Change Your Mind, Change Your Reality!

You really do go farther, reach higher and last longer, with a positive attitude.  And, others around you benefit too!
  
Imagine your family getting only positive feedback from you on everything they do!  How would that affect them?  

What if, you stopped thinking about all the things you don't want in your life and started thinking and being thankful for all the good things you already have and those you will have in the future?  

Now, what if you took that same positive spirit into the board room,  the corporate office, the job site?  We know that being proactive is much more effective than being reactive.  You know what I mean - how many times have you heard someone say they spend their day 'putting out fires' - and they're not a fireman!  Encourage the proactive work and soon there will be less reactive work to do.  Employees will become engaged!  And, as everyone already knows, an engaged employee far exceeds one who is working for the wage!  

You have the power to do this, even if you're not the boss, just by changing your own responses.  Most everyone has been in a job that was not right for them and it  became painful just to go to work.  What if, you went to that job, thankful for it?  What would change in your life if while you were working there and being grateful for the work and remaining optimistic, cheerful and proactive?  You would be keeping your options open to other opportunities, which don't present themselves to someone who it miserable, negative, angry and reactive.  Since the only real change you can make is to yourself, start there!  

Think about the positive.  Don't think about the negative in positive terms, ie, I'm glad to have this job to get my debts paid off.  Think and act in a positive manner.  When you think, 'only 8 more hours to go until the weekend and I can enjoy myself, you're really thinking I've got 8 more arduous hours to work here before anything good happens in my life.  When you say, if I have time, you're really saying, I'll never make time.    

Re-framing your thoughts, words and deeds is going to take a little while.  Everyone slips into their usual routines from time to time.  When you find yourself doing this, remember, you are the only one who can change you!  And you are the only one, you can change.  

What have you experienced by changing your mind, thoughts and actions?  Leave us a message, we would love to hear from you. 

The Leader in You!

Tommy Douglas, the father of medicare in Canada once said,

"Man can now fly in the air like a bird, swim under the ocean like a fish, he can burrow into the ground like a mole. Now if only he could walk the earth like a man, this would be paradise."

  

Mr. Douglas was an immigrant to Canada, born of Scottish parents (1904) in the UK. He was a sickly child who grew up to become a pastor and then a politician.  Now, no one is perfect, even Tommy Douglas, but, when the going got tough, he persevered and today Canadians enjoy basic health care.  What if he had not?

Understanding purpose can make the difference in what you do and why you do it.  

Great leaders are not born, they are created.  Someone may seem like a good leader - charismatic, engaging, until they see a serious challenge arising.  Then, you will see what they are really made of in what they do.  

A great leader will stand fast, engage their team and work to a resolution. A purely political leader will look for the next opportunity that will make him/her look good.  What type of leader are you?  

Doing what matters is not always the easy thing, but, it should always be the only thing!  Others are depending on you.  Be great - do what matters!  

Calculated Risk!

Risk is calculated!  Everyone takes risks, but, some people have a much higher threshold. 

A risk analysis is conducted either consciously or subconsciously every time you make a decision.  Whether you buy a car or a sandwich, you’re taking a risk and mentally assessing that risk.  Most of our risk taking has become a part of automated memory.

A baby takes risks when they learn to walk.  They’re hesitant at first and may only walk holding onto a hand or furniture, but, eventually, they’re little brains figure they’re ready for that first bold step!  They may fall down, but, they don’t quit because the risk of falling is outweighed by the freedom of walking. 

 Should you eat ice cream if you're lactose intolerant?  If you decide you really like double fudge ice cream and you really have to have some, you've made a risk analysis.  You know you're going to 'not feel so well' afterward and you may have to clear your throat all day/night long, but, you do so love your ice cream! 

On the other hand, if you want to go to a certain country and there have been uprisings and unrest, you would probably think more consciously about your choices.  You weigh the pros and cons, consult websites or colleagues and make a more deliberate, calculated decision based on your risk tolerance level. 

You take risks everyday in business too, but, most of it has already been accounted for - you have business insurance, specifically E&O (Errors and Omissions), your staff has been trained to comply with your own policies and any legislated ones. 

Knowing you take risks and that risk taking is a part of life, may prompt more proactive work on that front. Becoming proactive, rather than reactive can go a long way to mitigating risk!