For the Smart Money Cookie

As a life-long student of personal development, I’ve attended dozens of motivational seminars, listened to hundreds of tapes, and read untold books on the subject of motivation . I’ve presented motivational seminars. And yet there is one elemental truth that seems often overlooked. That is: no one can motivate you, because you have to do it to yourself. It’s an inside job. And frankly it’s less a function of “doing” than it is of discovering what your natural motivators are. So the key to getting and staying motivated is finding out what excites you. What makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning? What speaks to your heart as well as your head?

Is it the thought of being able to call your own shots as an independent business owner? Perhaps you get excited about the idea of helping people design systems of whatever kind to help them work more effectively and effortlessly. Maybe you hunger for an opportunity to speak to others in a way that inspires and lights their internal fires. Or perhaps being part of a team of people, working together to make great things happen, is what makes your heart beat faster. It could be that you love variety and any environment that generates it.

If your basic needs were met and your mind could freely roam where it chose, what subjects would naturally bubble to the surface? What things naturally generate a sense of energy and ease? What is as natural to you as “falling off a log?” These are questions that begin to tap the root of what motivates you.

In a recent conversation with a prospective client she told me she was thinking of getting out of her current profession as a self-employed professional organizer. As we talked she discovered that what she was really looking for was the opportunity to team up and partner with others to stimulate her creative juices and generate more business. It didn’t mean going back to work for someone else, although that was one option. Rather it was about transforming her idea of the ideal business environment for her. By the end of the call she had a renewed sense of possibility about her career. And she had definitely decided that going back to work for someone else, although “simple” in some respects, would not actually lead her where she wanted to go.

In this day and age when jobs and businesses are changing faster than ever before, when they “keep moving the cheese” (read Who Moved My Cheese? for the full explanation), those who create success for themselves will be those who find out what motivates them and follow that path. It may not mean being your own boss, but even if you work for someone else, it means finding that place where you can most readily apply your innate gifts and talents and use your internal motivational fire to serve others. Once you know what motivates you, your career options are infinitely clearer.

There are many tools and assessments in the marketplace today that can assist you in discovering where your natural motivations lie. Contact me if you’d like more information on those I offer. Or simply begin to pay attention to what gets you excited. Make a list of the things you most love doing and the environments you most enjoy working in. As you connect the dots, a new picture of your own motivators will emerge. And along with them, a renewed sense of the possibilities of “following your bliss”. This week, sit with the question, “What motivates me?” And listen closely for what comes up. You may be surprised.

Betty Mahalik has been coaching small business owners, independent professionals and leaders who want to achieve more but stress less, since 1996. Her background includes several years in the broadcasting and public relations fields prior to starting her own firm in 1987. She is an accomplished public speaker and corporate trainer specializing in communications, goal-setting and leveraging your strengths. Since 2001, she has written a weekly motivational message, free to subscribers, titled Monday Morning Coach. To subscribe or learn more about Betty’s coaching and training services, visit http://www.dynamic-coaching.com

The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart. –Benjamin Franklin

How often have you said something that you thought was perfectly clear, only to find out later that the receiver had taken it in exactly the wrong way? A boss’s ability to communicate well with direct reports depends on the capacity to transmit meaning between people through the use of words. These words give us the ability to represent the world through symbols, a skill that that allows us to make sense of our world and then to share that meaning with others. However, the very words that empower us to create meaning with one another also create barriers between us. Words give us the means for sharing ideas and expressing emotion, but they can also serve as a source of conflict. Intentionally or unintentionally, words can cause roadblocks to understanding.

One of the reasons for these barriers is, even though meaning is not in words, we act as though it is. Just because a thought makes perfect sense in our heads doesn’t, in any way, imply that anyone else will understand that idea in exactly the same way that we do. There are no guarantees that communication will ever occur in the way we intend for it to, but there are some things bosses can do to try to control the direction a conversation goes:

1. Use Specific Language

First, use concrete rather than abstract words. Abstract words are unclear because they are broad in scope. They tend to lump things together, ignoring uniqueness or even subtle differences. Abstract words describe things that cannot be sense through one of the five senses. Because these words are vague and nonspecific, they encourage generalizations and stereotyping.

