Summer is a time to recharge your batteries by going on vacation.

To Vacate is to leave things behind.

• What are you ready to let go, leave behind, release?
• What extra burdens are you carrying that aren’t yours to carry?

Make time this summer to finish a project at home or delegate some smaller tasks to others.

How about letting go of one burden you still carry that isn’t your responsibility -oooh there’s a challenge.

Vacating gives you a chance to start fresh.

If you have trouble delegating, finishing projects, or time management, consider getting support to learn successful strategies to stay focused and motivated*.

Vacation Benefits

We typically get time off in summer to re-set our “Go” button. Time to travel, visit friends, re-connect with family.

But is 1 week enough?? People with stressful or fast-paced jobs, need at least 3 days to unwind the pressure. That leaves only 3 days to relax before heading home.

In the U.S., we are lucky to get a two week summer vacation. In fact only 55% of companies give paid time off. USA Today reports, “The United States is the only developed country in the world without a single legally required paid vacation day or holiday. By law, every country in theEuropean Union has at least four work weeks of paid vacation.” (June 2013)

That’s right, the European Union mandates 4 weeks annual vacation, not counting national holidays.

Talk to your HR dept. Turns out they would probably agree that you need more time off.

Forbes shared the results of a survey by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) that 94% of HR professionals agreed that more time off would lead to greater productivity. They found when employees take vacation, it makes a positive impact on performance, morale, wellness, culture, productivity and retention.

Long Service Leave

In Australia they get a 6 month long service leave!

Yes you read that right—- 6 months to travel♦. (That’s why if you’ve gone overseas it’s not uncommon to run into an Aussie who’s been traveling for 3-4 months and has another few months to go.)

Long service leave rewards continuity, longevity, stability.

What if US companies offered a long service leave- especially one tied to renewing your certifications, sharping your skills, or learning entirely new skills?

Academia offers sabbaticals as a way for professors to keep current in their field, why not the rest of us?

Propose a 1 month study period, or immersive skill renewal time to all staff for every 7-10 yrs within your firm. This would build greater engagement and foster life-long learning. It also allows employees to keep current and follow trends in their field.

This could be built into your company’s Talent Management or Professional Development program. Staff would submit what they want to learn prior to scheduling their leave, and describe how they will bring their learning back to their job.

Such time could be used on technical skills or interpersonal/team skills to improve communication, Emotional Intelligence, conflict resolution. There are so many on-line programs, MeetUp Groups, Library seminars, and ebooks available, finding programs to fit someone’s schedule and budget should be feasible.

