If You Can't Beat 'em, Join 'em

HR Professionals have historically viewed training as a worthwhile investment in one of their most important resources - their human resources. Training methods and theories have evolved but the return on this investment has been demonstrated time and time again. Successful organizations understand that an investment in their people is a proven strategy used to build and maintain a competitive organization.

Integrating Global Diversity
As businesses continue to invest overseas, more and more Human Resource professionals are integrating global diversity training into their HR strategies. HR professionals are aware that to compete in todays global economy, a "culturally competent" staff is no longer a "nice to have," - it's a "need to have."

Without a "culturally competent" staff, communications will be unclear, daily decision-making will be in jeopardy and project executions will be put at risk of failing.

Like most skills, whether it is staff management, effective negotiations or technology skills, intercultural skills come more naturally to some employees than others. Cultural competence is quite different than traditional business skills. Based on "people skills," it requires an understanding, empathy and open-minded approach to everything from religion, morals and tolerance to fashion, food and art. These are personal beliefs, not business behaviors. But in reality, these personal beliefs are the actual elements that dictate the behaviors of people working together in a business environment.

Multiple Cultural Influences
Many years ago, it was primarily the organization's corporate culture that would drive employee's behavior. The corporate culture, which could be influenced by top management, combined with personal values, offered enough complexity that relationship-based training courses were conducted. Today, there's an added level of complexity. As companies are now working with people from other countries, some of the basic "rules of behavior" and "acceptable norms" are no longer acceptable.

To add to the complexity, consider the multicultural staff that is now working together in the home office. Until recently, the expectation has been that the foreign staff would simply have to adapt to their new office culture. That may still be the case but as the number of foreign employees increase, their culture will have more influence on the organization. Their country's cultural norms and their personal views will impact the organization and eventually be integrated into the corporate culture.

During any day to day communication, any given cultural exchange, all of these factors will mesh and create a completely new and unique cultural situation. The goal is to mesh those cultural exchanges into a smooth set of cultural communications and nurture them into a globally competitive organization.

"The Only World They Know"
One of the primary goals of intercultural training is helping the staff to behave more sensitively to a different cultural environment. A person with little to no experience working outside of their own culture will begin their journey in "Denial." It will be quite difficult for them to even see a difference and understand why the people around them are behaving differently than they are accustomed to. Basically "their world is the only world they know." They are likely to ignore the differences and continue to work the way they always have.

After a while, this individual will begin to recognize the cultural differences but will act "defensively," and still feel that their cultural norms take precedence. They will see the differences but react to them negatively. "Minimization" is the next stage, where they will place less importance on the differences. Theyll begin to justify the cultural differences as very minor indeed and downplay their importance.

At this stage, their inability to recognize cultural differences and their attitude of superiority may lead to combativeness. This behavior can damage interpersonal relationships and valuable international partnerships. Their ineffective communication and leadership styles may be disruptive to the global team. With so much emphasis on non-conformity, they will begin to project their own cultural values, norms, and beliefs onto others. This could have has a trickle down effect on their subordinates, which would cause multiple levels of cultural confusion and a lack of effectiveness.

These behaviors may also prevent the managers from using global diversity to their advantage, as a way to achieve their objectives. A Westerner for example, may not take advantage of the power of teamwork that is more prevalent in Eastern societies. Or, may use a goal-oriented management approach with a subordinate who is accustomed to a very direct approach.

"If You Can't Beat 'em, Join 'em."
The HR Professional's goal will be to help the employee move into a less centric world view and evolve into more global mindset, which will help them understand that cultures may be different but they are equally sophisticated. The employee will start to think about how they can understand and work better within the culture. They will start to say to themselves, "If you can't beat 'em, join em."

The next stage is to help them get out of their comfort zone. The HR Professional needs to help the employee put aside many of "Management 101" principles they learned earlier in their careers and starting thinking differently. They will need to learn how to shift their mode of thinking and established code of behaviors in order to be more effective.

