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[SiH] Feature Article: Who is Happy Guy?

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sarahurd
on July 23, 2008
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Success in Harmony

July 2008 - Vol. V, Issue 3

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Feature Article: Who is Happy Guy?
by Sara Hurd, CFCC

Every once in a while, you come across a genuinely fantastic human interest story. Such is the story of “Happy Guy,” a random stranger whose wide grin graced a photo in a trash bin, and Nate Sturdy, a guy down on his luck who found the photo and experienced a reawakening.

Seven years ago, Nate Sturdy had lost his job, his girlfriend, his apartment, and had been to the hospital twice–all in the course of one month! He was, naturally, feeling a bit blue. When cleaning at a hotel in Banff, Canada, he came across a photo that had been tossed into the trash. The smile that stared out at him made him stare back. He was drawn in by the huge smile, and felt like the “Happy Guy” was telling him it would all be okay. He posted the photo on the fridge as a reminder that there is plenty to smile about, and kept it for seven years. In the meantime, his family back in Australia would tell anyone who would listen the story of Happy Guy, and his brother decided to post a group on Facebook and a webpage, whoishappyguy.com. What began then was a worldwide search for the real Happy Guy, which recently had a very happy ending.

Happy GuyPaul Daggett had been snapped in a candid photo by a good friend. Thinking his smile was a bit goofy, he threw it in the trash in his hotel room. Seven years later, the daughters of a good friend called to tell the family that he was now an internet phenomenon. He emailed Nate and his brother last October, and in June of this year, they traveled from Australia to meet Paul at Banff National Park and return the photo.

Along the way, Nate and Paul have inspired countless of internet visitors to look for the good in life. Will you be inspired, too?

Note: There is lots of information about the story on the Facebook group, but you can also view part of the story at YouTube.

Continue reading ‘[SiH] Feature Article: Who is Happy Guy?’

[SiH] Feature Article: Executive Coaching is Perceived as High Value

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on February 28, 2008
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Success in Harmony

February 2008 - Vol. V, Issue 2

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Feature Article: Executive Coaching is Perceived as High Value

The Sherpa Executive Coaching Survey, 2008 Edition, shows that nine out of ten coaching clients and human resource professionals see the value of coaching as “high” or “somewhat high.” Coaching as a leadership development tool is becoming more and more mainstream. For further reading, see the full results of the Sherpa study.

The Executive Coaching Survey closed on December 15, 2007, and within 72 hours, preliminary results were published in the mainstream press:

The Cincinatti Enquirer, Business section
December 18, 2007

Poll: Executive coaches asked to develop leaders
by John Eckberg, jeckberg@enquirer.com

Companies that pay for coaching for senior executives expect results to focus on leadership development, according to the third annual international survey from Sherpa Coaching of West Chester Township.

The company, which teaches coaching as a profession to students at three universities, surveyed executive coaches from 35 countries, but centered on the U.S.

This year’s survey was co-sponsored by the Tandy Center for Executive Leadership at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. The survey, which has grown from 550 respondents in 2005 to about 1,300 in 2007, has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Sherpa offered university-level executive coaching programs at TCU, Penn State University and the University of Georgia.

“The industry is placing more and more importance on certification and more and more coaches are getting certified,” said Karl Corbett, managing partner at Sherpa, founded in 2004.

“We’re finding less and less ‘as-needed’ coaching. People are going to regular meetings. People also want a more limited scope - six months or less.”

The survey found:

  • Nine of 10 human resources professionals and clients see the value of coaching as “very high” or “somewhat high.” The number of business people who rate the credibility of coaching as “very high” or “somewhat high” was 74 percent, up 7 percentage points from last year.
  • The number of people in the discipline who report employers paying for services increased from 71 percent in 2006 to 78 percent in 2007.
  • More than half of practicing executive coaches believe that a standardized approach to coaching - similar to the standards created for the accounting and financial planning professions - is essential if the discipline is to grow in importance.

