The “Christian” Practice of Meditation

This is a completely impromptu post.  In fact, I am supposed to be working on some other projects right now, but I felt divinely inspired (from a facebook comment thread about me embarking on a 21 day spiritual focus…thanks David) to get this out to you tonight.  I will likely come back around and elaborate on this over the next several weeks, but tonight I am going to introduce you to the practice of meditation and explain how Christians can meditate and not feel “spooked out” by it.

Meditation is growing in popularity across cultural and religious circles.  Some of this may be the result of individuals trying to decrease stress levels due to the condition of the world right now.  Meditation is a great tool for stress reduction, no doubt about that.  But for me, it is much more – it is really a requirement and a necessary practice of my faith – Christianity.

Should Christians Meditate?

I know I may get some push back here from Christians who read this, because most Christians are misinformed about the origins of meditation and get visuals of people sitting in some trance like state with incense burning around them humming some mantra or something.  And…all of that is cool if that’s how you choose to meditate – but for me, it is a point of personal deep spiritual connection to God.

I’ve had those awkward moments of silence with Christians when I bring up meditation – and honestly sometimes I do it just for the sheer entertainment of seeing or hearing their reaction to it.  It’s enjoyable to say the least!!!

Most of you who have been following me for any amount of time, know that I am of the Christian faith, and whole heartedly love and serve God.  I make no apologies for that – it is who I am – period.  That doesn’t mean I don’t have many friends, family, and even business partners who are of other faiths.  I love everyone – because Jesus loves everyone!  Now – before you tune me out – hang tight for a minute because there is something in this for you regardless of your personal faith – trust me.

Every year for the past several years, I have started the year off with a 21 day spiritual focus to gain direction for my personal life, my business, and my spiritual life.  This year is no exception, only this year I am doing it with a large group of people, as a “corporate effort”.   A key part of this practice for me personally is meditation.

Now realize, there is no way for me to lay out every aspect of meditation, why it is important, what the health benefits are, what the spiritual benefits are and why everyone, including Christians, should do it in one blog post.  But I can show you in Scripture where meditation is encouraged and at the end I will provide you with some simple steps to get started with a solid silent meditation practice.

Meditation in the Bible?

While there are TONS of references to meditation in the Bible, I am only going to focus on two of them today.

Psalm 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God…”.  But hold on – that’s not all!!!  The Book of Psalms is filled with references to a Hebrew word “Selah”.  This word is positioned throughout many Psalms and is an implied pause.   The meaning of  “Selah”  is to “stop and listen” or “pause and think of that”.

See meditation is simply a combination of those two things – being still and knowing that He is God and pausing to listen – to listen not only to God, but to your own thoughts, your own emotions.

See as you meditate, you are simply “being” – you are listening to your heart, listening to your thoughts, letting them go where ever they want to go, feeling the emotions, being one with yourself and one with God.  There is no right or wrong response, no right or wrong way to think or behave in a meditative state – you just simply are “you” for that amount of time – and are simply “with God”, acknowledging His infinite influence in your life.

How to Meditate

There are lots of ways to meditate.  I have some meditation tracks that I use regularly, they are scientifically formulated to connect both hemispheres of the brain for enhanced creativity, and the combination of sounds move the brain through all the different levels of brain wave activity – alpha, beta, theta, and delta.  The benefits of this are HUGE…but way to much to talk about today.  So we’ll save that…

I also practice silent meditation, which is really the prayer focus state of “being” that I referenced earlier.  That’s the best place to start and what I will be sharing with you here today.

So, a few simple steps to get you started are:

1. Find a nice comfortable place to sit, either in a chair or on the floor.  I prefer sitting in the sunlight so I can feel the warmth of God while I meditate.  You find what is comfortable for you.
2. Make sure you are sitting upright, back straight and feet flat (if in a chair) or legs crossed (if on the floor).
3. Relax your arms in your lap, hands upright.  I sit with my hands palm up as if I am ready to receive from God, you can choose your own position of comfort.  If you are looking to release some negative energy then you may want to sit with hands dangling down and imagine all the negative energy flowing out of your body through your fingertips…just find what feels right for you at the time of meditation.
4. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths – long and deep in and slow on release.
5. Every 1-2 minutes make sure you take at least one deep breath.
6. Spend 15-30 minutes just sitting there in that position “being”.   (remember to set a timer before you start)

As you are meditating Let your thoughts go where they want to go, let your emotions go where they want to go, and listen to what is happening inside of you.  Listen to what God is speaking to you.  Just “be still and know”…Selah (pause and listen).  There is no right or wrong thing to think, no right or wrong thing to feel.  You are simply being and feeling.

