Personal Growth Cafe – Page 211 – Empowering You to Live Your Inspired Vision!

June 24, 2012July 3, 2012

5 Strategies to Enjoy Your Free Time

Free time is good for the soul. Your best opportunity to re-charge your emotional batteries is to take advantage of those precious non-work hours.

Depending on how you spend it, free time allows you to truly express who you are and who you strive to be. You’ll feel at peace and content with your life when you begin to utilize non-work time doing the activities you love.

Try these tips on how to use your free time to your best advantage:

1. Ask yourself, “What do I really long to do?” Make a list. Include simple and complex projects and activities you’ve always wanted to do.

• Your list might have items on it like “do yoga 3 times a week, ” “watch those DVDs I bought 6 months ago,” “read at least one novel a month,” or “spend 2 hours making a scrapbook from last year’s vacation photos.” What makes your heart sing?

2. Take a look at your calendar. It’s good to get a visual of how much free time you have in a given week. It can be exhilarating to realize you have 20 hours of free time each week. When does most of your free time occur? In the evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.? Or only on the weekends? Or both?

• If you use a paper calendar, highlight the time blocks when your free time will happen in the coming week. You’ll feel a little excited and happy when you do this step. It just feels great to know you’ve got some “me time” coming.

3. Plan desired activities by writing them into your schedule. It might be unusual for you to consider using your calendar to “schedule” free time. However, if it’s written in the calendar, you’re more likely to follow through.

• For example, you might reserve 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday to read a novel. From 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. you could schedule “work on vacation scrapbook.” From 9:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., maybe it’s “call my sister in TN.”

• It’s not necessary to schedule every unscheduled bit of time you have. However, if it’s written into your schedule, it will be a great reminder for you to begin doing many of the things you long to do. You’ll get focused and feel more fulfilled once you start doing the activities you choose.

4. Gather necessary supplies for favored activities in advance. You’ll be prepared to jump right in if you already have the supplies you need. Use shoe boxes or plastic bins to store supplies so everything will be at the ready when free time rolls around.

5. Regularly update your list of desired activities. This is the wonderful thing about enjoying free time: you have free rein to change your mind and develop new, exciting interests at your whim. Life is incredibly enriching when you realize you can spend spare time taking part in activities you find stimulating, interesting, or just plain fun.

To feel content and develop a real enjoyment of life, use spare moments to your best advantage. Do every single thing you desire. Enrich your life by enjoying your free time!

June 19, 2012June 19, 2012

Facilitate Meetings More Productively

You may get called upon to lead meetings as part of your job or volunteer activities. Make them pleasant and productive by learning how to help people stick to the agenda and feel engaged.

These guidelines and coping techniques for tricky situations that may occur during your meetings will help your meetings accomplish their purpose in record time.

General Guidelines for Facilitating Meetings

Stick to the schedule. One of the most common complaints about meetings is a failure to stick to the schedule. It’s important to start and end on time. Appoint a timekeeper to back you up.
Circulate an agenda. Make it easier for people to come prepared by circulating a detailed agenda in advance. Review it at the start of the session for any additions or changes that need to be made. Set a maximum time for each topic so you stay on track.
Tailor your facilitation style to the group.The best approach depends on the experience and preferences of the group you’re working with. Some organizations may follow strict protocols while others enjoy less formal discussions.
Set ground rules. Prevention is usually the best strategy for dealing with conflict. If you know that disagreements are likely to occur, use ground rules to encourage respectful and constructive dialogue.One suggestion is to be tough on issues rather than on people.
Test the equipment. Ensure your laptops, microphones and conference call lines are working before the meeting starts. People are likely to mentally wander off if you spend too long debating how to advance the slides.
Focus on objectives. Identify objectives for each agenda item.Develop action plans for implementing decisions. Assign responsibilities for follow-up tasks.

Coping Techniques for Common Challenges

Get people talking. Give everyone a chance to contribute. Go around the table. Ask to hear from people who haven’t spoken yet. Watch for subtle signals like facial expressions that suggest someone may be waiting for an opening to chime in.
Stop people from talking too much. If a handful of people are dominating the exchange, use ground rules to establish a speaking order. Tactfully encourage people to wrap up long speeches. Dividing into small groups may also help to balance the discussion.
Remain neutral. The role of a facilitator is to enable a productive group process and open discussion. Stay objective to avoid imposing your personal opinions. This is especially important because, as a facilitator, your statements might carry more weight.
Overcome impasses. If you sense that there’s going to be trouble reaching a consensus, try pointing out the common ground and agreements you’ve already reached.
- Poll before taking a vote to see if more discussion is needed to reach a decision. Suggest tabling topics that seem resistant to being resolved quickly. You can appoint a committee to study them further and report back.
Minimize distractions. Having a meeting is difficult when everyone is texting. Start off with an announcement to turn phones off and please step outside for emergency calls. As any classroom teacher knows, side conversations will usually subside if you wander over in the participants’ direction.
Take time for team building. If the group is unfamiliar with each other or lacks cohesion, do a round of introductions and play some icebreaker games. Serve lunch or pre-meal snacks to provide some social time together.

