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Spirituality
Linda Chappo, Author of Executive Director of HearttoHeartLiving.com, writes:

Many of us learned that we each have a separate mind that exists inside our head, and belongs to only us. In actuality, the Mind is universal and exists everywhere. An example of the universal mind is the story of the "Hundredth Monkey." Researchers discovered that one monkey on a remote island thought to wash his sweet potato before he ate it. A short time later, on other distant islands, those monkeys started washing their sweet potatoes too. The idea was in the ethers, so to speak. You'll sometimes hear about creative endeavors where similar inventions, songs or stories are created at the same time. Perhaps you've had the experience of thinking about someone, and a few minutes later you received a phone call from them. These are a few examples of One Mind experiences.

For all practical purposes, you have access to and use a small part of the One Mind. It's flexible like a rubber band. As you use it through education, meditation or personal experience, it expands. Think of your mind as a conduit; a direct channel through which there are mental electrical charges flowing in both directions --to and from God. (I like to put a positive charge on that term, and think of a conduit as a can-do-it.) You use the conduit in two ways. Through prayer you speak to God and through meditation or quiet mental time, you listen to God. The mind never sleeps, and there is always communication going on. Through your conscious mental efforts; your thoughts and decisions become a conduit for all that is good, positive and healing in the world.

As you live your life on a day-to-day basis, it's up to you to be a filter for your thoughts and actions. Filtering is what free will is about. You are free to choose to filter out your ego or negative thoughts in order to be a clear expression (channel) of God's will, and let God's love come through. In other words, if a fearful or angry thought pops into your head, you would immediately stop that thought as it occurs and replace it with a positive one. Here's an example. You might be thinking "It's a miserable day, the weather is often nasty and makes me depressed." You could replace that thought with, "The weather doesn't affect me, because nothing outside of me has power over me. I'm happy regardless of the weather." When you choose the better thought to think, you're choosing happiness over depression, and that ultimately affects your mental and physical health. And people want to be around other happy people. (This is an excerpt from Chapter 1 "Living By Spirit" from the book Women's Spirit Awakening.)

Creating More Fulfillment in Your Life
Marcie Hunt, Power Your Life Coach/Author/Speaker, MarcieHunt.com writes:

  • Do you have a vision for a personal dream that excites you?
  • How would you specifically like to contribute your unique talents to the world around you?
  • Do you prefer working alone, with a partner, or with a team?
  • What activities do you LOVE doing? (career, travel, artistic, etc.)
  • What elements would help you to create a sense of balance in your work, personal life, and leisure time?
  • What personal traits do you have to assist you on your path? (well-organized, nurturing, natural leader, understanding, uplifting, pragmatic etc.)
For example, Shelly, a client, listed planning and coordinating trips, travel, working with people, bicycling and hiking, leading and organizing, and enjoying good food. After reviewing her list, Shelly discovered that her real desire was to organize bicycling and hiking vacations in Europe. She developed a business plan. She then found the initial investment money to begin funding her company, and also hired her first three employees. She now owns a lucrative and exciting business! Your personal affirmations for this month follow. They can also be printed to keep with you. It's best to mentally or verbally speak them during your week to solidify the dream and goals process:
  • "I HONOR MY DREAMS, AND LIVE WITH PURPOSE."
  • "I OPEN UP TO RECEIVING INSPIRATIONAL IDEAS AND INTUITIVE GUIDANCE."
  • "I PAY ATTENTION TO PEOPLE AND OPPORTUNITIES ON MY DAILY PATH."
  • "I AM ENERGIZED BY THE GIFT OF WORKING AND CREATING WITH OTHERS."
(This is an excerpt from Marcie Hunt's Free Monthly E-newsletter "Power Your Life" - for more information visit MarcieHunt.com Marcie is a contributing author to the book Women's Spirit Awakening II.)

