Putting POSITIVITY and NEGATIVITY in PERSPECTIVE: TAKE the CHALLENGE...

For the last couple of years, I have branded myself the "Happiness and Success GPS". True Success cannot be achieved without Happiness preceding it... The components for "Happiness and Success" are the 4 "Ps": Purpose - Passion - Positivity and a Plan. Of the 4 "Ps", Positivity is the foundation for the other 3 because Mindset (positive or negative) is a choice and one cannot achieve Happiness with a negative Mindset.

The outside world of expectations, opinions, judgments, comparisons, complaining, media coverage, etc.,  is primarily negative. We have NO CONTROL over this perceived negative world, yet many live day to day CHOOSING to let their lives be run by it anyway... The reality is that we own our reactions and that is all we control. Positivity is the OPPOSITE CHOICE to negativity and can overpower it. Notice that I said "overpower"... While negativity never goes away, it is no match for the power of Positivity. Here's a way to prove it to yourself:

Chip's Positivity Challenge: Build a Positive Mindset and maintain it for a month... Here's the process:

1.      Write a Victory Log: this is ALL the great things that have happened to you in your life: relationships, accomplishments, awards, recognition, experiences, talents - you get the drift. This WILL be a long list. Read it over and over again - celebrate and be unconditionally grateful for the unique and magnificent you! Yes, we all have faults, but we self-sabotage ourselves by constantly thinking about them - our minds are our own worst enemies...

2.       Start a Gratitude Journal: every day, write down a thing or three that you are grateful for and pause to FEEL the gratitude.

3.      Write a Negativity List: this is everything that you think is wrong with you, others and the world.

4.      For the  next 30 days, ADD TO ALL THREE... I guarantee that you will find it easy and personally fulfilling to add to your Victory Log and Gratitude Journal. I'm also quite positive that when you look at your Negativity List, you will begin to realize that most of what is there, instead of being reality (which your Victory Log and Gratitude Journal absolutely are), is a list thoughts and misconceptions that are only real because you let them be. Instead of adding to that list, you will likely find yourself crossing items off and feeling good about doing so. Doing these daily exercises will put things into REALITY perspective: there is a whole lot of positivity in you, others, and our world (you are proving it every day through your journaling), and negativity exists mainly in our thoughts, which can be overpowered by positive ones.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Look in the Mirror and SMILE uncontrollably - there is someone AWESOME who you need to love, appreciate and celebrate smiling back - know that you are a unique and amazing gift to the world. Take the Positivity Challenge and encourage others to do so. Change your perspective - help others do so - and watch your world shine...

ABOUT CHIP:
Chip, the Happiness and Success GPS, is a speaker, trainer, facilitator, consultant and NETWORKING EXPERT. Everything I do is customized for the group or business I that am working with so let's brainstorm - call me anytime at 860-673-4006 - coffee's on me!

UPCOMING EVENT:

Wednesday, August 24, 7:30 - 9:00 AM: Join me at Atria Hamilton Heights - West Hartford  for the "IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU", a Personal & Professional Development Presentation that also includes Networking Fun!

Click HERE for more information and to register.

Hop On The ENERGY BUS!

I admit it - I AM a proud UConn Women's Basketball fan! It's not a recent development - I have been on the bandwagon ever since they won their very 1st National Championship in 1995 (Rebecca Lobo, Jen Rizzotti, Kara Wolters, Jamelle Elliott were among the trail blazers then). UConn and Geno Auriemma have won ten more since and this year's undefeated team had the top three WNBA draft picks (Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson, Morgan Tuck), who have won the last four championships as teammates!

This month's blog was inspired by an article I read in Sports Illustrated about All-World #1 WNBA pick and 4-time NCAA Tournament MVP Breanna Stewart. In it, she reflects on her career at UConn and looks ahead to professional basketball. While she obviously brings enormous talent to the Seattle Storm (she leads the team with 18+ points and 9+ rebounds per game as I write this), she states in the article "something I know I can bring to my new team is positive energy". She referred to a book, "The Energy Bus", by Jon Gordon., so I got it. Here's Breanna's quick review from the article:

"Once I started reading it, it shifted my outlook on things. In the story there's a guy having a terrible day. His car has a flat tire—the least of his problems—so he has to take a bus. He gets on, and the driver refers to her bus as the Energy Bus. The book talks a lot about how you portray yourself and how that rubs off on the people around you. It teaches you about how you want people to see and react to you. It was an interesting book, and though it wasn't written about sports, it made me think more deeply about how to create positive energy and have that rub off on my teammates. It's a book used by a lot of coaches, including [the Clippers'] Doc Rivers and [Clemson football coach] Dabo Swinney."

