New Year's Resolutions....I Don't Make Them!

I have never been one to make New Year’s Resolutions…my thought is why wait till the end of the year to make a change, improve your life or do something good? DO IT NOW!
If you create goals and you actually stick to them, then you know that your changes and decisions are always evolving on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. Decisions and changes are part of my everyday makeup…I make them all the time and so should you. If you wait till the end of the year to sit down and make resolutions you will be short changing yourself and your ability to accomplish bigger and better things quicker.

Now don’t get me wrong…there is nothing wrong with sitting down at the end of the year and reviewing goals for the past year and developing to tweaking 5 or 10 year goals but this process should always be ongoing. The only point I am trying to make here is…don’t wait till the end of the year to review, change, tweak or rework…when you know a change needs to be made do it then while its fresh in your mind.

If you are normally NOT a goal setter but create a big list of New Year’s Resolutions for the New Year…I can just about tell you that probably the biggest majority of them never see the light of day…why? Because if you are not prone to setting goals and using them as your blue print then you probably have a hard time making things happen.

Are you at a loss for how to set goals? Don’t fret…many people don’t know how or even know where to start. A friend of mine just recently turned me on to a new program called LifeBook. It’s a 4day program that will help you get started on creating your goal plans for all points in your life…from your career, financial and even your spiritual and health & fitness. They cover 12-categories that are essential in fulfilling all levels of your life.

Even though I am an avid goal setter this program looks really interesting to me…I may be checking this program out myself in 2010…how cool would it be to get away from life for 4-days and create the blue print for your life?

If you are interested…check out their website: http://www.mylifebook.com/

What Does Music Mean To You?

Music means everything in the world to me...it transports me to places, times, people, events, special moments but most importantly feelings. I can hear a song and instantly put a memory with it...sometimes good and sometimes sad. Each one is special because those events and times have made me who I am today.

There are special songs that stir feelings within my heart and soul that can instantly make me smile or bring tears to my eyes. There are times when my heart speeds up and I instantly can feel the pain and sadness or I can be in the best place ever when I hear specifc ones. They each have a personal meaning to me or tell a story that intertwines with my life and passions.

I enjoy spending time searching for songs that move me, take me back to a younger time or introduce me to someone new, something new....something exciting and alive. Music lets me say or express emotions that sometimes I might have trouble conveying. Have you ever heard a song that says everything you want to say to someone?

Music can literally move you to a different place and time...if you close your eyes...the music can make it all feel so real again. Then there is the music that has certain levels and octaves that can literally give me goose bumps and bring a certain energy; almost like a small level of electricity running through your body. What about the music that has a beat that literally begins to move your body...bringing out even more expression and freedom.

What does music mean to you?

Evaluating your Associations with Jim Rohn

Jim Rohn posted this great information in one of his newsletters this week...wanted to share it with you!

The power of influence in our lives and how it is possible to be nudged off course a little at a time until, finally, we find ourselves asking, “How did I get here?”
1) “Who am I around?”

You’ve got to evaluate everybody who is able to influence you in any way.

2) “What are these associations doing to me?”

That’s a major question to ask. What have they got me doing, listening to, reading, thinking and feeling? You’ve got to make a serious study of how others are influencing you, both negatively and positively.

3) “Is that okay?”

Maybe everyone you associate with has been a positive, energizing influence. Then again, maybe there are some bad apples in the bunch. All I’m suggesting here is that you take a close and objective look. Everything is worth a second look, especially the power of influence. Both will take you somewhere, but only one will take you in the direction you need to go.
We want to discuss three ways to handle associations or relationships that are holding you back.
1) Disassociate.

This is not an easy decision, nor something you should take lightly, but in some cases it may be essential (please don’t e-mail me asking me to advise you about this—only you can decide). You may just have to make the hard choice not to let certain negative influences affect you anymore. It could be a choice that preserves the quality of your life.
2) Limited association.

Spend major time with major influences and minor time with minor influences. It is easy to do just the opposite, but don’t fall into that trap. Take a look at your priorities and your values. We have so little time at our disposal. Wouldn’t it make sense to invest it wisely?
3) Expanding your associations.

