Everybody lives busy lives these days, so it was good that we all were able to make time for each other and for family and friends. I think that sometimes we let life get away from us and forget what's really important. So when we found each other at the park, it was great to sit and connect. We had lunch, played games, and really just had time for each other. It was great to shut out the rest of the world, if only for an afternoon.

Not worrying about your blackberry or checking your messages, but really being present and connected, is a priceless gift. We spent the day really creating memories that we sometimes forget to be present for. The day was beautiful and warm, and we learned a few lessons, like next time we'll remember to bring a canopy rather than chasing the shade with our picnic table. 

I also took away a few simple, but important things to remember in our daily lives:

1. Make Time for What is Important in Your Life - Whatever that may be - family, friends, your health. Make the time and make what's important to you your number one priority. I have certainly been guilty of letting things get away from me from time to time, and it's easy to do. But, if you have a business meeting, you schedule it. Sometimes we don't schedule the most important people in our lives. Identify what's really important in your life and make the time.

2. Play - I slept so well after playing with my two nieces. They have so much energy, and they play and they laugh and they come up with new games. It is amazing how very creative they are. As adults, sometimes we forget to play, while kids, they play all the time. I think that we need to play a little bit more. We need to experience the creativity, the vision and the dreaming that come from simply playing. You don't have to follow any rules; you can be whoever you want to when you let go and enjoy the act of playing.

3. Try to Look at the World through Kids Eyes - One of the things I have learned from working with children is that kids are so curious. They are always asking questions, and are always asking "why." I've done a lot of presentations with both adults and kids and the kids groups are always a lot more challenging because they will question everything, whereas adults usually just go with the flow.

At the picnic my 3 year old niece, Sophia, discovered the digital camera. She was so thrilled to take her first pictures. Then she shared them with her 6 year old sister, Alysia. Shortly after, off they went together to take more pictures. Some of their pictures were quite avant-garde, but they had so much fun because it was new and was something wonderful to explore.

Alysia loves playing games and sometimes she may be a bit creative with the rules, but we could all take a few tips from her and children like her. We need to look at things with a fresh set of eyes. We need to look with kids eyes and see the world as full of possibility. We need to be curious instead of jaded and judgmental. In one afternoon of family, and laughter and happy children discovering their world, I remembered three very important habits, that like many, I have sometimes forgotten.

Make a habit to make the time for what's important to you. Make the habit to play and play regularly. Make the habit to look at your world through the eyes of a child and remember how much you love doing the things that you do.

If you are piled on with work, it’s likely that you could benefit from more clarity in 3 areas.

1) Not clear about your ‘business model’

You probably know what the ‘outcome’ is that you want, but you may not be clear about the strategies to get there.  In other words, the person who is the boss (whether YOU are the boss in your own business or you report to a boss in an organization) is not clear about the business model.

Business owners come to me and say “I want to earn ___  (fill in the blank, let’s say $250K).  When I ask, "What is your business model?," I often get a blank look.   If you are not clear about your business model you will ‘throw spaghetti against the wall’, or try to do anything and everything that will bring in revenue or save on costs.  Is your model to have 25 high paying clients at $10K each?  Or, 100 people paying you for a $2500 service, or 1000 buying a $250 product.   Do you have a justification for your answer based on market research combined with your unique strengths?

If you work in an organization, often strategy is not well thought through at a higher level.  Here’s an example of how gaining this kind of clarity can be useful:  I coached a senior person at a fashion company where the frontline workers were buried with work and morale was plummeting.  My client spearheaded a meeting with the cross functional senior team and worked out a formula to clearly decide which designs they would pursue, and which redesigns, adhoc changes,  offshoots,  they wouldn’t.  Workload at all the junior levels decreased by almost 50% within a month.  If you are in an organization,  are you aware of a clear strategy that is being implemented, and if not, can you ask your boss to help walk you through it?

2) Not clear about your function or your most highly leveraged activities.

As a business owner, you may be caught in the trap of doing everything yourself,  and thinking that you can’t afford someone else to do the things you are not good at.  That keeps you in a cycle of trying to do everything and not having time to do the marketing that will help you grow enough to hire a virtual, or in-person, assistant.  Can you name the 3 activities that directly earn you the most money, and if so, what you are doing to preserve your time for them?

