The Seven Habits

We have dreams. We have goals. But sometimes we forget what it takes to make them happen. Remember is not "What's in it for me?", but rather "How can I create something that can benefits others?" (Yes, even if it's a personal goal, you'll positively influence other people by bettering yourself). Life wants you to be happy. Say "YES!".

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is worth reading. Here are some highlights from Wikipedia:

Each chapter is dedicated to one of the habits, which are represented by the following imperatives:

Independence or Self-Mastery: The First Three Habits surround moving from dependence to independence (i.e. self mastery)

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Synopsis: Take initiative in life by realizing that your decisions (and how they align with life's principles) are the primary determining factor for effectiveness in your life. Take responsibility for your choices and the subsequent consequences that follow.

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

Synopsis: Self-discover and clarify your deeply important character values and life goals. Envision the ideal characteristics for each of your various roles and relationships in life.


Habit 3: Put First Things First

Synopsis: Plan, prioritize, and execute your week's tasks based on importance rather than urgency. Evaluating if your efforts exemplify your desired character values, propel you towards goals, and enrich the roles and relationships that were elaborated in Habit 2.


Interdependence: The next three have to do with Interdependence (i.e. working with others)

Habit 4: Think Win-Win

Synopsis: Genuinely strive for mutually beneficial solutions or agreements in your relationships. Valuing and respecting people by understanding a "win" for all is ultimately a better long-term resolution than if only one person in the situation had gotten his way.


Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

Synopsis: Use empathetic listening to be genuinely influenced by a person, which compels them to reciprocate the listening and take an open mind to being influenced by you. This creates an atmosphere of caring, respect, and positive problem solving.


Habit 6: Synergize

Synopsis: Combine the strengths of people through positive teamwork, so as to achieve goals no one person could have done alone. Get the best performance out of a group of people through encouraging meaningful contribution, and modeling inspirational and supportive leadership.


Self Renewal: The Last habit relates to self-rejuvenation:

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

Synopsis: Balance and renew your resources, energy, and health to create a sustainable, long-term, effective lifestyle.


Abundance Mentality
Covey coined the idea of abundance mentality or abundance mindset, a concept in which a person believes there are enough resources and success to share with others. He contrasts it with the scarcity mindset (i.e. destructive and unnecessary competition), which is founded on the idea that, if someone else wins or is successful in a situation, that means you lose; not considering the possibility of all parties winning (in some way or another) in a given situation. Individuals with an abundance mentality are able to celebrate the success of others rather than feel threatened by it.

The Upward Spiral
Covey explains the "Upward Spiral" model in the sharpening the saw section. Through our conscience, along with meaningful and consistent progress, the spiral will result in growth, change, and constant improvement. In essence, one is always attempting to integrate and master the principles outlined in The 7 Habits at progressively higher levels at each iteration. Subsequent development on any habit will render a different experience and you will learn the principles with a deeper understanding. The Upward Spiral model consists of three parts: learn, commit, do. According to Covey, one must be increasingly educating the conscience in order to grow and develop on the upward spiral. The idea of renewal by education will propel one along the path of personal freedom, security, wisdom, and power.

To your Success!
+Erika

Are You Focusing on the Clock?

Clock time is a social construction. While we oblige by it, we must also find time to disconnect from it.  I want to share in this post some very useful insight from Eckhart Tolle:

The elimination of time from your consciousness is the elimination of ego. It is the only true spiritual practice. Here are three exercises to help you move in this direction:


Step out of the time dimension as much as possible in everyday life. Become friendly toward the present moment. Make it your practice to withdraw attention from past and future whenever they are not needed.


Be present as the watcher of your mind—of your thoughts and emotions as well as your reactions in various situations. Be at least as interested in your reactions as in the situation or person that causes you to react.


Use your senses fully. Be where you are. Look around. Just look, don't interpret. Be aware of the silent presence of each thing. Be aware of the space that allows everything to be. Listen to the sounds; don't judge them. Listen to the silence beneath the sounds. Touch something—anything—and feel and acknowledge its Being. Allow the "isness" of all things. Move deeply into the Now.

– Eckhart Tolle

It is true that time will pass, and that there will be many things around us to remind us of just that.  In your daily hustle, make sure that you slow down from time to time to enjoy the flowers along the path.  Rushing all the time depletes us of essential life force, making us inefficient and clumsy. Take a few moments to connect with your breath: five consecutive breaths will oxygenate your body and begin to release tension.

Life is passing us by. Are you enjoying every moment as much as possible?

I Am, as are you...

+Erika

________________________________________________________
Erika Matos is a transformational agent, a certified health and nutrition educator, intuitive healer, and life coach helping people shift in the right direction by critically rethinking everything assumed to be true about what it means to be a happy, healthy, prosperous being. To learn more about her work visit http://www.realitymanifest.com

Do I Have to Do It All by Myself?

How are you doing on time? Do you have more to do than you can handle? Is it possible that you are not asking for help?

I have the superwoman syndrome. I think I can do it all by myself. I think I'm better off doing things on my own because I know how I want it done. This almost drove me insane! Not to mention the burnout I was about to have. I was crashing down hard and in flames. I had to do something about it.

The biggest lesson I learnt was to allow myself to ask for help. I didn't realize how many people were willing to help where they could if I just asked. The problem was that on the surface, it looked like I could handle it all and more. Beneath was a different story.

While I am still learning to let other people do things for me, I am happy that I have allowed myself the chance. See, now it doesn't have to be all perfect. I just has to be done! It makes a real difference. Instead I can focus on my services, which I believe have improved since I have less to manage. Don't get me wrong, I still oversee everything, but there's less pressure. And it has opened me up to other people's experience and expertise, in addition to creating better relationships with them. There are things that an expert definitely does better than I ever could. Who knew? lol

"Insisting on doing everything yourself burdens you and prevents others from feeling valuable and needed. Delegate more at home and at work, and free your time for things you love and excel at. –Julie Morgenstern"

Focus on the things you are proficient in. Find skillful others to help with the rest.

Free your time to do the things you love!
+Erika

______________________________________________________



Erika Matos is a transformational agent, a certified health and nutrition educator, intuitive healer, and life coach helping people shift in the right direction by critically rethinking everything assumed to be true about what it means to be a happy, healthy, prosperous being. To learn more about her work visit http://www.realitymanifest.com