Coaching & Insights

Full Moon in Leo - February 7, 2012

2012-02-03T04:02:00Z

The Year of the Dragon starts with a fiery full moon!!

The Sun in Aquarius with the Moon in Leo, is a heady combination, with a great desire for harmony but both are challenged in getting that to happen. Aquarius is nestled in the mind and logic and icily not hearing what Leo so warmly wants to express through the emotions. Both feel passionate about their position. One wants to talk rationally and view things dispassionately; the other wants to put it all out there. This is a prescription for melodrama. Folks will be wrestling with fixed ideas about how things should go in a relationship or other situation between February 4-10 and more so right on the full moon on February 7, 2012.

Issues of love, creativity, children and risk will arise at the full moon. What must you do within yourself in these areas of life? How is your relationship with your partner? Are both giving and receiving love? What are things like with your children or on the issue of children? Is it time to make a decision?

The key is to find a balance between detachment and attachment in any relationship or situation. You can be too attached and therefore demand too much attention or be needy OR you can be overly detached and act cold, mean and callous towards others. The Leo/Aquarius axis demands that we find inner harmony first, before connecting with others.

Mercury in Aquarius is conjunct the Sun at 18 degrees. This could lead to one person feeling so pent up with that at the full moon is all spills out in an emotional and perhaps overwhelming "blurt". It is a good time to do physical exercise and release tension so that you do not say something you will want to take back later and cannot).

The full moon in Leo is a fine time to release energy not only through exercise but through laughter. Rent comedy movies and spend time laughing and enjoying yourself. But do not take a carefree attitude with someone when they speak passionately about something that clearly is important to them. Do not laugh off what is significant to another. At the same time do not promise too much or let yourself be on the receiving end of things "too good to be true". Make no quick decisions; wait to see what is true and what is a bluff or egotistic chest-puffing and what is real and where action is being taken.

The Full Moon in Leo asks us to use emotional intelligence and express what our heart knows we need to express in a warm, passionate and articulate manner.

Blessings!

SPECIALWOMAN/Barrett

Barrett is a global intercultural consultant and trainer, as well as a lifespan consultant with an academic background and experience in psychology, theology and journalism. She is also a Certified Professional Tarot Reader, Astrologer who practices evolutionary astrology, and an experienced intuitive. Barrett' utilizes principles of Success and Law of Attraction as the foundation for her coaching, training and consulting. On a corporate level she coaches and trains in global staff management, intercultural awareness and motivation. She lives and works with individuals, groups and companies in the USA and Europe. She is based out of La Jolla, California (USA) and Copenhagen, Denmark. She is is also available f you need a speaker for your event. Contact her by email.

Year of the Dragon 2012

2012-01-28T15:02:00Z

Today, January 23, 2012, is a New Moon in Aquarius in Western astrology and it rings in the Chinese New Year, which is, this year, the Year of the Dragon. There are already predictions abounding regarding how it will affect political leadership, elections, global economics, and social issues. If you would like to read more about some of the forecasting being done by Chinese feng shui masters, you can read here.

THE DRAGON PERSONALITY

The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend. A symbol of good fortune and sign of intense power, the Eastern (or Oriental) Dragon is regarded as a divine beast – NOT the malicious monster that Westerners felt necessary to find and slay. In Eastern philosophy, the Dragon is a deliverer of good fortune and a master of authority. Therefore, those people born in Dragon years are to be honored and respected. A person born in a Dragon year who is constantly berated, insulted, rejected, criticized and treated harshly can become a very sad thing, not only for the Dragon but for those around him or her. The Dragon has an essential role in life to bring vitality, enthusiasm, and passion into the world. Granted they may overdo it at times, but when they are not appreciated and allowed to be themselves, the world is emptier for it. The key to the Dragon personality is that Dragons are the free spirits of the Zodiac. Conforming is a Dragon's curse. Rules and regulations are made for other people. Restrictions snuff out the creative spark that is ready to burst flamboyantly into life. Dragons must be free and uninhibited. They are also very self-sufficient. The Dragon is a beautiful creature, colorful and flamboyant. In life, these tend to be very sexy, beautiful women and handsome men; both simmering with a sexuality that ignites other’s desires for them or sometimes scares other because of its powerful aura. They are very generous. Dragons do EVERYTHING on a grand scale - big ideas, ornate gestures, extreme ambitions. They are an extroverted fiery box of energy, gifted more than most people, and utterly, wildly irrepressible. You cannot keep them down. However, this behavior is natural and isn't meant for show. It is not fake. Because they are confident and courageous in the face of fear and challenge, they are almost typically inevitably successful at whatever they undertake. Dragons usually make it to the top. However, Dragon people need to be aware of their natures and the effect is has on them. Too much fire and enthusiasm can leave them tired and unfulfilled. Even though they are willing to assist others when necessary, they have difficulty accepting help because their pride can often be an obstacle. A little humility when in trouble helps Dragons to conserve their powerful energy for good opportunities and positive pursuits. Dragons' generous personalities give them the ability to attract friends, but dragons are solitary. Remember, they like to lie in deep caves. They tend to be solitary people at heart. They comes out of their caves and make a grand entrance and impress the world when they are out but after all is said and done, they like the warmth and coziness of home and hearth. A Dragon's self-sufficiency can mean that he or she has no need for close bonds with other people.

DRAGON FACTS

People born in the Year of the Dragon share certain characteristics. The Dragon sign is an abbreviated way of characterizing that individual's personality. Following are features associated with the sign of the Dragon.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE BORN IN YEARS OF THE DRAGON

Innovative
Entrepreneurial
Enterprising
Strong leader
Good motivator
Inspiring
Flexible
Self-assured
Courageous
Passionate
Conceited
Tactless
Scrutinizing
Unanticipated
Quick-tempered

ELEMENTS OF DRAGONS

In Chinese astrology, depending on which Year of the Dragon you were born in, your characteristics are also tempered by the characteristics of a particular element of nature, you also embody:

THE METAL DRAGON 1940 AND 2000 Truthful but extreme, courageous but unyielding, Metal Dragons have a strength similar to the Dragon fire. Metal Dragons succeed through determination. They are dominant and respect people who stand up to them. In troubled times, these Dragons make great allies, but become ferocious challengers. Metal Dragons can often calm others through their forceful personalities. They seek action, and enjoy vigorously defending a thought or belief about which they have complete faith. Metal Dragons like to be in control, and simultaneously possess a natural ability to make others want to follow them. Yet even if they attract no support they will fight alone.

THE WATER DRAGON 1952 AND 2012 Water has a calming effect on the Dragon's courageous disposition. Water allows the Dragon to re-direct its enthusiasm, and makes him more sensitive to others. These Dragons are better equipped to objectively re-evaluate a situation because they understand the art of patience and do not desire the spotlight like other Dragons. Therefore, they make smart decisions and are able to enter into mutuality with other people. However, their actions can go astray if they do not first research things or if they do not complete one venture before launching another.

THE WOOD DRAGON 1904 AND 1964 Wood has a modifying, transforming influence and brings creativity to the Dragon. Curious and broadminded, Wood Dragons enjoy discussion about original ideas and are open to other perspectives. They are innovative, imaginative practical, dynamic and appreciate art in each of its forms. Generally less pretentious than other Dragons, Wood Dragons have an innate ability to charm and get along well with other people. They have the essentials to build a prosperous and happy life for themselves. Still, Wood Dragons are outspoken and do breath fire sometimes and at times a bit too forcefully to quash everyone, even in the friendliest quarrel.