This is the one I suggest you focus on the most. Find other successful people who you can spend more time with. Invite them to lunch (pick up the tab) and ask them how they have achieved so much or what makes them successful. Now, this is not just about financial success; it can be someone who you want to learn from about having a better marriage, being a better parent, having better health or a stronger spiritual life.

It is called association on purpose—getting around the right people by expanding your circle of influence. And when you do that, you will naturally limit the relationships that are holding you back. Give it a try and see for yourself.

Jim Rohn Newsletter
Issue 525 - December 1, 2009

Jim Rohn International - Home of http://www.jimrohn.com - The Official Site of World Renowned Business Philosopher Jim Rohn

Old Friends & New Relationships

I was having a conversation with my husband the other morning and we were discussing the act of socializing. This is where I found that we were totally different in our methods of meeting new people. He said to me...it's hard to walk in a room and find someone that is like you, someone you can carry on a conversation with.

At that moment in time I realized that I am totally different...I look for people that are different from me...people that will show me different opinions, thoughts and ideas...maybe someone who will take me down a different path in thought or life. I enjoy seeing and exploring new ideas; without them I feel stifled unable to grow or learn.

Last Saturday I met a dear friend of mine at Starbucks...we met in first grade and went through high school together but after graduation we went our separate ways. We recently connected on Facebook and have enjoyed regenerating our old relationship but in new grown up ways - she was driving through last weekend and reached out and we had the chance to visit for a short time. I immediately knew why we became best friends in first grade...her smile could always bring me out of a bad mood in an instant!

Maintaining old relationships seems to be more important to us as we get older...there is something inside us that pushes us to rekindle, check back in or just relish in the ones we have maintained. As important as old relationships are; new ones are just as important....even old ones that are new!

Are You Using Social Media for Your Business?

Remember that the key to using social media as a marketing tool is interaction. Get to know your audience and reach out to them. Social media is all about relationships. If you want to have maximum social media success, you have to be able to build relationships within your niche.

Read more here: http://ow.ly/ABMa

Quote for the Day!

"If you feel something in your heart, if you have a vision for it, then it's no longer a risk." —Isaac Mizrahi

Are You Showing Up 'TO' Work?

Albert Einstein said that “setting an example is not the main means of influencing others; it is the only means.”
Anyone who is a baseball fan knows that the number 8 is an infamous number not only for the Baltimore Orioles but for every little league across the country.

Every little boy over the last 20-years has wanted to wear the number 8 on their back because it belonged to one of our greatest baseball hero’s; Cal Ripkin, Jr.

While Cal was known for his awesome baseball catches at shortstop it wasn’t until he was asked to move to third base that people began to realize his true talent…and it wasn’t just on the baseball field.

His flexibility to do what his team needed caused some to say that he would never enjoy the same fame at third base as he had at shortstop. However nothing could have been further from the truth.

Cal is the picture of perfection; not that he is perfect by any means but that he never stopped learning and perfecting his craft until he was the ultimate best that he could be. It was his work ethic that caused many younger players the inability to keep up with him day in and day out on the field and in practice. It was this work ethic that allowed him to play 2,632 consecutive games surpassing Lou Gehrig’s 2,130 record games. Donned with the title the IRON MAN, he earned his name by showing up every day.

In the preface of his 2007 book; ‘Get in the Game,’ Ripkin tells about a conversation in the dugout during the 1998 All Star Game. A young Derek Jeter leaned in to ask Ripkin – “what’s the secret of playing everyday? How do you do it?”

Ripkin said…’you know Derek, I just…I just play.”

As unspectacular as the answer might seem, Ripkin says he’s grown to realize he has to amend that statement a little. “I didn’t just show up FOR work….I also showed up TO work.” The distinction Ripkin syas is that I didn’t just clock in; he made sure he was getting better at his craft every single day. “I think my numbers will back me up”, Ripkin says. “I worked at my game, worked on my weaknesses. I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t just on the field, but that I was a contributor every time I was out there.”

“I think it’s important, especially in this economy, to see that you can’t stay around if you’re not getting better.” Ripkin says. “No business or baseball team is going to keep people just because they show up. You have to constantly be looking for ways to improve your value to the organization. You have to develop strong fundamentals – no matter what you do. And you have to make yourself indispensable and that requires you to constantly be evaluating what you’re doing and what needs to be done.”

