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Welcome To Our Neighborhood: Engaging In the Modern Community
As most of you know, last weekend we had an event in Virginia Beach dealing with Social Media. For the most part, we had business owners and other professionals trying to learn how to use Social Media to enhance their online presence. Now, I really can’t say in detail what they were expecting before they got there, but I know for a fact these business owners took away more than they bargained for.
A lot of people come up to me and ask what the Social Media community is all about. They hear these stories of great new-found wealth, and want to “get in” on the action. Well, let me tell you what I believe Social Media is all about. In short, it is bringing the “Community” back into our lives. Without delivering all kinds of statistics, it is safe to say that people are more transient now than they have ever been.
When I was younger, I remember when we had a new family move in the neighborhood we would try to make an effort to introduce ourselves, and maybe even bring over a welcome gift of some type. In addition, as a “Community”, we relied on our neighbors to watch out for– and on some occasions–to protect us, knowing that we would do the same for them. Unfortunately, those days are slowly passing. Think of the last time you made a pie for a new neighbor, or had no problem knocking on a door to borrow a cup of sugar or an egg. If you think about it, you really can’t place the blame on anyone. We have too many new neighbors now, and every time you build a relationship you risk losing it just as fast. We have grown a little reserved to protect ourselves, and make little or no effort to fight it. This is where Social Media has restored an important piece in our lives.
Our keynote speaker, Jeff Turner ( Twitter @respres), introduced to all of us how relationships are built through Social Media over time and interaction. Now, because I am already running over my 250 word limit (Sorry DSS and JSMV) I need to simplify his talk a bit.
Basically, the Social Media community has the ability to fill that void in our lives. This is one place where we can find people who are not only willing to be your friend, but also eagerly anticipating meeting new ones. The main reason it has been able to accommodate to our new transient lives is the fact that, in general, the community has no boundaries. There are no more broken hearts, or tough goodbyes to worry about. We can finally open our doors again. Another point Jeff made was that as you build these true relationships, not only will people follow you, but at some point they will watch over you (online of course), and even protect your interests (sound familiar?). In short, it is about you becoming a neighbor again. Your goal should not be so focused on quantity, as much as it should be quality. Respect everyone as you would if they were right down the street ,or even in the lot right next to you. I promise you that once our neighborhood sees that you are willing to be part of it, they will become some of the best friends you’ve ever had. So again, Welcome to our home, and feel free to come over for some eggs anytime!!
Chau
Coach West
Frederick West “Coach West”
Enterprise Solutions International
“Get Your Business Working For You”
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Filed under Back to Business, General
The Twelfth Day of Excellence: Personal Transformation!
On the Twelfth day of Excellence, the lesson presented to us: Personal Transformation! – We finally made it… 12 days of the vital tools we need to make a substantial, permanent change. Rather than review all 12 or bore you will a brief explanation, let me ask you this: Are you open to change? Are you satisfied with where you are so much that, if nothing was different on December 31st 2010 compared to now, that you would have no regrets?
For many of us that answer would be no, however, only a handful of us will do anything about it. Over the past 12 days, I have gone over some very important keys that you will need to make that change… but it is up to you to start the Transformation.
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Chau
Coach West
The Eleventh Day of Excellence: Persist Without Exception!
On the Eleventh day of Excellence, the lesson presented to us: Persist Without Exception! – Ok, so here we come to the end of one road, and find ourselves at the doorstep of another. When you think of 2010, you are completely committed to making your change….. but for how long? See, one thing that many people tend to ignore is that the world fights change. History will repeat itself because it wants to. The cosmos is not in business to let things get out of control; it is in the business of keeping things under control, which includes you. So, if you have committed to the change, but by the same breath put a limit on it, don’t bother. The world will not kneel to you after so many days, dollars, or failures. It is going to fight you until it realizes in order to bring back harmony, it better give you what you want. This is why I love personal achievement! It serves as the great equalizer between ordinary and extra ordinary. The trial by fire is the key to making you feel that you are worth not only what you have, but also worthy of the graces for which you will be asking. So realize before this first step, that failure is not an option, because once it is…. failure has already happened.
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Chau
Coach West
The Tenth Day of Excellence: Positive Reinforcement!
