Nature? Nurture? NO PERCEPTION!

What came first science or philosophy?  Does it really doesn’t matter?  What does matter however, is which one can prove the other.  I have held a long time belief that science could prove philosophy and as it turns out, they just may have! 

I recently read a book which I found to be astounding.  The title is “Biology of Belief” by Dr. Bruce Lipton.  Dr. Lipton is an American developmental biologist, who is best known for promoting the idea that genes and DNA can be manipulated by a person’s beliefs.  He felt so strongly about the correctness of his scientific findings that he resigned his positions as an Assistant Professor of anatomy at the University of Wisconsin School Of Medicine, and at St. George’s University School of Medicine, because of the disparity between his findings and what he was required to teach.   Now that’s a believer!

Interestingly enough Dr. Lipton dis-proves the possibility that we are all “fated” to a certain outcome from our DNA.  He also disproves our destinies are tied to and based on our cells (which he calls nurture.)  His amazing work, interestingly enough, proves the old trite saying “If you think you can; you can and if you think you can’t; you can’t!”

It is perception (which we hold in our subconscious mind) that determines our beliefs, our actions and ultimately our destiny!  WOW!  That’s good news!  The bad news is, our subconscious minds are a million times more powerful than our conscious minds.   But there is more good news!  We can learn how to reprogram them… and so the journey continues!

I guess it is really true that when you change the way you look are looking at something; what you are looking at changes!

Onward & Upward My Friends,  Lisa

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All Out & Happy

Erma Bombeck (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My favorite quote was said by Erma Bombeck… “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me!”

Yep… that about sums it up.  That’s all I have to say.

Onward & Upward My Friends, Lisa

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They Did; Can You?

In todays “small business” climate so many people are living the fake it till you make it philosophy that it is often hard to gauge economic reality.  Only secure people can come out from behind their “image” and state the reality of their present position, share ideas and develop strategies to increase production volume and create a higher level of abundance. 

Today I met with a number of “secure people.”  What a privilege it was!  What progress we all enjoyed as we shared our struggles, our successes, our perceptions, our limiting beliefs, the realities of our current level of business development and the areas we are each working to grow in .

In the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin it is clear this practice of synergistic collaboration was common-place.  It brought about a greater level of success for all who participated.  What is it about our present day society that largely inhibits this type of growth?  Has striving for the “competitive advantage” become a disadvantage?

Secure leaders are able to share their knowledge, experience and strategies because they understand there is room for competition.  Some clients will resonate with their message and some clients will resonate with the message of another.  Secure leaders believe in Abundance.  In their world there really is enough for everyone.  Enough opportunity, enough work and enough money.

Once your level awareness grows to the point where you can “play” in this arena expect great things.  If you are not quite there yet you can aspire to it.  A good trick to start with is to increase your conscious awareness of when you start to feel fear.  Track those times and complete these questions:

1.  I just became fearful when _________.

2.  I felt fearful because ______________.

3.  I have a need for _________________.

Then replace them with:  In the future I will ___________________.

If synergistic collaboration worked for Benjamin Franklin, Napoleon Hill and Andrew Carnegie it will work for us!

Onward & Upward My Friends, Lisa

These Shoes Are Made For Walking

A strong thread running through the tapestry of every great leader is courage. It takes courage to walk away from relationships with people you care about when they begin acting in ways that compromise your integrity.  In the end if we are to be leaders and achieve any level of sustainable success that is exactly what we must do.

Abraham Lincoln said “Stand with anybody that stands right… and part with him when he goes wrong.” Simple concept but sometimes difficult to do.  How easy it can be for the lines to get blurred especially in cases of friendships where often deep emotions are felt.

In the ever-increasing rapidity of this world, it is easy to find ourselves squarely facing tough situations that require definite and sometimes immediate choices.  The key to making the right choice and escaping with your character and integrity in tact is preparation.  Be prepared.  Be prepared for everything!  Be prepared for the unexpected.  Be prepared for even the unimaginable.  Every living being knows right from wrong.  If it’s right do it; if it’s not, don’t!  That’s how you win!

Onward & Upward My Friends, Lisa

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A Carrot, A Stick or A Drill Sergeant?

Fulfilling an entrepreneur or sales position of any kind is no easy task.  Half the battle is knowing what your tasks are!  Having a great plan is not enough.  You’ve got to have a great plan and work that great plan consistently every day!

