Friday, December 11, 2009

"Bringing Attention to Your Intentions"

I wanted to share this powerful article with you, by Gil Fronsdal, from Charity Focus, written in 2006. So many people I know and meet sometimes cannot see their choices with regard to their actions and thoughts. We do have choices and those thoughts and actions carry tremendous energy into our worlds. We make a decision" to think and act the way we do. I wholeheartedly believe it is all about our "motives and intent" that fuels the laws of attraction. Seek out the counsel, ear and insight of those you trust and respect with regard to your thoughts, actions and intentions if you are not sure. You could very well ward off what may be an amends you could have avoided! Please share and pass this on!


For more information on your professional transformation visit us!

 

by Gil Fronsdal (May 02, 2006)


The greater our awareness of intentions, the greater our freedom to choose. People who do not see their choices do not believe they have choices. They tend to respond automatically, blindly influenced by their circumstances and conditioning. Mindfulness, by helping us notice our impulses before we act, gives us the opportunity to decide whether to act and how to act. [�]
Every mind-moment involves an intention. This suggests the phenomenal subtlety with which choices operate in our lives. Few of us keep our bodies still, except perhaps in meditation or in sleep. Each of the constant movements in our arms, hands, and legs is preceded by a volitional impulse, usually unnoticed. Intentions are present even in such seemingly minute and usually unnoticed decisions as where to direct our attention or which thoughts to pursue. Just as drops of water will eventually fill a bathtub, so the accumulation of these choices shape the way we are.
Our intentions � noticed or unnoticed, gross or subtle � contribute either to our suffering or to our happiness. Intentions are sometimes called seeds. The garden you grow depends on the seeds you plant and water. Long after a deed is done, the trace or momentum of the intention behind it remains as a seed, conditioning our future happiness or unhappiness. If we water intentions with greed or hate, their inherent suffering will sprout, both while we act on them and in the future in the form of reinforced habits, tensions and painful memories. If we nourish intentions of love or generosity, the inherent happiness and openness of those states will become a more frequent part of our life. [�]
Bringing attention to intention does not, as some fear, lead to a life of endless effort at monitoring ourselves. Self-consciousness and self-preoccupation may be exhausting, but not awareness. As we become clearer and wiser about our intentions, we find greater ease. We begin to act with less and less self-concern.

iJourney.org
Go within, or you simply go without

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Don't Wait Invest in and Upgrade Your Skills NOW




If we have learned one thing the past two years about your career, it is that  it can change at any time! So many of the current unemployed, never considered that they would have to be re-branding, re-inventing, updating resumes and job searching. The problem is the business world, and how we live in it has changed dramatically, and if we are NOT relevant and upgrading our skills then we become obsolete very fast.

The greatest investment one can make in themselves and their business is upgrading your personal, professional, technical and web skills. Sales, networking, customer service, branding, technology, basics and fundamentals of successful business are essential and necessary.

Check out this timely and important article, 15 Reasons Professionals MUST Invest in their Careers NOW,  about Gen Y, 18-25, being prepared after they graduate, but this can apply to anyone!

MAP2US
, "make a plan to upgrade your skills" now..Whatever you need to do to be of maximum value to your company and customers, that's what you do and that is what is expected.

Visit us to learn more about how we can help!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Social Media a "how" not an "if."

I remember during one of my email markeing/social media workshops in 2007, I kept saying it's not coming it's here! I have always had a sense of trends and niches and  have tried to follow the movement, be proactive and innovate where I can.

Our Women's Empowerment Series Event is an example of that. I saw women in business clearly exploding and the need for women's business education and professional development a strong niche.






Upgrading skills is the most imporatnt area that any professional should commit to, regardless of your employment status. Networking, sales, technology, time management, social media, volunteering, mentorship: all important to add to your "transferable skills" arsenal.





Here's a great part one article regarding Social Media's must in today's landscape, by Arnie Sernovitz, Editor of Smartbrief on SocialMedia.

It's not negotiable and it's not OK to say, "I don't  do that". "Make a Plan to Upgrade Your Skills" . Embrace it at your own pace but embrace it and use it and.....Watch what happens!

Monday, December 7, 2009

10 Themes to Define the Web Next Year



Pete Cashmore is founder and CEO of Mashable, a popular blog about social media. He is writing a weekly column about social networking and tech for CNN.com. 


While Web innovation is unpredictable, some clear trends are becoming apparent.  Expect the following 10 themes to define the Web next year

Visit us for resources on sales, marketing, motivation, professional development.


Sunday, December 6, 2009

Wondering What The Next "Thing" is for 2010?


 

Wireless electricity, Invisible speakers,  A mind-reading headset..
See what's coming in 2010.

Training Events, EBooks, Radio, Newsletter, Consulting Visit us..

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Simple Lessons From a Seasoned Leader.



 This interview with Drew Gilpin Faust, president of Harvard, was conducted and condensed by Adam Bryant, for the New York Times.