THE FIRE DRAGON 1916 AND 1976 The Fire Dragon is an almost unbeatable powerful force. This is a Dragon doubled! They have quick tempers and reckless. One second calm, the next second combustible and exploded into flames over some matter, the Fire Dragon is unpredictable. In this way the Fire Dragon is his or her own worst enemy. Because Dragons are already self-confident, the feeling is doubled here and this is a person who feels he or she is not only the most valuable person in the room, but the most knowledgeable. You can forget about objectivity. When they are right their vehemence and vigor is an asset to the cause, but when they are not exactly so they do not always employ the best decision-making procedures, and sometimes jump to the wrong conclusion – and loudly so. However when you meet a Fire Dragon who has good self-control over their competitive spirit, temper, and emotions, they emanate a commanding influence over other people.

THE EARTH DRAGON 1928 AND 1988 Erath Dragons have more of the self-control Fire Dragons lack. The Earth element adds a greater portion of self-control to the Dragon's personality and usually the Earth Dragon deserves of the respect he or she desires. They have romantic and life commitments and responsibilities very seriously. Earth Dragons are great leaders because they are practical, level-headed and demonstrate a knack for organizing. They still have the need to dictate and be admired, but they are affable, congenial and supportive. Compared to other Dragons, Earth Dragons are less impatient and less likely to breathe fire at the least irritation.

Blessings!

SPECIALWOMAN/Barrett

Power To Change And Expand - New Moon December 2011

2011-12-23T23:15:00Z

(from Healing Universe blog)

A powerful energy began to intensely affect us all on on December 17. We have all felt it in the last week. A change is coming...

We had a shakeup on December 10 with a lunar eclipse in Sagittarius that heralded a message to women about their relationships with others, especially women. The message was that change was coming. Now at this New Moon time, it has arrived.

Winter Solstice, Saturnalia, or the longest night of the year was December 22, 2011 at 12:30am EST (6:30am CEST Copenhagen/Brussels). The coming of the light is now inevitable and the shorter night and longer days are upon us.

Next, on, December 24 at 1:07pm EST (7:07pm CEST Copenhagen/Brussels) we have a New Moon in Capricorn. This eclipse brings with it some powerfully strong energy that will light up our lives with positive energy -- very markedly so in the next 3 months through the end of March 2012. This eclipse has several astronomical and astrological aspects accompanying it.

One aspect is that Jupiter, the planet of abundance and expansion is trine the Sun in Capricorn and Pluto in Capricorn. A trine aspect is always positive and imbues strenght, power and energy to a planet. In your chart it will give you extra benefit where 0-5 degrees Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are located. Those houses will be lit up by this eclipse and empowered. Pluto is a planet of transformation, power and renewal. This means you can accomplish the life goals set forth by you in the areas governed by Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn in your natal chart. makes a positive flow of energy to the sun in Capricorn and to Pluto, the planet of power and transformation.

If, for example, the New Moon at 2 Capricorn falls in the end of your 5th house and by trine in your 10th house (Taurus), and 2nd cusped (Virgo) by Sagittarius, you can expect to see more activity, abundance, expansion, positive change, new beginnings and growth, gain, and renewed power and strength in

(10th house) career, fame, reputation, balance between work and home/family
(2nd house) earned income, material possessions, credit and other other unearned income matters
(5th house) children- conceiving and relationship with, creativity and talents, fortune/luck,

Lending assistance to this mix is the planet of Neptune (spirituality, intuition and compassion) which is transiting the end of the constellation of Aquarius. Neptune is sextile this eclipse and New Moon and sextiles are also positive aspects in astrology. Neptune in Aquarius is also trine Saturn in Libra, giving support to the formation of partnerships or partnerships already formed, specifically engagements and marriages (Libra) Saturn demands responsibility of us. It would not be surprising to see/hear of many marriage proposals between December 24- March 24. This trine empowers us to stabilize our lives and manifest our dreams.

The only "challenging" news in all this is empowering and stabilizing Pluto in Capricorn's challenging square to rebellious and aggressive Uranus in Aries. This aspect will manifest globally as more chaos, violence and demands for change. Sometimes stagnant ingrained behaviors or traditions must be challenged, uprooted and transformed through change that cna fell shocking. Of course, you may personally experience this, acting an agent of change yourself or being on the receiving end of a shocking and clear request for a change in long-standing behavior of yours that has been perceived or experienced as controlling and repressive. Uranus in Aries is showing us that such behavior will no longer be tolerated. Just as we are seeing in Egypt and other places worldwide, there is now no turning back to the old regime/old behaviors. Out with the old, in with the new, and just in time for New Year's Day.

So, look for new beginnings where 2 Capricorn, the New Moon, is in your natal chart. Use December 24 and the three (3) days following it to launch deep and lasting change in your life. Set new and abundant goals, especially in regards to business and financial opportunities and change how you relate to women if you have been challenged on your behavior and change has been demanded. It is time for you to take it seriously. Set a new goal of creating better relationships with women and in your partnerships in general. The universe will honor your goals in these areas.

Learning What is Important - Lunar Eclipse December 2011

2011-12-09T22:06:00Z

(from Healing Universe blog)

There will be a a Total Lunar Full Moon Eclipse on December 10, 2011.

This Total Lunar Eclipse Full Moon at 19 Sagittarius-Gemini will bring opportunities to escape from polluted physical, emotional, or mental environments, and put the focus on tapping into universal knowledge as we revolutionize, reorient and deal with radical changes and revelation. We will be changing the way we think and act. Some sort of movement is necessary, if love itself and what we love is to survive.

The Sabian symbol for 19 Sagittarius is “Pelicans Menaced By The Behavior And Refuse Of Men Seek Safer Areas For Bringing Up Their Young” OR in a shortened version, “Pelicans moving their habitat”.

The Sabian symbol for 19 Gemini is “A Large Archaic Volume Reveals A Traditional Wisdom” OR in a shortened version, “A large archaic volume”.

From the combination of these two symbols it seems we are being called to disentangle ourselves from the wasteful, destructive and ruinous things we have had in our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual environments. We can now see it is necessary to get unstuck from holding onto old opinions and methods, detach, disentangle, reorient ourselves, and find newer, healthier environments that reveal a new truth and future. But it is not about running away from the consequences of our past behaviors. We must look for the wisdom those consequences are teaching us, and in making amends and doing justice to ourselves and others, we create a new future. We must find the wisdom that is within our roots and history to create a broader and better future. This will give us better stability. The last years have been very shaky and many of our lives have been destabilized. Now we have the key to restoring stability with a new foundation.

Stabilized wisdom will result from listening to wisdom and blessings from the past or people who represent the past and reorienting ourselves related to current situations so that we can live in truth and have potential for growth in our lives

What we are now dealing with is a shutdown of old destabilizing energies represented in our charts and globally by Gemini, Cancer, Sagittarius, and Capricorn. With this eclipse we have a demand that we move towards and grow in new and more stable Sagittarius energies, as the North Node has been pushing us all of 2011.

While this Total Lunar Eclipse begins a "shut down" of several months in the houses it occupies in our charts, Uranus is stationing direct. The individuality that emerged in your personality over the last 18 months, and changed your expression and actions in certain areas of life, will become a long-lasting part of your future self.

During this shutdown, launching with this Total Lunar Eclipse, expect that over the next 3 1/2 months things will clear out of your life, especially things from the past. Then you will be able to attract new people and situations that will provide opportunity to develop better skills in dealing with irrational circumstances and people. These skills will be very important.

