Self Improvement Newsletter
Issue # 446, March 27-28, 2007
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Improvement Newsletter, Click here!Please Visit Our Sponsors
Self Improvement Newsletter
Issue # 446, March 27-28, 2007
FREE Self
Improvement Newsletter, Click here!
Please Visit Our Sponsors
* Self Improvement and Personal Growth Weekly Newsletter
*
Issue # 446, Week of March 27-28, 2007
Publisher: David Riklan -
http://www.SelfGrowth.com
In this issue:
-- Quotes of the Week
-- Personal Growth Products and Services
-- Article: Unbearable Boredom: A Call to a Magnificent Life – By Annette Colby
-- Article: Why Learning is a Leader's Most Important Skill – By Kevin
Eikenberry
-- Book Review: A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things
Are – By Byron Katie with Stephen Mitchell
-- Brief News of the World
-- How to Subscrïbe and Unsubscrïbe from this Newsletter
Current Subscribers – 255,023 subscribers.
Remöval instructions are listed at the end of the newsletter.
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*** Quotes of the Week ***
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It is not the going out of port, but the coming in, that determines the success
of a voyage. – Henry Ward Beecher, 1813-1887, American Preacher/Orator/Writer
One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than fifty preaching it. – Knute
Rockne, 1888-1931, American College Football Coach
Friendship is the golden thread that ties the heart of all the world. – John
Evelyn, 1620-1706, English Diarist/Writer/Gardener
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*** Article: Unbearable Boredom: A Call to a Magnificent Life – By Annette Colby
***
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"Life is okay, but I'm bored with it all. I get up, go through my morning
habits, and generally keep going. During the day I smile, engage in friendly
conversations, attend to the requirements of my work. After work, it's home to
watch television, eat, and sleep. In between, there's the movies, gym, music,
and shopping. My days are predictable and routine. What is joy? What is
excitement? I think I'm missing the meaning of my life."
If you ever find yourself dealing with unbearable boredom, treat it not as an
undesirable invader, but celebrate the arrival of an important messenger.
Without boredom we'd comfortably vegetate in neutral, passing time by doing the
same things in the same ways over and over again. Boredom's appearance is a
glorious sign of impending growth. New interests, passions, talents, or
strengths seek expression. It's a wake-up call indicating a readiness for more:
more self-love, self-leadership, self-expression, pleasure, passion, and
spontaneity.
Boredom is an invitation to allow an old self to fade away and a new potential
self to emerge. Certain facets of self-control and repetitive behaviors are
ready to be released in favor of expanded imagination, creativity, inspiration,
and spontaneity. What was once an effective, useful routine has now become
stagnant, stale, and passive. Boredom is the interim period; a place neither
here nor there. On one side lies the safe, comfortable, and dependable, yet
outgrown past. On the other side lies an intriguing, daring, more passionate
future. Boredom identifies the natural resistance we all have toward letting go
of the known and entering the unknown.
Once boredom reveals its presence, several options are available: we can sink
deeper into passivity and dullness; the physical edginess can be temporarily
concealed with greater levels of entertainment, distractions, and diversions; or
the boredom can be sedated with food, drink, or choice addictions.
Another alternative exists: embrace the message of boredom. Beneath the
uncomfortable discontentment lies a natural, inherent call to the lifelong
process of individuation. It is time to broaden personal horizons beyond past
former levels of conformity and social adaptation. Greater individuality, power,
love, and creation beckon from within. A readiness is brewing to connect more
deeply with the heart of our existence.
The chains of boredom are more easily shed by allowing time to welcome ideas
that spark the imagination and expand the heart. What is truly important; what
fascinates and engages our spirit? We have the ability to go inside, sort
through some ideas, and decide what an exciting life would look like. We feel
good, and our bodies feel good, when we assume responsibility for choosing to
focus on stimulating desires, personal interests, and inner passions. Only we
know what feels good within, what excites, ignites, and enlivens. We gently
allow for the emergence of new potentials and new possibilities--and decide to
feel good in the process.
Instead of letting life just happen, we can go inside and ask, "What do I want?"