Simple lessons from a seasoned leader.
"leaders need to communicate that there is nothing mysterious about their roles"
"I spend a huge amount of time reaching out to people, meeting with people"




How do you lead in your business, your community and at home?
What kind of leader do you want to be know as?

Read more..

Visit us for resources on sales, marketing, motivation and professional development.

Friday, December 4, 2009

10 Types of People You Must Have in Your Network





I love to discover great people who really have something to say and can communicate it!
This post by Tai Goodwin, Top 10 People You Must Have in Your Network
was on one of my Careerealism.com alerts and is awesome.
 Our inner circle, outer circle, sphere's of influence are so important and are constantly evolving. Here are ten profile types of people that should be in everyone's network.

This year has been so fruitful for me thanks to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and BlogTalk Radio! Thanks to all my "network of valued peeps" for giving me so much of you.

Enjoy, share and pass it on!
Visit us for resources on sales, marketing, motivation and professional development!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

How Do You Measure Social Media ROI

How do you measure social media ROI?
This is a question that has been popping up frequently lately.
What do you measure? Clicks, calls, visits?
How do you know it's working?

This article from Brian Chapell was posted by Jim Tobin at Ignite Social Media, really puts this in perspective and shows how important these four areas are to get a "true" picture of social media ROI..

"we think holistically with the understanding that the practice helps service many different channels inside of their brand (not just customer service)"

The four cornerstones of social media monitoring are (1) Competitive Analysis, (2) Product Development, (3) Reputation Management and (4) Outreach.

"a holistic monitoring process really crosses over many different segments of a business. Simply sticking monitoring in the customer service department and calling it a day is a huge mistake. Work towards developing the structure and efficiency that is required to effectively orchestrate a well oiled social media monitoring process inside of your organization."

Visit us for more resources on sales, marketing, motivation and professional development.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Ten in 2010



Ten in 2010

Five Things I am Thankful For to Carry Into 2010
Five Musts to be Personally Successful in 2010



What Are You Thankful For?

As this year comes to a close and I plan and prepare to continue my amazing journey next year, 5 things come to mind that I am grateful for.

1) Health and Fitness
I have always had a passion and love of athletics and physical activity. Whether it was running, tennis, the gym, hiking, bicycling, skiing, walking, I simple love to move and am grateful to have this built into my DNA. With what we know about the benefits of diet, exercise and health, adopting any program of heath and fitness can have big benefits. Design one that works for you, mix it up and get out and move!

2) An Amazing Support System
My family, friends and colleagues are such an important part of my well being today. Developing quality relationships with them, but more importantly, using those relationships and allowing them to tap me is priceless. We all need an ear, a kind word, and a hug to get us through certain days and times in our lives.

3) My Code of Ethics
How you make people feel is how they will remember you. Your deeds, actions and words are what people will remember: what you do and how that made them feel. This legacy will far outlast your physical presence. My personal code of ethics is something I take very seriously and work on daily.

4) The Privilege of Serving Others
Give, share, connect, help, receive, be authentic and watch what happens!

5) Living in Passion
To be able to do the things I am passionate about and actually make a living at it is such a gift! It is possible and each of us CAN DO IT. What ignites you inside to get up everyday and leap out of bed with wonder and excitement? Find it, do it, live it, NOW.

I wrote a blog post earlier this year, about things that I see in common with what I call “Life Jedi Masters”: those who live with poise, purpose and perseverance no matter what the circumstances are.

The *Jedi Code is a code of conduct that establishes rules and modes of behavior for the Jedi. They are…

• Jedi are the guardians of peace in the galaxy.
• Jedi use their powers to defend and protect, never to attack others.
• Jedi respect all life, in any form.
• Jedi serve others rather than rule over them, for the good of the galaxy.
• Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training.
(*Star Wars)

I find so much inspiration from people that are going through great personal or professional challenge and difficulty, with grace and poise. They seem to exhibit certain commonalities, to me, in their mind-set and approach that they take.

They see the silver lining and focus on the lesson.
They are proactive and take thoughtful actions.
They surround themselves with a support system that they tap into.
They serve and get outside themselves.
They allow themselves to embrace their uncomfortable emotions.
They see how their experience can benefit others.
They take actions they may not yet believe in.
They have a faith and spirituality.
They focus on what they can control.
They exude an intangible energy that attracts others to them.

As our world continues to change and transform at record speeds, here are five things to incorporate into your plan for next year.

1) Upgrade your skills to stay relevant

2) Innovate, collaborate, create

3) Connect, Share, Get personal

4) Raise your bar from exceptional to unexpected

5) Be kind in your words, and abundant in your mentality

“Be prepared, anticipate, embrace each day as an adventure and watch what happens”

Monday, November 30, 2009

Don't Forget The TEN Fundamental Questions

Paradigm shift, change, new economy, transformed marketplace...all terms we use now to describe our current business landscape. Although there has been a dramatic shift, "business fundamentals" and "personal fundamentals" are the same. We are just delivering them into the new systems, trends and  environment.

Great business fundamentals and professional habits still mean the difference between success and failure. Here is an awesome article, by Marc Kramer, from Forbes.com,  reminding us of: