Self Improvement Newsletter- Issue # 248.

Self Improvement Newsletter
Issue # 248, June 10-11, 2003

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Self Improvement and Personal Growth Weekly Newsletter Issue # 248, Week of June 10-11, 2003 Publishers: David and Michelle Riklan - http://www.SelfGrowth.com In this issue: -> Quotes of the Week -> Personal Growth Products and Services -> ARTICLE: LETHAL LIFE CALLING: How to cut through the hocus pocus and focus on success – by Jody Urquhart -> ARTICLE: UNNATURAL ACTS LEAD TO SUCCESS –by William N Hodges BOOK -> REVIEW: Take Yourself to the Top: The Secrets of America's #1 Career Coach -by Laura Berman Fortgang -> How to subscribe and unsubscribe to this newsletter -> How to recommend our newsletter to a Friend -> How to Advertise in the Self Improvement Newsletter Current Subscribers – 207,812 subscribers. Send all questions to webmaster@selfgrowth.com Phone: (732) 761-9930 IF YOU LIKE OUR NEWSLETTERS, PLEASE RECOMMEND them to YOUR FRIENDS, Visit http://www.selfgrowth.com/referral.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *** QUOTES OF THE WEEK *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others." -Peace Pilgrim {1908-1981 American Activist} You can have anything you want in life if you will help enough other people get what they want. -Zig Ziglar, American Sales Trainer, Author, Motivational Speaker -I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection. -Sigmund Freud 1856-1939, Austrian Physician - Founder of Psychoanalysis *** PERSONAL GROWTH PRODUCTS AND SERVICES *** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ** CREATE The LIFE You WANT ! ** Learn how to use the power of your mind and subconscious to create wealth, love, success, happiness and more. Now you can have the life you want. Guaranteed results. Visit http://www.creativelivinginc.com/index-sg.htm ** FREE E-BOOK: As A Man Thinketh- by James Allen ** It’s the book that’s changed the life of millions. Download a FREE eBook of James Allen’s "As A Man Thinketh." "I have personally read As a Man Thinketh over 25 times." - Mark Victor Hansen, co-author, the Chicken Soup books. TO Download a FREE eBook of James Allen’s "As A Man Thinketh." Visit http://www.selfgrowth.com/products/jamesallen.html **DISCOVER YOUR TRUE SELF** Learn how to identify and experience your true, authentic Self. This revolutionary course will transform your understanding of who you are and teach you how to actualize your ideal Self. Download the Introduction and first lesson, “Know Thyself”, as our gift to you. Visit http://www.discovertheself.com **KICK THOSE NASTY HABITS!!** Wouldn't you love to access your natural ability to let go of the uncomfortable feelings that cause you to do things that you later regret like: overeating, smoking, and all addictions including excessive drinking? Discover the most powerful personal improvement program on the planet, validated by Harvard Medical School studies and thousands of other successful graduates like you. To claim your free introductory curriculum Visit http://www.sedona.com/cgi-bin/protrack/link.cgi?725ST ** DR. PHIL ENDORSED APPROACH to “LIVE by DESIGN – By HIRE DIMENSIONS ** "DR. PHIL" endorses our approach and encourages you to Live by Design. As seen on his web site, these on-line courses will compliment "Life Strategies" and "Self Matters" and "Relationship Rescue". Visit their website at http://www.transformation.org/hired/ ** For The BEST Self-Improvement "SPIRITUALLY" BASED BOOKS, CD'S & CASSETTES, Visit Pesha Publishing. ** These materials are designed as an everyday guide to living a more successful life. The author is a mystic with a PhD in psychology. She has been receiving and teaching these laws for over 40 years. NEW special offer of a free book on CD with order. ($50.00 Value FREE) Visit http://www.peshaonline.com ** PHENOMENOL LOW COST BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY ** Cashless ATM machines with historical annual returns of 41% in place & earning money for you. Perfect passive turnkey investment. If you are not familiar with this business opportunity, now is the time to learn about it. Visit their website at http://www.daviscashflowservices.com ** DEPRESSED? ANXIOUS? LAZY? YOU CAN END FEAR, RADIATE CONFIDENCE & HAVE WILLPOWER LIKE STEEL... ** If your willpower and persistence always seems to fizzle, then join people from 54 countries now using the new paradigm in personal growth. Free Course. Join the single largest personal coaching ezine in the world. Learn more... Visit http://www.mcssl.