Last week I found myself completely derailed on one of my health goals.  As I  talk with my coach I discovered that when I began I had that goal tied to a purpose. During that time I did great!  Once the purpose was removed I let up on the committment, pulled out of the process, starting beating my head up against a wall and wondering why I needed so much “will-power” to get it done!  We all know “will-power” will get you going but it won’t keep you going.  In order to get realigned with my health goal I had to put another purpose in place… another BIG WHY for Lisa!  Once that was done; I am happy to say committment has once again taken over and I’m back on track.

Many of you know I firmly believe coaching.  Coaching others & receiving coaching from others.  Currently I am receiving coaching in the following areas:  Health, Speaking, Writing, Sales and even coaching on being a great coach.  My “coaching” coach is a world-class coach, Mr. Ed DeCosta.   Here is what he ask the other day:

“What do you need, a carrot, a stick or a drill sergeant?”  After my recent experience with my health coach I’ve learned I NEED A CARROT!

What do you need to be impeccable with your word, to honor your daily agenda and to work your great plan consistently?  I would appreciate hearing your experiences.

Onward & Upward My Friends,  Lisa

 

 

 

Results Don’t Lie

Don’t you just love those friends that will tell you the absolute truth?  Not in a mean-spirited way but with “care-frontation?”  If we are to ever achieve greatness in our individual journeys we must have those people in our lives.

Brian Tracy said: “One of the best uses of your time is to increase your competence in your key results areas.”

As I considered this statement in my own career I came up with a list of my key results areas.  They are:  1. Speaking, 2. Writing, 3. Creating and 4. Training.   Recognizing the truth in the statement “you must learn more before you can earn more,” I devote two hours of each day increasing my competency in these areas.  I research, I write and I rehearse.  My intention is to turn information into transformation.

Where would you like to transform yourself?  What are your key results areas and what do you do to increase your competency and hone your craft?

If you are struggling to find the answers finish these statements:  I am… I do… For who… so that they can… and become…

I would love to hear from you.

Onward & Upward My Friends,

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Once Upon A Time, There was a MAN!

English: Joseph Merrick (1862–1890), photographed c. 1889. The photograph was circulated to members of the public c. 1889 as a carte de visite. This photograph was first published in The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity by Ashley Montagu (first published in London and the United States in 1971; OCLC: 732266137) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In 1884 an English surgeon paid a shilling to see a freak who was advertised as the “Elephant Man.”  he described the man as follows:”The Most striking feature about him was his enormous and mis-shapened head.  From the brow there projected a huge bony mass like a loaf, while from the back of the head hung a bag of spongy, fungous-looking skin, the surface of which was comparable to brown cauliflower.  On the top of the skull were a few long thin hairs.  From the upper jaw there projected another mass of bone.  It protruded from the mouth like a pink stump, turning the upper lip inside out and making of the mouth a mere slobbering aperture.  Although he was already repellent enough, there arose from the fungous skin growth, with which he was almost entirely covered, a very sickening stench which was hard to tolerate.”

The surgeon, Sir Frederick Treves, befriended the man (Joseph Merrick) and gave him a place to live in peace and comfort.  He found the man to be gentle, affectionate, and intelligent, without bitterness or resentment for the miserable life he had endured.  However, except for Sir Frederick, people were repelled by the man: women screamed at the sight of him.

Sir Frederick knew that Merrick needed the acquaintance of men and women.  He asked a friend of his, a young and pretty widow, if she thought she could enter Merrick’s room with a smile, wish him good morning and shake his hand.  She said she could and she did.

The effect upon poor Merrick was not quite what he had expected.  Sir Frederick reported:  “As he let go of her hand he bent his head on his knees and sobbed until I thought he would never cease!”  He told her afterwards that she was the first woman who had EVER smiled at him, the first woman in the whole of his life, who had shaken his hand.  From this day, the transformation of Merrick commenced and he began to change, little by little, from a hunted “thing” into a man.

When I heard this account, I thought a lot about the heart of Sir Frederick Treves.  What an amazing leader!  What a man of action!  What an act of charity and service to someone who could do nothing to advance his cause.

I believe to truly add value to others, we must love them.   A great leader I know once told me:

“Love those whom you seek to lead; if you stop loving them stop leading them.”

