With the 2011 just around the corner, many of us are focused on our setting our goals, intentions, and resolutions. While this is a wonderful and exciting aspect of every New Year, one of the most important things we can focus on this new year is appreciating ourselves – first!

If you’re anything like me and most of the people I know and work with, you probably have a tendency to be hard on yourself, or at least to think you have to achieve your goals or do something “good” in order to pat yourself on the back and appreciate yourself. What if we started with self appreciation, instead of waiting until we think we deserved it or had time to do it?

What we’re really after is a sense of satisfaction, fulfillment, and, most importantly, self appreciation. We think that if we achieve our goals, we’ll be happy and feel good about ourselves. However, as you may have noticed throughout your life – not only is this not true, it creates a great deal of stress for us in the process.

Without appreciating ourselves our goals are meaningless. By taking the time to appreciate ourselves, three incredible things happen. First of all, we put ourselves in the best possible position for the fulfillment of our goals. Second, we give ourselves first what we’re going after ultimately – a positive sense of who we are and what’s valuable about us, right now. And third, we make ourselves available in a genuine way to be there for others and appreciate the people around us.

Take care of yourself and appreciate who you are as we move into 2011.

It’s hard to stay focused during these economic times; however, now, more than ever it is necessary to stay focused on thinking about what you want most. My sense is that the Developing of Self appears to be on most people minds these days. Jane’s book, “The Art of Managing…How to Build a Better Workplace and Relationships,” gives the reader a step-by-step process to follow in the development of Self. By following these steps, you will be able to create a better understanding of the lives that you most desire for not only yourself, but all your loved ones. “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne reinforces this concept by saying that everything that’s coming into your life you are attracting into your life. And, it’s attracted to you by virtue of the images you’re holding in your mind. You become what you think most, but you also attract what you think most.

Why We Are Offended by Others…

According to Mike Robbins, a well-known author, we get offended by what people say, things on TV, opposing political opinions (especially these days), noise, music, traffic, weather, our family, different view points, and so much more. We believe we are right and others are wrong, if they don’t agree with us. Many of our opinions are self-righteous. Can you relate? What if we allowed others to be as they are? We take so many things personally that have nothing to do with us. When you are reacting emotionally to someone or something, it’s your shadow or mirror that this negative thing is showing you about yourself and life. The more we react to something, the less freedom and peace we have.
1) It’s not all about you. Even though it may seem like someone is being rude to you or something is happening directly to you, most of the time the things you take personally or get offended by have little or nothing to do with you.
2) Have compassion for others. While you don’t have to simply allow people to treat you poorly or let them walk all over you, if you can have compassion for them instead of assuming they’re out to get you, it makes life more peaceful all the way around. Often when other people act in a way you find “offensive,” they are having a difficult time themselves.
3) Right or happy, you choose? In life, you have a choice – you can be right or you can be happy, not both. When you’re obsessed about being right all the time – you’re easily offended. When you let go of your need to be right, you have the space to be happy, peaceful, and joyful.

Any obstacles to knowing the right course of action are within each of us, and so is the right course. Sometimes it seems as though a decision truly hangs in the balance, with such equal values on both sides. “I was so close to saying no – or yes –.” We hold our thumb and forefinger a few microns apart. That close may not be close at all; we knew all along what was appropriate. If we let ourselves be still and listen to our private inner voice, we usually know what’s right for us to do. If we find ourselves faced with a lot of decisions that seem so close apart, maybe we are not acting according to our ideas of what’s right. It might be time to reappraise our values. If we believe one way and act another, it might be time to change either our behavior or our belief. I would rather change my behavior, what about you?

According to Wikipedia encyclopedia, Honesty is the human quality of communicating and acting truthfully related to truth as a value. This includes listening, and any action in the human repertoire, such as body language and tone used while speaking. The meaning of the word truth extends from honesty, good faith, and sincerity.

