My New Book is Out - How to be a Champion Encourager
How to be a Champion Encourager is my new book and I am so excited to share it with you. I looked forward to a way to share with others how to be fantastic encouragers. Encouraging can help anyone anywhere help others and get along better with people. This short book explains in simple terms how anyone can become a great encourager on the job or in the family. The ideas will help you champion the cause in moving people in a forward direction. Check it out here.
College Major Hopping?
Students seeking to fulfill an internal longing that has been set inside of them may change majors multiple times when they are trying to clarify the true road they seek. Parents paying for this education may have many talks with thier college students about the cost and they can’t make getting an education "a profession!". As the college semesters stretch out and the student doesn’t have any more of an idea what to major in, guilt starts to set in and they may decide to quit altogether. The parents may decide that they are done financing this albatross though still loving it.
Is there any hope in this madness???
YES by understanding the uniqueness you were created with and knowing the inner longing can be defined can put a stop to this see-saw education. An excellent career assessment (especially like the one we offer - Higher Goals Coaching Career Direct Assessment - see our web page) can help make a plan to hit your "own" career target. Look for an assessment that covers all these items or atleast as many as you can - personality, what I want to do, what I am gifted at doing and what are my core values. The most accurate picture one can get of themselves will give the highest value at planning an education to hit thier unique target. One can greatly increase that sighting in by working with a coach (me) or counselor to help interpret the results of the assessment . Working with a coach or counselor adds a very critical part by hearing the student and then encouraging them on the path, creating a plan instead of just looking at assessment results on a piece of paper. Make sure the combination of coach and assessment provide a plan for the future, understanding a direction that the student agrees is the best to move forward, the education requirements needed for that target, the future outlook for that target and most of all a WRITTEN plan for the future to measure against and set goals that still has flexibilty in it to grow with the student. Thus working with an excellent assessment and working with a Career Coach will stop the Major Hopping and get life and career underway to the relief of the student and parents.
Honey on a Fire
This week I got my new handouts that you can download on the last page on the menu or other places on the website. I am so blessed that they look fantastic. I had purchased these the same time as I had purchased the books as in my previous blog entitled “Getting it Done”. About 2 years ago, I purchased a contract to publish a one sheet brochure. The company and phone number disappeared. They reappeared under a different name and through multiple calls, I got their president and he helped me work with others in the company to come up with a great handout or really a rack card (which is a half a regular sheet of paper). The handout looks great. I came up with the wording and work with them on design and layout. I purchased all the graphics as I have on this website to be legal. I am really exclited about the resulting handout. I could have gotten mad and chewed them out as I had felt abandon after giving my money and not recieving my product. I could have grown bitter but I found it was better to work with a positive attitutude gaining positive ground a little at a time. I found encouragement given to all involved in the process each step of the way, went a long way. They did do excellent work. So my coaching has taught me to resolve situations with patience and blessing others which is like pouring “Honey on a Fire”.
Getting it Done - Your Own Community
I recently worked on a book and contracted with a company to publish it. I paid them and ordered additional books prior to it actually being published. I finished the transcript and they had - it ready to go. The company went bankrupt, no contact, dead phone, just and empty presence on the web (until the website contract ran out). The company is 2500 miles away so what do you do? Even my bank had changed from Visa to Master Card so those avenues were out of date. I procrastinated for a long time just not wanting to look the situation in the face. Avoidance is a great way to placate.
It wasn’t until one of my fellow coaches who had the same experience spoke up and did something about her misfortune with the same company - that started to get me moving. Four others from our coaching, their email spoke up and had similar situations. Now that motivated me! I started action, and in the process of interacting with others I got more information on the company and started my own resolution process. I contacted the former company owner and passed on all the unfulfilled contracts to him to see what we can do about them. I will let you know but there is a main focus point here. It wasn’t until I started seeing action from others that I was motivated. They, in away were my coaches, motivating me and creating a community to bounce ideas off of and giving encouragement. It is like what I do in my own coaching business - Higher Goals Coaching. We create an atmosphere and community for each individual client to get their own start and get moving on their career goals. The testimonies they share with me (see testimony page) really explain it; we all need help in starting and moving to reach excellent results.
Entitlement
I was in our local popular meeting place coffee shop the other day and saw the half stuffed tip jar on the counter. I ordered my Chai tea and pondered whether to put a tip in the jar. The coffee shop works like this, you order the tea and then they call out your name and you come pick out the biggest mug you that anyone on earth could find. My question is this, what has this person done to deserve a tip?
When ordering at one of my favorite eateries a waitress comes and serves me. She takes my order and carefully thoughtfully provides excellent service. I am a good tipper and usually do 18 to 22 percent of the bill. I tip because I understand and want her to understand that I appreciate her service. (Those of you who are Christians now make sure to tip especially if you pray and are identified as a Christian. We have a great Name to uphold and Gods’ not cheap with us.)
While back at our local coffee shop at 8am in the morning when they just open ,there is no one there. The place is almost dead yet I wasn’t served my coffee. I just can’t figure out why I should give a tip) I meant to ask them some day.
(If part of their salary is the same argument you could use at the restaurant so that doesn’t count)
It got me to thinking about how we view God and how He views us. Now the waitperson will think if they do great service they will get a tip. It is expected but somehow I think the Barista almost expects a tip as part of the coffee purchasing ritual experience. So how do I approach God – do believe I should be blessed as an entitlement? Do I expect a blessing because I serve God? What is my entitlement from God? As we approach our Father I want to be reverend and give Him, honor and blessings, praise and worship, love and adoration with open hands toward heaven. Then again I know how my Father loves me so I am thankful what he gives. God is Good all the time and all the time God is Good.
I still am in a conundrum on the tip for the coffee shop person. I think they could have at least, in the empty restaurant brought my coffee while I am in the deep conversation with my pals. Well, that’s a point to ponder. What’s your opinion?