IN THIS ISSUE
Welcome
Feature Article - Live Your Purpose
Words to Inspire
Guest Column - The Donkey and The Well
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
WELCOME

Greetings and welcome to all of you. We are delighted to send you another issue of KEYS TO SUCCESS. Thank you for joining us.

The feature article looks at the importance of living your life purpose. Discover how to find or renew yours so you can live your purpose.

It is Labor Day weekend for those of us in the US. That means we get to enjoy an extra day off. Al and I are extending the long weekend into six days. We are flying to Ohio to spend time with family and friends and then on to Illinois for his high school reunion. A nice way to mark the end of summer and the start of fall.

Our commitment is to give you practical information and inspirational ideas to benefit your business and personal life. We are committed to "bringing out your best"! We welcome feedback so we can improve and offer real value to you.

Keys to Success is written and published by Carol Gegner. Are you ready to excel? Check out http://www.coachexecs.com. We are ready to help you.

Any questions about your subscription? Check the end of the newsletter for information to subscribe or unsubscribe.

If you like what you see, will you please help us grow by forwarding the ezine to your colleagues and friends? We truly appreciate your support.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< FEATURE ARTICLE - Live Your Purpose

Do you ever wonder why you're doing what you're doing? You
started your business, changed careers, accepted a promotion, or
moved to a new city and now you wonder why! We all question our
actions at some point in our lives.

Let's take the example of running your own business. Day in and
day out you are busy acting and reacting to emergencies like
hiring, firing, customer complaints, and meeting payroll.
Eventually you begin to lose your initial joy and excitement. The
drama of work begins to look and sound like a soap opera. The
plot gets thicker and there's no end in sight.

How can you rekindle the joy you once felt? The answer is found
in reconnecting with purpose; i.e., your personal mission. What
motivated you to start that business? You probably had a dream, a
purpose to fulfill and your business would help you achieve that
dream.

Having a purpose keeps you from losing sight of the "why"and
"what" you are doing. Keeping your purpose clear gives you the
big picture. It gives meaning to your work. In time of
self-doubt, your purpose is your touchstone.

When you're doing what is meaningful and in line with your
purpose you want to learn, grow, and change. You feel an inner
source of energy and it flows freely. Purpose provides direction
and fulfillment. It helps you make decisions when you have
choices.

Now for the hard question! What is your purpose? Have you stopped
long enough to discover it? Finding your purpose is a personal
journey with a spiritual aspect. We all have a purpose hiding
inside. It's what makes us unique and special.

If you already know your purpose, maybe its time to review it and
monitor your progress. Are you unclear about your purpose? Try
these steps to begin your discovery.

1. Make a list of the things you don't want in your life. List the
things that create stress, frustration, fear, anger, unhappiness,
etc. Circle five or six most important "don't wants."

2. Make a list of the things you REALLY want in your life. Avoid
materialistic things. List the "wants" that are absolutely non-
negotiable. What makes you happy, satisfied, motivated, etc.
Circle five or six of your most important "wants." Notice how
easy it is to do the "wants" after you've done the "don't wants!"

3. Rank the circled "wants" in order of importance. Write what
keeps you from having those things. These are your barriers to
overcome.

4. Imagine having only six months to live. How would you live your
life? Write your own eulogy. How do you want to be
remembered? What do you want people to say about you?

5. Look for themes from what you want in your life and what
you've written in your eulogy. These are the clues for
discovering your purpose.

6. Complete the sentence The purpose of my life is........
You'll know it's right when you read it and say, "Yes, that's
me!"

How does this relate to business? What you do needs to have
meaning and serve your life. The purpose of life is to have a
life of purpose. Joseph Campbell tells us to follow your bliss.
We can only do that when we know our life's purpose. Begin your
journey to a full life. Live your purpose!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
WORDS TO INSPIRE

"Between thinking and seeing, there is a place called knowing."
Carolyn Myss

"Let the beauty of what you love, be what you do."
Rumi

"A successful life is one that is lives through understanding and pursuing one's own path, not chasing after the dreams of thers."
Chin Ning Chu
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
GUEST ARTICLE - The Donkey and the Well

"One day a donkey fell into a well. When the owner discovered what
happened, he frantically searched for ways to rescue the animal with no success. Regretfully, the owner decided that since the donkey was growing old, he should give up the idea of rescuing the animal and simply fill in the well. Hopefully, the donkey's demise would be quick and painless.

The farmer then called his neighbors to help with the task, and soon several men began shoveling dirt into the well.

When the donkey realized what was happening, he brayed and struggled...but finally the noise stopped.

After a few sad moments, the farmer looked into the well and there stood the donkey. Alive and progressing to the top, the donkey had found that by shaking off the dirt instead of allowing it to bury him, he could keep stepping on top of the earth as its level rose. Then, he could easily step out of the well - and trot off happily.

As you may have noticed, life often attempts to cover us over with dirt and clutter. The trick is to shake it off and do something to take the next step up (Cottrell, 2005, p. 52-53)."

Reference: Cottrell, D. (2005). 12 choices...that lead to your success. Dallas: CornerStone Leadership Institute.