Onward & Upward My Friends,  Lisa

Demonizing Human Vice

Do you ever notice? The media loves to demonize human vice! The whole world can go crazy and do whatever they want. They do it in the name of freedom!  Let a person who has accomplished a “higher than average” amount of excellence in some area of their life screw up and watch the media devour them!

When the Tiger Woods scandal hit the entire planet I thought a lot about this. What makes his mistakes and choices any bigger than anyone elses? I finally arrived at the answer:  Nothing!  He’s just a bigger name and that’s the only reason it was news… or as Don Henley says “dirty laundry.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46bBWBG9r2o

People who seek excellence and high levels of achievement in their lives push themselves way beyond what they previously saw as their “limits.”   Whatever else they may do wrong, THEY WORK!   As glamorous as it all looks to us, these “over-achievers” often have very demanding, very controlled, disciplined lives.  At some point they just feel like they need a break.  They want to just check out, shut down, turn it off and escape.  This is when over-achievers have the temptation to turn to vice.

Being an over-achiever myself, I understood how this could have happened in Tiger’s life.  I was saddened at his struggle.  As I was considering the terrible public trial he was going through I thought a lot about vice and it’s opposite, Virtue!  Defined as:  behavior showing high moral standards.

What I’ve concluded through my own life experience and the struggles of others is vice provides temporary release and relief and is usually accompanied with remorse, worry and regret.  Virtue creates long-term stability, strengthens relationships, enhances the chances of happiness and a joyful life.  Vice is like a band-aid, virtue heals the wounds.

Beware my friends on your way up.  Don’t forget to always remember your source of personal power and virtue and plug-in daily!

Onward & Upward My Friends, Lisa

Pardon Me, While I Interrupt Your Rudeness!

Have you ever been moving through your day with a high level of intentionality and tons of positive energy only to find yourself suddenly thrown into someone elses drama?  What do you do?  My first response is to flee! Everybody who knows me knows I don’t like drama in any of its nasty forms:  Gossip, lack of communication, negative assumptions, victim mentality, stubborn lack of cooperation, being easily offended, passive aggressive behaviors… and the list literally goes on forever!

What causes this negative behavior?  My opinion is a lack of awareness.  You can tell a persons level of awareness by the amount of drama they either bring to life or participate in.

So what do you when you find yourself in this uncomfortable position?  I think the key is to first increase your own level of awareness.   As we do, we become better equipped to give grace to others, and are less inclined to participate in the drama behaviors.  During our growth, we realize that we are not right and they are not wrong, but our perspectives are just different.  We understand that even though we see the issue in a completely different reality, their reality is their truth.  They really do believe what they believe!

Lately I am practicing resisting the urge to flee.   Afterall, if I flee, doesn’t that make it all about me?  I mean if we remove ourselves from the situation we can stop “dealing with that person” but we also have now closed the door of opportunity to help them grow.

I meet them where they are… at their level of awareness.  I listen intently to their drama and seek to understand.  While they are spilling everything in a highly charged, emotional way, I calmly and unemotionally listen for questions I can ask them (when they are done with their rant) to help them self discover other, more constructive ways to view the circumstances and rise out of the drama.

Afterall, isn’t that what life is about?  Paying it forward?  Being rivers not reservoirs?  Letting things flow through us not just to us?  It was through this process I grew in my level of awareness and through this process we can assist others to grow theirs!  Eventually we’ll all be equipped to rise above the drama.  Abolish Drama!

Onward & Upward My Friends, Lisa

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Productivity/Leadership Balance

What’s your answer when an associate peeks in and says: “Hey are you busy?”  This scenario always made me a little bit crazy.  My first thought was always, “Yes I’m busy, why aren’t you?”   But then I remembered something my mentor said:  “The good news is I move fast!  The bad news is, I often move alone.”

High achievers seem to innately understand time is their greatest treasure and we guard it fiercely.  The important thing to remember is to balance your productivity performance time with your relationships.  High levels of productivity also require high levels of leadership.  One of the greatest strengths a leader can have is Intuition.

Intuition is a subtle leadership gift but a powerful one.  It give you the ability to “feel” what is needed within your organization.  You can gauge the moral, culture and even sometimes the private needs of the people you are privileged to share your influence with.

It is true, people really don’t care what you know until they know how much you care and it is in the giving that we receive the most.

Take time to develop relationship, share your talents and your light.

Onward & Upward My Friends, Lisa

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