So let me ask you…

 Are you just showing up FOR work or are you showing up TO work?
 Are you constantly identifying your weaknesses and trying to improve and build upon them?
 And lastly, are you contributing to your team in order to build a quality organization?

Lessons from Sports: Showing Up to Work by Don Yaeger: Success Magazine April 2009

SKIRT! Interviews Elizabeth...

Elizabeth was interviewed by SKIRT! Magazine in September of 2008 and stopped back by to follow up on what she had accomplished since their last interview. Take a look!

Ribbons of Health

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month...everywhere you look you see ribbons of pink. In clothing, magnets on cars, magazines and even recyclable grocery bags. Breast Cancer is real and its devastation wreaks havoc in many women’s lives as well as their families.

A woman’s body is the core of our being. It is a vehicle for us to be many things. From a young woman, to a wife and then being blessed with children; the body of a woman has such important jobs. Our self-esteem normally revolves around how we feel about our bodies. Are we too fat, too skinny? Are we working out and eating healthy? Do the men in our lives think we are sexy or still sexy after 40?

I was impressed with Glamour Magazine; not only in their October issue but also in the new November issue. The article “Oh. wow. these bodies are beautiful” was breathtaking. Not only did they feature women with curves and imperfections but the beauty in the women set a preference of what the definition of gorgeous really means.

Women are not defined by the shapes of their hips or the curves of their breasts. We are defined by how we feel about our bodies; the way we present our body image. Having a healthy body does not mean you are super thin...what it does mean is that you  take care of yourself, eat healthy and try to put some exercise into your daily life. The results leave you physically stronger and loaded with much more energy. Creating a positive attitude and bringing that forward in your life each and every day helps you respect your body and all the great things it does for you.

So as we continue to support our sisters who fight breast cancer; fight for yourself too. Fight for your right to remain healthy and be proud of your body. Don’t let society dictate what a perfect body looks like...look in the mirror; it’s starring right at you.

What Have You Done?

What have you done in the past week to improve so that you are better this week than you were last week? That is a tough question for some to answer because many are happy with mediocre and don't push themselves on a daily basis to be better.


It's interesting to me when people tell me that I need to slow down. I think if I slowed down I would die. Living life to the fullest; working to improve myself; building and getting new and better results…that is just part of who I am. It is my DNA…I can’t take it away and I can’t change it. (Not that I want to.)

But if you were to really ask yourself what improvements you have made to yourself, your life, your family, friends, etc to help improve or make the situation or relationship better what would you say? Are you putting yourself out there into unfamiliar territory where it might not feel comfortable? Or as some would say…are you stepping outside the box?

Stepping out of the box or your comfort zone is how we grow. When we take risks to try something new we ultimately grow and learn from it; whether it turns out to be a mistake or not. Putting yourself out there is not always hard, there are easy steps that you can take that help you improve and grow. For instance, I read a new book every week. I have paperback books, hardback books, e-books and even my Amazon Kindle that is loaded with books. I have so many books waiting to be read…people just shake their head at me. But reading is important to me…I learn from reading and I grow by applying.

Continually keeping an eye on your goals and focusing on your outcomes helps you move forward. When you loose focus on what you really want you loose your sense of balance and life goes on auto pilot. Auto pilot is where mediocre comes into play…you are not involved in your own life…you are allowing life to drive you with other peoples dreams and ideas instead of your own.

So answering the question that I asked when we first started could include answers such as reading a new book, applying a new principle to your business or personal relationships, pumping up or changing around your work out routine. If you make it a point to record your accomplishments you will see huge differences as the weeks go by…and all those little steps you took each week will end the year with a new, more focused and better individual than before.

Glitz, Glamour & Fashion

Red Carpet Awaits You!

Join Tampa Bay's A-list for an evening of fun and fashion… Maria McGill, Dancing with the Stars designer, top fashion stylist Laura Hunt of Freeway Fashion… Tammy Levent, entrepreneur extraordinaire will MC the event and the Live Auction… There’s more!

Enjoy a night of fashion… bid on auction items from some of Tampa Bays most elite businesses... including an all-inclusive trip… one of a kind diamonds and jewelry by top designers to the celebs - all to benefit the eWomenNetwork Foundation http://www.ewomennetworkfoundation.org/About.html.

