Can you recall a time where you utilized silence to make a point? If you can consciously recall, you probably know your silence made more than just a point; it made an exclamation point … and without a single word preceding it. Now that’s powerful.

Silence is a widely-known, but rarely used, powerful communication tool. Why is that? Because it can be used to shed light or convey darkness. Utilizing the sound of silence is truly the “master’s” art of communication. It quaintly epitomizes a spiritually and socially acceptable passive assertiveness. The ability to remain quiet confirms that one is in total control. It also confirms that the individual is disciplined and will not be lead into conversations that are counterproductive and energy-draining. Silence can help us listen, keep a secret, serve in love and receive the very core of what is being said. Silence can say “I really do care.”

Have you ever had a conversation where all you were waiting for was for the speaker to pause, just so you could say, what you needed to say? You know, where you start planning to respond to that which hadn’t even been said yet? We all have. When this happens, we don’t absorb the full content of the conversation. Many variables influence our desire to lose focus on what our speaker is saying. For example: your schedule, what you may be watching on TV, your mental, emotional, and physical states and of the like. Listen so that both your brain and heart are passionately aligned to receive the speaker’s words. Strive to increase your understanding and place it before your desire to be understood.

Learn to be comfortable with silence and master the self-control it requires. Only then will you be able to experience the “golden” within.

Fran Briggs is the founder of The Fran Briggs Companies and is “a motivational speaker of the inspirational kind.” She is the author of severalarticles, manuals and books including her latest, “Seeds for Success.” This prominent voice of motivation speaks to audiences of children and adults of all ages and backgrounds with the aim of inspiring them to their respective levels of greatness. Sign up for your free successzine newsletter when you visit http://www.franbriggs.com

Ever begin doing something that you do for a few days, and then simply stop doing it?

For example, let’s say you promised yourself that you were going to file papers immediately before they got out of hand, but then something else came up, and the next thing you knew, you had another pile of papers that needed to be filed.

Or perhaps, on January 1 you made a vow to yourself to exercise for 20 minutes every day. You exercised for a few days. But then, by January 5, you gave up.

This happens to everyone on one occasion or another. But, you really can start getting things done!

Next time you really want to do something, and you want to actually start and continue doing it, realize that doing it for one, two, or even three days in a row is usually not enough.

It takes at least 21 days to form a habit. This means that you have to do something at least 21 times before it begins to become part of your everyday routine.

So . . .

1. Decide exactly what you want to do. Write it down and post it where you can see it every day, like your bathroom mirror. Be as specific as possible.

2. Schedule time to do what you want to do. Again, it takes 21 days to form a habit, so schedule at least 21 days on your calendar and don’t let anything get in the way of your schedule. If you miss one of your scheduled days, it’s best to start over and schedule another 21 days. You must be consistent and dedicated to doing what you want to do.

3. Once you reach your 21 days, congratulations! Don’t stop now though, schedule another 21 days, and then another and so on, until you do what you want to do, without even thinking about it . . . like brushing your teeth.

by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!

http://www.getorganizednow.com

FREE Idea-Pak and E-zine filled with tips, ideas, articles and more to help you organize your home, your office and your life at the Get Organized Now! Web site!

EDITORS AND PUBLISHERS ARE FREE TO REPRINT THIS ARTICLE IN ITS ENTIRETY AS LONG AS THE BYLINE REMAINS INTACT.

About The Author

Maria Gracia, owner of www.getorganizednow.com and author of the book, ‘Finally Organized, Finally Free’ can help you organize your home, your office and your life. Visit her Web site at: http://www.getorganizednow.com

getorgnow@wi.rr.com

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.

There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas.

There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Whilst there is no sure fire route to commercial success, these processes improve the probability that good ideas will be generated and selected and that investment in developing and commercialising those ideas will not be wasted.

Money doesn’t do it

Challenge and the expansion of competencies figure highly in the realm of motivation. Most people require challenging work if only to prevent boredom.

The Eastern perception of creativity identifies challenge as a part of self-actualisation - the individual is moving toward his or her ideal self.

Competency expansion is positively correlated with a feeling of self-actualisation.

Competency expansion directly addresses problem solving, in that it gives the individual a problem to resolve that is beyond that individual’s present capability, and thus indices the problem solving state, or in other words, the creative state.

These and other topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with an Innovation Management Bible, a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com/

We frantically search for our “lost” keys that are lying in plain sight on the kitchen counter. We don’t we see the keys. Why not? Because we already decided “the keys are not there.” And once we make that decision, we create a blind spot in our awareness. The result is that we don’t see the keys where we don’t expect them to be.

If we miss seeing keys out in the open because we decide the keys aren’t there, what else could we be missing because we decide it’s not there? Could we be “blind” to other possibilities and opportunities that are right under our nose?

