IN THIS ISSUE
Welcome
Feature Article - Igniting Your Spirit
Words to Inspire
Guest Column - Compass Points To Lead You
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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.

Once again 'tis the season to wish all of you a wonderful holiday season. May your celebrations be filled with happiness and love and may the New Year bring peace to our world.

The feature article is a reprint from last December because I believe the message is so important. What better way to prepare for the new year than reflecting, celebrating and giving thanks for all you've accomplished in 2005.

I did some reflecting last month while we were traveling and decided I want to revise the format of Keys To Success. I don't exactly know what that will look like so I'm taking a short publishing hiatus hoping to create a new vibrancy for Keys To Success.

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.

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<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< FEATURE ARTICLE - Igniting Your Spirit

Can you believe the end of the year is only a few weeks away? How did that happen so quickly? It has a good news/bad news feel to it. The bad news is that the years are going by faster and faster. The good news is it's the perfect time to reflect, celebrate and be grateful.

We have the opportunity to look back at our accomplishments during
the year, celebrate our successes and acknowledge our gratitude.
Ending the year on a positive note builds momentum for next year.

Taking time to reflect, celebrate and give thanks helps renew the
spirit that resides inside us. Keeping that spirit alive is essential for managing the more difficult times we encounter in our
business and in our life.

We are living in an uncertain world and we need to find ways to keep
our spirit alive. We don't want Pogo's words, "we have met the enemy
and they are us" to become a reality!* Here are a few ideas to help
ignite your spirit.

First, reflect on your accomplishments and list them as assets on
your personal balance sheet. Look at the different aspects of your
life to draw a complete picture. What worked well in your business?
What advances did you make in your career? How well did you manage
your finances? How did you improve and enhance your physical, mental,social and spiritual well-being? Use this exercise to accentuate the positive!

Second,it's time to celebrate your success using your reflections.
Remember each small success leads to a greater success. Please don't
dismiss any accomplishment as to small too count. It is very easy to
ignore the small items and only look for those big-ticket items.

Success is about the hundreds of little steps you take daily that
eventually lead you to your dreams. Create a list of all of your
accomplishments and keep the list visible as a constant reminder of
your success. Read it every day. It's a simple way to keep the flames of your spirit burning brightly.

Finally, acknowledging and expressing your gratitude is another way
to ignite your spirit. What and who do you appreciate and why? At the end of the day what are you thankful for? Write it down and add it to the assets in your personal balance sheet. Gratitude is
often forgotten in the daily hustle and bustle of doing business and
living our lives.

Reflecting, celebrating, and expressing gratitude helps us remember
that the best things in life aren't always things!
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WORDS TO INSPIRE

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."
Henry David Thoreau

"Better keep yourself clean and bright. You are the window through which you must see the world."
George Bernard Shaw

"Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment."
Lao-Tzu
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GUEST ARTICLE - Compass Points to Lead You

"To help you chart your direction in life, you have to have a compass. Although you have freedom of choice, you will never in your life have freedom from consequence.

We have been given free will and freedom of choice.* If choice is the rudder in our boat, the compass allows us to set a specific course.*And with a course set and holding on to the rudder, we can increase our odds of getting to where we want to go.*

Five compass points to help you have a better life.

1. Life is a gift.*Don't trash it!
2. Of all the gifts you possess, the greatest gift of all is your
mind.
3. Develop your talents and give them back to the world.
4. Be the most decent person you can be.
5. Remember, in this particular game there is no guarantee on
time. (Alston & Thaxton, 2003, p. 105-115)."

Reference:*Alston, J. & Thaxton, L. (2003).* Stuff happens:and then you fix it!: 9 reality rules to steer your life back in the right direction. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.