How to Get to Peace from Whereever You Are
Author Carole Wilkinson says, "Surround yourself with as much beauty as you can recognize." She also notes, "You must be nourished emotionally...If no one is actively loving you right now, you be the one to love something - truly and deeply - even if it is only a sunset." (this is an excerpt from the book Women's Spirit Awakening.)

Career
Dory Gouge Willer, Success Coach/Speaker of BeaconQuest.com, writes:

The inner coach guidance system is in all of us. It is part of our intuition....How often did ignoring your intuition, that inspiring voice within, lead you astray?....Your true guidance system, the inner coach, always encourages you to some form of action, and it never tells you to "don't do this." Your guidance system will inspire you to "turn here, call this person. remember to stop at." (This is an excerpt from the Chapter "Coaching With Spirit" from the book Women's Spirit Awakening.)


The Dynamic Keys of Persuasion

 By David Barron, Changework.com

Tip#1: Ask Questions
Every top persuader knows how to ask the right questions to warm up the person and create a connection. An important question is "What's most important to you about ___?" To persuade you must listen, Listen, LISTEN.

Tip #2: Do NOT ask "why"
The "why" question hurts YOU in two ways. First, you put the person on the defensive. Second, you kick them into their rational mind. You are not going to persuade someone by kicking them into a less compelling mode.

Tip #3: Use the Person's Favorite Phrases
One of my colleagues says, "That title does not sing to me." When I talk with him, I ask, "Does this title sing to you?" I am speaking his language, and our communication is direct and compelling.

David Barron is the author of "The Dynamic Keys of Persuasion." Visit him at Changework.com

Write On! Success and Good Writing Go Hand in Hand

Article by Stacy Horn

We all know that first impressions are the most important. Self confidence, appropriate attire, and good social skills are paramount. However, a good first impression won't last if your spoken English lacks finesse. This rule holds true for written English. Don't fool yourself: Incomplete sentences, bad grammar, and slang are noticed! Sloppy writing says that you don't have your act together. It's unprofessional, and it implies laziness.

The fact is, most success-oriented Americans are grammar-conscious. Like it or not, we're judged by our skill in using English correctly.

ALL professionals, no matter the field, need to write well. It's imperative. Unfortunately, many career-driven people never develop the skill. They mistakenly believe that, in today's world of fast communication, no one pays close attention to the written word. These people are getting no where, fast! Spending long hours laboring over a report that reads badly will not impress anyone!

Think Clearly
Simply put: If you don't know what you're saying, no one will listen.

Clear writing shows clear thinking. It shows intelligence. It shows poise, confidence, and tells the reader that you know your stuff.

The first rule of journalism: If you have to read a sentence twice, it's wrong. This rule points, once again, to clarity. Don't make your readers struggle to figure out what you're trying to say. Write with clarity! Know what you want to say, write it, and read it through carefully.

Learn Grammar
It's been a while since high school, and many of us have forgotten the definition of an adverb. That's OK. Recognize your weakness and take a refresher course at night school or online. Also, buy a good book on grammar usage, review it, and learn to use it. Keep it handy and refer to it when ever you have a question. Your writing may not win a Pulitzer Prize, but you can learn to put a sentence together correctly.

Not everyone can be a great writer, but everyone can learn to be a good writer.

Pay Attention to the Details!
Take time to look over your work before you hit the Send button. Read everything through twice before handing it in or mailing it. It's usually best to wait one day before delivering a finished text. It's surprising what you'll discover when you look at a document with a fresh perspective.

Remember: There's no excuse for sloppiness. Never let the reader think you're a slacker. Most importantly, use SpellCheck!

Tips on Composing
Following are helpful tips to good writing.

