economic value they bring to society."

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms who choose to either stay home and be the "glue" for your families OR go into the paid workforce to make a difference that way. I hope that either way, you get recognized for the enormous contribution you make! The world is a better place because of you.

Catney

A Quote

2009-05-05T07:04:00.002-04:00

"The price of discipline is always less than the pain of regret."

- Nido Qubein

I'm counting on this one being true.

Ruth

Simple Abundance

2009-05-01T21:57:00.005-04:00

Back in 1999 I was reading Sarah Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance and it was bringing me such comfort and peace. Every calendar day there was an entry that eloquently reminded me of how abundant and rich my life was. My great health, my family, the sound of wind in the trees, my morning coffee, the sound of birds outside my window, friends laughing, a home cooked meal, or making a child smile. That was the year I met my husband & I believe he came to me because I was in a grateful place and when you are grateful, you open yourself to receiving even more greatness.

Yesterday I took this book off the shelf to keep it on my nightstand again. I have been so busy DOING in the last couple months that I have lost touch with staying present and acknowleding how rich my life is. Every night I will now read an entry to be gently reminded about how abundant my life really is. I have every thing I ever wanted and so much more.

Hope you know you have everything you need too.

Catney

Bring it On!

2009-04-26T19:30:00.012-04:00

What an exciting time! I've started accepting clients and it is such an honour to be able to work with people to help them meet important personal and professional goals! And it's just getting better! We're in discussions with 3 corporations right now to bring professional coaching to middle management and their sales force!

This is just the beginning!

Here's something to help set you up this month.

Brian Tracy, author of Flight Plan – The Real Secret of Success contributed an article to Costco Connection magazine back in 2008. In it, Tracy states that all successful people do 4 things:

1. They set clear goals
2. They take risks beyond their comfort zone
3. They accept feedback
4. They self correct

Using the analogy of air travel, Tracy offers these steps to success:

Choose your destination.
Decide in advance exactly what goals you want to achieve in each area of your life

Review your flight operations.
Gather information to determine all of the various ways you could achieve a particular goal

Write your flight plan.
Only 3 % of adults have written goals, and they earn 10 times as much as people who live day-to-day

Prepare for your journey.
Take the time to get everything done before your journey

Take off at full throttle.
Be prepared to work wholeheartedly, with all of your energy and determination, for a long time before your achieve any worthwhile goal

Plan for turbulence.
Expect setbacks, disappointment and reversals as a normal part of achieving anything worthwhile

Make course corrections.
If something doesn’t work, try something else, and then something else again

Accelerate learning and progress.
Learn from every experience. Look into every setback as an opportunity to grow. Seek valuable lessons contained in your roadblocks and obstacles.

Avoid shortcuts and other mirages.
Be prepared to pay the full price of success, in advance. Forget easy money and get-rich schemes. There aren’t any.

Master your fears.
Develop the habit of courage by confronting your fears rather than avoiding them.

Persist until you succeed.
Resolve in advance that you will never give up until you achieve your goal.

May is here. Make it count!

Catney!

Anti Aging Checklist

2009-04-26T15:49:00.006-04:00

So now that the nicer weather is returning I'm planning to get back out running and cycling outdoors again. Here's a great checklist of things we should be doing every day for diet, exercise, and vitamins. The "1 glass of red wine every day" on the list puts a smile on my face! Really.

Here's the link if you want to print a copy out for yourself!

atic.oprah.com/download/pdfs/health/oz/oz_antiaging_checklist.pdf

Ruth

The Coaches Training Institute: Process

2009-04-18T20:58:00.009-04:00

I'm on Day 2 of my Process Coaching module and they do a very clever thing - they get you to work through your own crap B4 they let you become a coach!

Today I learned the importance of working through my own baggage and unresolved issues in order to be able to best serve clients and hold THEIR agenda and not my own.

And you know, while it wasn't easy in the moment to dig deep and be "comfortable with being uncomfortable", it really is a liberating experience to let go of limiting beliefs that are created from negative life experiences. No two situations are identical. There is nuance, minutia of detail, and shades and I now know that for sure.