If you work in an organization,  are you clear about what the essential function is that the organization pays you to do.  I know, I know - What’s problematic these days is that you are often doing 2-3 people’s jobs. Have you identified what strengths you have that make you invaluable in your current role?  Are you making the best use of your strengths, and if not, can you ask about re-sculpting your role, getting needed training, or delegating to people who work for you?  What decisions are you empowered to make? Which decision would be the most effective for you to make? 

3) Not clear about your priorities

Simply put, you may be doing work that others have created urgency around but is not YOUR priority.  Your priority is to fulfill the functions you have identified in points #1 and 2 above, and to do so in the order of their due date and biggest impact to other people.

If you are in an organization and have competing priorities, the work that is due for the person who has firsthand control over your position and bonus has top priority ;-)

4) Not clear about how to handle difficult interpersonal situations,  like how to say no or push back on your boss.

You may know that you are being asked to do ‘too much’ by your boss.  Or you may be saying yes to other’s demands and not preserving your energy for what you identified in #2 above – because you are not clear on what your own value is.

To push back effectively with a boss or client,  you want to get clear on what you can and can’t say.   There are 3 legs to any project you are asked to do:   Time – Resources – Scope.  What you can do is negotiate the terms of any of these.  For example,  if you are asked to do something very quickly,  you can say yes but ask for more resources or to reduce the scope.

Often the issue is your own need to say yes when you mean to say no.   That means you are not clear about your own value; you think you have to say yes in order for other people to like you or want to do business with you.  Watch for solutions for this in an upcoming blog on people pleasing ;-)

Please leave a comment on my blog about your challenges with work overload.

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Sharon Melnick PhD is a psychologist/coach/speaker who empowers talented and successful people to "get out of their own way". Informed by 10 years of research at Harvard Medical School, she is a leading authority helping corporate employees and solo professionals get the confidence, focus, and inner security they need to be have control over their lives. Sharon Melnick upcoming seminar.

Employee engagement is at a low point and the slide down began long before the Great Recession. Research generally shows that 90 percent of employees don't feel connected to their supervisor or colleagues at work and are either not engaged and giving their best efforts or not aligning their behavior with organizational goals.  Is it any wonder that our economy is struggling?

Research shows that many individuals today are lonely, anxious and depressed.  Depression medication is now a 10 billion dollar business. Even more children report feeling anxious and depressed.  They sense that something is wrong although though they don't understand why.

The problem today is hidden in plain sight. We are sorely deficient of what I refer to as connection (also known as community, social capital, belonging or meaningful relationships).  How did we get to this state?  Over the last century we grew myopic and obsessed with increasing efficiency and productivity and forgot that human beings need time for relationships too.

If you're skeptical, I invite you to take a look at The Connection Culture Manifesto, the Hardwired to Connect report by the Committee for Children at Risk, and The Lonely Society report by the Mental Health Foundation in the UK. Several excellent books also address the issue of declining connection in society including Bowling Alone, The American Paradox and The Loss of Happiness in Market Democracies.

What can you do?  Although it's simple, it isn't easy to  do. Take time to connect. Reach out to the people in your life, set up times to meet for coffee a walk or a meal and then slow down and focus on being present with those you spend time with.  Find out what's going on in their lives at work and outside of work.  Do this daily, if at all possible.

It used to be said that an apple a day keeps the doctor away but research from a variety of fields makes it clear that connection with others and with meaning in life is the real daily requirement that helps human beings survive and thrive.

So what are you waiting for?   Just connect.

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Michael Lee Stallard: speaker or trainer.

Our knees take a lot of abuse from years of carrying our weight. For every 1 pound, we're putting 4 pounds of pressure on our knees. For example, 20 pounds of excess weight is equal to 80 pounds of pressure on our knees. Inversely, for every pound lost, we ease 4 pounds of pressure on our knees. 

There are many factors that affect the weight bearing forces on the knees.  Poor foot support and muscle tightness and/or weakness are two.  Correct shoe orthotics can affect the way your weight is displaced on your knees. Prolonged sitting at work or school tightens the hamstrings and hip muscles. Weakness in the quadriceps can cause that” buckling” sensation. 

There are simple exercises that can be done on a daily basis to strengthen the part of the quadricep's muscle that is responsible for the last 30 degrees of extension. This muscle is responsible for lowering your foot when going down a step or squatting.

