Indian Talking Stick

The 8th Habit...From Effectiveness to Greatness

Right now I am reading a book by Stephen Covey called, "The 8th Habit". It is a follow up from his book called "The 7 habits of Highly Effective People". I had read the 7 habits in an interpersonal people skills class and found it to be very interesting and helpful. So, recently I purchased the newest book.

The first book lists seven principles that, if established as habits, are supposed to help a person achieve true interdependent "effectiveness." Dr. Covey argues this is achieved by aligning oneself to what he calls "true north"; principles of a character ethic that, unlike values, he believes to be universal and timeless.

Those habits are(for your information):

1. Be Pro-active - Being "proactive" means taking responsibility for everything in life. When you're reactive, you blame other people and circumstances for obstacles or problems. Initiative, and taking action will then follow

2. Begin with the End In Mind - setting long-term goals based on "true-north principles"

3. Put First Things First - a framework for prioritizing work that is aimed at long-term goals, at the expense of tasks that appear to be urgent, but are in fact less important

4. Think Win/Win - Thoroughly listening to another person's concerns instead of reading out your own autobiography is purported to increase the chance of establishing a working communication.

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

6. Synergize - describes a way of working in teams, apply effective problem solving

7. Sharpen the saw - focuses on balanced self-renewal

The habit that I am reading is about us as people need to "Find your voice and inspire others to find theirs". The book also talks of the "6 Cancers" that inhibit people's greatness:

Cynicism
Criticism
Comparing
Competing
Complaining
Contending

As I relate what I am learning to my life in this book I see many things that I need to change within me to be a better person. As with all self help books one has to wonder how effective they are for them. I think that if one really tries to follow its advice perhaps you can be more successful in life.

Stephen Covey often does public speaking workshops and classes teching to others his methods. It was interesting for me to find out that "The Department of Homeland Security", along with several other lrage corporations and law enforcement training facilities, also offers classes to thier employees in regards to these books.

I wanted to share this information with whom ever wants to read my blog because I find the books sooooo interesting that I think everyone should take a few days, or in my case a few hours, to read these books. I am still in the process of reading the 8th and cannot wait to see what the remainder of the book says. The book I bought came with a DVD with several inspirational short videos on it, perhaps I will watch that this week.

I think that if I incorporate more of the lessons taught in these books that perhaps my life, business(XanGo), and making friends in my new state will be better. I plan on re-reading the first one to see how I can implement his teachings better.

Here is a links to some things that I found interesting:

http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/7-habits/7-habits.htm

Free Assesment for you:

https://www.franklincoveycoaching.com/free_assessment

My Score for Personal Effectivness told me: You seem to know what matters most in your life. you have a good grasp of what is important — which goals will most fulfill you, and you arrange your time accordingly. Your answers indicate you are living a life of vision, perspective and achievement. You probably want to surround yourself with positive reinforcements to continue this mode of personal growth.

For Public Effectivness: ou are aware of those people around you — their feelings, concerns and needs. You find ways of making every situation beneficial to all concerned. You genuinely care about helping others to achieve their goals, and you keep in mind that doing so can help you to achieve yours.

I paid $11 for this strange fruit — and I’d do it again!

This is an article that I found from a newspaper in Brooklyn NY, By Gersh Kuntzman
The Brooklyn Paper. I just loved it!

The mangosteens are here! The mangosteens are here! The mangosteens are here!

No, I’m not talking about my second cousins (they’re the Mangosteins, by the way). I’m talking about the arrival of one of the greatest fruits the world has ever known: the mangosteen.

And Brooklyn is at the center of the mangosteen revolution.

In fact, the only market in the city where you can get these extremely rare purple orbs is the Orchard, a gourmet greengrocer on Coney Island Avenue in Midwood.

If you know what a mangosteen is, I urge you to go right now (first, take out a loan).

If you don’t know what a mangosteen is, you have my pity.

Of course, I’m no expert on this delicacy. How could I be, given that mangosteens — the greatest thing to come from Thailand since “The King and I”— have never been available commercially in the United States (something about a fear of fruit flies — this from the same government that let in the Asian longhorned beetle and the zebra mussel!).

Thai mangosteens will soon be here, but in the interim, the first shipment of these leather-covered pool balls has come in from a grower in Puerto Rico (if that ain’t an argument for statehood, I don’t know what is).

In my role as your loyal servant, I headed straight for the Orchard to procure just two of these fragrant fruits (any more than two and I would have had to refinance my house).