Take Your Vacation and Renew

Give yourself permission to use ALL your vacation days this year. You work hard for it. You earned it. You deserve it.

~~~~~

♦ Australia has such programs due to geography and history. Most of the early Aussies came from the British Isles- literally half way around the globe. To see family left behind, it took nearly a month by boat to get there (and then of course a month to get back).

***

Linda J. Ferguson, Ph.D. is a Job and Life Coach. She offers valuable strategies and tools to have successful work and balanced life.

* Visit www.lindajferguson.com/coaching/ for guidance and support.

Like Linda’s FB page for more blog posts and updates of Linda’s work.

Share Linda’s 10^th Anniversary edition of “Path for Greatness: Work as Spiritual Service”as a gift for a colleague, friend or family member who desires to integrate their spiritual life and their work life. Available on Amazon- Click HERE

Sign-Up on Linda’s website for her Transformational Empowerment series to live and work from the heart – www.lindajferguson.com

I’ve collaborated with Dr. Crystal Davis for the past two years. It’s been a nice creative process. I first met Crystal while she was working on her Ph.D. She had read my book “Path for Greatness: Work as Spiritual Service” and wanted to include it as a piece of her dissertation work.

Here’s a post she wrote recently related to her dissertation on Servant Leadership.

Enjoy!

#ServantLeadership #Compassion #InspiringLeadership

***********

Servant Leadership and Compassionate Collaboration (Pillar IV)

“None of us is perfect by ourselves”

~Robert Greenleaf

A Servant-Leader builds relationships, embraces diversity and is the creator of a culture of collaboration. Pillar IV is the Servant Leader as Compassionate Collaborator. A Servant-Leader who compassionately collaborates;

• Invites and rewards the contribution of others.
• Is always mindful and aware of the quality of work-life balance and continually builds caring, supportive, and collaborative teams and communities.
• Develops a positive rapport with diverse people, acknowledge cultural difference, and values a variety of backgrounds.
• Neutralizes disagreements respectfully, diplomatically, and constructively.

Three core competencies of a Servant-Leader who is a compassionate collaborator;

• Expresses Appreciation
• Builds Teams and Communities
• Negotiates Conflict
• Together
• Everyone
• Achieves
• More

Servant-Leaders develop a culture of collaboration. This type of culture takes time to build, but a Servant Leader knows it is the way to harmony (as it is seen in Japanese cultures) and the success of an organization or project. A collaborative culture includes:

• Trust and respect in everyday situations,
• Equalitarian attitudes among members at all ranks,
• Power based on expertise and accountability,
• Shared leadership where all members take initiative,
• Commitment to the success of other members, rather than just one’s own success,
• Valuing the truth and truth-telling,
• Commitment to continuous improvement of the whole organization,
• Active learning, and
• Personal responsibility.

Building a culture of collaboration is worth the work. As a Servant-Leader strives to reach consensus about doing the right thing, one comes to understand quickly, that the right thing may be different for the customer, the manager, or the boss. To engage in consensus decision-making, a Servant-Leader understands that while everyone may not agree with the ultimate decision, that everyone is going to support the decision and not undermine it. At the end of the day, the Servant-Leader who has engaged in compassionate collaboration is one that when everyone who leaves the room claiming “we” made the decision and not just the leader.

One of the three competencies of a compassionate collaboration is expressing appreciation. Five tips that Servant-Leaders engage when praising people include:

Praise with a Purpose

Understand the difference between a compliment and praise that reinforces positive performance. For example, telling Jane you like her new glasses is a compliment. Telling Jane you appreciate her contribution to helping the organization stay organized and on time is effective praise.

Be Specific

“Good job, Way to Go!” is a good way to show appreciation but what’s even better is saying, “What an impressive procedure you developed for handling customer service conflicts on the telephone.” Be brief and precise.

Consider the Receiver

It helps to be aware generation-sensitive language (You wouldn’t want to say “good job dude” to a person that is seen as an elder) and to be aware of personalities and feelings of the receiver of your recognition. John might prefer a quiet hallway conversation while Sally might appreciate a banner or balloons. Know your people!

Be Sincere

Be authentic, heartfelt, and proportionate. People can sense phoniness and brown-nosing a mile away.

Do It Often

Celebrate small successes – frequently, consistently, and conscientiously. It is good business, and it is one way a Servant-Leader acts on her commitment to the growth of others.