The lesson of 2011, which will last for many years to come, focuses on releasing old ideas and interpretations, becoming broad-minded, accepting truths outside ourselves and outside what we have held onto by now, having broader understandings and creating broader futures. Being stubborn and humorless about situations in our lives will make out lives crumble and we will not be able to make progress in our personal, professional or collective lives.

We will come to new understanding in our individual and collective lives about what is valuable and important. The time is now.

©Healing Universe. All Rights Reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission.

30 Steps to a Life of Excellence

2011-08-18T20:28:00Z

I have always been a passionate, committed person who seeks excellence in all I do. From the time I was a young girl, I set targets, passionately pushed myself through all obstacles, decided my three future professions at age 6, achieved my goals and made a name for myself as an outstanding person.

Throughout my academic career I was at the top of academic lists, in the highest academic tracks, the winner of academic awards and the recipient of scholarships and other financial bonuses for my dedication and hard work. In the community, I won spelling bees, city-wide monthly citizenship awards, prizes and recognition for fundraising as a member of volunteer organization, allowances to apply for free to Ivy League universities. I maintained stellar grades, boldly applied for and got professional jobs in journalism while still in university, and won awards.

Professionally, on my life journey, I followed my passion and in my professions as journalist and ordained minister made a great difference in people’s lives. My personal evolution and passion spurred me to begin my consulting practice in 1998, Humanity Institute, as the method to best inspire excellence people worldwide.

I threw my passion for excellence into empowering others while educating myself further and conducting research so that I could be a pioneer and create a system of education and empowerment that would benefit as many people as possible between people, across cultures and throughout life via 1) cultural training and tours and 2) the Humanity Institute Lifespan Consultation™ program.

It is my belief that the worst thing someone can say to you is “You have so much potential (but you are not using it)” or “You had so much potential”.

We are all called to use our passion to push our unlimited potential into manifestation. Personal evolution is a movement towards personal excellence. One of Humanity Institute Lifespan Consultation™ focii is the Turning 30 program. In it, I work with people ages 28-30 who seek to evolve and grow through the particular challenges of that time, striving for excellence in their adult lives. Each person is at a different place when they start the program; all at different stages of manifesting potential, but all have what it takes to attain excellence. In the spirit of the personal growth that can take place at age 30, I have compiled a list of 30 ways to achieve a life of excellence. How many will you achieve by age 30?

***If you want to DO something with this motivational material, you can purchase the companion book:

"30 Steps to Excellence: 30-Day Journal Workbook" $8.49

***************

Be passionate. It gets no more excellent than this when your life is filled with love and the ability to live out your calling every day. In everything you do, there should be passion. Play hard. Work hard. Stop doing what you hate and start doing what you love. Tend to the fire in your soul and do what turns you on! Yes, it may mean you must quit your job and take a chance. It may mean you must leave security and take a huge risk. Take your passion and run with it. Discover and if necessary, create your niche in life. Be a pioneer if you must. Many years ago I was fired from a job. The person who fired me said that she knew I was too intelligent to have the job. I was angry and foul-mouthed all the way home. I sat at the kitchen table and said aloud that never again search for a job or put myself in a position where someone could control or take away my income. I would have a career and determine my future. I would accomplish it using the resources at my disposal: a computer, the Internet, a telephone my university degrees, my work experience and my love of empowering people for a short time period so they could change their lives forever. I started the Humanity Institute, designed a cross-cultural coaching course and created the Humanity Institute Lifespan Consultation™ program. I am on fire, passionately doing what I love!

Discipline your mind. You are what you think. A disciplined mind filled with plans. Goals, positive thoughts and a focus on excellence is a disciplined mind. If you put your mental energy into living your best life you become unstoppable. All physical manifestations in life are a result of past thoughts given repeated focus. Discipline yourself to think positively, and stay focused on what is important, productive and beneficial to your goal of excellence.

Define your purpose. Why are you here? What is your mission? When you define that, you will feel a great sense of satisfaction. Defining your purpose is possible for each of us to do and it does not take long. Sit down and start thinking and writing. Clarify your purpose by boiling it down to one or two sentences. My two-fold Life Purpose is “To empower people to live their best lives and to build bridges between people and across cultures.” It is why I awaken in the morning, it is the foundation for my life goals, it fuels all that I do, and governs my interactions with people I meet each day.

Believe in yourself. You can be, do or have anything you desire. When you understand that the spirit of our universe is a friendly and loving universe that wants to work with, not against, you will achieve so much in life. You shape your future. You only need decide what you want to achieve, see and feel yourself achieving it, do the actions that are required on your part to make it happen, and be open to receiving what you desire. It is about your attitude, about believing in yourself and your ability to be, do and have what you want in life. It is as simple as that.

Face your fears. Fear is lack of belief in yourself. Fear is an obstacle we erect or allow others to erect to prevent ourselves from achieving our goal. Fear is created in and exists n your head. It only grows if you focus on it and put your energy into reviewing what could go wrong, the bad things that could happens, how your goal cannot be reached, how things failed last time or did not work for another person. Stop giving fear energy and focus on success.

Make plans. What are your biggest goals and dreams? Set them. The life you're living each day is a result of the goals and plans you made the day(s) before. If you don’t set any goals or make any plans, you will be wasting your energy moving in place instead of moving forward. Planning does not need to be complicated or time-consuming. Spend 5 minutes the night before planning what you want to accomplish the next day to achieve your goals. Write it. When you wake up the next morning, review this list before you get out of bed.

Create a bucket list. If you have seen the marvelous film “The Bucket List” with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, then you know what I mean. For most of the film, these two men do the things on their “bucket lists”, the list of things they want to accomplish before they “kick the bucket” (die). No one gets out of this life alive. So, you have about 100 years. What do you want to do, see, say and experience in this lifetime that is meaningful to you? I created my bucket list; now it is your turn. Put anything on it that you like. It can be learning to dance salsa, climbing Mount Everest, viewing Paris from the Eiffel Tower, falling in love, photographing polar bears in the Arctic, flying in a hot-air balloon, or eating at an expensive restaurant. When you achieve something, cross it off and add something new.

Create a life guide. Make your personal life guide using a 3-ring binder. In it, include your life purpose, mission statement, values, goals, plans, schedules/timelines and all that is valuable to you in living a life of excellence.

Maintain a journal. There are many beautifully designed and sometimes plain, hardcover sketch books that can be used as a journal. Writing in your journal gives you the ability to voice your thoughts, intentions, emotions and plans, You can clarify what seems to be complicated about you and your life. It can be private or you can share it with others.

Create a vision board. I make a vision board every New Years Day. I also hold vision board workshops for small groups. These are easy to create, come from your heart and can be composed of whatever is important to you. Best of all, after you have made one, you can then watch as what is on it manifests.

***If you want to DO something with this motivational material, you can purchase the companion book:

"30 Steps to Excellence: 30-Day Journal Workbook" $8.49

Start the day early. Get out of bed! When you start your day early, 5:00am or 6:00am, with a good shower and a hearty breakfast, you can accomplish many things in one day. I awaken each day at 6:00am. I get more done by 12:00pm than most people accomplish by 5:00pm.

