Living successfully Newsletter, Issue 22

Issue 22-- June 1, 2004

JUNE

In this issue...

Success Plans
Attracting My SoulMate
Childrens Prayers
Resources

Thank-you for subscribing to Living Successfully. Living Successfully is a Quarterly Motivational Newsletter designed to inform, inspire, and empower people to live successful lives----personally and professionally. Each issue offers inspirational messages and quotes, success tips, entertainment, humor and more. For a FREE subscription to Living Successfully, click here.

WARNING: LIVING SUCCESSFULLY MAY PRODUCE MOTIVATION, HIGHER SELF-ESTEEM, PERSONAL GROWTH, SELF-IMPROVEMENT, POSITIVE ATTITUDE, LOVE, LAUGHTER, HAPPINESS, AND SMILES!

Leon Shepherd, Editor
leon@leonshepherd.com

Success Plans

by Leon Shepherd

Often times I encounter individuals who have set goals, know exactly what they want to achieve, but struggle to make their goals become a reality.

The problem?

They don’t have a plan.

A plan is essential for goal achievement. It’s your blueprint for success.

The following plan, “Speak with Charisma,” is the first of four plans that I will be sharing with you to help you to reach your goal.

Plans B, C, and D will be covered in future newsletters.

Plan A - Speak with Charisma

There is no single skill more important to your personal and professional advancement than the ability to communicate effectively.

Whether we like it or not, people who articulate well, both privately and in a group, are perceived to be more intelligent, possess greater leadership qualities, and usually have successful careers.

The ability to communicate effectively is crucial for your success, because when you open your mouth, you tell the world who you are.

Below, you will notice that I’ve taken the word charisma, and given each letter a powerful meaning.

Use this plan when you want to improve your communication skills, when interviewing for a job, interviewing for a promotion, or anytime you’re called upon to deliver a presentation.

The c in charisma stands for Connect.

You should always connect with the audience.

Connecting with the audience means being enthusiastic. There will come a time when you will be called upon to deliver a presentation to an audience of unenthusiastic people. However, if you are energized and enthusiastic, your audience will become energized and enthusiastic. The powerful enthusiastic energy you give out will inspire the audience to feed off your energy…. because enthusiasm is contagious.

Connecting with the audience means establishing eye contact. When you establish eye contact with the audience, they will feel that you are talking directly to them, this makes a very strong connection.

Connecting with the audience means to be conversational. By using a conversational tone, you will relax the audience and endear them to you.

And last, but not least, Connecting with the audience means to smile. A smile signals confidence, openness, and relaxation. It helps to win the audience over.

The h in charisma, stands for: Humor.

Try to include some humor whenever you make a presentation.

Humor relaxes us and puts us at ease. When we are relaxed, we are more receptive and open to what the speaker is saying.

The ability to be good at using humor will make you a very charismatic speaker.

The first a in charisma stands for Achieve.

Many of us are unable to achieve our personal and professional goals because of the fear of public speaking.

To reduce anxiety, nervousness and fear, try the following:

Know your subject.
Become an authority on your topic. The more you know, the more confident you will be.

Breathe
Before and even during your presentation, take a few deep breaths. Breathing slowly will help to relax you. Always remember, that the audience wants you to succeed. Your listeners want you to do well. Think of them as your support team—they are on your side.

Focus on your audience and your message.
You have a very important message! Your audience needs to hear your message. Focus on that, rather than on your nervousness. Find two or three friendly faces and speak to them. Feed off their positive energy. Be confident about what you’re talking about. Relax and be yourself.

Have fun!
Don’t worry about making mistakes or being perfect. Just relax and have fun!

If you have fun, the audience will have fun!

The r in charisma stands for: Rehearse.

Rehearse your speech over and over until you are completely comfortable with it. Knowing your speech thoroughly, reduces anxiety, nervousness and makes you confident.

One of the best ways to rehearse is by using a tape recorder, and/or to rehearse in front of someone. (family member, friend, or associate)

The i in charisma stands for: Involve. Always in involve your audience.

Audiences enjoy participating and being a part of the presentation.

A good way to involve the audience is to ask them a question.

Example: “By a show of hands, how many of you would like to achieve all of your goals this year?”

Another way to involve your audience is to have them perform an activity.

Example: “Write down two goals that you would like to achieve by the end of the year.”

Keeping your audience actively involved will hold their attention and keep them interested in what you have to say.

The s in charisma stands for See.

See your success.
Picture yourself delivering your talk with confidence and enthusiasm. Picture the audience responding positively and enthusiastically. Picture your entire presentation in great detail.

If you can see it, you can achieve it!

The m in charisma stands for Memorable. Always give the audience more than what they expected. This not only means giving a dynamic presentation, but it also means, having handouts, having a question and answer session, and greeting the audience before and after your presentation. Always go beyond the call of duty. This will not only leave a lasting impression on the audience, but also a memorable one that they’ll never forget.

The last a in charisma stands for Attitude.

To be a charismatic speaker you must have a positive and winning attitude.

Attitude is everything!

Have you heard a speaker with a negative attitude give a great presentation? Never!

Speakers with great attitudes give great presentations.

No matter what might be going on in your life, once you take the stage you must have a positive attitude.

A positive attitude will put you in position to achieve your goals, live your dreams, and “Speak with Charisma!”

Resources

"Mr.Charisma"

Public Speaking Institute

Toastmasters International

Exercise: Attracting My Soul Mate

by Kelley Rosano

You will need a notebook for this exercise. Utilizing the journal format we will encourage ideas,dreams, and feelings to flow more easily onto the page, and into our reality. Do not be shy here! Over time we will personally evolve through this process and our soul mate will too.

