The Dart Maker Blog

#5. YOU ARE NOT FOCUSED

Someone recently brought up the issue of being a “jack of all trades - master of none”. She stated that she is always taking action, but it is scattered and does not produce the results she would like.

Are you merely taking action for the sake of doing “something”? That is called creative distraction. What is your intention? What is your desired outcome? If you are just moving with no clear destination, your actions will not bring about dynamic results. The secret is inspired action. What does that mean? Think of in-spired as in-Spirit. It is action moving in the direction of your purpose.

Perhaps you are not clear on your life purpose. Take the time to ask yourself what your life is all about. What is it you were put here to do? If you are unsure, dig deep and trust your feelings. What makes your heart sing? What would you do with no thought of reward if all your needs were met? Don’t be confused by the thought of life purpose. It is not near as ominous as it sounds.

Part of my purpose is to serve others. I do that in many ways. As a coach, I support my clients, as a chiropractor I served my patients health needs. In my day to day life, it may be as simple as tending to the plants, making coffee for someone, cooking a meal, or doing a favor for a friend. Your purpose may be to be an accountant, a teacher, a salesperson, or anything you do. It does not have to sound important and earth shaking. Just being the best at what you do and going the extra mile and doing it with joy is serving a high purpose.

When you are doing all of the activities, are you searching for more meaning in your life? Do you scatter your energies and become distracted from what is in front of you? If you are not clear on what to do next, try being 100% present in your task at hand. Doing the dishes can become a meditation. Concentrate on doing the best you can do with what you have right now. Be in the moment. Focus your actions and attention on your present circumstances. Pay attention to the details. Do one thing and master it before moving on to the next.

It is wonderful and stimulating to have varied interests. We all love excitement. When it comes to action, it will serve you best if you have a plan of action. Get clear with your intention and what you would like as an outcome. Then get very focused on creating that one thing. Leave the stimulation for reading a new book or listening to new music. When it comes to action for a purpose, stay the course on that one end result.

Start practicing your focus with a 21 day plan. Create a goal. Just one small, goal that you are confident you can achieve. Be consistent and do all the steps with your focus on that one goal. That action will help you to keep your energy focused on one thing.

You can do it. Let go of all the creative distractions!

Dr. Nancy Heimstra teaches people who don’t know what they want to be when they grow up an easy way to get clear on their life purpose so they can make more money, have better relationships and live the life they always wanted, by taking action.

coachnancy@spirit-alchemy.com

Have you ever encountered a person who feels like they are just “unfocused”. Or maybe this is happening to you. Studies have shown that many people (including very successful ones) feel this way. We often get the feeling that we’re stuck in a rut, going through the daily grind, just to stay where we are. Sort of like being on a treadmill: at the end of the day we’re spent, but what have we accomplished?

While most of us are not happy or satisfied with this feeling, some experts contend that this is really a good thing. How can that be? That seems totally against everything we’ve been taught.

The fact is, it’s the people who are not dissatisfied about being in a rut that are the ones who will never get out of it. If we are thinking about our goals, we will stand a much better chance of achieving them.

Three things to think about are:

1. What are we doing to achieve our goals? Are your goal-achieving activities consistant? Do they fit you and your personality?

2. Have you eliminated the waste in your life and your mind? What’s taking your time and energy but not helping with goal achievement?

3. Practice numbers 1 and 2 above!

Remember, though, that great achievements take time. Oh sure, we hear about this guy or that gal that came in and became the top salesperson of their Company in a few weeks flat. Does that ever happen? Sometimes. But, I would suggest that usually that person has spent time and effort elsewhere preparing for this position. Success rarely happens overnight. For example, was Tiger Woods successful the first time he picked up a golf club? I doubt it.

But back to that pit. If you feel like you really are stuck and can’t get out, try doing something radically different. Make some new goals, imagine what life will be like when you’re achieved them, get rid of what isn’t working. Think big and write down new goals or re-affirm your old ones. Also, remember to practice realistic patience.