What’s New, Pussycat?

A mind-blowing scientific experiment reveals how the early physical environment of kittens determines what they are able to seeand not seeas they grow up. Two-week-old kittens are placed in a room with walls painted with vertical stripes and kept there as they mature. Almost from the moment they are able to see, the kittens live in an environment of vertical stripes. Later, the cats’ world changes. They’re removed from their vertically striped surroundings and placed in a room painted with horizontal stripes. Surprisingly, our furry felines don’t see the horizontal stripes. Bang! They run right smack into the walls painted with horizontal stripes, time and time again. Why? Scientists discovered that because the cats don’t have horizontal stripes in their environment as they grow up, the brains of the cats don’t develop the neurons that recognize horizontal stripes. So when elements they’ve never been exposed to appear in the cats’ world, their brains don’t register the new elements in their environment. Yikes! Could we be unable to recognize elements in our current environment because those elements were missing when we grew up? Yes, we could! But before we look for aspects of life we might not be seeing, let’s look for aspects we might not be hearing as well.

What’d You Say?

Studies with babies reveal how the early auditory environment of babies determines what they are able to hearand not hearas they grow up. Research shows that young babies have the ability to hear the full range of vocal sounds produced by the speech of all the human languages in the world. But then, babies are raised hearing only the narrow range of speech sounds within their social environment. Eventually, because they hear solely the speech sounds found within one culture, babies lose their ability to distinguish the full range of vocal sounds found in all human cultures.

This explains why Japanese children are unable to pronounce the English “r” sound that does not exist in their native language. “The common result,” according to a researcher at the University of California, “is essentially that if perceptual experience is limited, one will not be able to perceive things outside that experience.” This is why, in everyday life, we’re not able to recognizeor “hear”concepts that we weren’t exposed to in our upbringing.

Casting a Spell of Limitations

We all grow up in families and societies where we are only exposed to a limited view of lifelike kittens only viewing vertical stripes and babies only hearing speech sounds from their social environment. Our “stripes” consist of a limited range of cultural patterns of sights and sounds. These cultural patterns give signals to the brain that tell us “the way life is” within that limited environment. And the brain mistakenly “thinks” it knows “the way life is” outside of that narrow-minded environment.

Growing up in a limited environment has a comparable effect to being hypnotized. For example, when people are hypnotized, they can be told that certain elements exist or don’t exist in their environment. With hypnotic suggestion, a person can be told that there are no red books in a bookstore. And, even though many of the books are red, the person won’t see any red books. The hypnotic suggestion creates a blind spot, or filter, in the person’s perception of the world.

Similarly, we’re hypnotized by our parents and society to see certain aspects of realityand not to see other aspects of reality. Then, as adults, we only see the range of possibilities that we were exposed to as we grew up. We don’t recognize any alternatives outside of the range of viewpoints presented to us in our youth. Options and opportunities that we weren’t exposed to don’t even register with the brain.

By the very nature of how we’re raised, we develop blind spots. And these blind spots often prevent us from seeingand taking advantage ofoptions that are life-enriching and valuable to us. To what degree do these blind spots limit the abundance in our lives? What kinds of options could we be missing? Let’s “see.”

Missed Opportunities

On the first day of a four-day workshop I was attending, Martin complained that he didn’t have a way to get back and forth to the workshop everyday. He had camped several miles outside of town down a narrow, rough dirt road. Our disgruntled camper talked on and on about his dilemma. Martin had decided that there was no way to get to the workshop other than to walk. He couldn’t see any other options. He felt hopeless and discouraged. So, when someone in the group offered to give Martin a ride every day, Martin didn’t even hear the proposal. He was totally hypnotized by his belief that “there is no solution other than walking.” The person offered the ride several more times, yet the unexpected proposal continued to fall on Martin’s deaf ears. Finally, several people in the group yelled at Martin that he was not hearing the offer of a ride. This group outburst snapped Martin out of his hypnotized state, his blind spot. Only then was Martin able to recognize that his transportation issue was resolved.

Julia’s dream was to move out of her cramped apartment and buy her own home. Since she didn’t have enough money for a down payment, she was busily doing everything she could to earn more income. When someone heard about Julia wanting a home to live in, they offered to give her their home for a year rent-free while they went overseas. Julia turned down the invitation. She didn’t recognize her good fortune because the opportunity didn’t appear in the form she expected. Julia was fixated on the idea that to get the living situation she wanted, she had to own the house. She was hypnotized by her belief that “I don’t have enough money to buy my own house.” Her blind spot prevented her from seeing another solution to her problem. It didn’t register to her that her need had been fulfilled. She rejected an offer that would have allowed her to move out of her tiny apartment. If she’d accepted the gift, Julia would have enjoyed living in a spacious home right away. And she would have saved enough money during that year to reach her ultimate goalto make a down payment on her own home.