Eat well. Healthy nutrition fuels your body so you can feel good. Feeling good helps you achieve excellence. I have been following the “Eat Right 4 Your Type nutritional program for about a decade. It is based on the four blood types and divides food, according to whether you are blood type O, A, B or AB, into beneficial, neutral and one you should avoid. Of course, you can use some other approach, but the basic point is that it provides me with healthy nutritious foods I can eat: fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, and in limited amounts, dairy and grains. But you can follow any plan and it can be healthy so long as you are consuming lots of fruits, vegetables, proteins and carbohydrates. Limit your sugar and salt intake. Ease up on the fast-food, fried things and processed foods. You do not need to be a vegetarian or vegan to eat healthily. Only make a decision to do it and stick with it. Start each day with a good breakfast and try to make breakfast or lunch your biggest meal.

Exercise regularly. When you calculate how much money you spend on junk food and other things you do not need but spend $5 on here or there, it adds up! Do you realize you realize you waste money that could be spent on a gym membership and maybe even enough to supplement it with a personal training session once a month. Go to the gym every other day (Zumba!! Yoga!!) and take a class, then run on the treadmill for 10-15 minutes, then do 30 minutes of weightlifting and machines. That gives you 8 hours of exercise per week. It is hard at first but it gets easier and you will like how your body looks and feels after eight weeks. You will be hooked on fitness. Walk when you have the chance. Maybe take up running. I ran my first-ever 10K this year with the goal of running a marathon in 2015. I liked crossing that finish line under my own power. Find something(s) you like and just do it.

Take a daily nap. Studies prove that a nap of at least 30 minutes per day is good for your heart and your attention span. Find a quiet space, whether I your car, your office, your couch or bed, and sleep for 20-90 minutes somewhere between 1:00pm-4:00pm. You will have more energy for the late afternoon and evening. You will have energy to tackle last-minute tasks at work, take an evening or night class, enthusiastically spend time with your partner/spouse or children, read for pleasure, have a late dinner, play a sport etc.

Find a mentor. In fact, I recommend having two mentors, one as a general mentor and one for your specific professional field. We all have dreams. A mentor who has gone before you can help guide you and help you shape your unique journey, reducing your learning curve and helping you avoid pitfalls and traps. There is an excellent organization for women in Copenhagen which provides non-Danish women with a Danish woman mentor. After I moved to Copenhagen, I signed up and was matched with a mentor who not only had a professional background in two of the three professional fields I which I worked, she was able to give me insight into the Danish community, give me professional references and practice speaking Danish with me. You could have a mentor at work, a mentor in your chosen field, a mentor with experience and contacts in something you wish to achieve on your bucket list. The possibilities are endless. With a mentor as a partner, you can manifest your potential faster than you can alone.

Mentor someone. Connect with someone and share your wisdom in a mentoring relationship. This is giving back to the universe, and when you put good stuff out here you get good stuff back. There are formal mentoring organizations where you can do this, and you can also stay open to opportunities that come your way for forming a mentor relationship that mostly benefits the mentee.

***If you want to DO something with this motivational material, you can purchase the companion book:

"30 Steps to Excellence: 30-Day Journal Workbook" $8.49

Embrace your parents. Despite what you may see on television programs and a church, most people do not have perfect families. Most of us have families that are dysfunctional in some way, and distant or dysfunctional parental relationships are often at the center of them. Remember this, your parents are a different generation and ways of doing things yes, but when they are no longer alive you WILL miss them. Your children will one day view you as a relic from the Middle Ages, out of touch with the reality of modern life. Time is short, embrace your parents and enjoy the time you have with them. Swallow your pride, laugh at the jokes that are repeatedly told, let your mother fuss over you and your father share his wisdom, without protest. Our parents sacrifice for us, even if we cannot always understand how. Refrain from saying things you know will cause an argument. Find ways to make the time you send with them enjoyable. They also had no course in being a parent; no one knows how to be a parent until they go through it. Excellence is having good parental relationships.

Create better sibling relationships. If you have sisters or brothers, that is a precious gift. These are the people who have known you from your youth, in your best and worst moments. They have seen how rough you look in the morning when you awaken, they know what you really do and don’t like, they have experienced your faults and eccentric habits, and through it all, they still love you. Relationships with your siblings, like wine, tend to ripen and improve with age. Make good memories with your siblings. I am taking a long vacation with one of my sisters. These are the people with whom you will share your elder years. Excellence is having good sibling relationships.

End negative friendships. Friends should uplift you and time spent with them should leave you and them feeling positive, content and inspired. If this is not happening, you need actual friends. Take the active approach and first talk to these people about the problem to see if you can mutually agree to change. If it does not change, spend more time forming and nurturing new friendships with positive, uplifting people and less (and eventually, no time) with negative people.

Associate with positive people. You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with in life according to American author Jim Rohn. Who are those five people in YOUR life? Your accomplishments in life, your level of personal excellence, can be directly traced back to those five people. Are you with people who inspire, motivate, and support you OR who depress, criticize and depress you? Choose your five people carefully.

Smile often. Did you know it takes more muscles to frown than to smile? Did you also know your mother was right when she said you face will get stuck like that? Constant frowning sets that expression on your face as you age. When you smile, others tend to smile back and both of you get a release of endorphins, those natural hormones that make you feel good.

Cultivate your spiritual life. Explore various religions and spiritual paths and find the one that resonates with you. Once you have found what is right for you, you will know it. Spend time each day nurturing your faith and growing deeper in your personal spirituality. If it is meaningful for you, spend time in a like-minded community (worship service) at times. Be open to listening to others about their path; share yours when you feel comfortable. Let your faith improve and expand your life, not limit it.

Forgive people. Forgiveness releases you from a painful and destructive relationship with someone who has hurt you. You may always remember what they did to you, but you release yourself from the pain of it. When that happens, positive and new people, relationships and experiences have space to enter into your life.

Be considerate. We are all imperfect and we all need love. Even crabby people need love…maybe even more than those who are not! Treat everyone with respect, love and kindness. Overlook small slights and mistakes. Smile. Speak kindly to people and all this will return to you more often than not.

Read great books. Bookstores and libraries are living treasures of wisdom and knowledge. While not all intelligence comes from books, the most knowledgeable people in the world are well-read. Crack open a book and take in the words. A bookworm from birth, I have created a list of 30 Books You Must Read Before You are 30, that I share with my clients. I will post it soon, and of course, if you are older than 30 you can still enrich your life by reading them.

Limit your television time. Most of what is on television and movie rentals is garbage. What you take in is what comes out of you, so, the phrase “garbage in, garbage out” is true. Ask yourself what you learn through what you watch. It is rarely anything valuable and life-affirming. It is typically violent, unintelligent and motivates you to overeat and spend money on things you do not need. I think it is unrealistic to expect that everyone will never watch television again, nor is everything on it garbage. If you do not want to eliminate television from your life, I suggest limiting yourself to 4-7 hours of television or movie rentals per week. That is, 1 hour a day maximum, 4-7 days a week. Limit yourself to classic films, historical, nature or scientific programs that you can learn from and no more than 1-2 hours per week of the typical television fare (series etc). Eliminate “reality shows”. Find other things to do than watch television. Do not save up the hours for one day. If you do not watch television that day, so what? There are many other, excellent, things you could be doing.

Limit your news consumption. Murder. Rape. Child molestation. War. Gossip. This is the content of most news. I know, because I once worked as a member of the media. Stop watching mainstream television news. Subscribe to a non-tabloid newspaper and read it in the morning. Read the comics first, then the front page, which is typically mostly international news. Stop reading “celebrity” gossip about the lives of entertainers. Spend more time minding your own life and focusing on how you can improve your life and the lives of others that day, not on who is having sex with whom, war propaganda, murder, rape and child molestation.