Now, what happens here is this – as you meditate, your self awareness increases and things you did not even realize were clogging up your spirit man will begin to surface.  This is not anything to be afraid of, but something to be happy about – because you can now free yourself and clear your spirit of the “junk” life sometimes throws your way.

Selah with Me

So with that said, my friends I invite you to “Selah” with me this month – the first month of a new year and “be one with yourself and one with God”.  I firmly believe that as you take the time to “listen” in your moments of meditation, that he will speak and give you insight into your path for the coming year.

Yours in Spiritual Success,

PS.  Do you meditate?  Do you have any insight or experiences you would like to share?  Drop down below and leave some comments to share with the community here.  And as always – retweets and Facebook shares are appreciated.

Reflections from the Recycled Dream Project

Today I had a deep moment.  An epiphany of purpose – specifically as it relates to “prioritizing on purpose”.

Over the past several months I have been doing some deep self reflection, really examining life as I have been living it.  I think it is important to do that from time to time – to just take some time to look at everything you have going on, everything you are doing, everything you are spending your time, your resources, and your energy on.  Then decide how much of all that stuff is really necessary…how much of it is a means to your desired end.

What I have found in my reflections these past few months is that the vast majority of what we as humans do is not really what we need to be doing…heck for most people, it’s not even what they want to be doing.  Why?

Perhaps someone in their life said something that influenced them in a direction opposite of what was in their heart…and they felt pressured to follow suit.  Maybe they were afraid they were going to miss out on something if they didn’t participate or pursue those things.   People have different reasons for doing what they do, and my purpose today is really not to delve into the psychological side of human nature, but to share some of the observations that help create an understanding that there is a need for change in our world.

So, while I was taking a walk today I decided to make a short video to share with you how I have been prioritizing on purpose and eliminating the unnecessary energy leaches from my life.

It’s short, take a few and watch it….

So What About Your Life and Your Priorities?

So many people spend so much time looking to please other people, trying to live up to the expectations of their family, their friends, their spouse, their kids, and even strangers.  Not to mention all of the pressures of society to keep up with the latest and the greatest of all the “stuff” in the world.  “Shiney Object Syndrome” is what it is called in my inner circle….it’s like a bunny with ADD.

I’ll be honest, I reached a point about a year ago that I said “enough is enough”.  Life is too short to be so focused on trying to achieve things that don’t matter in the end anyway.  This led me down a path of deep personal growth that really has reached its culmination in the past few months.  My priorities have completely shifted…and I have connected with a greater purpose.  The things that used to matter, don’t anymore.  It’s as if I have reconnected with the core of my being – reached the deepest parts of my heart and soul, and it has been in that place that I have been able to find peace and fullness of life as it was intended for us to live it.

I’ve talked to many people who feel the same way, but they just don’t know where to begin or how to get started figuring out what to weed out of life so they can get busy living it.

See, life is a vapor – here today and gone tomorrow.  It’s not always about making a difference.  I hear people say that all the time…that they want to “make a difference”.  Really?  Come on…I think it is deeper than that.  I think life is about making an impact.  See, making a difference is small, but making an impact, well that’s much larger and louder, and significant.  Impact has the ability to bring change about on a greater scale, and to a greater degree.

So, how do you do it?  How do you Prioritize on Purpose?

As I shared in the video above, it’s really simple, and only takes a few steps.

FIRST

You gotta lay everything on the table – leaving nothing off limits.  Put it all out there and look at it.  Then step back and walk away for a little while to connect with your heart.   I do this through prayer and meditation, sometimes fasting.  You will know when you have connected with that place because everything becomes clear for you, and you KNOW what you need to do.

SECOND

After you have connected with your heart seek to define what you feel in the form of a “purpose”.  In other words, answer the question:

“What on earth are you here for?”

When you find that thing, then go do it and cut everything out that is not aligned with that one thing.  Basically, if you are a violin player then don’t pick up the tuba – ya know what I mean!  Play your violin and be the best darn violin player in the world!  Do what you were created to do!!  No one can tell you that, no one can answer that question for you, but you

THIRD

Once you have found what is in your heart, and you have your purpose all clear…go immediately back to the table (you know the one you laid everything in your life on)…and start clearing off the things that are not in alignment with that purpose.

This may mean that you have to cut away some things you really thought you wanted, you may feel a little sad, a little resistant – but trust me…do it.  If you really want to reach the fullness of your potential, and if you really want to have your dreams become a reality, then you must remove the things that are stealing energy and focus from those things you REALLY desire in life.