[SiH] Feature Article: Face Your Personal Energy Crisis

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on January 31, 2008
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Success in Harmony

January 2008 - Vol. V, Issue 1

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Feature Article: Face Your Personal Energy Crisis

Short on energy recently? Not only are we facing an energy crisis in North America because of the increasing price of fossil fuels, individuals in our society are facing a kind of personal energy crisis. The tendency is to run nonstop during the day, fueling the pace by adrenaline, sugar and caffeine. In the evening, because energy levels have crashed, the tendency is to vegetate in front of one screen or another until we eventually lie down in bed for a less than restful night’s sleep.

Maybe you’re not as bad off as the bleak picture we just considered. Good for you! Take a look at how you can use your energy to get the best possible return.

For the rest of you, it’s time to take some measured steps so that you’re experiencing a more natural energy flow and using your energy in the most effective way.

The first step is to begin to fuel your body with clean-burning fuels. Decrease the highly processed foods, like refined sugar and flour, that give you a temporary high and then leave you crashing after they’ve quickly burned away. Break from the addiction of caffeine. Eat a well-balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and good fats. In other words, a high-octane, clean-burning fuel will keep your engine running at peak performance.

Then, take a look at how you’re spending your time during the day. Do you feel “busy” all the time, but at the end of the day have difficulty identifying what you produced? If so, chances are you are running on adrenaline and jumping on all of the proximate, pressing matters that Stephen Covey calls “Quadrant III.” These are the things that are urgent, but not important. You are spinning your wheels! Begin to make time for Quadrant II activities (important, but not urgent). You know what these are; they are the activities you want to get to day after day, but just don’t. There are so many benefits to spending time in Quadrant II, but one great benefit is that you are preventing urgent and important Quadrant I activities and eliminating as many Quadrant III activities as possible.

Take time during your day for small snatches of self-renewal. Take a break by closing your eyes, relaxing your shoulders, rotating your ankles, stretching up to the ceiling, or whatever else will get your blood flowing. Take a walk around the building. I wrote about mini self-renewal breaks way back in 2004. Feel free to refresh your memory.

Take stock of energy patterns. As you cut out artificial fuels, you will have a more natural ebb and flow of energy throughout your day. There will naturally be times during the day when you feel more energetic than others. Pay attention to patterns–what are your high-energy times? When do you find it easiest to concentrate on mental tasks? When do you feel at your best physically?

Match your energy to activities to get the biggest return. If you noticed that you feel great physically in the morning, that’s a great time for exercise. If your mind quiets down and can easily focus on mental tasks at 11:00 a.m., that’s a great time to preserve for key projects. If you find yourself dragging a bit in the early afternoon, that’s a great time for a break, a snack, or another activity that regenerates your energy. Also, pay attention to whether you are an introvert or an extrovert. If being with other people drains you, you’re an introvert and a solo activity will refuel your energy. If being with other people energizes you, you’re an extrovert and connection recharges your batteries! Extroverts may find that picking up the phone to make networking calls in a low-energy time will be just what the doctor ordered.

So, remember these simple questions:

  1. What fuels your body?
  2. What is your natural energy flow?
  3. Are you using high-energy times for high-value activities?
  4. What are you doing during lower-energy times to recharge?

Break those habits that are causing your personal energy crisis, and start making your days crisp and refreshing rather than muddling through them in a haze. Your body and mind, not to mention your personal productivity, will thank you!

[SiH] Feature Article: Uncluttered Gift Giving

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sarahurd
on November 27, 2007
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Success in Harmony

November 2007 - Vol. IV, Issue 10

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Feature Article: Uncluttered Gift Giving
One of the blogs I enjoy reading, unclutterer.com, is publishing a holiday series called Unclutterer’s 2007 Gift Giving Guide. The central focus of their guide is one that I think we could all adopt as we consider our gift giving this holiday season:

As you are preparing your shopping list for the holiday season, consider the impact your gift will have on its recipient. Will the recipient use the gift on a regular basis? Is this something the recipient truly needs? Will the recipient have to sacrifice substantial storage space for the gift? Will the gift inevitably become clutter? Can I find a gift instead that is perfect for the recipient that has no possibility of becoming clutter?

