Special Speech

Attitude Adjustment 101: Nine Ways to Transform You From
Mediocre to Magnificent By Susan Young

“Work on your career and you’ll make a living. Work on yourself
and you’ll make a fortune.” - Jim Rohn

Regardless of the number of college credits or degrees you have,
the truth is that much of your success is determined by your
attitude. Education is worthwhile but a good attitude is
priceless. If you search for a college that has a concentration
of study entitled “Attitude,” you will come up empty handed.
Yet, the world would be a better place if we could all major in
“Attitude.”

If attitude is not taught in school, then how come some people
have great attitudes and others don’t? More important, how can
you change from a mediocre attitude to a magnificent one?

First, to adjust your attitude, you must be brutally honest with
yourself and take responsibility for your attitude. You are the
only one who can change you. Be accountable for who you are and
how you behave. Tell yourself that blame is unacceptable.

Second, recognize warning signs like negative thoughts, blame
and pessimism. Your mind is like a computer; the beliefs you put
in (input) create the actions you take out (output). For
example, if you tell yourself that you are “just okay,” you will
be “just okay.” What you think about, you will become.

Third, use positive affirmations. Tell yourself every day that
you are an outstanding person capable of achieving your goals.
When the woman at the coffee shop in the morning asks how I am,
I flash a big smile and reply “I’m great” or I’m outstanding.”
Replace negative and mediocre with excellent and amazing. Stand
up taller each morning. Breathe deeply to allow air into your
diaphragm. Smile more, even at people you don’t know. Live a new
level of excellence every day. Reach higher.

Fourth, your subconscious mind operates on images and pictures.
Before you go to sleep, envision your ideal day. What are you
doing? What are you wearing? Who are you with? Are you in a
meeting, confidently speaking before your boss and colleagues?
Are you on the beach playing with your children and spouse? See
and feel yourself in this moment as a huge success. Do you want
a new house, job or relationship? Imagine it as if it already
happened.

Fifth, write down your goals. The subconscious mind kicks into
action when you put your goals in writing. List three short-term
and three long-term goals. Then, give your dreams deadlines (a
date of accomplishment) and outline the steps you will take
every day to reach your goals and dreams.

Sixth, put your head down and focus. Successful people do not
spend time with negative water cooler gossip and time wasters.
Set your goals and get to work.

Seventh, think about a successful person you admire. What are
his or her personality traits, characteristics and values?
Chances are the person who came to mind is successful because he
or she decided to be positive and upbeat, to expect great
accomplishments and to focus on doing whatever it takes to
achieve his or her goals. Surround yourself with cheerful
successful people.

Eighth, avoid “naysayers” who shoot you down, speak negatively
or have poor work and personal habits.

Ninth, practice these ways to adjust your attitude for at least
21 days. That’s how long it takes to form a new habit.

President John F. Kennedy said, “The human mind is our most
fundamental resource.” Your mind is a fertile garden that will
grow whatever you plant in it. What seeds are you planting in
your mind? Are you planting seeds of opportunity and growth or
weeds like cynicism and mediocrity? Life is better when you have
a good attitude. So go ahead and give yourself the chance to
move from mediocre to magnificent. We all have the tools. The
key is to use the resources that we have to become totally
amazing!

Most people wish they read more. It is an activity that is both fun and enlightening. It can help us be more knowledgeable and successful. However, it is an activity that many people don’t engage in very much. According to the 1999 National Household Education Survey, 50% of the U.S. population aged 25 and over read a newspaper at least once a week, read one or more magazines regularly, and had read a book in the past 6 months. What does this mean? It means that 50% of the population hasn’t read a book in the last six months!

Looking at the other end of the spectrum, research shows that if you read ten books a year, you are in the top few percent of all people as readers. Simply stated, it doesn’t take much to be well read, but we do need to know how to get started. The following are ten suggestions to help you strengthen your reading habit - ways to find and make more time for reading.

1.Always have a book around. Don’t go anywhere without reading material. Keep magazines or short stories in your bathroom. Always have something in your briefcase to read. Keep a book(s) by your bed. Having things available makes it easier for you to steal otherwise lost moments.

2.Set a reading goal. Determine how much time you want to spend reading, or how many books you want to read over time. Your goal might be a book a month, one per week, or it might be to read 30 minutes a day. Start out with something attainable but still a stretch. As your habit builds, you might set higher goals. Setting a goal is the first step towards reading more.

3.Keep a log. Keep a list of the books you have read, or keep track of how much time you read each day. You might keep these lists in your journal or your day planner. My son’s log is on our refrigerator. My list and log are kept on my computer. It doesn’t matter where you keep it, just do it.

4.Keep a list. Make a list of things you want to read in the future. Ask your friends and colleagues what they are reading. Watch for recommendations in the newspaper and magazines. Once you start looking for good books, you’ll find them everywhere. This is a great way to keep your enthusiasm up. By knowing what great stuff you want to read, you will reinforce your reading habit.

5.Turn off the television. Many people say they just don’t have enough time. Television is one of our major time consumers. Make your television watching more conscious and less habitual. There is nothing wrong with watching television shows you really enjoy. Where the time gets lost is turning it on, and scanning to find “something to watch.” Those are the times to turn it off and pick up your book!

