Some time ago I found that the journey in the morning is much more pleasant when I can get a seat all the way to work and be above ground enjoying the weather and passing various sights. Interestingly though people have commented to me that they just use the same route each and every day no matter what.

It caused me to think of how many of us get into a rut and that unless something is ‘broken’ we don’t necessarily look for a better or different way of doing things, even if they are routines that we have been doing for a long time and don’t particularly enjoy.

Imagine if you took a look at the daily or weekly habits you have accumulated over time to see if there was some way of making a small change that would freshen up your life a little? What would be possible, what could you create?

While I have been travelling on the streetcar, instead of the subway, I have picked up on a few more life lessons while observing my fellow travellers. The one that stands out the most is when the doors of the streetcar open to let in the stream of people standing on the street, wanting to board the vehicle. Once on board they then start to pull out their wallet or dig deep in their handbag searching for their money, monthly pass or token that will allow them to ride to their destination.

I can’t even count how many times I have witnessed people holding up the line of passengers waiting to claim their spot on board, not to mention all the cars lining up to get by the streetcar once everyone is safely out of the way. The more interesting part is that I see the same people day in and day out doing the same thing over and over. Surely they realize that if they were a little more prepared with their form of payment they would not keep people waiting and would probably give themselves less stress.

Now that winter is finally upon us people are not enjoying having to wait behind some ill prepared fellow traveller while they stand out in the cold. I find this a good analogy for other areas of our life where we or someone around us cause discomfort to others due to our procrastination, especially in areas where we are required to do the same things on an ongoing basis. 

Where are you causing discomfort in the lives of those around you due to your lack of planning and preparation? How might your life be improved by being more proactive in your interaction with others?

Another intriguing notice for me in my daily commute is how people stake out their ‘piece of real estate’ on their chosen mode of transportation. Whether it be crowding the doors of the subway car or not moving down the streetcar to let others find room, I have noticed that we become absorbed in only looking after our needs and forget that there are other people around us wanting to claim a ‘piece of real estate’ for themselves.

The other day, a particularly cold morning, no one seemed to want to move down the street car to let in other commuters. It took the driver making a simple announcement to cause people to come out of the trace of being in their own little world, to give up room so as to accommodate those outside the door. He reminded the passengers that there were people outside trying to escape the snow, just like many now on board had tried to do a few minute prior at stops a several blocks back.

His words seemed to remind people that we are all in this together and that we should be mindful of the needs of others. This man’s message did work that morning as everyone huddled together to let on as many people as possible so that no one need stand out in the cold.

If only his sentiments reached farther than a lone streetcar travelling down King Street, we might all feel a little more welcomed in the world around us.

PS. To ensure you never miss an important post make sure you go to the upper right hand side of this web page and insert your email address. Each Tuesday enjoy a post based on Jack Canfield’s book the ‘Success Principles’ and my observations on how other people (and from time to time) how I live these principles. Each Thursday learn more about the principles of personal leadership and how you can up-level your life and/or business.

In the beginning I was fascinated by what people did and how they reacted until I started to notice a parallel of how the people were acting around me on the subway and how people acted in life.

Rushing the door

The one act I seem to get the most giggle over is when the doors of the subway are about to close and the bell/buzzer sounds, yet people who are a significant distance away absolutely ‘floor it’ to rush the door. Very few in my experience, so far, make their way successfully through without being caught by the jaws of the door.

Is anyone that much in a rush to get to work that they have to contemplate running the 30 yard dash towards a heap of metal, possibly running down bystanders on the way only to go crashing into doors closing and not getting on the subway despite their earnest endeavor to do so?.

Well maybe this is indicative of how they are living their life. Perhaps on that day this individual had slept in, not been ready in time for work and was now running late in fear of what the boss would say? Surely most bosses understand if you are late ‘on occasion’ due to public transportation delays? But what if this person is chronically late and this is a day like most other days and they need to make the best attempt possible to be on THAT subway before it pulls out to the next station.

Hmm… chances are being late to work isn’t the only time they are late, procrastinate or  are ill prepared. An interesting concept is ‘the way you are anywhere is the way you are everywhere’. What if this is so? Are we in so much of a hurry to get somewhere because we have not taken the time and preparation to get there in a more relaxed manner?