FINALLY

Look  at what is left on the table.  Return to your heart, refocus on your purpose, get it firm in your mind, then go back to the table and weed out some more stuff.  Trust me, there will likely be one or two things you left behind the first time.  It’s OK…it’s normal…just remove it now that you recognize it.

Repeat this process until you walk back to the table and everything on it is clearly and completely linked to your purpose and your destiny.  Now – don’t add anything else to the table unless it aligns.   If you want to achieve success…as defined in my last post, then you must do this and make sure that 100% of your focus and energy is on doing what is in your heart to do.

Recycled Dream Update

I’ve been doing this for the past six months – when I decided to embrace a Recycled Dream that resurfaced in my life.  (BTW-If you missed that post, then I encourage you to go back and watch the most honest and transparent video blog I have ever created.)

Even though I have been visiting my table and my heart consistently for six months, I am still finding stuff on the table that needs to go.  I just cut something else away yesterday.

You have to be willing to:  Let good things go, so better things can come.

You have to be willing to:  Prioritize based on YOUR purpose.

You have to be willing to: Ask yourself the tough questions.

Do you really want it?

Is it your goal or someone else’s?

Where did this goal originate?  Your heart, or from something you heard or saw from someone else?

Is continuing to pursue this going to benefit you or push you toward your ultimate dream, purpose, or vision?

If you can’t comfortably answer these questions and know the thing on the table is “in your heart”, then you must cut it my friend.

Succeed with Purpose. Succeed with Vision. Prioritize with Purpose.

Drop down below and share your thoughts in the comments box.  Let me know how you prioritize and align your actions and activities with your purpose.

Wishing you Success on Purpose!!

PS.  If you have not yet signed up for my Secrets to Unleashing Success video series, then I encourage you to do that!  It’s FREE and will help you identify your purpose and passion in life, so you can get busy living it!!  Just CLICK HERE and sign up now!!

Let’s talk about success today.

After all, I HAVE built my personal brand around inspiring people to unleash success in their lives.

In doing that, I have talked a lot about determination, perspective, how to handle your dreams…I’ve even shared some social media management tips, business building concepts, communication strategies and mindset practices.

But, what I realized last week, was this: I haven’t really addressed success in the simplest form. What I mean by that is looking at it from a defining standpoint, and digging into what it really means for you as an individual.

See, I have been going through some serious self assessment these last few weeks, which is one reason why I haven’t posted any new information. I do this periodically in life, just to check my path and make sure I am still headed the direction I want to head with my life, my business, etc. This time though I purposed to do it deeper, to do it stronger, and to really dig around deep in my heart to make sure I am on the path I want to be on.

What Is Success?

See, success means different things to different people.

For one person it may mean a fine career with benefits and a pension plan. To another, it may mean a loving family with the basic needs of life met. To another it may mean reaching an educational milestone or attaining some sort of distinction in their chosen career path. To another, it may mean building a successful corporation with millions, or even billions of dollars in assets and revenue.

Success, by way of Webster’s definition is “the act of achieving or accomplishing”, and “to reach a desired end”.

I think the definition of success runs much deeper than that though. What you equate with success and what I equate with success may be two completely different things.

I believe success is really found when a person is happy and fulfilled doing whatever it is that they are doing. Success is not measured by how much a person achieves or accomplishes in life, as most people believe.

Your success can only be measured by you. Do you feel successful? Did you reach or achieve the goal that you had for yourself? Are you happy and fulfilled doing what you do? If you answered yes to these questions, then you – my friend – are successful.

No other person on the planet can define success for you, you must define it for yourself.

How Do You Define Success?

So in order to define success for yourself, you must ask yourself a few questions, and be brutally honest when you answer them.

1. What is your personal definition of success?
2. What does success look like to you?
3. Do you feel successful? If no, why not?
4. What needs to change in your life in order for you to feel success?
5. What do you believe you need in order to have peace and meaning in your life?
6. What do you do each day that brings you joy and fulfillment?
7. What makes you feel energized and motivated?
8. How often do you do those things you listed in items 5-7?
9. What prevents you from doing more of those things?
10. What steps can you take to ensure you have these things in your life?

Once you have answered these questions as honestly as you can, then you will have a pretty good idea of what success looks like for you, personally.

Next, you want to FORGET everything you have ever heard or learned about success from anyone else, including your family and closest friends. You have your very own perspective of success, and now you can begin living YOUR life, the way YOU want to live it in order to see those things YOU deem important, fulfilling, and meaningful manifest.

Success Scenario in 4 Simple Steps

Finally, to really make this real for yourself, you can write a personal success scenario. This is really easy to do.

