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A thought provoking thought…

“If you are living out of a sense of obligation you are slave.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer

A column by Richard Reynolds-Autographs

Written by Richard Reynolds Commentary from Richard Reynolds At birth every person has a clean slate with the ability to do something great. Some people would say that there are social and economic factors that prevent a person from achieving great things. I believe just the opposite that one can add value to their name through the life that they live. Last summer, my son and I participated in the Southeastern Conference Football Media Days at the Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham. “Participating” may be stretching things because it was more like asking for autographs and allowing my son the opportunity to meet some famous and not so famous sports leaders. At that time the season was just starting with great promise for every team, every coach and every institution. Every autograph, one could say, had equal value and what made the difference in the value would be the coming performance of each individual. Isn’t that like life? We each start out on equal footing given a name at birth. The value of that name is determined not by what our parents or grandparents did but will be determined by the legacy of the life that we live. What is your name worth? Here the term “worth” has no relationship to money but has the connotation of the value of one’s life because of the good that one has contributed to this world. What have you contributed , what are you contributing to this world and what will you contribute in the future? Above is a column written by Richard Reynolds the writer of this blog. It is posted at www.claynews.net The small paper uses this as an avenue to compete with the larger papers with news in between its editions.

The changing landscape of our world that forces new thinking

The Department of Education reports that between 1994 and 2004, the number of English language learners (ELLs) increased in the United States by 65 percent. With the U.S. Census projecting the country’s population to swell to over 415 million by 2050, the number of ELLs will rise.

Finding the perfect job…

Tips for Completing an Employment Application
Gone are the days that you clean yourself up, make a trip to the downtown corporate office and complete the employment application with paper and pen, hoping to make a great impression on the receptionist so she will tell the recruiter how sharp you looked and how wonderful you sounded.  Things have definitely changed.  No more paper applications or resumes printed on white paper, or early visits to the company’s recruiting office.  Now, we have to impress companies on-line with our computer skills.  So if you have just found yourself in the job market again or maybe it is the first time you have ever completed an application, you will want to start to think about some of the things listed below:
1.  It is time to gather facts.  Write information down so that you will have it available each time you complete an application.  Some things you will want to write down will be:
Employment history including company names, addresses, telephone numbers, managers’ names and dates of   employment.
Volunteer work history with professional or community organizations including the organization’s name, address, telephone numbers, dates of service and the names and contact information of some of the organization officers with whom you worked.
Personal and professional references including names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses.
Personal information such as education.
2. Decide which companies you want to work for, do some internet research and get to know what those companies have to offer, and then decide what you can offer those companies.  Many people say there are lots of jobs “out there,” but there is still a great deal of competition for the really good jobs.  Your job is to explain clearly why you are the best candidate for their jobs.
3. Check the names on all your email accounts to be sure they sound professional.  When you were in school it may have been fun to have a cute email account name.  But employers will not be very impressed by some of the names that were cute to you in school.  Remember, you are trying to convince the company that you are the best professional employee they can find.
4. What does your blog or other networking sites say about you?  Like it or not, more and more companies are researching your blogs to learn more about you.  Some comments and pictures will not be the sort of things you want a future employer to see.
5. Read the instructions on the application carefully and follow them exactly.  Not only do the hiring managers use the employment application as a means to find out employment information, they are also seeing how you work.  If you have many words misspelled, use poor English, or don’t complete the application thoroughly, then they may think that is how you will do the work if you come to work for them.
6. Be neat and thorough with your answers, and be honest. 
7. What you put on this application will be the first time the recruiter has a look at what you have to offer and will decide if you are a good match for the position you are applying for.
8. If you are allowed to attach a resume to the application do that also, because sometimes the resume will give more information than you put on the employment application.
9. Complete the application in detail.  The hiring manager may not look at your resume or call you if they are not impressed with your application.  Avoid saying “see resume” because the recruiter may just skip to the next application.  Make the recruiter’s job easier if you want to get the job of your dreams!
Check out a few of our great job opportunities:

Developing Confidence…

Gradually Increase Your Confidence

by Hani Al-Qasem

Many of us generally feel great, relieved and grateful when we leave the past behind, where we gladly and happily approach and enter a new year.

