Mentor ... part 1

It is well documented that having a mentor is crucial for any kind of development... and many people swear by their mentors and credit them with much their success. But what is a mentor??

Well... A Mentor is someone who guides you, someone you trust, someone who is wise... who has knowledge and experience in an area that you are require for your advancement. A mentor can be your confidant, advisor, coach, or even your role model. Yet you do not have to only have one mentor... it can be different people throughout your life, depending on what you need at a particular time.

Remember:

-- there is no single perfect role model -- many people offer different skills and it is important to look at a variety of people doing what you are wanting to do/achieve.

-- no single person can provide you with every answer... and that goes for a mentor... not one person can meet all your requirements. You need to seek the assistance from, and observe, a multitude of people.

-- no one is perfect, and no one will have all the answers... look at people with an open mind and take on board what fits you and what you want to achieve in life. People will make mistakes... so will your mentor... learn from them!

Qualities of a good mentor:
-- someone who will take a personal interest in your development and support you in the areas that you go for.
-- someone who will help you strive for your best achievements in all areas of your life
-- someone who will eagerly share their knowledge and experiences in the hope that you reach the highest level of your achievement
-- someone who is balanced in all areas of their life: physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially.
-- someone who will demonstrate the importance of fulfilling all responsibilities for every part of their life.
-- someone who is a wonderful overall example.

So... how do you find such a person??... I will talk about that in the next post.

Take care
Jeanne

MyLot

I'm now linking my blog to MyLot...
myLot User Profile

Website makeover

Over the weekend, my website, Aspirations Plus, underwent a major makeover! I had just completed my second online website course... and was into the third week of a graphics course... and I was so eager to put everything together to give my website a significant facelift.

Building my website was one of my major goals for this year. In March I wrote out 2 goals: the first was to get my second book "Outer Mongolia... no longer a fantasy" published, and the second goal was to build my own website (a huge goal considering 12 weeks ago I had no understanding whatsoever of HTML)... and I am rapt to say that both goals have been achieved!

Over the last few weeks my website has developed depending on what I have learnt... and over the weekend I incorporated a logo (which I designed) and the whole format took on a different look -- it feels like Aspirations Plus has arrived!

... I had used the principles of the law of attraction with these goals and once again it worked!

Take care

Jeanne

What would you like to change?

If you could change one thing in your life -- right now -- what would you change? ...

... Would it be to get yourself physically fitter? Quit smoking? Or perhaps find a more fulfilling job? Maybe learn a new skill? Work on relationships? Reduce stress in your life?

I'm sure this is not the first time that you have ever thought about what you'd love to change... but take it one step further -- what is stopping you from making the change? What things/obstacles/circumstances do you see as preventing you?

Seriously think about what it is you would like to change in your life. Write it out in detail, what it looks like, feels like, and how different your life would be if that change happened now.
Then, write out all the reasons why you can't make that change become a reality... in other words, what is stopping you from instigating change in your life. Write out all the reasons, all the excuses (and of course they are extremely valid) why you cannot begin to move towards the change that you desire...

Then look at your list of reasons/excuses... and consider this possibility: the one thing you need to change is... your thinking.

Many self-development speakers and authors, including James Allen believe "let a person radically alter his thoughts, and he will be astonished at the rapid transformation it will effect in the material conditions of his life." (James Allen, As a Man Thinketh).

I'll leave you with another quote from James Allen "All that a man achieves and all that he fails to achieve is the direct result of his own thoughts."

If you would like to know more... you can send an e-mail to jmay247@gmail.com or leave a post on here. I would like to hear your thoughts.

Take care
Jeanne

Heard An Audio On Self-Promotion

Hello... it is Saturday morning, really overcast and about to rain, and I thought I would take this opportunity to write on my blog.

It's amazing how often something, or more importantly someone, appears in my e-mail inbox just at the right time. Midweek I received an e-mail promoting a business development book. The e-mail contained a link to a seminar playback and something made me press the play button. And am I glad I did.

I had never heard of Warren Whitlock from MarketingResultsCoach.com, but the title of his seminar captured my attention -- "The Secrets of Successful Self-Promotion"... I am at the promoting stage, both for my website and my book "Outer Mongolia... no longer a fantasy" which will be available soon.

I was captivated right from the beginning of this audio... Warren presented a lot of valuable information... and it was like he was talking to me about my needs at that time.

Early in the presentation, he talked about the importance of defining a niche, defining what the niche wants and needs, and the importance of giving people what they want. He also stressed the importance of the Law of Reciprocity, in other words, doing and giving to others without the expectation that they will do something for you. It is evident from the amount of information Warren gave freely in this audio, and what is available on his website, that the Law of Reciprocity is central to his being. I don't know how long the audio was, but it certainly went for over an hour. Warren gave me many new ideas to think about and work with, and also talked about many things I have already implemented. It was very reassuring to know I am on the right track.

His down to earth approach, easy and casual presentation was an absolute pleasure and I gained so much from him.

If you are in a similar position to me, in that you have a service you want to get out into the wider world... there is so much information available on the net that will give you ideas, confirm what you're doing and help point you in the right direction. But be careful of information overload... the important thing is to go with the people, or information that resonates within you. And always follow your own intuition, or feeling, about what is right or fits with you.

Take care
Jeanne

Mastermind group

We have often heard or read that two heads are better than one when it comes to solving a problem or getting a result.

We all know that we need guidance, inspiration and motivation to go after our dreams, to achieve our goals... more often than not, we need encouragement to keep going when the going gets really tough and our dreams and goals seem to fade away.

The bottom-line is that we all need help to achieve our goals.