Honesty means simply stating facts and views as best one truly believes them to be. It includes both honesty to others, and to oneself and about one’s own motives and inner reality. Dishonesty, at times, has the ability to cause misfortune to the person who displayed it.

Isn’t it interesting that we judge ourselves by our intentions and judge others by their actions. Now go seize the day with truth and honesty!

It’s interesting how we think that America is just ours and we sometimes close our hearts to others who want to live here. America, founded by immigrants, is a nation of many cultures. Many immigrants today face similar obstacles as their predecessors. The important issue today for management is how to maximize and capitalize on workplace diversity. Diversity in the workplace is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating each person’s uniqueness. I look at diversity as peeling an onion. The outer layer can be multiple colors, shapes, sizes, but inside, most are the same…just like people. The goal to managing diversity is to develop and expand our capacity to accept, acknowledge, incorporate value, empower, and celebrate the different human talents among people whether they work in a large corporation or a small business because people are still the most important asset in a successful business. What is your experience with diversity in the workplace?

I had an opportunity today to attend a luncheon that was a networking function that comprised a group of well-educated, entrepreneurial, successful business women. The one thing I learned was that most successful businesses are built on recommendations from family, friends and associates. It is these folks who we have established relationships with that know who we are, what we want to give to others, how we work, and why we want to do the business that we do. No only are relationships the key to a successful business, they are also the best teachers in our lives. Maintain and nurture these precious relationships.

Success requires planning, focus and patience.

Patience is often the most difficult part of this formula. Success requires doing the things we need to do to get where we want to go. Success requires getting things done. The most difficult part of this process is the ability to be patient long enough to continue the effort required to achieve our goal.

There is something very powerful that results from our ability to be patient and focus on the outcome. It helps our clients feel good about themselves and the effort they are making to achieve their goals. It keeps us centered and focused and gives us the fortitude to be patient long enough to achieve success.

I recently heard a speaker tell a story that I had been told many years ago. It is the story of a man who found and hung a painting of a small row boat. It was a painting of a row boat beached in the sand. The boat’s oars were lying at each side of the boat in the sand. A visitor saw the painting and was startled by how sad and bleak it looked. He was about to ask the man why he would hang a painting with such a dark image when he looked down at the bottom of the painting and read the painting’s title “And the tide will always return.” What this means is that you have the ability to focus on the outcome, work hard with an optimistic attitude and be patient while working for good results that will deliver success.

Now go seize the day!

With the 2010 just getting started, many of us are focused on our goals, intentions, and resolutions. While this is a wonderful and exciting aspect of every New Year, one of the most important things we can focus on this year is appreciating ourselves – first!

If you’re anything like me and most of the people I know and work with, you probably have a tendency to be hard on yourself, or at least to think you have to achieve your goals or do something “good” in order to pat yourself on the back and appreciate yourself. What if we started with self appreciation, instead of waiting until we think we deserved it or had time to do it?

What we’re really after is a sense of satisfaction, fulfillment, and, most importantly, self appreciation. We think that if we achieve our goals, we’ll be happy and feel good about ourselves. However, as you may have noticed throughout your life – not only is this not true, it creates a great deal of stress for us in the process.

Without appreciating ourselves our goals are meaningless. By taking the time to appreciate ourselves, three incredible things happen. First of all, we put ourselves in the best possible position for the fulfillment of our goals. Second, we give ourselves first what we’re going after ultimately – a positive sense of who we are and what’s valuable about us, right now. And third, we make ourselves available in a genuine way to be there for others and appreciate the people around us.

Take care of yourself and appreciate who you are as we move into this New Year.

First of all, I hope that you and your loved ones had a very Happy Thanksgiving. With either our own struggles or those we love who are struggling, it sometimes is difficult to focus on the positives in our life. Today is a day to remember what we are thankful for…our family, friends and associates who make up those relationships that give us meaning in our lives. We are, too, thankful for our service men and women who protect our freedom to live how we want. Yes, we do have many blessings. Look within and focus on the positives. What are you thankful for?