How many times do you or someone you know procrastinate leaving something important to the very last minute only to then become stressed out in meeting an impending deadline? Or do you underestimate the time needed to complete a task and then cram in everything that needs to be done despite only giving it a half hearted attempt, due to whatever it is being overdue.

You don’t have to be a subway rider to experience putting off what needs to be done until it then becomes a desperate race against time. Where in your life are you ‘rushing the door’ right now? Have you even taken the time to calculate the cost of being this way?

In his book ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ Stephen Covey explains the Time Management Matrix and questions where we spend most of our time. Most of us tend to be stuck in the Important Urgent or Not Important Urgent quadrants, however if we shift our focus to the Important Not Urgent section we would experience less stress, more organization and effectiveness and personal satisfaction.

….more life lessons of a subway rider in the next post.

PS. To ensure you never miss an important post make sure you go to the upper right hand side of this web page and insert your email address. Each Tuesday enjoy a post based on Jack Canfield’s book the ‘Success Principles’ and my observations on how other people (and from time to time) how I live these principles. Each Thursday learn more about the principles of personal leadership and how you can up-level your life and/or business.

Not only should we all be interested in learning more about how an adult learns and processes information so that we can better communicate with each other, but this is of particular interest to those who plan and conduct meetings so that they may more effectively set up the learning environment for the optimum effect.

Additionally if we as students or meeting participants are aware of our own learning style we can take more responsibility for our results in the learning process.

There is an abundance of definitions of adult learning styles out there in academia and the internet but for the purposes of this article and your learning I want to break it down as easily as possible. Simply stated a learning style is how we process information and what we do with it. It is the preferred method we as learners use that suits our particular needs.

As children we learned very differently than we now do as adults. As a youngster the learning flowed directly from the teacher to the student, whereas when adults are in a learning situation they have an expectation that they are independent and willing to co- create the learning situation wherever possible. They are no longer content to be spoon fed information or knowledge. Therefore the methods that would have been employed in teaching youngsters or teenagers do not work for adults.

The facilitator is viewed as a resource and co-learner rather than the absolute authority on the subject matter. 

Malcolm Knowles in 1972 and then revised eight years later stated that adults are motivated to learn and want to be self directed. Some theorize that adult learners are volunteers seeking out learning opportunities however I consider this to be a generalization as sometimes as adults we are required to go to meetings, seminars or undertake courses because it is demanded by our employer or professional requirements. Without that ‘push’ many of us would not willingly take courses or go to meetings. Adults can not be forced to learn and classroom type environments can be threatening to adults with the possibility of looking foolish to others, particularly coworkers or bosses.

Therefore it is not as cut and dry as an adult who wishes to take a class or seminar for a personal interest. As a result providers of adult education need to be aware that sometimes the learner is not necessarily motivated to be there, but will nonetheless want to have a say in how the learning is taught.

Think about it…who wants to be dragged to a meeting or seminar only to sit for hours on end listening to the facilitator go on and on with the only break in the ‘lecturing’ being a consistent stream of power point slides? I am sure we all have our own personal horror stories of this type of learning experience.

Adults want to learn from their own experiences and therefore thrive in learning environments that make use of problem-solving, simulation exercises, experiments and discussions. This helps them connect this new knowledge to previous learning.

One important thing to remember, in my opinion, concerning adult learners is that they bring with them an abundance of knowledge and experience. They have a longer life experience that learners attending grade school, college or university. As such trainers, facilitators and meeting planners would be wise to taken this in consideration when planning meetings or training to maximize the potential learning for all participants.

When possible, learners should be solicited for involvement in planning their learning experiences. This is to include determining the what, when and how they learn. It is wise to get a feel for the current level of knowledge and experience together with the expectations of the participants.

Different abilities, attitudes and experiences have caused people to develop a preference for sending and receiving information in different ways. Many of us have heard about visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning but don’t always understand or appreciate how best to structure learning based on this. Realistically we all use these three modalities of learning but usually have a propensity for one over the others.

Visual Learners: predominant sense is vision

Hint – observant, organized, not usually distracted by noise, would rather read than be read to.