Expand your world. The phrases “The sky is the limit” and “Aim for the stars” are beautiful and true because the sky has no limit and the stars are countless. The sky is always moving, always changing and if you push straight through it you head into space, among the stars, out into the galaxy, out into this universe whose size is beyond our ability to conceive. Aim for the sky, shoot into space and be all you can be. Living your best life, living a life of excellence, is aiming for the stars. There is nothing you cannot achieve when you understand there is nothing you cannot achieve.

Meet new people. I live part of the year in Denmark. Danes are accustomed to forming their friendships when they are very young, attending school with the same small core group of people for all of their childhood and young adulthood, and then socializing with that same group the remainder of their lives. They add in some friends from a sports club and that completes their social group. Now there are thousands of expatriates living and working in Denmark who want to make friends with their Danish neighbors and colleagues, but hit a brick wall when they try. It is a significant cultural issue for expatriates when deciding whether to stay or leave the country. Danes report being distressed by being asked to include new people in their social lives, even for an unscheduled cup of coffee. They miss out on great opportunities to meet new people, grow personally and expand their world. However, meeting new people brings great and varied opportunities in life, changes our perspective, enriches our lives, and increases our intelligence by allowing us to learn new things. Make the effort to go somewhere new and meet new people.

Do something new each week. Change it up! Do a new activity, have pick up your coffee at a new coffee shop, learn a new skills, take a class, talk to a stranger in the elevator, visit someplace nearby that you have never seen. Whatever it is doing something new prevents you from stagnating. Your brain and emotions benefit as you think new thoughts, start forming new opinions and feeling new things during your new experience.

***If you want to DO something with this motivational material, you can purchase the companion book:

"30 Steps to Excellence: 30-Day Journal Workbook" $8.49

©Humanity Institute. All Rights Reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission.

Saturn Retrograde in Libra - January 26, 2011

2011-01-24T16:35:00Z

(From the Healing Universe "Insights" blog:)

They say that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb -- but this January trumped that! We began the year with two eclipses (in Capricorn and Cancer) that BANG BANG brought home issues around nurturing of ourselves and others through compassion and care as well as work and routine habits. Those eclipses also challenged us around relationships – what needed to grow and what needed to be pruned. We began the year with a call to put some areas of life in order. It may have felt shockingly numbing if someone left our life or we had to remove someone from our life OR if we were removed from someone’s life.

The question of putting some areas of life in order is also the thrust of Saturn’s lessons. Right now Saturn in Libra has been stationing retrograde, or sitting still before retrograding, at 17 Libra.

Jupiter has transited forward into Aries for its last sweep there for another 12 years. It will cover all of Aries by May. Uranus will enter Aries on March 11^th, adding shockwaves -- shocking, surprising, and unusual or unexpected situations and events to our lives. You can expect to hear about and experience changes in communications, the Internet, and governmental leadership.

But most importantly, slowly changing the landscape behind all this is transiting Saturn in Libra, which will station retrograde on January 26^th and be retrograde for 4½ months until June 14^th .

Whatever took place in your life, whatever lessons you were presented with since September, it will be brought to your attention again and re-addressed so you can gain deeper understanding. In plain language, Father Saturn, the Teacher, is telling you to “get it right” this time, to “do right”, or to “make things right”. Whatever you were resisting, not committing to, running from, ignoring, and fighting is coming to sit in your living room again. For the past nearly 5 months, you have had some time to understand what is being required of you and you have been able to glimpse the future consequences of resisting, fighting, running away or refusing to commit. If you handled things immaturely, you likely have been depressed, been hearing the word “No” as others resist you, and you have found doors shutting and criticism getting louder. Things are likely not working out to be as you would like. The old ways are not working. You must take personal responsibility and create structure and substance in life. The new and mature ways are the only positive direction you can take. You have a choice, but the choice you make clearly will set you on a path that is positive and productive or negative and non-productive.

This Saturn in Libra retrograde period, as with all Saturn retrogrades also demands that we work with what is happening now, not new projects or relationships. It is not a time to “move on”. It is a time to deal fairly, rightly, with commitment, and firmly with issues from your past that have been left unresolved, unjust/unfair or imbalanced. Set firm boundaries and handle past issues rather than start or address new pursuits. You may need to admit to yourself that you acted immaturely in the past and now need to apologize to someone or see if there is anything you can do to make a past wrong right. Maybe someone else must do that in regards to you.

The situation(s) and relationship(s) Saturn in Libra wants you to address will progress after June 14^th when Saturn stations direct. In the time Saturn is retrograde you will have opportunity to establish right relationships and situations, re-structure your life to accommodate the relationships and situations “just right” so that they make a perfectly fitted outcome in your life.

Barrett

Barrett, "The Expat Expert" is an intercultural consultant and lifespan consultant. Barrett utilizes principles of Success and Law of Attraction as the foundation for her coaching, training and consulting. On a corporate level she is a keynote speaker, coach and trainer in intercultural awareness, motivation and lifespan topics. She lives and works with individuals, groups and companies in the USA and Europe. She is based out of La Jolla, California (USA) and Copenhagen, Denmark. Contact her by email.

Under Pressure!

2010-09-06T08:31:00Z

What is your response when the pressure is on? Do you clutch or choke?

As I wrote and told my clients two years ago, we are in a "New Normal": the current economic state is the future economic state to some degree. This means there is a global financial crisis and in the USA it is clearly a deep recession.

This means that for many, savings are dwindling or disappearing, income is not stretching as far as it once did, expansions are not a wise move or are impossible, people are losing their jobs, homes are being lost in foreclosure, and people are facing a different financial picture than they dreamed of 6 years ago.

Perhaps you have acknowledged the New Normal and that it will be here for many years to come. But how are you handling it? There is pressure to do something, to make changes, to adjust.

In order to surmount a rough and/or dangerous situation and live to fight another day you must make decisions and then act fast. However, it is precisely that, decision-making, that is the problem. To make a decision you must be able to think and think objectively and quickly.

Peter Sullivan has written an excellent book on this topic of the art of thinking clearly under great pressure.

Sometime we MUST cut our losses instead of depleting all our resources trying to save a sinking ship. Sometimes we must sell the house whose rising sub-prime rate mortgage payments we can no longer afford, get a smaller and more affordable rental property, and adjust our lifestyle. This is a better option than depleting our savings, borrowing from other sources to pay the mortgage, worrying day and night because we cannot refinance, and irrationally, arrogantly saying we will die if we cannot live in that house anymore. As the man in Sullivan's example admits, his pride nearly destroyed him financially.

In the article, Sullivan also lists five traits of people who are great under pressure (and therefore can still eventually reach their goals):

focus
discipline
adaptability
being present
a mix of entrepreneurial desire and fear of losing (your goal)

How do you measure up on these five traits? Could you do what it takes to reach your goals even if it means taking a loss in the short term? Remember, there is no shame in cutting your losses and living to fight another day.

Sullivan also lists the three traits that winners possess which help them avoid the doom of choking under pressure, stalling out and losing everything. Those traits, according to him, are:

taking responsibility for what needs to be done
not over thinking the situation before acting
not being overconfident when things stabilize and work out

When your life goal is to own a home or business but you cannot afford the house mortgage or multiple office rentals anymore, it is time to cut your losses. Sell, consolidate, move to a smaller property and deal with the fact that you may need to change your employee's situations. You can always expand in the future when things improve.

When your life goal is to be a wife and mother but the man you love won't communicate well with you, won't treat you fairly and is not committing to you, it is time to cut your losses. Acknowledge that this man is showing through his actions that he truly does not love you and is determined to be unfair to you. Next, stop having anything to do with him. Either he will mature and be the man he should be, or, you will be free of him and in great shape in terms of availability and openness to a new man who is responsible, mature, and commitment-ready so you can get married and have a child.