Positive Energy - hmmm...

I LOVE the book and highly recommend that you read or listen to it (it's in my Audible.com library and is read by the author, himself). The subtitle of the book is "10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy"...  In it, you will discover that the NEW acronym for CEO (normally referred to as "Chief Executive Officer") is "Chief ENERGY Officer". You'll have to read the book for details - it's simple, amazing and life changing... We can all be one!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Want to give your Life and your Career a boost? Read or listen to "The Energy Bus" and become a "Chief ENERGY Officer" - I guarantee you will love it as will everyone around you! I would love to hear your comments after you do (my contact info is below)... Drive your Energy Bus!!!


ABOUT CHIP:
Chip, the Happiness and Success GPS, is a speaker, trainer, facilitator, consultant and NETWORKING EXPERT. Everything I do is customized for the group or business I that am working with so let's brainstorm - call me anytime at 860-673-4006 - coffee's on me!

DRIVING YOUR BOAT...

Living in the past is awesome ONLY when done with gratitude.

Living in the past is self-sabotage when done with blame, anger, disappointment, feelings of inferiority, failure, fear, jealousy - you get the drift (PUN INTENDED)...

Wayne Dyer, who we lost last summer, used the analogy in his presentations and writings of being on a boat. Picture yourself looking off the back into the water at the wake.  In his words, three questions come to mind:

"First, you ask yourself, What is the wake? The answer is that the wake is nothing more than the trail left behind.

The second question is, What is driving the ship? The answer is that the Present Moment Energy that you are generating through the engine is driving the ship.

Finally, you ask yourself the most important question: Is it possible for the wake to drive the ship? The answer is NO, of course, for the wake is just a trail that is left behind. It can never drive the boat!"

He prompts you to imagine that the boat is your life, and the wake is all the things that have happened in the past. Is it dominated by blame, anger, disappointment, feelings of inferiority, failure, fear, jealousy, and such? He then states that "most people live with the illusion that their wakes are “driving” their lives—which is absolutely impossible. In order to nourish your soul, you must be able to “get out of the wake.”

Putting things in perspective, you can't change your negative past so let the control you let it have on you drift away... The Present Moment is the only thing you have control of - you own your actions AND reactions...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Your Present Moment Energy (positive or negative - it's always your choice) fuels the engine that drives your boat. Leave the "wake" behind and fuel your boat with Gratitude and Positive Energy... Enjoy the Ride!!

UPCOMING EVENT:

June 23: 7:30 - 9:30 AM: Join Eric Lopkin and myself for the "SUCCESS SHOWCASE": Professional & Personal Development - Networking Fun - Interactive Exercises!

A big crowd is expected. Click HERE for more information and to register. Click HERE for a flyer. CLICK HERE for a SHORT VIDEO PROMOTION of OUR EVENT

ABOUT CHIP:

Chip, the Happiness and Success GPS, is a speaker, trainer, facilitator, consultant and NETWORKING EXPERT. Everything I do is customized for the group or business I that am working with so let's brainstorm - call me anytime at 860-673-4006 - coffee's on me!

HERE'S TO MOMS!!!

This is a re-post of last year's May blog - can't improve on this one - it's from the heart...

Mother's Day is TOMORROW: time to CELEBRATE the most special people in the world - MOMS! 

This month's blog is very simple and from the heart. I have always believed that the hardest yet most rewarding "profession" in the world is being a mother - agree? This month's message is let's make the world a happier place one kind gesture at a time...

I grew up in a large family, the oldest of 7 children. My youngest sister (on my lap) is only 10-1/2 years behind me - how's that for Baby Boomers!! 50 years later, we are fortunate that our parents are still with us and doing fine - it's been a fun ride. Personally, I've been married almost 38 years to the most wonderful woman in the world and we have two awesome sons (which is plenty for us) - I'm truly blessed.

When I was young and asked my mom what she wanted for Mother's Day, she would always say "good kids". As the years have gone by, what she appreciates most is quality time with family (individually and at get-togethers). I'm sure most moms feel the same way. Mother's Day is the perfect holiday to REACH OUT and appreciate not only moms, but families (yours and others') and friends. Why not make it a habit?  