Indulge in mouthwatering hors d'oeuvres, complimentary wine tasting and cocktails while enjoying the styles and couture from local designers to international sensations!

Join us Tuesday, September 8th!

The first 100 pre-paid guests will be eligible to win two VIP passes to the “Flavor of Jazz” at Ruth Eckerd Hall!

Sponsors:
Home Theater Gallery
Elite Travel
Icon-b
DoubleTake Studios
Celazome
Catering by the Family
Freeway Fashion
Designs to Shine
Gold & Diamond Source
Penny Rogo Bailes
Time for Wine
Joyce Cotton
Core Fitness Solutions
The Peak Performance Group

For More Information Click Here!

Good to Great: Jim Collins

They stick with what they understand and let their abilities, not their egos, determine what they attempt...Warren Buffett

TBBJ Business Woman of the Year Event!

My daughter Kate and I attended the Tampa Bay Business Journal Woman of the Year event on Friday night at the Tampa Marriott. What a wonderful event and so much fun to support the outstanding business women in the Tampa Bay community. All the nominees were recognized and it was great to see them enjoying their evening!

What Qualifies As Being A Good Leader?

In the book; "Good to Great" Jim Collins states that 'level 5 leadership (that being the highest level) is not just about humility and modesty. It is equally about ferocious resolve, an almost stoic determination to do whatever needs to be done to make the company great.' If you want to learn more about two great leaders in the industry check out Darwin Smith and Colman Mockler.

I am sure you have probably never heard their names before....do some research and learn what made them great leaders.

Motivation & Goals

Motivation is a powerful tool for a woman. Have you ever been to an all women’s meeting or conference? The power within that room when women get pumped up is enough to rule the world and I mean that literally. There is nothing that a woman can’t do when she is motivated.

But many people will agree that motivating is the easy part; following through can sometimes be the difficult part. Motivation will quickly die if it’s not acted upon. We can listen to a great speaker or come up with a great idea and we are extremely motivated but then something happens and we loose that motivation. Is it because we don’t follow through or take action? Most of the time yes, when you feel motivated about something, you are on the cuff of taking action to do something. Taking action is what leads to excitement and passion when we accomplish the action.

As a leader you have to understand how to recognize, create and empower motivation. The power that a woman can harness through motivation is actually mind boggling and helping women focus their new ideas and passions is truly a gift. This is a gift that I am blessed to have.

“Elizabeth pays attention to detail, and is one of those rare people who can actually see another person's vision. From the start I was able to tell that she would help me with my dream, and she did just that.”
Jonathon S.

Motivating starts with helping people find what excites them; what makes that energy inside of them explode. Everyone that has ever worked with me in my leadership teams has completed personal and professional goals. I know that sounds cheesy but it truly is important and some women have never been allowed to think about themselves or their dreams. This gives you the license to dream. Richard, my coach once asked me to do a special project for him that I found a little hard to complete at the time. He asked me to pretend that I was 90-years old and going to a special reception to honor myself; to write my own tribute. So ask yourself, at 90-years old what is that you want to accomplish and how do you want people to remember you. What impact do you want to make in this world? Let me tell you something…if that doesn’t get you motivated to fulfill your goals I don’t know what will.

Learn how to motivate yourself; don’t rely on others to create your motivation. A true leader empowers herself and motivates internally through the people she moves with, being a self-learner through books, workshops and conferences. When you depend on someone else to motivate you, you give up your own internal motivation and then you have a dependency which is controlled by someone else. Motivate yourself and learn to use external sources to build on what you already have.

When people see how deeply you care and how passionate you are, that motivation becomes infectious. There is a saying that you should surround yourself with positive people. This couldn’t be truer – people want to be around you because you excite them, you bring out the creative thinker within them and you help people build their dreams. So follow these tips to help you get motivated and dream:

Write a tribute to yourself and include your dreams and goals. Remember anything is attainable if you want it bad enough.

Next take time to put your goals and plan down on paper. It helps to keep them in a journal so you can write in it as you move through your journey. Remember your life changes and so will your goals. You may find something that you wanted previously is no longer important to you. Don’t be afraid to change your goals.

Challenge and motivate yourself by attending conferences that focus about creativity and empowering you. Books are another great way to continue to keep you excited.

And one of the most important is to act on your motivation and goals. Stay energized and work your plan. As you progress the passion builds and so does the accomplishment.