6.Listen when you can’t read. Use your commute and other time spent in the car to listen! There are great audio versions of all sorts of books. Whether you want to “read” fiction, the latest self-help or diet book, it is probably available on tape. Don’t get locked into the idea that you have to read it - listening to the book still gives you the experience, ideas, and imagination that reading a book can.

7.Join a reading group or book club. Reading groups typically meet once a month to discuss a book they have all decided to read. Committing to the group provides a bit more impetus to finish the book, and gives you a great forum for discussion and socialization around the book’s themes.

8.Visit the library or bookstore often. You have your list, right? So you’ll have some ideas of what you are looking for when you walk in. But there is more to be gained by walking through places where books reside than just to make a transaction. Take time to browse! Let your eyes find things of interest. Let serendipity happen. Browsing will feed your mental need to read, and give you plenty of new things to read.

9.Build your own strategy. Decide when reading fits your schedule. Some people read first thing in the morning, some before bed. Some decide to read as they eat their lunch. And there is more to your strategy than just timing. Make your own decisions about reading. It is ok to be reading more than one book at once. It is ok to stop reading something before you finish if it isn’t holding your interest. It is ok to skim the book, getting what you want or need, without reading every page. Determine what works best for you, develop your own beliefs and ideasthen make them work for you.

10.Drop Everything and Read. My son’s fourth grade class has DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time. When the teacher calls for it, that’s just what they do. They read now. That is my last piece of advice for you. Do it. Just get started. Make it DEAR time. Now.

©2002, All Rights Reserved, Kevin Eikenberry. Kevin publishes Unleash Your Potential, a free weekly ezine designed to provide ideas, tools, techniques and

inspiration to enhance your professional skills. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/current.asp to read the current issue and subscribe. Kevin is also President of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. You may contact Kevin at toll free 888.LEARNER.

It’s shocking how many people don’t have the slightest idea how to write a resume.

If you’ve been in the professional workforce at any level for any amount of time, you’ve likely needed a resume. Most people I’ve known slapped something together that they thought looked and sounded good. Many of them spent some time without jobs.

Slapping something together isn’t the way to go. But that doesn’t mean you have to hire somebody to write your resume (I happen to think that’s wise, though). All you have to do is follow a few simple rules.

1. Use Microsoft Word. If you attach anything else to an email, the recruiter you send it to is likely to ignore it.
2. Use numbers whenever you can. Always quantify your experience. Numbers stand out, because many people don’t use them. Include dollars you added to the bottom line (cost saved, revue added), quantified operational improvements you made (such as months of reduced time to market), number of people you supervised, and so on.
3. Don’t use an objective. Use a hard-hitting, targeted summary of your qualifications instead (it contains your objective, actually). Depend on your cover letter to sell you for the job you’re applying for.
4. Use “power words”. That means verbs. Verbs say you did something. Absence of verbs suggest you didn’t. Use lots of verbs, in the past tense.
5. Focus on what you can do for THEM. Believe it or not, your resume isn’t about you at all. It’s about what you can do for the company who might hire you.
6. Don’t get personal. Leave off your weight, height, personal interests, hobbies…all of it. This is a document about what difference you can make in a company. If they ask you about a hobby in the interview, then you give them more details. By the way, part of not being too personal is referring to yourself with “I”, “my”, “me”, etc. Just stick to past-tense verbs. A reader knows he’s reading about the person who’s name’s at the top of the page. Don’t beat him over the head with it.
7. Don’t say you can provide references on request. This is a wasted statement. Of COURSE you can provide references. Keep an up-to-date list at all times, and be prepared to hand it to any interviewer, or give it over the phone if they call you. But save it until somebody asks.
8. Filter your experience. If you’ve been in the workforce less than a year, college or even pre-college jobs have a place on your resume. If you’ve been around the block a few times, list all your jobs (to avoid any appearance of time gaps), but go into detail on the few (preferably most recent) with accomplishments that add to your commercial for the job you’re applying for.
9. Use a chronological resume. Conventional wisdom says that a functional resume can help you handle gaps. Given that that’s the conventional wisdom, you should be suspicious. Recruiters smell trouble when they see a functional resume. Avoid it.
10. Never lie. Always tell the truth. Don’t lie, don’t “exaggerate”. If you do, you’ll likely get a job you don’t really want, because you’re not qualified for it. That’s a recipe for stress at best, and getting fired at worst.

That’s all there is to it.

Common sense, you say? Okay. Most people must not have any.

Copyright (c) by Roy Miller

Roy Miller created http://www.Job-Search-Guidepost.com.

Would you like a “secret weapon” to crush your job search competition? Subscribe to Roy’s free newsletter and get a free report that shows YOU can win the job of your dreams in record time. Visit here to subscribe and claim your free copy: http://www.Job-Search-Guidepost.com.

Would you like never to need a resume again? Visit Roy’s new site http://www.resale-money-machine.com to find out how.