Crislip and Larson, in their book, Collaborative Leadership put it this way;

“The purpose of collaboration is to create a shared vision and joint strategies to address concerns that go beyond the purview of any particular party.”

Servant Leaders understand that the growth of self and others is interrelated with compassionate collaboration. Without it, failure is inevitable.

To Collaborating,

Dr. Crystal

https://drcrystaldavis.wordpress.com/

Crystal J Davis is a servant leader, blogger, and researcher. She holds a Doctorate in Management specializing in Organizational Leadership. Dr. Davis is passionately engaged in Servant Leadership and selfless service to the nonprofit and public sectors having served both large and small organizations throughout her career and her consulting business.

© Copyright 2015 ~Dr. Crystal J. Davis. All Rights Reserved.

I recently started reading, “The Pathwork of Self-Transformation” by Eva Pierrakos. From what I’ve gleaned so far, the Pathwork process is about finding the unresolved conflicts within you that create turmoil, problems, tensions in your life.

It reminded me of the concept of Polarity Management, the ability to manage conflicting desires, needs, yearnings.

The elusive balance we often seek is actually a constant swinging between competing interests, values, ideals. Most people want to feel a sense of accomplishment (which often comes from hard or dedicated work) and still enjoy free time for play and relaxation.

We want companionship AND independence, community AND individuality. We want simplicity but not boredom, organization and stability, but not a lot of rules and regulations.

Think of an infinity sign

– when you swing too far to one side focusing on one quality (eg., work), you reach a point of diminishing returns or extremes, and problems erupt. So you need to adjust and loop back around with the other quality for a while. Then when that goes too far you swing back again. Only in the middle (see the infinity sign), is there the point of balance.

So it is that we navigate through life finding ourselves swinging between our competing ideals.

The Pathwork book got me to thinking about the polarity of my life and the “Shoulds” I learned growing up. Most of the “Shoulds” I learned were there to help me be a functioning, responsible, capable person. I’m glad I learned them.

But without also recognizing the value of opposite qualities, what some call the Shadow or hidden side, I am not able to see how I negate or run away from the very quality that will bring balance.

As I sat down to write this blog, I realized we are quickly approaching the Spring Equinox. A time of Balance. As we move from darkness to greater light, we reach that wonderful, tender, fleeting time of balance in our day (March 20^th this year).

During this week of Spring, I want to claim my Inner Balance.

I created a list of qualities that I’ve learned from my life experiences are important to guide my way, honoring both so I find Balance. I want to honor and accept both the Light and the Shadow qualities (It’s OK to be Strong and OK to be Vulnerable) so I don’t have to continue my inner struggle or outer-world turmoil.

Just as the seasons change naturally, with no season being “right” or “wrong”, I’ve come again to the understanding that no quality is inherently right or wrong. They are all needed at times, and they all bring balance.

I invite you to review your life and see what qualities are creating the competing forces in your life. Develop your list of what helps you find balance within you and in your life.

Walk in Balance,

Aho!

***

Linda J. Ferguson, Ph.D. is a Job and Life Coach. She offers guidance and fresh perspectives to help you have successful work and balanced life. Visit www.lindajferguson.com/coaching/ for more information.

Like Linda’s FB page for more blog posts and updates of Linda’s work.

Share Linda’s 10^th Anniversary edition of “Path for Greatness: Work as Spiritual Service”as a gift for a colleague, friend or family member who desires to integrate their spiritual life and their work life. Available on Amazon- Click HERE

Sign-Up on Linda’s website for her Transformational Empowerment series to live and work from the heart – www.lindajferguson.com

 

‘Tis the season of Love – a time to remember the power of Love to heal, transform, and nourish.
Valentine’s day is a reminder of all the ways that Love shows up in our life.

Sometimes Love shows up with flowers and candy.

Sometimes Love shows up as an unexpected call from a friend.

Sometimes Love shows up as a painful memory, prompting us to forgive.

Sometimes Love shows up as an illness or loss, allowing us to receive support and comfort.

Sometimes Love shows up as criticism or a biting comment, calling us to respond with love, knowing that people who are hurting hurt others.

Sometimes Love shows up as doubt or worry, nudging us to step up to the magnificence of who we truly are.

Sometimes Love shows up as self-criticism or shaming, providing the opportunity to heal an old wound.

Sometimes Love shows up as judgments or blaming, asking us to give up arrogance and righteousness.