And so, the judgement truly dissipates. I am ready to coach now more than ever!

ruth@forbesmktg.com

Seth Godin

2009-04-15T19:31:00.006-04:00

Have been working hard on a presentation for a pharmaceutical contact and was directed to Seth Godin's blog about the topic. Here's what he has to say about presentations:

The hierarchy of presentations

A presentation is a precious opportunity. It's a powerful arrangement... one speaker, an attentive audience, all in their seats, all paying attention (at least at first). Don't waste it.

The purpose of a presentation is to change minds. That's the only reason I can think of to spend the time and resources. If your goal isn't to change minds, perhaps you should consider a different approach.

The best presentation is no presentation at all. If you can get by with a memo, send a memo. I can read it faster than you can present it and we'll both enjoy it more.

The second best presentation is one on one. No slides, no microphone. You look me in the eye and change my mind.

Third best? Live and fully interactive.

PowerPoint or Keynote, but with no bullets, just emotional pictures and stories.

And last best... well, if you really think you can change my mind by using tons of bullets and a droning presentation, I'm skeptical.

A presentation isn't an obligation, it's a privilege.

I'm planning to check out his Purple Cow and Tribes books. If you've already read them, let me know what you thought of them.

Ruth

Funny Commercials

2009-04-07T13:12:00.012-04:00

On this dark, cold, Spring day, laughter helps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHX2mvFVQMs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHir74eH6Sk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mNjTO0agJ0&feature=related

Your Thoughts Become Your Reality

2009-04-06T16:07:00.000-04:00

Back in 2008 I met a woman who has created a brilliant product line that the self-help, coaching industry will benefit from. The premise of her product line is "Your thoughts become your reality" so:

1. Choose your thoughts,

2. Find a place to keep your thoughts prominently in view (your bathroom mirror, your office wall, a corner of your laptop) and then,

3. See it, read it, think it...LIVE IT!!!

The decals she's had designed are so aesthetically pleasing, even the fonts are gorgeous and they come in themes or "Thought Packs" like, "New Mom, Little Reminders for Children, Positive Parenting, Create a Smile, Inspiration, Motivation, Relationships", and many others!

Go to http://www.thoughtspots.ca/ to check them out for yourself!

They would make a great Easter or Spring gift for people you know that are trying to meet some personal goals and make changes in their lives.

Let me know what you think! Its Canadian made!

Ruth

Sports-woman-ship!

2009-04-05T10:05:00.000-04:00

Here's a great sports story about doing the right thing even when it's not the easiest thing.

As a side note, the team that helped Sara lost their playoff spot because of their ultimate gesture of sportmanship. They went on to win the "Best Moment" at the 2008 ESPY Awards!

Rumour has it, Sean Avery was behind this contrived, staged event! HA!

The video runs just over 6 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jocw-oD2pgo&feature=related

Ruth

Can I have your number??

2009-04-02T22:26:00.000-04:00

Annie, this one's for you! I think of you every time I hear, "ridicalus"...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D0555EtAZ4

Panique au village: Le Film (Teaser)

2009-04-02T22:03:00.000-04:00

Got this clip from Chris. Thought it was uproariously funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asaOUvOmlhw

The cat pic (not from Chris) is just funny.

Presentation Zen - great book!

2009-03-31T17:06:00.000-04:00

I'm reading a great book that Angela turned me on to called Presentation Zen and if you have ever experienced "Death by Powerpoint" you need to read this book.

Garr Reynolds brings slideware into the Conceptual Age (remember Daniel Pink) by sharing his "amplification through simplification" approach. His solution: more subtlety, grace, and elegance in slides and no more than 6 words per slide. Oh, and also, no more than 6 slides per presentation! Garr tells us to make our impact with the images we choose and he says the best stock images around are from http://www.istockphoto.com/

Speak to your points instead of overwhelming your audience with text they won't even read. Then, be sure to provide them with a handout afterwards that contains all the stats, graphs, pie-charts, and minutia of your speaking points! Engage them with visuals and stories that are relevant and compelling. How refreshing!

His knack for "bottom-lining" is masterful and he gets you to think succinctly. "What is your point and why does it matter?" is what Garr wants you to CONSTANTLY ask yourself.

Dwight Shrute had it right, PowerPoint does suck BUT you can make it work for you and after reading Presentation Zen, you'll see how!

Happy presenting!