What is Your Driving Force?

All of us flounder at times when asked what we want to do with our lives; what are your goals?

Even as successful as I feel on most days I still feel confused about where I am and what I want. Last month on my way to Vegas I traveled with one of my Managers and we were discussing a book written by Jack Canfield; life goals. She told me she was having a hard time putting her goals into words because “I want to do it all…” was her response to me. I sat back in my seat and turned my head to look out the window. A big smile crossed my face and I sighed…broad goals for such a young woman. That excites me…this is why she works with me. Although as much as that answer made me smile a part of me felt a tinge of concern. While it is awesome to be open about setting goals they are still necessary otherwise we loose focus and direction. We tend to wonder off track and before we know it we have accomplished nothing.

If you were to ask me what I want to be when I grow up I would tell you that I honestly don’t know…so how do you make goals when you don’t know what you want? I have always been open to what the universe has brought my way. I have never been disappointed in any of the challenges and opportunities that have come my way; I have learned and grew in ways that I never would have imagined. I have been blessed to meet and work with some of the most creative minds.

In my openness I have found that people gravitate toward me for different reasons. Through vision, creativity and the ability to motivate I draw like minded people into my life. I have the ability to see other people’s visions and goals; having the innate skill of helping them focus to make things happen. My driving force is to make other people’s dreams not just a possibility but a definite reality.

This is not my job…this is not what I get paid to do…but this is my passion. The ability to brainstorm with someone about their dreams and ideas puts me in a totally different universe. The ability to take someone’s ideas and help them create and design a vision…how exciting is that? I can create that excitement and motivation that kick starts people and moves them to action. Helping them create a blue print / their plan and then helping them be accountable to themselves.

One of the things I am able to do is to take someone’s excitement in a conversation and totally put them in a place where they want to create action. The more excited they become the more I feed on that excitement and we push into places…good places and sometimes painful but always somewhere that drives action to change or succeed.

So how do you define goals when they hinge on other people? My happiness depends on other people’s dreams…creativity drives my passion and heart. While having a conversation with an old client who still calls me to talk ideas and suggestions through…he joked at the end of our conversation that I would always be his Muse….his guiding spirit and source of inspiration. He said when he is stuck or needs that push he always knows who to call to get him ‘stoked’ about his ideas and his own self-confidence to make it happen.

Those are big shoes to fill…but there you have my driving force…in one short and to the point sentence…what is your driving force? What is your passion that drives you to accomplish things in your life?

The Next Level

Prime Training & Conditioning; Your On-line Fitness Community
www.primetrainingonline.com

All of us want to “get into great shape.” This can have a different meaning for all of us, from losing 20lbs, lowering blood pressure or cholesterol and getting off medication to the oh so popular, “I want to see my 6-pack.”

All are great and reasonable goals, but the majority of us find that we fall short a lot of the time in reaching those goals. You work hard in the gym, you eat right and you are doing your cardio faithfully so why don’t we have what we want? One answer may be that your body is just used to what it is doing. There comes a point in time when you must change the routine to make the body respond. You have to move beyond what you normally do and do something different.

Now that can mean doing less weight and more reps, or walking for longer on the treadmill, scheduling and planning out meals more efficiently…it takes effort, work and consistency. Move to the next level and see if it doesn’t get you moving closer to getting in great shape.

Check out the Prime Training Online Blog as well; lots of great information for you at: www.primetrainingonline.blogspot.com.

Prime Training & Conditioning. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without exclusive permission from Prime Training & Conditioning.

Purpose & Balance

At the beginning of the year I started off exhausted, stressed, over weight and emotionally drained. Not only am I the President of a very successful business Servicing Organization I also work with clients in my spare time through coaching, mentoring, website design and development…basically helping those who need me to help them live out their purpose and dreams in life. Most of this time is volunteered at not cost…I do it because I love it…I do it because it’s my purpose in life.

What I didn’t realize was that my purpose balance was way off…while I was so busy trying to help everyone else I forgot about me. When I joined a gym in February and started working out with a personal trainer; he very nicely informed me that my balance was…well let’s just say there was no balance…My life revolved around everyone but me and my body and mental state were starting to show signs of a blow out. A month in the gym every single night after work gave me an outlet to work off the stress…I slowly finished up with what extra clients I had and left my schedule completely open for me.