Sometimes, however, not everyone in our circle of friends or family totally understands and supports our dreams and goals. Sometimes our goals and dreams are met with strong resistance, and are quickly dismissed by others. Sometimes we haven't got any one who really understands and believes in what we are trying to do, whether it be starting a new business, losing weight, going back to "school", quitting a job and becoming self-employed, or reinventing yourself.

Would you like to be involved in a group of like-minded people, where each person is wanting to get the most out of their lives? ... Where each person is working towards achieving their goals and dreams, and desires to learn how to become successful?

In such a group of like-minded people:
-- there is always someone to support you
-- there is always someone to talk with about your ideas
-- people in the group may have information that will be helpful to you
-- you may have information that will be helpful to others
-- it is a great place to get new ideas
-- you will have people to share your successes and to go through your mistakes
-- you make a commitment to stretch yourself; you make a commitment to take the next step that will move you forward toward achieving your goal, something that you agree to accomplish before the next get-together
-- each person is accountable for doing what they say they will do by the next contact. It is a well-known fact that people are more productive when they have a deadline and are held accountable to it.

Many such groups meet together on a regular basis; the Internet provides a wonderful substitute for face-to-face meetings. Members communicate via e-mail, and voice programs such as Yahoo, MSN and Skype.

If you are interested in joining a group of like-minded people, or you would like to know more, please post a message on my blog or send me an e-mail. It doesn't matter what your goal is, what your dream is, or even if you are unsure of what it is you want to do... it would not prevent you from being involved and gaining the benefits of support and encouragement given in this group. If you have got a slight feeling that this sounds like something you would like to be part of, or could do with -- let me know!

Take care
Jeanne

Journal Writing

Journal Writing

Journal writing is a well-known and effective technique. It is a technique I use myself and frequently recommend to others, whether they be family, friends or clients. Several books have been written about the ins-and-outs of journal writing and the really good thing is you don't need any formal training or skill to do it... it is something everybody can do and benefit from.

So... what is journal writing all about? Many of us have major blocks when it comes to the thought of writing... "I'm not a writer!"...... "What would I write?"... "I don't know where to start!"... "What do I say?"... Does this sound familiar? These were a few thoughts running through my head when I first heard about the benefits of journal writing.

As a child, I had often kept a diary... to record what was happening in my life -- what I was doing, where I'd been, and sometimes to record how I was feeling and what was troubling me. My diary was a hit and miss thing... I would go for months diligently writing each day and then a couple of years would go by before anything was recorded. I thought it was just a "girly" thing to do while growing up... but in my 4th year of psychology, at Uni, I learned about the true value of journal writing.

Keeping a journal was a course requirement of one of my classes; the instructions were clear -- we had to write about our reactions and feelings towards what was happening in our life -- not about "what" was happening, but about "how we were reacting" to it and "how we felt" about it. And it was here that I discovered how beneficial journal writing can be. Once you get beyond just recording events, and begin to write your feelings and thoughts... this is where the real benefit lies.

Things to remember:
-- your journal writing is for your eyes only! You are not writing an academic article, or an assignment, a report or something that is going to be read by any other person but you.
-- because your journal writing is only for you, don't worry about grammar, punctuation, making sense, neatness, or sentence structure. The thing is to just write and write and write.
-- it is beneficial to date every entry -- e.g. Saturday 11/8/07. This is useful when you want to reread your journal; you can see how you were going at a certain time in your life and where you are now.
-- there is no right or wrong way for journal writing -- it is a very personal experience and you will find your own way.

How to get started:
-- get yourself a large notebook, writing pad, diary, personal journal, set yourself up with a folder on your computer, or whatever, that is specifically where you will do your writing.
-- you can handwrite or use a computer. Handwriting is a lot more flexible because you can do your writing in the park, in the car, in bed or wherever you get the urge.
-- find a place where you can keep your journal where no one else can see it or find it.
-- when you first start, your writing may feel stilted or awkward... but just keep going and soon you will find that thoughts will begin to flow and you will be writing almost automatically. Sometimes I don't think I will write any more than a couple of lines but once I get going it begins to flow and sometimes I end up with 1 or 2 pages.
-- it doesn't matter if you only write a couple of words, or a saga. Length isn't important.
-- in the beginning it can be useful to set aside a certain period of the day where you will do your writing; this isn't always possible because of commitments and schedules but try to do some journal writing each day.

Benefits of journal writing:
-- it's a great way get your feelings and thoughts out of your system. To offload. We all know how good it can feel to talk things over with someone but sometimes we can't get access to someone to talk to. It could be at 2 a.m. and difficult or inconvenient to contact someone. This is where your journal comes in handy -- it is always available. But please note, your journal is not to replace talking with someone e.g. your counsellor, Dr, or good friend or family member.
-- you may not have someone that you can talk to about your personal problems or feelings.
-- your journal is easily accessible at any time on any day.
-- if you have trouble sleeping, keep paper and pen by your bedside. When you have thoughts racing through your head preventing you from sleeping -- write them down. Once again it gets it out of your system and stops the continual thinking.
-- journal writing can help you clarify what you are feeling and thinking. It can help you let go of things that keep going around and around in your heart and head.
-- you may have something on your mind that you don't feel comfortable talking to someone about... you can say what you want in your journal without feeling embarrassed, your journal will not judge or criticise you.
-- your journal can become a very good friend!

I encourage you to give it a go... to see for yourself.

These are some of my thoughts on journal writing. I would like to hear what you think about journal writing, how you find it, or difficulties you have with writing. You can leave a post on this blog or e-mail me -- a link to my website is on this blog.

Until next time.
Take care
Jeanne