Shirley Bullington has studied with several personal improvement trainers and loves the subject of goals and goal setting. She operates www.rgoals.com which is a goal and goal resource site. Please go to www.rgoals.com often for goal resources.

I recently had a conversation with one of my former students. She has been out of school for a few years now but isn’t satisfied with the direction her career has taken. In fact, she’s not too happy with personal life either. Her voice developed more than a touch of whine as she said: “I don’t know what to do.”

So I asked her about her goals. Her response was a rather slack-jawed look of surprise. “Goals?” Well at least she wasn’t whining anymore.

I asked her what she would like to see her career in a few years. I asked her where she’d like to see her life in a few years. She knew the answers to those questions and quickly became animated as she discussed her desire to start her own business. We talked about what she would need to accomplish her goal and what would have to change.

When we parted ways she felt a lot better about her job because she knew that she wasn’t trapped in it. She was taking a necessary step to prepare herself for a long-term goal. She had her eye on the prize and that focus energized her.

That is the power of goals. What are your goals? There are seven reasons why you need to have goals.

~ To give direction to life
~ To make sure we are the one choosing the direction of our life — not others, not fate, not the media, etc.
~ To motivate
~ To make sure we get what we want from life
~ To save time
~ To reduce stress
~ To give a sense of accomplishment

While it can be fun to live without direction in the short-term, in the long-term human beings are wired to need a purpose and direction. Goals give a sense of direction and purpose to life.

It is often easy to let others set our direction for us. We take a job because family or friends point us in that direction and then we follow the dictates of our boss. We move in other directions because popular culture or the media tells us to do so. The simple truth is that if we do not set our own goals then we will find it too easy to follow a path set by others. This can lead to stress and unhappiness. We have a greater chance of happiness and fulfillment following our own path and pursuing our own goals.

While goals certainly give our lives direction they also provide the motivation to get us through difficult times and choices. Perhaps going to college at night while working full-time may be stressful and difficult in the short-term, but in the long run being able to pursue the professional goals we desire will make it worthwhile.

Goals also serve as the destination for what we really want out of life. For some people goals are measured in money or material goods, while for others goals are measured in time or freedom. If we do not have goals outlined that suit our unique perspective on life it is easy to become sidetracked by life and others.

Goals can also help save time. When your “To Do” list becomes to long and your calendar too full then you can simply compare your goals to the list. What items help you achieve your goal? What items are necessary to your goal? Scratch off the rest as unimportant.

Just as goals save time they also reduce stress because using your goals to focus your life and choices makes it easier to make those choices. Should you take that new position at work? How does it match your goals?

Finally, goals give you a measurable sense of accomplishment. Every goal you achieve, in fact every step you make toward that goal, can give you a boost of energy and momentum to keep going. Each success powers you toward the next level of success.

Now go out and set your goals!

Deanna Mascle publishes the free ezine Words Of Inspiration. You can find more inspiring articles and essays at Best Inspiration Online at http://BestInspirationOnline.com

With all of the new technology that is out there at the moment such as mobile internet, is there a high demand for broadband internet? Does it really make life easier and it is really worth the money? Well, if you are anything like me, I am hopeless with the internet and that is why I found mobile broadband internet to be the simplest and easiest method of getting myself online.

Mobile internet normally involves a small USB device that is plugged in to a laptop very easily, it is small, and so care has to be taken so that you don’t lose it. With mobile broadband internet, once you are set up, you are set for life, and there is no need to unplug, move, alter, or tamper with anything.

Wireless broadband is an easier option for those that have more than one laptop or PC in their home or for those that just have the one, plugging the device in to receive broadband is easy and affordable. There are plenty of packages for broadband internet around at the moment and I can guarantee that if you flick through the television channels or the pages of a newspaper or magazines, you will find at least one company offering their services.

It is difficult financial times like this that make for the best deals, with companies trying to undercut each other and that is why my advice to you would be, strike while the iron is hot, and use a comparison site like Broadband Genie.co.uk to find the best deal.