When your life goal is to have a successful life as an expatriate, living and working in a foreign land, but you are having difficulty creating a positive and fulfilling life there, it is time to cut your losses. Stop repeating the same social patterns and attempts to look for cheap ineffective and superficial solutions (one-time "comedic" talks, ingrown native lectures, free government seminars). Acknowledge this is a serious matter, decide to invest emotionally and financially in yourself, then pay for professional intercultural training and personal coaching, and spend time regularly learning how to change your expatriate life.

How are you in the clutch? How are you when the pressure is on? Can you shift gears, hug the curves, and take a new direction to success? Or will you choke, stall out and come to a stop at failure?

To be successful, to achieve a dream, to have a good life, you must handle pressure well.

To your success!

Barrett

(This blog article is from the Humanity Institute's Coaching Journal.)

Barrett, "The Expat Expert", is an intercultural consultant and lifespan consultant. Barrett utilizes principles of Success and Law of Attraction as the foundation for her coaching, training and consulting. On a corporate level she is a keynote speaker, coach and trainer in, intercultural awareness, motivation and lifespan topics. She lives and works with individuals, groups and companies in the USA and Europe. She is based out of La Jolla, California (USA) and Copenhagen, Denmark. Contact her by email.

Who's Your Daddy? (Saturn in Libra for Aries)

2010-07-23T20:10:00Z

(from the Healing Universe Insights blog)

The news is out that Saturn has ingressed the sign of Libra. We had a small taste of it for six months from the end of October 2009 until mid-April 2010. The sign of The Scales will be its temporary home for a 25 month journey.

We know it will affect people with Sun, Moon, Ascendant or Saturn in Libra very strongly and specifically in some area(s) of life. But what about people with Sun in Aries, the sign opposite Libra? Will they escape the maturing, structure-breaking and rebuilding lessons of Saturn? To answer that question with a question:

“Who’s your Daddy?”

Saturn. Saturn is your Daddy. In fact, Saturn is your Big Daddy.

Saturn will be dealing in great part with people who have Sun in Saturn, focusing shaping their identity, and with people who have Saturn in Libra, focusing on restructuring and balancing their relationships and partnerships in life. BUT, Saturn, like any parent with multiple children, will be hard at work teaching people with Sun in Aries about themselves.

When Saturn transits opposite your Sun, you are likely to find yourself disillusioned and disgusted with some aspect of your personality, with an important person in our life and/or authority figures, or with your personal plans and achievements. If you have not been managing your life effectively, the ego boosts that previously came your way are no longer forthcoming and confidence can be hard to find, which will be very frustrating for an Aries.

You may feel isolated socially. You must learn to rely on yourself and not resent it.

You may feel but more likely be blocked from advancing in the way you envisioned in your chosen career or life path. It is time to create and consider a Plan B and perhaps also a Plan C and trust that the benefits will one day be visible, even if it is several years later.

While Big Daddy Saturn in Libra opposes your Sun in Aries, ego boosts will not seem to be forthcoming, or if they are, you will likely not perceive them in that manner. You may be forced to tighten your financial, social or emotional belt, limiting your expression. Your physical energy is likely to be low. Even mechanical things around you (your car, your household appliances) may breakdown unexpectedly and more often than normal. Problems with skin, bones and teeth are likely to arise.

Your work income or business may be cut or disappear – or expenses may increase – and you must learn to make changes to adapt, whether it is to find a new source of (additional?) income, to make changes so as not to end up without enough savings for lean times, to change your loaning and borrowing practices or to learn to live on less and spend less.

If things or people leave your life, it is likely because the connection between you was weak, or they somehow no longer serve a healthy purpose in your life. Are you disgusted to the point of no wanting to associate anymore with your brother or your friend? Do you finally realize your marriage is a sham but you have been going through the motions? Now is the time to take slow, deliberate steps to deal with these relationships and make a decision, which could be to break ties. Taking a slow and steady approach to life is necessary now.

Big Daddy Saturn is expecting you to take the time to examine your previous commitments in relationships, work and other areas, to make improvements, to make hard but mature decisions and to be more efficient. It could mean big, significant changes or simply fine-tuning of processes you have already begun. Pushing too hard will likely lead to frustration and setbacks. You may feel drained, discourage and most commonly, depressed.

A word about depression: It is vital you take precautions to STAY AWAY FROM THE DARK SIDE!! There are so many things you can do: get an energy lamp and use it daily, start talking regularly with a coach or therapist, exercise at least 30 minutes per day (even if only a brisk walk), lower or eliminate your consumption of nicotine, alcohol, and drugs.

Aries is symbolized by The Ram and The Warrior. Aries people want to courageously take the lead and go head-first into challenges, pushing through solutions. But when Big Daddy Saturn is opposing your Sun sign it will hardly be possible to do so – and can at times be absolutely impossible. Saturn is one competitor you have no hope of defeating. You will recognize the wisdom, do the right thing and win OR fight, resist and do what you want to do and lose. The key is to remain in the reality of the situation or relationship, not attempt any shortcuts, and do the work. Do the right thing. Pay attention to the details, go slowly and accept that you cannot “beat” these lessons with sheer brute strength. You will end up bloodied and will lose confidence in your strength. The next two years are when Sun in Aries people must practice being lovers, not fighters.

Because this is a Saturn in Libra transit opposing your Sun, it is highly likely the loudest message you Mr./Ms. Aries are getting from Big Daddy Saturn is about the need to BALANCE your life. If you have been singularly focused on work or sports or self – and especially if you are single – it is important to examine your life and see in which area of life you are overcompensating for lack in another area(s) of life. Are you single and a workaholic or workaholic/sportsaholic who has no permanent partnership? If so, life will suddenly be quite lonely, no matter what you do to try to fill it with late nights at the office and sports games with friends. Being the Lone Ranger many no longer work well for you and

In short, yes, just as Big Daddy Saturn will be telling many people experiencing their Saturn Return at about age 29, he will be telling many Sun in Aries people it is time to commit to marriage!

Take it easy on yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically while working on self-improvement. Big Daddy Saturn will be proud of you and you path to being a stronger you and you will know it because the evidence in your general life, relationships and work will show it. The results of your changes will not always be immediate, but eventually they will be visible and produce solid, measureable, lasting rewards.

Barrett

Barrett, "The Expat Expert", is an intercultural consultant and a lifespan consultant. Barrett utilizes principles of Success and Law of Attraction as the foundation for her coaching, training and consulting. On a corporate level she is a keynote speaker, coach and trainer in intercultural awareness, motivation and lifespan topics. She lives and works with individuals, groups and companies in the USA and Europe. She is based out of La Jolla, California (USA) and Copenhagen, Denmark. Contact her by email.

Saturn in Libra has arrived

2010-07-22T13:37:00Z

(from the Healing Universe "Insights" blog)

Greetings friends!

On Wednesday, July 21, 2010, Saturn, the Cosmic Parent and Lord of Karma, left the constellation of Virgo and transited into Libra.

The planet Saturn concerns karmic issues (what have you done or not done, because it is coming back to you?!), restrictions, losses, responsibilities, , structures and challenges. The constellation of Libra is about relationships, egalitarianism and equality (two separate things), love, marriage, legal matters, balance, working with others, partnership and sharing. You must build relationships, teams and partnerships which allow both parties to benefit and which bring growth to your life. If you have a relationship which is not calling and challenging you to grow, it will come apart by the end of the transit. We must learn to work together and our approach to projects must reflect that spirit of sharing. Saturn will work hard on those with Asc, Sun, Moon, Venus or Saturn in Libra until October 6, 2012.