The ultimate goal for the employee is pure integration. This is where the employee understands the norms and cultural differences of their new environment, is able to recall and behave with different frames of reference at any given time and has the ability to switch cultural perspectives freely. They are able to maintain their own sense of self identity yet still merge the various cultural influences, whether it's their own environment or a different geographic location. They are also able to integrate the corporate culture with their own personal beliefs. True integration is the ability to adapt to the unique cultural mix of the moment while preserving their own sense of values and beliefs.

Like other formal training programs, organizations that actively invest in intercultural competence will be more effective, drive higher performance and gain a competitive advantage.

Chris Draeger, Group Vice President, Crown Relocations

Crown Relocations has been providing international moving and relocation services since 1965. With 200 offices in 50 countries, Crown has "people on the ground" in all the major Expat communities around the world. Crown provides a range of services to help Expats and their families move and settle into their new home ranging from Orientation Tours, Home finding, School Search and more. Crown also organizes Expat Clubs with regular events to help people meet and socialize with other Expats.

We also serve corporate clients as they develop and manage the relocation policies and employee benefit programs for the staff moving overseas. Services include expense management, program development, policy counseling, customized online reporting and full departure and destination services for the employees.

Crown is a private organization headquartered in Hong Kong, with European HQ in London and Americas HQ in Los Angeles California.

Crown provides free moving quotations on its website at http://www.crownrelo.com

Secretequation

Creativity And You

95 percent of what we know about the brain, we have learned in the last 20 years. So, your beliefs about creativity were probably shaped by faulty information.

For instance, many believe that only special, talented people are creative and you have to be born that way.

Wrong.

The notion that geniuses such as Shakespeare, Picasso and Mozart were `gifted' is a myth, according to a recent study at Exeter University. Researchers examined outstanding performances in the arts, mathematics and sports, to find out if the widespread belief that to reach high levels of ability a person must possess an innate potential called talent.

This particular study concludes that excellence is determined by five key elements:

• opportunities


• encouragement


• training


• motivation


• practice (this one, most of all)

The research also indicates that few showed early signs of promise prior to parental encouragement, and no one reached high levels of achievement in their field without devoting thousands of hours of serious training. Consider Mozart who trained for 16 years before he produced an cknowledged masterwork.

Let me tell you a few more interesting facts about creativity:

- Research shows that everyone has creative abilities. The more training you have and the more diverse the training,the greater is your potential for creative output.

- Additionally, it has been shown that in creativity quantity equals quality. In fact, the longer the list of ideas, the higher the quality of the final solution. Typically, the highest quality ideas appear at the end of the list.

- The average adult thinks of three to six alternatives for any given situation. The average child thinks of 60.

- Creativity is an individual process. Traditional brainstorming has been proven ineffective because of fear of social disapproval.

- Groups are best for idea selection rather than idea generation.

All of this is interesting and enlightening but doesnt necessarily get to the root of the issue of creativity. I think there is one element even more important than the five mentioned above. Let me tell you a true story to illustrate what I think the prime factor in creativity is.

A New York publisher was concerned about the lack of creativity among his editorial and marketing staff. He hired psychologists to try to determine what differentiated the creative employees from the others. After a year of study, the psychologists discovered that there was only one difference between creative and non-creative employees: belief in their creativity. Creative employees believed they were creative, and the non-creative ones believed they were not.

So, you are creative, I guarantee it. All you have to do is believe me. Is that too much to ask?

Harry Hoover is a partner in My Creative Team. He has 30 years of experience in crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success for serious businesses like Bank of Commerce, The Bray Law Firm, Brent Dees Financial Planning, CruisingTheICW.com, Duke Energy, Focus Four, Levolor, North Carolina Tourism, TeamHeidi, Ty Boyd Executive Learning Systems, VELUX, and Verbatim.

Building Your Home

Hurricane Katrina - Why?

