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My friend Stephanie founded SocialBling.com! She is the first I know of to actually concentrate on Social Readiness! Communication is key to a lot of us, and Stephanie has a wonderful way of doing just that. Mobile Liberation
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephanie-michele/mobile
Check out this fabulous article she just published in the Huffington Post!
I found this amazing video and was so impressed with this coach and what he accomplished with his team! Words don't begin to describe what you'll see and feel watching this video! I promise - you'll be glad you watched! The Million Dollar Challenge
All comments welcome!
I've been working with children (mostly teenagers) for lots of years. Encouragement to our youth seems to be something that is needed and unfortunately with today's economy, seems to be lacking. At a recent Chamber Board meeting, I listened to a proposal from our local school district Superintendent as he explained how many teachers will receive pink slips, what courses will be cut, and how class sizes will increase. A parcel tax was proposed and passed for endorsement almost unanimously for a special election by mail in May. A temporary "fix" for now. So - what else are we going to do about the lack of education to the future leadership of our country? I'm proud to be a part of Rotary International who puts great emphasis on literacy. As this week is "Literacy Week", many of us have found our way to local elementary schools to "read to the students". It was most satisfying to have those little faces full of attention as they listened to stories about everything from the alphabet to animals. Not only are we lacking in the schools - but how many parents take (or even have) the time to just read with their kids. I can remember back to my own childhood and my parents encouragement to read. I started like most kids with Dr. Seuss, moved on to Nancy Drew, and from there, a continuous library of reading has been a good part of my life and learning experiences. My mind opened up to all kinds of possibilities and dreams. Adventures of story book characters kept me enthralled and as a bi-product improved my vocabulary and imagination.
So, here's where I encourage you, my readers. Choose a school and volunteer. Get involved. Find alternative learning opportunities. We have a wealth of life experiences to share. So let's share it. My kids are grown now with kids of their own. They love reading and being read to. My daughter was reading to my granddaughter while still swaddled. Now, at 10 years old, Anya reads voraciously, sometimes 2-3 books at a time.
Don't wait for a week especially created to "read to our youth". They need us now! And that's just the beginning.....
I am thrilled to have a wonderful friend and colleague like Michele Lando! I often refer to her as "the most articulate person I have ever met"! She is an expert in so many areas, and has helped me numerous times with my branding and communications. So, I am most excited to share with all of you her latest article on getting a head start on 2010! I know we're all caught up in the holidays, but remember 2010 is only a few weeks away. No matter if you're a student or adult, these handy hints are for all of us! Tish
After the decorations, celebrations and communion with family and friends, Monday morning will reappear.
My holiday gift to each of you: a few tips from the IndiBrand™ Individual Branding Workshop series.
Even in this economy. There is much to be grateful for:
The future is the present moving forward constantly. This means that whatever you envision for your future is being impacted by your choices right now—this very minute—and the next, and the next, and the next.
The future is connected to your present (which has just this instant become your past). As you consider what you want 2010 to be like for you, engage all of your senses. What do you want it to smell like? Taste like? Look like? Sound like? And feel like? The more visceral your imagination of your future, the more real it becomes and the easier it is to make choices in this instant and the next that truly support your goals for your future!
When I am considering my future I make sure I am specific and engage each of my senses across multiple areas of my life. Like good marketing, the more targeted I am in my focus on each area of my life, the more impactful my connection to it is! The more likely I will actually create it, and the more joy I experience in all areas of my life as a result. Following are some of the focus areas for my future. What are yours?
There is always room for changing one’s vision. Don’t let your fear of commitment or your belief that you cannot control what the future holds, or anything else, get in your way. It’s the distinction between making choices that lead to something that fulfills you or not.
Author: Michele Lando, president of Skilset Communications, Inc., and author of the internationally acclaimed IndiBrand™ Individual Branding workshop series. To reproduce any portion of this article, you may write or phone 626-792-0032.
The Power to Judge: Our choices decide the very quality of our lives. To make the right choices we need the Power to Judge.
Are you a lucky parent raising a teenager in today’s world? Pretty scary! We all want our kids to like us. We know they love us, but liking us is another thing entirely. We want communication open and flowing – how do we make this happen?
