Browse Empowerment

With the advent of all the reality T.V. shows, such as "Jersey Shore", "Sixteen and Pregnant", "Keeping up with the Kardashian's" and others, it can make a person wonder if that is truly reality and the state our society is in today. No one can deny the dangers of reality T.V. to its participants in the wake of news reports of more than eleven suicides by 2009 by reality TV contestants. But is it also harmful to the viewers?

You're going to die. I'm going to die. Everyone around us is going to die. The reality of death is, of course, both obvious and daunting for most of us. With the recent tragic events in Japan and some very serious health news I received from someone close to me, I've been thinking about life and death a lot this past week. I was on a run a few days ago and thought to myself, "I wonder what it's like to know you're going to die?" Then I thought, "Wait a minute, we're all going to die - we just don't act like it."

Are you comfortable with where you currently are in your life or is there a gnawing feeling of discomfort that just keeps invading your mind? It may be time for you to take some kind of action to change your situation or to improve yourself. Taking action requires a definitive plan that will ...

Are you proactive or reactive when faced with life’s challenges? Throwing your hands in the air and acting as if you have absolutely no control over what happens doesn’t do any good. That’s being reactive and staying stuck. To be proactive, take the initiative, take action with steps to face any challenge using clear and balanced confidence.

Everyone is born to think big. Just stroll down your memory lane and try to recall when you are younger in age, have you ever dream to become a pilot, doctor or other great positions in the society? When you are older, you must have dream of starting your own business, driving your favorite posh car, having your dream house. But what has been happening to all these dreams? In fact, they have been stolen by the dream thief. Who are them? They are just anyone in your life that

Joy is found in simple pleasures. Acknowledge those moments when joy is present before they slip away. You may have to seek out joy, if it doesn’t find you. Every day, joy is lurking just waiting to be discovered. In spite of busy lifestyles, pains and woes about money, relationships, health, the future and the present, there are pleasurable moments that can be yours. You can find joy all around you, if you remember to look.

Scene setting, whether that’s for fiction or non-fiction, which includes memoir, is all-important to give readers a sense of time and place as they read. And, you want to provide setting early in each scene or segment, and as you go.

When people embark on a journey of love discovery, they focus on the physical and emotional side of their personality. Rarely do anyone consider the importance of spiritual self-discovery, even if they identify as spiritual side to their personality, when it comes to think of spiritual wellbeing, most commonly think of God. We are people made up of physical, spiritual, intellectual and emotional dimensions. We experience the world and the experiences we go through in the world, by looking at them through these dimensions.r

Delegating is so incredibly important because the more successful you become and want to be, the more responsibility there is. However, you are not supposed to be doing it all on your own! In fact, any good leader knows that the way to accomplish all that you want to accomplish is by enlisting others to help you out.

Tiger Woods won his 66th golf title in dramatic fashion by sinking a 15 foot putt to win his sixth victory at the Bay Hill Invitational last Sunday. It was the third time that Tiger had nailed a lengthy putt on the 18th hole to win at Bay Hill. Tiger knew it was going to be in the hole the second he putted. Due to a nine month layoff from golf, some people seemed surprised that Tiger was able to pull this off. Not me, I know what Tiger is made of. He truly made it look like he was hitting a tap in putt. Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer of all time.

Can you tell the difference between the objective feedback your body offers versus the critical condemnation of your mind? Your body’s objective feedback can help you make lifestyle choices that promote your health and well-being, whereas the critical condemnation of your mind creates nothing but suffering.

Each December, many of us begin making our New Year's resolutions – lists of juicy and not-so-juicy goals we'd like to achieve over the year.