Skillful facilitation creates an environment where all meeting participants can feel comfortable working together toward their common goals.

You can help everyone feel like they can contribute, manage conflicts with finesse, and guide the discussion toward the outcomes that the group is seeking.When you do, you’ll become a valued facilitator and will be pleased with the results!

June 17, 2012July 4, 2012

Choosing Your Path

What if you keep changing your mind about what career path is right for you?

This morning I answered a question from a 21-year-old person looking for guidance on how to keep one focus, instead of bouncing from one “main thing” to another each week.

It’s an important issue because people often change what they want, almost as often as they change socks, sometimes it seems.

And that’s why they mostly do not experience great happiness, joy, fulfillment and peace of mind.

In the video I created for our friend the 21-year-old, I suggested she not put a lot of pressure on herself to feel she needs to know right now what she’s going to be doing for potentially the rest of her life.

Because people often feel driven to head in one direction, which leads to something else and eventually “The Right Path” becomes clear to them.

For example in college I first majored in management and computer systems. However my sophomore year I became a disc jockey and fell in love with that, changing majors to “Radio/TV/Film”.

That evolved into a talk show which was closer to my purpose, and then out of college I easily found jobs in my minor, journalism, which I did for 10 years.

In hindsight, it’s clear that I needed the training in journalism to become good at writing, being comfortable putting myself out there (and being in my own skin). After my first book came out in 1999, I’ve never looked back and each year serves more people, more effectively, with the work I do.

Trace the main Decisions you’ve made, and how each “turning point” step was important to help you become the person you are today, with the skills you have needed to succeed doing what you love.

Or, if you’re not living your dream life… yet… then think about how what you’re doing now may in fact be one of those stepping stones.

Think about what you do now, and how that could relate to what you would love doing, passionately, whether you got paid to do it or not.

That’s likely much closer to your life purpose. Do your best to move closer to that, improve your skills in that area, and create opportunities to do more of -that- one thing.

Before you know it, it can be yours!

Dan Klatt teaches you how to live your purpose by creating anything you Desire through consciously using the unlimited power you were born with. Tap into that power, starting today, by doing his “Crash Course on Creating Your Ideal Life” $197 Video Training (it’s free right now!)

June 17, 2012July 4, 2012

The First Covenant is The Catalyst

This article is going to be “The Catalyst”, for both you… and the world – to transform!

When you allow it to, it’s going to have a huge impact on you, and through you, your family’s life, your community, and even beyond that.

Because through this article, I’m going to reveal to you “The First Covenant of The Affluent Class“.

It’s how everything works, and by using it consicously you’re able to use the power we all have within us, and direct it, intentionally, to create whatever you Desire.

If I gave you “The Secret” key to having anything you wanted, would you agree to take it to heart and allow it to transform your life?

Would you agree not to be deceived by its simplicity and consider all the ways you’re able to benefit from it?

Do we have a deal? Great! Let’s allow “The First Covenant” to be “The Catalyst” that changes everything for you!

Quite simply, “The First Covenant of The Affluent Class” is that: “What you give your attention to and empower with strong feelings, you create more of.”

Let’s look at the most pressing example of how this works, all the time without exception, so you can relate better to how this works.

Think back to around 2007, and reflect on what a majority of people were focusing on.

Almost everyone was talking about (feeling about) the fears they had about the economy collapsing, companies going out of business, people losing their homes… and tons of other things no one wanted.

You remember that?

What exactly happened there?

They were giving attention to what they didn’t want…. empowering that with strong feelings. And look what happened. That non-supportive focus gained momentum, and that’s exactly what far too many good people began experiencing.

In contrast, by you taking “The First Covenant” to heart, and keeping your focus on only that which “gives you joy, inspires you and moves you closer to your goals, desires and dreams”… *THAT* focus becomes what you’re empowering with strong – positive – feelings, and that then becomes what you’re creating more of.

To the degree you’re doing that, that’s exactly what you’re then going to experience more of.

Reflect on that. Take it to heart. And live it. Your life will become massively better.

Almost immediately.