Best way to reach these learners – Use graphic illustrations such as graphs and charts, colour coding, maps, demonstrations, videos, pictures and models. The learner needs to see the presenters body language and facial expressions to aid the processing of information.

It is thought that learners in this area make up 65% of the population

Auditory Learners: predominant sense is hearing

Hint – easily distracted, likes music, learns by listening, can talk to self

Best way to reach these learners – Require direct instructions, story telling, reading aloud, interviews and panel discussions. Written information is often not processed well until it is heard out loud, and may not take notes until afterwards.

Learners in this category account for 30% of the population

Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners: predominant sense is touch

Hint – touches people, points when reading, learns by doing, uses gestures a lot

Best way to reach these learners – Often talk with their hands and like to be moving where possible, like to use colour and when reading will likely scan notes first. They will not like to sit still for long periods and may squirm uncomfortably if they can’t get up and move.

This group makes up the final 5% of the population                                             

There are also words that all these learners might use that will give you a clue as to their predominant method of processing information.

Visual – “I see what you mean”

Auditory – “It sounds to me like…”

Kinesthetic – “This feels like…”

The above is by no means the only theory available to describe the styles of learning for adults. In 1984 David Kolb developed his own learning style model where he assumed that learners fell into four distinct styles: Convergers, Divergers, Assimilators and Accommodators.

Convergers:

These learners acquire their knowledge by thinking and analyzing the information and then applying these new concepts. They best organize the information they take in by hypothetical deductive reasoning.

Divergers:

Learners described as Divergers tend to use their intuition and prefer to use their imagination. This ability is one of their greatest strengths.

Assimilators:

Like Convergers these learners use thinking and analyzing but then use it to plan and reflect. They use this method to develop theories rather than the practical application of the learning.

Accommodators:

If the facts don’t fit according to the Accommodators it doesn’t matter what the theory says. They love to get things done and approach learning with a trial and error mentality.

Then of course the learning style that many people are familiar with are left and right brain users. You may have heard these terms before but do you really know what they mean, their implications to learning and which side of the brain you operate from?

Left Brain: Analytical

Prefers to learn step by step which is why they are referred to as linear learners, rational thinkers, speaks with few gestures, responds to logic, plans ahead

Right Brain: Global

Need to see the ‘big picture’, more intuitive than left brain learners, prefers sound in background when studying, impulsive and gestures when speaking

Final thoughts:

It is unlikely that there will ever be a group of people who are all predominant in one learning style, so consider all adult learners in preparing activities, speakers, and methods of instructions. 

• As for logistical considerations adult learners are less likely to be satisfied with uncomfortable settings that younger learners might. To ensure that the facility is conducive to the adult learning experience, ensure that the facility is physically comfortable, with good lighting and acoustics and the proper furniture/ set up for the purpose of the meeting or training. 
• Adult learners appreciate teaching methods that increase their autonomy 
• Set up the learning environment so that learners will feel safe and don’t need to unduly worry about how they might be perceived by those around them 
• Learners are looking to be challenged and appreciate the opportunity for self-direction with a collaborative approach 
• Adult learners want to receive information quickly and then have time to reflect on it to determine how to integrate what they have learned 
• The learner will decide for themselves what is important to be learned and will validate the information based on their personal beliefs and values

Assessments:

For each of the following assessments you can Google to find sites where you may take these assessments, usually for a small fee:

The Myers Briggs assessment is meant to measure psychological preferences and gives insights into peoples’ perceptions and how they make decisions

Tru Colors is more of a personality test however it does provide implications concerning behaviour which does affect learning. It also assists with better communication skills

DiSC Personality Test – a behavioral assessment tool used by millions of people worldwide

Here are three assessments you can take for free:

Keirsey Temperament Sorter – http://www.keirsey.com/sorter/register.aspx

Learning style profile – http://www.nomolos.org/trdv500/frame_a.html

Learning style quiz – visual/auditory/kinesthetic – http://agelesslearner.com/assess/learningstyle.html

PS. To ensure you never miss an important post make sure you go to the upper right hand side of this web page and insert your email address. Each Tuesday enjoy a post based on Jack Canfield’s book the ‘Success Principles’ and my observations on how other people (and from time to time) how I live these principles. Each Thursday learn more about the principles of personal leadership and how you can up-level your life and/or business.