However Love shows up, know this:

There is more Love – Always and in All Ways.

There is more Love Somewhere

I love this song as a reminder to walk the path of Love. Remember these words even when you are hurt, tired, feel defensive, or about to criticize others or yourself.

There is more Love somewhere

There is more Love somewhere

I’m gonna keep on ’til I find it

There is more Love somewhere

***
Linda J. Ferguson, Ph.D. is the author of two books on spiritual living. Linda is a Job and Life Coach for people who are ready to release their doubts, fears, and self-limiting beliefs to live with greater joy and peace.
Sign-up to receive Linda’s FREE series on Transformational Empowerment, a framework for making positive changes in your life.

Enter your name in the right hand side bar – www.lindajferguson.com
Follow Linda on FB
Click HERE to order Linda’s book “Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand: Awakening Soul Consciousness for the New Millennium”. Available in paperback and ebook- Kindle, Nook and iStore

January is behind you and those New Year Resolutions may be a distant memory. You still want to lose weight, be more patient with your kids, change jobs, get more organized. Yet you just don’t seem to have the focus, energy, or motivation to make a change. You keep letting old habits go on auto-pilot.

It’s hard to break old patterns. You need to pay attention to shake routines. It takes determination and commitment to truly go after what you want.

Most people change behavior due to two factors- inspiration or desperation.

Don’t wait to get desperate to make a change. Get Unstuck and get on with your life! Click here for practical, effective tools to make the changes that matter to you: Get UnStuck Tool Kit

To help you with some more inspiration, I want to share this article from my colleague Jim Koehneke. Enjoy!

What to Do When You Feel Stuck by Jim Koehneke

It happens. We get caught up in our lives, dealing with outer conditions that we don’t like and then try to change them. Only to find it’s impossible to make much headway. But, we think, “If only I try harder I can get things to change.” But that doesn’t work so well, frustration builds, and bingo: we feel stuck. There is a way out of this mess, (one that I found myself in the other day), so I decided to share the process with you that worked for me. It is transformative. To begin, you and I and your friends, (as well as your enemies), are all born from the same ‘fabric’, or more precisely, ‘energy’. The Source of that energy continually flows in and through us as Goodness, Wisdom, and Peace. Only we typically forget to access it, or we block it out with lots of doing, struggling, and trying. And when we do, we get stuck in our confusion, and attempt to change outside conditions without first going back to our intuitive connection to Source for clarity, inspiration, and connection to our personal power. Here’s a simple process that will help you make the transition back to being in alignment to Source Power. I call it “Pivoting Your Way Out of Stuck”. Pause, or better yet, stop from what you are doing. Keeping on the same track when you are “all twisted up” will only make things stay the same, or maybe worse. Interrupt the “stuckness” by taking a few deep breaths and some physical action to get out of your head. Like stand up, turn around; or just feel the physical sensations in your hands and feet. This will help you return to the present moment, rather than staying caught up focusing on trying to fix the past or taking the worry out of the future. Value having your feeling, for it is a reminder that you are attracting negative energy. Give it recognition, name it, and watch it as is dissipates. Orient yourself to the truth: you have authority over your thoughts! Take back your power (rather than keeping it on the outer circumstances), and say “I am in charge of what I choose to think!” Thank Source (also called the Universe) for holding your power, truth, and goodness while you temporarily forgot how to manage your thoughts. (Gratitude is always a good way to help re-focus your energy anytime.) Invoke your human “right” to seek assistance by asking for what you want. Sincerely make your request for help in whatever situation you find yourself. (When I am stuck I make my request to Source; when I am not stuck I ask for help from my friends or mentors.) Next, give your attention back to feeling, not thinking. Focus on and feel renewed energy of goodness and harmony flowing through you. (If needed, imagine any pleasant experience to feel good.) Gain the clarity that will enable you to go forward. For example, if it is a problem you are trying to solve, maybe first take a walk to clear your head. And when you feel better, take charge once again and start over — back in the driver’s seat! I think it was Albert Einstein who once said “you can’t solve a problem at the level of the problem”. That’s why calling in the wisdom of Source is crucial to rise to a higher level! With Source as your Co-Creator, you have the power to change your circumstances — not by trying to change conditions, but through the power of your mind. Here’s a suggestion for helping to prevent getting stuck: remember to re-connect with Source energy throughout the day. A quick hello will suffice! By PIVOTING your way to freedom, you will take back authority over your mind and rediscover the Power within you to create newness, joy, and possibility, anytime, anywhere. And by starting the process with only a few deep breaths, you can get back on track to creating your life the way you want it to go! Be in Peace, knowing you have the Power to choose the way you want your life to show up!