Dan Klatt did a full presentation on “The First Covenant”, which you can watch at PersonalGrowthCafe.com. He’s also inviting you to do his “Crash Course on Creating Your Ideal Life“, the $197 video training he’s giving away to make sure you master this power that you’re meant to use to have everything you Desire.

June 17, 2012July 6, 2012

This video is The Catalyst that changes everything!

Hello My Friend,

Before you watch this video, consciously allow, create and manifest the fact that this video is going to be it for you…

It’s going to be the one thing that makes all the difference in the world to you.

In how you’re living your life.

In how you’re manifesting everything you Desire.

In how you’re experiencing all the richness around you.

In where you’re keeping your focus and how you’re using your power.

And in how you’re allowing your dreams to be yours.

Have your notebook and pen in hand.

And prepare to pause and reflect upon the important points and relate them to your life experiences.

When you’re ready, let’s begin….

Have you fully embraced the power of that message and truly allowed it to be “The Catalyst” it’s meant to be?

(You know it is meant to change your you’re life, I trust. Have you allowed it to serve you as much as you can?)

If not, then go back and watch it again. And really allow it to transform you.

Make sure you take the message to heart.

Please also share it with others – Use the stylish less than sign in the lower right of the video and let your friends and others know how much “The Catalyst” can benefit them, as well.

Then let’s shift gears and go deeper into this core message, where I can coach you personally and make sure you’re allowing “The First Covenant” to serve you in all areas of your life.

We’ll do that through the Personal Growth Community!

Joyfully,

Dan Klatt,
“Think And Grow Rich Guy”
Host of the “Daily Personal Growth” TV Show
President of the Personal Growth Authors Association
Founder of the CarnegieCentre

….Serving as Your WealthSensei!

June 16, 2012June 16, 2012

How Do I Know Which Path to Focus On?

People often bounce all over the place and don’t know what is most appropriate for them to focus on. How do they know what path is best for them?

In this video, I answer that question, specifically posed by a 21-year-old looking for life guidance.

Now that you’ve learned how to know which path to focus on, share this video with people you know, using the Share button in the lower right of the video, that’s the little ‘<‘ less than sign.

After you’ve done that, then Comment below on your own experiences related to finding your path, keeping your focus, and using your power wisely.

As seen in the video, I’m here to give you personal coaching and make sure you’re applying these insights fully to your specific situation, through our Personal Growth Community.

Also, make sure you’re doing our “Crash Course on Creating Your Ideal Life” (which is my $197 gift to you and is how I’m best able to serve you).

Warmly,

Dan Klatt,
“Think And Grow Rich Guy”
Personal Growth Cafe Head Coach

….Serving as Your WealthSensei!

June 14, 2012June 18, 2012

Put The Power of Intuition To Work For You

Intuition is the reason that you know more than you think you know. Once you recognize how much of your mental activity takes place subconsciously, you can make better use of the knowledge and abilities you already possess.

These are strategies for finding a healthy balance between critical thinking and gut feelings.

Relying on Intuition in Your General Routine

Acknowledge the role of intuition. Cognitive science is giving more and more credit to the part our hunches play in our thoughts and behavior. You might mistakenly assume you’re making rational decisions when you’re really operating on autopilot. Just think of the times you’ve driven home out of habit while you were lost in thought about something else.
Challenge gender stereotypes. Even the experts are divided about whether women have stronger intuitions. Many studies suggest that women in general are more sensitive to emotional cues but individuals vary widely in their abilities.
Look for connections. Your intuitions are most reliable in the areas where you have the most experience and expertise. Study a situation in terms of its similarities to something you’ve handled before and look for ways to categorize it.
Train at making snap judgments. Gut feelings enable you to respond quickly when necessary. When the stakes are low, practice building up your confidence by deciding things quickly, like what to eat for dinner or which movie to see.
Nurture your sense of curiosity. Those who are curious about others are often the best judges of character. Experiment with putting yourself in someone else’s shoes to understandthe reasoning for their conduct.
Put your emotions into perspective. We often exaggerate how much external events will affect us. Whether you win the lottery or lose a bet, you’ll probably soon return to being as happy as you ever were, so listen to your feelings without getting carried away.
Be realistic about your limitations. It’s tempting to see what you want to see and overlook errors. Be disciplined about scrutinizing your actions and learning from mistakes.