The cell phone device market is getting more and more complicated everyday. New cell phone firms, brilliant cell phone special deals, phone models and call plans have turned cell phone device comparison into a really difficult and time consuming research activity. During such a scenario, securing an improved lovely mobile device either requires a lot of knowledge about different mobile offers and sets, or absolute ignorance.

A partially knowledgeable cell phone device owner in the mobile UK market is as rare as a talking donkey. If you plan to obtain a cell phone based on a spur of the moment decision, then we can only wish you all the best. Still, if you are planning to undertake all types of cell phone device research activity before you shell out the green, then the excellent advice given below will probably help you in buying the best mobile phone special promotion based on your needs.

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I knew I should have hit the ball more to the right.

The tee shot felt good, but then the wind caught it. Slightly at first, then a little more as it began its downward flight. Sure enough, the ball landed within the group of trees off to the left of the fairway.

As I got into the cart with Gary, my good friend and golfing partner, we talked about trees and what a nuisance they can be. Should I chip around them and burn a stroke to get a better shot at the green on the next swing, or go for the green through the trees with the hope of punching out cleanly on the other side?

“Trees are 90% air,” he said with a grin. “If you pick a spot through the trees, take dead aim, and follow through with your shot, most times you’ll get through OK.”

How true it is in business too.

We’re all faced with “trees”– difficult business challenges– every day. You need to fire someone. A key client isn’t paying you on time. A new, aggressive competitor is coming to town. What to do?

We can be frozen in our fear of the situation and its ramifications. Many times, however, we do far more damage by doing nothing than by acting on any of the choices we had.

You need to fire someone, but there’s no one else to take her place and you don’t have the time to conduct a search, so you give her one more chance. You have a collection problem with a key client, but you don’t want to upset them by asking for the money, so you let it slide for a little bit longer. You learn that an aggressive competitor is coming to town, and you know it will mean changes in your organization, but you put off addressing the issue until you know they’re actually coming.

Problems don’t go away. Unfortunately, the mere presence of problems can stop even the best people in their tracks from time to time.

When you’re confronted with a difficult situation, ask yourself a basic question: What am I really afraid of?

Most fear only exists in our mind. Small issues can get blown out of proportion, and we can create oversized mental pictures that are ridiculous when we compare them to the facts.

You can re-word the question in several ways. What do I fear most? What do I fear in the future? What do I fear right now? What deeper problems can I avoid by taking action sooner rather than later? Reflective thinking over good, sound questions like these can give you clarity, and allow you to focus on the real issues.

We all experience fear at one time or another. The only true way to overcome fear is to confront it. How you confront it is what determines whether or not you will be successful. Courage to confront your fear is crucial to success. And, like success itself, you build this courage one step at a time, through small incremental changes that reach to the core of your belief system. No great castles or monuments were built until someone placed one block of stone on top of another.

Back on the course, I made my decision. I selected a 7-iron, took dead aim at the green through the least branch-laden path I could find and over the tallest tree, and swung with confidence. The ball sailed through the branches, over the tree, and landed squarely on the green.

“90% air,” I said, smiling.

What big issues are you putting off right now? What actions need to be taken now instead of next week or next month? What are the ramifications of waiting? And what good things could happen if you acted swiftly, decisively, and completely?

Take action. Don’t wait. Put your fears aside, take dead aim, and do the thing that must be done.

Bill Guertin, The 800-Pound Gorilla, was one of the youngest licensed Radio broadcasters in the state of Illinois at age 16. His 25+ years of real-world, on-the-street experiences in broadcast sales, service sales and marketing have given him a broad understanding of how and why people do the things they do.

He is currently the Director of Market Development for Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee, IL, and Chief Enthusiasm Officer of The 800-Pound Gorilla, a professional speaking and consulting company in sales, customer service and marketing. He can be reached at (815) 935-3272, or on the Web at http://www.The800PoundGorilla.com.

He can be reached at Bill@The800PoundGorilla.com.

To understand employee motivation, we first need to know exactly what it means. The most common definition of motivation states that motivation is the psychological process that gives behavior purpose and direction. It has also been defined as the inner force that drives us to do something.