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Make a point of appreciating ALL moms this week. Surprise them by saying "Happy Mother's Day" out of the blue (yes, even to strangers with kids in the Grocery Store and other public places) - do it "just because"... Encourage others in your life to do the same thing! It will make their day and the smiles you will all get in return will be priceless. Don't stop on Monday just because Mother's Day is over - why not keep the momentum going throughout the year by wishing moms everywhere the best... Let's make EVERY day "Happy Mother's Day" - MOMS DESERVE IT!!!

ABOUT CHIP:

Chip, the Happiness and Success GPS, is a speaker, trainer, facilitator, consultant and NETWORKING EXPERT. Everything I do is customized for the group or business I that am working with so let's brainstorm  - call me anytime at 860-673-4006 - coffee's on me!

SCORECARDS...

I have been a sports fan since I was a little kid growing up in Milwaukee going to Milwaukee Braves games (they moved to Atlanta in 1966) and watching Vine Lombardi's Green Bay Packers in their golden age. The Braves featured future Home Run King Hank Aaron, Eddie Matthews, and Warren Spahn, and I saw them play against Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Stan Musial, Frank Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Juan Marichal - too many to name. Awesome times!

Been hooked on hoops for a long time too: I was fortunate enough to go to Providence College (played trombone in the band) and their 1973 and 1974 teams were both top 5 (1973 was Final 4). The Big East was not even around yet... This week ,we just crowned two NCAA Basketball National Champs: the Villanova men (incredible game) and the UConn women (incredible dynasty).

SCORECARDS capture the details of sports competition - stats, winners, etc. These are ACTUAL EVENTS... All too often, it seems we have mental scorecards that negatively affect the lives of others and ourselves. These include comparing ourselves to others, criticising, judging, jealousy. They also include personally beating ourselves up over our own behavior (I "should" have), not living up to our own (and others) expectations. These are PERCEIVED - all in our mind...

People do not like to be judged or compared to do you? You can't change people - it has to come from them. You can only control yourself.

Scorecards belong in sports and competition, not life, period so throw out life's scorecards... Here are the much easier said than done solutions:

·         Interacting with Others: Realize that comparing, criticising, judging, jealousy, and such are YOUR THOUGHTS and are only real if you let them be. Look at the positive side of any situation and if there is none, walk away. Practicing gratitude is a great way to develop and practice positivity!

·         Interacting with Yourself: Also realize that passing judgment on yourself is self-sabotage. We are not perfect yet we are all individually awesome! We need to look at that magnificence in ourselves! If you are down on yourself, it is impossible to enjoy life. Instead of "scoring" yourself, create a check list (tasks, which lead to achieving goals) and cross off each task as you do it - you will feel great doing so...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Work on it daily. Throw out life's scorecards. With others, change the world one person at a time by looking for positives in situations instead of criticising, judging, and being jealous. For yourself, create a task (to do) list that you update regularly while crossing off finished tasks.

Be POSITIVE - be HAPPY!!

UPCOMING EVENT:

April 20: 7:30 - 9:30 AM: Join Rick Forgay, Eric Lopkin and myself for the "Success Showcase": Professional & Personal Development - Networking Fun - Interactive Exercises!

A big crowd is  expected. Click HERE for more information and to register. Click HERE for a flyer.

ABOUT CHIP:

Chip, the Happiness and Success GPS, is a speaker, trainer, facilitator, consultant and NETWORKING EXPERT. Everything I do is customized for the group or business I that am working with so let's brainstorm - call me anytime at 860-673-4006 - coffee's on me!

SHAMELESS PITCH!! - MOTHER'S DAY CARDS and GIFTS:
One of my FAVORITE methods of acting on my gratitude is sending greeting cards. Many of you may have received one from me at some time. If you are looking for an easy and inexpensive way to send customized Mother's Day Cards, please contact me at 860-673-4006 - check out http://cardsct.com for more info...

SPRING (and a song) Make Me "HAPPY"!

It's March and Spring is in the air. While every moment in life is meant to be appreciated, there's just something about spring (or even thinking about it during the winter) that's extra special. Longer daylight, birds singing, warmer temperatures, nature awaking from its winter rest - an awesomely enlightening time of year if you allow it to be that! Thinking about spring makes me "Happy".