Perhaps because I’ve been focusing on minimizing clutter in my own life recently, I’m a lot more hesitant to get a gift for someone that may just end up as clutter. And my husband and I have really cut back on the size and number of gifts we give each other and our kids. We certainly don’t need more “stuff.” We’re realizing how much more important it is to create memories and family experiences than to shop for tons of presents.

To read Unclutterer’s series, visit http://unclutterer.com/category/gift-giving-guide/

Happy Holidays!

[SiH] Feature Article: Have You Tried Feedforward?

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on October 15, 2007
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Success in Harmony

September 2007 - Vol. IV, Issue 9

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Feature Article: Have You Tried Feedforward?

I had the opportunity to hear executive coach Marshall Goldsmith speak about using “Feedforward” instead of Feedback twice recently–the first time at the WABC 10th Anniversary International Conference, and the second time at the recent Inc. 500 virtual conference.

In both presentations, he used the same experiential exercise. He had everyone in the room pick one thing that they’d like to do better, then go around the room and ask as many people as possible if they had any ideas what they could to improve. The only acceptable response to the ideas shared was to write them down and say “thank you.” Then the other person would ask for ideas for their chosen goal, and after ideas had been shared both directions, they would each move on to the next person as quickly as possible. Because of the speed and simplicity of the exercise, as well as the focus on the future (”forward”) instead of the past (”back”), most participants responded “fun!” when asked to complete the sentence, “this exercise was…” In addition, the dynamic is very different because “feedforward” goes both ways–both people have things they’ve chosen to work on and both people give and get ideas.

In contrast, how do most of us experience feedback when we receive it? Probably, the last adjective we’d use to describe the experience is “fun.” Typically, feedback is focused on what is wrong and what needs to be fixed. Naturally, when asked by someone to face what we’re doing wrong, we tend to become defensive and we automatically begin thinking of our response or justification rather than truly listening to the feedback. Even strategies like the “sandwich method”–sandwiching negative feedback between two slices of positive feedback–can feel contrived and uncomfortable, or at worst, manipulative.

Take a look at how your organization handles feedback. On one end of the spectrum, some organizations avoid feedback altogether. Instead, water cooler talk and talking behind each other’s backs replaces open feedback. The organization is full of “undiscussables” and rarely is the accurate reason given for a firing or lack of promotion. Another less healthy culture of feedback is the “just tell it like it is” method. Individuals in the organization criticize each other openly without regard for how the other might feel or respond.

There is a place for feedback related to what happened in the past. When the relationship is built on trust, colleagues can have helpful, open discussions taking a look at patterns from the past, their results, and whether or not we are happy with the results we are getting. However, after that focus on the past, the focus shifts to the future–what results do we want, and what can we do differently to achieve that result? What resources and abilities do we have that will help us? How will we implement that and hold each other accountable to that new pattern?

In many organizations, individual feedback may be replaced in part by “feedforward.” Each person chooses one behavior to improve, gets as many ideas from as many different people as possible, and then processes the ideas. After the sharing of ideas, individuals can choose one idea that they will use to improve the one behavior they’ve chosen. A big key is limiting the focus to “one thing.” We are much more likely to succeed at one thing that we’re actively focusing on than when our attention is fractured.

Where can you begin to use the idea of “feedforward” in your life?

The Inc. 500 virtual conference recently posted the recordings of Marshall Goldsmith and the other speakers. To view Marshall’s presentation, go to http://events.unisfair.com/index.jsp?eid=102 and go to the “Main Hall” and the “Conference Hall.” In addition to the “feedforward” exercise, there are some other real gems in his hourlong presentation.

You can download a copy of Marshall’s own article describing the “Feedforward” process at http://marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com/html/marshall/resources.html.

[SiH] Feature Article: Who are You to Judge?

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sarahurd
on September 19, 2007
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Success in Harmony

September 2007 - Vol. IV, Issue8

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Feature Article: Who are You to Judge?

I recently heard an inspirational message that struck a chord. It talked about our tendency to judge others without really knowing all the circumstances. Also, we most often become angry at the very aspects we don’t really like in ourselves! If we were to know and understand the context of someone’s behavior, our frustration, anger and criticism of the person would fade away.