If a person is to a job and do it good, they need some sort of employee motivation or motivation factor behind it. In most cases it is the responsibility of the boss or supervisor to motivate his or her employees. When employees are motivated they are more likely to enjoy what they do and therefore will produce better result from their work. Therefore, the manager or boss is to motivate the employees then he or she should also be motivated.

It has been found that employee motivation is the key to performance improvement. There are several factors that motivate people to do good work. One of the leading motivating factors in a job is money. Those people who are being paid well for their services are more likely to do better work then those who are not. It has been found in the United States that people who are being underpaid for the work they do are working up the level that they could be. They are too busy thinking about their pay and wishing they were getting more. If they were getting paid for their time and effort then maybe they would be motivated to do better work.

You can also look at employee motivation from a psychological point of view. According to a psychologist named Maslow, there are five different levels to motivation. These levels are based on people’s needs. These needs include, physiological, safety, social, ego, and self- actualizing. Maslow argued that lower level needs had to be satisfied before the next higher level need would motivate employees. There are other psychologists who believe that there are other factors that lead to motivation amongst people. These include, motivators or intrinsic factors, such as achievement and recognition, produce job satisfaction. Hygiene or extrinsic factors, such as pay and job security, produce job dissatisfaction.

James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest.
Read more at http://www.motivation-central.info

In 1965, a chemist working to develop an ulcer drug accidentally discovered a substance 200 times sweeter than sugar. The FDA initially shunned this substance because it caused seizures and brain tumors in lab animals.

In 1981, the FDA allowed this brain tumor and seizure-causing substance to begin both sweetening and poisoning our food supply, pharmaceuticals, and children’s’ vitamins. Banned in children’s products in Europe, the chemical, aspartame, is now a big part of America’s diet craze. This is despite the fact that it accounts for more than 75% of the complaints reported in the FDA’s Adverse Reaction Monitoring system. (http://www.aspartame.ca/page_a3.html and http://www.dorway.com/jwnoasp.html)

Aspartame, once in the body, breaks down into various chemicals. One is the same toxin you get from a fire ant bite. Another is the smelly formaldehyde in which your science teacher stored animals to dissect. Yet another is methanol, the same main ingredient as in Prohibition Era moonshine - the same moonshine that was notorious for causing blindness. How many mothers, who would never think of giving their children moonshine, have stocked their cabinets with any of the now 5,000 products that contain aspartame? (http://www.dorway.com/betty/environ.txt)

For those of us who struggle with anxiety or depression because of low serotonin levels, aspartame is especially bad news. This chemical additive wreaks further havoc by depleting tryptophan levels. Tryptophan is necessary in the production of serotonin. Without it, you will suffer more frequent attacks and more severe depression! (http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/aspartame.htm)

For more information on aspartame and depression and anxiety, visit http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/aspartame.htm.

Heidi Whitaker is an author and speaker on the subject of nutritional support of autoimmune disease. To read more articles by Heidi, vistit: http://autoimmune.myblogsite.com/blog. For information on how you can join one of Heidi’s teleseminars, visit http://www.20again.com/teleseminar2.htm.

When most people hear the words American Indian, visions of warriors on horses, feathers, or an ‘Indian Princess’ dance vividly in their heads. Instead, who they are is a culture of people who traditionally educate their children through oral traditions taught from generation to generation, day-to-day life, and sacred ceremonies that included song, dance and stories told to them by elders and spiritual leaders in the community.

To give you a better look at American Indian life today I will switch my focus over to the Lakota Nation of South Dakota. Home to such leaders like Black Elk, Crazy Horse and Fools Crow, the land in South Dakota on the Pine Ridge reservation is now the place of a people who remain strong in spirit like their warrior ancestors while trying to live in an economically depressed condition where the unemployment rate can be as high as 85% at times. Many Lakota people on the Pine Ridge reservation live in government housing (or worse), while the children there attend boarding schools run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding schools were originally set up to try to civilize the ’savages’. The children were forced to separate from their families and community, while at the same time were forbidden to express themselves through their native culture and language. Changes have been made slowly over more recent years- allowing parental involvement and introducing traditional teachings into the school’s curriculum.

