Welcome to Judi Moreo’s monthly e-zine, developed specifically for people who want to be the best they can be and enjoy much success in their lives! Please feel free to forward this to associates, friends, and family!
Dear
,
As most of you know, I spent two weeks in South Africa in April and had a marvelous time, attending the IFFPS Convention, doing a benefit for the Hospice in the West, and visiting with old friends. What most of you don’t know is that I came home ill. The doctor said it was a sinus infection… probably from breathing everyone else’s germs on the airplanes, but after spending 4-1/2 weeks in bed, it still didn’t go away. I went through antibiotic after antibiotic and every possible kind of cough drop, cough syrup, and throat spray. I slept around the clock. This week I have been up and around, but still coughing and tiring easily. So the reason for this long explanation is to apologize to those of you who have called me or written and waited for a response…I’m sorry it took so long to respond. I had to postpone speaking engagements and get other speakers to take some of my engagements and somehow have gotten through this. Luckily I have great friends who brought me food, fed my cats, and took good care of me.
So I have decided to stay home for the next couple of months, get more rest, and build up my immune system. I will, of course, work with my mentoring clients on a regular basis and do a few speaking engagements, but mostly I will be working on the new “Life Choices” book along with Gregory Kompes. We have some great authors writing incredible stories. The book is scheduled to be on the market by November. With my illness, it has thrown us a bit behind schedule but we should be catching up quickly.
Oh, and if you have a story to share about a life choice that you have made that was a turning point or that someone you know has made, and you would like to be one of the contributing authors to this book, contact me right away at judi@judimoreo.com and I will send you the submission guidelines. We are still looking for 11 stories.
Wishing you great health always,
Judi
While cleaning out thirty years of "stuff" in preparation for receiving a new shipment of books, I discovered that I was not throwing away, I was shifting "stuff" from one place to another. Saving things and packing them up again. Things I haven't used in twenty-five years and will probably never use again. Things I shipped to Africa and 8 years later shipped home.
Why do we save things we will never use? Because most of us were brought up to be thrifty. This supposedly positive value is probably more responsible for cluttering up our homes than anything else.
We save clothing that's too good to throw away but hasn't fit in the last 10 years; shoes we purchased when we were still wearing high, high heels, but make our feet and legs ache far too much to wear them now; knick-knacks that people gave us for gifts that have no use or meaning at all except that a special person gave it to us. We have things we bought for others that for some unknown reason we didn't give to them and it's too late now. Things that broke, but could have been repaired. We have the piece to the thing that broke, but now we can't find the thing. However, the minute we throw the piece away, the thing will reappear, so we save the piece, just in case.
Why can't we turn loose? Why not just throw it away? Because people in China are starving! And even though they haven't starved since we were children, they might. We might too. Not likely in the near future, but just in case. While looking at all this "stuff", a new feeling comes over us. We shouldn't buy anything else until we use up all this old stuff. There are the medicines we saved in case we might get sick again. When you think about how much money you spent on it, you almost feel like you should get sick again, just to use up the rest of it. Then, you could also eat all the left over soup that is frozen in the freezer...just in case.
So we shouldn't buy and we shouldn't toss. Therefore, we should be frugal and save. So we clutter. In order to unclutter, we must buy materials for more shelves and the tools to build them with.Then we will have more places to put the stuff we don't need in the first place.
What can we do? We can change our attitude. Think abundance instead of poverty. Changing means accepting that saving stuff is not a virtue. Saving glass jars, aluminum cans, newspapers, magazines, clothes that don’t fit, and such is not commendable. Taking them to a recycling plant is. Keeping old things that we do not use does not help anybody. Giving it to a shelter for battered women or homeless men or people reentering the job force will help people...people who could use and appreciate having those things that most of us not only take for granted, but wish we were rid of. Let's take that first step and clean up the space we now occupy. If we can clean up our stuff, we may be able to clean up the world and save it… just in case.
Optimism - the Precursor to HOPE! |
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By Kirk Wilkinson
What makes some people able to see the bright side of things when others can't? If you are a 'glass-half-empty' kind of person can you learn to see the glass half full? While we may have a predisposition to being pessimistic, optimism, the ability to see the silver lining of a dark cloud can be learned.