“The Way Life Is?”

When we’re young, we learn a lot about “the way life is” by observing the adults in our lives. And, these adults can, for the most part, only pass along their limited views of life.

For example, did you grow up being instilled with the viewpoint that “people work at jobs they don’t like to pay the bills?” If you were exposed solely to this narrow perspective about work, you might not recognize the available option that “people work at jobs they love that also pay the bills.” When you were young, perhaps you noticed that “many adults compromise and sacrifice in order to make a relationship work.” Spell-bound by watching this model of how partnerships function, you might not be able to see another viable alternative in which “adults find ways for relationships to be easy, fun and mutual.” If all you saw as a child was that “people become more stubborn and opinionated as they grow older,” then you wouldn’t have it in your realm of possibilities that “people become more flexible and allowing as they grow older.”

When our role models demonstrate that it’s “normal” to have jobs without passion or relationships without mutuality, we don’t see other options when we become adults. When our elders aren’t open and adaptable, we find ourselves accepting rigidity and narrow-mindedness as normal.

Unfortunately, the cats keep bumping into horizontal stripes for the rest of their lives. Likewise, many of us keep bumping into our personal “invisible” limits for the rest of our lives. But we don’t have to.

Intuition Saves the Day

There’s a way out of this conundrum! There’s a way around the fact that our mind is programmed with limitations. We’ve got intuition! Using intuition, it doesn’t matter that our brain doesn’t see or hear new life opportunities. Only the mind is restricted by the narrow options of childhood. Only the mind is hypnotized. Our intuition doesn’t have these limitations.

Using intuition, we have a natural ability to see into our blind spots. Although the brain doesn’t develop neurons to recognize “horizontal stripes,” intuition can detect them. Although the mind is hypnotized not to discern red books, intuition can discern them. Not being brainwashed with limitations, intuition can see options the mind doesn’t see. Intuition can lead us to options that didn’t exist in our childhood environment.

If we truly desire to discover fresh options, our intuition will guide us all the way. There are lots of other fulfilling alternatives out there. We just don’t see them. The more we stop looking with our minds and start looking with our intuition, the more opportunities we’ll see for happiness and prosperity. Our intuition will help us find the harmonious and loving future we dreamed of when we couldn’t wait to grow up!

About The Author

Sulana Stone, personal life coach, vision quest guide and animal communicator, assists people to discover and express their life purpose through private sessions and workshops. She provides hot tips and fresh articles for people who want more love in life, yearn for a more fulfilling job, or seek a purpose beyond the mundane in a FREE Prosperity Ezine at www.SedonaVisionQuest.com. Contact sulana@redvetteranch.com or 602.861.2631.

“The moment that you realize that giving is the key to your own
abundance, you will also see that prosperity is readily
available. -Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

When you live your life by the law of Prosperity, you can create
all that you need. True prosperity starts within the mind and
means more then just money. Ideas, dreams, wishes, thoughts, are
all a part of your prosperity consciousness. So, whenever you
focus your attention on a specific idea, wish or whatever,
whether it’s positive or negative, it will become real.

Once you know that the power of the mind can attract whatever
you focus on, amazing results can happen. If there is enough
faith behind your request, there is enough power within you to
make it happen. Know, too, that your natural association with a
Higher Power is the true source of your prosperity. Having a
spiritual belief is an important part of this source.

Prosperity is made up of many things and may include some of the
following sources:

1. Good health and healthy living (and eating!) 2. Great
relationships with family, spouse, friends, neighbors,
co-workers, associates 3. A fulfilling career 4. Continued
mental and emotional growth 5. Satisfactory and worthy material
possessions

During times when you feel happy and all is right in your world,
you can actually create your own destiny. From those positive
feelings, focus your thoughts on a definite purpose. Then you
will experience true prosperity. Everyday make your purpose the
central point in your thoughts. Keep thinking about your vision.
This creates your attitude. Then your attitude will determine
how much success and prosperity you’ll have in your life.

The way you look at the challenges you face everyday, and the
way you react to them forms the way things are attracted to you.
If you start your day in a negative mood, you can bet that
negative things will happen to you. The opposite is also true.
When you’re in a good mood, you attract positive experiences.

This too, holds true for money. When you give, you get back much
more. Though, at times you can see that the giving is unbalanced
because you’re trading one value for another. Think about the
moments when you gave away something of value to you. Was it
given in a begrudging or angry manner, or with an expectancy of
getting something in return? When that happens, you pay a price.
Instead, be conscious of your attitude and the way you give or
the way you handle your money. Spend it and give it responsibly.
Do it cheerfully. Become the kind of person who gives with
kindness and prosperity will find you.