Ruth

SNL JT & Beyonce

2009-03-29T14:29:00.000-04:00

This clip doesn't do justice to the actual Saturday Night Live skit and if you find the real one on You Tube, let me know.

The message for me - don't take yourself too seriously and give the guy credit - that Justin Timberlake is one funny bugger!

If you saw his last SNL contribution, "Dick in a box" you know what I'm talking about!

This ought to put a smile on your face!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFmwnrryIKI

R.

Focused Energy Coaching

2009-03-25T19:49:00.000-04:00

I'm doing some exciting work with two brilliant women and we've formed a coaching company called Focused Energy.

Here they are!

Angela Kontgen

Angela's worked in pharmaceutical sales for over 17 years and she's one of the most visionary, energetic and spirited people I've come across in the coaching industry! She's going to change the world. Stay tuned!

Carolyn Hidalgo

Carolyn is a connector. She brings people together like no one I've ever seen in action B4 IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! She survived twins 7 years ago and never looked back. Expect greatness from her. You won't be disappointed!

Stay tuned! We're doing some exciting work with pharma companies, physicians, and MINI COOPER!

With continued curiosity,

Ruth

Need to Get Unstuck??????

2009-03-25T18:59:00.000-04:00

Ruth Catney, now coaching!

As you may know, over the last year I have been completing my training to become a Professional Coach and I’m at the point in my training where I’m now accepting clients.

Warning: this could be a blast of rich self-learning and personal growth, accelerated goal- reaching, and - FUN!!!

What is coaching?

Coaching is a professional, confidential partnership.
Because it is so systematic and no-nonsense, coaching empowers you to reach your goals by holding you accountable every two weeks to meet agreed-upon actions. If you’re looking to get “unstuck”, make lifestyle changes, or need some motivational coaching, I can help.
As your coach, I will collaborate with you to help define your future vision and goals in the areas of your life that require attention -
(Significant Relationships, Health, Career, Financial, Family/Friends).

Let me be your dedicated thinking partner and we’ll collaborate our way to your best self!

Coaching Works!

Clients report that working with a coach helped them to stay focused, motivated, on track and accelerated the achievement of their goals. They also reported enjoying the process of self-discovery.

How We’ll Work Together

Every 2 weeks we’ll teleconference (by phone or Skype) for 1 hour. During this time, we’ll discuss successes, review actions that have been taken from our prior call, create additional actions you want to commit to for sustained momentum, discuss support you might need and any barriers that might exist that could prevent you from getting what you want. As well, you will have access to me via e mail and also brief phone conversations in-between scheduled sessions. I will also ask for a commitment of 3 months*.
*Studies indicate that 3-month coaching commitments work best to ensure positive and sustainable changes.

Contact me today to accelerate your personal and professional growth!

Ruth Catney, MA, Cognitive Science
Professional Coach
ruth@forbesmktg.com

Gloria Steinem turns 75 today!

2009-03-25T11:23:00.000-04:00

Here's to a woman who has done much to improve the lives of women and men. "Be the change you want to see in the world" is what she has done superbly and I love what she represents. I have always been impressed by her articulation of argument and her knack for persuasion.

Here's a quick link about her work for the women's movement and her contribution to the Ms. Foundation. It's just over 10 minutes.

http://www.womensvoicesforchange.org/2009/03/gloria-steinem-is-75-outrageous.html

Thanks to you Ms. Steinem. My adoration and gratitude to you is profound.
Ruth

The Coaches Training Institute: Balance

2009-03-22T05:50:00.000-04:00

Today I'll be completing another course for my

co active coaching practise (Balance) and I'm learning a lot about the discipline of shifting perspectives to serve my greater good. I'm learning about how we can have limiting beliefs about our situations and I'm getting the skills to help people shift those perspectives, think of other options, and then commit to taking actions to make changes. Big stuff indeed.

My love for learning and personal growth is being sated in this course but the group I am with is amplifying the enjoyment of the experience exponentially! It's such a safe place so the learning is deeper and more robust and that much more profound.

So, I'm planning to start taking clients soon. Exciting frontier for Catney! Start thinking about the limiting perspectives you hold on to that are keeping you in an undesirable situation and please, never forget that you have OPTIONS. Things WILL NOT change overnight, but small, sustained changes over time will give you a sense of accomplishment and the changes you dreamed of will begin to unfold, right before your eyes.