Concrete language, on the other hand, is more specific. Concrete words frequently describe things that can be perceived by using one of the five senses or that can be described in behavioral terms. They clarity the sender’s meaning by narrowing the number of possibilities. Using concrete words, therefore, tends to decrease the likelihood of misunderstanding.

For example, I was recently working with the owner of a grocery store chain who had decided that he wanted to give his store managers some feedback about the conditions of the stores. I asked him what he would like to see changed, and he said “the environment of the stores.” I told him that, in my perceptions, that meant he wanted the store windows to be clean, the aisles to be clean, and the store, even near the fish counter, to smell nice. I mentioned these things because those are the things I notice first about a grocery store. He said, no, none of those things had occurred to him at all. He was talking about the way they display boxes of merchandise on the shelves. He likes for them to be even on the top. I told him I had honestly never noticed or cared whether the boxes lined up.

Here we were, two native speakers, supposedly speaking the same language, and we couldn’t understand one another. So, to help him craft a more concrete message, I asked him the pivotal question, “If I were following you into the store, what would I see? Smell? Hear?” This helped him pinpoint what he wanted to say.

Similarly, I often work with bosses who want to talk to a direct report about his attitude or communication style. I ask, “If he changed in ways that you wanted him to, and I were following him around, what change would I notice?” This is the crucial question that will help you make your words more specific and concrete. How do you know if someone has a better attitude? Does he smile more? Say hello to more customers? Come out into the store more often? The more specific you can be, the more likely the other will understand you.

2. Send Nonjudgmental Messages

Descriptive words are one of the best ways bosses can make sure that they are stressing observable, external, objective reality. These words focus the receiver’s attention on the thing or action being described rather than on the boss’s personal reaction. Conversely, judgmental words show evaluation and stress personal reactions. They are words that direct the receiver’s attention to the emotion rather than to the description of the event. This often engenders a defensive response in the receiver because judgmental words tend to be vague and abstract, and they annoy people.

“You” oriented speech, a particular kind of judgmental language, tends to focus on the receiver and often implies blame. Whether the evaluation is stated outright or merely implied, the receiver often reacts defensively. “I” language, on the other hand, shows ownership of reactions and reduces the likelihood that the hearer will react defensively. Notice the difference between these two:
You misunderstood.

I haven’t made myself clear.

The former assigns the blame for the communication breakdown on the listener, while the latter indicates that the fault lies with the speaker. Even though this may seem like a small thing, over time, judgmental language starts to feel like an attack, and its continued use stands in the way of building rapport.

One of the ways the boss can begin to use descriptive, concrete language is to begin sentences with “The problem is….” Notice the difference in these two messages:
You aren’t showing much consideration to your coworkers when you come in late.

The problem is, others have to assume your responsibilities when you don’t get here on time.

The first lets the direct report know that there is a problem, but the defensive reaction will probably erase any willingness to find out more about how to be more considerate. In the second example, the person knows exactly what the problem is, and a solution is evident.

Another way to avoid defensive reactions is to try to use more unrestrictive words and fewer restrictive ones. Restrictive words are words that attempt to control or restrict the actions of others. Consciously or unconsciously the sender’s use of restrictive words implies that the receive must express agreement. Using words like “should,” “must,” “always,” and “never” can cause the listener to react defensively. Unrestrictive words offer a less rigid orientation because they suggest rather than demand conformity. Saying “maybe,” “might,” and “could,” describe options without being aggressive. Also, using unrestrictive language shows more respect for the direct report.

3. Stick to the Facts

Inferences are another source of problems in any communication situation, largely because the speaker treats the inferences like facts. Statements of fact are confined to what is observed and cannot be made about the future. Inferences go beyond what is observed and can concern the past, present, or future. Facts have a high probability of being accurate; inferences represent only some modest degree of probability. Most importantly, facts bring people together; inferences, like judgment, create distance and cause disagreements.

