Life is an Open Classroom

Life is an open classroom, though there is no curriculum to tell you which lessons to expect each week or even each day. Lessons are often unexpected and challenges are like pop quizzes that test your character as much as it builds it.

Different seasons in your life represent semesters in which new lessons are learned. There is no pass or fail, only a grade of "complete." Once the lesson is complete you move on to the next. Sometimes you may experience a similar lesson. Not because you've failed a previous one; instead, it's an opportunity for you to achieve advanced learning.

So, what do you do with all that knowledge? Apply what you've learned to your own life as well as to the lives of others. When you teach others you help them to learn and grow. In turn, you learn and grow as well. I find that as I teach others, it reinforces my knowledge and I may even acquire new learning. For example, the more I teach someone about humility, the more I am reminded to be humble. Through my experience with that individual I may learn to be more patient. I may even discover that I am stronger than I realize.

You are always learning. You are always growing wiser in life's open classroom.

What lessons have you learned and how have you applied them to your life and the lives of others? Share your comments below.

Unleash your brilliance without boundaries,
Christine

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Changing Your Behavior for Results

Enjoy this short, impactful process designed to change your behavior so you get results in your business and/or personal life.

Immediately after completing this exercise, share your thoughts and reactions with your group. Then, post comments here about your experience and outcomes.

This process is taken from the Harvard Business Review article, "An Exercise in Changing Yourself." Click here to read the full HBR article.

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Are You Hurting Bad Enough?

One morning a man was sitting on his porch with his dog who was lying there groaning. A passerby stopped and asked why the dog was groaning.

Man: He's lying on a nail
Passerby: Why doesn't he just get up?
Man: He ain't hurtin' bad enough

I heard this story several years ago and it's always worth sharing.

The moral is there are people who talk about what's wrong or what's missing in their lives; yet, they never really take action toward creating change. Instead, they "groan" about their situation. Why? Because they are not hurting badly enough to get up and go after what they want.

Oftentimes people say they aren't pursuing their dreams because, at the moment, they lack the drive; they're low on money; they're too busy; they want to shed a few pounds first; they're too young or too old... When I ask how long they've been putting their dreams on hold, it turns out it's been years!

To achieve a dream or to create change in your life, think about how badly you want it. Begin developing belief and reflect all that is possible within you by changing your thoughts; e.g., "I WILL do this." "This is possible." Imagine yourself already achieving your dream and start taking the action steps that will get you there.

Get off the nail, stop groaning, and start doing!

Unleash your brilliance without boundaries,
Christine

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Challenge Rules If They Don't Make Sense

In 1963, psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted an experiment on obedience, now known as The Milgram Experiment.

In this experiment, participants were divided into groups of teachers and students. The "teachers" were asked to administer painful electric shocks to "students" who gave incorrect answers to questions. The shocks weren’t real, though the teachers did not know that. As the experiment progressed, the teachers grew concerned and asked if it was okay to continue. They were encouraged to do so and were assured they would not be held responsible for the outcomes.

The participants were given more and more painful shocks and they screamed in pain; some even banged on the wall and pretended to complain of a bad heart. In the end, 65% of the teachers obeyed orders to punish the students to the very end of the 450-volt scale! No one stopped before reaching 300 volts. If the shocks were real the participants would have died.

In 2006 I told the story of the Milgram Experiment in a speech about taking the road less traveled. I provided "7 Steps to the Road Less Traveled"; step number three was "Challenge Rules If They Don't Make Sense." This step holds true today.

Wherever there are rules that don't make sense, exercise the courage to challenge them. Your decision to do so may make a difference in your life or the lives of others.

Unleash your brilliance without boundaries,
Christine

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Judge Me by Who I Am Today, Not by Who I Was Yesterday

Do you know someone who judges you by your past actions and behaviors despite the fact that you have grown emotionally, spiritually, or stronger in character?

As I read the chapter, "Kill a Mosquito with an Ax to Conquer Your Goals" by motivational speaker Les Brown, the following words resonated with me:

"I firmly believe you have to move outside of your normal relationships to really make something happen in your life. Why? Well…some people know too much about you and will not let you forget it. I still have some childhood friends who recall how bad I was in school or how many times I screwed up early in my career."

Les's words resonated with me because I am sometimes reminded of things I have said or done in the past. Things that do not reflect who I am today. It takes hard work, discipline and time--among other things--to learn, grow and change as a person. Work that someone else may not be willing to do. So, when someone reminds you of who you once were, tell them to judge you by who you are today, not by who you were yesterday.

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Les Brown's chapter is published in the new book The Power of the Platform: Speakers on Life (coming June 2010). My chapter "Your Dream Won't Find You" is also published in the same book.

Be Careful What You DON'T Wish For

Here's a simple exercise: over the next 2-3 days make a mental or physical note of the number of times you say you DON'T want something. "I don't want to be late," "I don't want to gain extra pounds" etc. Over time you will notice that the thing you DON'T want is the thing you will most likely get. Why? Because when you focus on what you DON'T want, that is what you will attract into your life. Similarly, when you focus on what you DO want that is what you will attract.

At the 2008 summer Olympics, the USA women's team recalled their disappointment over dropping the baton during the 400-meter relay in 2004. What do you think they focused on for 2008? "DON'T drop the baton!" What do you think, happened during the race? They once again dropped the baton and were disqualified from the preliminaries.

When you focus on "I don't want..." you are focusing on your fears and you may even see the negative outcome in your mind. Instead, come from a place of empowerment, faith, and confidence. Empower yourself to see the end result you desire, truly believe you will achieve those results, and be confident about your outcomes. Change your language to reflect the outcomes you want. Instead of, "I don't want to be late," say, "I will be on time." Your attitudes and behaviors will begin to reflect the outcome you want.

Here is an example of an extraordinary man I met on Twitter...Mr. Paul V. Harris. As a result of an unfortunate accident, Paul was burned over most of his body and yet everyday he continues to inspire others. Watch Paul's short video about getting results through focus > click here

In those moments when I come from empowerment, faith, and confidence and my results were not as expected, I look for the lesson. Sometimes I realize I was being spared from something: heartache, a poor financial investment; or there was some higher opportunity waiting for me. I then apply those lessons to my life and share them with others, so they may learn and grow.

To transform your outcomes, shift your focus and your language from what you don't want to what you DO want. Come from a place of empowerment, faith, and confidence. And, in the words of Henry David Thoreau, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams."

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Make Action Plans, Not Excuses

For the first time ever, I caught a glimpse of the reality TV show "So You Think You Can Dance." Although I am not a big reality TV show watcher, I admit I found the performance by Jarrell Robinson, a hearing impaired man, inspiring.

The judges were impressed and although they did not move Robinson to the next round they, too, found him inspiring.

In the upcoming book The Power of the Platform: Speakers on Life, I talk about how some people make excuses, not action plans. This man did the opposite. He did not make excuses. He did not say, "I cannot hear music, so I won't dance." No. Instead he made a plan and what's more he followed through.

As you think of the things you want to achieve, make action plans, not excuses; and reflect on the Van Gogh quote, "If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced."