I recently picked up "The Leadership Challenge" for Kouzes and Posner and was already inspired a couple of pages into the book. The authors mentioned that "leadership is not the private reserve of a few charismatic men and women. It is a process ordinary people use when they are bringing forth the best from themselves and others. When the leaders in everyone is liberated extraordinary things happen".
I can't believe how powerful this statement is. The authors continue to describe that leadership is everyone's business and not limited to the work of CEO's and famous people. Leadership can happen anywhere, anytime. All it takes is courage, commitment, and consistency. Courage that stems from a realization that change will bring about more positive results. Commitment inspired by a passion to do what you believe is truly going to help people, organizations, and the world at large. Consistency to ensure that you don't give up when things become difficult.
Leadership is not only about affecting our today and now - it is about creating a legacy that will last long after we are gone. A legacy that enables others to continue to grow and prosper.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Courage to Change
Not many of us crave change. In fact, many of us will try to avoid it and some will even resist it. This is given that change is one of the only constants we have in life. Change affects every aspect of our lives: our relationships, our roles and careers, and our health, amongst other aspects.
We are born as tiny helpless infants and then we grow into active children and youth, then ambitious adults, and finally we grow old and become frail and weak yet again. This is just one example of the constant state of change in our lives. We change not only physically, but emotionally. One day we are happy, and the next may bring sadness, but then again, we know that trials and tribulations make us stronger and give us such important life lessons.
If change is a constant in our life, then I wonder why we always try to avoid it and resist it? Why don’t we instead embrace it and use it to improve our lives? Sometimes, it is when we step out of our comfort zone, or in some cases, are pushed out of our comfort zone, that we really grow. Does a caterpillar not have to go through a metamorphosis in order to become a butterfly and flutter across the sky
after being confined only to treading on the earth?
So my invitation to you would be to look into your life and see which situation may be making you uncomfortable, or at least challenging you and making you feel not as competent as you usually would like to be. Maybe it’s a new job you have taken up, a new role that you have been placed in, maybe it’s a new city you have moved to, or maybe it’s a new good habit that you’re trying to adopt. Perhaps you will find that in that struggle, you are growing, you are learning, and you are reaching new horizons that you would have otherwise never reached.
Stephen Covey defines habits as “the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire” (Seven habits of highly successful people, p. 47). In other words, knowledge is the ‘what’ and the ‘why’. Skill is the ‘how’, and desire is the ‘want’. In order to change a habit, all three have to work together. For example, if someone has the bad habit of procrastinating, they may know that they shouldn’t leave things until the last moment, and they may know how to do so by finishing their tasks in a timely manner, yet they may not want to do so for reasons that they may or may not be aware of. In some cases, it takes some courage to dig deep and find the real reasons for a bad habit, and yet again, it takes courage to overcome those reasons and drop the habit.
Stephen Covey defines habits as “the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire” (Seven habits of highly successful people, p. 47). In other words, knowledge is the ‘what’ and the ‘why’. Skill is the ‘how’, and desire is the ‘want’. In order to change a habit, all three have to work together. For example, if someone has the bad habit of procrastinating, they may know that they shouldn’t leave things until the last moment, and they may know how to do so by finishing their tasks in a timely manner, yet they may not want to do so for reasons that they may or may not be aware of. In some cases, it takes some courage to dig deep and find the real reasons for a bad habit, and yet again, it takes courage to overcome those reasons and drop the habit.
They may be procrastinating because they have too much confidence in their abilities to accomplish a task and therefore underestimate the amount of time they need. Or on the other hand, they have too little confidence in their abilities and do not want to tackle the task until they really have to and are under pressure to do it. Or quite simply, the underlying reason could be laziness. In all cases, it takes courage to really identify one’s weakness and then again courage to decide that this habit will change. This is a simple example on an individual scale.
On the other end of the spectrum is having enough courage to take a stance that could affect your family, your school, your city, and even the world. In many cases, in order to improve or excel, we may find ourselves challenging the status quo and being met with resistance, doubts, and discouragement. Even those closest to us may fail to understand or support us. However; we know that any famous and prominent figure that we know today had their share of challenges. Gandhi was thrown out of the first class compartment on a train despite having a ticket, Rosa Parks was asked to sit at the back of the bus because of her colour, the Prophets who came with divine revelations were in many cases oppressed and some were even killed. Yet Gandhi’s non-violent and peaceful methods were instrumental for India’s independence, Rosa Parks was one of the pioneers of the liberation of African-Americans from racism and segregation, and the prophets came with messages that called to the highest levels of morality, justice and peace through belief in God.
These figures may have never imagined all of the obstacles and challenges they would encounter, yet they went against all the odds, because they knew what they had to do was important. What they may have not known once again is that their struggle changed the beliefs and actions of entire people, entire countries and ultimately had an influence on the entire world.
My invitation once again would be to examine your life and decide what changes can you make that will make you happier, more successful and more productive? What changes will allow you to fulfill your goals and aspirations?
Once you have identified those changes, ask God to help you and hold what is best for you, and simply, make it happen. You are the only one who can fulfill your dreams and experience the joy that comes from accomplishing your goals.
We are born as tiny helpless infants and then we grow into active children and youth, then ambitious adults, and finally we grow old and become frail and weak yet again. This is just one example of the constant state of change in our lives. We change not only physically, but emotionally. One day we are happy, and the next may bring sadness, but then again, we know that trials and tribulations make us stronger and give us such important life lessons.
If change is a constant in our life, then I wonder why we always try to avoid it and resist it? Why don’t we instead embrace it and use it to improve our lives? Sometimes, it is when we step out of our comfort zone, or in some cases, are pushed out of our comfort zone, that we really grow. Does a caterpillar not have to go through a metamorphosis in order to become a butterfly and flutter across the sky
after being confined only to treading on the earth?
So my invitation to you would be to look into your life and see which situation may be making you uncomfortable, or at least challenging you and making you feel not as competent as you usually would like to be. Maybe it’s a new job you have taken up, a new role that you have been placed in, maybe it’s a new city you have moved to, or maybe it’s a new good habit that you’re trying to adopt. Perhaps you will find that in that struggle, you are growing, you are learning, and you are reaching new horizons that you would have otherwise never reached.