So here is some food for thought: are you currently chafing in a relationship that is full of frustration, anger, criticism and blame? Ask yourself what circumstances you may be overlooking. Ask yourself what you might be seeing in the other person that you could actually improve in yourself. And focus on the part of the equation you can actually do something about: yourself!

The full text of the inspirational message is below.

Of Bubbles and Blame
Lloyd D. Newell

The story is told of an inquisitive widow in 17th-century England who lived next to a man she considered quite eccentric. Each day her neighbor would sit outside in the heat of the sun and, for hours at a time, blow soap bubbles through a clay pipe, staring at them until they popped.

One day, the woman received a visit from a Fellow of the Royal Society, England’s renowned academy of science. When she described this bizarre behavior, her visitor asked if he could get a better look at the man she described as a poor lunatic.

“That poor lunatic,” he said, “is none other than the great Sir Isaac Newton, who is studying the fraction of light upon thin plates—a phenomenon beautifully exhibited upon the surface of common soap bubbles.”¹

It’s easy to find fault in others. But when we do, we may be revealing more about ourselves than those we criticize. The famed psychologist Carl Jung wrote, “Everything that is unconscious in ourselves we discover in our neighbour, and we treat him accordingly.”² In other words, sometimes our hasty judgment of others stems from the worst that is in us rather than what we assume is the worst in them.

We may think we know a hundred bad things about someone. But there may be one thing about him or her that we don’t know—something that, if we truly understood it, could completely change our perspective.

The next time we are tempted to judge someone else, perhaps the story of the widow and her eccentric neighbor will remind us that the faults of others, even when they seem real, may in fact be nothing more than bubbles that disappear in the sunlight of knowledge, compassion, and understanding.

1 See Bartlett’s Book of Anecdotes, ed. Clifton Fadiman and André Bernard (2000), 410.
2 Modern Man in Search of a Soul, trans. W. S. Dell and Cary F. Baynes (1933), 142.

[SiH] Feature Article: Customer Collaboration the Wave of the Future in Business

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sarahurd
on August 31, 2007
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Success in Harmony

August 2007 - Vol. IV, Issue 7

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Feature Article: Customer Collaboration the Wave of the Future in Business

I recently heard Pete Ashdown, founder and president of the veteran internet service provider XMission, speak about the future of business. He not only spoke about cutting edge technologies that businesses are implementing, but what those technologies are leading us to in business–collaborating and building community with customers.

Businesses used to get ahead the old way. The philosophy was “business is war,” and customers were shielded from the operations of the company. Getting support was like climbing a wall, sometimes with hierarchical guides along the way. Often, this led to delays for the customer and a lot of frustration.

In contrast, businesses who are getting ahead today are involving their customers much more in business operations. They build a community of users among their customers, and they encourage and benefit from customer contributions. They involve customers in their decision-making processes, and they directly involve and work with the customer. The result is loyal customers who become evangelists for the product and service, because they feel a part of something and are actually contributing to the quality of what’s being generated.

So, how can this be done? In addition to business standards, like a Web site and email, consider some of the technologies that are making it easier than ever to interact with the customer:

  • Instant Messaging. Instant messaging, or IM for short, can be controlled by the recipient like mail, yet instant like the phone. IM software includes privacy screens, easily documents conversations, and can become a sort of virtual office.
  • Instant Meeting. A type of online conferencing, it allows one-to-many communication rather than one-on-one. It generates an instant brain trust in the collaboration between the company and many customers. It’s personal like the telephone, but gated and scheduled. In these meetings, it also allows customers to help other customers. A classic type of instant meeting is a scheduled chat. Webinar technology offers even more features, because it incorporates slides or virtual whiteboards as well as typed chat, video, or voice communication.
  • Discussion Forums. Many technology companies have incorporated discussion forums as a way for customers to support and help other customers. An alternative to online forums is an email mailing list that allows members to email questions and responses to the whole list. Some forums include both an online forum and email mailing list feature. In addition to forums for specific users of one company’s products or services, industry-wide forums are often available. Discussion forums have the following benefits for companies:
    • builds community
    • retains customers
    • frees up your time
    • solicits opinion
    • resolves problems
  • Voice Over IP. Voice over IP, or voice over internet protocol, is basically telephony services turned into software. Voice calls can be made over the internet cheaply or even free, and the quality has improved significantly in recent years. VoIP can effectively eliminate PBX systems, or make PBX features like call forwarding, conference calling, do not disturb, follow-me and voice mail accessible at a much lower price. VoIP systems converge with other technologies, like voice, presentation, and text.