Practicing Being "Happy"...
I first heard the Pharrell Williams song, "Happy", a couple of years ago while I was working out. It's a fast moving catchy tune and a nice change of pace from most of the songs played these days (in my mature opinion)... I didn't listen to the lyrics, just the phrase "Because I'm Happy", which got stuck in my head to the point where I was singing it repeatedly that day (can you identify?). It still resurfaces in my mind often so a couple of weeks ago while I was working on my computer, I finally did a You Tube search for the video, watched it, and bookmarked it immediately. It is amazing - a bunch of different, wonderful  people doing their own kind of crazy happy things. The lyrics came alive for me while watching so I searched them out too. Here are the interactive phrases that repeat throughout the song:

"Because I'm happy:

Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof

Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth

Clap along if you know what happiness is to you

Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do"

Pharrell even warns people (emphasizing with no offense intended)  not to waste their time approaching him with bad news "Because I'm Happy".

Here's the You Tube link to "Happy"

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

This month's blog is brief. The message is strong. Take  a break - watch the video - bookmark it like I have and enjoy often. Don't be surprised if you start clapping along and singing. Then share it...

Be HAPPY!!

ABOUT CHIP:

Chip, the Happiness and Success GPS, is a speaker, trainer, facilitator, consultant and NETWORKING EXPERT. Everything I do is customized for the group or business I that am working with so let's brainstorm - call me anytime at 860-673-4006 - coffee's on me!

FEELING GRATITUDE: Enjoying this Month of Love (February)...

This month's blog is a repeat of last February's which was very well received...

To me, THE best way to maintain a Positive Mindset is to FEEL and ACT UPON GRATITUDE... It's February and Valentine's Day is just a week away - why not use this month to develop a daily Gratitude Habit? Think about the effect a daily Gratitude session will have on your life and the lives of those you touch. Here are a few ways to do so:

Feeling Gratitude: here are two excellent tools:

·         Victory Log: On paper or in a Word Document, write down every good thing that you have ever achieved and every great thing that has ever happened to you from your childhood till now. You can categorize them by topics such as school, relationships, sports, arts, work, positive traits, talents, travels, etc. Your list will be long. Next time you are feeling down on yourself, READ IT... Then make a habit of reading it often.

·         Gratitude Journal: Every day, write down a few things you are grateful for and then take the time to feel the gratitude. Read it daily. This one thing alone will make your life more positive...

Showing Gratitude: here are some ways to do so - there is NO BETTER FEELING than doing so:

·         Make every day "Catch Someone Doing Good Day" by looking for reasons to congratulate and/or compliment people and then doing so.

·         Smile at people you see - appreciate life.

·         Make a phone call and/or send a card or letter just to show your appreciation for the recipient.

·         Volunteer for a good cause.

Og Mandino is one of my favorite inspirational authors. He was also a motivational speaker who I listen to often while driving (Audible.com is a great place to get his materials). He overcame major problems in his own life and resulting in a wonderful way of putting life's seemingly rough experiences into positive perspective. I leave you this month with a couple of Og's quotes and a poem that he recites (author unknown):

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.”

“Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.”

"Forgive Me When I Whine”

"Today upon a bus I saw a lovely maiden with golden hair;

I envied her—so beautiful, and how, I wished I were so fair;

When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle;

She had one foot and wore a crutch,

but as she passed, she wore a smile

Oh God, forgive me when I whine,

I have two feet –the world is mine

And when I stopped to buy some sweets,

the lad who served me had such charm;

he seemed to radiate good cheer, his manner was so kind and warm;

I said, “it’s nice to deal with you, such courtesy I seldom find;”

He turned and said, “Oh, thank you sir.”

And then I saw that he was blind.

Oh, God, forgive me when I whine,

I have two eyes, the world is mine

Then when walking down the street,

I saw a child with eyes of blue;

He stood and watched the others play,

it seemed he knew not what to do;

I stopped a moment, then I said,

“Why don’t you join the others, dear?

He looked ahead without a word,

I realized –he could not hear.

Oh God, forgive me when I whine,

I have two ears, the world is mine

With feet to take me where I’d go,

with eyes to see the sunsets glow,

with ears to hear what I would know,

I am blessed indeed.

The world is mine Oh God, forgive me when I whine."

May you Feel and Show Gratitude and enjoy this Month of Love...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Develop a daily habit of feeling and acting upon your Gratitude...

ABOUT CHIP:

Chip, the Happiness and Success GPS, is a speaker, trainer, facilitator, consultant and NETWORKING EXPERT. Everything I do is customized for the group or business I that am working with so let's brainstorm - call me anytime at 860-673-4006 - coffee's on me!

SHAMELESS PITCH!! - VALENTINES DAY CARDS and GIFTS:
One of my FAVORITE methods of acting on my gratitude is sending greeting cards. Many of you may have received one from me at some time. If you are looking for an easy and inexpensive way to send customized Valentine's Day Cards, please contact me at 860-673-4006 - check out http://cardsct.com for more info...