Jim Koehneke is a transformational Business & Life Coach committed to assisting people discover their passion, overcome limiting beliefs, and be that person who lives from purpose, acts with power, and manifests their dreams. Jim has published two books, “Creating and Living Your Purpose” and “Take Charge of Your Life ─ Seven Steps for Reclaiming Your Personal Power“. To find out how you can manifest your dreams by taking charge of y​our life and overcome limiting beliefs please contact: jim@loveyourworktoday.com, call 802-857-5641, or check out www.loveyourworktoday.com.

As we celebrate the MLK holiday this week, I want to focus on one of King’s messages that apply to businesses and work.

One of my favorite quotes of Dr. King is: ‘Anyone can be great because everyone can serve.’ That quote is the basis for my first book, “Path for Greatness: Work as Spiritual Service.”

Reflecting on King’s message, how are we called to be great at work? When he talks of greatness he’s not speaking of exceptional performance, heroic deeds, or extraordinary talent. King wrote that even if you are a small shrub on the side of the road, be the best little shrub you can be.

No, King is referring to the kind of greatness that comes from bringing your best self to work, day in and day out.

Any work can be spiritual when we show up as our best selves and offer our work as loving service. Are you working with integrity, compassion, understanding, kindness, respecting others, etc.?

Greatness comes when you could take the easy way out, cut corners, blame someone else for a problem, inflate an expense, or intentionally mislead someone one- but you don’t.

Greatness often requires courage. Courage to stand up for your customer, or perhaps stand up for your colleague when peer pressure or politics require otherwise.

Greatness happens when you could go along with others who aren’t doing the right thing, but instead speak your truth.

Are you showing up today with courage, compassion, understanding, kindness?

Are you respecting yourself to speak your truth? Are you respecting your customers or co-workers by listening deeply to what they need?

I describe in my book “Path for Greatness” ways to be great in the way that King meant. As you align your gifts, passion, and higher purpose in loving service, your greatness comes through.

First, you need to nurture your spiritual soil so that you stay spiritually grounded despite what goes on around you at work. By tending to your spiritual soil, you’re able to offer your gifts and passion in loving service.

If your spiritual soil, your solid ground, isn’t tended to, you’ll feel depleted or out of balance. Or worse yet, you’ll forget to bring your best self to work. You’ll act without integrity, compassion, respect for others etc.

Look for the ways you are called to be great this week.

• Are you tending to your spiritual soil?
• Are you bringing your best self to work?
• Are you offering your gifts in loving service?

May you find inspiration from the words of Dr. King. No matter what work you do, your greatness can shine through.

Go be Great. The world needs you.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)

****

Linda J. Ferguson, Ph.D. is a Job and Life Coach. Linda offers guidance and fresh perspectives to help you be successful at work and live in balance. Visit www.lindajferguson.com/coaching/ for more information.

Like Linda’s FB page for more blog posts and updates of Linda’s work.

Share Linda’s 10th Anniversary edition of “Path for Greatness: Work as Spiritual Service”as a gift for a colleague, friend or family member who desires to integrate their spiritual life and their work life. Available on Amazon- Click HERE

Sign-Up on Linda’s website for her Transformational Empowerment series to live and work from the heart – www.lindajferguson.com

The Grand Jury decisions in Ferguson MO and NY have been challenging for me. I grew up close to St. Louis so that situation struck close to home. I began reflecting on how to create harmony in our communities and work when anger and grief emerge.

I recently attended a talk by a spiritual teacher and asked about the current issue of race relations. He said the conflict and disturbances are caused by Separation, separation from others and from God. I want to expand on that idea in this post.

Separation – Us vs. Them

We experience separation when we perceive others as different – based on their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, personality etc. This separation creates disharmony.