They have all been contributors in some way to my success as a professional in my career and in whom I have become as a person in the world. Some of them know the impact that they have had on my life and others passed through so quickly I wasn’t fully aware of their influence until they had stepped from my path.

Yet each of them taught me lessons of life that have been indelibly inked into my DNA or were simply there for me when I needed someone most.

The biggest team members in my life were my parents Stewart and Bernice Worsley. They had a vision for a better life for their family and so they sold their home and business in Montreal, Canada then packed up their two children to move to Sydney, Australia in 1970. They believed that starting a new life in what was still a much unknown country in the 70’s offered their children the best chance to have a great life.

Throughout my life, my parents, especially my father were like the cheerleaders in the vision I had for my life. In my late teens and early twenties I wanted to work in the travel industry. At the time it was hard to crack into this exciting field, however I pursued it with great fervor by working a full time job and going to school 2-4 nights per week for several years. My father, would wait for me each evening until class was over by parking his car near the school and taking a nap until 9.00pm. To make sure he didn’t sleep past the time he would keep an alarm clock in the car.

While studying at school, I decided that if I was going to work in travel I needed some hands on experience to be more attractive to a prospective employer. And so I negotiated to work in a travel agency of a large retail chain every Thursday night for free. This meant an additional night my father waited in the car for me to finish. Never did he complain but instead felt that this was a great gift he could give to his daughter.

Once I was hired by Ansett Airlines I set my sights on the bigger goal, to work for Qantas Airways, in their International Travel Centre in downtown Sydney. At the time it was very difficult to obtain such a position without traditionally spending a year or so in the reservations department. However I was not deterred in my quest. This just meant that once I had won my goal the payoff would be even sweeter.

I still remember the day in 1986 driving home with my dad along the Hume Highway celebrating the victory of being hired by Qantas by sticking our heads out of the car window screaming at the top of our lungs!

In 1988 I made the decision to move from Sydney to Toronto to sell travel to the South Pacific. It was a joyful yet painful decision as I realized that I was going to lose the chance to be with my family on a daily basis. In the early days I struggled to make ends meet financially but my parents (my team) continued to help me out with my bills so that I might be able to fulfill the dream of living in Canada.

Having lost my mother 2 ½ years earlier to a stroke I received a call just prior to Christmas in 1996 by my father, telling me that he had terminal cancer. My whole world was shaken as I had to come to terms with another loss of someone I cared about so deeply.

Traveling to Sydney for an unexpected visit over that Christmas my father, brother Glenn and I went to visit the site of my brother’s future home under construction. I still remember standing in front of the site hearing my father telling both of us that even though he and my mom had never made a great deal of money in their lives, it was comforting for him to know that at least when he was gone, that he knew he was able to give us both a little savings towards our first homes. Six weeks later I rushed back to Sydney to be at his bedside as he went to be with my mother.

In December 2005 I finally moved into my little condominium in Toronto with a sad and heavy heart. I was thrilled to finally have my own home (well me and the bank anyway) however I didn’t have my faithful team member, who during his life acted more like my fan club president, walking in the door with me.

Without my father in my life I have had to look elsewhere for team members to support me in all areas of my life. Some I have found in friends, church members and even strangers.

I have come to realize that it is important to consider and recognize who is on your team. Are they looking out for your best interests by watching your back and are they prepared to ask you the touch questions that no one else will, so as to support your continued progress?

When times get tough will your ‘team’ stand behind you or will they disappear when things get uncomfortable?

Experts say that we are the product of the 5 or 10 people we surround ourselves with. If that is even partly true, then what does that say about you and your success in life? What does that say about your team members?

Conversely what does that say about you as a team member in someone else’s life. Are you worthy to be there supporting them? If you expect the best from your team, how are you showing up as a team member for someone else?

PS. To ensure you never miss an important post make sure you go to the upper right hand side of this web page and insert your email address. Each Tuesday enjoy a post based on Jack Canfield’s book the ‘Success Principles’ and my observations on how other people (and from time to time) how I live these principles. Each Thursday learn more about the principles of personal leadership and how you can up-level your life and/or business.