  • Think out what you want to say. Write an outline or a list of the things you want to talk about. Then write down everything. Just write and keep writing until everything you want to say is on paper or the computer screen. Don't worry about making it perfect at this point. It's much easier to delete unwanted text than to add in new material at a later stage.
  • The next step is to edit. Focus on your grammar usage - make it as accurate as possible. Tighten the language and delete all unnecessary words and irrelevant thoughts. Move paragraphs around. Remember, clarity is conveyed through simply-stated language, not convoluted thoughts and pretentious language.
  • Make your text flow. Make sure the points you make are in a logical order. All writing is like a story, with a beginning, middle, and end. Journalism students learn the "inverted pyramid" style of writing, where the most important information is at the top, followed by paragraphs containing less important information. Also, connect disconnected thoughts or new information with segway sentences or clauses: "Because of that," "However," "In other words," "Unlike the above," etc.
  • DON'T FORGET TO USE SPELL CHECK. Nothing looks worse than a misspelled word. There's no excuse for not using SpellCheck. Most software and e-mail programs now have SpellCheck. Use it! Be sure to look carefully at the words SpellCheck doesn't recognize, like names, foreign words, and abbreviations. You'll need to double-check these yourself.
  • E-mail shouldn't be sloppy. Add an extra line to distinguish paragraphs. Double-check your grammar and avoid slang and incomplete sentences. Don't ignore traditional formalities. Be professional at all times.
  • As my mother used to say: Practice makes perfect.
Dealing with Professional Editors
Anyone can learn to play baseball. But only a few make it to the Major League. The same is true of writing. You can learn to be a good writer and editor - but know when to hire a professional. Don't be shy. Important documents and materials being readied for print or a Web site usually require a professional's eye.

Here are a few tips on hiring and working with an editor:

  • Find an editor you can easily communicate with. Make sure you find one that you like on a personal level. When the re-writes and second edits begin, you'll need to be able to exchange ideas and be confident that you're being listened to. A good editor doesn't have an attitude problem.
  • There are thousands of editors available for hire, and many aren't as good as they claim. Don't be afraid to ask for a résumé, samples of work, and references. Make sure the editor you hire has experience in the specific area you need. If you want an editor for a science book, don't hire an editor who specializes in corporate marketing materials. Good editors specialize in specific areas.
  • To find an editor, know what you want before asking around for referrals. For instance, a proofreader is much cheaper than a developmental editor. If you can't find what you want, call your local newspaper for a referral or check the Internet. A good resource is The Bay Area's Editor's Forum at www.editorsforum.org. This site explains the different types editing services, content specialties, and also provides referrals. Also, most editors in the Bay Area check out www.craigslist.org on a regular basis. This site provides free classified listings. When interviewing an editor, be ready to provide as much information as possible: the type of project, the subject matter, the number of pages, the rate you're willing to pay, the deadline, and the scope of the work.
  • Editing rates vary. Professional editors charge anywhere from $20 to $75 an hour, depending on their level of expertise and the type of work needed. Some editors charge a flat fee, based on the length of the project and their hourly wage. A flat fee is often the best way to get a good deal. Be sure to negotiate upfront the number of drafts the editor will need to work on. Re-writes are often necessary, which requires another go-around with the editor.
  • A good editor will not change your "voice." Your tone and style should remain intact. Also, do not accept text that has been dramatically changed. A good editor will ask you questions or point out missing or irrelevant information. An editor should do just that: edit. The editor is not paid to change your ideas. If you need a re-write, be sure to spell out in advance exactly what you want your editor to do.
  • To double-check your editor's work, use the Compare Documents feature in MS Word or the Add Compare Markings feature in WordPerfect. These tools allow you to see all the changes that were made to your original document. Be sure to do a Save As and rename the document, otherwise you will overwrite your editor's work. Also, these tools will help you learn more about good writing.
For More Information
Let me help you put your best foot forward! Put my 17 years of editing, writing, and project management experience to work for you. Give me a call and let's talk about your project.
Article Copyright 2002 Stacy Horn
The Horn Company
"Refining Communications"
(415) 441-1366 * SDHorn@mindspring.com

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