On the Tenth day of Excellence, the lesson presented to us: Positive Reinforcement! - One of the most distracting things you can do to short circuit your goals is reinforce yourself negatively. The phrase “I am happy to make this change, and I feel great” should be a constant message you say to yourself, morning, noon, and night. Saying “This is too hard”, or “I don’t know if I want to do this” is not only counterproductive, but gives others the impression that you were never serious about the change, which lowers the likelyhood that they are willing to help you. On the other hand, positive Self- Talk becomes a constant reminder that what you are doing is for the betterment of you, as well as those around you. In addition, there is no telling who else around you that might over hear the focus of your goal, and become a major contributor to it’s fulfillment. By the same token, you never know who might be inspired by your personal positivity!
God knows there are enough negative and/or upsetting things that are going to make your change more difficult….Positive Reinforecement is a way to make sure you’re not one of them.
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Chau
Coach West
The Ninth Day of Excellence: Have A Plan!
On the Ninth day of Excellence, the lesson presented to us: Have A Plan! – Alright my fellow procrastinators, this one is for you! I cannot stress enough how important it is to Have A Plan. One quote that resonates in this regard is, “Without a plan, there’s no attack. Without attack, no victory.” (For those of you who were lucky enough to be 80’s kids you know where this came from!). To make our vision come to be, we need to be proactive. Delaying your preparation until the 1st of January, will not only leave you dazed and confused, but also give you very few measurable results. Without measured results, it will be easy to get discouraged and ultimately quit all together. If you are working towards taking more chances, what is the first call that you are going to make? If you are looking to gain health, what do you need to setup and/or buy now so you can get started? If you are looking to get more organized, what systems are you going to implement? All I can say is, I am in it to win it, and if you are with us for the same reason, then you have a whole army to push you to VICTORY!
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Chau
Coach West
ESI Self Mastery
Have you ever wondered why it seems so easy for some to make an immediate change (Cold Turkey), while others have to work in steps? Have you ever wondered why some can only make the commitment for a short amount of time, while for others, it becomes everlasting? Basically, this can be answered in one single concept: Self Mastery. Due to our varying backgrounds, levels of success, upbringing, etc. we all have differing levels of awareness and control. In my experience, one of the more determining factors in successful Mastery is our perception of personal success. If our expectation is “If we want it, we get it”, our chances of success are extremely high. If our expectation is “If we want it, it will be tough”, our chances of success drop dramatically. So, this is where Self Mastery comes into play. How much control do WE feel we have over our own life and well-being? Basically, there are three levels of Mastery:
1) Limited Mastery – This level stipulates that we can make minimal changes with a high success rate if we want to, but a large change seems either too big, or too troublesome for us to fully commit. The common approach is something like using the patch for smoking… starting small, and then graduating to the larger change.
2) Personal Mastery – In this level, we are able to make a quick, dramatic change once our mind is focused on making one. Having this degree of control can be very effective if a person is looking for immediate results or recognition. The downside is the “want” portion of the equation. When this level of control is unregulated, we can fall right back to the previous state if the change is no longer important, exciting, or necessary.
3) Global Mastery – This level of control, more or less, is complete control. A change can be made with minimal effort, and implementation can be immediate. In addition, it can take a minimal amount of effort to sustain the change indefinitely. As you can imagine, these are very confident people… and most often, they seek out new, positive changes to keep their skills sharp.
The Self Mastery Program is designed to incorporate a natural transition through all these stages. During the process, we will take special care to solidify the previous stage as footing to climb the next one. Now, explaining these steps will take way too long in a single page. However, here is a brief description of some of the concepts that need to be learned at each stage before progressing to the next.
Limited Mastery-
A) Belief – You currently have– and have always had– the control to make the change.
B) Culture of Winning- You should build on your successes, and continue to stretch yourself.
C) Pride – You should be proud of making the change, and reward yourself accordingly.
D) Positive Self Talk – The phrase “I am happy to make this change, and I feel great” should be a constant message you say to yourself. Saying “This is too hard” or “I don’t know if I want to do this” is counterproductive, and is sure to short circuit your goal.
E) Don’t Ever Let Yourself Get In the Way – One of the biggest adversaries we have is our self. The mind controls the body, and the body will stop you anyway it can, even if only a small part of you is resisting the change.
F) Clear, Concise Goal – Before your first step, you need to know what you want. Misdirected energy can be exhausting and disheartening, which will make the next attempt even more difficult.