To illustrate the point, think of the last really heated argument you had with someone. How many statement of fact were actually articulated? One? Two? If it turned into a heated argument, chances are the exchange was riddled with judgments and inferences. Since facts tend to further agreement, facts are usually rare in these kinds of arguments.
Conclusion

Effective communication is at the heart of all human activity, and bosses who excel in it also take great strides in developing their people and keeping the stars in the organization. Increasingly, an organization’s competitive advantage depends on people, especially on creative, innovative people. Successful organizations must develop, sustain, and market high levels of innovation throughout their infrastructures if they want to maintain their industry leadership. To encourage the pace of this sort of initiative, leaders can no longer rely on a few key individuals to develop creative solutions. Instead, bosses who want to attract, retain, and develop a pool of talented thinkers must know ways to encourage each person’s contributions. More effective communication is that way.

Dr. Linda Henman speaks from experience. For more than 25 years, she has helped military organizations, small businesses, and Fortune 500 Companies turn things around by getting the right people in the right place doing the right thing.

Linda holds a Bachelor of Science in communication, two Master of Arts degrees in both interpersonal communication and organization development, and a Ph.D. in organizational systems. By combining her experience as an organizational psychologist with her education in business, she offers her clients assessment, coaching, consulting, and training solutions that are pragmatic in their approach and sound in their foundation. Specializing in assessment for selection, promotion, and development, Linda helps organizations improve their succession and retention initiatives and teaches people to become the boss that no one wants to leave.

Healthy fitness guru joins doctors, educators, coaches, event
organizers, and others in urging young people to do things the
old-fashioned way…with diet and exercise

In an alarming trend that has continued to grow since the early
1990’s, government and university studies show that as many as
5% of high school girls and 7% percent of middle-school girls
admit that they’ve tried anabolic steroids at least once. While
some analyses attribute the increase to girls’ rising
participation in sports, it is also clear that “plenty of girls
and boys are using steroids to look toned and muscular without
having to work out or watch what they eat,” reports healthy
fitness “guru” Anthony Ellis.

“Our society is hooked on the ‘magic pill’ concept and these
young people are getting hooked on steroids,” says Ellis.
Children as young as nine covet the sexy bodies of their
fit-and-trim celebrity, rock star, and athletic idols, “but they
don’t want to do the work,” he explains.

Gender Bender Ellis notes that most young girls are completely
unaware that steroid use will cause physical changes like an
increase in facial hair, a deepening of the voice, severe acne,
and smaller breasts, as well as psychological changes including
paranoia, hallucinations and angry outbursts known as ‘Roid
Rage.

“Girls are risking their lives taking illegal steroids to make
themselves feminine and they end up more masculine than ever,”
says Ellis. “They’re experimenting with the same testosterone
pills, shots and creams that professional baseball players who
are three times their size and twice their age are using. The
risks are terrifying and the results aren’t much better.”

Seeing is Believing Ellis, a self-proclaimed “average guy who
was fed up with being a skinny, 135 pound weakling,” transformed
his own life with all-natural, muscle gaining techniques
especially designed for people who have trouble with weight
gain. “I gained 32 pounds of muscle in 12 weeks, I reduced my
body fat from 10% to 7%, and I did it naturally,” he says. “And
I want to help people, achieve the same results without putting
their lives at risk.”

Ellis notes that there are more than 70,000 healthy fitness fans
in 100 countries worldwide that have changed their bodies and
their lives with his program.

The Better Way Ellis’ manual Gaining Mass! is a complete,
step-by-step training and nutritional program for hardgainers.
Based in nature not chemistry, Gaining Mass! is written for
beginners, but contains cutting-edge information that will
benefit even the most experienced fitness follower. At the core
of the program are sane, rational, total-health-oriented ideas
on how to structure a diet to keep fat gain to an absolute
minimum, what nutritional supplements actually work for gaining
mass, and even the best time to eat for increased muscle gain
and minimize fat gain.

Ellis also offers a detailed section on losing fat. “I’ve
learned some incredible fat loss techniques that can supercharge
a person’s metabolism and increase the body’s fat burning
ability.” The comprehensive look at fat loss is complete with
pre-set diets, and ways to “drop excess fat and reveal your
6-pack that’s hiding underneath…and all without harmful
chemicals or illegal drugs,” says Ellis.

“It’s not all about eating,” Ellis is quick to point out. That’s
the reason Gaining Mass! also addresses the best way to train
and which exercises to avoid when training to gain mass, and how
to structure a training routine to reduce gym time and increase
results. “It can all be done naturally,” Ellis says
emphatically. “You just need to know what to do.”