1. Think about what success looks like for you.
2. Write it down in story format (this can be as long or short as you wish, as long as it reflects what your personal picture of success would be).
3. Read it and think about it each day.
4. Express gratitude to God for bringing you to a place of personal success in your life

Now, because I truly care about your success, and helping you get there.  I decided to go the extra mile for you today. 

Seriously…to make this process a little easier for you, I created two downloadable worksheets you can use to walk yourself through these steps.

You can access them here:

Defining Success Worksheet 1

Defining Success Worksheet 2

I would love to hear your thoughts on success.  Drop down below and leave me some comments.  As always, if you found value, re-tweets, bookmarking, and facebook shares are always appreciated!!

Always Supporting Your Personal Success Goals!!

PS. If you found these resources helpful, you will LOVE Krista’s 7 Day video series on “Secrets to Unleashing Success”. You can get it for free…just fill in your name and email in the box at the top right of this page.

How Do Thoughts Impact Your Life?

The thought patterns we live with day in and day out have extreme influence into the direction our lives take.  Essentially, our thoughts can make us or they can break us. Eliminating negative thoughts and thought patterns is crucial to your success and happiness in life.

Now this concept is nothing new to those who are familiar with the Law of Attraction and the principles that surround it.   There are a lot of one liners that originated out of this movement that point to such.  Some of these include quotes such as:

“Thoughts become things.”

“What you think about, you bring about.”

These concepts are valid and true. Scripture even supports them when it says:

“As a man thinks in his heart…so is he” (Proverbs 27:3)

So, with this knowledge comes the understanding that the direction of your thoughts lead to the direction of your life.  Therefore, it is important that you maintain a complete awareness of what you are thinking.

Studies reveal that the average human has approximately 60,000 thoughts per day.   And for those, like me, whose brains never stop working…there can be even more than that!! 

Because there are so many thoughts running through your mind each day, it is next to impossible to monitor them all, but you can monitor the climate of your thought life by being aware and attentive to your feelings.  Thoughts influence your feelings, therefore if you are feeling bad, angry, depressed, or frustrated, this can be a “red flag” for you to pause and trace that feeling back to the thought processes or patterns that led you down that path to begin with.

Left unaltered, negative thinking can lead to negative living.  The reason for this is simple – negative energy creates or attracts more negative energy, and ultimately – negative outcomes.  Therefore, once identified, it is essential that you consistently practice taking immediate and focused action to correct your thinking and bring it back into alignment with the direction you want your life to take…a positive peaceful and focused direction.

Techniques  To Eliminate Negative Thought Patterns and Change Your Life

There are many techniques you can use to refocus yourself, eliminate negative thought patterns, and bring balance back to your thought life.  Some of the techniques I personally use and have found to be most effective are prayer, meditation, breathing exercises, and self-talk (aka: affirmations or desire statements).

All of these help me recenter my thought patterns and bring my thoughts into alignment with my intended goals and desired direction for life.

For the purposes of this post, I want to focus on one of these, and we will save the others for future discussions.

Self-Talk and Your Thought Life

To really demonstrate the power and effectiveness of self-talk, I want to share with you a small portion of my personal journey with this technique.

Millionaire Mentors: Steven Thompson, Krista Abbott, Brad Hager, and Susan Walsh

I first began using self-talk about a year ago after a millionaire mentor of mine (Brad Hager) shared with me the importance of how it had impacted his life.  As is typical with most “new habits” we try to form, it faded away after about two months.  Amazingly, this happened even though I was seeing positive results with the actions I was taking with self-talk.  There are lots of reasons this can happen, but again that’s another post for another day…on with the story!

About a month ago, I began to notice a significant increase in negative thought patterns, so much so that it was impacting my motivation to pursue those things I am most passionate about.  Immediately, I sat down and started to write out some positive self-talk that would help me combat these things.  And, within two weeks, I had instant results of overcoming and eliminating that particular thought pattern in my life.

I have seen the power of self-talk and I know it works. If your self talk is negative, then your results will be negative.  If your self talk is positive then your results will be positive.  If you really want to have the outcomes and results you desire in your life, then you MUST recognize and eliminate negative thought patterns, and replace them with new ones.

This is called “Renewing Your Mind”.