Stephen Covey defines habits as “the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire” (Seven habits of highly successful people, p. 47). In other words, knowledge is the ‘what’ and the ‘why’. Skill is the ‘how’, and desire is the ‘want’. In order to change a habit, all three have to work together. For example, if someone has the bad habit of procrastinating, they may know that they shouldn’t leave things until the last moment, and they may know how to do so by finishing their tasks in a timely manner, yet they may not want to do so for reasons that they may or may not be aware of. In some cases, it takes some courage to dig deep and find the real reasons for a bad habit, and yet again, it takes courage to overcome those reasons and drop the habit.
Stephen Covey defines habits as “the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire” (Seven habits of highly successful people, p. 47). In other words, knowledge is the ‘what’ and the ‘why’. Skill is the ‘how’, and desire is the ‘want’. In order to change a habit, all three have to work together. For example, if someone has the bad habit of procrastinating, they may know that they shouldn’t leave things until the last moment, and they may know how to do so by finishing their tasks in a timely manner, yet they may not want to do so for reasons that they may or may not be aware of. In some cases, it takes some courage to dig deep and find the real reasons for a bad habit, and yet again, it takes courage to overcome those reasons and drop the habit.
They may be procrastinating because they have too much confidence in their abilities to accomplish a task and therefore underestimate the amount of time they need. Or on the other hand, they have too little confidence in their abilities and do not want to tackle the task until they really have to and are under pressure to do it. Or quite simply, the underlying reason could be laziness. In all cases, it takes courage to really identify one’s weakness and then again courage to decide that this habit will change. This is a simple example on an individual scale.
On the other end of the spectrum is having enough courage to take a stance that could affect your family, your school, your city, and even the world. In many cases, in order to improve or excel, we may find ourselves challenging the status quo and being met with resistance, doubts, and discouragement. Even those closest to us may fail to understand or support us. However; we know that any famous and prominent figure that we know today had their share of challenges. Gandhi was thrown out of the first class compartment on a train despite having a ticket, Rosa Parks was asked to sit at the back of the bus because of her colour, the Prophets who came with divine revelations were in many cases oppressed and some were even killed. Yet Gandhi’s non-violent and peaceful methods were instrumental for India’s independence, Rosa Parks was one of the pioneers of the liberation of African-Americans from racism and segregation, and the prophets came with messages that called to the highest levels of morality, justice and peace through belief in God.
These figures may have never imagined all of the obstacles and challenges they would encounter, yet they went against all the odds, because they knew what they had to do was important. What they may have not known once again is that their struggle changed the beliefs and actions of entire people, entire countries and ultimately had an influence on the entire world.
My invitation once again would be to examine your life and decide what changes can you make that will make you happier, more successful and more productive? What changes will allow you to fulfill your goals and aspirations?
Once you have identified those changes, ask God to help you and hold what is best for you, and simply, make it happen. You are the only one who can fulfill your dreams and experience the joy that comes from accomplishing your goals.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Go for your dreams
I was listening to a motivational audio yesterday and there was one phrase the speaker said that really resonated with me. He said five years from now, you can go for your dreams and achieve them OR you can just be five years older. He reminded us that life is not a dress rehearsal - it is the one chance we have. You have may heard the saying before that there are people who wait to see what will happen, there are people that wondered what happened, there are people that complain about what happened, and there are people that MAKE it happen. So hopefully we can fall into the last batch at least more often than not.
Go for your dreams - make it happen. What's holding you back?
Go for your dreams - make it happen. What's holding you back?
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Tranforming Your Trials into Triumphs
Do you find yourself constantly reacting to the circumstances around you? Are you caught in a never-ending blame game with the people around you?
If so, then I hope you will find value in today's article where we'll be discussing the importance of being proactive.
Let us first define what it means to be proactive. It involves more than taking initiative - it is to take responsibility to ensure that we are living our life the way we want. Steven Covey presents an interesting angle on the word responsibility - if you break up the word, it's "response-ability". So it is our ability to choose the way in which we respond. And that way will be based on a set of personal or religious values and conscious decision making as opposed to a reaction based on emotions.
When people react to the circumstances and people around them, anything and everything could affect their attitude and therefore their effectiveness. If the weather is bad, this can affect them. If someone does not treat them well or is having a bad day, this also affects them. When this becomes a consistent pattern of behaviour, the result is that one empowers negative circumstances to control them. This is not to say that proactive people are not influenced by negative circumstances - the difference is, as mentioned, that proactive people respond based on values as opposed to emotions.
It can take courage and honesty to come to this conclusion - that we have caused our own ineffectiveness because of the way that we respond to our environment. However, once we acknowledge this, it will be much easier to also realize that we can be the cause of our own effectiveness, success, and happiness.
Proactive people understand that difficult circumstances can act as a stepping stone to something better and that they can in fact be a force that allows us to find strength in ourselves that we never knew we had. Think of yourself or someone you know who endured a very difficult situation but came out of it with a profound lesson that inspired them and others around them. Furthermore, difficult circumstances cannot only act as a stepping stone but could actually provide you with an entire new perspective on life.
It's important to distinguish though that being proactive does not mean being pushy or bossy - but it means to recognize that we have the ability to improve our environment. So what are some of the ways that you can practically become more proactive? Here are a few to get you started:
1) Observe your language:
Reactive Language:
-"I'll try"
-"That's just the way I am"
-"There's nothing I can do"
-"You ruined my day"
-"I have to"
-"I can't"
Proactive Language
-"I will do it"
-"I can do better than that"
-"Let's look at our options"
-"I am not going to let your bad mood rub off on me"
-"I choose to"
-"There has to be a way"
2) Identify your circle of influence
Think of two circles. The bigger circle is your circle of concern - so the things that concern you but that you may not have any control over. The smaller circle inside of that is your circle of influence. This is the circle where you can be proactive and take action as opposed to focusing all of your time and effort on the circle of concern which includes focusing on the faults of others and problems 'out there'. If we start with ourselves and our circle of influence, we are then focusing our time, effort, and energy in a positive direction.
3) Transform trials into triumphs
Identify a challenge you may be encountering in your personal or work life and identify the first step you can take in your circle of influence to solve it and then take that step. Once this becomes a habit, you will start to see how you can truly transform your trials into triumphs.
If so, then I hope you will find value in today's article where we'll be discussing the importance of being proactive.
Let us first define what it means to be proactive. It involves more than taking initiative - it is to take responsibility to ensure that we are living our life the way we want. Steven Covey presents an interesting angle on the word responsibility - if you break up the word, it's "response-ability". So it is our ability to choose the way in which we respond. And that way will be based on a set of personal or religious values and conscious decision making as opposed to a reaction based on emotions.