Perhaps you have put it off because you don’t think it will be very exciting, fun or of any consequence. However, there is a feeling of dread or a drain on your energy because this Thing is still on a mental or written to do list.

Why not take the time to sit down and write up 3 different lists…I know, I can hear you say…’not another list’! But wait, these lists are meant to set you up for success.

Here are the lists I would like you to consider setting up:

1. Clean-ups
2. Deletions
3. Completions

Clean-ups

This list is meant for any items that can be taken care of easily. By devoting a small amount of focused time, this list can be easily completed.

Items on this list may include:

• Make an appointment at the dentist
• Return library books or overdue DVD’s
• Make an appointment for the physical you have been putting off
• Take the car to the mechanics for a tune up
• Clean out your closet and throw away or donate unwanted clothing

Deletions

Many of us seem to have things on our lists that we never get to. Each time we update our list we carry across these items but a part of us knows that we will just continue to do the same thing. You have the best of intentions but only so many hours in the day with multiple deadlines, demands for your time and energy

Items on this list may include:

• Sorting out magazines and clipping recipes
• Learn to play a musical instrument
• Learn to play tennis
• Organize your CD collection
•  Repair clothing instead of taking them to the tailor

Completions

What tasks or items do you have that are partially completed, that if you put in a little more effort it would be finished? Having completed this would give you a feeling of accomplishment and relieve some pressure.

Items on this list may include:

• Clean out the basement or garage
• Research and plan for your next vacation
• Arrange for a babysitter and have a date night out with your significant other
• Finish off the report your boss has been bugging you for
• Complete an art or home improvement project

The deletions list is the easiest to let go of, but in some ways can be the hardest to give yourself permission to forego. It can seem like walking around with a bunch of suitcases strapped to you that follow you everywhere you go. When you finally release yourself from this list it feels like you have finally put down the baggage and feel free of the obligations or best intentioned desires you have placed upon yourself.

Once you have completed these lists you are now equipped to move ahead with a sense of purpose and make a plan for next steps. Consider that by taking the time to establish these lists, and do the work necessary to complete the tasks listed you are in fact making room for other opportunities to come into your life.

What if you took some time to consider what is going on in different aspects of your life such as finances, relationships with family and friends, your physical environment (home, office, car etc), career, personal growth. I wonder what revelations you might have in what you had not noticed!

PS. To ensure you never miss an important post make sure you go to the upper right hand side of this web page and insert your email address. Each Tuesday enjoy a post based on Jack Canfield’s book the ‘Success Principles’ and my observations on how other people (and from time to time) how I live these principles. Each Thursday learn more about the principles of personal leadership and how you can up-level your life and/or business.

When was the last time you stopped to count all the great things that are part of your life right now? Sometimes it just seems easier to think of all the things that are going wrong or that are missing from our life.

If only I had a new job, then my life would be great. If only I had a significant other, then things would be different. If only I won the lottery, boy would my life be complete! Does any of this sound familiar? It might not be the exact same events mentioned here, but take a moment and think of what you would insert in the phrase “if only…………….”

What if you stopped and took stock of what you do have in your life how would your outlook change?

Consider these thoughts: 

• I have a decent job, and although it is not perfect, I can pay my bills each month
• My spouse and I do have difficulties but at least we have each other and are not alone in the world
• I have my health and get to drink clean water each day and sleep safely each night
• I live in a country where no bombs are going off around me, and I can go shopping and bring home the food I need, without having to queue for hours only to find the shop has run out of what I came for

Sometimes my coaching clients complain that things are tough and they get mired down in the fact that someone else is not giving them everything they need. They forget to be thankful and acknowledge what they do have right now.

For instance, I previously worked with a client who complained that his spouse was not very responsive to him and that he was contemplating a divorce. When I asked him to tell me what he was thankful for in his marriage it took him some time, but eventually he was able to look beyond his disappointment and think of all the great things he had. He commented that she was a good mother to his children, she kept the home clean, was a great cook; she was good at managing finances and was a caring person.

This little exercise got him thinking that there were many reasons why he should work on his marriage and not give up so easily. I am happy to report that he is no longer contemplating divorce, and after this exercise he committed to working on his marriage 100%  whether his spouse was willing to or not. He did just that and reported later that as a result, his wife is much more engaged in their partnership and he can’t remember the last time he felt this happy. This same exercise can be applied to most situations in your life.