It is the ego, small self, personality level thinking that creates separation. It’s too easy to categorize people into Us and Them — My people (company, team, neighborhood) vs. Other.

To get past your perceptions of differences, focus instead on the Divine Nature of others. As you focus on their Divine Essence, you see them in a new way. When you focus on their Divine Nature, everything else becomes trivial.

When people around the planet get past the illusion of difference, we will know lasting peace.

From a spiritual perspective, we are all beings of Light. The outer appearances, behaviors, and personality are merely wrapping paper.

Everyone is expressing their Divine Nature the best way they know how. And….many have forgotten their Divine Nature.

We are Divine Essence expressed in millions of different ways around the planet. No one expression of Divine Nature is better or worse than any other.

Creating Harmony

So the key to improving race relations, or any type of disharmony based on Us vs. Them thinking and perceiving, is to Remember (re-member) we are all beings of Light.

When you are pressed for time, when others don’t act as you want them to, when you don’t act as you would like to, remember this….Peace comes from remembering you and everyone else are Divine Expressions.

Reach inward to remember and feel your Divine Nature. With this connection, you’ll see others more clearly as Divine Beings expressing their Light the best way they know how.

Walk the path of Love not fear. Aho!

***

Linda J. Ferguson, Ph.D. is the author of two books on spiritual living. Linda is a Job and Life Coach for people who are ready to release their doubts, fears, and self-limiting beliefs. Linda helps her clients bring greater joy and balance to their work and life.

Sign-up to receive Linda’s FREE series on Transformational Empowerment, a framework for making positive changes in your life. Enter your name in the right hand side bar – www.lindajferguson.com

Follow Linda– https://www.facebook.com/LindaJFerguson

Click HERE to order Linda’s book “Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand: Awakening Soul Consciousness for the New Millennium”. Available in paperback and ebook- Kindle, Nook and iStore

Support your local book store and small businesses this holiday season.

 

Gratitude & Living Well

When I decided to write about Gratitude for this month’s blog, I wasn’t sure what angle I wanted to take with the topic.

Then I got the video link below of a childhood friend of my niece and nephew.

Clint Smith is a smart, articulate 20-something from New Orleans. Watching him speak his truth in the TED Talk he gave in NY, I got chills. I’m not surprised this video has almost 2 million views. If he’s a sign of our future, we are in good hands.

Clint’s TED Talk Video

Clint challenges us all to step up, to show up, to speak our truth to discrimination and intolerance.

>> How are you remaining silent to bigotry, environmental harm, greed or injustice where you work?

>> What will give you the courage to speak your truth?

A Well-Lived Life

I want to juxtapose Clint’s talk with the topic of Gratitude by asking this question:

What is a well-lived life for you?

This is a question worth reflecting on as we move into Thanksgiving and other holidays.

Family and friends will gather. Many find this time renewing and joyful. It is what makes a life well lived- sharing time with loved ones and breaking bread together.

Others find this time of year very painful, hard to get through. This time of year provides fertile ground for healing, and reconciliation.

As you reflect on the many blessings in your life, the small and large ways you create a well-lived life, share some expression of your gratitude.

• Be patient with those you love. Be kind to those in need.
• Give the homeless man an apple.
• Speak your truth- with love and grace.
• Stand up for yourself and the dignity of others.

Well-Lived Life Reflections

I’ve collected various essays from articles I’ve written and put them together as an eBook called “Renew Your Heart Expand Your Soul”. It will be available in a couple weeks on my website – www.lindajferguson.com/store .

One article is titled “A Well-Lived Life” and inspired by conversations in my Ethical Leadership class. If you are interested in getting a spiral bound copy of this booklet, email me for shipping details – info@lindajferguson.com

~ ~ ~

May your Holiday Season be filled with ways to live well.

Peace,

Linda

****

Linda J. Ferguson, Ph.D. is a Job and Life Coach. She offers guidance and fresh perspectives to help you have successful work and balanced life. Visit www.lindajferguson.com/coaching/ for more information.

Like Linda’s FB page for more blog posts and updates of Linda’s work.

Share Linda’s 10^th Anniversary edition of “Path for Greatness: Work as Spiritual Service”as a gift for a colleague, friend or family member who desires to integrate their spiritual life and their work life. Click HERE

Sign-Up on Linda’s website- www.lindajferguson.com to live and work from the heart- Transformational Empowerment