DEVELOP CLARITY ON WHAT YOU WANT Finding balance, fulfillment, prosperity and joy in your daily life really is possible, in fact, it is your birthright and destiny. You have the ability to be, have and become whatever you choose; limited only by the boundaries you set around yourself. Your beliefs about yourself and your world are ultimately responsible for determining your human potential. The good news is that you can learn to control how you feel about yourself. When you do, you can create a mindset ripe for success.r

Isn't it time to launch your dream? We all have dreams of what our lives, our relationships, our careers, and our futures look like. Yet, how often are we steered away from them? We made choices required of us, based on life circumstances which was and is fine. NOW you have the ability to choose a dream, regardless of your age or the time in your life, and bring it to its stunning fulfillment. Here are Three Dream Power Tools that are already in your hands- you hold the power and the choice to act on them: 1. Releaser

Growing up is difficult, very difficult. Children are constantly subject to the message that they need to do more, be more, and have more in order to be successful. Media messages teach young girls that their bodies should be unreasonably thin and blemish-free. In addition to having the perfect ...

The Foremost of the Values\ Winston Churchill once said, "Courage is rightly considered the foremost of the virtues, for upon it all others depend." The systematic development of the deep down quality of unflinching courage is one of the fundamental requirements for leadership in any field. Fear, ...

How often do you look in the mirror and say to yourself: "I'm so fat!" "My butt is way too big." "My thighs are flabby; I definitely should not be seen in a bathing suit." "My hair is flat; why can't I have hair like hers?" "My nose is too large. I wonder how much plastic surgery ...

What does tighten your writing mean? What Blaise Pascal wrote gives you an idea: “The present letter is a very long one, simply because I had no leisure to make it shorter.” Though Pascal was a mathematician and physicist turned religious philosopher, his point benefits every ...

There you are again, staring endlessly at the blank canvas or page. Perhaps you are sitting at the piano, clueless as to where to place your hands. Are you struggling with how to develop your character in the role you've just landed? Are you frozen with a creative block, stuck in procrastination, scared that you've reached the end of your talent and will never have a creative thought ever again? If so, you are creatively blocked. You've reached a dead end and you're spent, depleted of all creative energy.

Ok, so you want to be an effective leader. You're working hard, and focused on accomplishing THAT goal. You're focused on your dream of carving a path for yourself in the world. Many of you have had a taste of working the nine to five, and you know is just not for you. You don't want to report ...

Gail Sheehy wrote the book Passages several years ago about how the body goes through ‘passages’ every 7 seven years or so. As it matures it evolves from infant to child, teenager and young adult to adult, crone and so on. With each of these life transitions changes are made and difficulties are overcome. On the other side of these transformations there is a new you. The infant no longer cares for certain toys after the age of 7 and the teenage girl gives up dolls for boys are a couple of simple examples.

Are you focusing on how bad the economy is right now? Are you consistently focusing on all of your problems and your worries? What we consistently focus our thoughts on will eventually become our reality. If you are focusing on this stinking thinking like the rest of the negative people in the ...

You invest in a book or program to improve something about you or your life. Do you take what it offers as far as is appropriate for you or as far as the bookshelf? Does this pattern show up in other areas of your life? We all have things in our lives we move forward on with no problem, others we drag our feet about, and those we hesitate to or never take the first step towards. It’s beneficial not to judge our process, but assess it and our outcomes often; it is imperative we participate in it willingly. I spoke with a man who doesn’t like his job (six-figure income) or his life.

I was talking to a mentor of mine a few weeks ago and I asked him, “Do you think I’m on the right track?” He said to me, “Mike, the issue isn’t whether or not you’re on the ‘right’ track; it’s that you think there’s a ‘right’ track to begin with.” As we talked about this more and I began to think about it in a different way, I realized that so often I find myself striving for this insatiable “right track,” as if there’s some place I’m “supposed” to be and some outside authority who can validate it for me.