Roy will link to you if you publish this article! Publish with no changes (keep the bio box at the bottom) at your site or in your newsletter. Then email Roy here to let him know where you’re publishing: Editors@Job-Search-Guidepost.com. You’ll get a link at http://www.Job-Search-Guidepost.com, and maybe an ad in Roy’s weekly newsletter.

According to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration,
the East Pacific expects 15 to 16 tropical storms. Nine of these
end up becoming hurricanes with five becoming deadly major
hurricanes. If you live in the southeastern part of the U.S.
then you know that hurricane season started on June 1st. Are you
prepared for Hurricane season? Did you know that Hurricane
season lasts until the end of November? Have you gone out and
bought all the supplies that you may need? This article is
written to help you prepare for any kind of hurricane. It will
also provide you with a list of items that are essential for any
storm.

What do you need to do in order to prepare for a hurricane? If
you live near the coastline, and a hurricane with deadly winds
is going to make landfall, then you might consider evacuating
and going to a shelter. You need to keep watching the news to
see if the state has declared a state of emergency. If you are
in the path of a land-falling hurricane, then you should prepare
and have a list of supplies ready. List of supplies include: a
first aid kit with all the necessary medications, canned food
and an opener, plenty of water to last for at least 3 days,
flashlights, a battery powered radio and extra batteries. Other
supplies may include sandbags, tape, generator, raingear,
sleeping bags and lastly protective clothing. In order for one
to be on the safe side, you should prepare for the worst and
hope for the best. No one knows how deadly and destructive these
hurricane winds are going to be. Therefore, you should have all
your supplies next to you. According to Hurricanetips.com,
folding beach chairs make an excellent alternative to cots.
“They fold flat, double as a chair and allow you to store 16
gallon plastic storage tubs underneath to save space and secure
your belongings.” (www.hurricanetips.com) It is really important
that you prepare a checklist of items that you will need. It is
also important that you have a course of action ready along with
important phone numbers that you might need in case of an
emergency. Run through the checklist and make sure you have all
your items gathered. Once all your items are gathered, make sure
you have them put in a container that is small and portable.
This way if you are forced to leave your home, then all you have
to do is take your container with you. Now if you are forced to
leave your home, you will need something to sleep on. Folding
beach chairs make a good choice because they are light, they
fold fast for easy storage and lastly they are easily
transported. According to the Red Cross, shelters will usually
allow you to keep anything that will fit in 18 square feet,
slightly larger than the space for each beach chair.
(www.redcross.com) Beach chairs make a great choice for storms
that might require you to leave your home.

Another great item, are these new flashlights being sold over
the Internet. Every year (hurricane season) people rush to Home
Depot and Lowes to buy flashlights and batteries just in case
the storm knocks out power lines causing a power outage for
days. This way they are prepared. Who knows how long it will
take for Utility companies to restore power? Why spend money on
buying batteries and replacing bulbs when you can buy these new
flashlights that work without batteries or the need to replace
bulbs? You pick up one flashlight and your done. The flashlight
will last you forever. These new and innovative flashlights are
just what you need for hurricanes and other storms. They are
really cheap and compact. Should you lose power, these
flashlights will provide you with a guaranteed source of light.
And the best thing about these flashlights is that they are
stylish and light to carry. These new flashlights are the
shaking flashlights and the hand crank flashlights.

The shaking flashlights have an electric conductor that moves
through some magnetic field, to generate electric current. All
you need to do is shake the flashlight and electricity is
generated. The light that is produced is very visible allowing
you to see for a far distance. The hand crank flashlights are
just as easy as the shaking flashlights. All you need to do is
crank the flashlight for seconds and you will get a bright and
visible source of light. These new and innovative flashlights
are a far more, better choice than regular flashlights. These
flashlights will save you the hassle of running out to the
stores and looking to spend a lot of money on replacing
batteries and bulbs. Eliminate the need to replace your bulbs or
batteries. Another great product to keep around for hurricanes
is the hand crank flashlight with a radio. This flashlight just
like I mentioned above needs no batteries. Minutes of cranking,
provides you with a source of light. And the best thing about
this product is that it has a built in radio that has great
reception. So if you are indoors and you lose power during a
hurricane, you can still listen to the radio for the latest
weather updates. All these products mentioned above are great
for hurricane season.

Once these hurricanes make landfall, they can be really deadly.
The heavy rains, strong winds and gigantic waves can damage
buildings, trees and cars. They will even knock down power
lines, leaving you without power for days. A good example would
be the state of Florida last year. Hurricane Charley, Frances,
Ivan and Jeanne brought destructive winds and rain that knocked
down power lines leaving most of the state without power for
days. People rushed to the stores for flashlights, batteries,
generators and anything they could find. It was too late and
people were on top of each other fighting for what was left in
these stores. Hurricanes cannot be controlled but our
vulnerability can be reduced through preparedness. Be prepared
for this year! These new flashlights and the beach chairs
mentioned can be found at Coconutz Home and Garden. All you have
to do is visit the website and see for yourself. Should you be
interested in any of our products mentioned above, please enter
the code “Hurricane” when prompted at check out, and you will
receive 10% off of any of our products. A link for the web store
has been attached at the end of this article. Get your supplies
now!

http://www.coconutzhomeandgarden.com