When I got there, there was not a mangosteen to be found. Of course not; at $45 a pound, owner Mitchell Spitz told me that he can’t afford to put them on display. But he did say the Puerto Rican mangosteens are selling well.

“I’ve sold 18 pounds of them already,” Spitz said (do the math: he can now afford that new addition on the back of his house!). “Who’s buying? Mostly people who have been to Thailand.”

Full disclosure: I have been to Thailand, though the memory of the single mangosteen I ate in the night market in Chiang Mai recedes in my mind like high school friends, stuff I learned in college, or remembering what it was like to be able to climb stairs without tiring.

Spitz brought out two mangosteens, but I was the only one who smiled.

“What the hell is that?” asked one of his customers. “It looks spoiled.”

“I’d never eat one of those,” sniffed another client. “It’s ugly.”

And then he mentioned the price. The two old ladies audibly groaned.

But I had to have them. The mangosteen is my obsession. Try as I have to summon up its greatness with readily available tropical treats — the creamy durian, the sugary litchee, the cool rambutan — the glory of a mangosteen could not be recreated in the tastebuds of my brain. (I’m no Proust, but these things are much better than a madeleine.)

So I did it. I paid $22.95 for two mangosteens.

I got them home and peeled away the thick, plum colored inner flesh to get to the crouching white fruit nestled within.

My wife, who, during a yearlong sojourn in the Far East a few years back, downed mangosteens like a ballplayer munches sunflower seeds, was unimpressed.

“The fragrance isn’t there,” she sniffed (no, really, she sniffed). “Face it, at $45 a pound, this mangosteen should come in a limousine with a chauffer who also cleans our kitchen. Besides, the joy of eating a mangosteen is eating it in Thailand. Imagine sending a Bagel Hole bagel to your brother in North Carolina. It’s not even worth the bother.”

She also reminded me that for the price of 90 mangosteens, I could fly to Thailand (where you can get 10 for a dollar).

She makes a good point — but as I sucked down the slimy, citrus-hinted fruit pieces, I didn’t care. I was present at the creation of a new fruit craze — and loving it.

Found this to be very interesting for those interested!

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."

Albert Schweitzer

How do you rate success?

Often this past week I have thought about, "How does one succeed in life?". It has been a goal of mine to become healthier, slimmer and in better shape than I have been for the last couple of years. I have started eating alot heallthier than I was about three months ago. I have been eating more fruits, protien, vegetables and added XanGo to my diet. I feel better and have more energy however I have not lost any weight at all or even seemed to slim down yet. This is very frustrating to me.

I can also put this type of situation to many other aspects of life. There are times when I have studied my head off for exams and not gotten any further in my grade than previously, and I have felt distraught. Even after all the classes are completed and you have a degree, how successfull fo you really feel? There are many out there that have degrees and aren't successfull in a monetary way but are successfull in life. How do you prioritize your success? I feel I am successfull in motherhood, but yet I still feel like I have failed in my desire to be more fit. I am successfull in eating better and establishing a better diet than previously, but seem to lack the motivation to keep going...that cheesecake just looks way too good to pass up!

My husband seems to rate success on how his business is succeeding and how he treats his customers. Recieving positive feedback and a "Thank You" seems to be a very important part of how he measures his success. I think that there is definately more to it than that. Does succeeding in business make one happier than succeeding in life? Does succeedng in school set you up for success in life? Does success in life make you a better employee or business owner? There are too many answers and questions to ask....ask yourself "how you measure success" and prioritize what is more important to you. "Where do you succeed?

Just a saying that I came across that I really felt appreciative of today....

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." ~ Robert Collier

Woke up super tired today! Off to the GyM!

After a long night of no sleep and a coughing daughter, I was pretty tired this morning. I am sure that many other moms have had this occur. I had to get up though to get the children dressed and ready for school. Since I was up anyway I went off to the gym. I did water aerobics today, which was decidedly very fun and a great way to wake up. So, after the great workout which did great for my abs and backend I headed out to Old Navy and found Yoga pants on sale! Hooray…the day is getting better by the minute. Thanks for the gym! I was supposed to meet my husband at the store, however when I got home he was still in bed sleeping away. Must be nice to sleep in till around 11:00 am. Then after thinking, this could be why I am up all night and zonked during the day, my husband is a night owl and watched television until two a.m. (Hmmmm???) SO after a decent lunch, nothing much but at least it was food, I added XanGo to my day and PooF! I had energy…Did I happen to tell you earlier that XanGo gives you a bit of a kick of energy the natural way? Well, it does. It is my hope that the rest of the day goes better that last night, and I plan on making the television go off tonight.