“…be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Romans 12:2)

I would encourage you to identify areas that you are know you are struggling with positive thinking in and write out your own self-talk for those areas you are most passionate about.  It’s easy to do this, I’ll give you a few easy steps and some examples here:

10 Easy Steps To Creating Your Own Self-Talk

1. Get about 10 index cards (3 x 5 size),  a piece of scratch paper, and a writing instrument
2. Draw a line down the middle of the scratch paper
3. Think about the things you want to see manifest in your life and jot those down in column one of the scratch paper.  For example:  I want to make more money.”
4. Think about the negative thought patterns you have that block those things from coming into your life and jot those down in column two of the scratch paper.  For example, “…why can’t I ever seem to get ahead in life.”
5. Repeat this until you feel satisfied that all you want to manifest in your life is represented in column one and all the things that block you are in column two.
6. If you have more than 10, then you may want to narrow your focus and identify the Top 10 and save the rest for later.
7. It is recommended that you categorize the 10 items if possible.  For example: using cateogories such as “feelings”, “mindset”, “finances”, “relationships”, etc.
8. Next, take your 3 x 5 cards and one by one begin to write a positive statement that addresses the desire you have written in column one and counteracts the negative thought patterns you have identified in column 2.  For example, “I am a money magnet, money flows to me easily and effortlessly.  It feels great to be able to give generously and help others with my excess money.”
   
9. Make sure you use “feeling words” as much as possible to support the visualization that goes with your self talk.
   
10. Repeat this until you have your 10 cards written.

What To Do With Your Self-Talk Cards

I make it a habit to read each of my cards each morning when I wake up and each night before I go to sleep.  The reason for this is that scientific studies have shown that these are the times when your brain is most open to receive and retain the information presented to it.  So it is very important that the first thing you think about each day and the last thing you think about each night is positive.  Then these thoughts can work into the deeper and more influential portions of your brain.

Now, when reading them practice reading with these steps:’

1. Read silently to yourself and think about what you are reading
2. Read it out loud so that you can hear yourself saying it.
3. Pause and purposefully feel how the manifestation of that statement will feel when it arrives in your life.
4. Hold that feeling for at least a minute.
5. When ready move on to the next card and repeat until finished.

Keep your self-talk cards handy and accessible throughout the day.  Frankly, you will want to keep these cards with you as much as possible.  I actually carry mine around in my computer bag (which goes with me almost everywhere I go). Anytime you identify some feelings that are counter-productive to the positive energy you want to generate in your life, you can pull out these cards and read through them.  It is best to read them aloud so that you hear yourself saying them…this helps solidify the belief and build your faith.

“…faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word…”  (Romans 10:17)

If you are in a public place or around a lot of people and are not able (or not comfortable) reading them aloud, then that’s fine.  Read them silently to yourself and focus all of your energy on feeling what that statement would feel like when those things manifest in your life.

Examples of Self-Talk

Category:  Feelings

I am aware of my feelings and when they are moving me away from my goals.  I quickly redirect my thoughts to achieve positive, winning, and profitable outcomes.  I enjoy being open and receptive to the gifts and abundance flowing into my life.

Category:  Belief System

I live a “no-limits” mindset.  I believe I can have, do, and be anything I want.  There are no limits to the level of success, happiness, money, love, relationships, good opportunities, or blessings that can come into my life.  It feels great to live so free and abundant.  I believe!

Category:  Gratitude

I notice all of the abundance and beauty around me.  I feel gratitude for the abundant blessings in my life and for all of the resources available at my finger tips.  I receive all of the gifts and good things God brings into my life.  I freely and generously share with others who are in need.

Category:  Passion

I live my passion every day.  It feels amazing to love what I do and to have people pay me for it, and pay me well.  I am fulfilled and successful because I follow my heart and live my passion daily.

Summary and Call to Action

Well my friends, I know this has been a long post, but I felt the need to share this information with you to help you on your journey to success.  I encourage you to take an hour out of your day to take these action steps outlined above and create some positive self talk for yourself.  Create a habit in your life and watch your mind get transformed and your life changed.  I truly believe that if you do this, and do it consistently that you will see the results and the manifestations of the things that you desire begin to come into your life faster and easier than you ever imagined possible.

If you have found this post helpful, I ask that you bookmark it, digg it,  share it, re-tweet it, and leave some comments below.

Passionate About Your Success!!

If you would like to receive more from Krista on how to achieve success in your life, sign up for her FREE 7 day video series on Secrets to Unleashing Success.  Click Here to Get it Now!

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The Gulf Oil Spill

A Child’s View…With Nora

The Gulf Oil Spill, Deepwater Horizon, has finally reached the Florida coastline.  Being a native Floridian, living near the coast this environmental crisis hits very close to home.  The President of the United States, Barak Obama, visited Florida last week to see the impact this disaster is having on our our coast, and afterwards addressed the nation from the oval office.  Once again, our region has been thrust into the international spot light as a result of this tragic event.

Kids seem to have an innocent and candid expression of how this crisis is filtering through their thoughts.  This week, my seven year old niece was visiting and began expressing her thoughts (unsolicited) about the oil spill.  As she talked I realized the impact this is having on the world as she understands it.  I asked her if she would be willing for me to video tape her sharing her thoughts with me.