There’s another way to Change your Job…

>> Struggling with finding your next job?

>> Tired of spinning your wheels applying to jobs on-line and not hearing anything from it?

>> Frustrated that you can’t get the interview, even though you are waaaaaay qualified for the job?

Allow what you Desire to Come to You

I’m a huge fan of Esther Hicks and her Abraham messages. I’ve used her ideas many times to consciously co-create.

Manifesting starts with Believing in Abundance. Knowing that there is Realm of Infinite Possibility you can tap into.

As Esther-Abraham often says, you have to turn on, tap in, and tune up to connect with the Vortex.

(The term Vortex is known by many names- God Consciousness, Source, Life Force, Energy , the Universe etc.)

Once you are powered up and connected to the Vortex, it’s simply a process of allowing what you desire to flow through you.

The trick is in powering up- holding your thoughts, emotions and energy long enough to really tap into the Realm of Possibility– without letting your fears, doubts, worries, and judgments prevent what you desire from flowing to you.

Notice when you go after something but think contradictory thoughts like:

• That will never happen,
• I just don’t seem to get a break,
• This is too hard, I’d better just forget about it
• I’m too old for this

For help stepping through your Self-Limiting Beliefs, keeping your focus, and staying energized during your job search, consider working with a Job Coach.

And now for more on the Art of Allowing…

First and foremost, you’re not trying to find that job. You want to prepare your vibrational atmosphere so it can find you. That’s really the key. Because when you are looking for something that you can’t find, what’s your vibrational stance? I can’t find it. Which means you can’t find it because you can’t find something that’s lost and you can’t find something that you can’t find. You can’t find it. But it isn’t that you can’t find it. It is …. that you are not allowing it.

And the reason that you are not allowing it is because you can’t find it. So what you want to do is think in terms of all that you’ve done. You’ve lived life, you’ve selected carefully, you’ve put things in your vortex, you know what you want. So you can find the feeling of it even though you can’t find the specifics of it.

So when you take the time to find the feeling of it, now you are no longer preventing it from coming.

It’s like this, it’s like everything that you’ve asked for and we’re not kidding you at all about this. This is the way that it is. Everything that you’ve asked for is all queued up and the path is being given to you in the form of ideas. In the form of thoughts.

In other words, Source within you is giving you impulses, thinking about you. Thinking about what you want. Thinking about the full fruition of what you want. So there is a steady stream of path coming to you, coming to you, coming to you, coming to you. But so many of you, it’s like…you’ve got your umbrella out there like this [sideways] against the wind currents of everything that you want.

So even though it’s flowing to you, it’s flowing at you, it’s flowing to you, you’ve got your umbrella up because you are so wadded up in reality that you are not letting in the improvement, the idea.

So did you feel the new resonance in that? It’s about allowing it to flow to you, recognizing that it is flowing to you and preparing yourself, your vibrational atmosphere, your mood, your attitude so that you let in what’s flowing to you so you can be the realizer of it.

Boston 2014

*****

Linda J. Ferguson is an International Speaker, Author, Job and Life Coach, and Shamanic LightWorker.

Receive your tool kit for making positive changes in your life- the Transformational Empowerment series. Enter your name in the right hand side bar – www.lindajferguson.com

Follow Linda : https://www.facebook.com/LindaJFerguson

“Staying Grounded in Shifting Sand: Awakening Soul Consciousness for the New Millennium”. Available in paperback and ebook- Kindle, Nook and iStore

You stand at the podium or in the classroom waiting to begin. You have all the symptoms of person who has to do public speaking and doesn’t do it all the time. You’re nervous. Your sweaty hands shake. Your knees wobble. You adjust clothing and eyeglasses. All those things you do when you are uncomfortable surface. Invisible or magnified, these involuntary twitches grip your entire body.

But, you can do this. You have Power–PowerPoint that it is. With it you won’t skip a beat. It will make you brave. Or, so you think. Your eye contact with the audience will be diminished. The audience won’t see your passion for the subject because you are reading from the screen, but you know you are there because you are the subject matter expert (SME) and that means whatever you do will be fine. Or, will it?

You begin doubting yourself: should you even be here? And, worst of all, while you stand there waiting, you are losing credibility. Then, disaster strikes! Something is wrong with equipment and your visual presentation won’t work! Do you “tap dance” or tell jokes until the equipment is working again? Or, do you go on with the show?