Some suggested resources for the above technologies include:

  • Instant Messaging: I suggest a multiplatform solution instead of downloading and using several IM clients at the same time. AIM (AOL Instant Messenger), Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, ICQ and Google Talk are among the most popular. Since you may have friends and colleagues using different clients, find a solution that will speak to them all–your computer’s resources will thank you. I use Miranda IM, but Ashdown recommends Adium for Mac OS and Trillian for Windows.
  • Instant Meeting: For group chat or voice conferencing, I suggest that all users use Skype. If you’re more interested in webinars, GoToMeeting has conferencing services or webinar services. I’ve also used free telephone conferencing services with advanced features through BV Free Conferencing.
  • Discussion Forums: I have used phpBB and like the flexibility and ability to customize. However, if you’re new to forums, you may want to try something “out-of-the-box,” like Yahoo Groups, Google Groups or MSN Groups.
  • Voice Over IP: This is an area of technology that is growing and changing very quickly. I have used Skype for quite some time and have been impressed with the quality of the calls. Ashdown recommends SIP as a phone system and PBX replacement. Some homes and small businesses are switching to Vonage, a popular VoIP provider, but be aware that Vonage-connected phones will not work in the event of a power or broadband internet connection outage.

Thanks to technologies that are becoming easier and cheaper to use, businesses can communicate and interact with their customers in whole new ways. Identify some of the ways you can begin to collaborate with your customers to gain a distinct edge in your market.

[SiH] Feature Article: The Inbox Zero Crusade

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sarahurd
on July 27, 2007
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Success in Harmony

July 2007 - Vol. IV, Issue 6

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Feature Article: The Inbox Zero Crusade

Merlin Mann is a man on a mission. His blog and website, 43folders.com, houses a wealth of information about becoming more productive and managing the overwhelming flow of information we deal with every day.

Merlin recently spoke for Google’s Tech Talk series, titling his presentation “Inbox Zero.” His talk was based on his blog series of the same name. The principles he espouses are largely based on David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology, and the main objective is to translate email to a series of actions.

Each email user must identify the core actions that email can turn into. Although yours may be different, for Merlin, there are only five possible actions. As he acknowledges in his presentation, the following five possible actions are what David Allen terms “advanced common sense”:

  • Delete
  • Delegate
  • Respond
  • Defer
  • Do

Seems pretty simple, right? Yet how many of us make sure that at the end of the day, each of our emails has turned into one of those five actions? Often, we get into the cycle of just “checking” email. Merlin uses a great analogy: that’s like a sandwich shop employee taking orders. What would happen if the employee started thinking, “wow, these orders are pretty interesting. I wonder if I have any new orders.” And then, “how can I organize these orders? What if I put all the combo orders together, and I guess these orders for roast beef belong together.” The employee is losing sight of the fact that the objective is to make the sandwich! Ridiculous, yet many email users find themselves doing the same thing. Forget complex folder structures. Make the sandwich; translate that email into action and then get rid of it.

For more great tips on getting your inbox to and keeping it at zero, check out Merlin’s Tech Talk and his 43 Folders Series: Inbox Zero (inboxzero.com).

[SiH] Feature Article: The Impact of “No”

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sarahurd
on June 30, 2007
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Success in Harmony

June 2007 - Vol. IV, Issue 5

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Feature Article: The Impact of “No”

I’ve noticed recently that as my youngest nears her second birthday, I hear myself saying “no” more and more. In fact, sometimes it’s “no, sweetie,” sometimes “NO!” and sometimes (breathlessly) “oh no, NO!” She provides us with a bit of a challenge, as she is a speedy child with natural curiosity. She also wants to do everything that her older sister does. And, just to provide you with a glimpse into her personality, my father calls her “Miss Destruction.”