I have to tell you…from someone who is used to running from the time she gets up to the time she goes to bed…this added time in my planner was looking like heaven to me. Not only were there empty time slots…I actually had time to sit and do nothing at all…I liked this…as a matter of fact I liked this so much that I thought…”wow, I could really get used to this.” I had no commitments…I practically dropped out of the social networking scene and thought oh my gosh…this is awesome…April rolled around and it was time for me to start working through some new articles for my website and my book that I am writing and I thought…as relaxed as I am this is going to be so easy. Yeah…right!

For weeks I sat in front of my laptop trying to be creative and figure out what I was going to write about…where did my creativity disappear too? What happened to the woman who could punch out 10 articles in a weekend – good articles I might add. Weeks turned into a month and I felt lost and out of place. But hey…my body looks good…lost the weight, reduced the body fat and dropped A LOT of sizes. I don’t have the stress and I feel much healthier but something was missing…

I thought to myself…If I start all this back up again the stress will return and I will be right back where I was…so what is the answer? How do I find the balance and how do I get back to my purpose? I found out that my creativity and passion was fueled by my purpose and when I eliminated the purpose I eliminated the fire that motivated me. So I decided to start off slow…I took one client on…one that was very special to me. His purpose is what saved me and put me in a place that was good again. So I was passionate about helping him succeed.

So with one client I am learning to balance ‘me and my purpose’ by taking baby steps. Now that I know how to recognize when that pendulum is swinging a little heavier to one side than the other I know how to step back and level it out. By the way, I feel creative again; the writing is flowing much better again…not at the level it was before but it’s getting there and so is my level of motivation and enthusiasm.

Having a purpose that inspires people can be tough when you are less than inspired yourself. I am so excited that I have been given the tools and knowledge to make this all work. Hiring a health and fitness coach / trainer was paramount to my success; having one that knows his stuff and supported the changes in me was icing on the cake. Just remember that it is important to focus on you first and work outward. I guarantee the results you produce will align your goals and visions not just in your health but in your business as well.

Strengthen Your Core and Find your Balance!

My friend and trainer, Arnie Probeyahn of Prime Training, pushes the thoughts of balance into my mind…focus on your core and your balance will be there he says…interesting thought, yes?

Focus on your core and your balance will be there…maintaining your balance in life is a lot like maintaining your balance in exercise; it’s all about the core.

We all know that the core of our body are the muscles that are deep within our abs and back which attach to the spine or pelvis, but what is the core of your internal being? What does that consist of…do you really know?

What are you doing to strengthen your core and maintain your balance in life?

When I speak of my internal core; I immediately refer to the (5) major core essences in my life and the importance of maintaining that emotional and physical balance.

-Mind
-Body
-Spirit
-Family
-Passion

If you had to list your internal core essences (CE), what would they be? Take a minute to jot down at least 5 areas that balance your life – those things that keep you balanced. It’s okay to list something you don’t have right now but that you really want. You may find that your CE’s are very similar to mine as each of these categories can include a multitude of levels.

While these specific things have always been in place in my life…what I found is that my body was way off which threw me in a total tail spin. Now that I work out daily either in the gym, on my bike or walking I feel more balanced. I had the mind, spirit, family and passion balanced but not the body.

It can be hard to find balance daily in all of these places but I now have a system…let me share it with you. If you make a choice to be tuned into your core and balance daily you will immediately know when something is missing. I hated the feeling of being “off key” and not really knowing why so I developed this system to help me identify what part of my core is not balanced.

Once you have identified your CE’s you will have a guide. Each day in a journal list and identify those things that happen during your day that helped you meet each of these core identifiers. Don’t worry if you don’t meet every one every day. As you get used to doing this exercise you will be able to mentally feel when these goals are met. I have attached some references to my (5) CE’s and how I meet them each day.

Touching on all them daily will give you a sense of calm each day but remember don’t force this…let it happen. You may not be able to meet each of your CE’s each day when you first start…but just like when you are working out, when you engage your core everything balances out. So learn to engage your internal core daily and life will balance itself out.

Journaling

It is important for you to create your categories and how you fulfill them. For example my spiritual CE may be totally different from yours. When you created your CE’s you must have had some idea of what you do that fulfills this need.