If you have any selfish habits where Libran areas are concerned, Saturn is the planet that will break you down and force you to change and do the right thing OR you will have to choose to suffer losses, pains, and worse. What will YOUR choice be? Saturn does not play games -- you WILL do the right thing or spiral into some negative things. It is time for people with the above-listed Libra placements to get real and get busy with the realities of their life situations. You can drink alcohol, take drugs, and procrastinate if you like, but Saturn will not release you until you have gotten the message and you WILL not be the same after it is done with you. What you do or do not learn, how you do or do not grow, between now and Ocotber 2012 will deterimine your next 30 years in that area of life. If it is a Saturn Return for you -- whoaa! All I can say is get it right NOW. Don't end up on the other side of 30 messed up, depressed and suffering because things will just go downhill from there.

If you need a specific consultation on how Saturn in Libra is likely to affect you, or a Saturn Return consultation, send me an email.

To all you Virgos (and people with significant personal Virgo placements) who came through the last five years of eclipses in Virgo, coupled with Saturn in Virgo -- congratulations on making it through!! Now you can rejoice, assess what you learned and use it well over the next decade before 2036 when Saturn returns to that sign.

Blessings

Barrett

Barrett is a global intercultural consultant and trainer, as well as a lifespan consultant with an academic background and experience in psychology, theology and journalism. Barrett' utilizes principles of Success and Law of Attraction as the foundation for her coaching, training and consulting. On a corporate level she coaches and trains in global staff management, intercultural awareness and motivation. She lives and works with individuals, groups and companies in the USA and Europe. She is based out of La Jolla, California (USA) and Copenhagen, Denmark. She is is also available f you need a speaker for your event. Contact her by email.

The Past, the Present and the Eclipse

2010-07-08T16:29:00Z

The Tarot card I drew from the Goddess deck today is the 6 of Cups(r). The past is coming up for you to deal with, integrate and move forward. This could be pleasant or painful memories. Either way, deal with it and do everything possible to come to understanding of the message of the past -- it affects your present.

The eclipse coming on Saturday will also help you confront and deal with issues from the past. It is in a Water sign (Cancer) and Cups=Water Signs. This is strong emotional energy.

Deal well with the past and your life will experience some very loving energy in the next 6 days and 6 months.

Call me if you have any questions or concerns!

Blessings

The Tortoise and The Hare (Teamwork)

2010-05-15T10:11:00Z

One of the most signiicatn things expatriates encounter when they move to Denmark for work or study is the concept of gruppesamarbejde or group work. This is a integral part of Danish society. It is a compentency sought in employees, it is expected on the job and it is a part of university studies. In fact, one university, Roskilde Universitetscenter, is built on the concept of group research projects. Statistics have shown that employers in Denmark hire more RUC graduates because of that graduates from the nearest rival school, Copenhagen University.

Teamwork can seem like a foreign concept ad many wonder why they should adopt it. There is an age-old able that can help you understand the need to develop and embrace this skill for professional and personal success in Denmark (and really, anywhere else).

Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argument about who was faster. They decided to settle the argument with a race. The tortoise and hare both agreed on a route and started off the race. The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he'd sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race. He sat under the tree and soon fell asleep. The tortoise plodding on overtook him and soon finished the race, emerging as the undisputed champ. The hare woke up and realised that he'd lost the race.

The moral of this well-known fable is that slow and steady wins the race.

But then recently, here is the more interesting version of this tortoise and hare story where it continues after the race:

The hare was disappointed at losing the race and he did some soul-searching. He realised that he'd lost the race only because he had been overconfident, careless and lax. If he had not taken things for granted, there's no way the tortoise could have beaten him. So he challenged the tortoise to another race. The tortoise agreed.

This time, the hare went all out and ran without stopping from start to finish. He won by several miles.

The moral of the story? Fast and consistent will always beat the slow and steady. If you have two people in your organisation, one slow, methodical and reliable, and the other fast and still reliable at what he does, the fast and reliable chap will consistently climb the organisational ladder faster than the slow, methodical chap.

It's good to be slow and steady; but it's better to be fast and reliable.

________________________________________

But the story doesn't end here.

The tortoise did some thinking this time, and realised that there's no way he can beat the hare in a race the way it was currently formatted. He thought for a while, and then challenged the hare to another race, but on a slightly different route. The hare agreed. The tortoise and hare started off. In keeping with his self-made commitment to be consistently fast, the hare took off and ran at top speed until he came to a broad river. The finishing line was a couple of kilometres on the other side of the river.

The hare sat there wondering what to do. In the meantime the tortoise trundled along, got into the river, swam to the opposite bank, continued walking and finished the race.

The moral? First identify your core competency and then change the playing field to suit your core competency.

For example, in an organisation, if you are a good speaker, make sure you create opportunities to give presentations that enable the senior management to notice you. If your strength is analysis, make sure you do some sort of research, make a report and send it upstairs. Working to your strengths will not only get you noticed, but will also create opportunities for growth and advancement.

The story still does not end here.

________________________________________

The tortoise and hare, by this time, had become pretty good friends and they did some thinking together. Both realized that the last race could have been run much better. So the tortoise and hare decided to do the last race again, but to run as a team this time.

They started off, and this time the hare carried the tortoise till the riverbank. There, the tortoise took over and swam across with the hare on his back. On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise and they reached the finishing line together. Both the tortoise and hare felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they'd felt earlier.

The moral? It's good to be individually brilliant and to have strong core competencies; but unless you're able to work in a team and harness each other's core competencies, you'll always perform below par because there will always be situations at which you'll do poorly and someone else does well.

Teamwork is mainly about situational leadership, letting the person with the relevant core competency for a situation take leadership.

There are more lessons to be learned from this inspirational teamwork story.

Note that neither the tortoise and hare gave up after failures. The hare decided to work harder and put in more effort after his failure.

The tortoise changed his strategy because he was already working as hard as he could. In life, when faced with failure, sometimes it is appropriate to work harder and put in more effort. Sometimes it is appropriate to change strategy and try something different. And sometimes it is appropriate to do both.

The tortoise and hare also learned another vital lesson in teamwork, one I think is the most important: When we stop competing against a rival and instead start competing against the situation, we perform far better.

When Roberto Goizueta took over as CEO of Coca-Cola in the 1980s, he was faced with intense competition from Pepsi that was eating into Coke's growth. His executives were Pepsi-focused and intent on increasing market share 0.1 per cent a time.

Goizueta decided to stop competing against Pepsi and instead compete against the situation of 0.1 per cent growth.

He asked his executives what was the average fluid intake of an American per day? The answer was 14 ounces. What was Coke's share of that? Two ounces.

Goizueta said Coke needed a larger share of that market. The competition wasn't Pepsi. It was the water, tea, coffee, milk and fruit juices that went into the remaining 12 ounces. The public should reach for a Coke whenever they felt like drinking something.

To this end, Coke put up vending machines at every street corner. Sales took a quantum jump and Pepsi (which I think tastes better lol) has never quite caught up since.

To summarize, the story of the hare and tortoise teaches us many things about success: some of the most important points are that pooling resources and working as a team will always beat individual performers; fast and consistent will always beat slow and steady; work to your competencies; never give up when faced with failure; and finally, compete against the situation, not against a rival. Compete against yourself and run your race well.