She was very eager to do so because she “…wanted to try to help save the animals.”

She also knows I blog, and use videos on my site to speak to my readers and friends.  So, she asked me if I would show her video to my friends so that maybe they could get their kids to help too.

So, please take a moment and watch this video to see what Nora has to say about the Gulf Oil Spill from A Child’s View.

There you go folks!  The impact of the Gulf Oil Spill through the eyes of a seven year old. I think we have ourselves a future blogger and philanthropic entrepreneur on our hands here!  (She takes after me, of course…) 

Since Nora gave her call to action to all kids in the nation to join her in donating to help the oil spill clean up efforts, I thought it only fitting that I provide a resource here for you to check out.  So, I’m sharing a link from Network for Good which provides a variety of organizations that you can donate to in order to help with the clean up efforts.

As a result of her love for animals, Nora’s primary concern was for the sea life and birds impacted by the tragedy, therefore she chose to donate to an organization assisting the animals threatened by the oil spill.(…and of course the beaches at St. George) 

CLICK HERE TO VISIT NETWORK FOR GOOD AND GIVE

If you or your child would like to join her, visit Network for Good and find an organization that coincides with your primary concern and give to help minimize the damage as much as possible.

Wishing Success For the Clean Up Efforts!

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Communication in your home, your business and your life can make or break you.

It seems every leadership or personal development book I read talks about communication.

And…with good reason.

It happens – nearly every time something goes awry at home, in business, or in life – someone, somewhere, blames it on poor communication, miscommunication, or (God help us) NO communication!

We all know it is true, because we have all experienced it.

See, I am a very communication oriented person, and I make every effort to communicate openly, clearly, and thoroughly (maybe sometimes too thoroughly).  So, imagine my frustration when I realized everyone is not like me!!  (Say What?!?) And, worse yet…some of them hear something completely different than what I am saying.

Wow!  How’d that happen?

It took some time, but by studying things like personality theory and communication theory I soon realized that there are techniques that can help minimize the frustrations often associated with failed communication.

I have successfully used the concepts and techniques that I am about to share with you, in several of my personal and business relationships, as well as corporate and team building.  As a result of my own implementation of these things, I have found them extremely effective and helpful in both areas to:

• avoid misunderstandings

• increase collaboration

• build team relationships

• facilitate increased productivity.

Speaking  Their Language

In trying to build teams and lead others, you have to be able to speak their language (and I’m not talking about English, Spanish, Japanese…or any other cultural or societal based language as we know it).  By “language” I am referring to their preferred style of communicating and how it interacts with your particular style.

Since most people tend to communicate, mentally process, and respond based on their personality type,  the first step to more effective communication is to figure out WHO you are dealing with.

Personally, I am a big fan of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).  It is, in my opinion, the most comprehensive and helpful personality information, and really helps with understanding how to deal with the various personality types.

Human Metrics has a free on-line assessment, Jung Typology Test, which you can use to determine what primary personality type you are.  You can also use this with your friends, family, and your business partners or team – that is, IF they don’t already know what their type is.

You can find that on-line assessment HERE. It only takes about 15 minutes to complete.

Plan your approach to asking them to complete the assessment carefully, based on what you already know about the person.

If they aren’t familiar with it, explain to them that it is a relationship building tool that will help each of you communicate better when you understand the other person’s  frame of reference.  And, be willing to share your primary type with them up front and make it fun – like an adventure.

Most people are intrigued by personality theory and want to “learn all about themselves” anyway, so it’s rare to run across someone who will not “buy-in” to the process.

There are some out there, though who may become defensive or offended by the request.  In that case, don’t push it; just observe them, study the way they interact and engage with others, then after a little while (and some trial and error) you can usually figure out what their style is based on their reactions and/or responses to varying circumstances.

Now that you know their personality type – what next?

After you discover their personality type, you can use this information to more effectively communicate with them.

If you aren’t already well versed in each of the primary types, then you can read up on them on-line.   The Human Metrics  Jung Typology Test will have some information after the assessment is complete that you can review.  For deeper study, you can continue your search through on-line resources.  Just type in the primary personality type in your preferred search engine (Google for me) and go to town learning all about  them and their preferences.

How does this help with communication?

Once you learn about the personality type of the person you are communicating with, and they learn about yours, mutual understanding increases, and the approach in communication can be modified so you more evenly “gel with” each other.

If you like “cheat sheets”, I found a nice little quick reference guide from the Change Zone on Communicating with Different Personality Types.