Here is your time to now list those things under each CE that relate to your needs. Here are some examples of mine and how I put them in my journal.

Mind

-Reading
-Mentoring
-Learning

I almost always read at night because it is important to me to continue to learn and grow. If I work with my management team or someone that I am mentoring and I help them learn something new, see something different or teach them a new skill this fulfills my CE for this category. Any new and creative projects also fuel my mind, spirit and passion!

Conversations with people who make me think and use my mind are also great inspirational moments in my day…I feed on these type of moments as they help me grow, keep an open mind and understand how others feel and need.

Body

-Working Out
-Eating Healthy
-Getting a massage
-Getting an annual checkup
-Splurging on a manicure or pedicure

You will find that you need to identify ways to make sure that you are not always filling your CE’s with the same thing. For instance, if I always splurged on a manicure and forgot about working out I would not be paying close attention to what my body needs. As you will find there are also balances within each CE and different ways to fulfill them. Remember that your CE is may not always be about fun but making sure you are doing what needs to be done to balance you out. Your body is an important CE and you must make sure that you are taking care of yourself both physically and emotionally.

Spirit / Spirituality

-Self-Discovery
-Keeping an open mind
-Meaning, purpose & direction

My spirituality is very important to me and while I don’t necessarily do ‘something’ to touch on this daily I work to find my purpose in life all the time. Many times I will write in my journal something that happened that day that gave me a certain feeling, such as…’this is why I was in this particular place today.’ I find that the universe feeds me situations where I am needed to make a difference. I always write these things down because when I reflect back I know at that time what my meaning, purpose and direction was at that moment.

Family & Friends

-Spending time with family
-Spending time with friends

Anything that revolves around my family and friends falls into this CE. A phone call or lunch with a friend, dinner with my husband or shopping with my daughter, talking to my son or just sharing a laugh with a co-worker…these are all important to me and I normally have more than one of these each day.

These CE’s are my lifelines…I could not survive without them.

Passion

This is such a broad topic for me; anyone that knows me knows that I can get fired up over something that I am passionate about. This can be from a baseball game to a new work project. Normally there is not a day that goes by that I am not passionate about something; if I am not I know it right away.

Know what fires you up and what you are passionate about – this is important because it keeps you motivated and energized in life.

I also gain an imbalance from my passion at times. When something I feel passionately about is in an influx it can cause my focus and balance to plummet off the edge of a cliff. I still work to identify these feelings immediately; that is not to say that they don’t affect me in an adverse way but this system has taught me to identify this much quicker and get it under control.

I hope these tips have helped you begin to think more about what your CE’s are; how to engage them and how they can be used to maintain balance in your heath, personal life as well as your business life.

Speak Up - Overcoming Stage Fright

Speak Up - Overcoming Stage Fright

Information Obtained from: Success Magazine (Source: The Everything Public Speaking Book: Delivering a Winning Presentation Every Time by Scott S. Smith, Adams Media, 2008)

Your heart beats rapidly. Your palms sweat. Your voice squeaks. Public speaking ranks among the most dreaded prospects - even greater than most other fears. So how can you manage your fear and pull off your speech with finesse? Here are some strategies:

• Be Prepared: Preparation can be the perfect cure to calm your nerves. Know your topic better than your audience does. Research and rehearse.
  
• Think Positive thoughts to boost your confidence and don't feed into nervousness. Avoid negative thought patterns like, "my hands are shaking" or "I feel like my heart beating faster." Reprogram your mind with thoughts that provide comfort and confidence.
  
• Tape-record your speech: Listen to it and try it again after making improvements to your voice, enunciation or pace.
  
• When you are at the podium, do not mistake blank faces for apathy or hostility. Some people do not smile when they are concentrating.
  
• Eat a light meal beforehand, such as fruit or salad. A fat-rich meal can channel your body's energy into the digestive process and slow down your mind.
  
• Get a good night's sleep. Eight hours is recommended.
  
• Take care of your voice. If you smoke, stop. And avoid smoky environments before your speech.
  
• Dress appropriately for your audience and presentation.
  Breathe deeply.
  
• Keep a bottle of water and take small sips for vocal clarity.
  
• Don't avoid it. Avoidance makes your fears worse, never allowing you to work through your fear or improve.