Archive for the ‘Resources’ CategoryThe Rant & Rave PageWednesday, October 14th, 2009This post is reserved for readers of The Working Woman’s Rant & Rave Guidebook: Audacious Advice For Handling Everyday Workplace Challenges That Make You Want To Scream. If you have a rant or a rave to share please post a comment. I’d love to hear from you as long as you follow the four simple principles; be diplomatic, be assertive, focus on problem-solving and take personal responsibility for your success.
So Just What Was I Born to Do?Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
For nearly a decade my work has been fulfilling and self-motivating. I felt like I was doing what I was born to do and I never felt like a slave to a job. Because of that, many friends, employed with great jobs but struggling through disinterest in their current careers, wanted to know how I managed to discover and then actually do what it is I was born to do. The answer is; I was lucky, I was at the right place at the right time, and I was prepared to step into the role when the opportunity presented itself to me. I had some extra help. Almost 25 years ago I created a Bare Bones Reason I Was Born Statement that guided me toward accepting challenges and opportunities along the way that would add to my ability to one day do what I was born to do. If you want to redirect your life’s direction, and hone in on what you feel you were born to do, so that every day at work feels fulfilling and self-motivating, you might want to create your own Bare Bones Statement. It’s helpful because before we can begin taking steps to make things happen and fulfill our purpose, we’ve got to decide which direction to turn toward. Clarity of purpose comes to us when we define exactly what it is we were born to do. Without getting to the basic, essential definition, what I call the Bare Bones Reason I Was Born Statement, you may not feel grounded in your authenticity. You may have so many great suggestions for what to do with your life that you don’t know where to start or you don’t stick to just one idea. You may feel pulled in opposite directions. You may decide to make “no decision” simply because you just don’t have a good framework for making the right decision. But you can’t pursue your life’s work until you stand up and firmly decide which direction to turn and that’s what the Bare Bones Statement does; it helps us determine the correct direction to face before we start walking toward our greatness. Roman philosopher, Lucius Annaeus Seneca said, “You must know for which harbor you are headed if you are to catch the right wind to take you there.” Try completing the following activity that helps us discover just which way we should adjust our sails, and what direction we should turn toward before we start taking the six steps to discovering, defining and doing what we were born to do. First, list at least ten positive qualities about yourself. (For example; kind, caring, artistic, nurturing, energetic, creative, honest, or exuberant.) If you’re stumped, ask for ideas from supportive and positive friends and family-members. Take some time and give it some good thought.
Next, again, take some time and give it some thought, and list ten positive actions that you like to do or be. (For example: teacher, leader, giver, friend, baker, warrior, problem-solver, dancer, listener, activist or athlete.) If you find this challenging be sure to ask friends and family members for ideas. (By the way, just because they give you an idea, it doesn’t mean that you have to write it down. List ideas that resonate with you.)
Now, take some time, sit, and think about it, and settle on your number one, very best, most you, positive quality and positive action. The bare bones version, the very heart of your purpose in life, centers on the two words you select. Now, insert them into the following sentence to create your Bare Bones Reason I Was Born Statement:
I was born to be a/an (Insert Positive Quality)______________(Insert Positive Action)______________.
Your Bare Bones Statement will look something like this: I was born to be an enthusiastic teacher, or, I was born to be a creative baker, a dedicated environmentalist, a caring vegetarian. I was born to be a dedicated listener, an ethical politician, a compassionate leader, or, an honest activist. Do you get it now? Your two words give you a basic description of what you are meant to be or do. It helps you fine-tune your purpose. Write down your bare bones statement and commit it to memory. Keep the statement in mind. Write it on sticky notes and leave them all over the place; on the bathroom mirror, on the side of your computer monitor, in your wallet… It’s important; the Bare Bones Reason I was Born Statement will be your guide for doing what you were born to do. Don’t panic if you don’t like the statement. I didn’t like my statement at first. I was unhappy with the initial result; “I was born to be an enthusiastic teacher.” All I could think was, “Yuck, I don’t want to be a school teacher – I don’t even like little kids.” The thought of going to school and getting a teaching degree simply terrified me. It didn’t sound the least bit interesting, fulfilling or possible for me. But as I continued through the process, and began to clearly define my purpose another avenue opened up to me. I became a motivational speaker. Now, that’s another way to describe an enthusiastic teacher, isn’t it? Philosopher and American author Henry David Thoreau said, “The greatest tragedy in life is to spend your whole life fishing only to discover it was not fish you were after.” Your Bare Bones statement helps you focus on your deepest sense of fulfillment so that you don’t waste your time fishing. (No intent to offend those of you who enjoy fishing; I mean this figuratively.) Our greatest happiness and fulfillment comes to us when we discover and do what we were born to do. Your Bare Bones Statement helps you stand up and decide which direction to turn toward. It doesn’t, however, prepare you to start moving. That’s what comes next; The Six Steps to Discovering, Defining and Doing What You Were Born To Do. And that’s what my book is about. Leave a comment and tell me your Bare Bones Reason I Was Born Statement! Decisions & ActionsSunday, June 21st, 2009
Jones, the book’s main character, asks the young man, Henry, the following question: “Five seagulls are sitting on a dock. One of them decides to fly away. How many seagulls are left?” Henry responds: “Well…four.” “No,” Jones responded. “There are still five. Deciding to fly away and actually flying away are two very different things.” Andy’s simple math challenge got me thinking. You see, I’ve decided to write a book, but I’ll admit, making the decision to write the book has turned out to be much, much easier than actually writing the book. I can say I’m writing a book, I can attend a writers’ group, and I can imagine and plan for the book, but until I actually sit at the computer and start typing, I’m not really writing the book. I’ll confess, I haven’t spent as much time as I should pounding the keyboard and actually writing the book. I think that most of us have made some great decisions to start something, achieve something, change something, or even repair something. I also think that most of us still need to take action on some of those decisions. Have you made a decision that needs some action behind it? I just got a great kick in the rear from a good book. Andy Andrews, The Noticer got me moving again, taking action. And all that motivation came from just one tiny little paragraph in the book. There’s a whole bunch more in The Noticer that will change your perspective on a number of things. So, if you need some inspiration, motivation, or a simple kick in the rear, surf on over to Andy’s site or visit your favorite bookseller and grab a copy of The Noticer. After you read it, come back and tell me what you think! Scripts for Difficult SituationsSaturday, June 20th, 2009Here are the scripts for my audio conference. These are basic scripts and will work best if you edit them and customize them to your personal style and specific situation. They are offered as inspiration only. For additional scripts I recommend the book Lifescripts: What to Say to Get What You Want in Life’s Toughest Situations published by Wiley. Please leave a comment about the scripts or the conference. Thank you! You believe they’ve gossiped or lied about you:
You believe they’ve been manipulative behind your back:
You’ve seen them roll their eyes or sigh disrespectfully at what you’ve said in a meeting:
Inappropriate behavior that doesn’t require a manager or supervisor’s intervention – this example is for last minute projects dumped on you:
Protesters and Objectors that focus on the problem and not the solution:
They’ve disengaged and just don’t care about the work/project:
They have clearly gone over the line:
When the buck stops with you and they just have to “suck it up.”
Never Stop ReadingSunday, June 7th, 2009 |
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