When people react to the circumstances and people around them, anything and everything could affect their attitude and therefore their effectiveness. If the weather is bad, this can affect them. If someone does not treat them well or is having a bad day, this also affects them. When this becomes a consistent pattern of behaviour, the result is that one empowers negative circumstances to control them. This is not to say that proactive people are not influenced by negative circumstances - the difference is, as mentioned, that proactive people respond based on values as opposed to emotions.
It can take courage and honesty to come to this conclusion - that we have caused our own ineffectiveness because of the way that we respond to our environment. However, once we acknowledge this, it will be much easier to also realize that we can be the cause of our own effectiveness, success, and happiness.
Proactive people understand that difficult circumstances can act as a stepping stone to something better and that they can in fact be a force that allows us to find strength in ourselves that we never knew we had. Think of yourself or someone you know who endured a very difficult situation but came out of it with a profound lesson that inspired them and others around them. Furthermore, difficult circumstances cannot only act as a stepping stone but could actually provide you with an entire new perspective on life.
It's important to distinguish though that being proactive does not mean being pushy or bossy - but it means to recognize that we have the ability to improve our environment. So what are some of the ways that you can practically become more proactive? Here are a few to get you started:
1) Observe your language:
Reactive Language:
-"I'll try"
-"That's just the way I am"
-"There's nothing I can do"
-"You ruined my day"
-"I have to"
-"I can't"
Proactive Language
-"I will do it"
-"I can do better than that"
-"Let's look at our options"
-"I am not going to let your bad mood rub off on me"
-"I choose to"
-"There has to be a way"
2) Identify your circle of influence
Think of two circles. The bigger circle is your circle of concern - so the things that concern you but that you may not have any control over. The smaller circle inside of that is your circle of influence. This is the circle where you can be proactive and take action as opposed to focusing all of your time and effort on the circle of concern which includes focusing on the faults of others and problems 'out there'. If we start with ourselves and our circle of influence, we are then focusing our time, effort, and energy in a positive direction.
3) Transform trials into triumphs
Identify a challenge you may be encountering in your personal or work life and identify the first step you can take in your circle of influence to solve it and then take that step. Once this becomes a habit, you will start to see how you can truly transform your trials into triumphs.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Watch your thoughts...
You may notice that a lot of the time, I will post quotes that I came across and liked with my thoughts about them. I am a fan of inspirational, thought provoking quotes and find that sometimes, reading a timely quote can change your perspective on a situation and give you renewed energy and strength. So, here's the first quote I'd like to share with you:
"Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, it becomes destiny. " Patrick Overton
I couldn't agree more with this quote. In the big scheme of things, it can really be the little, consistent things that we think, say, and do on a daily basis that contribute to our success and fulfillment.
So, what are your thoughts? Do you think of yourself as being successful and offering something valuable to your family, workplace, society, and even the world? Do you speak positively about others? Do you act based on moral principles and work hard to achieve your goals?
"Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, it becomes destiny. " Patrick Overton
I couldn't agree more with this quote. In the big scheme of things, it can really be the little, consistent things that we think, say, and do on a daily basis that contribute to our success and fulfillment.
So, what are your thoughts? Do you think of yourself as being successful and offering something valuable to your family, workplace, society, and even the world? Do you speak positively about others? Do you act based on moral principles and work hard to achieve your goals?
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Why Change our Habits?
In the last two posts, I started to speak about today's challenges and then moved on to speak about perspective and how it dictates our behaviours. Our behaviour and our character is basically a representation of our habits. Would you agree?
If so, then we can also agree that habits have a very powerful influence in our lives, since they are usually patterns of behaviour that are consistent, yet in most cases, unconscious. These habits can either contribute to our success or our failure - to our effectiveness, or our ineffectiveness.
Based on this principle, Steven Covey discusses the "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". However, before we delve into the habits, let us first look at Covey's definition of habits. He defines them as "the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire" (P.47). In other words, knowledge is the 'what' and the 'why'. Skill is the 'how', and desire is the 'want'. In order to change a habit, all three have to work together. For example, if someone has the bad habit of procrastinating, they may know that they shouldn't leave things until the last moment, and they may know how to do so by finishing their tasks in a timely manner, yet they may not want to do so for reasons that they may or may not be aware of. Or another person may know that they have this problem and may have the desire to change it, yet they do not know how to.
A personal development coach can help such people identify what reasons are holding them back from changing a bad habit, set a plan with goals and milestones, provide them with the necessary resources and tools, and follow up with motivation and encouragement until that person has achieved their goal.
As for the seven habits that Covey discusses, the first three will take you from dependence to independence (they are being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, and putting first things first), while habits four, five and six (which are thinking win/win, seeking first to understand, then be understood, and synergizing) will move you to interdependence. What's the difference between the three levels and why do they matter? Covey sums it up very nicely: "Dependent people need others to get what they want. Independent people can get what they want through their own effort. Interdependent people combine their own efforts with the efforts of others to achieve their greatest success" (P.49). Furthermore, he adds that "as an interdependent person, I have the opportunity to share myself deeply, meaningfully, with others, and I have access to the vast resources and potential of other human beings" (P. 51).
It's important to note though that we don't have to master the first three habits in order to move on to the rest. It is all a work in progress.
As for how these habits will contribute to our effectiveness, Covey first defines effectiveness as the "P/PC balance" where P stands for production and PC stands for production capability. For example, the product can be a successful career, but the production capability is you. If you give your all to work, but neglect your health, your family, and your spiritual needs, eventually you won't be able to achieve your product and will have worn out your production capability - in other words, you'll have worn out yourself. At the same time, if there's too much focus on production capability - such as self-indulgence and wasting time, and no focus at all on production, then once again this isn't considered effectiveness. Once again a personal development coach can help one find balance in the different aspects of their lives in order to achieve effectiveness and fulfillment.
Changing one's habits does not come easily - as Marilyn Ferguson says "No one can persuade another to change. Each of us guards a gate of change that can only be opened from the inside. We cannot open the gate of another, either by argument or by emotional appeal". We must open that gate ourselves - it will take courage, strength, and patience but the result is a more fulfilling life. Is it not worth it?
If so, then we can also agree that habits have a very powerful influence in our lives, since they are usually patterns of behaviour that are consistent, yet in most cases, unconscious. These habits can either contribute to our success or our failure - to our effectiveness, or our ineffectiveness.