The other thing that I’ve noticed is that on those days where I’ve been saying “no” over and over again, I feel pretty exasperated and she gets very, very cranky. On those days, she cries more than she’s happy, and I’m reminded of the parenting advice to “redirect, redirect, redirect.” The demoralizing effect of constantly hearing “no” all the time is pretty obvious in my usually sunny little toddler. In addition, my “no”s are so often accompanied by facial expressions and body language of stress, frustration or anger. How could I expect my child to be happy if that’s what she’s seeing from me?

It takes energy, and lots of creativity, to redirect. But when I do it and I’m successful at it, I feel like a hero and my daughter is a happy camper.

So what lessons can you find in this to apply to your own life? There are a few that I’ve thought of for mine:

  • When we are saying “no” more than “yes” to the people in our lives, whether they are our family members, coworkers or employees, the relationship starts feeling very strained. It’s as if they have to guess what we want over and over again until we’re both feeling frustrated. In contrast, if we can find lots of things to say “yes” to, and actually help those in our lives find things that are productive and enjoyable, they feel acknowledged and appreciated–and we feel pretty gratified ourselves.
  • Although it does take energy and creativity to redirect, the reward is so worth it. We can cheer the other person on, and they learn over time the activities that are truly worth celebrating.
  • Not everything is as big a deal as it feels at the time. I often need to prioritize what I feel an urge to say “no” to, because sometimes it’s not that big of a deal. Some of the greatest learning / teaching opportunities happen when a child or employee tries something and it doesn’t go so well. Also, if I say no to everything, it’s not as likely that my charge will learn the critical “no”s.
  • When I’m feeling like life is saying “no” a lot to me, I can find my own joyful things to redirect to instead of allowing myself to become demoralized, discouraged, helpless and hopeless.

Let’s alleviate our own stress by finding much more to say “yes” to. The people in your life will be extremely grateful, as will your own heart and mind.

[SiH] Feature Article: Books I’ve Recently Read

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sarahurd
on May 31, 2007
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Success in Harmony

April/May 2007 - Vol. IV, Issue 4

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Feature Article: Books I’ve Recently Read

I have fairly eclectic tastes in books, although I tend towards the self-help genre. I’m always looking for little tidbits that will help my clients. I also began participating in a book club with my local church, which has helped me get back to reading for pleasure. Every once in a while, I’ll read a novel. I ought to read more novels and give my brain a little break… :)

Here is a sampling of what I’ve read recently:

The Traveler’s Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Success by Andy Andrews

4 stars

A modern-day parable of a man who loses it all and travels through time to learn the seven decisions that determine personal success. Who does he learn them from? Historical figures, of course. I especially enjoyed his encounter with Joshua Chamberlain during the Battle of Gettysburg. Thank you to a client, Rusty, for turning me on to this great book!

The Accidental Millionaire: Leaping from Chance to Mastery in the Game of Life by Stephanie Frank

2 stars

Stephanie Frank’s personal story of how she went from losing it all to being a millionaire… accidentally? Not hardly. Expect tips on how to mobilize the Law of Attraction in your life. If you have adult ADD, Stephanie can be a real inspiration, although she doesn’t necessarily provide concrete tips on how to manage ADD. She’s got a great story, but this is not a very enjoyable read, in my opinion.

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen

5 stars

This one is a classic. I’m not sure why I held out so long—a colleague of mine has been recommending this for years. It helped me shift my planning and information-control system into something that works better than it ever has before. Add the GTD and Outlook manual (http://davidco.com/store/catalog/GTD-and-Outlook-p-16173.php), and I’ve got a whole new outlook (pun intended).

The Power of an Hour: Business and Life Mastery in One Hour a Week by Dave Lakhani

3 stars

The basic premise of this is that you can master your business and life if you dedicate uninterrupted time, one hour at a time, to working on each area. I’ve encouraged my clients to set aside uninterrupted time for years, so I can support the process. I didn’t get a whole lot out of it, because I didn’t see a lot that was new, but he does provide an area-by-area strategy to get your life in order. This could be very helpful to someone who is new to life management.