Relying On Intuition In Specific Circumstances

Make friends and fall in love. Our first judgments about people are often reliable. You’re likely to recognize the people who will enrich your life as long as you keep an open mind about seeing the good in everyone.
Know when to stay silent. For the sake of your relationships, it’s often better to keep your hunches to yourself even when they’re accurate. For example, your friend may not appreciate being reminded that her consumption of ice cream doubled after her divorce.
Take pleasure in major purchases. Pick out a house you’ll enjoy living in rather than getting distracted by real estate trends. You’re likely to feel more satisfied in the long run. On the other hand, listen to experts when you’re making financial investments.
Evaluate your fears. Evolution makes us vulnerable to exaggerating fears that have immediate and vivid consequences rather than more probable but subtler consequences. Keep that in mind if you get more alarmed by killer bees than obesity.
Listen to your conscience. Most healthy adults usually distinguish right from wrong spontaneously. If you feel comfortable with your actions and at ease with people knowing about them, you’re probably on the right track.

Go ahead and play your hunches as long as you also take the time to weigh the facts and test your conclusions.

Your gut feelings already play a big role in your relationships and decision making, so becoming more conscious of the process will help you to make better use of your intuition.

Make sure you’re effectively using your power to manifest everything you want. Do the “Crash Course on Creating Your Ideal Life” video training for free at the Personal Growth Cafe.

June 14, 2012June 18, 2012

How to be a Great Friend

Although you’ve most likely created good social relationships over the years, brushing up on your friendship skills can benefit you. Having close friends gives you someone to turn to when you’re feeling lonely, need a listening ear, or want someone to celebrate with you.

If you’ve ever had a really great friend, you’ve noticed all the things they did with you, for you, and on your behalf.

Whether you’re learning to be that kind of a friend yourself or you just want to polish up your “good friend” skills, these ideas will help you establish and maintain positive, fulfilling friendships.

Be a good listener. Everyone has times when they just want to vent feelings. When you make the decision to listen rather than offer feedback or suggestions, you’re practicing one of the most important behaviors a good friend can do. Keep your ears and mind open.
Support first. Truth, trust and honesty are most surely the cornerstones of any healthy friendship. However, there are times when honesty is less helpful than providing emotional support. Let your friend know you’re there for him and that he can call you at any time.
Honor your commitments. Have you ever had a friend who sometimes didn’t show up or showed up 45 minutes late? Be someone your friend can count on. Be dependable and predictable in your friendship. Doing so will ensure you’ll never have a shortage of people who care for you.
Spend time together.Make time for you friend: do something fun, have dinner, paint the living room, work on the car, or just hang out. A good friend wants to betogether and makes time in a busy schedule to do it. Be creative in the planning of activities and you’ll make great memories.
Avoid offering criticism. Providing criticism to someone you care about rarely turns out well. Even though you might have formed an opinion on something your friend said or did, it’s probably best to refrain from telling him of his errors.

In the event he asks you directly for feedback on a situation where you believe he made a mistake, choose your words very carefully. Acknowledging, “I might have done it another way” sounds less critical and more helpful than, “You shouldn’t have done it that way.”

Keep your friends’ affairs confidential. Although this is an obvious point, it is often the most difficult to put into practice. Under no circumstance should you reveal anything about your friend to others who ask, even if one friend puts you on the spot regarding another.
Avoid dumping all your life’s challenges on your friends. Although confiding in your friends is important, refrain from using them only for venting about your own negative feelings and situations.

Moderate your conversations so the friendship doesn’t get too bogged down with frustrating or negative energy. Let them know, “For 20 minutes I’m going to talk about my frustrations with work; then let’s go have some fun.”Respect the time limit you set to discuss your gripes.

Being a great friend will bring you moments of joy, years of comfort, and decades of cherished memories. Implement these strategies in your relationships today. You’ll feel like you’re the best friend ever and those you care about will think so, too!

Make sure you’re effectively using your power to manifest everything you want. Do the “Crash Course on Creating Your Ideal Life” video training for free at the Personal Growth Cafe.

June 14, 2012June 18, 2012

Walk the Talk – Practicing the Principles You Preach

How often have you run into a leader who’s been successful at guiding others by saying one thing and then doing something different? Not very often, right? That’s simply because it doesn’t work!

It’s highly likely that principles taught without the right examples being put into practice will eventually fall by the wayside.

Especially if you’re in a position of authority, it is of utmost importance to lead by example if you expect to gain compliance.

Leading by example will ensure these benefits:

Support of the principles based on results. For example, if you’re teaching honesty, when people see for themselves that you gain the trust of others by being honest, they will likely see the benefits of being honest themselves.
Full understanding of the principles. Just imparting principles to others isn’t always enough. In fact, the majority of people may have a completely different understanding of what’s expected of them.
Cohesion and cooperation. This is particularly true whenever team effort is required. When everybody is on the same page, processes, departments and families run more cohesively.
Respect. When others can see that you are fully complying with the principles you teach, you’ll ultimately gain their respect.