Coaching really does make the world a better place!

Arizona and Ian Percy

2009-03-10T09:50:00.000-04:00

Just back from Arizona and it was superb. The warm, dry air was good for my soul. During my visit I met up with Ian Percy, the keynote speaker and Infinite Possibilities founder. He's doing some ground-breaking work on the subconscious mind as it relates to performance and success and I have to say, I want to know more.

I remember reading about a study of the subconscious mind where they had participants play a "game" against a fictitious opponent in another room. Participants were seated at a table and either a briefcase OR backpack was put in the chair across from them. The researchers found that the briefcase made participants compete much harder compared to the backpack. They concluded that participants were making subconscious assumptions related to their opponent's success in life where the briefcase represented greater success than the backpack. To read more about this study and get more insights into the relationship between social instincts and the subconscious mind, click here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/31/health/psychology/31subl.html

Wouldn't it be trippy to figure out what your subconscious beliefs are and how they might be holding you back from gigantic success??? You should contact Ian if you want to know more. Empower yourself OR even your organization by harnessing the subconscious mind and you could just realize your infinite possibilities! I plan to!

http://www.ianpercy.com/ OR http://www.infinitepossibilitiesinitiative.com/

With continued curiosity,
Ruth

Your Economic Thoughts Become Your Reality

2009-02-07T07:32:00.000-05:00

The house is silent and I am enjoying my morning coffee. Life is good. Have to admit, it has been scary with all the doom and gloom economic reports. I subscribe to numerous newsletters and Michel Neray sent one that landed.

"You are not the economy.
Yes, the economy is in rough shape right now. But don't let all the doom and gloom get inside your head. Those deflating stats and trends you hear on the news describe the macroeconomic world, not yours. When my coaching clients and Bull Pen members start groaning about the economy, this is what I tell them:

1. Yes, the economy is scary if you're General Motors, Walmart, Microsoft and every other company that relies on millions of customers. But if you're a consultant, speaker, trainer, advisor, coach or any other independent professional, chances are you only need a few clients to keep you busy and profitable. How many active clients do you need? How long will it take for you to find your next client(or replace the one you may have just lost due to the economy)? Where are you most likely to find your next client? When are you going to start looking?

2. Yes, a lot of people are losing their jobs. A lot of people's investments are getting hammered. And a lot of companies are cutting back on what they perceive as the non-essentials. That's why people and businesses are desperate for the smart solutions they haven't been getting from their past service providers. You can be the one to give it to them. What are you offering that's different, better and smarter than whatever they've been offered before?

3. Yes, the overall picture looks bad. But the overall picture is made up of a myriad of scenes; some of which tell a completely different story. Hyatt Hotels, FedEx, Burger King, CNN, Sports Illustrated and the advertising agency Leo Burnett Worlwide... these are all companies that started in economic downturns.Your Essential Message focuses on your strongest, most differentiating position in the market and communicates it in the most compelling way. That's one reason why it's like a Unique Selling Proposition on steroids -- regardless of the economy. Now repeat after me; 'I am not the economy, I am not the economy, I am not the econo...'"

You can subscribe to Michel's newsletter http://www.essentialmessage.com/.

Your thoughts become your reality so be deliberate about what you watch, read, and talk about these days. Keep informed and be resourceful. Reach out, even if it makes you uncomfortable. Be innovative and create a service or product offering that will make people wonder how they ever lived without it!

This too shall pass,
Ruth

He Responded!

2009-02-06T19:37:00.000-05:00

What a class act! Daniel Pink wrote back already! Try to implement the 6 Aptitudes he suggests we need to bring us into the Conceptual Age. Your personal or professional life will thank you!

With continued curiosity...
Ruth

Daniel Pink...write back soon

2009-02-06T17:46:00.000-05:00

Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers will Rule the Future provides some brilliant insights that corporations should heed. I sent him an email last night to tell him how much I enjoyed his book. Hope to hear from him soon!

Here's a summary of what he proposes...

“The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a different kind of mind – creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers and meaning makers. These people – artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers – will now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys”
Daniel Pink, A Whole New Mind, p.1

It’s not often I come across a business book that resonates and reassures me that I’m heading in the right direction but that is EXACTLY what Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule The Future has done for me.

