Ten Commandments of Human Relations

1.      Speak to people.  There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word.

2.      Smile at people.  It takes 72 muscles to frown, only 14 to smile.

3.      Call people by name.  The sweetest music to anyone’s ears is the sound of his/her  name.

4.      Be friendly and helpful.  If you would have friends, be friendly.

5.      Be cordial.  Speak and act as if everything you do were a pleasure.

6.      Be genuinely interested in people.  You can like every body if you try.

7.      Be generous with praise – cautious with criticism.

8.      Be considerate with the feelings of others – it s appreciated.,

9.      Be thoughtful of the opinions of others – there are three sides to a controversy – yours, the other person’s and the right one.

10.  Be alert to give service.  What counts most in life is what we do for others.

Be kind to one another

Fran Watson

Your 7 Day Program to Self-Development

"A Better You" Your 7 day program to self-development

I seem to lost count on how many times I've read and heard of celebrity marriages failing almost left and right. Not that I care (and personally I don't), it seems strange that we often see movie and TV stars as flawless people, living the fairytale life of riches and glamour. I suppose we all have to stop sticking our heads in the clouds and face reality.

There are many ways to lose your sense of self-esteem despite of how trivial it could get. But whatever happens, we should all try not to lose our own sense of self.

So what does it take to be a cut above the rest? Here are some of the things you can think and improve on that should be enough for a week.

1. Know your purpose:  Are you wandering through life with little direction -hoping that you'll find happiness, health and prosperity?

Identify your life purpose or mission statement and you will have your own unique compass that will lead you to your truth north every time.  This may seem tricky at first when you see yourself to be in a tight or even dead end. But there's always that little loophole to turn things around and you can make a big difference to yourself.

2. Know your values:  What do you value most? Make a list of your top 5 values.

Some examples are security, freedom, family, spiritual development, learning. As you set your goals for 2012 - check your goals against your values. If the goal doesn't align with any of your top five values - you may want to reconsider it or revise it.  The number shouldn't discourage you, instead it should motivate you to do more than you can ever dream of.

3. Know your needs:  Unmet needs can keep you from living authentically.

Take care of yourself. Do you have a need to be acknowledged, to be right, to be in control, to be loved? There are so many people who lived their lives without realizing their dreams and most of them end up being stressed or even depressed for that matter. List your top four needs and get them met before it's too late!

4. Know your passions:  You know who you are and what you truly enjoy in life.

Obstacles like doubt and lack of enthusiasm will only hinder you, but will not derail your chance to become the person you ought to be. Express yourself and honor the people who have inspired you to become the very person you wanted to be.

5. Live from the inside out:  Increase your awareness of your inner wisdom by regularly reflecting in silence.

Commune with nature. Breathe deeply to quiet your distracted mind. For most of us city slickers it's hard to even find the peace and quiet we want even in our own home. In my case I often just sit in a dimly lit room and play some classical music. There's sound, yes, but music does soothe the savage beast.

6. Honor your strengths:  What are your positive traits? What special talents do you have? List three - if you get stuck, ask those closest to you to help identify these. Are you imaginative, witty, good with your hands? Find ways to express your authentic self through your strengths. You can increase your self-confidence when you can share what you know to others.

7. Serve others:  When you live authentically, you may find that you develop an interconnected sense of being.

When you are true to who you are, living your purpose and giving of your talents to the world around you, you give back in service what you came to share with others -your spirit - your essence. The rewards for sharing your gift with those close to you is indeed rewarding, much more if it were to be the eyes of a stranger who can appreciate what you have done to them. 

Self-development is indeed one type of work that is worth it. It shouldn't always be within the confines of an office building, or maybe in the four corners of your own room. The difference lies within ourselves and how much we want to change for the better.

To your success

Fran
P.S.  Check out  this Ultimate Success Program

The Bottom Line

FACE IT.....nobody owes you a living.

What you achieve or fail to achieve in your lifetime is directly related to what you do or fail to do.

No one chooses his or her parents or childhood, but you can choose your own direction.

NOTHING is carved in stone.  However if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. 

You can change anything in your life if you want to badly enough.  Too many of us are hung up on what we don't have, can't have, or won't ever have.  We spend too much energy being down, when we could use that same energy - if not less of it - doing, or at least trying to do, some of the things we really want to do. - Terry McMillan, Writer

Time plays no favourites and will pass whether you act or not.  Every time you wake up and ask yourself, "What good things am I going to do today?" remember that when the sun goes down at sunset, it will take a part of your life with it.

Excuses are for losers.  Benjamin Franklin said that "He who is good at making excuses is seldom good at anything else."  Those who take responsibility for their actions are the real winners in life.

Winners meet life's challenges head on, knowing there are no guarantees, and give it all they've got.

It's TIME to TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE.  BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

"You can truly be whatever you want to be...you only have to want it badly enought to succeed."  Lillian Vernon. 

Dare to dream....to take risks...  Never think it's too late or too early to begin.

As Dr. Norman Vincent Peale said:  "The Greatest POWER we have is the power of choice.  It's an actual fact that if you've been moping in unhappiness, you can choose to be joyous instead and, by effort, lift yourself into joy.  If you tend to be fearful, you can overcome that misery by choosing to have courage.  Even in darkest grief you have a choice.  The whole trend and quality of anyone's life is determined in the long run by the choices that are made."