The simple path to good communication is sometimes hard to find however obvious it seems on the surface. The presentation isn’t the presentation.

Sometimes, it’s good to find lighter voice to tell us what we need to hear. And, she’s much nicer than me in talking about it.

I have enlisted the aid of Lorraine Ranalli, Philadelphia communications expert, and reposting her article from LinkedIn.

Don’t Let Microsoft Co-opt Your Presentation

At a restaurant, do you ask for a cola or a Coke?

After showering, do you reach for a cotton swab or a Q-tip?

When you tell someone to look up something on the Internet do you say, “Conduct a web search,” or “Google it”?

Do you have parents or grandparents who reach for Kleenex instead of tissues?

Perhaps you’re from the generation that made Xeroxes instead of copies.

Most of us recognize the marketing genius of companies that so expertly align their brands with a product that the two become synonymous.

Whether intentional or not, Microsoft is one of those brands. For better or worse—I will argue the latter—MS PowerPoint has become synonymous with presentation.

I mean no disrespect to Microsoft and no disrespect to the millions who use it. I draw the line with the synonymy that has become accepted practice in business and academia.

PowerPoint is an effective visual aid for public presentations but it is no substitute for the presenter.

When conducting public speaking workshops, I often have to re-educate participants as to the definition of a presentation. Because of excellent marketing and subsequent habitual usage, many don’t even think about addressing an audience without first putting together a PowerPoint. In fact, many rely on PowerPoint as a means of deflecting jitters, keeping organized or saving prep and practice time. The result can be disastrous for unskilled presenters.

Public Speaking Rule #1: You are the presentation! Your PowerPoint or any audio-visual aid is just that, an aid. Your visual aids should be gathered and put together after you’ve researched, outlined, and crafted your presentation.

You wouldn’t ice a cake before baking it, would you? (I can bring food into any conversation!)

At best, preparing your PowerPoint prior to researching and outlining your speech will likely leave you with unnecessary slides. At worst, you’ll have a very boring presentation.

I know some reading this are thinking, “I don’t care if I’m boring as long as I can get through the presentation and the audience has something other than me to focus on.” I’ve heard such comments from college students and from professionals. Don’t concentrate on getting through your presentation. Concentrate on getting TO it.

Think about the types of presentations you enjoy attending. Do you like to read or be read to, or do you prefer an engaging speaker?

I realize most of us aren’t born public speakers but I also have proof that with a little coaching 99% of us can become better public speakers. In addition to my personal experience, I’ve had the honor of helping hundreds of professionals and students through my classes and workshops.

So, why settle for mediocrity, especially if a promotion or a big-ticket deal is at stake?

When you have the opportunity to address a live audience, embrace it! Don’t waste your audience’s time. They can view a PowerPoint from the comfort and convenience of their PCs, tablets, or phones.

For tips to creating effective PowerPoint slides, please consider the wisdom of comedian Don MacMillan: “Life and Death After PowerPoint.”

*Random fact: Invented in 1920 by Leo Gerstenzang, Q-tips were first called Baby Gays.

About the author: Lorraine Ranalli is a Philadelphia media personality, writer, speaker, and soft skills trainer. She currently directs communications and marketing for CUNFL (Credit Union Network for Financial Literacy). Her book Gravy Wars: South Philly Foods, Feuds & Attytudes is a humorous narrative about the Italian-American culture—its traditions, superstitions, and idiosyncrasies—complete with 70 family recipes.

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Thanks so much to our guest blogger, Lorraine Ranalli. Please check her site and book. Meanwhile, Happy Training.

By the way, this is not all I do. I believe in connections. After 30 plus years of acting, speaking, training and coaching, I can’t help believing that effective communication is critical in both training and development as well as education. If you are interested in my approach on this blog or in other offerings on the site, you might also be interested in my book, The Cave Man Guide to Training and Development. “Cave” and “Man” are separate on purpose. The “cave” is simply where we train. I promise there will be a II and III based on my articles here. My personal blog site, Shaw’s Reality, is where I look at the world’s reality from a variety of perspectives. I have also published a young adult science fiction dystopian novel, In Makr’s Shadow.

By all means though, check out The Free Management Library’s complete training section.