Review & Resources for November Teleseminar: “Attitude of Gratitude”

“Attitude of Gratitude”

Our attitude determines much of our life.

Our questions determine much of our attitude.

The Mindset of Gratitude: What do you have to be grateful for?

“When eating fruit, think of the person who planted the tree.” ~Vietnamese Proverb

“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” ~J.B. Massieu

The Results of Gratitude: The attitude you project is powerful and magnetic, people want to be around you when your attitude is one of gratitude.

“When we learn to give thanks, we are learning to concentrate not on the bad things, but on the good things in our lives.” ~Amy Vanderbilt

The Shift of Perception: When each of us focus on the good, the best, the right things in our lives…more of those things come.

“One for whom the pebble has value must be surrounded by treasures wherever he goes.” ~Par Lagerkvist

Four ideas to shift perception:

    1. Never cry over what you can buy
    2. Accept your value – what you know, your ability to learn
    3. Giving is the ultimate in receiving
    4. Thinking good things brings more good things

The Tools to Make it Habitual: If you are not receiving these things, it is because you are not giving these things.

  • Thanksgiving File
  • Journaling: http://www.davidrm.com/thejournal/
  • Daily quotes, scripture, sayings, humor
  • Doing something simple for others, like sending a note out of the blue

“Money will buy a pretty good dog, but it won’t buy the wag of his tail.” ~Josh Billings

Recommended Reading:

The Curse of Blessings: Sometimes, the Right Story Can Change Your Life by Mitchell Chefitz (click here for Amazon link)

The Lift-Your-Spirits Quote Book by Allen Klein (click here for Amazon link)

Review & Resources for September’s Teleseminar: “Creativity in Times of Chaos”

“Creativity in Times of Chaos”

What the world needs in all things is creativity - and what we all have in abundance is creativity - most of us just don’t flex or work our creative muscles as often as we can and could and might…if we thought about it differently.

What is Creativity?

Creativity: The ability to use the imagination to develop new and original ideas or things.

Some synonyms for creativity: originality, imagination, inspiration, ingenuity, inventiveness, resourcefulness, vision.

Doesn’t that describe you?

Words are Powerful

What we say comes true. By saying something, we make it real to us even if it isn’t real in reality. Get rid of your limiting beliefs about creativity. You ARE CREATIVE! Say it aloud, because it is true.

“I can’t draw” is untrue. Everyone can draw a stick figure without thinking and it’s a powerful communication tool. Stop comparing yourself to others and enjoy your creativity!

“When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something… That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things.” ~Steve Jobs, founder of Apple

The Letter Game

Use this game for a quick and easy brainstorming technique with a group of people to get the creative juices flowing:

  • Choose a letter
  • Determine the direction of play (clockwise, counter-clockwise, etc.)
  • Each person must say a new word that begins with that letter

Resources Mentioned to Keep Close at Hand

Joe Vitale’s book Hypnotic Writing (click here for Amazon link)

20,000+ Words by Zoubek, Condon, & Leslie (click here for Amazon link)

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (click here for Amazon link)

“The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight.” ~Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way

The idea of the book is to take a chapter a week for 12 weeks. Some of the ideas included that are particularly effective are:

  • Morning Pages - do a “mind dump” every morning for 3 pages to get the “ick” out, so that great ideas and inspirations have room to emerge.
  • Artists Date - plan a date with yourself to something different, fun, and inspired. Some ideas are to go to a museum, zoo, dime store, etc.
  • Media Break - a full week off from pleasure reading, television, films, radio, etc. Just yourself thinking, being, and observing. It’s tough, but very rewarding.

“In the middle of a hard project, I remind people to do something else. Sometimes people need to work on something completely different to get the best ideas.” ~Brad Fregger, CEO of 1st World Library

Juicing the Orange by Pat Fallon & Fred Senn (click here for Amazon link)

How to turn creativity into a powerful business advantage! They give Seven Principles of Creative Leverage:

  • Always start from scratch
  • Demand a ruthlessly simple definition of the business problem (127 specific questions in three fields of interrogation to find the one consumer insight that forms the basis for the solution. The questions are not listed in the book, but can be found on their website: www.juicingtheorange.com)
  • Discover a proprietary emotion
  • Focus on the size of the idea, not the size of the budget
  • Seek out Strategic Risks
  • Collaborate or Perish
  • Listen hard to your customers (and then listen some more)

Fight FEAR
FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real

“If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play.” ~John Cleese, British Comedian

The Creativity Book by Eric Maisel, PhD (click here for the Amazon link)

A year’s worth of inspiration and guidance, broken into weeks with a variety of exercises, such as a version of the artist’s date and asking unusual questions: “Should a leader strive to be moral or strive to be effective?”

The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp (click here for the Amazon link)

Full of exercises, stories, and personal examples of how creating habits that nurture creativity really do work. One point in particular: when we prepare to be creative, set the stage and atmosphere, and have the tools on hand…we can be more creative.

What tools can you keep close to help get your creative juices flowing? Pen, pencil, paper, books, bookshelf with favorite books, quotes, etc. are all great!