"The Katrina Blues"

Ive been watching the news
Humming and moaning the Katrina Blues
Watching news crews snooze
Trying me, Lying to me
Ignoring human suffering
A man said Im going out of my head, my wife is dead
And you didnt so much as offer him Bufferin
As her hand slipped from his
She told him You cant save me
Just take care of the kids
And I cried with him
I cried for him
I could only touch my TV screen
But I could still feel him
I screamed Hell Yeah
When I heard Kanye rant about the media slant
On how white people were finding food to survive
While black people were looting
And I prayed Lord please dont let them start shooting
Save the babies, feed the children, love and protect the woman
Why would you rape her?
Sisters barely holding on
She didnt offer, so you take her against her will
Whats really real?
Is this the final hour?
AmeriKKKa back up off that claim of being a super power
As I viewed the devastation, I was led into meditation
Could this be Gods will to change the complexion of a Nation
From lily white to whats really right
From haves and have-nots to givers and get-a-lots
In this so-called melting pot
Watching bodies rot
Because schemers, excuse me, because FEMA
Was late with a food and water drop
I believe if there was a way for them to leave
They would have left, now theres nothing left
Im just like them living check to check
Only difference is Im not actually wading in water
Up to my neck
Even with advance warning, Im still mourning
For family, not even blood related
Whos at fault will be debated
Back and forth across the color line
Now this concept is heavy
Could it be the muddy waters of your mind
Broke through your spiritual levee a long time ago?
How else can you explain being so slow to react?
Damn near every so-called refugee on my TV was black
So has it really come down to that?
So you gave weekend warriors marching orders
To come through the French Quarter
To shoot to kill
How about they recoup to heal?
Carry food for meals
New Orleans is below sea level
But I see devils in high places
I saw men, woman and children staring into cameras
With no hope in their faces
Bus after bus taking them to unknown places
Like slaves being taken to new plantations
When theres no more room at the inn
What then?
Just sit and rot on that hot bus
While they discuss this influx of so-called refugees
I believe youd be less likely to procrastinate
If so many people in need
Didnt happen to look just like me
Now its really hit the fan
The levee broke
And all I could say is damn!

Christopher "Poetry Man" Fields

Born on September 11th, his given name is Christopher L. Fields. Tapping into the ambient energy of verbal expression; he assumed his true identity of The Poetry Man.

His style is a hybrid of the Church, the Classroom, and the Corner. Equally comfortable in the basement or the penthouse, he bends words to penetrate and overcome all barriers to effective communication.

A native of Ohio, he now resides in the DC Metropolitan Area; where he addresses contemporary issues with an old soul, and a profound understanding of self that engages the listener to the point of being entranced. In terms of subject matter, he can go from one end of the spectrum to other in the blink of an eye. The Poetry Man does not recite his work; he lives, breathes, and bleeds Poetry. His very soul is manifest each time he delivers the word.

Louis B

Child Development - Children and the Benefits of Angels

Angels in art and meditation are an alternative and spiritual healing therapy for child development.

As more and more alternative and spiritual healings are being studied and documented they are finding that all forms of upliftment heals the body, mind and spirit. Angelic art falls within this category by uplifting the spirit. I do not claim Angel paintings create physical healings. Angel paintings soothe the emotions and create a more peaceful atmosphere helping today's society deal with the stressful world we now find ourselves in on a day to day basis.

Angel paintings are unique. They are a form of healing art. Angelic art uplifts, motivates, comforts, soothes and inspires. Each painting holds it's own inspirational energy and you do not have to be a " Believer" for this to work. These paintings work on a deep emotional level, clearing, releasing and comforting the emotions and melting the stress of the day away. Inspiring within each individual that gazes upon them their own God like image and this is how the healing takes place. A place of beauty and perfection is remembered by the Soul." Divine energy is at work assisting alternative and spiritual healing through Angel therapy in the form of fine art.