An enjoyable and enlightening read, Pink notes how society has evolved from the Agricultural Age (Farmers) to the Industrial Age (Factories) to our current Information Age (Knowledge Workers). He takes a look at Western businesses that have a dependency on information technologies and cleverly identifies three major phenomenon in our economy that have forced adaptive changes: Abundance (affluence), Asia (technology), and Automation (globalization).

Abundance
Pink makes the observation that our left brains have made us rich. Never before have we had the assortment of gadgets to choose from that are both high quality AND priced affordably.

Pink’s solution: Success in this noisy marketplace means creating products that are not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing.

Asia
India, Philippines and China are accepting outsourced services (computer programming, technical engineering, financial services) paying laborers a fraction of the cost that Western or European employers pay.

Pink’s solution: Pink suggests that to succeed, the use of Right-brain-directed abilities will have to prevail: “forging relationships rather than executing transactions, tackling novel challenges instead of solving routine problems, and synthesizing the big picture rather than analyzing a single component.” (p. 40).

Automation
Software programs have been created to assist with medical diagnosis by following a series of decision trees and basic legal forms can now be downloaded online.

Pink’s solution: These professions will need to balance out their practices with more “empathy, narrative medicine, counseling and court room storytelling” that depend on Right-Brain directed thinking. (p. 46).

Pink believes that because of Abundance, Asia & Automation we’re moving from the Knowledge Age into what he calls the Conceptual Age (creators, empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers). He offers that we can prepare ourselves for this Conceptual Age by enhancing our abilities around six aptitudes: Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play, and Meaning.

APTITUDE 1: Design
Pink demonstrates the mainstreaming of design and how it’s no longer reserved for the elite. He reminds us that even our familiarity with computer fonts is an indication of how our awareness of design is commonplace. Pink asks readers to guess the names of three common computer fonts: Arial, Times New Roman, and Courier New. (Take the test yourself on p. 75

APTITUDE 2: Story
Pink cites numerous examples of how the use of story is becoming THE way companies are effectively sharing their intellectual capital – from training manuals at The World Bank to getting Xerox technicians up to speed by having them sit in company lounges sharing repair narratives! Also, his example of using narrative to sell homes instead of facts about price, features & square footage demonstrate some clever Conceptual Age marketing.
APTITUDE 3: Symphony
As Pink explains, symphony is “the ability to put together the pieces; synthesize rather than analyze; see relationships between seemingly unrelated fields...” (p.130). Metaphor fits under the umbrella of symphony and Pink reminds us of Georges de Mestral’s aptitude for metaphor when he reasoned that burrs stuck to his dog’s fur and came up with Velcro! Brilliant!

APTITUDE 4: Empathy
Pink makes the conclusion that the Conceptual Age requires androgynous minds. Pink states, “Sometimes we need detachment; many other times we need attunement. And the people who will thrive will be those who can toggle between the two.” (p. 174). So, start to bring YOUR androgynous mind to work – it will serve you and your organization well!

APTITUDE 5: Play
The aptitude of Play is a fun chapter to read. I learned about the existence of ‘laughter clubs’ in this chapter and I don’t mean Yuk-Yuk’s. Pink shares Southwest Airlines mission statement (they are one of the few airlines that continues to turn out profits in an extremely competitive industry) “People rarely succeed at anything unless they are having fun doing it.” Happy workers, healthy profits.

APTITUDE 6: Meaning
This was a section I also really enjoyed. Pink refers to research by Martin Seligman that finds that people who perform paid work that has personal meaning to them and is centered on their signature strengths experience greater authentic happiness. In her June 2008 Stanford speech Oprah Winfrey stated, “What you want is money and meaning. You want your work to be meaningful because meaning is what brings real richness to your life.”

A further note about Oprah’s honorary speech to Stanford’s graduating class of ’08 – she gave the gifts of literature to her audience that day; Tolle’s A New Earth and Pink’s A Whole New Mind. Making an Oprah list of books to give to Stanford graduates has GOT to have meaning! I love what Oprah does with her money and her endorsement of what Pink has to say about right-brain aptitudes is the greatest commendation an author could ever receive in our time.

Congratulations to you Daniel Pink. Well done.