Movers and Shakers

It's that time of year when the annual lists of news makers and other noteworthy individuals are published.  It could be Time Magazine's person of the year or CNN's Heroes.  Barbara Walters will reveal who she thinks are the 10 most fascinating people of the year.  Sports Illustrated has already named Lebron James as their Sportsman of the Year.  The thing that all the members of these lists have in common is that they are considered to be movers and shakers in their industry or community.  They make an impact with their contributions.   You don't have to be famous to move and shake the people and things around you.  Consider some of the following things that will get you labeled as a mover and a shaker.

• Move toward your goals and dreams with focus and awareness.  Look for opportunities and be prepared to act on them when you find them. 
• Shake off the frustration of failure.  Replace it with the response of resilience.
• Move from inside your vision to outside of your mission.  Build your brand based on outcomes not intent.
• Shake hands to connect. Consultation and collaboration expand your reach.  
• Move into position to see success ahead and leave disappointment behind.  Don't become limited by circumstances. 
• Shake up indecision with a clear sense of purpose.  When you know what your purpose is, you will make choices to align with it.
• Move through chaos and confusion with the perspective that they are temporary states.  Expect stability and clarity to show up when you look for them.  
• Shake free of unproductive habits. If you do something on a regular basis that does not support, strengthen, or serve your growth, then stop doing it.   

Leave a comment and share what you will move or shake to begin the new year.

Inner Circle

Some of your relationships are environmental.  You interact with certain people because you see them at the same place on a regular basis (work, school, gym, etc.).  Other people may be in your life because you are related to or have history with them.  Regardless of how you met them, some of these people will make their way into your inner circle.  This is often a small group of trusted friends and/or family members that you rely on for advice, support, and the truth.  They have no agenda and want the best for you.  Often, the folks in your inner circle fill specific roles in your life.  There may be a beginner, dinner, thinner, spinner, and winner.

Beginner - Don't think of a beginner as someone that is new to something.  In your circle, the beginner is the person that helps you start things.  They are your sounding board for new ideas and plan changes.  You brainstorm with them and they can usually provide a few tips to launch what you want to do.

Dinner - This may be thought of as the main meal of your day.  However, in your circle, the dinner person is the one that feeds your creativity, resilience, and preparation.  In artistic terms, this individual might be referred to as your muse.  They provide "food for thought" to inspire you to dream big, bounce back, and always be ready to show what you can do. 

Thinner - This is not the person that helps you lose weight.  Think of paint thinner.  This role will serve a similar purpose.  When you add them to your sticky situations, they make things easier for you.  They are able to be objective and help you see past the immediate moment.  

Spinner - This is your public relations person.  You want them to introduce and recommend you to others.  They always speak favorably of you and what you do.  You need a glass half full type of person in your corner. 

Winner - This one is self-explanatory.  You want to be around people that know how to win.  They have won or are winning at something now.  They have a proven pattern, or formula, that can help you to succeed. 

Leave a comment and share who some of the people are in your life that fill your inner circle roles.

5 Ways To Build Esteem

While it is great to have a support system of family and friends to encourage you, it is important that you believe in yourself.  You need to feel that you can and will accomplish the things that you want to do.  If you are your worst critic, then you also need to be your biggest cheerleader.  Your esteem is your responsibility.  Build it with care and perform routine maintenance on it.  There are five things that may help you establish a solid self-esteem.

1. Lay a brick of recognition on top of a brick of impact.  Connect them with the mortar of awareness.  Know that you matter and make a difference when you speak.  Remind yourself of the ways that you make things better.
2. Use a humor hammer to keep things in perspective.  Learn to laugh at yourself when the occasion calls for it.  Don't beat yourself up over silly things that will soon be forgotten by others.  
3. Keep enough experience nails in your bag to join your skills to the appropriate needs.  Where you have been, who you have met, and what you know will fill the blank pages of your esteem journal.  The written word connects thought to action.
4. Don't build the foundation of your esteem based on someone else's measurements.  Mold your thoughts and behavior with a shaping saw that will modify your expectations to fit your story.  As you look and listen to others for guidance and inspiration, apply the things that make sense for you and discard what you don't need.
5. Paint the walls of your personality with a pattern of competence and consistency.  There are things that you do well.   Practice and perfect those skills on a regular basis.  They may be used to describe you to others.  What you display reflects how you view yourself, your environment, and those that interact with you.  

In the next Hearts post (in a few weeks), maintenance of esteem will be covered.  For this week, leave a comment and share which of these esteem building tips can help you.

Within Reach

Are your hopes and dreams within reach?  If you answered yes, then don't delay in your pursuit of them.  Move toward what you want with focus and confidence.  If you answered no, then determine what you need to do to reach them.  Put yourself in a position to extend your reach in multiple directions.  You may not always be able to use the most obvious approach.  Consider different routes that will lead you to your desired finish line.

• Reach up to expand your vision.   When you reach up, you tend to look up as well.  You may not be able to fully grasp everything you see at first. However, as you continue to stretch, you will get a better grip on what you will encounter at the next level.

• Reach out to gain information.  Ask questions that will open doors.  Reach out to share information.  Give answers that build bridges that connect you to problem solvers.  Effective communication can establish your foundation and credibility.

• Reach down to find motivation when things don't go according to the plan.   Encouragement can be found beneath failure and disappointment.  Reach down to lift the lesson from the loss.  The floor (bottom) is the launching pad to the ceiling (top).    

Leave a comment and share whether you will reach up, out, or down this week.