My Angel paintings for example are personal, Angels by Sharae, whether it be in one of my collection series or for a specific individual or relationship or group. Upon completion of each painting, I know that it is indeed meant for someone and their heart and soul will instantly know and respond to the Angel and the energy before them in the painting. My Angel art is a gift, given to and through my talent by Divine Angels guidance instructed to them by a much Higher Source. The Angels oversee and instruct every brushstroke and detail of paint color and every brushstroke within each painting ... they truly know "Who" the painting is for and the message it portrays. You can read more about how the paintings are created on my Sharae's Studio page. These paintings are truly a "Living" source of Divine Energy. I have witnessed some pretty amazing emotional releasements, and reactions when people have gazed upon them and truly responded with their soul !

Each day, more and more documented proof is coming through from the medical fields proving that Art and Music are truly a recognized healing tool to be used by everyone. Whether it be in participation, gazing upon or listening ... Art heals. This has always been known in the Alternative and Holistic medicines, but now is being used more and more in the traditional medicines opening up a whole new train of thought causing many, many positive results benefiting all. I look forward to it becoming an everyday occurrence ... just as a standard prescription is used.

'Healing With The Angels', by Doreen Virtue who also authored Angel Therapy, " teaches esoteric and practical methods that help you work with your Angels in healing your relationship, family and body issues." Angel or Angelic art is an extension of this therapy.

Indigo and Crystal Children and the elderly respond to the Angel Paintings with a knowingness of love and illumination that comes from within them. Sometimes the reactions have been as though they are recognizing an old friend.

Children respond to Angels. I have spent many an hour introducing children to their Guardian Angels through guided visualization meditations. These meditations are a great way for children to have fun and to feel safe as never before when they actually know their own Angel. Angel paintings work in the same way when hung in their space and they know this is an image of their Angel. I have personally witnessed children who were afraid and shy most of the time become outgoing, happy kids ... when they have acknowledged their Angel it seems to open a whole new world for them because they know they are safe with their Guardian Angel watching over them.

Angels are so much more than we realize. I have found them to be great teachers and an endless source of information.

The Angels are the keepers and protectors of our children and surround each and every child with their wings of love. They focus on the nuturing, love and guidance of each and every little soul ... which speaks to my heart and makes it smile and I get to be called "The Angel Lady" by all these wonderful children.

Angels are so much more than messengers.

2005 Sharae Taylor

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included with link. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

Sharae Taylor is a well known Intuitive Angel Artist whose paintings are in world wide collections and her works have been exhibited with other well known Angel Artists Andy Lakey ,Donna Terody Sheratan,Gary Markowitz, past art editor of "Angel Times" magazine and K. Martin Kuri, Angel Artist and Author. Sharae has also participated in many Angel Expos and Angel Conferences with other well known Angel Authors like Alma Daniels author of "Ask Your Angels" and John Ronner author of "Do You Have a Guardian Angel". Her Angel paintings are featured in the newly released "Angels" DVD by Llewellyn and New World Music and was featured in the February 2005 issue of Planetlightworker.com. Sharae is a published author in magazines and ezine magazines. Children refer to Sharae as "The Angel Lady". To view Sharae's Angelic art and for further information visit her website at:http://www.angelsbysharae.com

Game Of Life and How To Play

Spiritual Canoe Trip for the Broken

Canoeing the Grand River or any wilderness water is visiting natures psychiatrist couch. The act of paddling has this stilling effect on the spirit house within. The aboriginal Indians put great time emphasis on connecting with creation and the Creator. They visited natures psychiatrist couch on a regular basis.

Today, setting aside reflective time is rare. Busy-ness rules, the traffic of life crushes. And few escape. Disconnected people become broken people and no income level is immune. Healing is needed a moments haven a breath of life for those bent too long.

