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!

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!

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

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

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

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

"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

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

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?

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

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/