Get a New Point of View

Written by Kathy Paauw


Copyright 2005 Kathy Paauw

Ask yourself these powerful questions: 1. Are you affected by what happens to you? 2. Do you affect what happens to you? 3. Which would you prefer?

In The Art of Possibility, authors Rosamund and Benjamin Zander remind us of our tremendous ability to attract what we want in our lives by being purposeful. In addition to being co-author of this wonderful book, Ben Zander is alsorepparttar conductor ofrepparttar 150570 Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and a teacher atrepparttar 150571 New England Conservatory of Music. After 25 years of teaching, Ben Zander recognized that students would be in such a chronic state of anxiety overrepparttar 150572 measurement of their performance that they would be reluctant to take risks with their playing. One evening Ben brainstormed with his wife, Roz (she is a therapist), to see if they could think of something that would dispel students' anticipation of failure. Here's what they came up with… Ben had a class of 30 graduate students taking a two-semester exploration intorepparttar 150573 art of musical performance, includingrepparttar 150574 psychological and emotional factors that can stand inrepparttar 150575 way of great music-making. He announced atrepparttar 150576 beginning ofrepparttar 150577 semester that each student inrepparttar 150578 class would be getting an A forrepparttar 150579 course. However, they were asked to fulfill one requirement to earn this grade. Sometime duringrepparttar 150580 next two weeks, each student was to write him a letter dated forrepparttar 150581 following May, which began withrepparttar 150582 words, "Dear Mr. Zander, I got my A because...". Inrepparttar 150583 letter they were to tell a detailed story of what would have happened to them by next May that was in line with them receiving an A in his class.

In other words, Zander askedrepparttar 150584 students to place themselves inrepparttar 150585 future, looking back, and to report on allrepparttar 150586 insights they acquired and milestones they attained duringrepparttar 150587 school year, as if those accomplishments were already inrepparttar 150588 past. He asked them to write aboutrepparttar 150589 person they would have become by next May. You'll have to get The Art of Possibility to read some ofrepparttar 150590 amazing letters Ben Zander received from his students.

Zander tells us that “the A is an invention that creates possibility for both mentor and student, manager and employee, or for any human interaction. The practice of giving an A allowsrepparttar 150591 teacher to line up with her students in their efforts to producerepparttar 150592 outcome, rather than lining up withrepparttar 150593 standards against these students. Inrepparttar 150594 first instance,repparttar 150595 instructor andrepparttar 150596 student, orrepparttar 150597 manager andrepparttar 150598 employee, become a team for accomplishingrepparttar 150599 extraordinary; inrepparttar 150600 second,repparttar 150601 disparity in power between them can become a distraction and an inhibitor, drawing energy away from productivity and development.”

Sell Yourself to Be Successful in Life

Written by Patric Chan


Copyright 2005 Patric Chan

If you want to be successful in life, business, or relationships, you must learn one simple secret. That secret is ... you must learn how to sell yourself!

Now before you get too antsy and worried, and begin to list allrepparttar reasons why you are not a salesperson and you could never do this, please understand that selling yourself is not about learning and using finely honed sales skills like you would in business.

Selling yourself is as simple asrepparttar 150569 way you present yourself.

Let's look at a common sense example from everyday life -- yourself!

If you are married, or even dating someone, this applies to you. Think back to your first date, or even your first several dates. Rememberrepparttar 150570 great care you took to make sure you looked good and were on time.

If you were supposed to pick your date up at 7pm, you made sure to block out enough time to shower, do your hair, get dressed in nice clothes, and leave with enough time to meet your deadline. Perhaps you even bought new clothes forrepparttar 150571 occasion!

This is an example of selling yourself. You displayed interest in your appearance and confidence in yourself as you prepared for and executed this "sales plan."

We could go on and on aboutrepparttar 150572 many other things you did on your first date to sell yourself, but you should getrepparttar 150573 picture from this example. Suffice it to say, if you began talking about your bug collection on your first date, you probably stopped selling yourself!

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