Perhaps a simple drift on a river is the place to unravel everything. Tunnel vision is replaced by a panoramic sky-view of life. Magnificent scenery with each dip of the paddle. a slowing down a stepping out from the race. Captured moments are given lasting forever creating Liquid Medicine for the Soul.

As an avid canoeist I paddled to experience to take in as much of the wilderness as I could. And that was what canoeing was for me. But that changed with a canoe journey of a broken man. I saw the rejuvenation of a spirit a healing effect and witnessed the story that I am about to share.

Once when I was going on a one week canoe trip, I invited a man battling with a suicide of depressions. He was overcome by emotion wobbly in his thoughts, unsure of his decisions and physically zapped, but he said yes to the canoe trip. The trip pushed him. He was so busy just trying to do it. He was exhausted carrying packs around the rapids. He dreaded getting back in the canoe to paddle the next stretch. His anticipation of the whole experience was waiting for the trip to end.

Unknown, he was slowly woven into the fabric of those he traveled with. Seven days changed him within reflecting out. Laughter returned over mistakes once unforgiven. He gained confidence as unexplained fears were accepted. He jabbered as he paddled indulging in my youngest sons imagination. He even cooked his first campfire meal. And when sleep came, it was no longer restless but deep. He was so busy that he did not have time to let his mind drain his worth.

So what happen was it the mystic creation connection to the river and creation that changed this broken man?

I believe the healing came from stepping into an uncomplicated world. A simple world created by a canoe trip. The trip involved paddling, eating, sleeping and fellowship. And those were the only basics required to enjoy life. Everything else was swept away. The physical ness of the trip forced different values to the fore front and the mindset changed. The repetitive grooving effect from the consuming past or the fearful future was dismissed. Instead there was the dealing with the present change the bare essentials of surviving the canoe trip.

This strange personal time out on natures psychiatrist couch brought healing for the brokenness within. And it was strongly driven home when I received a card a couple of weeks later from the man I took. It simply said, thank you I no longer see the world in black and white but as a rainbow of colours again!

Garth Pottruff does guided canoe, kayak and rafting trips on the Grand River in Paris, Ontario, Canada. He is a forester with a love for nature, native history and teaching. A day on the Grand River in Southern Ontario with Garth is a worth while time out. For more information on the Grand River visit http://www.grandriverrafting.ca

Soul

How to Increase Your Energy

It takes more distress and poison to kill someone who has peace of mind and loves life." Bernie S. Siegel, M.D.

As a motivational speaker conducting leadership training and keynote speeches around the world, I'm often asked to combine the topic of leadership with "life balance" and stress management. Here are 15 easy tips that will help you increase your energy, enthusiasm and reduce stress. And if you're in a leadership position, how can you be an effective leader and set a good example if you are not motivated and energized to perform good work?

1) Get enough sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation in Washington, D.C., 65% of Americans are sleep deprived. Try to get at least seven hours of sleep per night.

2) Go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. Within the same hour is ideal. Researchers at Stanford Universitys Sleep Disorder Center have found it is possible to catch up on sleep during the weekends, but this can also upset your circadian rhythms and leave you more tired on Monday morning.

3) Do not eat or drink anything within one hour of your bedtime. Your body will only have to work harder to digest your food, which interrupts sleep patterns. By drinking liquids right before bedtime its more likely youll have to get up in the middle of the night.

4) Put your nervous system on glide at least one hour before retiring for the night. You can do this by using soft lighting (no more than 25 watts) relaxing music, a scented bubble bath with candles or some other quiet activity. Try avoiding work at least three hours before you go to bed as this can energize you. The same is true with exercise.

5) Drink plenty of water during the day. Dehydration causes you to feel fatigued even if you are eating healthy and going to bed at a reasonable hour.

6) Plan at least one activity during the day that gives you pleasure and energizes you just to think about it.

7) Socialize with others. Make certain you spend quality time with other adults during the day. And if you work outside the home, preferably where you can discuss something besides business or the kids.