We tend to look at the beginning of a new year as a new era, as an opportunity for us to recoup and regenerate, an opportunity for us to re-evaluate our lives and where we are now.

We sit back and analyse where we went wrong and remembering with happiness where we went right.

Then, when we are set and done, we sit up straight, we stick our chest out and we start the yearly ritual of pondering what we can do to improve this year on the last.

Armed with a pen and pad, we start to think anew, think ahead, and, if we âre confident and courageous enough, we even set new goals or perhaps we rehash the old goals that we did not yet achieve.

That’s fine, even great. At least we started to think ahead and plan what it is that we want, and we hopefully set them as goals and not mere wishes.

At this point, I take it that many of you have undergone such a ceremony. Now, it is vitally important for you to realise that for you to be successful in your pursuit of your goals, whatever they may be, and for you to actually achieve those goals or aspirations and live the life of your dreams, you cannot afford the comfort of being unconfident.

To have anything that you want and to become the person that you want to become, you have to rise above your limitations and gradually increase the level of your self-confidence.

Lacking confidence in any area of your life is a stumbling block that you have to burst through or climb over. Or, at least, challenge your unconfident areas one by one and step by step.

Decide now that you are willing to move beyond the restrictions that you have in your life. Leave 2007 behind and don’t glance back.

Make a list of what you want to achieve this year, and take the necessary action to increase your confidence level to accomplish what it is that your desire.

You can overcome the lack of confidence step by step, one day at a time. For example, if you are lacking confidence in social functions, make it your weekly or bi-weekly goal to attend small social events, even at your local pub or club.

Pluck up the confidence and courage to introduce yourself to any person you feel you might be comfortable with.

Try it out. If that seems too much for you, stand in a strategic place where there’s lots of traffic. It won’t be long before someone strikes up a conversation with you.

Building on your confidence is just like anything else in the world. It takes practice and repetition.

Consistently make an effort to increase your confidence.

And the beauty is, any confidence that you build on in one area tends to overflow and increase your confidence in another area.

As you gradually increase your confidence, you become more comfortable in many new situations that you may encounter.

Confidence builds on itself and spreads to various areas. Make use of that. And before you know it, you will graduate to having a high level of confidence.

Filed under: Confidence

Website Email |  Profile | About Hani Al-Qasem

Hani Al-Qasem is the co-author of “Self-Confidence Building in 7 Steps.” He is proud and passionate about his dream and vision to help inspire, motivate and support adults and children, of all ages, to be the best that they can be in all areas of their lives.

His life ambition is to reach and encourage 7 million, or more, people to reach their true potential.

Also, visit My Confidence Blog which is updated constantly.

You can also take your personal and professional life to a higher level through his
True Thoughts affirmation MP3 downloads.