Based on this principle, Steven Covey discusses the "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". However, before we delve into the habits, let us first look at Covey's definition of habits. He defines them as "the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire" (P.47). In other words, knowledge is the 'what' and the 'why'. Skill is the 'how', and desire is the 'want'. In order to change a habit, all three have to work together. For example, if someone has the bad habit of procrastinating, they may know that they shouldn't leave things until the last moment, and they may know how to do so by finishing their tasks in a timely manner, yet they may not want to do so for reasons that they may or may not be aware of. Or another person may know that they have this problem and may have the desire to change it, yet they do not know how to.
A personal development coach can help such people identify what reasons are holding them back from changing a bad habit, set a plan with goals and milestones, provide them with the necessary resources and tools, and follow up with motivation and encouragement until that person has achieved their goal.
As for the seven habits that Covey discusses, the first three will take you from dependence to independence (they are being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, and putting first things first), while habits four, five and six (which are thinking win/win, seeking first to understand, then be understood, and synergizing) will move you to interdependence. What's the difference between the three levels and why do they matter? Covey sums it up very nicely: "Dependent people need others to get what they want. Independent people can get what they want through their own effort. Interdependent people combine their own efforts with the efforts of others to achieve their greatest success" (P.49). Furthermore, he adds that "as an interdependent person, I have the opportunity to share myself deeply, meaningfully, with others, and I have access to the vast resources and potential of other human beings" (P. 51).
It's important to note though that we don't have to master the first three habits in order to move on to the rest. It is all a work in progress.
As for how these habits will contribute to our effectiveness, Covey first defines effectiveness as the "P/PC balance" where P stands for production and PC stands for production capability. For example, the product can be a successful career, but the production capability is you. If you give your all to work, but neglect your health, your family, and your spiritual needs, eventually you won't be able to achieve your product and will have worn out your production capability - in other words, you'll have worn out yourself. At the same time, if there's too much focus on production capability - such as self-indulgence and wasting time, and no focus at all on production, then once again this isn't considered effectiveness. Once again a personal development coach can help one find balance in the different aspects of their lives in order to achieve effectiveness and fulfillment.
Changing one's habits does not come easily - as Marilyn Ferguson says "No one can persuade another to change. Each of us guards a gate of change that can only be opened from the inside. We cannot open the gate of another, either by argument or by emotional appeal". We must open that gate ourselves - it will take courage, strength, and patience but the result is a more fulfilling life. Is it not worth it?
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Paradigms: How do you Look at the World?
In my last post, I presented eight challenges we confront today, which Stephen Covey covers in his book: "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People". The challenges were fear and insecurity, the "I want it now" mentality, blame and "victimism", hopelessness, lack of life balance, the "What's in it for me?" frame of mind, the hunger to be understood, and conflict and differences.
I promised that in this upcoming article, I would start to share with you some ideas and solutions about how to deal with those challenges. Challenges that arise even if you seem to be successful in your career, but do not really feel you are making a difference that people would notice if you were gone. Challenges that arise even if you're trying your best to have a harmonious family life, yet you don't feel fulfilled in your relationships.
Sometimes we will try hard to confront these challenges and we will think we've chosen the right course of action, so we will continue on that path. Yet, sometimes, what we really need to do is take a step back and observe our perspective. Our perspective is the way in which we see the world, and that perspective greatly dictates our behaviours. Therefore, in most cases, what needs to happen is for us to examine whether we can change our perspective on a challenge, and to change that perspective, we have to change ourselves first. This is quite befitting of a verse in the Qur'an (Muslims' Holy book) that states: "God does not change the status of a people unless they change what is in themselves" (13:11).
When we speak about changing ourselves, what we speak of us changing our character. It has been reported that many of the literature before World War I described success in terms of "character ethics" such as modesty, courage, integrity, honesty, and humility. Interestingly enough, these are the moral characteristics that are rooted in faith. For example, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) says: "I was sent in order to perfect moral character".
However, after World War I, there was a shift in the outlook on success such that it became "personality ethics" with an emphasis on our public image and social acceptance. The result was that the focus shifted from the internal to the external realm and instead of living our life according to a set of values and moral characters, we may have slipped into satisfying a public image that allows us to get ahead in society and "succeed".
Obviously, this has come at the expense of our internal happiness and our relationships. So, if we were to take a step back and instead of trying to 'fix' the situation or the individual, whether they are our boss at work, our spouse, or our children, we examine ourselves and our perceptions, slowly but surely, there can be powerful and rewarding shifts in our lives. When we start to find worth in our values and couple those values with actions, the emphasis on our socially accepted public image starts to dissipate, and we start to feel internal satisfaction. For example, when we find value in honesty, hard work, and dedication in our jobs and relationships, the promotion at work or the image of the 'perfect' spouse or 'perfect' child will not hold paramount importance to us, as we have already found satisfaction in our commitment to our values.
Therefore, the message is not to stop seeking excellence in our careers and relationships; however, when our happiness comes from within based on our internal convictions, then we do not solely base our happiness on external factors that are dictated by society.
So I would say next time, before we look at the world, let us look within first.
I promised that in this upcoming article, I would start to share with you some ideas and solutions about how to deal with those challenges. Challenges that arise even if you seem to be successful in your career, but do not really feel you are making a difference that people would notice if you were gone. Challenges that arise even if you're trying your best to have a harmonious family life, yet you don't feel fulfilled in your relationships.
Sometimes we will try hard to confront these challenges and we will think we've chosen the right course of action, so we will continue on that path. Yet, sometimes, what we really need to do is take a step back and observe our perspective. Our perspective is the way in which we see the world, and that perspective greatly dictates our behaviours. Therefore, in most cases, what needs to happen is for us to examine whether we can change our perspective on a challenge, and to change that perspective, we have to change ourselves first. This is quite befitting of a verse in the Qur'an (Muslims' Holy book) that states: "God does not change the status of a people unless they change what is in themselves" (13:11).
When we speak about changing ourselves, what we speak of us changing our character. It has been reported that many of the literature before World War I described success in terms of "character ethics" such as modesty, courage, integrity, honesty, and humility. Interestingly enough, these are the moral characteristics that are rooted in faith. For example, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) says: "I was sent in order to perfect moral character".