Personal Mastery
A) Once You Make the Change, Make It Permanent – Just like the Culture of Winning, you can also create a Culture of Losing…. When you make a change, you need to learn how to keep it, even when you no longer want it (Unless it is negative, of course). Left undisciplined, the constant Up and Down becomes the norm, and you longer bother with even making the initial effort.
B) Try to Get Less Reliant on Motivation – Waiting for outside forces to push you into a direction can not only slow you down, but also give you a poor foundation when they move on. You need to become more Self Reliant, and make changes because it is something you want.
C) Go Outside Your Core Wants – Once you have obtained a solid grasp on this level, it is time to build towards Global. Find something you have minimal interest in, and will take minimal effort to execute, but will help you a great deal. For example, you can try to read daily, or wake up at the same time everyday (earlier in the day is preferred). In doing so, you will gain the experience of taking on new challenges and increase your control.
D) Find Something That You Don’t Want To Change – This is the real difference between Personal and Global Mastery: Making a change even though it can be tough or an inconvenience. If you are unaware of anything that can be improved, that can also be an indication of your level. The fact is, there is not one person living today who is perfect… therefore, we all have something upon which to improve.
Global Mastery
A) Keep Growing – Just like any muscle, without use, it goes soft. Find larger challenges, like learning a new language or taking on a science (The science of communication is a personal favorite of mine). In doing so, you will keep your skills sharpened for challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, of which you will want to take advantage.
B) Share Your Successes – Chances are, people who reach this level do not get here by accident. They had direction and support from the people around them. It is their duty to share with others their experiences, and offer guidance for the betterment for all those around them.
Achieving Self Mastery can take a lifetime… do not get discouraged. I, myself, find it challenging, but the first step is the desire to be different. More or less, with support and focused vision the rest will take care of its self.
Filed under Uncategorized
The Eighth Day of Excellence: Self Mastery
On the Eighth day of Excellence, the lesson presented to us: Self Mastery! – One of the key elements about having a prosperous 2010 is what all of us can expect from 2011 and beyond because of it. Like we discussed before, winning is a culture… and once the status quo is raised, we rarely fall backward to where we started. Self Mastery is a concept that I have developed over the last few years in relation to personal achievement. Basically, there are 3 stages: 1) Limited Mastery 2) Personal Mastery 3) Global Mastery. The basic concept is that you must start out with some degree of control over your self before you can implement immediate, dramatic change. For example, if you have had trouble with a diet in the past, try giving up just Fast Food at first and then build on the success…To keep this segment brief, I will go over this– in detail– in a future post. The main idea is that we can all use 2010 as the first step of many toward greatness, rather than one individual achievement. In doing so, our true potential can never be limited!
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Chau
Coach West
The Seventh Day of Excellence: Daily Accountability
On the Seventh day of Excellence, the lesson presented to us: Daily Accountability! – In this entry, we find one of the most important (if not the most important!!) ACTIVE keys to success. Many of the previous Days pertain to working on the 6 inches between your ears, but if you think about it, it is those 6 inches that are also holding us back. SO… how do you fight your enemy with the same sword that he is using? The answer is Daily Accountability! Using others as an ally by asking them to hold you accountable will strengthen your resolve, and allow you to take the progressing steps towards excellence. One tool that I will be offering in “Resolution N 2 Reality 2010″ is a daily email directly from ESI, personalized to anyone who wants it. For those who already have an accountability partner or who need more than just an email, use your exterior resources to their fullest extent and ensure to return the favor. Remember, any goal that is not written down and not reviewed daily is called a wish… and we have had too many of those not come to be.
If you want to receive regular updates, join our Facebook Fan Page Here.
Chau
Coach West
The Sixth Day of Excellence: Join The Mastermind
On the Sixth day of Excellence, the lesson presented to us: Join The Mastermind! – As upsetting as it is to believe, most of us have little to no problem letting ourselves down. In the same context as “A Culture of Winning”, there have been many occasions where in our personal lives, the outcome that is ultimately realized is not what was originally planned. For this reason, in order to take full control of our 2010 goal we need to use the minds of others. I promise you that there are other people out there who have not only struggled with what you are trying to change, but also gotten through it. If, as a group, we use the collective experiences and support of all the others to maximize our effort, we are almost guaranteed to make the change that we desire. So… don’t only join the group, but become a part of the community that will give you every tool you will ever need to Win.
If you want to receive regular updates, join our Facebook Fan Page Here.
Chau
Coach West