The High Cost of Steroids vs. Free Information To help educate
weight-challenged men and women of all ages, Ellis an
eye-opening 5-part report on healthy muscle gain. “Learn What
You Must Know to Gain Mass Fast!” is a free instant download
available at Ellis’ website www.FastMuscleGain.com

“There’s no magic involved,” he admits. “Just hard work, smart
eating and consistent training.” He’s also proud that, with
Gaining Mass!, “one size does not fit all,” says Ellis. “One of
the things that makes my system so unique is that I provide
information on how to make adjustments and changes to your
program based on your progress.”

Kitchen cabinets experience maximum wear because of the very nature of their utility. They bear the brunt of the heat, grease, food residue, and stains, that result from cooking. Sooner or later, you come to the decision that your kitchen cabinets need revamping. Replacing kitchen cabinets can prove to be an expensive option. A less costly and often more creative option can be replacing or repainting the doors of the kitchen cabinets.

Search the market and you will find you can utilize professional expertise to get custom-made laminate doors for your cabinets. These laminated doors imitate wood and don’t require paint. Professional cabinetmakers will make doors of any size and any color.

This is not to say that you cannot get doors made from real wood. Popular woods for cabinet doors includes maple, oak, and cherry. If wood is not your style, you can even think in terms of stainless steel or glass. To get the perfect fit, measure your existing doors carefully and give the measurements to the manufacturer. Also, remember to choose the perfect style for your cabinet doors. Styles vary from raised to curved or even flat with intricate moldings.

You can also express yourself by painting your kitchen cabinets doors yourself. Not only will you have the satisfaction of doing your work yourself, but you will also be able to cut down on the extra costs of hiring a professional. But do keep in mind that the entire job may take a period of at least three days.

To paint the doors, you will have to first clean them thoroughly and remove all stains to get an even and uniform finish. Also, you should fill in all cracks and scratch marks with wood putty. Then apply a coat of paint with firm strokes. You can also consider spray painting to get a more uniform and trendy look. Give the final touch by choosing elegant knobs for your fresh, new cabinet doors.

Kitchen Cabinets provides detailed information about kitchen cabinets, discount kitchen cabinets, kitchen cabinet doors and more. Kitchen Cabinets is affiliated with Wallpaper And Borders.

Looking for a beginner scrapbooking tip or two? Well how about 8
easy steps to a great scrapbooking experience? We have 8 easy
steps below to help you become a successful scrapbooker!

1. Commit - Remember all the reasons you started scrapbooking.
Set mini-goals and achieve them. Set a goal for every year and
work towards it by also committing to your budget.

2. Learn - talk to others, read magazines, browse websites to
learn about new resources. You may find that perfect paper for
your next project.

3. Stretch - Give yourself a push. Don’t get so comfortable with
your “get togethers” that you’re spending more time eating than
completing layouts.

4. Confidence - Don’t allow yourself to get overwhelmed. Stay
focused on your goals and you will gain more confidence in
yourself. As you gain more knowledge from reading, you will use
those ideas to your advantage.

5. Happy - Be happy with what you accomplish. You won’t get
everything finished in one night so celebrate! You worked hard,
so give yourself a nice pat on the back.

6. Scrappers Block - Don’t let any “scrappers block” get in your
way. Go back to the beginning, sell off old supplies. Take a
break for a couple of days, maybe just for an hour. Try creating
smaller aspects to your page instead of the page as a whole.
Working on borders and titles is a smaller task you can focus
on.

7. Organize - If you haven’t used something in the last 6
months, trade it away or sell it off. Make room for supplies you
need for the project you’re currently working on.

8. Enjoy - Relax and read over your pages. Invite your children
to look at it with you. Listen to some soft music and look back
at all you’ve accomplished.

Many people find that the best way for you to communicate is through the use of a satellite-phone. This is especially true in remote locations where there is very little mobile phone coverage. The good news is that you can find many options to help keep you safe even when you are in some of the most far away locations out there. A satellite-phone is a great way to stay connected no matter where you may be.

The satellite-phone looks quite a bit like an old style mobile phone that is form the late 1980’s. They are larger phones and they normally have a large antenna on them. They need this antenna and design because of how they work. These phones work by communicating with satellites that orbit the Earth. Yes, far into space they can make connections to Earth. The great thing about the satellite-phone is that it is often able to be used throughout the world. And, that is something that most mobile phones can not yet do.