8) Exercise in the morning. Depending on your biorhythms and schedule, many attendees in my speaking engagements report that morning exercise gives them increased energy and a sense of greater calm during the workday. They often tell me they have to drag themselves out the door, but feel so much better afterwards.

9) Take a hot and cold shower to increase your energy. Upon awakening in the morning, take a hot shower with eucalyptus oil sprinkled on a loofah sponge. End with a shot of cooler water. This will invigorate your body, stimulate blood flow and bring oxygen to your cells.

10) Pour on the protein. Foods rich in protein help improve mental acuity and slow the absorption of carbohydrates. Eggs, fish, low fat dairy, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, also meat and poultry if youre not a vegetarian. Still, make sure you include plenty of other foods for moderation.

11) Cut back on caffeine. If you love coffee or colas (coffee lovers I can relate) cut back and consider adding green tea to your daily regimen. Green tea contains powerful anti-oxidants and less caffeine. It has enough caffeine to perk you up but usually not so much that you experience that crash later in the day.

12) Have a goal of taking at least two weeks vacation time a year. Work your way up to three and four weeks a year. Start taking off two days per week, if thats at all possible, where you refuse to do any type of work that would tax your mind and stress you out. If you are very busy or self-employed like I am, make this something to strive for in the future.

13) Spend time actually planning a getaway vacation. For many of us, staying home for a holiday is nice, but were still surrounded by bills, laundry, phone calls and other stressful distractions. Consider a goal of taking that dream destination vacation youve always wanted whether its to Tahiti, Paris, or a national park. If this seems virtually impossible, I strongly recommend you read the article titled How to Set Goals and Get What You Want under the free articles section at www.ColleenSpeaks.com I dreamed of an Alaska cruise for many years, practiced the simple time-tested techniques in that article, and cruised there for a third time in May 2005.

14) Get outdoors every day even if its overcast. Where I live in the Pacific Northwest, winters are normally gray. Winter 2005 was unusual with its turquoise-blue sunny skies and temperatures reaching almost 70 degrees in January. However, its a proven fact that with reduced sunlight, many people all over the world suffer from SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, during the winter months.

15) Listen to mood enhancing music during the day. What type of music energizes you and gets those feel-good hormones into your brain? Blues and jazz? R&B or rock and roll? A word of caution: be careful listening to your favorite music right before bedtime. I sometimes listen to contemporary smooth jazzlots of saxophone and trumpets late into the night, and often it energizes me rather than putting me to sleep.

Take personal responsibility for maximizing your success and minimizing stress. You cant control many external circumstances such as other people, traffic and weather; but you can control your environment. Write down three action steps youll take to improve your well-being. Share these with someone. Develop a buddy system for accountability. When you write them down and commit to them, youre more likely to follow through. Heres to much success and less stress!

Colleen Kettenhofen is a professional speaker, author and workplace expert who has spoken in 47 states and six countries. She is co-author of The Masters of Success, as featured on The Today Show, along with Ken Blanchard and Jack Canfield. Colleen's most popular topics: leadership and management skills, dealing with difficult people, public speaking. To order the book, or for more free articles and e-newsletter, visit http://www.ColleenSpeaks.com, colleen@colleenspeaks.com Colleen is available for keynotes, breakout sessions and seminars.

You are free to reprint or repost this article provided Colleen's name, website and email are included at the end of the article.

What Is The Meaning Of Life
Manifest my center for healing

Persistence Pays Off

Persistence is to success as excuses are to failure. Never, never give up - there is always a way.

Jim Rohn said, "If you want something, you will find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse." And he should know. A college drop-out, and in a rut, in debt and unable to see his way out by his mid-twenties, Jim set out to achieve more. And he did. His persistence paid off and by age 31, he was a millionaire.

If you want more, you WILL find a way, because there always IS a way. With persistence and consistent action you will make it happen. If you don't believe me, keep reading.