So what do you choose to do today?

Fran Watson
www.franwatson.ca

Who Are You?

Defining Moments
By Mark Susnow

Take a second and think about your life. Think about who you are, what you are doing and the people in your life. How satisfied are you? All of your past experiences, the people you have met and the choices you have made have contributed to who you are. Without any of these experiences you wouldn't be who you are today. Your beliefs about what is possible in your life are a reflection of these past experiences. Those moments from the past have also prepared you for the fast pace of the modern world. You have more choices than you realize. You also have more strengths than you realize. You can change how you think, what you do and who you hang out with.

Part of discovering who you are and what you are capable of requires you to reflect upon some of the key moments from your past. We all have experienced "defining moments." Those moments that define who you are and what you stand for. Those moments that help you create clarity about your life purpose and your life values. Sometimes those moments are in response to life's challenges. It's when you rise to the occasion. It's when you become the person you always wanted to be.

And at other times those moments are in the form of challenges. Challenges that force you to make a decision that ultimately determines your character and your destiny. To help you in this process of remembering and discovering I will share with you some defining moments that have contributed to my journey.

Expanding my sense of personal power was at the core.

What I mean by personal power is the ability to create the life you want by expanding what is possible. It's the ability to consciously determine your life path and to stay on purpose. It's making a commitment to your self and keeping it. Staying on purpose requires you to say "no" to the distractions and influences that are taking you off course. This involves discipline and though challenging for almost everyone is essential. I was a smoker while in college and in law school. I wanted to quit but wasn't ready to stop. As I was preparing for the bar exam I set up a personal challenge. I knew if I was successful with this challenge my sense of personal power would be expanded. I quit smoking the day before the bar exam. Although I failed the bar exam the first time and had to take it again, I have never smoked a cigarette since. This defining moment expanded my belief in what was possible in my life.

Developing a clear sense of boundaries was the next building block.

When I was a young lawyer and struggling, I had planned a trip to Greece and Israel with my girl friend. It was going to be my first vacation since I started practicing law. My biggest client who gave me a sense of financial security wanted me to change my plans so I could complete his project sooner. He let me know that if I didn't comply with his wishes he would get someone else. The time on my calendar was already blocked out and if I didn't take the vacation now who knew when I would have another chance. I went ahead with the trip and the client got another lawyer. This defining moment for me established at a young age the importance of personal boundaries. It also established for me the importance of living a life in balance which has always been one of my strengths.

Making the decision to take time for quiet reflection was the next step.

When I was 29 my life was falling apart. It was one of the darkest periods of my life. And because of what I was experiencing I was the most open and vulnerable. The next defining moment was when I decided to begin meditating. Regardless of how busy I was or what was going on in my life I always began my day with this practice. This practice has helped me integrate my many interests and responsibilities.

All of these moments as well as many others have contributed to who I am today. Of course there have been continual challenges since then and the ride has had its share of ups and downs. But what helps me get through these challenges are the decisions that I made in the "defining moments from the past." They have helped give me the inner strength and faith to navigate the challenging waters of life's journey.

I bet if you reflect back upon your life, you will discover your own defining moments. After you have revisited them, build upon them to help you discover your destiny.

Imagine making a decision today or tomorrow that can potentially define the direction your life takes in the future. What will this decision be? When will you make it? Let me know.

Thanks for being in the Letters on Life network. There are now over 1300 subscribers all over the world that are reading Letters on Life. Perhaps many more as most of you are forwarding it to friends in your circle. Thanks for your continuing support and referrals.

Journey On

Mark

About the author:
Mark Susnow has a unique background. Formerly a successful trial attorney for 30 years, as well as musician, he integrates what it takes to be truly prosperous in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation practice. As a personal coach, leadership consultant and inspirational speaker, Mark provides inspiration and motivation to many business leaders and professionals. He knows what it means to have a big vision and has demonstrated the courage and energy it takes to accomplish it. Consider contacting Mark and be sure to visit his website http://www.inspirepossibility.com
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What is Your Defining Moment?

Fran

Chris Widener - free download

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Enjoy

Fran Watson

What Do You Think??

Paul Harvey says:

I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December.

I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game.

So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from the game.

But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue.

Yes, and this is the United States of America and Canada, countries founded on Christian principles. According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect - somebody chanting Hare Krishna?

If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear a Jewish prayer.

If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer.

If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha.

And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome. . . .

But what about the atheists? is another argument? What about them?

Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the collection plate. Just humour us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer!

Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating; to pray before we go to sleep.

Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying. God, help us!!

And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we let that one or two who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority don't care what they want. It is time the majority rules!

It's time we tell them, you don't have to pray; you don't have to say the pledge of allegiance; you don't have to believe in God or attend services that honour Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right.. But by golly, you are no longer going to take OUR rights away. We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!

God bless us one and all, especially those who denounce Him. God bless America and Canada, despite all their faults. They are still the greatest nations of all

God bless our service men and women who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.

May 2007 be the year the "silent majority" is heard and we put God back as the foundation of our families and institutions.

Keep looking up.

I agree....how about you???

Fran Watson