The satellite-phone was mainly used for people who would get into these remote locations. But, now, they are becoming more and more popular. As technology advances, you can find more and more of them available to you. You will even find them offered in that slimmed down version of a mobile phone soon.

While not all of them offer world wide coverage, many of them now do. This is a great service as it allows people to stay connected throughout the word. If you feel that you will benefit from the use of a satellite-phone, take a minute to find the locations on the web that offer them. The best technology is that which is located on the web. You will find great opportunities in pricing plans as well. The satellite-phone offers many benefits including great service!

for more information please see http://www.satellite-phone-deals.co.uk

Adsense make money best affiliates are really not that different from one another. In fact as we have often said, by simply studying some of the things that they usually do, anybody can aspire to being the best Adsense make money affiliate.

That’s because this is one way of learning what it takes. One thing that the best Adsense make money affiliates are not frightened of doing is spending money and investing in their education to get to the top.

Now we all need to be careful about this one. You do not just go out on spending spree. The first thing you as an aspiring best Adsense make money affiliate is to use your favorite search engine and dig out all the information that you possibly can. You can then comfortably graduate to purchasing products. By the way it is also true that some gifted individuals use only the free information available on the net to become world experts at various things. But let us appreciate that this sort of people are rare. Most of us would need lots of good valuable information to become one of the best Adsense make money affiliates on the net.

It is also important to realize that there are some useful products that pack many months and years of trial and error, disappointment an wasted funds into one course. You pay a small price in avoiding all the heavy costs of experimentation and your education in becoming the best Adsense make money affiliate is dramatically shortened by purchasing one of these products.

Find out how you can learn more about the best Adsense make money secrets from an expert who makes over $19,000 a month from Adsense. Or grab my ezine on Adsense secrets for free by sending a blank email now to clickaffiliatesecrets-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Everyone has to attend or lead meetings at some time, but not all meetings are created equal. How many people dread going to any meeting verses a particular meeting? How many people feel the attended meeting was a waste of time? Does anyone think the meetings are really producing the desired results? How can meetings be made more effective and productive?

Since everyone has to go to meetings, should those meetings be something people value and look forward to attending? Working together in a meeting requires all the coordination and cooperation required of any team. So why shouldn’t the team feel like each meeting is a pep rally leading up to the work or game and of course ultimately achieving a win.

There are a lot of different answers out there for the above questions and a multitude of recommended methodologies. However, if a closer look is taken of each, all the good ones have four suggested elements in common. Those common elements make up the R.A!R.A! Approach which stands for Roles, Agenda, Records, and Actions. Sure there is more than four factors to a great meeting and the full R.A!R.A! Approach covers a lot more, but the minimum of these four can turn a non-productive meeting into a productive meeting. Let’s take a high level view of the R.A!R.A! Approach and how it increases the effectiveness and productivity of a meeting.

Before the meeting:

• The first step in planning a meeting is to assign any roles necessary to the meeting going smoothly. Typically the meeting will need a leader or facilitator and a recorder (a.k.a. record-keeper) as the minimum roles. If the team is new to meetings a trained facilitator is useful in coaching the team towards good meeting practices. Other roles may be included as the team or leader sees fit.
• The next step is for the leader or facilitator to define an agenda (game-plan) for the meeting. A rough draft of the agenda may have been established by the team in a prior meeting or by the leader for a new meeting. The defined agenda should include the topics to be covered, who will present them or discuss them, and a time limit per topic. When the reminder of the meeting is sent out, include the proposed agenda and if there was prior meetings include any outstanding actions.

During the meeting:

• At the beginning of the meeting, there should be a quick review of the roles and the agenda. The team should agree to these because the roles and the agenda are used to keep the meeting on-track to time limits, defined topics, and keep team working in a cooperative and coordinated effort.
• Throughout the meeting, the facilitator, leader, or recorder will record items of discussion, decisions reached, and actions to be taken either outside of meetings or in the next meeting.
• At the end of the meeting, the team will review the list of actions and make sure each one is assigned to a person along with a due date. If there is a follow-up meeting planned, the team may draft a tentative agenda for the next meeting. The tentative agenda will be defined in more detail by the facilitator or leader before the next meeting.