Disastrous Results of Not Practicing What You Preach

So what happens when you try to teach certain life principles but allow your actions to dictate otherwise?

You’re bound to run into any or all of the following situations:

Those you expect compliance from will very soon grow to resent you, especially if the principles you’re teaching are a challenge for them to perform.

You may end up with a negative reputation asan ineffective leader or teacher as you lose sight of the very actions you teach.

Cases of rebellion will continue to grow as more and more people feel they’re being dictated to instead of led.

How to Start Leading By Example

It’s very easy to outline your expectations; it’s the simplest part of the equation. And that’s a start, because at least you know what the principles are. As they say, “Knowing is half the battle” but in this case, it’s the smaller half!

It may take a lot of effort to really walk the talk and practice the behaviors that you want others to emulate. However, you can get started practicing this positive principle on a daily basis with only a small effort:

Start small and stick to your immediate circle of influence.

Give yourself the opportunity to impart morals and good belief systems on your immediate family and close friends.

Tackle each principle one at a time.

Work hard at allowing it to become an integral part of your everyday life.

Once you’ve mastered one, move on to something else. However, it’s important to be able to give testimony to the fact that there are actually greater benefits to adhering to that particular principle than not adhering. There is an element of fulfillment when you can show others just what kind of actions, thoughts and behaviors contribute to a better, more wholesome outcome.

Walking the talk is a lifelong journey. There may be times that you’ll fall below your own expectations and the principles you aspire to uphold. However, what’s important is that you recognize it and take the necessary steps to get back on track!

Make sure you’re effectively using your power to manifest everything you want. Do the “Crash Course on Creating Your Ideal Life” video training for free at the Personal Growth Cafe.

June 14, 2012June 18, 2012

Gaining Focus: Caring Enough to Take Action

Would you love to have more focus in life?

We all admire some people’s ability to concentrate, whether they’re training for the Olympics or solving a great societal problem. These folks with great focus have discovered something very important: If you’re focused on a goal, you have an easier time getting where you’re going.

But can you really create focus just by willing yourself to have it? Or is this trait a secondary characteristic of something else?

It’s All About Passion

Broken down to essentials, caring about something is the foundation of focus. After all, the more passion you have about something, the easier it is for you to pay attention to it. Focusing on something that holds no meaning to you can be very challenging.

If you look at anything spectacular that you’ve ever done, it probably involved something that you cared about very deeply. This isn’t just a coincidence. Focus isn’t about discipline; it’s about passion.

Notice the people you know who really struggle with life. You’re likely to find that they haven’t found something to really care about. If you’re in this position, youcan really suffer. However, when you’re able to open your heart and truly find something you’re passionate about, happiness is the result.

Ask yourself what makes you cry. Is it the images of starving children on TV? Is it music? Can you imagine the focus and clarity you’d experience if you spent the majority of your time on the thing or things that matter to you the most?

Caring puts you into the perfect state of mind; you’re stimulated enough to take real action, but not to the point of feeling apprehensive or overwhelmed. In fact, when you truly care, it’s harder to not take action!

Finding Your Passion (And Your Focus)

So now that you know what you need to gain focus, let’s get back to finding the thing that you care about the most.

This process will help you find your passion, your focus, and greater happiness:

Make a list of the things that you’re truly passionate about. These aren’t necessarily the fun little things you like to do when you have some free time, though they might be. These are the things that you consider to be most important, the worldwide challenges you would fix if you were given a wish.

These should be things that fascinate you so much that you’d gladly spend your life studying them.

Organize your list. Put the items on your list in order by the amount of emotion you feel when you imagine yourself being part of each one.

If there is nothing on your list yet that makes you cry, keep writing. Don’t stop until you’ve found the one that does make you cry. You’ll know your passion when you see it.

Using Your List to Your Advantage

Now that you have your list, ask yourself how much discipline would be required to be part of those items. Would you have to force yourself to focus on them? Or does the mere fact that you care about those items so much simply result in focus? Although each item will certainly involve times when you have to enlist some self-discipline, the big ones won’t take much.

If you feel it’s a challenge to focus on your career, relationship, or any other part of your life, that’s a great sign that something needs to change. Go to your list for ideas and options. Try a new career that fills you with a sense of caring andyou’ll never have to “work” another day again.

Make sure you’re effectively using your power to manifest everything you want. Do the “Crash Course on Creating Your Ideal Life” video training for free at the Personal Growth Cafe.