Don’t let something be taken away from you before you are thankful for what you ‘had’. Stop finding fault with what you have, or with what is going on in your life right now and look for what you can be thankful for. Life is too short to not appreciate what we have and make the most of it.

PS. To ensure you never miss an important post make sure you go to the upper right hand side of this web page and insert your email address. Each Tuesday enjoy a post based on Jack Canfield’s book the ‘Success Principles’ and my observations on how other people (and from time to time) how I live these principles. Each Thursday learn more about the principles of personal leadership and how you can up-level your life and/or business.

This got me to thinking about how many things we all do not notice in our life, as I am sure that this ‘phenomenon’ is not affecting only me.  

Have you ever been standing waiting for an elevator after hitting the button and then notice people walking up to the button and pressing it again? Don’t you find that amusing (unless you are one of ‘those’ people). I wonder if this is because they just haven’t noticed you hanging around the elevator or even seen the button already illuminated.

I was at my local subway stop early on a Sunday morning before the subway opened. The entrance area was filled with about 35-40 people standing there waiting because the doors were still locked. All of a sudden this woman appearing out of nowhere pushed past everyone and went to open the doors. Of course she found them locked but I wondered… “What did she think we were all doing standing there in front of the doors”? I suspect that she didn’t even notice any of us.

How many things are you not noticing? And more importantly how is this impacting your life and the lives of those around you?

Is there a relationship in your life that you haven’t paid enough attention to for some time and have in fact been taking someone for granted? Maybe if you took notice and started to take action the relationship would be revitalized. 

Are there things going on at work that you haven’t stopped to take notice of, such as your level of commitment to your job having faltered and you are the only one that hasn’t clued in. Has your boss or coworkers been trying to give you subtle hints about something yet you still remain in the dark because you haven’t noticed?

Is something going on with your health, but because you haven’t taken notice whatever it is has become more pronounced and potentially serious. Realizing what is happening and taking action may impact not only your energy, but other areas of your life.

Yes I can hear the naysayers saying “I am too busy to notice”. Hmmm, that may be true but I suspect that sometimes we don’t notice on purpose, that way we can claim innocence when there is a repercussion to us not having noticed in the first place. We are all busy people so this excuse doesn’t hold water.

PS. To ensure you never miss an important post make sure you go to the upper right hand side of this web page and insert your email address. Each Tuesday enjoy a post based on Jack Canfield’s book the ‘Success Principles’ and my observations on how other people (and from time to time) how I live these principles. Each Thursday learn more about the principles of personal leadership and how you can up-level your life and/or business.

So many of us are yearning for balance but are unsure how to actually find it! Balance is not a state that we finally get to, rather as our lives are always in motion so is balance. We are either moving towards balance or away from it.

How many meals are you eating on the run, or perhaps skipping because you are just too busy? How many times do you have to cancel commitments either because you are just too exhausted or something more urgent came up? When you find a few moments in your busy day to actually think about your life do you feel overwhelmed?

 There is hope but it does take action. The first step is to find out where you are now. One way to do this is to look at all areas of your life such as personal growth, health, career, family and physical environment and evaluate your level of satisfaction in each area. Draw a circle and divide it up to reflect each area of life you want to evaluate, a sort of ‘Wheel of Life’. Then rank each piece of the pie on a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the highest). The middle point of the circle represents zero and the outer edge representing 10.

Then join all the numbers up to form a wheel…how balanced is that wheel? If this were a real wheel how bumpy would the ride be?

Areas to consider:

• Health
• Finance/money
• Family and friends
• Significant other
• Career
• Physical environment
• Spiritual
• Fun and recreation

After that take time to establish what a 10 in each area would represent to you if you were to attain it. This will give you an indication as to what areas in your life are lacking balance and give you some clues about how you can remedy this.

The next step is to determine which area/s needs the most attention now. This might not be the part of your life that is the lowest score but rather something that if improved would impact other areas. For instance, if you find that you have low energy and are feeling unhealthy chances are this is putting pressure on the rest of your life. To develop a plan to gain back your health either by going to a doctor, naturopath or going to a gym and working out on a regular basis may help you feel stronger and result in having the energy to spend time with family or work more effectively in your job thereby causing less stress.

