Challenging Our Core Beliefs

1. Remember that our beliefs are not the same as reality, yet most people act as if they were. We see our beliefs as the way things are rather than as our perceptions or judgments about the way they are.
2. Our beliefs are powerful and often unconscious drivers of our behavior. There is a good body of research that indicates the power of our beliefs. What matters most is not what is happening, but what the person believes is happening.
3. The mind is "right" about whatever it happens to believe. We perceive selectively what confirms our point of view, and we even go so far as to set up situations to prove our point of view. If we believe we are deserving of success, we find evidence to prove it. If we believe that most people care only about themselves, we will prove that too. If we believe that life is beautiful, then that is what will come back in the form of our experience.

Active Listening...

Did you know that an average person only listens at an effective rate of less than 25%. Yet listening is rated as the most important factor in work, family, and social success. This week make a commitment to stay in the present and actively listen to the person speaking. Here are a few helpful hints to further develop this vital skill.

• Maintain good body posture and eye contact. Don't try to mutli-task while listening

• Focus on the speaker's feelings, needs, and perceptions.

• Silence your inner dialogue and stay open to receive what is being said.

Keep in mind that what you are hearing is not always exactly what the speaker is trying to say. Stay engaged, ask questions, and actively listen until the speaker confirms that you have indeed understood their message.

Ask Yourself....is it Something You Really Need To Finish?

So you stopped midway into that task. So what! Does it even matter? Was it a purposeful and meaningful use of your time and energy? What impact does it have on you and the world around you if you never finish it?

Sometimes we can get caught up doing things that don’t really matter and bring no added joy or value to our lives. If it matters, decide right now to finish it. If it doesn’t, skip it. Yes, walk away and find something else to do with your energy. Your time is too precious to spend doing things that are not adding value and joy to you and others.

Legacy...

You have the power to create your legacy. What shall you choose it to be? While we all may not be able to leave a million-dollar legacy, you can, right now, start building yours by:

• Making eye contact during conversation
• Listening without rushing in to state your point
• Asking permission
• Providing a genuine smile
• Giving a heartfelt embrace
• Practicing the alternate merge concept in traffic
• Challen...ging your mind to come up with a better way
• Respecting your colleagues
• Mentoring your employees
• Raising your children to be responsible
• Paying your bills
• Allowing joy in your life
• Bringing joy and laughter to those around you
• When tempted to point a finger, point at yourself first
• Help those less fortunate to become self sufficient
• Be open to new ideas from those who are different from you
• Lead by example

This idea of legacy is not just what is left when we are gone-it is also what IS, while we are here right now. Every day we add a brick to our own legacy wall-by our actions, thoughts and deeds we add new building bricks. Choose yours consciously and wisely.

 

God gave us the ability to experience profound joy and yes, heartbreaking sorrow as well. The joy you create for yourself and others today will give you the strength to get through the sorrow. Here's hoping for a good day for us all, one that adds to our combined legacy of which we can all be proud.

 

Here's to your success!

Put a Deadline on Your Goals....

Stop faking. Saying you will do it “one day” is a cop out. One day isn’t coming unless you make one day Today. Hold yourself accountable for the progress. I know how you operate. You have all this enthusiasm to start that begins to wane about 3-4 weeks into it. That is if you don’t get distracted by a really good reason to do something else within a few days or hours of committing to follow your dream.
Life has a way of presenting really valid reasons. So give yourself a deadline. Hold your feet to the fire. Make it possible but challenging as well. Move as quickly as you can. Make it happen. Remember this is your ideal. This is the peace, and quality of life you really wanted. Why wait? What is more important to you than you?
Decide what it would take to get out of the way and get it done and then go do it. When the deadline arrives, only three things could have happened. Either you will have accomplished your goal, you will have made amazing progress, or you will start making excuses as to why it didn’t happen. Any reason you offer is an excuse. Either you are making it happen or you are getting in the way of making it happen.

What ‘Quality Means for You

It does not matter what everyone else wants for you. Right now, if you are going to get unstuck, you must be willing to explore what you want from life.
Yes, I know you want to make others happy. What about you? What would make you happy? What would allow you to smile the way you make others smile? Think about it. Imagine it. Talk about it. Write it down. Give yourself a few moments to just relax and let that marinate. Your ideal. Your dream. Your fondest wish come true. This is your moment.
Own your desires and goals. Just thinking about it places you into a state of being that is more motivational and energetic. Allow yourself to feel as if your ideal state is happening right now.

Dealing With Difficult Situations

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, problems happen, and customers can be difficult to deal with, especially after a negative experience. When people are upset, they can get emotional.

 

Responding to the emotional needs of our customers is one of the best skills we can develop when providing customer service. Whatever the emotional state of customers, it is important to each of them that you understand what they are trying to tell you and how they feel about the services they want you to provide.

 

Listening-The first step in identifying our customers' needs is listening to what they say. Letting customers present their issues and listening to their messages are crucial to identify what is really on their minds. Don't interrupt before they have finished.
- Determine what your customer wants and needs.
- Prevent misunderstandings and errors.
- Gather clues about ways to improve the service you provide.
- Build long-term customer relationships.

Sympathy versus Empathy -When responding to customer's emotions, it's helpful to make a distinction between empathy and sympathy.

Sympathy involves identifying with or even taking on another person's emotions. A sympathetic response is, "I am really angry about those plaques too." Responding to customers with sympathy puts you on an emotional roller coaster and can leave you exhausted at the end of the day.

 

Empathy means acknowledging and affirming another's emotional state. An empathetic response is, "I can understand how that makes you angry." When you respond with empathy, you stay calm and in control. Only then are you at your absolute best, ready, willing, and able to help your customer.

 

Don't Take It Personally-Becoming defensive is a very natural response in any difficult, emotionally-charged situation. However, defensiveness prevents any real communication from happening. Being objective about the information our customers provide can help us respond more objectively and identify their real issues and concerns. Mentally rehearse how you will calmly react to tough situations before they occur.