Using a rolled towel, place it under your knee. Press the knee down into the roll and lift your heel up for 5 seconds. Repeat for 15 minutes to each knee.

Stretching the hamstring is equally important.  This can be done in different positions.  Standing with your left heel on the ground, keep your knee straight and curl your ankle toward you. Now, bend the right knee and lean forward. Keep your back straight. Hold the stretch for 15-30 seconds and repeat with the other leg.

Always do the exercise and stretches after your muscles are warmed up. For more extensive exercises , consult a licensed physical therapist.

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Nancy Whelan is the owner of the West Palm Beach Physical Therapy Center . She has been a physical therapist for over 30 years.

• Stephen Covey 7 Habits DVD
• Career Motivational DVDs

by How to Make Lemons out of Lemonade by Bud Bilanich

Stuff happens: good stuff, bad stuff, frustrating stuff, unexpected stuff. Humans are the only animals with free will. That means we – you and me – get to decide how we react to every situation that comes up. That’s why taking personal responsibility for yourself and choosing to respond positively to the negative stuff that happens to you is so important.

Personal responsibility means recognizing that you are responsible for your life and the choices you make. It means that you realize that while other people and events have an impact on your life, these people and events don’t shape your life. When you accept personal responsibility for your life, you own up to the fact that how you react to people and events is what’s important. And you can choose how to react to every person you meet and everything that happens to you.

The concept of personal responsibility is found in most writings on success. Stephen Covey’s first habit in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is, “Be proactive.” I have a little book called Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People also by Stephen Covey. It is one of the most read books that I have. I like it because it provides a little snippet of career advice from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People everyday.

Here's an example: “It’s not really what happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that hurts us. Of course, things can hurt physically or economically and can cause sorrow. But our character, our basic identity, does not have to be hurt at all. In fact, our most difficult experiences become the crucibles that forge our character and develop the internal powers, the freedom to handle difficult circumstances in the future and to inspire others to do so as well.”

Dr. Covey provides some great career advice here.>>

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Do the Tao when the Dow Does You by Rena M. Reese

We can use the way of the Tao Te Ching in our modern lives as we seek to navigate what seems to be the most uncertain time in human history. Applying this ancient and wise text to our lives is one way to respond to the stock market and global concerns with trust, optimism and wisdom. Living the Tao or “the Way” in times such as these blends our spiritual quest with our economic and global quests.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is just one indicator of the health of our economy. While we cannot minimize the grave errors made by individuals and organizations that have contributed to the present state of things, their bad decisions and selfish actions, have created a mess that fear and anger will not solve.  Harnessing the power of natural law we can step toward healing our economy and our future.  While few things seem predictable in the 21st Century, the Tao is a place we can go for insight on how to navigate this uncertainty.

Read more for relevant wisdom from the Tao>>
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Can you Make Work WORK for you? by Rosalind Joffe

Even when the economy was thriving and there were more jobs than workers  (remember those days?), most people described work as stressful.  It meant fewer people doing more work with tighter deadlines.  And worst of all, blurry lines between time at work and personal life.

The demands have only gotten worse in this recession.

Maggie Mistral, author of Does Work Have You in a Stranglehold, offers 3 tips for breaking the stranglehold of work.   This is useful because it challenges the way we view working.  >>

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Make Your Vocation Your Vacation by Craig Nathanson

The summer is almost over and for many adults the end of vacation raises the question of vocation...making right now a time of high anxiety. Perhaps, you have spent the summer avoiding the most important question you must answer: what work do I want to pursue?  The difficult economy might influence you to settle for just any job to pay the bills. However, that could be a big mistake. First, take the time to become more self-aware and understand what type of life you want to live for the next half of your journey.

You can recreate a new beginning. Despite any bills and money concerns, you CAN recreate a second half of your life that works better for you. Once you decide what you really want to do, don’t stray from this path. >>

• Stephen Covey 7 Habits DVD
• Career Motivational DVDs

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Personal responsibility means recognizing that you are responsible for your life and the choices you make. It means that you realize that while other people and events have an impact on your life, these people and events don’t shape your life. When you accept personal responsibility for your life, you own up to the fact that how you react to people and events is what’s important. And you can choose how to react to every person you meet and everything that happens to you.

The concept of personal responsibility is found in most writings on success. Stephen Covey’s first habit in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is, “Be proactive.” I have a little book called Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People also by Stephen Covey.  It is one of the most read books that I have.  I like it because it provides a little snippet of career advice from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People everyday.

Here's an example:

“It’s not really what happens to us, but our response to what happens to us that hurts us.  Of course, things can hurt physically or economically and can cause  sorrow.  But our character, our basic identity, does not have to be hurt at all.  In fact, our most difficult experiences become the crucibles that forge our character  and develop the internal powers, the freedom to handle difficult circumstances in the future and to inspire others to do so as well.”

Dr. Covey provides some great career advice here.  We can’t always choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we react to both the positive and negative experiences we have as we go through life.  Successful people choose to make lemonade out of lemons.  Unsuccessful people choose to complain about the bitter, tart taste of the lemons they are handed.

I know the “lemons into lemonade” line is a cliché.  However, clichés become clichés because they have an underlying truth.  The important point is that human beings are blessed with free will.  As such, we can choose what we do and how we react to the world around us.  We can choose a positive, productive path; or we can choose a path of self pity and inaction – and hurt only ourselves in the end.

“Proactive people can carry their own weather with them.  Whether it rains or shines makes no     difference to them.  They are value driven; and if their value is to produce good quality work, it isn’t a function of whether the weather is conducive to it or not.”

I love the concept of carrying your own weather with you.  Choosing to react positively to the negative people and events in your life is the best way to carry your weather with you– and to take personal responsibility for your life and career success.

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Check out www.SuccessTweets.com and register to get a .pdf of Success Tweets for free.

Risk-taker…imaginative…venturesome…visionary…industrious…opportunistic—such are the expressions most people use to describe an entrepreneur. While these descriptions are usually accurate, many people fail to see entrepreneurs for what they really are: the embodiment of courage. Entrepreneurs know there is a direct correlation between success and their courageous leadership quotient.

Entrepreneurs represent the true portraits of courageous endeavor. Why? Rather than accept the status quo, they trust their own abilities, define their own career and step up to the challenge of creating the business of their dreams. They give themselves permission to go against the norm and make bold moves into uncharted waters. As a result, they reap intrinsic rewards from their own efforts and achieve the results that lead to long-term success. Below are the final four of twelve tips for entrepreneurs to apply everyday courage. How many did you access you apply and demonstrate? 

1. Live Convictions

One entrepreneur told me that applying his courage at work requires that he demonstrate daily an unconditional commitment to his beliefs, values and ideals. This is not an easy commitment to maintain, especially if you are stuck in invisibility—an obstacle to courage. Are you willing to showcase your talents, take a risk, face failure, overcome rejection and say “No” to conformity (a courage killer)? Conformity compresses talent. Savvy entrepreneurs know that there is a direct correlation between their courage quotient and success. Do you remember what it feels like to “fall on your sword?”

2. Confront abuse

Recognizing red flags that undermine success such as a client trying to discount your services or alter your course of action are a critical form of courageous action. To stand in your dignity means denial is not an option. Denial is a form of self-abuse that creates suffering such as sleepless nights. Reflect on a situation at work that causes tension (or worse) in your life. As you examine the situation, begin to notice your “default” courage settings. Then, take responsibility for your courage consciousness development and declare, “No more suffering.”

3. Overcome illness or loss

Do the challenges you face seem so daunting that you have allowed your unique talents and unlimited potential to wither away in neglect? Has self-neglect robbed you of the inner strength to act in your own best interests? If you answered “Yes” to either of these questions, you can begin to strengthen your spirit and overcome the obstacle of self-neglect that perpetuates physical illness or loss of identity. Throughout the day, how many masks do you wear that keep you neglecting your true Self? What mask are you wearing right now, such as depression, judgment, suffering or blame? Are you a “self-neglect profile” in non-courage?

Identifying the first small step to motivate yourself quells any anxiety. Focus on something immediate and easily reachable. This narrow focus helps you recognize that courage is an accumulation of small steps up the ladder, and this simple recognition helps you avoid standing on one leg in the dark. When was the last time you shed one false portrait?