Recently I spent the day in prison. Fortunately for me I was not there because of a crime I committed, but to lead several workshops on how to cultivate optimism. As I suspected, the inmates confirmed that prison is a very negative place creating a real need to cultivate optimism. While most of us will not find ourselves confined to a cell or behind bars, many of us experience negativity or believe that we are in emotional prison.
The common belief that you are either born an optimist or pessimist is just not true. You can learn to be an optimist.
Before I outline a few ways to learn and practice optimism, let's first outline the benefits of being an optimist. People that find the bright side of things have better coping mechanisms. They are healthier, have better jobs, make more money, have more friends and live longer. Optimists are happier and are more hopeful about their future.
Let me share with you just a few of the things you can do to develop optimism. First is gratitude. Being grateful and then acting upon that gratitude will create a sense of optimism. We have all had people that have influenced and inspired us. One way to develop optimism is to write a letter to a person who made a difference in your life. If you want a bigger emotional boost, read the letter to them in person or over the phone. Without exception, this has been an incredible exercise for those who take it seriously enough to do it.
Another way to develop optimism is to reframe adversity into opportunity. We all have experiences that can be considered obstacles, trials or adversity. One way to develop optimism is to re-tell the story of those experiences that you tell to yourself in such a way that you are no longer the victim but the hero of the story. It may be that you have learned something from the experience or that it caused you tremendous growth. Recognizing positive outcomes of past experiences through re-telling is a powerful exercise to develop optimism.
Finally, optimism can be developed by creating a positive self-image. I realize that for many of you this is easier said than done. However, if you were to start by writing down a description of who you want to be in six months - and memorize that description - you would begin to develop a more positive self-image. By first writing it down and then memorizing it you will begin to feel positive emotions as you start to see yourself at your best. These positive emotions are the foundation of optimism.
Learned optimism is just as real as natural optimism and has the same benefits. If you need help or would like personalize mentoring on how to cultivate optimism please let me know.
Kirk is not your typical motivational speaker. He goes beyond being entertaining, enthusiastic, and motivational to deliver real skills in a memorable and inspiring way that makes a difference long after the event. As the author of The Happiness Factor: How to be HAPPY no Matter WHAT! Kirk is an expert on happiness, work-life balance, management and employee performance. Audiences love Kirk and you will too. You can’t go wrong with Kirk on the program!
email: kirk@thehappinesfactor.com | phone: 480-984-4066
Mind Workout:
Procrastination Elimination |
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What It Is
Many of us use time to procrastinate instead of getting things done. Procrastination is a habit. It can be changed. Change your vocabulary from “Later” to “Now”.
What to Do
Write down the ways you are currently procrastinating. Then start with the easiest things first and get something done. Then, do the next easiest. It won’t be long until the job doesn’t look so overwhelming and you can get it finished. As you change your “habit of procrastination” to a “habit of completion,” your life will be more satisfying.
What Judi's Clients Are Saying |
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Wow! What a great conference! And excellent faculty!
I want to thank you once again for your participation in the IAAP Impression Management for Admins: Fitting In, Standing Out conference held in Nashville TN. I think everyone worked well as a team and the information you presented was vital for administrative professionals. You provided them with all the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to fit in with their executive teammates, and the credibility and confidence they need to stand out from the crowd.
The final registration was 339 attendees. Based on a ten-point scale with ten being the highest score, the average rating for all conference educational sessions was 8.72. Here is the score from your You Are More Than Enough session: 9.2 (Wow!)
Selected attendee comments:
- “I would love to have Judi speak a full day vs. half.”
- “The speaker was great...humorous…kept your attention…great information.”
- “What a lovely person Judi Moreo is.”
- “Would have liked to hear this speaker for a full day. She was wonderful!”
- “Best seminar ever!”
- “She is a wonderful speaker!”
- “The content was excellent and very useful.”
- “This was absolutely the best session at this conference.”
- “The journal is great…one of the best parts of the session.
- “Judi Moreo was the best speaker with the best content!”
- “She is a very inspiring person.”
- “It doesn’t get any better than this! Thank you!”
- “The learning objectives exceeded my training needs.”
- “Best speaker all week.”
- “Superior message.”
- Judi Moreo was the best – fantastic – motivated – kept me in a positive mood.”
We appreciate all the time and energy you put into your presentation. You helped to make the 2009 IAAP Professional Education Conference successful! Thank you!
Susan Fenner PhD,
Manager of Education
&
Professional Development
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