For your own copy of the ‘Wheel of Life’ send an email to sharon@livewithintent.com and write ‘Wheel of Life’ in the subject line

PS. To ensure you never miss an important post make sure you go to the upper right hand side of this web page and insert your email address. Each Tuesday enjoy a post based on Jack Canfield’s book the ‘Success Principles’ and my observations on how other people (and from time to time) how I live these principles. Each Thursday learn more about the principles of personal leadership and how you can up-level your life and/or business.

By taking the time to sweep clean these areas we make room for growth and reduction of the stress we often encounter.

Is there an area in your life where you are choosing not to deal with something? Are you avoiding a problem or problems that if attended to would lift a weight the size of Mt Olympus from your shoulders? What is stopping you? Is it pride, fear, laziness, procrastination or some other emotion?

Are you avoiding cleaning up something in your physical environment, health, money or relationships? We are used to dealing with physical clutter like our messy desk, old mail or an overstuffed drawer (or maybe you are struggling with the physical clutter as well), but how many times do you know that you should deal with some other forms of clutter occurring in your life but push past the feelings to the point where it is effecting your life?

Either way, what are the possibilities for your life if you performed a clean sweep? What would happen for you and your family if you didn’t work on weekends and took regular holidays, or put people first and results second? How much less stress would be part of your life if you saved six months worth of living expenses or didn’t gossip or talk about others. I suspect you would be building a pretty great life.

I speak frequently to people who believe ‘they have it all’ and for most part they are doing very well. However, on closer examination there are some secret places they don’t like to dig into because they don’t know how or don’t want to deal with whatever they find.

For all we know, we only get one kick at the can called life…why not live it the best way possible! How about getting out the broom and sweeping clean the areas of your life that may be holding you down.

For your own copy of the ‘Clean Sweep’ document send an email to sharon@livewithintent.com and write ‘Clean Sweep’ in the subject line

PS. To ensure you never miss an important post make sure you go to the upper right hand side of this web page and insert your email address. Each Tuesday enjoy a post based on Jack Canfield’s book the ‘Success Principles’ and my observations on how other people (and from time to time) how I live these principles. Each Thursday learn more about the principles of personal leadership and how you can up-level your life and/or business.

The Law of Attraction says that like attracts like – in other words you are a living magnet. Whatever you seek is exactly what you find. Have you noticed that sometimes what you need comes to you from what seems out of nowhere? Have you ever received a phone call or bumped into someone on the street that you had only been thinking about days before? This is the law at work.

You set an expectation in your mind and your mind gets to work on responding. This law delivers both what is wanted and what is unwanted. This last part is important to remember because you really do have a say in your personal success. When you think positive thoughts you tend to attract positive circumstances and people to you. On the flip side should you choose to think negatively watch what you bring forth in your life.

The Law of Correspondence states ‘as within, so without’. Simply stated, your outer world is a mirror, which will reflect back to you what is going on inside you. This applies on both a conscious and subconscious level.

Think about how when you are in a positive frame of mind and exhibiting an optimistic attitude you generally attract other people who are similar, but when you are in a bad mood and being pessimistic how many people around you start complaining about their life, family, job etc?

So what does this all have to do with being successful in life? If you have set some goals for yourself and sincerely desire to achieve them then the Law of Attraction will help you understand how to attract more into your life of what you do want and what you wish to avoid.

By using the Law of Correspondence you can believe on a conscious level that you will attain these goals while visualizing in your mind a picture of the goals. Should you do this long and hard enough eventually your outer world will correspond.

Guard your thoughts carefully. Be sure that you are attracting only those things you want in your life.

What are your thoughts currently attracting into your life, and what changes/if any are you going to make?

If you are interested in learning more about the Law of Attraction I suggest you read Michael J. Losier’s book ‘The Law of Attraction’ or ‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne.

PS. To ensure you never miss an important post make sure you go to the upper right hand side of this web page and insert your email address. Each Tuesday enjoy a post based on Jack Canfield’s book the ‘Success Principles’ and my observations on how other people (and from time to time) how I live these principles. Each Thursday learn more about the principles of personal leadership and how you can up-level your life and/or business.