Inherent within the human spirit is the desire for fulfillment, a longing to carry out our creative aspirations by reaching new heights of accomplishment. Yet, often the yearning can be suppressed by fear. Perhaps we aren’t feeling good enough, smart enough or able enough to pursue and fulfill our dreams. If you are contemplating a change in your career direction or wish to enhance your business to a higher level, but are hesitant to make the transition, let me assure you th

Projecting a confident persona doesn’t just help to shape other people’s impressions of you. If you successfully manage to project a confident appearance, this will have a significant impact on your mind and behaviour. It seems that “fake it till you make it” is actually a viable strategy. If you act confident, you will soon believe it. Unfortunately, we all have those telltale ticks that give us away, whether it’s playing with your hair or biting your nails. If you

Remember the magic of childhood when Alice in Wonderland grew huge or shrank tiny in the blink of an eye, and an Italian wooden puppet had a grasshopper for a conscience. How easy it was to believe that anything and everything was possible!

All of us whether we know it or not exist in our very own energy bubble. This energy bubble is not seen with the naked eye by others, cannot be touched or apprehended or in normal everyday circumstances felt by the owner, but believe me reader it is there! Ok ok; so what in the universe am I talking about? Let's look at a negative and positive example of this phenomenon; this incredible unseen but real power.

Remember when you had a brilliant idea for your business? The initial excitement spilled over into everything. You couldn't stop thinking about it or talking about it with your partner or colleague. It gave you bursts of energy that carried over into your attitude, your response to others and yes, even the way you saw the world around you. Everything seemed sharper and brighter and upbeat. You moved with more inner fuel and felt inspired and animated. With excitement, we can do almost anything.

Many individuals don’t go after their dream because they don’t think they can, should, it’s too small, or “don’t know” what it is. Are any of these holding you back? Two inspirational videos were emailed to me: one about a dog named Ricochet and one about Rudy Ruettiger, for whom the popular movie Rudy is about. The links are available on the Resources page of my Website, and that link is in my bio.

New Year’s resolutions are easy to make, but hard to keep--as anyone who’s resolved to get in shape, or stop smoking, or vowed to get to work early every day can attest to. The first few days are a breeze: off you jog to the gym, so proud of yourself. You toss your smokes in the trash, yippee! You get to work, a little bleary-eyed, but early enough to get a good head start on your day. All is well. Fast forward to a month later: you’re still on track, sort of. You don’t exa

As we embark on another new year of life, I find myself experiencing a mixture of emotions about 2010. I’m excited about the possibilities of this New Year and inspired by the energy of creation that exists at this special time.

Having been born in the 60s, I grew up during the time when women were rebelling against their traditional roles.They went to work, got divorced, called for equality and marched for the ERA. With deep gratitude, I celebrate all of those women who forged the path before me, who brought me to this point. But, today, I see that something was lost along the way. I learned to be so strong, so independent, so accomplished that I stopped needing anyone.

What do these women have in common? • A young mother overwhelmed with caring for both a newborn and a two year oldrn• A college student who realizes she is not as passionate about her major as she thoughtrn• A manager who feels she is not connecting with those who report to herrn• A daughter trying to help her aging parents who live in another statern• A new widow whose husband handled the finances in the family As you may have guessed, they all could use some kind

In the past few weeks I’ve been thinking a lot about the courage it takes to step out, take risks, and put ourselves out there. Even though I know how important this is for growth, in business, and for life – I still find it tricky, scary, and challenging at times. I also realize it’s one thing to talk about putting myself out there and another thing to actually do it. With the launch of my new website and the announcement I made last week about my forthcoming book, Bring Your Whole Self to Work, being available for pre-order, I’ve been feeling both excited and scared.

When I was young my mother used to repeat a familiar saying… “Birds of a feather all flock together.” Generally she used this saying when she did not want me to date a certain person. Someone she felt was too old for me, or too wild, or too whatever! Of course I thought she was just being strict and didn’t really know what she was talking about. When I became a mother all that old fashioned advice suddenly made perfect sense. In fact it was then when I realized how many times she saved me from taking a wrong path. Sound familiar?

Coaching has been one of the fastest growing professions over the last decade or so. Both businesses and individuals have experienced great benefits from using a coach. Why? It’s often quite difficult to figure out how to solve a problematic situation when you are in the middle of the problem, ...

You’ve probably read or heard that you should have your manuscript edited. Do you agree or disagree with that statement?