However, after World War I, there was a shift in the outlook on success such that it became "personality ethics" with an emphasis on our public image and social acceptance. The result was that the focus shifted from the internal to the external realm and instead of living our life according to a set of values and moral characters, we may have slipped into satisfying a public image that allows us to get ahead in society and "succeed".
Obviously, this has come at the expense of our internal happiness and our relationships. So, if we were to take a step back and instead of trying to 'fix' the situation or the individual, whether they are our boss at work, our spouse, or our children, we examine ourselves and our perceptions, slowly but surely, there can be powerful and rewarding shifts in our lives. When we start to find worth in our values and couple those values with actions, the emphasis on our socially accepted public image starts to dissipate, and we start to feel internal satisfaction. For example, when we find value in honesty, hard work, and dedication in our jobs and relationships, the promotion at work or the image of the 'perfect' spouse or 'perfect' child will not hold paramount importance to us, as we have already found satisfaction in our commitment to our values.
Therefore, the message is not to stop seeking excellence in our careers and relationships; however, when our happiness comes from within based on our internal convictions, then we do not solely base our happiness on external factors that are dictated by society.
So I would say next time, before we look at the world, let us look within first.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Today's Challenges
We all have our fair share of different challenges: finances, family, career, etc. Each age presents its unique set of challenges and in "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People", Stephen Covey presents eight challenges that we confront today:
1) Fear and Insecurity
This challenge is even more prominent right now with the current financial crisis. Many people are afraid they will lose their jobs, and some in fact have. Evidently, this is a plausible concern; yet, excessive fear and insecurity leaves us feeling chained and unwilling to take risks or take advantage of new opportunities.
2) "I want it now"
We live in this sort of instant gratification mode where we want the big house, the nice car, the great job, and the most loving husband/wife/children all now. The 'buy now, pay later' approach is more and more common and although that implies buying an item, I see a direct link between that and our relationships. We're not willing to invest in our relationships, to work hard at them, and to be patient with those whom we love most. We want it all, and we want it all to be perfect, now.
3) Blame and 'Victimism'
Some of us have mastered the art of saying "if only my boss wasn't so bad ... and if only I had more money ... and if only my husband or wife weren't so difficult ... if only this and if only that". We constantly blame the people or the circumstances around us and forget that ultimately, we have the ability to change our attitude, our perspective, and our behaviour. We forget the power that we have in our decisions.
4) Hopelessness
The fruits of blame and victimism are hopelessness. When we continue to blame the circumstances and people around us, we quickly succumb to hopelessness, which leads us to an even worse condition. We become prey to what Stephen Covey calls, the "survival response of popular culture", which is: 'just lower your expectations of life to the point that you aren't disappointed by anyone or anything'.
5) Lack of Life Balance
Cell phones, blackberries, emails and other forms of technology that are supposed to make our lives easier, are just placing more demands on us that sometimes cause increased stress and exhaustion. These demands, which may seem urgent, but in many cases, are not important, dictate our lives and take over our priorities and ability to achieve balance and serenity in our lives.
6) 'What's in it for me?'
We're brought up to think that life is a race, a competition and we should look out for ourselves first and foremost. We may try to show happiness when we see others achieve, yet internally, we may feel that we have less chances of achieving since someone else has. Nevertheless, the power of teamwork and the 'we' as opposed to the 'me' where we can work together cooperatively for the sake of the greater good can be much more rewarding.
7) The Hunger to be Understood
We all long to be understood, valued, respected, to have our voices heard and to ultimately have some sort of influence. Seemingly, we can achieve this need by communication, so we expect to speak and be listened to; yet, when others speak, we may not take the time to listen to them deeply and sincerely. We may not have the patience to suspend our agendas only temporarily and not prepare for our response while the other person is still speaking.
8) Conflict and Differences
Different opinions, values, and motivations can naturally be the cause for conflict sometimes. We sometimes try to resolve conflict by thinking 'win-win' in which case a compromise has been struck. Yet, Stephen covey speaks of an interesting concept called "creative cooperation" in which both parties seek to develop solutions that would take them to a better place than where they started off.
For tips on how to overcome these challenges, see future articles.
1) Fear and Insecurity
This challenge is even more prominent right now with the current financial crisis. Many people are afraid they will lose their jobs, and some in fact have. Evidently, this is a plausible concern; yet, excessive fear and insecurity leaves us feeling chained and unwilling to take risks or take advantage of new opportunities.
2) "I want it now"
We live in this sort of instant gratification mode where we want the big house, the nice car, the great job, and the most loving husband/wife/children all now. The 'buy now, pay later' approach is more and more common and although that implies buying an item, I see a direct link between that and our relationships. We're not willing to invest in our relationships, to work hard at them, and to be patient with those whom we love most. We want it all, and we want it all to be perfect, now.
3) Blame and 'Victimism'
Some of us have mastered the art of saying "if only my boss wasn't so bad ... and if only I had more money ... and if only my husband or wife weren't so difficult ... if only this and if only that". We constantly blame the people or the circumstances around us and forget that ultimately, we have the ability to change our attitude, our perspective, and our behaviour. We forget the power that we have in our decisions.
4) Hopelessness
The fruits of blame and victimism are hopelessness. When we continue to blame the circumstances and people around us, we quickly succumb to hopelessness, which leads us to an even worse condition. We become prey to what Stephen Covey calls, the "survival response of popular culture", which is: 'just lower your expectations of life to the point that you aren't disappointed by anyone or anything'.
5) Lack of Life Balance
Cell phones, blackberries, emails and other forms of technology that are supposed to make our lives easier, are just placing more demands on us that sometimes cause increased stress and exhaustion. These demands, which may seem urgent, but in many cases, are not important, dictate our lives and take over our priorities and ability to achieve balance and serenity in our lives.
6) 'What's in it for me?'
We're brought up to think that life is a race, a competition and we should look out for ourselves first and foremost. We may try to show happiness when we see others achieve, yet internally, we may feel that we have less chances of achieving since someone else has. Nevertheless, the power of teamwork and the 'we' as opposed to the 'me' where we can work together cooperatively for the sake of the greater good can be much more rewarding.
7) The Hunger to be Understood
We all long to be understood, valued, respected, to have our voices heard and to ultimately have some sort of influence. Seemingly, we can achieve this need by communication, so we expect to speak and be listened to; yet, when others speak, we may not take the time to listen to them deeply and sincerely. We may not have the patience to suspend our agendas only temporarily and not prepare for our response while the other person is still speaking.