“Capital isn’t so important in business. Experience isn’t so important. You can get both of these things. What is important is ideas. If you have ideas, you have the main asset you need, and there isn’t any limit to what you can do with your business and your life. They are any man’s greatest asset - ideas.” ~Harvey Firestone

Create Your Ultimate Year is coming to Portland, Oregon!

Know someone in the Portland, Oregon, area? Create Your Ultimate Year is going to start in Portland, Oregon, next month! Information and registration are all available online, just go to: CYUY-PDX

Feel free to visit yourself and add comments about how much you love CYUY and how it really does work. Our Orange County members’ success is why we are expanding the CYUY program.

Let Shawna know if there is someone you’d like her to contact directly about possible interest in CYUY-PDX: Shawna@CYUY.com or 503-662-3044.

Blessings,

Christy

Research for July Teleseminar: “Stress Less for Personal Best”

Check the AUDIO tab for the latest recording & notes information!

This teleseminar on stress had a LOT of research that went along with it. So much that I couldn’t fit it all on the single notes page. As all of the research is accessible via the internet, it makes sense to share them directly.

They’re listed in the rough order that Shawna shared the information during the call:

American Institute of Stress (lots of great research, tips, and education here!)

Some of the more interesting sections we found:
America’s #1 Health Problem: http://www.stress.org/americas.htm
Job Stress, with study numbers: http://www.stress.org/job.htm?AIS=dee9e5444accdc6325d3831c159b481a & http://www.stress.org/topic-workplace.htm
Stress Reduction: http://www.stress.org/topic-reduction.htm
Emotional & Social Support: http://www.stress.org/topic-emotional.htm
The History of “Stress”: http://www.stress.org/hans.htm

Wall Street Journal article by Sharon Begley: Scans of Monks’ Brains

University of Wisconsin-Madison: Brain and Emotions Research

UW-Madison: Media Center for Brain & Emotions Research

CNN article by Brigid Delaney: Meditation, the key to calm

Madrid Hotel Stress Therapy

Technical Difficulties

Apologies to each of you who attempted to call in to this morning’s teleseminar call on the 218 number and were unsuccessful!  I will be investigating the cause.

The recording for July’s teleseminar is now available on the audio page!

Blessings,

Christy

July 18, Teleseminar: Stress Less for Personal Best

Hi everyone! Hopefully you received your snazzy new CYUY email reminding you of the upcoming teleseminar on July 18th. If you didn’t, please let me know! Here are the details:

Stress Less for Personal Best

What is “Stress Less” and how can we better manage the stress that has become an integral part of modern life? We’ll look at some current research, how much power stress can be given in our lives, and some concrete & proven ways to improve how we react to stress. As you Create Your Ultimate Year & Create Your Life, consider this question: Are you Creating Your Stress? Learn more and get some real insights into this very common malady during this teleseminar with Shawna Schuh:

Wednesday, July 18, 2007
8:00 AM to 8:45 AM

Step #1: 5 minutes prior to the call, dial

1-218-486-1300 or 1-712-432-3000

(note: these are long-distance numbers and each caller
is responsible for his/her own calling charges)

Step #2: Enter the Conference Bridge #334973

Step #3: You should be connected! The line will open when Christy calls in as the moderator, so feel free to chat with one another and with Shawna before the line is muted and the recording begins. Don’t forget to introduce yourself!

Controls: Self-mute = 4* Raise hand = 5*
To disable call-waiting: *71

(or check with your phone company or in the front of your phone book for your key sequence to disable call-waiting)

See you then!

Christy Mitchell
CYUY Administrator

Video & Audio Update!

Hello everyone! Christy here with some GREAT news! The audio from the teleseminars that has been up for a while is now being joined by all of the current video content from the previous three LIVE sessions of CYUY 2007. Lucky you, if you have missed a session, in addition to the materials you receive in the mail with your handouts, you may now view the entire session online at your convenience! Of course, if you did attend and would like to review the session, please do so! This video content is for YOU to use in Creating Your Ultimate Year in 2007.

We are using Google Video to host these segments, so please do not hesitate to visit Google Video directly through the video player links for further viewing and downloading options. All we ask in regards to viewing, downloading, and sharing is that it is for your own personal use or to get someone else fired up about Creating their Ultimate Year! Normal copyright and intellectual property rules/laws apply to this and all of the CYUY materials and content.

February is up in its entirety, with April & June following quickly on its heels.

Please let us know how we can improve your CYUY experience and feel free to comment! If you have a blog that you’d like us to link to, let me know and I’ll add you to our Blogroll!

Thanks & Make it a Magnificent Month!

Christy Mitchell
CYUY Administrator

Welcome to Create Your Ultimate Year!

Greetings 2%ers!

This blog shall serve as our new CYUY headquarters to keep you updated on the latest information and upcoming events, recommended reading, and…of course…quotes!

We just finished this month’s teleseminar with Shawna and the recording should be available soon for download.  Check out the “Audio” page (tab at the top of the blog) for all things related to the teleseminars, including recordings and downloads.

Coming soon will be a “Video” page for the video recordings from the in-person months!

This is a brand new avenue for us and we hope that you find it easier to communicate what you love about CYUY, what’s working for you, questions, and anything else on your mind here!  This is your community and we want to hear from you!

Blessings,

Christy Mitchell
CYUY Administrator