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=18001 HOW TO ADD A DESCRIPTION OF YOUR WEBSITE HERE If you want to share information about your website, your business or your book in our newsletter, please go to the following webpage and fill out the form. Visit our website at http://www.selfgrowth.com/form-ad-newsletter.html ---------------------------------------------------- ** ARTICLE: LETHAL LIFE CALLING: How to cut through the hocus pocus and focus on success – by Jody Urquhart ---------------------------------------------------- What is your calling in life? People talk about finding their life’s calling and the perfect job. However, while finding a job you’re good at and suited for is important, it is a very small piece of the puzzle. So many people are waiting for the perfect job, when maybe there is no such thing. People don’t magically find meaningful work but they can find meaning in their work. As Viktor Frankl says in Man’s Search for Meaning, “ …everything can be taken from us but one thing: the last of human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances—to choose one’s own way.” Meaning and purpose on the job are internal motivators so the good news is you don’t need to quit your job on Monday to find meaningful work. People now go through an average of ten jobs in a lifetime—is every one going to be a life’s calling? There is nothing wrong with dreaming of a better future as long as it doesn’t foster resentment for your current work. Work with what you have because success is in the effort. Success is in the Effort When I was in university I worked as a bank teller. The job helped pay the bills but it was not my life calling. I knew I was meant to do something more important. In short, I didn’t expect much from the job, and I didn’t get much. A year later, I hadn’t moved up at all and was still waiting for my life calling. I didn’t realize that the job I had was an important step along the way. If meaningful work came naturally than it would be a given. Most people who say their work lacks purpose or substance complain it is because of the job itself, the manager or the work environment. All of these factors are external elements and for the most part out of their immediate control. The solution to the problem lies in someone else’s hands. So the first step in finding meaning in work is to recognize that meaning comes from within. It is impossible to find true meaning and purpose from the environment around us. Instead we can foster meaning from recognizing our strengths and the contribution we make to the company and the community. Powerful Resources The following are powerful tools for tapping into the most important resource anyone has—their own wisdom. 1) Don’t give yourself the luxury of being mediocre. Many jobs, if they go unchallenged, are designed for the mediocre. One of the most important qualities of a successful businessperson is the belief that their abilities and effort reap results; 2) realize that everything and everyone is important. All aspects of the job (seemingly big or small) require your complete effort and attention. Try putting as much effort into the smaller tasks as you would the more important ones; 3) watch your standards. In order to make sure things are done right, we often set standards. You may find people aim for these standards, when without them it was possible to reach even higher. You restrict your own potential and others; 4) commit to the process, not just the result. Everyone is willing to be successful, but not many are willing to make it happen. Success is in the doing, not the dreaming; 5) broaden your scope past today or next week. What will success look like two, five or ten years down the road? Be clear on this and keep it top of mind; 6) put every decision to the vision test. If it doesn’t relate to you overall vision, consider dropping it; 7) presumptions cloud vision. A simple presumption blocks communication flow, which is essential to keeping corporate vision alive. Work as a Reflection of Yourself I often think people who have found their life calling are saying that their work is a reflection of themselves. It fits their idea of who they are, their values and how they see their future. In other words, it lines up with their vision of themselves. We can all have this kind of vision. Here are some concrete ways to help make your work more of a reflection of yourself: 1) the more work and effort you put in, the more the work becomes you; 2) how committed are you to your job? How can you strengthen that commitment? 