For those living and working in Denmark or at least planning to, teamwork skills are essential to success at work, at school and in social situations. Use this updated fable to help yourself find you path to your goal.

To your success!

Barrett

"The Expert Expat"

Barrett, "The Expat Expert", is an international coach and cultural trainer/consultant with an academic background and experience in psychology, theology and journalism. Barrett's focus is on working with expatriates, companies desiring intercultural training and eucation, and individuals seeking success. She works with individuals and intercultural organizations in the USA and Europe as a coach, coordinator and trainer. Contact her by email.

Fresh Inspiration

2010-05-01T17:55:00Z

Spring has sprung, the air is fresh, flowers are blooming, and people are outside more. Are you?

Staying motivated to succeed in your goals is easier when you have fresh inspiration, and that comes from getting enough exercise and fresh air. It has been a LONG hard winter in many places and some people tell me they are accustomed to staying inside now, even though it is not cold and there is no visible snow on the ground.

The problem is, in their minds, it is still a cold, cold world "out there" and the ground is covered in rigid cold ice and snow. In their minds, the cannot go out..so in their minds, neither is their imagination. They are now allowing themselves to be free, to explore, to get fresh inspiration.

But this is necessary! So put on a jacket, maybe grab your sunglasses, and at least take a walk around the block. Try to walk around at least 30 minutes. Do this every day. Take a small notepad and a pen with you and write down some of the thoughts which come to you during your walk.

The fresh inspiration, the new angles, the previously unrecognized perspective will come to your conscious, ready for you to act on it. This can only lead to more joy and success...and there is everything right about that! This is when you put the Law of Allowing into action, because you are freeing up your mind and your spirit to receive the things you desire. This is when you put thew of Deliberate Creation to work for yourself because you clear out the cobwebs of obstacles and negativity and start creating what you want from the core of yourself.

With every step you take, you walk further into your manifested dream!

To your success!

Barrett

P.S. I am making myself available for those who are willing to invest in themselves and their success for 2010. I am ready to coach you in creating a life for yourself that is happy, fulfilling and abundant in every sense of the word. When you are ready to do this, send me an email and let’s get started.

If You Could Not Fail

2010-02-19T14:24:00Z

Right now millions of people around the world are steadfastly watching television to see the spectacle of the 2010 Winter Olympics. As always with the Olympics, atheletes are pushing themselves to accompluish fantastic feats and break new records. American snowboarder Shaun White has taken the Gold Medal in Vancouver for the Men's Halfpie. But this was no simple victory.

Not only did he score an impressive 46.8 (out of 50) with a nearly flawless first run with back-to-back double-cork 1080s, he repeated it with a second run that scored 48.4.

He not only gave it his all on his first attempt, he gave even more the second time, beating his own score. He not only elevated himself, he elevated his teammates and the sport.

As we continue to watch the events in Vancouver, reflect on how you are applying that same kind of energy to your life, to your vision, to your dreams and goal. What do your thoughts reflect back to you about who you are, how you get along with others, your methods, innovations and contributions on at play, work and in life in general.

Most of all, ask yourself --What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?

How much energy are you willing to invest in what you are doing?

How many years are you willing to invest to achieve your goals?

Are you a leader, a follower?

Do other people or a job title define our work define the way you play your game (live your life) on a personal or professional level?

Do you support your teammates so they are happy when you win?

Does the kinship you share with your family, friends, colleagues make all of you more successful and bring out the best in each person? Or does it emphasize failure, regret, and excuses?

Does your interaction with your coach/supervisor/mentor bring out the best in you, challenge you to do and accomplish more, and provide recognition as you conquer each new mountain?

It is time for you to make and break your own records -- and do it with an open and winning attitude towards yourself and others. It is time to realize that you cannot fail.

To your success!

Barrett

L. Barrett Powell is an international coach and cultural trainer/consultant with an academic background and experience in psychology, theology and journalism. Barrett's focus is on Success Coaching incorporating the Law of Attraction. She lives and works with individuals and inter-cultural organizations in the USA and Europe as a coach, coordinator and trainer. Contact her by email.

Vision Board -- Week 7 (Check-in)

2010-02-18T18:00:00Z

How is your life going this year so far? Are you dreaming with passion?

We have now reached the 7th week of the year -- seven weeks since we created our 2010 Vision Board together. It is time to check in and see how things are progressing.

But first let me ask you -- is your 2010 Vision Board in a prominent place where it can catch your eye on a regular basis, several times a day? Such a place could be anywhere -- in front of your treadmill, in front of your desk, on the ceiling over your bed, on your bathroom wall, or you can take a photograph of it and upload it as your desktop wallpaper and/or screensaver. Keep it where you will feel comfortable about having your dreams on display, perhaps in a place where only you see it.

You have invested this vision board with loads of positive energy, passion and attitude. It should be representative of all the optimistic, dynamic and ambitious energy you have for living the life you desire.

What are your images? Are they the ones you want to have in your head as you go about your day?

If you like how your 2010 Vision Board looks, now it is time to check in on how you are using it. If it feels like a burdensome duty then you are doing something wrong. Make the time you spend contemplating your Dream a revitalizing, energizing, refreshing time.

I have sat looking at mine and then realized that 30 minutes or so have gone by. But how much better it is to spend that time thinking on the positive than you want to take place in your life instead of the negative that you fear!?

Are you feeling like you forgot to include something on your vision board OR you would like to be more detailed? That is great! Get another piece of poster board, your glue stick, some markers and some images to make your life's passion appear before your very eyes.

If you are struggling and wondering if this is jsut some insane thing you have done -- do not worry. I have my challenging moments.

But on a personal note I will tell you that I can see the wheels turning in the Universe around things I have on my 2010 Vision Board. There is slow movement in some areas with both people and situations. Are you experiencing this? It could feel irritating or not make sense, but just let things unfold. This means the Universe has heard you and you simply need to keep focusing on your vision board and keeping those words and images in your head. We are almost at the third month of the year, at teh time when we are tired of winter's cold adn snow and we want to give up, to hermit away.

But do not give up! Keep putting in the energy -- Dream with Passion!!

Check in with me if you want some encouragement or need some insight!

To your success!

Barrett

6 Days Until...

2009-12-27T12:50:00Z

The moment is soon arrivnig when you will launch your new life.

The creation of your Vision Board is a pwerful and decisive step in making your goals manifest into reailty.

Christmas Day is done and now people are getting bored with themselves and staying inside with their families. They are running out to malls, shopping centers and boutiques to shopi n an attempt to quiet their souls. They are flocking to movie theatres for some movies to fill their minds so they an focus on something other than their lives. Some people are planning for and traveling to the New Years party they want to attend or the fireworks they will light on New Year's Eve. Some people are also beginning to think about 2009 and what has taken place during it.

It has been a stressful and/or quickly changing year for many and not in a good way. Things got off-track for those who failed to plan for their 2009 -- those who had no vision for it.

But now 2010 is on the horizon, only 6 days away.

Have you got your gluestick? Have you started collecting photos and clipping things from magazines? Have you started ruminating on the words that are triggers (to you) for the goals you wish to see manifest in your life?

Tomorrow is Monday. Go to the store and get what you need. Pick up that gluestick adn a few magazines. Look on the Internet for some images, signs and words.

You only plan to fail when you fail to plan!

So let's get your richly successful 2010 life on a good foundation and start planning! The Law of Attraction holds that what you focus on will be attracted to (received by) you. What will YOU choose to have (do or be)?

To your success!

Barrett