Typically, the first answers are filled with details about what is not wanted.
Accept this as an excellent starting point. But our responsibility is to make
sure we take the extra step and actually find an exciting vision to focus on. We
become what we think about, and it is up to us to determine what thoughts and
visions dominate our mind. We take control of our lives as we spend more time
with thoughts that increase excitement and less with those that decrease
excitement.
Will an exciting life happen instantaneously just because we shift thoughts from
boredom to more passionate visions? Obviously, the answer is no. Some
individuals will wonder how in the world they can possibly imagine exciting
outcomes when they are currently just barely getting through the day. They don't
have a clue what to imagine; they are frustrated and mad at themselves for being
in this position. For anyone, creating a larger life requires effort, patience,
and time. Yet not much changes without first engaging imagination and intention.
Excitement is the element that moves us toward unfinished business and unfolding
potential. It is what we want to be doing right now, while providing the energy
necessary to do it.
Who we are and what excites us matters. The irritation of boredom simply reminds
us, in a very noticeable way, that energy is swirling about without passionate
direction or purpose. Rather than permitting our lives to be blown about like
leaves on the dirt, victims of circumstance, we allow imagination to set the
foundation for direction and purpose in life. Boredom is an indication of a
certain readiness to become increasingly loyal to internal passions, desires,
and values. We can decide we are worthy of forming enthusiastic relationships
with what we care about.
Feeling good, feeling alive, and being a radiant human is important for us and
for the world. We consciously develop our divine natures through the joyful
manifestation of dreams and desires. A loving community begins first with a
party of one. It begins by forming excited relationships with our bodies,
thoughts, emotions, and ideas. Our inner dreams are the joy of life, the
salvation of earth, and the future of the people of this planet. Bringing
paradise to earth is more than just a lofty concept; it is an individual
endeavor, a personal responsibility. As human beings, we suffer when this
physical connection between spirit and earth is no longer expanding and evolving
as it is meant to. Our most important task is to first give permission to love,
excite, and empower ourselves. We take the time to ensure we are the ones
balanced, enlightened, and joyful.
To share and expand love with all life on this incredible earth, we begin with
ourselves. We serve others when we become living, breathing, walking examples of
inspired, excited lives. We inspire others to greatness when we ourselves have
come to realize that happiness, success, abundance, empowerment, and joy are
possible. The magic spreads as we become the magic. Personal success is allowed,
so our beautiful concepts are no longer lofty spiritual abstractions, but
tangible, physical manifestations.
The next time you are perpetually bored, realize the beautiful magic wishing to
unfold. An invitation has been issued to venture beneath the surface and
investigate new and exciting potentials and possibilities. Inspiration spreads
as the success of one individual ignites the desires and dreams of another. It
makes a difference that we, you and I, carry excitement once more. Boredom asks
us to become the living, breathing embodiment of joy. Our joy brings light into
the world.
About the Author:
This article was written by Dr. Annette Colby, RD., contributing author to "101
Great Ways to Improve Your Life: Volume 2." Dr. Colby is a leader in the field
of personal growth and consciousness. As a nationally known consultant,
educator, and author, she inspires people to believe in themselves and find
themselves worthy of receiving their dreams. Visit
http://www.LovingMiracles.com for a
free, weekly, life-changing newsletter.
Her article above is one of 101 great chapters that can be found in "101 Great
Ways to Improve Your Life: Volume 2." This powerful compilation book -- with
John Gray, Jack Canfield, Richard Carlson, Bob Proctor, Alan Cohen, and
countless other experts -- contains 101 chapters of proven advice on how to
improve your life.
*** If you purchase just one copy of their new book today, you will also receïve
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*** Article: Why Learning is a Leader's Most Important Skill – By Kevin
Eikenberry ***
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Ask anyone to give you a list of skills that describe a highly effective leader,
and I'm guessing they'll give you a pretty extensive list. (Go ahead, make a
quick mental list right now.)
Since I've done this many times in groups, I am accustomed to what I will hear
or read. These lists typically include that leaders must have vision, they must
be compassionate, they must be good communicators, they must build
relationships, they must work well in teams, they must be powerful
persuaders...and many other similar sentiments. All are excellent observations.