Did you know that Thomas Edison had over 10,000 failed attempts to create the light bulb before he was successful? His persistence was as valuable as his invention. 10,000 failed attempts and look what he created! Even if you're not out to change the world, what could you create with an unresolved persistence?

Allyson Felix made it to the Olympics in just over one year. With an intense training schedule of five to six hours per day, her persistence paid off. By the end of her training season in 2003, she had broken many records, including one set by Olympic Gold Medalist, Marion Jones. At the 2004 Olympics, she won the Silver Medal by running a 22.18 in the 200-meter race. Amazingly, she did all of this while being a high-school senior and a freshman college student.

Persistence always pays off - and sometimes big time! It's a known fact that more business deals are inked when one of the parties is persistent. Now, being persistent is not the same as being pushy; rather, it is voicing your ideal fit and expertise to someone that may not be aware of the benefits they will receive working with you. They will appreciate your persistence and the benefits - but you have to make them known.

You've probably heard of Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, and their best-selling book series, Chicken Soup for the Soul. Did you know they marketed the original books to over 130 publishers, over a two-year period before a struggling publisher agreed to publish it. That's two years of phone calls, foot-peddling and persistence that started a best-selling book series. The authors knew the value of the book, it came down to making it known to the right publisher. Once the publisher saw the value, they knew what the benefits would be. Their first book went on to sell 8 million copies in 39 languages. And to date, the series has sold more than 100 million copies in over 45 languages.

At one point, JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter book series was on welfare and so broke that she wrote her story on pub napkins. She could have easily given up on writing, but she was persistent in her passion. She finished the first Harry Potter novel, found a literary agent and went to work marketing her book. Today, she is one of the wealthiest women in the world, with a net worth of about $1 billion dollars.

There are thousands of examples of ordinary people achieving extraordinary goals; these are just a few examples of how persistence paid off. Achieving your goals requires you to take consistent action, be persistent, and maintain a resolve to simply not give up. Below are steps you can take today, to get you closer to achieving your goals.

1. Take Measurable Actions - Every Day!

Persistence takes action. Take at least 3 actions every day that support goal achievement. If you need funding for your venture, then get on the phone and find an investor. If you want to lose weight, then eat well and exercise. If you want a new job, then take steps to make yourself a prime job candidate for the right company. Consistent action and persistence pays off.

2. Keep Showing Up

If you believe in what you're doing, just keep showing up. You never know when your break-through opportunity will appear, so bring your best to every situation. When the right opportunity appears, you'll be ready!

3. Remain Objective About Your Obstacles

Don't get emotional about the obstacles in front of you. Remember, there is always a way, and your success is inevitable. You just have to figure out how to move over, around or under your challenges.

4. Learn to Say "Next!"

Don't take rejections personally; they are nothing more than the natural process of weeding out the sub-prime opportunities. You're on the road to success and want to put your energies toward something that will be ideal for all parties involved - including you. The right opportunity will be met with an enthusiastic "Yes"!

5. Track Your Progress

It's easier to be persistent when you can see how far you've come. Track your progress and achievements so you can see how much closer you're getting with every step forward.

The road to success isn't always easy - but it isn't always hard. There may be times when you have to talk yourself through periods of self-doubt, and there will definitely be times when you defy the odds. Never, never give up because there is always a way to achieve your goals and experience the life you truly desire.

Every action of every day between now and your goal achievement counts. Take action, bring your best, find solutions to your obstacles, and say "Next!" to your rejections. Feel good about how far you've come and be persistent until you achieve your goals!

2007 Anne Bachrach.

Anne M. Bachrach is President of A.M. Enterprises in San Diego, CA. Anne has 23 years of experience training and coaching. The objective is to do more business in less time through maximizing people's true potential, and ultimately leading them to an even better quality of life. For more information on our services and learning tools, call Anne at 858-456-0160, or e-mail anne@accountabilitycoach.com

God