Does this sound familiar?
You: “How was school?”
Teen: “Fine.”
You: “What did you do today?”
Teen: “Nothing.”
When was the last time you spent some one on one time with your teen? How can you have a good relationship with your teenager? Nothing takes the place of getting involved and interested in your teen’s life. We often think of quality time for very young children, but this term still applies when they are teenagers. We forget about it because they’ve seemingly reached that age of “not wanting to be seen with us.”
It’s really the quality of time, not the quantity. It may take a bit of work to figure out the best way to do this, but trust me, it’s worth it! What do you think they might say if you asked them to teach YOU something that they’re good at? Ask them to teach you the “quirks” of texting so that you can communicate with them on their terms. Ask them what they like best about what they’re studying and YOU study up on that subject so that you have another commonality. Take walks, hike, bike, attend art, music or dance classes, etc. Make sure it’s their choice of activity. Don’t go to the movies unless you both commit to 15-30 minutes of discussion of the movie once it’s over. The object of this exercise is to communicate, not be entertained.
Do you really Listen to them?
Always pay really close attention to what your teens are saying to you. Look them straight in the eyes and let them know you care about what they are saying! When they realize you’re really interested, they typically will let go and really talk to you. You’ve got to be prepared to stop what you’re doing and listen if they want to talk. They want to share something with you! How cool is that? Isn’t this what we’re striving for?
Everyone has ridiculous schedules in today’s world. Finding family time can also be difficult, but to keep communication open, you have to make the time. Meals are a terrific place to start. Try to have at least one if not more sit-down family meals per week. Find a common topic for conversation, and let the family know ahead of time so that everyone can find a tidbit or two to add to the conversation.
Now here’s the glitch – even if you don’t agree with their opinions, find a way to listen, really listen to theirs. This can be a difficult task, as it can be hard to really listen when all you want to do is tell them your opinion about something with which you don't agree. Whatever you do – Don’t judge them! It may be best to admit there is a disagreement and postpone the discussion until you can calm down and be rational. Then you can go back and say something like, “I’m not sure I agree with all you said, and there are some things I don’t understand. Let me think about this and we’ll pick it up tomorrow night at dinner.” By setting a deadline for the conversation, you are acknowledging the importance of their opinion to you, and they will come back to finish up. Isn’t communication the goal?
Looking back over my life, remembering various leaders, teachers and coaches I’ve worked with, I think about which one could be the “one” who has had the most influence on me. Many of us long to find a teacher, mentor or guru. We may feel unsure of how to proceed on our life’s journey without one, or we may long for someone who has attained a higher level of insight to lead the way for us. The good news is that the greatest teacher you could ever want is always with you—that is your life. Life is a classroom. When we are open to receiving wisdom from the people and situations we encounter every day, let’s recognize how much they teach us when we are open to receiving their wisdom. How about the lessons we learn about the things we don’t want to do. Situations that occur in our lives, from the smallest and most insignificant to the largest and most important, have the ability to teach us exactly what we need to learn at any given time. A friend and associate of mine came up with what we call the “6 C’s”. Commitment, Conviction, Consistency, Courage, Confidence, and Connected. Pay close attention to these things as they occur in the classroom that is your life. Stop and think about each of these words and how they might guide your day-to-day lifestyle. Are you committed to whatever you are doing right now, today, tomorrow or even next year? Do you have conviction in your beliefs? Are you consistent with your actions and words? Do you have the courage and confidence to take the necessary action to accomplish your goals? Are you connected to your life and your path?
I’ve found that affirmations can help me to remember this perfect teacher each day with a few simple words. Affirmations are a powerful tool and when consistently utilized can make a huge difference in your mindset and therefore your life:
I acknowledge and honor the teacher that is my life.
I am wise enough to recognize the teachers and lessons that I encounter today.
I am open to the wisdom I receive.
I appreciate what life is teaching me today.
I trust my intuition on the nature of the lesson at hand.
Guess what - Your life has all the answers. Your life is a movie and the cool thing is; it is written only up until today. Visualize the end. You get to finish the movie however you choose. So, recognize that your thoughts lead to your feelings, which lead to your actions which create your results.
Start today on the completion of your movie.