After the meeting:

• When the meeting is completed, the recorder will type and distribute formalized minutes of the meeting as a record of what occurred. Records are important for reviewing past discussions and verifying decisions that were made and why. The records should also include the original meeting agenda at the top, and the actions assignments and next meeting tentative agenda at the bottom.
• Having the actions in the record serves as a reminder to the team members of what they need to do next. If individuals have actions they need to accomplish, they will know when they are to be done by.

The next time a meeting is planned, begin introducing the four elements of the R.A!R.A! Approach: Roles, Agenda, Records, and Actions. With the acceptance of each element as a norm in any team meeting, the team will not only notice a difference in productivity, they will know they are becoming more effective and will begin enjoying the meetings more. The more enjoyable and effective the meeting, the more people are willing to attend and follow-through by completing their assigned actions.

Copyright 2006 Shirley Lee. All Rights Reserved.

Most of the information in this article has been adapted from the “Wizard of When - a Series on Planning” which contains training on the R.A!R.A! Approach. The series is copyrighted © 2003 by Shirley Lee, All Rights Reserved.

Shirley Lee is a consultant/facilitator who helps organizations increase employee, communications, and system capacity to produce results. Shirley designs and facilitates a variety of team building, problem solving, and productivity improvement events. Her programs include managing time, facilitating meetings, project management simplified, workspace or group organization, the problem solving process, and team-building.

http://www.geocities.com/slee_rightfit/

Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma is a lethal cancer that starts in the lining of the lungs. The main cause is believed to be unprotected contact with asbestos. Every year about 3000 new cases of this disease are reported in the United States. It is estimated that over the past fifty years nearly eight million people have been exposed to asbestos and that 300,000 new cases would be reported by the year 2030. The peak may be around 2020 and thereafter the incidence is likely to taper down because of the preventive measures that are being taken.

Like in all cases of cancer, early detection and appropriate treatment improve the survival rate. On both counts the pleural mesothelioma patients are at a disadvantage. Symptoms take anywhere between 20 to 50 years to manifest. Because of this, the patients are generally in the fifty plus age group. And the outwardly noticed indications of the sickness are similar to that of several lesser ailments. This makes the diagnosis difficult. Because of all these, by the time the problem is detected, the cancer is likely to have spread. As yet there is no fully effective line of treatment. It is generally accepted that a combination therapy is better than monotherapy. A great deal of research is being done in this area.

A number of studies have been made about the survival rate among pleural mesothelioma patients. They all come to the same conclusion - the disease is almost always fatal. The lifespan of a person diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma is about six months to two years. There have been exceptions and their stories are inspiring. The life expectancy varies according to the stage (pleural mesothelioma has four different phases) and the type. One research based on the histologic (tissue structure)tests shows a median survival of 11 months - 9.4 months for sarcomatous, 12.5 months for epithelial and 11 months for mixed.

Several inspirational books are available for the patient to read and fortify himself. Also helpful are chat rooms with others in the same condition.

The method know as three dimensional ultrasound is used in early pregnancy, it provides 3d images of the fetus. Most of the time these pictures are collected and joined together to created a “4d ultrasound”.

Three dimensional scanning works similarly to the usual ultrasound methods except that the ultrasound scanning pulses can be sent from many directions. The ultrasound pulses are reflected back then captured to provide info to construct a 3d picture in much the same way as 3d pictures. 3d ultasound scanning was started by stephen smith and olaf von ramm at duke university.

It is important to understand that sonologists all over the world always pictured 3d pictures of anatomy or pathology in their minds whilst doing 2d scans. However, until recently it was very difficult to do this kind of reconstruction on on info using ultasound scanning. With the introduction of baby scans for the first time allowed us a view into the thinking of a sonologist and hence letting us see the images on the ultrasound machine.

3d imaging should utilize ultrasound energy following the same limits as conventional 2d ultrasound to create the 3d images. There is no data to suggest any harm due to 3d ultasound scanning, its use in non-medical situations needs to be undertaken with the understanding that a risk may exist.

Also remember to store your new born babies umbilical cord blood cells by using people like cells4life.