Because of the acts done to the American Indian people like genocide and attempts at taking their culture and traditions away, many generations have suffered emotional, mental, spiritual and physical damage. To the Lakota people these four things alone are important to rearing stable, self-sufficient children who can then go on to live productive lives as adults. The damage done through genocide and the rape of their culture didn’t occur just once, but slowly and over time. From generation to generation they have struggled to live in two worlds- that of their people and the one which they were forced into.

Across the board the rates for depression, suicide, many physical diseases and crime are greater for American Indians than they are for any other race. The rate of suicide among American Indians age 10-14 is almost 4 times higher than it is for young people from other ethnic groups. Being raised by parents and grandparents who have endured the repression of their culture over many years definitely has an effect on the youth in their communities.

Of course there is always free will and the ability for each person to make their own choices regarding how they live their lives, but under such circumstances as these, living with a lack of stability and balance, how can these young people make good choices for themselves? I believe that it cannot be done unless they are given something to stand on- a stable foundation for them to fall back on and begin from.

Because the American Indian culture has always been richly-infused with their teachings and spiritual way of life, many psychologists along with native leaders are coming together to bring back the connections for the youth that they so desperately need. This can foster well-being and help to prevent such mental disorders like depression and suicide among the youth in these communities.

In Porcupine, South Dakota, the Children First Corp. run by Ethleen Iron Cloud Two Dogs, is using mainstream treatments in conjunction with traditional American Indian methods. The inipi (purification ceremony) is a sacred ceremony for purifying the mind, body and spirit. By going through this ceremony it gives them a stronger foundation to start with before problems can arise.

The Lakota naming ceremony is traditionally done when a baby is born. They are given a Lakota name that “anchors them to the earth” and connects them to their culture and their family in a deep way.

For children who have suffered more traumatic events like abuse, their spirit can become damaged and actually leave their body, like a disconnection of sorts. In these cases they would hold a ceremony to call back the spirit so it can re-connect with the mind and body.

People like Ethleen Iron Cloud Two Dogs along with mental health professionals, volunteers and Lakota people are slowly connecting the children back with the traditional ways and it has been shown to pay off in recent years. By giving them instruction in the schools about the history and culture of their people along with the spiritual ceremonies and teachings of generations past, they are infusing the children with the stability that they so desperately need for prospering in today’s world.

Once the children can integrate daily living with native traditions so important to their culture and by getting help and support from the adults in the community by fostering that strong family bond, they can keep their mind, body, emotions and physical self healthy and the rates for depression and suicide among them will lesson greatly.

Lisa Hoskins is a jewelry designer who owns Animal Spirit Jewelry. She has studied animals her whole life and is now blessed from Spirit to be able to create jewelry based upon the spiritual principles revolving around animal totems and guides. You can find her website at http://www.animalspiritjewelry.com

The cellular phone UK market is getting more and more hard to understand everyday. Brand new mobile organisations, fabulous cell phone special offers, models and call and text plans have turned cellular phone comparison into a decidedly hard to understand and time draining activity. From such a scenario, purchasing an improved spectacular mobile phone either requires tons of knowledge about different mobile phone special offers and handsets, or absolute ignorance.

A partially knowledgeable consumer in the mobile market is as rare as a dinosaur. If you plan to buy a cellular phone based on a spur of the moment decision, then we can only wish you all the best. Still, if you are planning to undertake all kinds of cellular phone comparisons before you part with the dollar, then the unbelievable advice given below will help you in getting the best mobile telephone special deal based on your needs.

The majority of people compare cellular phone special offers based on a unilateral perspective. As a result, those individuals who pay attention to mobile device sets and features such as a camcorder commonly end up getting plans that are incredibly costly whilst those who compare mobile phone plans diligently oftentimes end up with the wrong mobile phone.

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