You can always attract prosperity by thinking, speaking, and
feeling in a certain way. Have you ever noticed how your money
gets taken from you involuntarily when you don’t give it with a
cheerful, loving attitude? It may not happen immediately, yet
inevitably, unexpected expenses will come when you least expect
them and when you can least afford them. Unexpected expenses
like your car breaking down, your child needs new dental work,
or household items have to be replaced. So, as you give, let go
of any guilt, self-pity, or ill-wishes toward others.

The path to true prosperity includes three steps:

1. Good Health 2. Happiness 3. Wealth

All three steps must exist before you can reach true prosperity.
Before you can tap into the source that creates your prosperity,
it may be necessary to experience the kind of challenges that
shapes your character. Learn from your own mistakes and those of
others. Be ready to become the kind of person it takes to be
trusted and blessed with true prosperity.

Remember: Prosperity won’t happen if you hold on to resentment
or revenge. Replace any negative feelings you may be holding and
open your mind to receive outcomes that are extraordinary. With
this attitude you can challenge the universe and create more
outcomes that are good. And as your wisdom and character grows,
so will your prosperity.

Publishing Guidelines: You are welcome to publish this
article in its entirety, electronically, or in print fre*e
of charge, as long as you include my full signature file
for ezines, and my Web site address(http://www.schrift.com)
in hyperlink for other sites. Please send a courtesy link
or email where you publish to sandra@schrift.com Thank you.

___________________________________________________________

TITLE: Feel the Fear . . . And Speak Up!

AUTHOR: Sandra Schrift

CONTACT: sandra@schrift.com

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Feel the Fear . . . And Speak Up!

Fear of public speaking is No. 1. Death is No. 4. So most
people would rather get a root canal and pay their taxes
than speak in front of an audience!

Ask yourself,

“Wouldn’t it be great to be able to stand in front of an
audience of hundreds of people and hold them in complete
captivation?”

“Wouldn’t it be great to feel confident and assured the
day you’re scheduled to speak before your company’s
executives, an association, or a local civic group?”

“Wouldn’t it be great to go into a presentation confident
that the attendees are going to love you, be surrounded by
their applause, and overhear comments afterwards, such as,
“He was excellent,” or, “She made a real connection with
her audience”?

Here are some tips to build your confidence in front of
others. I have never met an audience that did not want
the speaker to succeed.

1. Prepare! Prepare! Prepare! Preparation helps reduce
your jitters. Please do not read your speech. Instead,
use some notes on 3×5 index cards. Be confident that you
know your material. Because you do!

2. Memorize only the opening and closing of your speech.
If you try to memorize your entire speech you will be too
focused on yourself and fearful that you may forget
something. Just continue the conversation, make your
points and use illustrations/stories to highlight your
information.

3. Remember to breathe from your stomach before you
begin . . . and keep breathing.

Deep breaths will keep your vocal chords relaxed and keep
you from trembling. Then no one will know you are nervous.

4.. Deliver your speech as you would engage in a
conversation with someone. Make eye contact with different
members of the audience. When you land on one person’s eyes,
everyone in the audience will feel as if you are speaking to
them also. This is called CONNECTION.

5.. Present your content with lots of examples and personal
stories, mixed with humor and some

interactive exercises for your audience. Get them involved.
This will heighten their interest and retention of your
message. Relax and have some fun. Your audience will too!

6. Here is an old adage to follow: Tell ‘em. what you’re
gonna tell ‘em.(Opening) Tell ‘em. (Body of speech) Tell ‘em
what you told them. (Closing)

7. Stop on time, no matter what. Don’t deliver everything
you know on your topic - just highlight 3 to 5 points in your
speech. Save time at the end for audience questions. And
hang around after your speech to answer some individual
questions.

Are you ready to take your business to the next level? Get
more clients and consistent monthly income? Judy Cullins,
book coach, and Sandra Schrift, speaker coach, invite you
to join a “Business Marketing Achievers” small group
coaching beginning May 25th. We are looking for 12
committed people who are ready to use speaking and writing
to catapult their business. For more details, contact
Sandra at 1-800-340-3683 between 9-6pm pst. Hurry! This
group will fill quickly. For details and to
register go to: http://www.schrift.com/group_coaching.htm

COPYRIGHT: ©2005 by Sandra Schrift. All rights reserved

Sandra Schrift 13 year speaker bureau owner and now career
coach to emerging and veteran public speakers who want to
“grow” a profitable speaking business. I also work with
business professionals and organizations who want to
master their presentations.
To find out HOW TO MAKE IT AS A PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER, go to
www.schrift.com/success_resources.htm
Join my free bi-weekly Monday Morning Mindfulness ezine
www.schrift.com/monday.htm