How to Make a Smart Career, Love, or Other Important DecisionWritten by Michelle L. Casto, M.Ed.
Continued from page 1 The Get Smart! decision-making process can be used for a variety of life decisions. Just plug in your issue into formula and go to work: 1.Know Who You Really Are (What are your values, strengths, weaknesses? Where are you at emotionally, financially, and spiritually) 2. Know Who/What You Want to Attract (What kind of values, strengths weaknesses will they have? Where are they at emotionally, financially, spiritually?) 3.Compare How This Information Seems to Fit (Is what you have to offer a complementary match for what they have to offer? Do you seem to have a similar vision for what you want from eachother?) 4.Explore Your Options (Spend time getting to know many people or investigating career options. Do some "comparison shopping" before making a final decision.) 5.Make a Decision (Use information gathered combined with Get Smart! Decision-making Process, and make a decision to continue moving ahead or moving along.) Of course, you should be evaluating this process at each step, to ensure you are making smartest decision. Check in with yourself at each stage to ensure that you are following what your heart and mind are telling you. Remember that knowing what you really want from life up front can help you to choose wisely and ultimately bring greatest satisfaction.
Michelle L. Casto is a personal and professional development consultant residing in Atlanta, GA. She can be reached at (770) 281-4606. Or visit www.getsmartseries.com. She is also the author of Get Smart! About Modern Romantic Relationships- Your Personal Guide to Right and Real Love
| | Review: Filling the GlassWritten by Reviewed by Philip Abelard
Continued from page 1 Consider technique he calls, Bragging about Negatives. Are you having a problem explaining a price increase, for example? Try this: "Are our rates expensive? Absolutely. Why do we charge so much? Because we can. Because our clients are willing to pay that much for results we generate. Is competition cheaper? Absolutely. But do you really think they would charge less if they could charge more? They charge less because that's what they can get for results they generate." No excuses, no convoluted explanations, no mealy-mouthing. Reality. If you ever want to promote an idea, a proposal or yourself, if you ever want to sell anything to anybody, story of Clyde Thompson winning a job by bragging about his prison record is, by itself, worth price of book. Maher's unique perspective illuminates even familiar in new and revealing ways. "As far as this, I'm okay, you're okay stuff," he writes, "maybe you're not so okay. It's not like everybody is. The universe has produced Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer and Adolf Hitler. They weren't okay. And to be frank, I'm still not all that convinced about Attila Hun . . . [When it comes to self esteem,] you know yourself a lot better than I do. If you don't think much of yourself, who am I to contradict you?" Oddly enough, book's hardheaded skepticism ultimately makes it more inspirational--and more positive--not less. The ending is an emotional body blow. Filling Glass is not perfect. Some strategies could use more amplification: two or three are worthy of books of their own. A few anecdotes seem to have been included more for their entertainment value than because they add much to message. And occasionally, Filling Glass yields to self help temptation of promising more than it or any book or program can deliver. The over-promising is unnecessary, and Maher should know better. But, as he himself notes, "Marketing has it's own truths which are often hidden from heart." No matter, Filling Glass: The Skeptic's Guide to Positive Thinking in Business is a strong $$$$$: our highest recommendation. For once, cover blurbs are right. And when Guerrilla Marketing author Jay Levinson writes that Filling Glass should be "required reading for any MBA program," proper response, even for those of us without televangelist hair, can only be "Amen." Books for Business Ratings $$$$$ A Must-Read, Invaluable $$$$ Well Worth Investment $$$ Some Worthwhile Content $$ Invest Your Money Elsewhere $ Demand a Refund
Philip Abelard writes the syndicated Books for Business column. He may be reached at booksforbusiness@yahoo.com.
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