You can download it HERE and keep it handy as a quick reference any time you need it:

Understanding the crucial components of communication can save you a lot of trouble in your relationships at home, in your business, and in your life.  Taking the time to learn about people, and how to best interact with them is a critical business skill every leader must develop.

What techniques have you used to help improve communication in your home and business relationships?

I welcome you to share your thoughts and comments below so we can all learn from each other.

To Your Communicative Success!!

How to Handle Lost Dreams that Resurface in Your Life.

Have you ever had a dream escape you?

You know, one of those deep desires of your heart that you sought after, and believed for and worked hard for…maybe even you prayed fervently for it – but one disappointment led to another…and another…and another…until one day – you surrendered that dream.

You didn’t necessarily give up on it or quit…you just accepted that maybe it wasn’t meant to be, and although disappointed, and heartbroken you moved on with your life and started creating and realizing new dreams for yourself.

I have.

I have lived through the heartache and disappointment of broken dreams, released dreams, and forgotten dreams. I’ve also lived in the excitement and satisfaction that comes with embracing new dreams – realizing them and living them. This seems to make the loss of the broken (or escaped) dreams more bearable.

Recently, I’ve been confronted again with one of my lost dreams – a dream that, well frankly, when lost caused me a great deal of heart break and many tears. I had completely released it and moved on, quite successfully, with my life. It was, honestly, at the time, one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make – to release that dream and walk away from it.

Events over the past few months have led to new developments that I never expected to occur, and I now find myself face to face with that dream again. I can’t begin to explain or place into words the variety of emotions that have filtered through my heart and spirit over the last few weeks. I can tell you they have ranged from sheer elation, to extreme gratitude, and then to raw fear.

The vast majority of the time, I am a person who chooses not to live in fear, but trust my destiny and the course of my life to God. So elation and gratitude, I am accustomed to – fear is a little more challenging for me to deal with. So, I really had to dig deep in my psyche during moments of meditation to discover why I was feeling this particular emotion.

Finally, after much thought and an “ah-ha moment” today, it occurred to me – I have been feeling fear because I have been afraid of the dream itself. Not because it’s a bad thing, but because of the disappointment it caused me in the past.

The fear is that if I embrace this dream again, I risk disappointment. And it’s not so much that I “can’t” go through that again, it’s that I don’t want to go through that again.

This realization left me standing, in the middle of my office, staring into space as I understood the magnitude of the choice I have to make. Do I embrace this dream once again with the hope of a different outcome this time, or do I play it safe and continue on with my successful life and new dreams?

What did I decide? Well, in a moment of complete transparency and authenticity, I created this video to share with you, my faithful readers, the answer to that question, along with my decision process.

Disclaimer: Be forewarned, this is my most personally revealing video to date, so watch below to find out what happened with this “recycled dream”.

There you go, my friends. That’s what I have decided to do. I have no idea how this is going to work out….but I will trust and believe for the desired outcome.

Have you had recycled dreams?

How did you handle them?

What would you do if you encountered a lost dream again in your life?

Leave me some comments below and let me know your thoughts.

Believing YOU Find Success in the Pursuit of YOUR Dreams!!

Peggy McColl is launching her brand new book, Viral Explosions – Proven Techniques to Expand, Explode, or Ignite Your Business or Brand On-Line, on Tuesday, April 13, 2010.

I have had the privilege of being one of Peggy’s students for the past several months, and I have learned things that will revolutionize my on-line marketing tactics.  Peggy is a high energy author who has used internet marketing techniques that have taken her books to Best Seller status in 24 hours or less.  This week, I get to watch her do it again with her new release, Viral Explosions.

In Viral Explosions, Peggy shares her secrets for internet marketing success and takes the reader step-by-step through her proven formula for results.

The super cool thing about buying one of Peggy’s books on her campaign day (Tuesday for this book) is that she gives an INSANE amount of FREE bonus gifts. It’s one of the most amazing demonstrations of “Go-Giver” action that I’ve ever seen.  The book is well worth the $14.95 you pay on Amazon anyway…but on top of all of that, you get a TON, and I do mean a TON of FREE bonus items.  Peggy has really OVER-DELIVERED on this…as is typical of her.

In order to get these freebies, you HAVE to buy the book on Tuesday!

Because I offered up a free bonus for Peggy to use in her campaign, I have been able to get a sneak peak at the Bonus Page for this book, and all I can say is I was COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY at how much valuable information is being GIVEN away just for buying her book. Wow!  I will DEFINITELY be sitting at my computer midnight Monday so I can grab my copy of Viral Explosions and all those FREE bonus gifts.

If you are serious about marketing on-line, you NEED this book!!!  Go HERE right now to find out more…(and to see all the crazy awesome freebies you can get your hands on).