8) Conflict and Differences
Different opinions, values, and motivations can naturally be the cause for conflict sometimes. We sometimes try to resolve conflict by thinking 'win-win' in which case a compromise has been struck. Yet, Stephen covey speaks of an interesting concept called "creative cooperation" in which both parties seek to develop solutions that would take them to a better place than where they started off.
For tips on how to overcome these challenges, see future articles.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
True Commitment to Our Relationships
Most of us can agree that any successful relationship requires serious and consistent commitment. Yet, how many of us make sure this commitment is clearly conveyed both in our words and in our actions?
Whether it is wanting to have a successful relationship with our children, with our spouses, or with our families in general, commitment is a common and essential ingredient.
In Linda and Richard Eyre's The Book of Nurturing: Nine Laws for Enriching Your Family Life, the first "law" they speak of is that of commitment. They explain that our hope to see our children confident and secure will be a direct result of their knowing that they are our first priority.
Seems like common sense, right? As a matter of fact, it is stated that our children do not automatically know of our commitment. They need to be told and re-told of our true commitment and how they really matter to us more than anything else.
A story that one of the authors shared that particularly resonated with me was their encounter with a daughter of one of their colleagues years later. The author had known this family was struggling financially; yet, was impressed with their daughter's success and so he asked her, how her parents did it? The daughter laughed explaining how her parents were working hard to keep food on the table and didn't have much time for 'parenting methods'. She then paused for a moment, tears filling her eyes and said her parents did make a point of making sure that she and her siblings knew they mattered most. Each night, her dad would put her to bed, hold her face with his two hands, and look into her eyes and say: "I love you honey. You are my first priority. I am completely committed to your mom and to you kids. And I always will be".
That was her parents' secret.
I would draw this same parallel to our commitment with our spouses and with our families. If we really and sincerely want successful and loving relationships with those most important to us, we have to tell them and show them. And we have to do it often.
In the same book, one couple re-stated their commitment to each other years later after their marriage and actually wrote out "commitment documents" to one another. I've shared here with you a section of the husband's commitment document:
"I hereby recommit myself, my resources, my gifts, to you as my wife and as the only romantic love of my life. While I am far from perfect as a husband, there are many things you can absolutely and always count on from me. One is that I will put your interests first in every choice or decision I face. Two is that I will always be completely honest with you and have no secrets from you. Third is that I will be a full partner with you in the raising of our children. Fourth is that I will never let other priorities like work or sports get ahead of you and the kids or cause me to do anything that would damage or impact negatively on you or on your happiness".
One final point on commitment is the example of geese that the authors gave. It was truly humbling to see how this creation, through the mercy of God, show true commitment to one another. Geese mate for life until one of them dies, therefore sometimes spending more than 50 years together. They are completely committed to their families – they strive to keep each other safe, they put each other first, they know they can depend on each other, and one final beautiful nature of geese, is that they always come home.
These are some examples I have shared with you, and so I encourage you to find a way to say or show your commitment to those who matter most to you in life
So how does commitment in your relationships have to do with accelerating your journey to success? It is a matter of balance and a matter of setting your priorities. If family really matters to you and is a part of your life, then it deserves serious commitment. The different aspects in your lives – health, spirituality, family, finances, education, etc., are all interdependent. One of them affects the whole and the whole affects each one.
Whether it is wanting to have a successful relationship with our children, with our spouses, or with our families in general, commitment is a common and essential ingredient.
In Linda and Richard Eyre's The Book of Nurturing: Nine Laws for Enriching Your Family Life, the first "law" they speak of is that of commitment. They explain that our hope to see our children confident and secure will be a direct result of their knowing that they are our first priority.
Seems like common sense, right? As a matter of fact, it is stated that our children do not automatically know of our commitment. They need to be told and re-told of our true commitment and how they really matter to us more than anything else.
A story that one of the authors shared that particularly resonated with me was their encounter with a daughter of one of their colleagues years later. The author had known this family was struggling financially; yet, was impressed with their daughter's success and so he asked her, how her parents did it? The daughter laughed explaining how her parents were working hard to keep food on the table and didn't have much time for 'parenting methods'. She then paused for a moment, tears filling her eyes and said her parents did make a point of making sure that she and her siblings knew they mattered most. Each night, her dad would put her to bed, hold her face with his two hands, and look into her eyes and say: "I love you honey. You are my first priority. I am completely committed to your mom and to you kids. And I always will be".
That was her parents' secret.
I would draw this same parallel to our commitment with our spouses and with our families. If we really and sincerely want successful and loving relationships with those most important to us, we have to tell them and show them. And we have to do it often.
In the same book, one couple re-stated their commitment to each other years later after their marriage and actually wrote out "commitment documents" to one another. I've shared here with you a section of the husband's commitment document:
"I hereby recommit myself, my resources, my gifts, to you as my wife and as the only romantic love of my life. While I am far from perfect as a husband, there are many things you can absolutely and always count on from me. One is that I will put your interests first in every choice or decision I face. Two is that I will always be completely honest with you and have no secrets from you. Third is that I will be a full partner with you in the raising of our children. Fourth is that I will never let other priorities like work or sports get ahead of you and the kids or cause me to do anything that would damage or impact negatively on you or on your happiness".
One final point on commitment is the example of geese that the authors gave. It was truly humbling to see how this creation, through the mercy of God, show true commitment to one another. Geese mate for life until one of them dies, therefore sometimes spending more than 50 years together. They are completely committed to their families – they strive to keep each other safe, they put each other first, they know they can depend on each other, and one final beautiful nature of geese, is that they always come home.
These are some examples I have shared with you, and so I encourage you to find a way to say or show your commitment to those who matter most to you in life
So how does commitment in your relationships have to do with accelerating your journey to success? It is a matter of balance and a matter of setting your priorities. If family really matters to you and is a part of your life, then it deserves serious commitment. The different aspects in your lives – health, spirituality, family, finances, education, etc., are all interdependent. One of them affects the whole and the whole affects each one.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Power of Your Decisions
Are you today what you hoped to be 5 or 10 years ago? What is more important is have you decided on where you want to be in the next 5 to 10 years of your life?
In his book, Awaken the Giant Within, Anthony Robbins makes such a simple, yet profound statement. He says "You see, ten years from now, you will surely arrive. The question is: Where? Who will you have become? How will you live? What will you contribute? Now is the time to design the next ten years of your life – not once they're over". Reading this statement really hit home from me. Many times, we are in the "I wish I had done that" mode – we always seem to realize what we could have done a lot later than when we could have actually done it.