The "Slight Edge" Secret to ACHIEVING Your New Year's Resolutions and Much More...

GREETINGS and HAPPY 2016!

New Year's Resolutions

A new year - a clean slate - a fresh start - new goals: aren't New Year's Resolutions great? Here are some typical ones:

·         "I'm going to lose 25 pounds" this year.

·         "I'm going to make "X" dollars" this year.

Why They Often Fail...
Why are typical "Resolutions" like these most often not achieved? What do they have in common? They are all BIG items that can't possibly be accomplished in the PRESENT MOMENT, which is the ONLY MOMENT that we ever live in...

Baby Steps

As tiny children, we crawled while watching others walk, so we decided we should walk too. We pulled ourselves up on tables and such until we stood on our own, then held on to that table and finally our parents' fingers until we took our first unassisted steps, stumbling and falling hundreds of times through the process. Did we ever think of quitting, saying "I'm not cut out for walking" because we "failed" so many times? No - we persevered repeating the same little things until we finally did it!

Learning to walk was a process. Achieving anything in life generally is. Set your goal then do the steps necessary until you achieve it. As we grow, we often lose the drive we had as that child wanting to walk. We more and more want gratification without doing what is needed to achieve it. We become unwilling to take baby steps...

"The Slight Edge" by Jeff Olsen
"To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first" - William Shakespeare.

Time IS on your side with "The Slight Edge"... It is a process of setting goals in any facet of your life (health, personal development, finances, relationships, and life in general), then identifying a simple thing or two you can do on a daily basis that over time will lead to success. For instance, if you want to lose 25 pounds, knowing that exercise  and a better diet are keys to weight loss, you could walk 1/2 hour a day instead of snacking in front of the TV before dinner. Easy to do one day at a time? Yes! Also easy not to do...

The book includes simple planning sections with worksheets to help you.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Buy "The Slight Edge" and put the process to work in chosen areas of your life by identifying a couple of simple things you can do every day - trust that long lasting results await you by doing so (baby steps)... Yes, you CAN achieve anything you want in life - go for it!

HAPPY 2016 - Here's to Your Happiness and Success!!!

ABOUT CHIP:

Chip, the Happiness and Success GPS, is a speaker, trainer, facilitator, consultant and NETWORKING EXPERT. Everything I do is customized for the group or business I that am working with so let's brainstorm - call me anytime at 860-673-4006 - coffee's on me!

SMILE! It's Contagious...

December - the Holiday Season - a time for giving gifts... Material gifts - charitable gifts - gifts of one's self (volunteering)...

The "Holiday Tradition" is buying material gifts for family and friends. The holiday "shopping season" seems to start earlier every year and the ads seem to be more and more relentless: The day after Thanksgiving is "Black Friday" (of course the "savings" start being hyped WEEKS before and last well beyond). Three days later is "Cyber Monday" (e-commerce needs to get in on the savings hype too). Material gift giving is nice but the intent, fun, and satisfaction in doing so have long been overwhelmed by materialism, often leaving gift "giving" a source of "stress"...

Other forms of giving that are truly in the holiday spirit include charitable giving and volunteering to help people in need and the organizations that support them.

On of my favorite sayings is "Smile and laugh more: it will keep the Energy Vampires away." Energy Vampires are those who darken the mood any room they walk in to by constantly complaining, blaming, gossiping and judging... The good news is Energy Vampires can not survive in an atmosphere of happiness - they either magically change their attitude to fit in or they disappear altogether...

Radical idea: Give the gift of JOY this Holiday Season and beyond! Start with yourself. SMILE RIGHT NOW while you read this! Do it (in a mirror if it is handy) for 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, a minute, whatever. Now, how do you feel? Putting things into perspective, it's absolutely impossible not to feel better when you smile. So congratulations - you have just given yourself the gift of JOY! Now it's time to spread it and it is sooooooo easy to do now that you have discovered how to give this wonderful gift to yourself...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: SPREAD JOY and SLAY THE VAMPIRE

Always have a smile on your face with everyone you are with: family, friends, co-workers, and even Energy Vampires... Smile at strangers you see in the grocery store, on the street, wherever... You most likely will receive a smile in return because SMILING IS CONTAGIOUS! Even if they don't smile back, you will have had a positive impact. You CAN bring "Joy To The World" one smile, one person at a time, starting with you... Let's make it a MOVEMENT and spread it around the world - SMILE!!!