To Your Viral Success,

PS.  In case you are wondering what my FREE bonus gift was for Peggy’s campaign…I am giving away a webinar and “over-the-shoulder” demonstration of Tribe Syndication Tactics.  You can only get access to this webinar by buying Peggy’s book.  But there’s one little catch….You HAVE to buy on Tuesday. So set yourself a reminder in your calendar and whatever you do, don’t miss picking up your copy at Amazon on Tuesday.  Again….go HERE to learn more.

Mentors create success.

It’s that simple. Having a strong mentor in your life can make a huge impact in the levels of success you are able to reach in your business, your personal life, and your spiritual journey. In fact, it may be the single most important thing you can do to advance your life in the direction you want it to go.

YOU are the designer of your life.

I have spent a lot of time in self-reflection over the past few weeks. Daily self-reflection has been a practice in my life for many years now; however, it seems the past few weeks I have been “in the zone” of self-reflection. Really examining where my life is now, thinking about how I got here, what my influences and inspirations have been and then contemplating where to go from here.   As I thought, I remembered my mentors, how they influenced me and helped me realize success as I know it today and who push me to continue reaching for the “Big Dreams”.  I wanted to share some thoughts with you on what mentoring is and what good mentors do, so I put together a short video for you to lay it all out.

Take a few minutes and watch now…but before you do, you may want to grab a piece of paper to take a few short notes, because this is good stuff I’m about to share.

Well, there you have it my friends, my thoughts on mentoring. I have been so fortunate to have some high quality direct mentors in my life as well as many indirect mentors. They have all pushed me, developed me, molded me, and shaped me into the person I am today. I am grateful to God for bringing them into my life to teach me the things I need to reach the fullness of all life can offer me.

You have, innately within you, the wherewithal to determine where your life goes and how you get there. I heard it said once, that success does not happen by chance, success happens on purpose.

Personal Development is key for any serious entrepreneur or leader. If you don’t already have one, I encourage you to go out and actively seek a direct mentor and some good solid indirect mentors that you can learn from. Trust me, it’s the most important thing you can do for yourself.

Leave some comments below and let me know how your mentor has had an impact on your success.

Mentoring You to Success!

PS. I also offer personal one on one mentoring and coaching with customized plans for your individual needs.  Click here to contact me and find out more.

The Power of Perspective Can Make or Break You!

How we choose to view our circumstances and our challenges in life determines both our direction and our outcome.  In other words, your destination tomorrow is determined by the way you think today.

Recently, I have found myself in the midst of conversations with various people who want to voice their complaints or concerns over matters that they are dissatisfied with in life. Some of these matters are trivial, some are more serious, and all of them very real to the people I am talking to.   It’s almost been uncanny the number of times, just this week, that I have talked with someone who is feeling challenged, feeling like a failure, thinking about giving up, or who has already given up and they just don’t know it yet.  In other words, their heart forgot to tell their mind that they “quit”!

This is a dangerous place to be, my friends.

As entrepreneurs, as business leaders, or as leaders in life, we will all face set backs and challenges. These can come through a bad business deal, a betrayal by a partner, a failed idea or product launch.  Some can be less serious but equally as challenging, such as the occasional technological glitch that on-line marketers are confronted with, or the rude , uncooperative team member.  In your journey to success, there are always going to be challenges and obstacles to overcome, but you can emerge on top by choosing to maintain a proper perspective of the situation.

The way you  choose to handle these things today, in the present, can have far reaching impact on your future outcomes.

I encourage you to keep your approach positive, resist the temptation to take on a negative perspective and keep your thoughts positive and aligned with your vision.   For success to manifest, you will need to posture your mindset for success, and produce happy, positive thoughts filled with peace and prosperity.  See yourself succeeding and solving the problem you are confronted with, rather than being afraid of failure.  When you do this, even in the midst of adversity, you will find solutions and you will achieve success.

I found an awesome video filled with examples of men and women who confronted their giants and overcame circumstances that would have defeated others.  Take a few minutes and watch it….then ask yourself if you have what it takes to ….

“Finish Strong”.

Remember – Success or failure is not determined by the number of challenges we face or whether we win or loose every game, rather by the way we choose to view and approach our challenges.

As the video says, “The Choice is Yours…”

What will you do with that choice?

Will you take the “lemons” of life and make lemonade with them or will you suck on them and make a sour face? 

Me?  I’m going to have some lemonade now…

Leave me some comments and let me know your thoughts.

Maybe you have some techniques that you have used to keep your perspective right.  If so, please share them with the community.   Who knows, your technique may be the answer someone reading this is seeking…and you can be a part of helping them succeed.

All for YOUR Success!