The reason for this is that we are not able to make firm decisions and commit to them. Or we let the circumstances or the people around us make our decisions for us.
What does it take to make a decision? Making a decision takes an honest and courageous stance from you to understand what it is you really want in life and to not let your environment make decisions for you. To test whether you have truly made a decision, observe whether you have actually taken action. It is through acting upon your decision that you demonstrate commitment to it.
What does it take to make a decision? Making a decision takes an honest and courageous stance from you to understand what it is you really want in life and to not let your environment make decisions for you. To test whether you have truly made a decision, observe whether you have actually taken action. It is through acting upon your decision that you demonstrate commitment to it.
Unfortunately, many people never make the decision to live their life according to the highest standards because they are too consumed in a victim state of mind that blames their parents, or their teachers, or their lack of opportunities. Anthony Robbins describes these belief systems to not only be limiting, but destructive and that the power of decisions can allow us to overcome all these belief systems in an instant if we so wish.
Anything that anyone has accomplished, whether it was on an individual level, or in their family, community, society, or the world was a result of a decision that they made. So you too, right now, this moment, can make a decision about who you are, how you want to live your life from now on and what you want to accomplish.
Anthony Robbins states the power of decisions simply but beautifully: "True decisions are the catalyst for turning our dreams into reality".
So, like most people, you may realize the importance of making decisions; however, you are not sure how to make those life changing decisions. Therefore, you just don't make them.
You continue to state 'preferences' such as "it would be great if I was able to get this job" or "I would feel so much better if I only lost 10 pounds" or "it would be nice if my kids were better behaved". So you state your preferences, but you don't actually make a decision.
The way to overcome this fear is not to know exactly what is going to happen, but to decide that you will make it happen, by the will of God. This is in fact what the word decision means. "De" in Latin means from and "caedre" means to cut. Therefore, as Anthony Robbins states in his Awaken the Giant Book , "making a true decision means committing to achieving a result, and then cutting yourself off from any other possibility".
Many of us may not be accustomed to being this serious and clear about our decisions. However, it is this clarity that gives us the power to act upon our decisions. So once you have decided to lose those 10 pounds, or to increase your knowledge in a certain area or to even write a book, you will do all you possibly can to achieve it.
So how is it that we can learn to make powerful decisions? What is the ultimate secret? Are you ready for it? The secret is to make them. Yes, make a powerful decision today. What have you been procrastinating or avoiding for days, months, or even years? Challenge yourself, be courageous, and make that decision to improve your life today. And when you do it once, do it again, and again, until you become accustomed to making powerful decisions as opposed to stating preferences.
If you're not sure where to start with your powerful decisions, think of three main areas which are your decisions about your attitude, your decisions on your values, and your decisions about your actions.
How satisfied are you today with your attitude, values, and actions? How do they serve you in your life? Are they constant barriers for you and causes of failure? Or are they factors that contribute to your success and happiness?
A final important point to mention is most people don't make decisions because they are afraid it will be the 'wrong' decision. This can be very paralyzing and limiting to your potential and success. As human beings prone to error, we will not always make the right decisions, but what's important is to be flexible and learn from our decisions in order to make better ones in the future.
Embrace your ability to make powerful decisions today and witness the profound difference they can and will make in your life.
In his book, Awaken the Giant Within, Anthony Robbins makes such a simple, yet profound statement. He says "You see, ten years from now, you will surely arrive. The question is: Where? Who will you have become? How will you live? What will you contribute? Now is the time to design the next ten years of your life – not once they're over". Reading this statement really hit home from me. Many times, we are in the "I wish I had done that" mode – we always seem to realize what we could have done a lot later than when we could have actually done it.
The reason for this is that we are not able to make firm decisions and commit to them. Or we let the circumstances or the people around us make our decisions for us.
What does it take to make a decision? Making a decision takes an honest and courageous stance from you to understand what it is you really want in life and to not let your environment make decisions for you. To test whether you have truly made a decision, observe whether you have actually taken action. It is through acting upon your decision that you demonstrate commitment to it.
What does it take to make a decision? Making a decision takes an honest and courageous stance from you to understand what it is you really want in life and to not let your environment make decisions for you. To test whether you have truly made a decision, observe whether you have actually taken action. It is through acting upon your decision that you demonstrate commitment to it.
Unfortunately, many people never make the decision to live their life according to the highest standards because they are too consumed in a victim state of mind that blames their parents, or their teachers, or their lack of opportunities. Anthony Robbins describes these belief systems to not only be limiting, but destructive and that the power of decisions can allow us to overcome all these belief systems in an instant if we so wish.
Anything that anyone has accomplished, whether it was on an individual level, or in their family, community, society, or the world was a result of a decision that they made. So you too, right now, this moment, can make a decision about who you are, how you want to live your life from now on and what you want to accomplish.
Anthony Robbins states the power of decisions simply but beautifully: "True decisions are the catalyst for turning our dreams into reality".
So, like most people, you may realize the importance of making decisions; however, you are not sure how to make those life changing decisions. Therefore, you just don't make them.
You continue to state 'preferences' such as "it would be great if I was able to get this job" or "I would feel so much better if I only lost 10 pounds" or "it would be nice if my kids were better behaved". So you state your preferences, but you don't actually make a decision.
The way to overcome this fear is not to know exactly what is going to happen, but to decide that you will make it happen, by the will of God. This is in fact what the word decision means. "De" in Latin means from and "caedre" means to cut. Therefore, as Anthony Robbins states in his Awaken the Giant Book , "making a true decision means committing to achieving a result, and then cutting yourself off from any other possibility".
Many of us may not be accustomed to being this serious and clear about our decisions. However, it is this clarity that gives us the power to act upon our decisions. So once you have decided to lose those 10 pounds, or to increase your knowledge in a certain area or to even write a book, you will do all you possibly can to achieve it.
So how is it that we can learn to make powerful decisions? What is the ultimate secret? Are you ready for it? The secret is to make them. Yes, make a powerful decision today. What have you been procrastinating or avoiding for days, months, or even years? Challenge yourself, be courageous, and make that decision to improve your life today. And when you do it once, do it again, and again, until you become accustomed to making powerful decisions as opposed to stating preferences.