The law of the universe implies, that whatever we focus our attention on we become. Thus, we must become all that we desire our soul-matepartner to be. By concentrating thirty minutes weekly on this soul-mate exercise we will create clarity in what we authentically desire in a soul-mate relationship.

Through writing in our journals we will develop awareness and come into alignment with our soul's true desires. Merging with our soul mate can only occur after we have established a certain level of healthy relationship with our own soul.

When we focus our attention on what we truly want and need from a lover. We
begin to eliminate the undesirable. This exercise will strengthen us, give us clarity, and hopefully eliminate the chaos and confusion around dating. Pay close
attention to the different types of potential lovers, and partners you have been
attracted to in the past. Compare these old relationship patterns and dynamics to what you are experiencing today. Note what your new level of awareness is
around relationships and what you are discovering about yourself newly?

When we focus your CONSCIOUS intention on what we desire in a soul-mate, the universe will respond to whatever we say, think, and believe. Be as
specific as possible. If we don't fill in all the blanks, the universe will, and we may
not like what we have attracted in. This is a wonderful process to come to know
our soul most intimately.

What could be more exciting and fascinating than a personal relationship with our soul? The truth is, we all desire a partner who loves, understands, and supports us. Please remember that this is an exercise for attracting our soul mate, and not for obsessively focusing on it. The appointed time of soul-mates meeting is Spiritually directed from above, and not intended to be humanly orchestrated, manipulated, or controlled. My intention here, is to provide a tangible tool used by the individual to come into alignment with their own soul, in order to more effortlessly merge with their soul mate, and most importantly, be at peace with the divine will and divine timetable.

Here are some suggestions to get started:

1.My soul mate partner physically looks like.

2.He or she has the following characteristics.

3.He or she shares the same vision about the future as me.

4.He or she places a high value on personal and soul growth.

5.He or she is not afraid to move forward and be free from the past.

6.He or she loves to hike, bike and workout.

7.He or she doesn't smoke or eat red meat.

8.He or she enjoys making love and has no sexual hang-ups.

9.He or she is complete with the past and has little or no "emotional
baggage."

10.We just flow together with little effort or conflict.

11.He or she loves to travel.

12.We are truly enjoying learning from each other.

13.My soul mate loves to experience new places, people, and activities.

14.My soul mate loves, honors and respects me.

15.My soul mate never tries to compete with me he or she is too busy being
my champion.

16.My soul mate deeply loves me and cherishes having me in his or her life.

17.My soul mate has a healthy repsect for the opposite sex.

18.My soul mate believes in monogamy.

19.My soul mate possesses strong character, values and personal integrity.

20.My soul mate honors my point of view even if it is different than his or hers.

Get the idea? Have fun with your soul mate analysis and creation. This journal
process places a mirror in front of us and we are able to see deeply inside. As we become more clear in what we truly desire our list will change. This change and growth will be recognizable. You will witness the changes in your choices of
friends, lovers and co-workers.

Intuitive Astrologer and Personal Life Coach
Kelley Rosano
Strengthening clients to live authentically and amazingly
Make empowered choices in love, career and life. Visit her
http://www.kelleyrosano.com

Children's Prayers (Humor)

I have been teaching my three year old daughter the Lords Prayer. For several evenings at bedtime, she would repeat after me the lines from the prayer. Finally, she decided to go solo. I listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word, right up to the end of the prayer: "Lead us not into temptation," she prayed, "but deliver us some E-mail. Amen."

And one particular four-year old prayed, "And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."

A little boy was overheard praying: "Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am."

A Sunday school teacher asked her little children, as they were on the way to church service, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?" One bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping."

The preacher was wired for sound with a lapel microphone, & as he preached, he moved briskly about the platform, jerking the mike cord as he went. Then he moved to one side, getting wound up in the cord & nearly tripping before jerking it again. After several circles & jerks, a little girl in the third pew leaned toward her mother & whispered, "If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"

Six-year old Angie & her four-year old brother Joel were sitting together in church. Joel giggled, sang & talked out loud. Finally, his big sister had had enough. "You're not supposed to talk out loud in church." "Why? Who's going to stop me?" Joel asked. Angie pointed to the back of the church & said, "See those two men standing by the door? They're hushers."

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say 'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait'". Kevin turned to his younger brother & said, "Ryan, you be Jesus!"

A father was at the beach with his children when his four-year old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, & led him to the shore, where a seagull lay dead in the sand. "Daddy, what happened to him?" the son asked. "He died & went to Heaven," the dad replied. The boy thought a moment & then said, "Did God throw him back down?"

A Sunday school class was studying the Ten Commandments. They were ready to discuss the last one. The teacher asked if anyone could tell her what it was. Susie raised her hand, stood tall, & shouted, "Thou shall not take the covers off thy neighbor's wife."

At Sunday School they were teaching how God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny, a child in the kindergarten class, seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs. Later in the week his mother noticed him lying as though he was ill, & asked, "Johnny what is the matter?" Little Johnny responded, "I have a pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife!"

This last one is out of the mouth of a 3-year old boy named Reese: "Our father, who does art in heaven, Howard is his name...."

Living Successfully motivates, informs and entertains to help make life more fulfilling and fun!

Each issue offers inspirational messages and quotes, success tips, entertainment, humor and more.

The newsletters purpose is to inform, inspire, and empower people to live successful lives---personally and professionally.

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Leon Shepherd
Editor/Publisher
Living Successfully
Website: http://www.leonshepherd.com
E-Mail: leon@leonshepherd.com

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