THANKS FOR GIVING the GIFT of JOY - HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

ABOUT CHIP:

Chip, the Happiness and Success GPS, is a speaker, trainer, facilitator, consultant and NETWORKING EXPERT. Everything I do is customized for the group or business I that am working with so let's brainstorm - call me anytime at 860-673-4006 - coffee's on me!

Make "Thanksgiving" All Year...

Thanksgiving has been my favorite Holiday ever since I was a kid. I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and moved to Connecticut in 1963, leaving four grandparents, five aunts, six uncles and 22 cousins 1,000 miles away. My six younger brothers and sisters and I grew up seeing my extended family very infrequently except for one constant...

For 16 years after we moved, our maternal grandparents (Grandma and Boppy) would come to Connecticut to visit every Thanksgiving (and often Memorial Day too) - all seven of us would look forward to it. Thanksgiving was our annual extended family celebration! We would play cards (Gin Rummy) with Boppy, watch football (our Green Bay Packers used to be the Detroit Lions annual Thanksgiving Day opponent back then), and, of course, enjoy the 20+ pound turkey mom and grandma would make with all the fixings. We lost Boppy in January, 1980 but he was here for Thanksgiving two months earlier. Those were special times and I still think about them frequently, especially this time of year.

My best Thanksgiving ever, though, was 1977. The night before, my wonderful wife, Nancy said "YES"! Here we are 37 years later, with two awesome sons and I will forever be filled with Thanksgiving for having them all in my life - they are truly blessings, not only to me but to the countless lives they have all touched...

Thanksgiving is another word for "Gratitude", which is something I practice as a habit and talk about in daily life and in everything I do professionally. Life will always have its trials and tribulations and the world outside tends to emphasize all of them much too often... Know that the ability to practice Gratitude (which is our choice), is THE way to overpower the many negative feelings that we tend to dwell upon: not eliminate them, but put them in perspective. Practicing Gratitude is THE key to achieving and maintaining a Positive Mindset, which is the Foundation of a Happy and Successful life. One cannot feel success for any extended period of time without happiness...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Practice Gratitude every day and make it a habit. Encourage others (friends, family, co-workers, etc.) to practice Gratitude with you - make it a 30 day "challenge"! Look for the good in others and show them appreciation and encouragement - you will feel absolutely awesome doing it (I'll bet you already know that from experience). Keep a Gratitude Journal. Send a card. Make a phone call. Consciously make an effort to stop criticizing, judging, blaming, and complaining (nobody likes being on the receiving end)... Do this for a month and I know without a doubt that you will love it. You and those you "challenge" WILL change the world one life at a time. Make "Thanksgiving" all year...

HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!!!

ABOUT CHIP:

Chip, the Happiness and Success GPS, is a speaker, trainer, facilitator, consultant and NETWORKING EXPERT. Everything I do is customized for the group or business I that am working with so let's brainstorm - call me anytime at 860-673-4006 - coffee's on me!

Baggage Claim...

When we fly, we normally pay to check our baggage.

Personally, we pay dearly when we continue to check our own personal baggage: perceived faults, perceived past failures, perceived unmet expectations, perceived inferiorities, and on and on and on...  Notice, I use the word "perceived" because personal baggage is exactly that - recurring Automatic Negative Thoughts ("ANTs" for short). "ANTs" come from your own inner critic - they are false self-judgments that are your worst enemy.

Realize that "ANTs" are normal - that's the first step in overcoming them. Also realize that they are not reality unless you choose to let them be. The definition of "reality" never included the words "perceived" or "judgment". So why not work on changing your thought process from "ANTs" to positive thoughts? It is work but it is worth it. We have talked in past blogs about the power of practicing Gratitude. To review, start by writing your Victory Log (a list of accomplishments and every great thing that has ever happened to you), read it often, and then start a daily Gratitude Journal to list everything you are grateful for, day by day. Negative thoughts will not go away but they can be overpowered (de-emphasized) by practicing gratitude daily. Give it a try!

Travel through your life WITHOUT personal baggage - have a great flight!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Practice "Rule #6"

If you Google "Rule #6", you will find the following story. It really puts everything into perspective and is worth practicing... Enjoy!