4. Embrace faith

Wouldn’t it be nice if you knew a saint, such as St. Teresa of Avila? You could meet for a cup of java and talk about the aspects of working in as an enlightened entrepreneur. Saints started out as ordinary people; then, their purpose unfolded. The difference between the saints and most of us is that they listened and trusted the undertones of their hearts (their courage) while the rest of us allowed our ego-based scripts to keep us wavering in uncertainty. Uncertainty may seem unavoidable in our age of information overload, bombarded as we are with contradictory “facts” from every quarter making it harder and harder to distinguish truth from falsehood. But we all have a choice, and getting stuck in uncertainty is essentially choosing not to choose. By focusing our attention inward and following our hearts, we strengthen our faith in our true, courageous selves and step up, confident that we are following our own true paths.

Courageous Actions Equals Productivity

If everyday courage has eluded your spirit in the past, now is the time to step up and make your entrepreneurial vision a profile in courage—the one that reveals your heart and spirit.

• 1-4 Tips for Entrepreneurial Courage
• 5-8 Tips for Entrepreneurial Courage

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Sandra Ford Walston is known as The Courage Expert and innovator of StuckThinking™. She is an organizational effectiveness consultant, speaker, internationally published author of bestseller COURAGE, trainer and courage coach. She is certified in the Enneagram and MBTI®. Please visit www.sandrawalston.com.

Sandra Ford Walston, The Courage Expert

Innovator, StuckThinking™

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© Sandra Walston

All Rights Reserved

If everyone, including senior executives, acknowledges this challenge, why is it so difficult for leaders to promote change among those whose behavior they can most readily influence ... their direct reports?

One reason is that leaders, like most people, want to be liked. Leaders are often afraid that confronting people about poor teamwork or other behavioral shortcomings (as opposed to performance problems) will cause them to be disliked. The paradox is, leaders would be more respected, not less, if they delivered the bad news. Outside consultants often provide behavioral coaching to leaders, and leaders usually appreciate the help. Surveys show that people highly value honest feedback ... whether or not the feedback itself is positive.

The nature of the performance-review process itself accounts for much of the problem. Historically, when assessing others, most managers were forced to play the role of judge ... and, potentially, executioner. The consultant, by contrast, is usually seen as an objective third party who is providing analysis, suggestions, and feedback gathered from multiple sources. A person receiving bad news from a consultant is more likely to separate the message from the messenger than a person hearing the same news from the manager.

Fortunately, leaders have at their disposal a valuable aid already in place at many leading companies' 360-degree feedback. Carefully designed processes that include 360-degree feedback can allow a leader to practice consultative coaching, as opposed to merely exercising personal judgment. The results can be profound ... and not just for department heads evaluating their frontline employees. The executive coaching process can help any manager whose work involves personal interaction. In fact, senior management teams at some of the world's leading companies ... American Express, Avon, GE, Netscape, Nortel, Texaco ... use 360-degree feedback as part of an overall process to help align corporate values and individual behavior.

Before You Begin

Although this process can improve behavior, it will definitely not solve all performance problems. Before you get started, ask yourself if any of the following conditions prevail. If so, behavioral coaching may be a waste of time.

• The person you're coaching is not willing to make a sincere effort to change. Behavioral coaching will work only if the manager you are coaching is willing to make the needed commitment.
• The person has been written off by the company. Sometimes organizations are really just documenting a case to get rid of someone. If that's the case, don't bother going through this process.
• The person lacks the intelligence or functional skills to do the job. If a manager does not have the capacity or experience required, don't expect behavioral coaching to help.
• The organization has the wrong mission. Coaching is a 'how to get there' process, not a 'where to go' process. If the organization is headed in the wrong direction, behavioral coaching will not make it change course.

Getting Started

On the other hand, if you're dealing with people who have the will and capacity to change their behavior, who are operating in an environment that gives them a chance to change, and who work for an organization that is headed in the right direction, this process will work; the nature of the process itself ensures its success. The approach I recommend involves eight steps:

1. Identify desired attributes for the manager you are coaching. You shouldn't have to start from scratch. I generally work with my clients to develop custom leadership profiles, but there are many useful inventories on the market (from Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner, the Center for Creative Leadership, and others) that can be a big help. Once you've determined the behavioral characteristics of a successful manager in a given position ... such things as accessibility to colleagues, recognition of others, and listening ... ask that manager if he or she agrees that these are the right kind of behaviors. Securing agreement will boost commitment to the process.
2. Determine who can provide meaningful feedback. Key stake-holders may include direct reports, peers, customers, suppliers, or members of the management team. Strive for a balanced mix that does not stack the deck for or against the manager, and gain agreement that these are the appropriate reviewers.
3. Collect feedback. Assessment is often best handled in a written, anonymous survey, compiled by an outside party into a summary report and given directly to the manager being coached.
4. Analyze results. Talk with the manager about the results of his or her peers' feedback The manager may choose not to disclose individual stakeholders' comments, or even numerical scores. The point is simply to discuss the manager's key strengths and areas for improvement.
5. Develop an action plan. The most helpful ... and appreciated ... outcome of any assessment is specific advice. Developing 'alternatives to consider' (rather than mandates) shouldn't be difficult. If, for example, you asked the manager to suggest four things you could do to be a better listener, you'd probably get a pretty good list ... things like don't interrupt people, paraphrase what they say, make eye contact, and pause five seconds before responding to their remarks, The problem isn't figuring out what to do; the problem is doing it. Focus on one or two key behaviors and develop a few action steps to improve each.
6. Have the manager respond to stakeholders. The manager being reviewed should talk with each member of the review team and collect additional suggestions on how to improve on the key areas targeted for improvement.
7. Develop an ongoing follow-up process. Within three or four months conduct a two-to-six-item mini-survey with the original review team. They should be asked whether the manager has become more or less effective in the areas targeted for improvement.
8. Review results and start again. If the manager has taken the process seriously, stakeholders almost invariably report improvement. Build on that success by repeating the process quarterly for the next twelve to eighteen months. This type of follow-up will ensure continued progress on initial goals and uncover additional areas for improvement. Stakeholders will appreciate the follow-up ... no one minds filling out a focused, two-to-six-item questionnaire if they see positive results. And the manager will benefit from ongoing, targeted steps to improve performance.

Moving Beyond the Basics

You may want some coaching yourself from a trusted colleague, friend, or family member on how to approach the task, but this is not a mysterious process. It requires more discipline than talent, more integrity and commitment than behavioral science expertise. Simply by sitting down with the manager and analyzing the perceptions of his or her colleagues, you will be able to change your relationship with that person. And the person will change, too. Managers who want to improve, who talk to people about ways to improve, solicit feedback, and develop a rigorous follow-up plan, will almost always improve. (Certainly they won't get worse.) And when people improve, their self-confidence goes up. They keep doing what works, and they keep getting better.

By becoming an effective coach, you can become a more credible leader and an active agent of change. You can help people develop an essential habit for personal or organizational success ... follow-through. By delivering what you promise ... that is, measuring others on the behaviors and attributes you say you value ... you cement the bonds of leadership with your constituents. And by having others follow through on their own progress toward agreed-upon goals, you can help create a more responsive, positive, and cohesive organization.

It may be difficult for leaders to give and receive honest feedback ... and to make the time for genuine dialogue. Executive coaching is simple, but not easy. It is just one tool in a total strategy of performance appraisal, compensation, and promotion that can reinforce positive behavioral change. But if you're serious about your espoused values, shouldn't you ensure that the managers in your organization demonstrate the values you promote?

Life is good.

Marshall

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Marshall Goldsmith Speeches & Trainings

My newest book, MOJO, is a New York Times (advice), Wall Street Journal (business), USAToday (money) and Publisher's Weekly (non-fiction) best seller. It is now available online and at major bookstores.

The Tao Te Ching, (pronounced Dao De Jing) may be the oldest spiritual document known to man. The title translates to “The Way” and it contains 81 short verses that lend insight into the natural laws of the universe that are always at work in our lives. It is positively remarkable that this intriguing text is so relevant so many thousands of years after it was imparted by a man named Lao Tzu.

When you read the Tao, it is hard to discount the prophetic exactness and relevance of Lao Tzu’s wisdom for us today. Each one of the verses has powerful implications and applications for us now in the 21st Century.  The Tao reminds us that humanity is essentially the same as it was in 2500 BC although our technology and knowledge makes us believe that it is vastly different.  Think about that for a moment.  Our nature, desire for wholeness, the rules of decency, kindness, creativity, love and curiosity are basically the same as they were for ancient humans.