Let’s start with what is for some writers akin to a four-letter word: Outline. Yes, there are successful authors—and I do mean best-selling authors—whose practice is to let their fingers fly and write by the seat of their pants (known as pantsers), but they are few in number. These authors may seem like they’re winging it. They aren’t. They have years (or decades) of practice built upon a foundation of knowledge about technical and creative principles of the writing craft.

One of the most important traits of all motivators at work is consideration. Employees report that the best managers they ever had were people who cared about them as people and as friends. These managers took the time to ask them questions about their lives, and to listen patiently while they ...

Attitude is a choice. Women are confronted daily with situations, words, outcomes that force them to choose a response. That response is based decidedly on their attitude. Attitude is the difference between winning the battles, but losing the war. How many times have you realized that your attitude saved a business deal, a relationship, or your life?

The most damaging restrictions on a creative person's freedom are self-imposed. What may have started out as a new idea, a new methodology, becomes routine, a habit, after awhile. Habits are the comfort zone. Once snuggled into a comfort zone there is a tendency to stay. However, this is not ...The most damaging restrictions on a creative person's freedom are self-imposed. What may have started out as a new idea, a new methodology, becomes routine, a habit, after awhile. Habits are the comfort zone. Once snuggled into a comfort zone there is a tendency to stay.

Are you a champion procrastinator? Some of us are such talented and accomplished procrastinators that we really should get an award. Honestly, we can be so creative! Where others see a pile of paperwork, we see another game of Solitaire. Dirty dishes in the sink? That’s just a sign it’s time to paint your nails. Feeling a little wince of recognition? Me too. I think maybe we’re all born procrastinators. So, it’s up to us to learn a few skills, so we can be productive

Do you wake every day, move through your day, and go to bed with problems on your mind? Maybe you’d like to do something about that right now. What can you do that’s quick? Reframe the problem or your perceptions about it to make a difference, even if just a small shift at first. I listened to an interview with Marcia Wieder and she said something like, “Life is not meant to be just about addressing problems.” How often you might feel that your days are all about problems! Maybe thinking that way has become a habit.

Christian, my stepson, is quite young, just nine now. Particularly for his age, he has a very eclectic taste in music. He constantly brags about how he loves that he has learned so much about music. But it is we that have learned so much about music. Music is one part of the glue that bonds us, even though his mother and I are no longer together. Music provides a soundtrack to our lives and we can use music to not only bring us back to important moments, but to shape the moments of our futures.

Is your privacy extremely important to you? Do you live in or work in an environment where your boundaries are often ignored or crossed? Does the thought of someone reading your diary or journal terrify you? One of the more humorous representations of the ramifications of this is portrayed in Everyone Loves Raymond. His Mother Marie found, broke the code and read his journal. In it she found the words, “I ehat ym mmo! (I hate my mom)”.

Do you ever wonder if you’re on the right road of your life? If this is or has been your experience, how did you manage yourself? A friend and I took a road trip using her GPS to get us from New York City to Louisiana. We wanted to beat the anticipated July Fourth traffic, so left Thursday evening and drove until we stopped for the night.

Introduction Every successful person has failed many more times than they have succeeded. Being a person who is focused on personal goals in life and is mission-orientated, you will inevitably fail over and over all the way as you progress to fulï¬lling your WHY! The key is to truly understand that you WILL fail as you progress to the top. As soon as you realize every failure is a stepping stone to the top and that the more stones you have in place the higher your success le

I once wrote that beliefs change, Truths never do. But how can we know which is which; and, why should we conce ourselves with the difference?

I was talking to a friend of mine last week and she said, “If worrying worked, I’d weigh 115 pounds and be a millionaire by now.” I laughed out loud – appreciating her humor and insight. Worrying, which is something I’ve spent and wasted a lot of time and energy on throughout my life, never seems to work, does it? Worry is actually detrimental to our health, well-being, and our ability to manifest both the things and feelings we truly want in life.