"Two prime ministers are sitting in a room discussing affairs of state. Suddenly a man bursts in, apoplectic with fury, shouting and stamping and banging his fist on the desk. The resident prime minister admonishes him: "Peter," he says, "kindly remember Rule Number 6," whereupon Peter is instantly restored to complete calm, apologizes, and withdraws. The politicians return to their conversation, only to be interrupted yet again twenty minutes later by an hysterical woman gesticulating wildly, her hair flying. Again the intruder is greeted with the words: "Marie, please remember Rule Number 6." Complete calm descends once more, and she too withdraws with a bow and an apology. When the scene is repeated for a third time, the visiting prime minister addresses his colleague: "My dear friend, I've seen many things in my life, but never anything as remarkable as this. Would you be willing to share with me the secret of Rule Number 6?" "Very simple," replies the resident prime minister. "Rule Number 6 is 'Don't take yourself so damn seriously.'" "Ah," says his visitor, "that is a fine rule." After a moment of pondering, he inquires, "And what, may I ask, are the other rules?"

   

 "There aren't any."

ABOUT CHIP:

Chip, the Happiness and Success GPS, is a speaker, trainer, facilitator, consultant and NETWORKING EXPERT. Everything I do is customized for the group or business I that am working with so let's brainstorm  - call me anytime at 860-673-4006 - coffee's on me!

Upcoming Events:

Thursday, October 22: "APPLYING THE 4 FORCES FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE " - "The POWER NETWORTHING EXPERIENCE TM"
Personal/Professional Development and Relationships Building

Co-Facilitators and Presenters: Rick Forgay and Chip Janiszewski

Thursday, October 22, 2015: 7:30-9:30 a.m.

Copper Beech Institute (Holy Family Retreat Ctr.) - 303 Tunxis Road - West Hartford, CT 06107

Cost: $15 (pre-register), $20 at the door - Refreshments will be served 
Table Top Exhibits Available: $45 (includes admission - supply is limited)

REGISTER & PAY ONLINE: http://NetWorthingExperience.com

Wednesday, October 28: Addressing "How You REALLY Feel About Money..." - "The "Happiness and Success Series"
Networking, Holistic Education and Group Exercises
Guest Presenter: Jacqueline Kane - The Bowen Healing Center

Wednesday, October 28, 2015: 5:30 - 7:30 PM

West Hartford Senior Center - 15 Starkel Road - West Hartford, CT 06117

Cost: $20 (pre-register), $25 at the door - Includes light refreshments

 REGISTER & PAY ONLINE:  http://HappinessAndSuccessSeries.com

Tribute to Wayne Dyer: Timeless...

Physically, we lost Wayne Dyer August 29, however, his inspiration, self-empowerment and teachings are timeless. Wayne Dyer was/is an internationally renowned self-development and spiritual growth author and speaker. He wrote over 40 books (including 20 New York Times bestsellers), created numerous other audio and video programs, and appeared on thousands of television and radio shows.  He also has 10 PBS Specials which have raised over $250 million dollars for public television.

For the past 10 years or so, I have loved reading and also listening (on Audible.com) to hundreds of books and presentations. This month, I offer you a small sampling of the many works of Wayne that I have listened to and/or read, and some inspirational quotes for the ages...

Wayne's first book, "Your Erroneous Zones" (1976), was revolutionary, talking about escaping negative thinking based upon worrying about other peoples' opinions about you (which are totally outside of your control). In 2011, Wayne wrote "Excuses Be Gone: How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits", which was actually my first exposure to his material. In it, he explains how excuses are merely misalignments ("memes"): these are thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes in our minds that can be spread (like viruses) to and from other people’s minds. Their presence can influence our behavior and limit us in ways we don’t even notice unless we make a real effort to examine what we think about and why. The book shows how to do so and, most importantly, debunk them...

Other titles of Wayne's include "Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao", "The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-Create Your World Your Way" and "Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting". The titles explain the content and they are all excellent. His last work, "I Can See Clearly Now", is his amazing memoir, sharing multiple events spanning his life as a child in Detroit to now, and the fact that each step of the way has something to teach us - there are no accidents.

Here are some thought provoking quotes of Wayne's - I recommend reading and contemplating on each of them, then share them - let's continue Wayne's life changing work and make this world better...

• "If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."
• "How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours."
• "When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself."
• "Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice."
• "Conflict cannot survive without your participation."
• "You cannot be lonely if you like the person you're alone with."
• "The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don't know anything about." 
• "When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way." 
• "Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life." 
• "Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into."

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Work on the person in the mirror for you are AWESOME! To do so, whether you have read or listened to Wayne Dyer or not, do it again and again. I guarantee it will help put things in perspective for you and enlighten you (like the quotes). His Web Site is DrWayneDyer.com and his books and audio presentations are also available on other sites, including HayHouse.com, Amazon.com, and Audible.com.