3) imagine you had to be controversial in your industry. What kind of position would you take? What issue would you stand up for? Why? 4) develop a voice in your company, get involved in something you believe in (ie. start an office recycling program); 5) think about how your work fits your image of yourself and judge your job from the context of your whole life. For example, you may really wish you could be a traveling salesperson, but could never spend that much time away from your family. This balances your picture, otherwise you may focus more on the negative aspects. Put Forth Your Best If you haven’t found the perfect job or your calling in life, join the crowd. You can add meaning to your current job by recognizing it’s a step along the way. Effort builds up meaning. Put forth your best and you’ve already won. About the Author Jody Urquhart, a popular speaker and author of All Work & No SAY Takes the PASSION Away. Create a Passionate & Committed Workplace. To order your copy or to discuss having Jody speak at your next meeting, please email ido@idoinspire.com or visit http://www.idoinspire.com ---------------------------------------------------- CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS, CHANGE YOUR LIFE It’s the book that’s changed the life of millions. Download a FREE eBook of James Allen’s "As A Man Thinketh." "I have personally read As a Man Thinketh over 25 times." - Mark Victor Hansen, co-author, the Chicken Soup books. Download and read it today. It’s FREE! TO Download a FREE eBook of James Allen’s "As A Man Thinketh." Visit http://www.selfgrowth.com/products/jamesallen.html ---------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------ ARTICLE: UNNATURAL ACTS LEAD TO SUCCESS –by William N Hodges ------------------------------------------------ What would you say if I told you that anyone who achieves success in any area has committed an unnatural act and has probably committed a whole series of them to be where they are? Webster’s dictionary says that an unnatural act is one that is not in accordance with normal feelings and behavior. Successful people constantly defy normal feelings and behavior and do things the average person will not do. The average person lives for today. The successful person lives for tomorrow. Most of us want instant rewards, and we are satisfied to accept less as long as the gratification is immediate. Success driven people are willing to forgo the normal need for immediate feedback and trade it for a greater return in the future. This is probably one reason why so many of us have a problem saving for the future. People who have financial success at retirement are those who put a certain amount away every week to build a nest egg. The rest of us want everything now and buy the latest electronic device with our money. Living for the future is an unnatural act in our credit driven society, but successful people do it all the time. Weird, aren’t they? Another unnatural act of successful people is that they are always active; they do not spend much time resting or just lying around. In America, which has been characterized as a nation of “couch potatoes,” this penchant for activity certainly has to be considered an unnatural act. A study of successful business executives showed that they had at least three things in common—that were not so common. They had a regular daily exercise program, they slept an average of six hours each night, and they arose at an average hour of 5:45 a.m., seven days a week. I don’t know about you, but getting up that early for anything but a fishing trip is an unnatural act for me. But armed with this knowledge and a desire to be successful, I’m getting up a few minutes earlier each morning, and using the time to exercise. The average person always finds it easier, and in many ways more natural, to learn to live with less than to exert the effort to earn more. Doing what the average person does will always keep us an average person. It is only when we do those things (socially acceptable things) that other people will not do that we will be successful. It will certainly mean that we will not always be comfortable, complacent, or safe. At times, we assuredly will be out of step with those around us. But if we persist, believe in ourselves, and are consistent in our efforts, we can become a success in whatever area we choose. We can have rewards that are far beyond those achieved by persons who remain average. About the Author Copyright 2003 William N Hodges William (Bill) Hodges is president of the Professional Speakers Guild an organization formed by speakers to help buyers of services find professional speakers, trainers, presenters, authors and others involved in the seminar, conference, training and meeting market. Information on the Professional Speakers Guild can be found at http://www.professionalspeakersguild.com Bill is also president of Hodges Seminars International Inc. a training a business consulting firm specializing in leadership, communications and motivation. Information on Hodges Seminars International Inc. can be found at http://www.billhodges.com ---------------------------------------------------- *** BOOK REVIEW: Take Yourself to the Top: The Secrets of America's #1 Career Coach -by Laura Berman Fortgang *** ---------------------------------------------------- Laura Berman Fortgang, like fellow personal coaches including Cheryl Richardson (Take Time for Your Life) and Thomas Leonard (The Portable Coach), has distilled her knowledge into book form. (For the uninitiated, personal coaches are like personal trainers--only they work to motivate you to perform at your peak on the job, instead of in the gym.) Her corporate clients have included Johnson & Johnson, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Prudential Securities. Berman Fortgang says you need to identify the hurdles that are holding you back--even if it's a boss more cognitively absent than Dilbert's--and then do something about them. That's easier said than done. She's also big on making a five-year plan, something that may actually require hours of self-analysis and/or the assistance of a career counselor. But for anyone who feels in a rut but is also truly devoted to investing the time it takes to improve professionally and is willing to take risks, Take Yourself to the Top could be the answer. Berman Fortgang writes like a kinder, gentler Tony Robbins; you get the sense that she's genuinely concerned with bringing out the best in people. And there's targeted information in here for everyone: salespeople, workers on the verge of burnout, wishful entrepreneurs, and those just struggling to make ends meet. Admittedly, the advice in this book takes much more self-discipline to follow than would a dozen sessions with a personal coach egging you on in person or over the phone, but then, you also save the $200-a-session fee. The list Price of this book is $13.99. To purchase this book for $11.19 at a 30% discount from Amazon.com, go directly to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0446673773/selfimprovemeonl *** BRIEF NEWS OF THE WORLD *** ----------------------------------------------------- POSITIVE Abducted girl found safe Kidnapping had been caught on videotape “Nine-year-old Jennette Tamayo, abducted from her home in San Jose on Friday, was found alive late Sunday evening when she walked into an East Palo Alto convenience store, police and the store said.” (Click here for complete news story) http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/West/06/09/california.abduction/index.html Hip Replacement Safe, Effective for Octogenarians “Total hip arthroplasty is safe and effective for patients with arthritis of the hip who are over the age of 80, according to a recent American study.” (Click here for complete news story) http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256D1F003135D7 One Guatemalan Twin Leaves LA Hospital “One of the Guatemalan twins born joined at the head and separated last summer was released from a hospital Saturday .” (Click here for complete news story) http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SEPARATED_TWINS?

SITE=1010WINS&SECTION=SOUTHEAST&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT OTHER Potatoes during pregnancy linked to juvenile diabetes “Australian researchers believe they have found a trigger of type 1 diabetes in children - their mothers eating potatoes and other tuberous vegetables during pregnancy. New research has shown that vegetables such as beetroot, potatoes, carrots, turnips and parsnips can be infected with a bacterial toxin that researchers believe unmasks the disease in children who already have a genetic predisposition.” (Click here for complete news story) http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/08/1055010876162.html Foam cracks shuttle panel during test “Investigators Friday fired insulating foam at a space shuttle wing panel. The foam cracked the panel, bolstering the theory that it was a piece of insulation that doomed the shuttle Columbia.” (Click here for complete news story) http://www.msnbc.com/modules/exports/ct_infobeat.asp?/news/867336.asp Sick Dolphin Being Cared for on Long Island “A white-sided dolphin that washed ashore off Great Neck, Long Island over the weekend is in critical condition at the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation. Senior biologist Rob DiGiovanni says they are giving the dolphin fluids and inspecting a lesion on its bottom side and a problem jaw, likely fractured some time ago.” (Click here for complete news story) http://1010wins.com/topstories/winstopstories_story_160091805.html *** HOW TO SUBSCRIBE and BE REMOVED FROM THIS NEWSLETTER*** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To subscribe to our newsletter, please go to our Subscriptions Page http://www.selfgrowth.com/form-newsletter.html To be removed from this newsletter, send a blank email to leave-self-improvement-newsletter4-9285448B@go.netatlantic.com or for many emails programs just click below:

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