If you're not sure where to start with your powerful decisions, think of three main areas which are your decisions about your attitude, your decisions on your values, and your decisions about your actions.
How satisfied are you today with your attitude, values, and actions? How do they serve you in your life? Are they constant barriers for you and causes of failure? Or are they factors that contribute to your success and happiness?
A final important point to mention is most people don't make decisions because they are afraid it will be the 'wrong' decision. This can be very paralyzing and limiting to your potential and success. As human beings prone to error, we will not always make the right decisions, but what's important is to be flexible and learn from our decisions in order to make better ones in the future.
Embrace your ability to make powerful decisions today and witness the profound difference they can and will make in your life.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Born to Succeed
How many of us truly understand that we are born for success? And how many of us work tirelessly for it?
Do we believe that our life measures up to what it could truly be or do most of us live a life of mediocrity?
Mediocrity can be the worst illness of our time. We are so comfortable in our average jobs, average families, and average communities, that we do not feel the need to change. We do not feel the need to excel.
We have become accustomed to doing such an average job that we find it difficult to dream bigger, plan better, and work harder.
Think of these three steps:
1) Dream Bigger
How many of us envision ourselves as the best in our profession? How many of us dream of having the most successful family? How many of us are truly happy from the depths of our soul?
The only person who can limit our dreams is us. We can choose to limit ourselves with things like age, experience, and money. But we can also choose to free ourselves of those limitations and dream big. Roosevelt says, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams". Any reality today was only the dream of someone yesterday. Our dreams for our success, for the success of our families, and for the betterment of this world will be the realities of tomorrow.
2) Plan SMARTer
Dreaming bigger is an excellent first step, but it means nothing if we do not plan for it. How many of us have identified what our goals are for the next five, ten, and fifteen years? How many of us plan for success?
Another quote says that if we fail to plan, then we have planned to fail. If we are going on a vacation, we may spend weeks and even months planning for it by researching hotels, activities, dining, etc; yet, ironically enough, we do not spend time planning for our success. How many of us know the path we want to pursue once we graduate, or the type of experience we would like to gain in our career, or the type of family we would like to have in 5, 10, and 20 years.
Many of us may plan for retirement and are proud of our RRSP's, we plan for what will happen after our death by writing our wills, but we fail to plan for our lives now and in the near future.
Keeping the SMART acronym in mind is an excellent tool for planning. So your goals need to be Specific, Measurable, Action Oriented, Realistic, and Time Sensitive.
3) Work Harder
The final ingredient for the recipe of success is to work harder. The difference between mediocrity and excellence may be small, but it is what ultimately makes a difference. Working harder may mean waking up an hour earlier than most people do, or it may mean using our time more wisely that most people do, or it could be pushing ourselves slightly past what we perceive as our limits.
It is said that only 5 % of people use their gifts to their fullest potential – let us be amongst them.
Do we want to be remembered for our laziness and procrastination? Or do we want to be remembered for hard work and determination? Any successful person that has treaded upon this earth was someone who tirelessly worked to make their dreams a reality.
Just as we consult with a doctor regarding our medical concerns and with an accountant regarding our financial matters, it is only natural that we consult with a Life Coach regarding achieving our goals and reaching our full potential. Imagine what it would be like to live a life of success, excitement, and fulfillment. Imagine if you could excel in your career, your education, your family life. How would that make you feel?
Unleash your potential and witness the power of how fulfilling your life can truly be. Don't put your goals on hold any longer. Start living now.
Do we believe that our life measures up to what it could truly be or do most of us live a life of mediocrity?
Mediocrity can be the worst illness of our time. We are so comfortable in our average jobs, average families, and average communities, that we do not feel the need to change. We do not feel the need to excel.
We have become accustomed to doing such an average job that we find it difficult to dream bigger, plan better, and work harder.
Think of these three steps:
1) Dream Bigger
How many of us envision ourselves as the best in our profession? How many of us dream of having the most successful family? How many of us are truly happy from the depths of our soul?
The only person who can limit our dreams is us. We can choose to limit ourselves with things like age, experience, and money. But we can also choose to free ourselves of those limitations and dream big. Roosevelt says, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams". Any reality today was only the dream of someone yesterday. Our dreams for our success, for the success of our families, and for the betterment of this world will be the realities of tomorrow.
2) Plan SMARTer
Dreaming bigger is an excellent first step, but it means nothing if we do not plan for it. How many of us have identified what our goals are for the next five, ten, and fifteen years? How many of us plan for success?
Another quote says that if we fail to plan, then we have planned to fail. If we are going on a vacation, we may spend weeks and even months planning for it by researching hotels, activities, dining, etc; yet, ironically enough, we do not spend time planning for our success. How many of us know the path we want to pursue once we graduate, or the type of experience we would like to gain in our career, or the type of family we would like to have in 5, 10, and 20 years.
Many of us may plan for retirement and are proud of our RRSP's, we plan for what will happen after our death by writing our wills, but we fail to plan for our lives now and in the near future.
Keeping the SMART acronym in mind is an excellent tool for planning. So your goals need to be Specific, Measurable, Action Oriented, Realistic, and Time Sensitive.
3) Work Harder
The final ingredient for the recipe of success is to work harder. The difference between mediocrity and excellence may be small, but it is what ultimately makes a difference. Working harder may mean waking up an hour earlier than most people do, or it may mean using our time more wisely that most people do, or it could be pushing ourselves slightly past what we perceive as our limits.
It is said that only 5 % of people use their gifts to their fullest potential – let us be amongst them.
Do we want to be remembered for our laziness and procrastination? Or do we want to be remembered for hard work and determination? Any successful person that has treaded upon this earth was someone who tirelessly worked to make their dreams a reality.
Just as we consult with a doctor regarding our medical concerns and with an accountant regarding our financial matters, it is only natural that we consult with a Life Coach regarding achieving our goals and reaching our full potential. Imagine what it would be like to live a life of success, excitement, and fulfillment. Imagine if you could excel in your career, your education, your family life. How would that make you feel?
Unleash your potential and witness the power of how fulfilling your life can truly be. Don't put your goals on hold any longer. Start living now.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Welcome Note
Welcome to my blog. Destination Excellence is a personal and professional excellence coaching and seminars practice that specializes in career empowerment and leadership excellence for individual women, schools, and organizations. Feel free to visit my website: http://www.destinationexcellence.ca/ for more info and I hope you enjoy and benefit from this blog.
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