JOIN ME - Thursday October 22: "APPLYING THE 4 FORCES FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE " - "The POWER NETWORTHING EXPERIENCE TM"
Personal/Professional Development and Relationships Building

Co-Facilitators and Presenters: Rick Forgay and Chip Janiszewski

Thursday, October 22, 2015: 7:30-9:30 a.m.

Copper Beech Institute (Holy Family Retreat Ctr.) - 303 Tunxis Road - West Hartford, CT 06107

Cost: $15 (pre-register), $20 at the door - Refreshments will be served 
Table Top Exhibits Available: $45 (includes admission - supply is limited)

REGISTER & PAY ONLINE: http://NetWorthingExperience.com

ABOUT CHIP:

Chip, the Happiness and Success GPS, is a speaker, trainer, facilitator, consultant and NETWORKING EXPERT. Everything I do is customized for the group or business I that am working with so let's brainstorm  - call me anytime at 860-673-4006 - coffee's on me!

MINDSET Part 4

MINDSET

Part 4

How to Be A Growth-Mindset

            There was a famous saying among the counter-culture during the 1960s that it was better to become than to be. Growth-mindsets are always in the process of becoming, while fixed-mindsets always think that they already have to be. As a society, if we were able to effectively change most of our fixed-mindsets to growth-mindsets we would solve a lot of the world’s problems. As individuals, making that shift from fixed-mindset to growth-mindset wouldn’t make our lives perfect, but it sure would make them richer.

            Andrew Carnegie understood what it meant to be a growth-mindset person. He once said that he wished to have his epitaph read, “Here lies a man who was wise enough to bring into his service men who knew more than he.” Carnegie is a very rich example who we can all learn from. Lesson: Get around people that are smarter than yourself.

            Another way that helps us to become growth-mindset is just knowing that the two mindsets exist. Knowing these mindsets exist will allow us to start thinking about it and consciously choosing to act differently. For example, people are born with the love of learning, at some point, especially during adolescence, that love of learning comes undone for a safer route of not doing anything that will give people a chance to judge them anymore, also known as, a fixed-mindset. We can make the conscious choice to keep making the effort to learn and not worry about being judged. Some of us may even remember that old saying that goes something like this, “When I was 20, I thought everyone was looking at me. When I was 40, I didn’t care anymore who was looking at me. When I was 60, I finally realized that no one had been looking at me.” Let’s not let the fear of what others may be thinking of us keep us from becoming all that we were meant to become.

            Beliefs are powerful. Change your beliefs and you can change your mindset. For example, intelligence is not set in stone. Even Alfred Binet, the inventor of the IQ test admits that this test that has been labeling kids for so long, was really designed just to identify children who were not profiting from the Paris public schools, so that new educational programs could be designed to get them back on track. According to Dr. Dweck, Binet said that “With practice, training, and above all, method, we manage to increase our attention, our memory, our judgement and literally to become more intelligent than we were before.” Believe it or not! You better believe it!

            Robert Sternberg, the present-day guru of intelligence, writes that the major factor in whether people achieve expertise, “is not some fixed prior ability, but purposeful engagement.” Stop believing that you’re smart of not smart. Regardless of where you are, you can choose to, and more importantly, make the effort to become smarter than you presently are. But, first, you have to believe that effort is a good thing, and it’s worth it to work harder. Check your beliefs.

            Benjamin Bloom, and eminent educational researcher who after forty years of intensive research on school learning said his major conclusion was, “What any person in the world can learn, almost all persons can learn, if provided with the appropriate prior and current conditions of learning.”

            Binet, Sternberg, and Bloom understand that we can all learn under the right conditions. Those right conditions are growth-mindset fed through effort and proper praise that recognizes effort over innate talent and performance. Talent is over-rated here in the United States, as well as, elsewhere in the world. And talent certainly isn’t heroic, like some try to make us believe. What’s so heroic about a gift anyways? You want to know what’s truly heroic? A heroic effort is heroic and worthy of praise, not natural endowments that one didn’t do anything to deserve.

Finally, if you are an adult working with our youth, don’t praise their performance, that only weakens their resolve and lowers their IQ in the end. Recognize and praise their effort and willingness to take on hard things, and to actually fail at hard things and bounce back from them. Now that’s something that is truly heroic and worthy of praise.

            In the end we become more through a herculean effort and a growth-mindset.

Daniel Blanchard is an award-winning author, speaker, and educator!

www.GranddaddysSecrets.com