To become better (than others)...

...become a better you.

I find that too many of us are competing against the wrong standard.  In fact more than once, I've caught myself comparing myself to others and unintentionally 'competing' against them. The truth is:
To become better, become a better YOU.

The best type of competitiveness is competition against one's self - not anyone else.
The best you can ever be is a better you.
The most successful people in life focus on self-improvement and self-development.
No matter how hard you try, aiming to be a better version of someone else ultimately makes you second-best of the person you're trying to be like - a copy not an original.

Take Judy Garland's advice:

Always be a first-rate version of yourself,

instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.

 

I strongly recommend that you make this one of your resolutions in 2014 and for life. 

How busy are you?

One thing a lot of people, especially women - who are known for multi-tasking, are is BUSY!   In fact, it's almost fashionable to be busy which is why Socrates' words of wisdom come in handy: "Beware the barrenness of a busy life."   A few months ago, I read this rather interesting piece and just had to share it:   Please Stop Complaining About How Busy You Are - @HarvardBiz http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/09/please_stop_complaining_about.html And just in case you you're too busy to read this, let me share another set of words of wisdom: “No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” ~ Confucius I couldn't have put that better so I'll take a cue from that piece of advice to recommend this wonderful book I read a few years ago. Dealing with busy-ness is a challenge...we need to educate and equip ourselves with knowledge and tools to deal effectively with busy-ness and then take a step further to empower others...so we all excel together.

"I won't let you down..."

I heard a very profound conversation while watching Fielder's Choice last month. When a promising Ad executive said to his boss: "I won't let you down."
His boss responded: "Don't let yourself down."

Hearing that really resonated with me because too many times we go around doing our best not to let others down. Interestingly, the same day I watched this film, I saw this quote:

"One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. And so when I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don't invest any energy in them, because I know who I am." ~ Michelle Obama

I'm not saying you should not work hard and make others - parents, spouse, children, family and friends etc. - proud of your accomplishments. The point of working hard should be to make you happy and content with yourself. No matter how happy and proud those around you are about your accomplishments, if you are not happy, you have wasted your time (& life) living up to another person's dreams. Live your life!

The longest serving First Lady of the US, Eleanor Roosevelt, said:

Your ambition should be to get as much life out of living as you possibly can, as much enjoyment, as much interest, as much experience, as much understanding. Not simply be what is generally called a "success." 

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

 

Being emotional beings, we listen and care about what others think and say however, we need to have courage to dream, believe in our dreams and act to fulfill our dreams. The next time you want to say:

"I won't let you down" to someone

switch and say "I won't let ME down" to yourself.

Slow down to speed up...

So many of us are almost always in a hurry...either rushing to somewhere or rushing from somewhere or even both rushing from and to somewhere. There is always something that needs to be done "immediately." A principle that I try to live, by which a dear colleague has reinforced, several times this year is:

To be successful in anything,

you need 80% planning + 20% execution.

Sharpen Your Skills

I got this piece a few days after the one I shared on Sept 1 and felt it was an excellent sequel.  As I typed this intro 2 things came to mind - a verse:
Ecc 10:10 "A dull ax requires great strength; be wise and sharpen the blade." 

and a previous posting titled "Stand out!"
click to read: http://empowered-women-excel.blogspot.ca/2011/09/stand-out.html

Guess what? I looked up both and found that the verse was included in this previous posting which incidentally was published exactly 2 years ago to the day - Wow!! Enough said, be blessed as you read and act accordingly promptly...

Develop Your Talent

I got this and was blessed by it...

and decided to pass on the blessing -

especially as we start a new month...

Develop Your Talent

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“That you may walk (live and conduct yourselves) in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him and desiring to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing in and by the knowledge of God [with fuller, deeper, and clearer insight, acquaintance, and recognition].”