We can use the way of the Tao in our modern lives as we seek to navigate what seems to be the most uncertain time in human history. Applying this ancient and wise text to our lives is one way to respond to the Stock Market and global concerns with trust, optimism and wisdom. Living the Tao or “the Way” in times such as these blends our spiritual quest with our economic and global quests.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is just one indicator of the health of our economy. While we cannot minimize the grave errors made by individuals and organizations that have contributed to the present state of things, their bad decisions and selfish actions, have created a mess that fear and anger will not solve.  Harnessing the power of natural law we can step toward healing our economy and our future.  While few things seem predictable in the 21st Century, the Tao is a place we can go for insight on how to navigate this uncertainty.

Relevant Wisdom from the Tao:

• Life is dynamic and composed of opposites.  Illustrated in concepts such as light and dark, great and small, powerful and weak; the world is an orderly and balanced place.  When there is disorder it is really the universal energy trying to “right itself. Selfishness, greed, materialism, power quests, and the disregard for our beautiful planet have gone too far.  Now, just like the Stock Market, the universe is encouraging and seeking a correction.
• Regardless of where your attention flows, by the very nature of you giving something your focus it is fueled. If your attention is on fear, you are feeding what you abhor.  If your attention falls upon opportunity, what you desire is nourished. Be vigilant in your investment of time and focus.
• Each of us holds an inward concept of happiness that is etched in our minds.  It could entail financial freedom, abundant health, a connection to nature, or a certain level of power and prestige.  The myriad ways we describe happiness are an illusion created by our ego in an attempt to feel in control of our lives.  Once we realize this, we can choose to find happiness in the way things are in the present moment.
• Science teaches us that energy is not created or destroyed, it simply changes forms.  This truth speaks to the illusion of having an abundance of money or a deficit of resources.  It is all here now, just as it was before this moment.  If it appears to be gone, it has just flowed to another place or taken on another form, but it still exists.
• In uncertain economic times we may find ourselves focusing inward on our personal challenges.  A lost job, battered stock portfolios, a plummeting 401K plan or a mortgage in jeopardy, all have a way of rocking our security boat. While it is prudent to assess the truth of your present situation, stewing on it, complaining about it and looking to blame someone will never bring you any measure of true relief. Relief will surprisingly be found in acts of selflessness. At this moment, it may seem hard or impossible to lend a hand to another or focus on what is right rather than wrong. However you will find that shifting your attention from your own burdens as you perform a kind act or gesture actually can provide you with comfort, control and connection when you most need them.
• Lao Tzu teaches us to stop pouring when our cup is full.  Do we honor this in life?  When we have long been satisfied with enough do we still seek more?
• There is a great tendency in life to decide how things are by how pleasing life seems to be to our senses. Tastes, sounds, and all of the potential sensory stimuli in the world can bombard us to the point of numbness. This is illustrated in the crying child at Disney World who is over stimulated by excessive feedback from the environment. The Tao teaches that we can tire of even the most delicious foods if we eat them too often.
• Things will come and go and your possessions will become an inheritance one day. You own nothing and your body is not even yours to keep. Why get caught up in the chase for acquisitions, power, pleasure, and possessions and neglect the care and feeding your inner world to such a degree?  Enjoy your outer-world but, let your inner-world define you.
• Words like “empty” and “void” seem to have a negative ring to them.  It seems that these terms may appear to be less than desirable when compared to their perceived opposite word “full”.  Today you are encouraged to bless the void for it is there that you can build, plant and fill. If you dig a hole in the earth with a spade, you have a void. Plant a seedling there and that same void becomes a new haven for life.

The upheavals we may be experiencing globally are actually presenting a great gift to us.  This gift is the illumination of the path back to right thinking and right action. It’s a call to return to what matters most. Living in connection with the Divine part of us is our natural state and this is what has suffered greatly with the advent of our busy and material-driven lives.  Lao Tzu spoke about the Tao being the mother of 10,000 things.  Perhaps he knew that the things of the earth are here to be enjoyed, but they are not what will give life its true richness.

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Rena M. Reese is the founder of Soul Salon International, an inspirational multimedia company. She is the author of several inspirational titles, a life coach, a professional speaker and the host of a weekly radio program, The Soul Salon. For more inspiration and information about her speaking and classes, please visit www.SoulSalonInternational.com.

The study serves to remind us that a shopping habit may have many components, some of them, perhaps, chemically identifiable. As we learn more about the role (or roles) of dopamine, we may approach the neurological ground level of reward and compulsion. And just conceivably, although treatment of compulsive shopping with drugs has thus far had only mixed results, there may, in time, be a more effective protocol.

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!