Relational Leadership replacing Leadership by Position

Leadership Networking: Relate, Collaborate, and Get Things Done- Second in a series…
Relationship Skills Can Be Learned
Effective relationships allow leaders to accomplish more than they can alone. So what can you do to build and improve relationships at work? Here are ten behaviors that will make a difference.
Choose the positive. Good relationships are based on handling problems in a positive way. Avoid creating adversarial relationships or alienating others.
Be a diplomat. Negotiating, giving feedback, sharing news and making decisions all require good timing and common sense. Be mindful of the whole picture and make your points at the most appropriate time.
Find common ground. Shared goals, similar challenges or areas of agreement are great starting points for accomplishing work and building relationships. Work to find common ground when dealing with conflict or complexity.
Keep cool. Can you handle an unfair attack from peers with poise? Are you steady when tensions are high? Keep your cool and avoid being defensive or counter-attacking.
Avoid isolation. Don’t limit your associations and relationships. Learn to relate to all kinds of individuals tactfully, from shop floor to top executives. Find ways to talk with staff members who are older or more experienced than you, as well as those who are younger.
Expand your view. Strive to understand others’ perspectives and needs.
Listen. Active listening is essential. Listen carefully to different peoples’ needs at all levels in the organization – both when things are going well and when they are not.
Share information. Communicate well and communicate often. Keep people informed of future changes that may impact them.
Involve others. Encourage direct reports to share ideas and information. Involve others in the beginning stages of an initiative or decision. Work to gain commitment of others before implementing changes. Your relationships will improve when people are motivated to work together.
Be realistic. Recognize that every decision has conflicting interests and constituencies. Good relationships won’t prevent conflict or disagreement. However, with strong relationships, you can work through challenges from a platform of cooperation, trust and respect.
Keep It Simple
When it comes to relationships, sometimes a small change makes a big difference. You can begin to build more effective relationships if you choose to:
Be aware. Start paying attention to how you interact with coworkers. When you start to look at your relationships, you can begin to see the effect your behaviors have on those around you.
Be present. Don’t stay in your world and wait for people to come to you.Walk around, shake hands and get to know people. Ask them what they are working on or how they are doing.
Be human. Listen to people and engage them on a personal level. Be genuine and open with others by sharing information about yourself.

Young son of Birmingham Radio Host Rick Burgess Drowns

Young Son Of Birmingham Radio Host Drowns In Swimming Pool

Sunday, Jan 20, 2008 – 07:32 PM 

By Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – The 2-year-old son of a popular Birmingham radio personality has drowned in a residential swimming pool in Shelby County.In a statement, Sheriff Chris Curry says the child, William Bronner Burgess, the youngest son of Rick and Bubba Show co-host Rick Burgess, was pronounced dead last night at Children’s Hospital.

Shelby County 911 received a report at 7:24 p.m. Saturday of a possible drowning, according to the sheriff. Deputies and North Shelby Fire and Emergency Medical personnel responded to a house on Indian Crest Drive in Indian Springs Village.
The sheriff says a preliminary investigation indicates that this is a tragic accident and he extended “deepest sympathy” to the Burgess family.

Young son of Birmingham Radio Host Rick Burgess Drowns

Young Son Of Birmingham Radio Host Drowns In Swimming Pool

Sunday, Jan 20, 2008 – 07:32 PM 

By Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – The 2-year-old son of a popular Birmingham radio personality has drowned in a residential swimming pool in Shelby County.

In a statement, Sheriff Chris Curry says the child, William Bronner Burgess, the youngest son of Rick and Bubba Show co-host Rick Burgess, was pronounced dead last night at Children’s Hospital.

Shelby County 911 received a report at 7:24 p.m. Saturday of a possible drowning, according to the sheriff. Deputies and North Shelby Fire and Emergency Medical personnel responded to a house on Indian Crest Drive in Indian Springs Village.
The sheriff says a preliminary investigation indicates that this is a tragic accident and he extended “deepest sympathy” to the Burgess family.

Its not the number or words that you use but which ones you use…

We use words and phrases without realizing what we saying many times…how many cliches do you use? Or how many “buzz” words do you use which have long ago lost their effectiveness and meaning? Today’s post is short with the point of allowing the words to penetrate the grey matter between our ears. Notice that it is not the length of the words but the quality of the words used that matters! For the quality to be there the brain must be activated…is yours activated or is it on “cruise control?”

The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.” —Thomas Edison, inventor and businessman

One of the hardest tasks of leadership is understanding that you are not what you are, but what you’re perceived to be by others.” –Edward L. Flom, CEO of Florida Steel

Do what you feel in your heart to be right — for you’ll be criticized anyway. You’ll be damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.” —Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady and American political leader

If toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?” —Steven Wright, comedian, actor