The Road to Lifestyle

My oh my, how the time does fly! This week was one of the more interesting weeks I've had in quite some time. Lessons learned? Varied... from how to deal with a case of mistaken identity (it's a doozy !) to how to deal with a client who just can't seem to stay awake during a sales call! Regardless of the bumps along the way as long as you are focused on the end goal the daily happenings you experience will seem like minor blips on the radar in no time at all. For some of us, not soon enough! Time heals all wounds they say but just yesterday I thought of a memory I hoped had been obliterated from my memory by now. It bothered me that after all of these years it's still there... in the shadows. And gosh darn it I reproduced the very same emotions I experienced in that brief moment in time so long ago. These thoughts are the muck and yuck, the dregs that lurk at the bottom of your existence and threaten to forever taint your very soul... but only if you let them! It's...

Have you ever complained about something? You in the back, not raising your hand... I bet you don't breathe air either! Let's face it, we all have at some point or another. Have you considered that the only reason you're complaining about whatever it is your complaining about is because you know there is something better out there? As Jack Canfield shared in his book The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be , "In order to complain about something or someone, you have to believe that something better exists." Uh oh... now he's gone and done it! That means you, yes YOU, have to take responsibility for YOU. And dang it, me too! Geez oh pete... I didn't want to know that! But seriously, do you realize that we only complain about things we can actually do something about? Have you ever complained about the sky being blue? Of course not! It is what it is. But you'll hear people complain about their spouse, their house, ...

Hearing versus listening... do you know the difference? The foundation of great relationships and great leadership is great listening. Leaders are listeners as they say. And there is a BIG difference between hearing and listening... anyone who has ever been in a relationship knows that firsthand. According to Jack Canfield in his book, The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be , hearing is "simply receiving communication" and listening, truly listening, is "...the art of paying thoughtful attention with a mind toward understanding the complete message being delivered." He goes on to say that "Unlike simply hearing someone's account, listening requires maintaining eye contact, watching the person's body language, asking for clarification, and listening for the unspoken message." Listening, in short, means paying close attention! And for some, paying attention period would be a step in the right direction! You kn...