Colossians 1:10, AMP)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Too many people suffer from “destination disease.” In other words, they’ve reached a certain level or obtained a goal, now they’re coasting in life off of what they’ve already learned. Studies tell us that 50% of people, after they graduate from high school, will never read an entire book the rest of their life. One reason is that people see learning as a period of life instead of a way of life. They think, “I’m out of school. I’m done with my training. I’ve got my job.” But, God never created us to reach one level and stop. Whether you’re 90 years old or 9 years old, you should be constantly learning, improving your skills, and getting better at what you do. The key is that you have to take responsibility for your growth. Growth is not automatic. What steps are you taking to get better? Are you reading books? Listening to teaching CD’s? Are you taking any courses on the internet? Going to any seminars? Do you have any mentors? Don’t just coast through life relying on what you’ve already learned. You have treasure on the inside. Develop your talent and become all that God created you to be.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, help me to develop the talents You have given me. Show me to how to continue growing, stretching and increasing. Help me to maximize what You’ve placed in my hand as I daily give You glory for Your faithfulness in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

August advice...

2 weeks ago, I started sharing pieces fo career (& life) advice. Here are 4 more...
Remember you can take them (live them) or just leave them...

Laura Torrado, DDS, FAGD*
Dentist with her own Manhattan practice who has been donating dental reconstruction work to victims of domestic violence, hate crimes and poor healthcare for eight years

What's the key to reaching your goals?
Keeping my final goal in mind and establishing personal timelines: What do I want to achieve and by when? Am I willing to go through the necessary steps to get it done? It helps to write them down and break them into smaller goals and achievements to lead toward a greater end.

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were younger?
There are ways to raise money to open your own business. External financing will get you off the ground and going without having to wait for years before you have the capital to get started. A good business plan presented to a lender in your field will probably give you what you need. Women are a "minority," and with that in mind, we have access to more resources. Just be savvy and find them. If you believe your business is truly a great idea, you should easily be able to convince others of the same thing.

If you could change anything about your career path or life, what would it be?
I would change the motto that "the client is always right." This is not true. Trying to please everybody can be a futile exercise in business and in your personal life. In the end you won't have the results you were hoping for. To compromise for the sake of compromise really leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth. Define who you are and what you want to achieve and stick to it. Always be yourself––everybody else is taken!

Judy Goss**

Founder of Over40Females.com

"When I first launched Over 40 Females, someone told me to stay true to my original vision for the company no matter what business matters or details got in the way. That would help me stay focused on what the company is about and in what direction we are heading. It's easy to get side-tracked and listen to everyone else's advice, but when you go back to your true self and the dream you first had when you started, you will always figure out the right way to go."

Michelle Edelman
President of Solana Beach, California, advertising agency NYCA.

How do you balance your career and your personal life?
Women often quit good jobs seeking “work-life balance” when really, you have to give work-life balance as a gift to yourself, and it’s a challenge and a decision every day. No job is going to help you assure you're there for the important moments in your family’s life. You have the power to do this for yourself through being organized, knowing what you want, and figuring out what is and isn’t important to get ahead in your job.

How can being a woman help in terms of a career?
It’s said the pay gap is now closing for women, but there’s still a pay divide. That said, women are being hired at a faster rate than men right now. I think in the recovery economy, women have tremendous opportunity to flex their career muscle. By being the less expensive option, you can go for a job that pushes you ahead—and use the pay gap as an advantage over the “pricier” guy colleague.

To what do you attribute your success?
Even in my field, which is replete with creative women, it’s rare to find a woman in management. There’s no way I would be if I didn’t have tremendous support from my husband. Most women, even though qualified to rise in companies, don’t because they really can’t organize their lives to support that rise.

Sabina Ptacin

Serial entrepreneur, Co-founder and Chief Excitement Officer of PRENEUR

"In life, we are juggling several balls, some of them are rubber and can bounce back if we drop them, and some of them are glass and will break. This lesson is from my mother, who to me is my work/life guru. We are always juggling in life, and even with the most experienced jugglers, the more balls you add, the harder this feat becomes. Without a doubt you will drop a ball from time to time."

Sources:

* Career Tips - Successful Women Give Career Advice at WomansDay.com - Woman's Day

** http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/best-career-advice-ive-ever-received?page=11

*** http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/best-career-advice-ive-ever-received?page=10