Your First Year in Network Marketing: Overcome Your Fears, Experience Success, and Achieve Your Dreams! By Mark Yarnell and Rene Reid Yarnell

4 stars

I picked this one up on the recommendation of one of the most successful network marketers in the industry. It outlines several landmines that you’ll want to avoid if you’re going into any network marketing business, or even if you’ve been in the business for a while and want to get a fresh outlook.

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth by T. Harv Eker

4 stars

Everyone is talking about T. Harv Eker. With good reason, I suppose. His Secrets of the Millionaire Mind proposes that it’s not practice, strategy and theory that makes the wealthy vastly richer than the rest of society—it’s your mindset, or “money and success blueprint.” If you’re suspecting that your wealth thermostat is set a little too low, this book would be great to pick up.

Vocal Power: Harnessing the Power Within by Arthur Samuel Joseph

5 stars

I purchased this as part of a course that included teleclasses with Arthur Joseph, an online learning system, CDs and DVDs. After listening to Arthur work with individuals on the power of the voice, I was so impressed that I decided to get into the program. It’s brought me fantastic awareness of how my voice is communicating who I am, and also made me aware of how much I need to work on it!

Totally Fulfilled: More Money, More Freedom, More Smiles, Less Stress by Dean Graziosi

1 star

Another rags-to-riches personal story, complete with quotes and suggested processes (that bordered on basic goal-setting, pretty much). Although I appreciated what the author had done with his life to achieve success, blah, blah, blah. Not to mention that he must not have had a very good editor…

A Heart Like His: Making Space for God’s Love in Your Life by Virginia H. Pearce

4 stars

This was a church book club selection, and it had some great suggestions for opening your heart up to connecting with others. It outlined an experiment that a group of women embarked on together: “1. to be more aware of the condition of our hearts and with that awareness to keep them more open toward others. 2. To do this in the normal course of our lives, in other words, not put any extra activities into our day.” In our world where we are so connected to technology and increasingly disconnected from others, this is a movement I can support (especially if it doesn’t take any additional time)!

The Referral of a Lifetime: The Networking System That Produces Bottom-Line Results… Every Day! by Tim Templeton

5 stars

Written in a business parable format, this book outlines a very simple, yet practical, system for keeping in touch with prospects and customers in very tangible, sincere and powerful ways. The personal relationship rules in this referral system.

Making Peace with the Things in Your Life by Cindy Glovinsky

3 stars

Written by a Clinical Social Worker, this book is surprisingly down-to-earth and full of practical advice about how to manage the overwhelm we often feel when we think about our Things. It’s been a while since I read it, honestly… so I’ll give it 3 stars.

Conquering Chronic Disorganization by Judith Kolberg

3 stars

Judith Kolberg is one of the most respected professional organizers in the business. This book is full of case studies and suggestions that she’s put to work with her disorganized clients. Helpful for the chronically disorganized, but also helpful for anyone who wants to get a handle on “stuff.”

The 5 Lessons a Millionaire Taught Me About Life and Wealth by Richard Paul Evans

4 stars

A departure for novelist Richard Paul Evans, this book encapsulates five lessons that has helped readers move from deeply-in-debt to financially stable, then eventually financially free. It describes the lessons he learned at age 11 from a local millionaire and how they changed his life.

Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans

4 stars

A great feel-good story about an adopted young adult who is on a search to find her younger sister. Along the way, she touches lives with her goodness and courage.

and I’m currently reading:

The Peacegiver: How Christ Offers to Heal Our Hearts and Homes by James L. Ferrell

I just started this one, so I can’t say much about it so far. This is another book club selection.

Camilla: A Biography of Camilla Eyring Kimball by Caroline Eyring

Biography of the wife of one of the Presidents of the LDS Church. I chose it because I saw it so many times in my home when I was growing up and the photo of the serene woman on the front always stuck with me. I’d known of Camilla Kimball, but didn’t know much of her story. It’s very interesting so far!

Book Yourself Solid: The Fastest, Easiest, and Most Reliable System for Getting More Clients Than You Can Handle Even if You Hate Marketing and Selling by Michael Port

This one also has come highly recommended from some colleagues of mine. I’ve been watching Michael Port’s work for a while, and he’s always impressed me with the integrity he shows with his customers.