Rarely, though, do I find someone listing the most basic, underlying skill of
all.
Learning.
Highly effective, remarkable leaders must be continuous, lifelong learners.
There are at least four reasons why I believe this is true: the complexity of
leadership, the nature of change, the role of leaders to model for others, and
the overall source of leadership. Let me explain.
Leadership is a complex endeavor. Humans are complex, and a leader is dealing
with more than just his or her own complexities. They are tasked with
understanding the complexity of human behavior and interactions across many
people. When we put it this way, the role can seem daunting. Something this
complex won't be mastered quickly. Remarkable leaders know that the mastery of
these complexities is a lifelong journey with no defined endpoint. The result?
The need and desire to be in a continuously learning mindset.
The status quo requires no leadership. Think about it. If everything in the
current situation was great -- if there was no need for change -- how much
leadership would be needed? Leadership is required because we want to move
somewhere. In other words, the need for leadership is predicated on change, and
so leaders must be prepared to work under changing conditions. If conditions
change, then learning is required to continually adapt to and work under the
changing conditions. Remarkable leaders know their job is to move people through
status quo. Therefore, they know that they must continue to grow themselves to
meet the needs of the situations and the people they are leading.
We must model it for others. While the needs and forces for learning are great,
leaders aren't just learning for themselves. Sure, they are learning for their
own competency and confidence as well as to better serve those they are leading,
but they also are setting a tone and modeling for those that are following them.
When you are a leader, whether by position or reputation, people are looking to
you -- whether you like it or not, you are a role model. How then can leaders
expect their teams to continue to grow and develop if they aren't doing it
themselves?
Better leader = better human. The best leaders are learners for all of the
reasons above (and their own other reasons), but they also know something else.
They know that in the end, the skills that make them better leaders also make
them more highly functioning human beings. Remarkable leaders are learners
because they want to be better leaders and because they want to be better
people. For example, learning how to communicate more effectively makes you more
effective in more than just your role as a leader -- that skill development,
that growth, spills out into every part of your life. If none of the other
reasons above are compelling enough for you, this one should be!
So, if learning is such an important skill, why don't people notice it and/or
add it to the list of traits of great leaders?
Precisely because it is the underlying skill.
People can become exceptional at the other skills on the list because they are
willing to learn, grow, improve, and change. They know that to become more
effective they must continue to improve. They know that effective leadership is
a journey -- so they remain focused on becoming more effective, not on arriving
and maintaining.
The mindset of being on the path, of constantly being a learner, is the path of
the truly remarkable leader.
The good news is that you can choose that path every day. You can choose to be a
more effective leader -- and your first choice is to become a learner.
You can make that choice anytime. Today's the day to start.
About the Author:
Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The
Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps clients reach
their potential through a variety of training, consulting, and speaking
services. To receive your free special report on Unleashing Your Potential, go
to
http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/index.asp or call us at (317)
387-1424 or 888.LEARNER.
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*** Book Review: A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things
Are – By Byron Katie with Stephen Mitchell ***
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This unusual collaboration brings together the Way (the Tao) and the Work,
Katie's form of self-inquiry and path to joy. Katie is the author of "Loving
What Is," and Mitchell, the noted translator of the Tao, is her husband. In each
chapter of this new book, Mitchell has presented Katie with a passage from the
Tao and noted down her exposition on the theme. (This oral format can result in
choppy, repetitive text.)
Katie's own "awakening" came in 1986, after 10 years of depression. One morning
she felt a sense of freedom from her overwhelming distress, a feeling she calls
"a falling-away of the self." This freedom, she claims, is available to anyone
who practices the Work, which consists of asking oneself four questions intended
to turn around fixed ideas and dismantle painful, knotted thoughts about the
past. Four dialogues Katie has conducted with seekers illustrate the Work in
action.
Her belief that reality is good and can only be grasped if we live in the
present moment resonates with many traditional spiritual teachings, and in this
genuine and fresh spiritual manifesto, Katie's engaging personality springs from
the page. (Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier
Inc. All rights reserved.)
*****
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